Sour Dough Journey

As I searched the web for how to begin this journey, and how to make different products, I was completely fascinated by the many tools required for the journey. Special jars to grow the starter in, scales to measure the amounts of ingredients, mixers with dough hooks. And I thought, my grandmothers and grandmothers grandmothers likely made bread like this, without all these tools. And so, that's how I began this journey, with measuring cups, clean jars that had once held pickles, spring water, wooden spoons, and flour. I began in January, which in Florida is not like January in North Dakota. However, the temperature is not constant so it affected how things went, just as it must have for generations of people. 

I started with one starter (recipe below), then I didn't want to waste the discard and the second day had 2, and the third day 4, which is where I decided that I could begin discarding. These 4 starters stayed close to the same development, but not the exact same. One 'ripened' first, and a couple days later the second was ready to bake, while the third took a couple days more. Interesting, huh? Like people in the exact same environment, with the exact same ingredients develop at different speeds. And it's a messy process. All of it. But the result is worth it.

Once I made the first loaf, I learned many new things about the dough, surprised by the stickiness of it, l learning that wet fingers helped to manage that. And that while I stretched the dough, twice before proofing (as directed) it didn't rise as expected. I found that if I changed the recipe slightly, I got what I expected from it. The point is, like those pioneers before us, don't get discouraged! 

I may have to abandon my journey, if whispers of food shortages are correct.

Just a little flour & water every day	To Make a paste that will grow	And produce bubbles of yeast
You discard half every feeding	And make a serious mess	When it floats, you can start dough
Which you mix and watch	As it changes shapes	And for me, so far - falls!
Great flavor but...

Starter Recipe: Almost 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup spring water to start. The same to add the next day, after removing 1/2 of the mixture in your container. This continues for 3 days (in a warm climate +78 degrees and 4 or 5 days if in a cooler climate), when you step up to the change out (feeding) to twice a day, twelve hours apart. The consistency changes, the mix becomes bubbly with yeast. It's ready to start baking when the day the mix doubles in 4-6 hours from feeding, and a teaspoon of the mix floats in a cup of water. There are lots of recipes out there, and methods. Mine took 13 - 16 days. Then when it's ready to bake with, the fun starts! I have made several flatter loaves, that taste great, but don't rise much, using several different recipe's (one that took about 25 hours.) Don't expect it to go well from the start, expect to be messing with sticky dough (keep your hands wet) and to be adjusting recipes to (in my case) add more starter.

My Family Tree

Something I seem to always be working on, my family tree. I had a theory that names and families would intermix on all sides, if one went back far enough. Now I don't know that you can get back far enough, or whether the theory exists here, or on another plane, but it doesn't matter. It's a puzzle to work on, and see what can be found.

I recently believe I found my 3rd Great grandfather on my father's mother's side, and have been building that family out here, even though it will take a trip to Indiana and a dive through records to determine whether the connection is correct, but it sure seems to fit. From names to having settled in Indiana not far from each other a long, long time ago.

 As you can see, I have 120K folks in my 'file' though only 76K of these are in my 'tree'. The others connect, or many of them do, I just haven't found the where and when. Some of them connect to other people in my file, not my direct family, like cousins (where I followed something back hoping that it would connect up else where) or in-laws.

More Pies!

More pies! These are bacon cheeseburger. In future, I will use less bacon and more cheese...

	It's easier to cut the bacon before cooking!	Smells so good, cooking away!
The little pie set comes with cutters	Filled and ready for the oven

These are steak (round), red and gold potatoes, red onion and salsa.

Filling is fully cooked before adding

Large crescents are a no

Pies baking away

I've been cooking!

I'm making yummy breakfasts (not every day!) Starting on bread making, and wonderful salads

Chocolate Croissants

Sourdough Starter!

'My own Rotisserie' Chicken Salad

Making hand sandwiches, like this one - beef and veggies in a puff pastry.

Chopped onions	Chopped up bacon	Sautéed together with garlic
Add round steak pieces	Then add potatoes,	stuff into shells of puff pastry

Chicken broths, Chicken noodle soups, Cream of chicken soup, and potato soups, all from scratch!

Chicken broth simmers all day	To make cream of chicken soup	Red & gold potatoes & toppings
Chicken for noodle soup	Soup you can share with others	Egg noodles for the soup

This set are cream of chicken soup, veggies in a crescent roll dough.

Rich chicken and veggies	Into 'pinched seam' crescents	Out of the oven
Great lunch or dinner	Small Pies in the pan	Pot pie full of yummy-ness

No Resolutions - But an Accomplishment

 Here we are, at the end of another year. While it is a man-made holiday, years, like many lives are cyclical. We're nearing the end of a cycle, and the beginning of the next. Rather than make up new years Resolutions, which no one even tries to keep, what if we turned it around and just asked "What do you want to accomplish next year?" even "What 1 thing would you like to accomplish?"

It's sort of the same thing as Resolution, but not really. It isn't 'starting tomorrow, no more sugar/cigarettes'/sitting around... it's more measured, more thoughtful. 

What do you hope to accomplish??

I want to be a better person than I have been up to now.

Who Is The Best Person You Know

Of course, you would first have to define the words in the phrase "Best Person You Know" 

Know: That you actually know. Not Gary Sinise, or Mother Theresa, or another celebrity or well-known person that you don't know as a person within your life. 

Best Person: The person that you know who probably isn't the 'most successful' materially, they usually aren't the richest person you know. I think that the two states may be incompatible - being 'rich' or being 'best'. It wont frequently be the smartest person you know, though they aren't incompatible. They are the nicest, genuinely nicest person you know. They are the most real, most giving, most caring, and probably least angry. They are the ones that you know will go straight to Heaven, they will pass go and gain $200 on the way. The ones we should all be emulating, or at least trying to emulate...

For me, there are two, and several runners up. One is my sister, Tina. Sure, she gets angry, but she lets it go quickly. She also forgives quickly, even those who've damaged her through hate and manipulation. She's accepting of everyone, even those she's sure are less than honest. She's nice to everyone, try's and does see the good in them. She's a decent human being, and being on a very limited budget, wants to help everyone who needs help. 

The second is Dennise, who among many other accomplishments, has raised her handicapped grandsons, and is the main carer, almost only carer, for more handicapped of the two. Trey can do nothing for himself, and Dennise does it all for him. Her children, like so many, don't have time for her, they have busy lives, and of course, their lives come first with them. As they do for all of us. Except Dennise. She also has her aged mother with her, and her husband is falling into dementia. She has to be an Angel on earth.

I want to be a better person, but I get frustrated with stupid people. 

You know, the one's who are so self-absorbed that they are behind the wheel of their car trying to cause accidents. The elitest who wants/tries to jump any line, because they, being who they are, shouldn't have to wait. The constant grumblers, the mean spirited people we run into everywhere, who don't care about being decent people. The Scrooges, who you hear comment 'If they don't do as I want, they should simply be killed off and let the rest of us live as we choose.' You've never heard anyone say that? You don't read any comments on news stories, do you. That's where you will see so many folks allowing their honest faces to show. But they are hiding in our lives, too. Not just strangers commenting online.

There are enough of the opposites populating our little globe, so it's important to find the good people, and appreciate them. Or the dark, bad people will weigh you down, and in the end destroy you, if you let them. I know, from first hand experience. So, who are the best people that you know?

An Unhappy Project

The Quilt Back

The Quilt Front

 I am currently working on a project that I said NO to multiple times. I said it very nicely, "I would be happy to help you with it, but I am not at all interested in making it myself." It's something I never wanted to make. I was right to say no, every time I was asked, because I am very much the reverse of happy, working on it. As a matter of fact, it may cure me of sewing anything for a long, long time. I had planned to take the fall off completely, because I was burned-out, making so many quilts over the past year or so, and to begin a Quilt of Valor in January. Instead, I may never get around to it again. Because, once again, not wanting to cause problems within a family, can be a heavy burden, and a bad thing. It's happened to me before, and when you put your foot down, everyone see's you as the villain, whereas if you just do as you're told to, by those who are used to making the decisions...

My point is this. It's important to be listened to and respected. If there's a project you, for whatever reason, don't want to do, don't let anyone push or force you into complying with their wishes or will. Otherwise, you may find yourself resenting the people who triumph over your 'No' for a long time, but more than that, you may be robbed of your joy in doing what you once enjoyed, as I have now. 

I name all my quilts, this quilt is Veruca S. (yep, the bad egg) because that's what it is. Don't care how, I want it now.

Always Ironing	Cutting and Cutting and Cutting	Squares Cut and Ready
Using a piece of paper as a guide	Once again, thread getting short

A Two-Pieced Union Suit

Ready to go to it's real home.

My brother had long outgrown his union suit, and while he loved it, the design wasn't practical for his needs. So, this project was born. A two piece union suit, which looks as much as possible like a one piece union suit, in a very light, faded pink cotton knit. I didn't have an actual pattern, but had shirt and pants pattern that I altered all over the place, to make it work.

Once he put it on, I was able to make a bunch of (but not all the needed) alterations, and now, he's wearing it, and happy. No more sewing for me, for a long time to come. I am done, without a fork stuck in, I am putting my machine away until sometime in the new year.

Just getting going on the pants.	Beginning on the shirt	Well begun, but not done.
Big cuffs and button holes ready	Only the top two buttons work	But it will look like it buttons...