Doughy Rising

 

23 February 2021

I'd become very opposed to discarding....read "throwing away" all the extra starter I was getting at every feed.

There had to be something better!

Once again, Sir Google came to the rescue!

There are literally dozens of ways to use what I'd been tossing.  And I was off to the races!

First try:  Scones.  I added glazed ginger and pineapple and a few raisins.

They were really, really good!

Only trouble is, as I've discovered, my oven has no idea how to be hot!

It takes very often up to 20 or more extra minutes for anything I'm baking. An oven thermometer has shown why.  At 450, it never got to 375!

However, I got them done and fortuitously I had had the forethought to order clotted cream and strawberry preserves.

YUM.

That evening, I rigged up a warm nest for Doughy.  Hubby had an extra seed starter warming mat and he thought I might be able to utilize it.  I set the starter jar on the mat and wrapped it up and over a bit.  It seemed to only go up to about 75 degrees Fahrenheit so I felt he'd be comfortable over night.

24 February

Finally getting some actual rise!  As you can see, I was joyful over a small blessing, he'd risen about 1 1/2 inches over the rubber band marker.

After his morning feed, I utilized the discard to make Rosemary and Cracked Black Pepper crackers.  

As usual the oven gave me fits!  I kept raising the temp - which never got to the required temp - and letting them bake.  Finally got a fairly decent bake and I really like them!

Thinking of trying Cinnamon/Sugar ones since hubby not a fan of these.

 25 February
Today I got a big surprise!

Doughy had really grown up!  He had made it to the top of the jar!  That means he'll be strong enough  to raise bread - maybe tomorrow.

Made some really fantastic pancakes for breakfast with yesterday's discard.

New Rising Relationship

 

Just about a week ago I found myself in a new relationship.  It happened in the way so many relationships do.  I saw details on line, thought to myself, “hmmm, looks interesting” and I clicked a button.

I had talked it over with my spouse, and we agreed that I wasn’t being challenged in our current situation.  We’d become bored and stagnated.  And to top it off, the way things were, we often found ourselves feeling less than well.

So I clicked the button.

I was now initiating a relationship, for that is surely what it is, A Relationship, with sourdough starter!

How hard could it be?  Especially since the several initial articles I’d read summed it up as Easy.  And Healthy. And better for gut health.  We’d found that although I’d been baking all our bread for the past year, (we haven’t bought one loaf since March 2020), and while we’ve loved it, our guts had occasionally complained.

So I arranged whole wheat flour, water, several cups, a kitchen scale, some plastic and wooden spoons, (apparently some folks suggest starter may not like metal) and a quart jar.  How hard could this be?

Quick mix and set in a warm corner of the kitchen.  This was day time.  There were lots of warm corners in the kitchen.  Starter needs fairly warm temps.  75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  No problem.

And then it got to be midnight and our house temp became 67.  Where were there warm little corners?  In our bed?  Nope, this new relationship is not going There!

I wrapped him up, said goodnight and hoped for the best.

Next morning I check up on my new friend.  Wow!  He’d practically filled his jar!  He was almost 3 times his original size!  This was going to be a breeze!  I could almost taste the wonderful sourdough bread I’d soon be baking.

I stirred it down, removed a lot more than half, felt saddened at disposing of the excess and fed the remainder.  113 g of room temp water, 113 g flour. 

Next morning, same thing….almost full quart jar!  Wow!  I was kicking this ancient art. 

Next morning, little sad puddle of dead looking glue.  Barely a bubble.  Reminding me of the texture and smell of the flour paste I’d made as a child.  Poured off 113 g of the sticky mess, tossed the remainder and changed the receptacle.  Nearly resorted to a blow torch to clean the jar.  It WAS the old fashioned paste!  And it had STUCK!

That day it got two feedings.  I was beginning to think I might have to reach out to nearby hospitals for a resuscitator.  This was a victim in a near death situation.

So here I am, 1 week into this new relationship.  We’ve named him Doughy.  Bedtime has become a nightmare! He’s never happy with the temperatures in the house, the microwave with a night light on is “too hot”, the counter at night is “too cold” and I am very near the point of giving him his eviction notice.  But I’m stubborn, if nothing else.  I’ve now read enough stories of foster parents of starters to know mine isn’t all that different from others.  I’ll hang in, giving him some time to wake up and grow.  But I’m still baking the other kind of bread, guts be damned.

Christmas Mail in a Pandemic

 On normal Christmases (is that a proper plural?) I would have been busy accumulating photos of at least our grandkids, if not the whole of the family in order to order something like 200 photo Christmas cards.  Many folks have told me they love watching the progression of the children growing up, etc.  I sure love sharing them.

This year there was to be no gathering in which to get such a photo.  And although I did come up with a creative idea on how to get all the grands onto a card, only one of them complied.  

Our beautiful and selfless Granddaughter J, at work as a student nurse - the only one who remembered.

So I was up a creek with only one photo!

I decided to make as many hand made cards as I could.  After all, I own more accumulated accessories to do so than any living human (probably not, actually) and I can't take it with me!  I had some real fun.  I did take a couple of on line tutorials whereby I learned some new techniques, but for the most part I just cut, glued and inked to my heart's delight.  Below are some of the creations.

This was one of the first new technique I learned.  I didn't get very good at it, but I loved the results!

By attaching the inside feature with a small piece of cardstock, it will swing out when opened. 

Simply stamped and embossed with white embossing powder for the wording in back and cannibalize an old Christmas card for its frame and pine cone! 

Utilize Christmas wrapping paper!

This one might have been my very favorite!


And then there was the Christmas Mouse!  I love mice!  I may have posted in years past that I won a package of these little guys from Scrapbooking Made Simple.  SMS
I didn't really have enough proper markers to color this the way I'd have liked.  Santa made sure I got some for Christmas!!


I didn't get every card made, and it took a while to get them sent since we had very few stamps.  Eventually we got some stamps sent in the mail, and I "think" everyone got a card who was going to.  A limited list this year, but hoping next year will bring me the joy of picture cards again.  And I wouldn't be surprised if I am tempted to hand make some as well.

    

Happy and Safe New Year!

 What a year it has been!

Dearest husband gave me a couple of miserable days doing what I do best, worrying!

During the end of February, he slipped in mud during a lovely walk with youngest Granddaughter, and broke both lower bones in his leg.

The beginning of March, he had repair surgery.

The beginning of May he suffered Bell's Palsy.  

If it taught me nothing else, it taught me how very dear he is to me.  I honestly didn't know I could cry quite so much during the first couple of days...not knowing what was wrong with him, not being able to go to see him...he was hospitalized during the worst time...during a pandemic!  Thankfully, that is all behind us, never to happen again....God willing.

So, we can see the taillights of that miserable year and look forward with hope to the new one.

I'm making great and shiny plans for bettering myself, my environment and my relationships - isn't that what humans do in the first, squeaky clean days of January?

What brought me here today is to document one of my 2021 challenges.  

I've joined the Quilting UFO Challenge by American Patchwork and Quilting.  It's being run locally by one of my favorite quilt shops, The Quilted Nest, Collingswood NJ.  See shop here

For the challenge we list in numerical order, projects we'd like to complete this year.  Any past readers may recall that I have made similar lists most years.  And I've got to brag that in that way, I've gone on to complete a great many projects.

Here's my list for 2021.

1.    Sunbonnet Babies Seasons    Quilt It                  Top finished Dec. 2020

2.    Aunt Mar's Violets                Repair and Quilt (these have been on my lists for several years!)

3.    Stack and Whack                Get the top pieced

4.    Eleanor's Amish Square        Quilt It        

5.    Giraffe                                Finish the collage, Quilt It  

6.    Giraffe continued

7.    Crystal Embroidered            Select threads and get the embroidery done

8.    Picture This                        Take from pattern and fabric to a wall hanging

9.    Stonehenge                        Take from panel to a wall hanging

10.    Fold n stitch                    Take from pattern, template and fabric to table center piece

11.    Eleanor's Yellow                Quilt it    

12.    Lancaster Covered Bridge    Take from kit to wall hanging

I bought these orphan blocks from the husband of a quilter who had passed away.  I decided to address them during the dreaded Covid19 year, put them together and decided they needed something.  Finished embroidering each of the blocks in December.  Now to get it quilted.

There are two twin sized quilts in this container....I've had them for years.  They are featured on every New Year's list to finish, but they have some problems that have to be addressed and it ends up putting me off each year.  This, hopefully, will be their year.  All hand embroidered by my Aunt Martha.

A hand-me-down done by the mother in law of my youngest brother when she died.  I've completed a few of her items - one I did for my nephew, her grandson.  Really want to complete it and do something with it.

I bought this pattern and made, I think 3 center pieces.  Then I bought some gorgeous fabric to make one for Christmas - maybe 3 or 4 years ago.  I'll be Folding and Stitching this year!

Just had to have and make this covered bridge panel for a wall hanging.  Well, I've had it for a few years.  Better get my bridge built.

Just thought I'd throw in a picture of me....don't I look ready and eager to get going on these projects?

Picture This.  Hubby so badly wants me to get this one done.  We think I'll substitute vinyl pockets where the photos are supposed to go so we can change the photos out  from time to time.  We'll see.

I have a few more photos to find and add here....but for today....over and out.  I think I'll be back....Still have a magnificent trip to update.

Thanks for reading.