I recently tried Minimalist Baker’s Easy Vegan Pesto and it was too good to just share the link on Facebook without giving it a blog post all its own. [Read more…] about Frugal Basil Pesto For the Freezer
Food
Whatever Wednesday
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
I’ve emerged from a long hibernation of grad school overload. My nieces and nephews are suddenly four months older, it’s time to plant a garden, and I have only a month before a two-week hiking trip in the Utah desert after not exercising all semester.
Life hasn’t been happening in big blog worthy events, but little bits between everything else. Today’s post is a collection of the sunny bits among the brain fog.
Although my window boxes themselves will take an initial investment, I’ll be able to fill them for almost free. My sweet potato sprouts are doing well and will be my “spiller” and my geranium cuttings are doing well and will be my “filler.” I’m still looking for an inexpensive “thriller” piece and might just put my palm plant outside. Any ideas for something thrilling and cheap?
My treat in between graduate project segments was a “plus” on my Scrap Addition afghan. I planned to give updates whenever it was squared up, but I hit 25 late at night and didn’t feel like waiting to go on to get a good picture. My next #scrapadditioncal update will come at 36 instead.
While I crocheted I started watching Pattern Drafting From Ready-to-Wear on Craftsy Unlimited and I am anxious to get started. I would love to make tops and dresses from my linen cutter collection but don’t know quite where to start. The class is very detailed and might be increasing my confidence too much. Maybe to start I will try replicating my dad’s baptism outfit. Or a two-piece boxy top.
I just finished scrap vortex-ing with my last batch of eighth graders and I can’t believe how well it went. It’s a fun project too and is really tempting to knock out a few more “sample” blocks over my prep. It’s so hard to concentrate on work with sewing machines and scraps around, but I manage somehow. We have a few blocks to finish up, but they will be starting their pillowcases soon.
I made some time for meal preps this weekend and we really enjoyed these enchiladas. Spencer who “hates” sweet potatoes even liked them he said he noticed something sweet potato colored and squishy but couldn’t taste it. I’d consider that a win. I used green salsa canned more than a year ago and jalapenos frozen from last year so it was very economical. Doubling the recipe made enough for a 9 x 13 pan and an 8 x 8 pan to freeze.
I’m linking up to Mom’s blog for Whatever Wednesday today. She’s blogging about a cute shelf she found on her way home from visiting me a while ago. She always has the best finds and keeps a nice house full of antiques even with an in-home childcare.
How to Preserve Sourdough Starter and Our Favorite Pizza Dough Recipe
I have an on-again-off-again relationship with wheat. Now that I’m on (in moderation) I ordered a sourdough starter. I have heard that sourdough is easier to digest (among the same “studies” that glorify red wine and dark chocolate, but I digress) and I can confirm it is the most delicious way to eat wheat.
This is the starter I ordered from Cultures for Health. I rehydrated it according to the package directions and have been keeping it alive and well since then. Even with a weekly loaf of bread and pizza, I cannot use up all of the starter.
The best way to use up starter is to use it up. I would love more time to bake or whip up sourdough pancakes for my sweetie every morning. The second best is to share it with a friend. I don’t have someone to share with locally (Or do I? Call me!) so I dry it out to easily share by mail.
I keep my sourdough starter in the refrigerator and feed it the day before I plan on using it, then leave it out on the counter. I use a ratio of one part each of starter, flour, and water by weight.
To preserve the extra starter, tear a piece of parchment twice the width of a rimmed baking sheet and fold in half. Place a small amount of starter between the two layers of paper and smooth so there is a very thin layer of starter spread evenly.
Allow this to dry at room temperature for a few days. If the sourdough has been spread thin enough and has had enough time to dry it should shatter when you crush it. Keep the shards in a sealed glass jar at room temperature.
When you would like to share the starter, or if your active starter dies, crush the dried starter to have about a tablespoon of powder. Follow the instructions I used on Cultures for Health to feed the starter and eventually have enough for baking.
Sourdough is a bit more tedious than general baking but I find it is definitely worth the effort. Our favorite recipe is this pizza crust. It makes a thin, flexible crust that we love to eat week after week. The recipe says to sit in the fridge overnight, but I usually forget to plan that far ahead. I feed the starter one night, mix the dough the next morning and let it rise at room temperature all day, and we eat pizza that night.
While I was in the kitchen I thought I’d snap a few updates on my decor.
I finally updated my calendar towel to the “current” year. 2018 shares the same calendar with 1962, among others. Here’s the site I use to easily figure out which of my vintage calendar towels to hang.
All of my crocheted potholders are up. They are safety-pinned to a piece from an old wire storage unit. I have shown this in a thrift haul video before when it was much less full, so it is easy to see how I set it up.
Many of my African violets are in bloom. Many need to be potted or repotted. Some are more prolific than others and I have many to share. I thought of donating them to my favorite thrift shop. Wouldn’t it just make your day to visit a thrift shop and find houseplants?
April is usually my month to doctor all of my houseplants but, like most of my fun, it will be pushed back to May.
What is your favorite way to enjoy sourdough starter?
