The "P" Word

P = pandemic 

After a few months of lockdown during CV-19, along with many others who were homebound, I had developed a decent sourdough starter by capturing wild yeast in a glass jar of water and flour. That starter was shared with numerous friends - and then I neglected my starter and had to ask a friend to gift me back some starter.

Not making this mistake again, I have been diligent to bake at least one loaf of bread each week. By now the starter is quite potent and will start a loaf unrefreshed and cold out of the fridge. It has been used to make crusty rounds in cast iron Dutch ovens, fluffy hamburger buns, nine grain sandwich bread, bagels, and baguettes. When I have extra starter, instead of throwing it away, I turn it into waffle batter and/or the base of a pizza baked in a cast iron skillet.

I have not purchased a loaf of bread in a very long time.

What is your experience with bread baking & sourdough? 

 "HOW CAN A NATION BE CALLED GREAT IF ITS BREAD TASTES LIKE KLEENIX?" 

 Julia Childs

Needing to Find Groove Again

I am beside myself with having an open calendar after running on adrenaline and coffee the past two years with travel and meetings; being a lady of leisure is taking a bit of getting used to. This week the Mr. and I are making plans to add a little whimsy into the garden with the addition of a tool shed that looks like an old outhouse. Don't know why I am so fascinated with western and old timey things - but building a mini chuck wagon/cart is next on the horizon. We are gearing up for an autumn party that has the theme of Romancing the West ... complete with a campfire Dutch oven cookout. My brain is willing ... but sometimes I overthink and make grandiose plans. This too shall pass. Our days hover in the 80 and 90 F temps - with nights dipping into the 50 and 40s F. The tree leaves are starting to turn yellow and orange - fall is not far away. This summer has been a little smokey - but not as bad as past summers. Anxiety of fire tapers off once the seasons change. Random rambling thoughts for this week.

Heel Roast

Buying a side of beef each year you get some quircky cuts - and a heel roast is one of them. Roasting is my preferred method. Today I tried a new recipe - I prepared the roast by rubbing it with olive oil and garlic salt. It was then placed in a roasting pan and put into a 500 F oven for 20 minutes - then the oven was turned off, not opening the door for two hours. The roast was placed on a plate and allowed to rest so the juices could distribute throughout the beef. This yielded roast from medium to rare. I roasted the meat early in the day - and later refrigerated it. For dinner bite size pieces were sliced and added to a hot cast iron skillet seasoned with a little melted butter and some sliced onion and bell pepper. A brown gravy was made from the drippings and was served over the sliced roast pieces and a slice of toasted sourdough bread. A garden salad and homemade chocolate pudding rounded out the meal. The men of the family sure enjoyed their roast beef dinner. There are plenty of leftovers for another day or two. Philly cheesesteak sandwiches will be on the menu tomorrow.

The Time Keeper's Daughter

From the time I can remember, family heirlooms have always been passed along to me: photographs, parlor oil lamps, great grandma's roasting pan, her rolling pin, salt & pepper shakers, tea cups, dining room light, and flower vases to name a few. Mom was an only child so that worked in my favor.

Grandparent's dining room light

Growing up I lived next door to my maternal grandparents. I thought they were rich beyond my world because they had a color television with a remote clicker. I would watch Grandpa empty his piggy bank every few months - he would let me roll the coins.

Grandpa's bank

 I have always felt at home with gathered furniture, vintage dressers, different time periods blended together ... brown wooden furniture, not chalk painted. However, I do have vintage white bedroom furniture to make a light and airy room. 

Gr-gr-great Grandma's oil lamp

Braided woolen rugs, hardwood floors, shaker kitchen cabinets, pressed back oak dining room chairs .. nothing matches but everything blends and appears timeless. This year I had my grandparents wall clock restored - it pleasantly chimes every quarter hour and needs to be wound on the seventh day. With every tic-tock tick-tock it brings back memories of Sunday dinner at Grandma's - a tradition that lasted until Grandma said one day that that was the last Sunday meal she could make. 

Grandparent's chiming clock

I see the same 'Time Keeper' qualities in my youngest daughter Ann. She is even more sentimental and purposeful about making memories for her children. I suppose the person who snidely referred to my "big ole Walton style family" knew what they were talking about. We gather around the table often, make memories, and build bonds that will pass from one generation to the next.

Grandmas Stand Your Ground

"It's an uphill battle to keep the world at bay around our grandchildren.  I want to bubble wrap them for a few years and not expose them to the foolishness of a blatantly God-less society."

This is an excerpt from a 2018 post I made that was never published. Boy, could I drone on and on and pick right up on this topic five years after penning this statement.

Garden Life

 The past two years were spent volunteering as the state leader for a national women's service organization. My elected term was for two years - leading into it was the opening up of society from the pandemic. A stressful time without leading a robust state society - even more so with large state meetings and 65,000 miles of travel around the USA! My term ended July 2nd and it has taken me until August 2 to decompress and feel like my old relaxed self again.

This past spring our fenced garden area received new raised beds and drip lines - minimal planting was done and I've started to compile a list of flowers to plant for next year. Small confession - this week I picked off some type of caterpillars (two) who had taken up residence in my borage plants - not even thinking! Turns out they were painted lady butterfly caterpillars - boy do I feel guilty! My garden is a pollinator garden and I just removed two beneficial insects (sigh)!

What's growing in your garden?

Testing The Waters

 .... in a new phase of life ... post crazy schedule ... settling back into my quiet zone of homemaking,

gardening, and spending more time with my family. Leave me a comment if you are able.