So Pretty

 

I have been making sourdough bread since last spring. I have been able to make it taste good, but haven't made one as pretty as I wanted yet. I had decided around Christmas time that I just wouldn't be one of those people that made fancy sourdough even though I had found a few recipes I liked. 

Today, I made another un-loaf thinking it would turn out just like the last one. However, this time my starter hadn't sat dormant for as long. I carefully followed the recipe, and ended up with my prettiest loaf to date. 

This may be my new favorite recipe after all. 

Un-Loaf Review

 

I made the viral un-loaf over the weekend because I was unable to take the time to make sourdough for the last few weeks. (It normally takes the whole Saturday). As I was telling Chad how much I was missing having it in the house, I remembered people talking about the un-loaf in the sourdough group I follow on Facebook and decided to try it. 

I started the process Saturday night after getting home from the Mammoth game. It was late enough that waiting 14+ hours meant that I didn't have to do the shaping until after church. Then, I was able to take a nap (my favorite after church activity) while I waited for the next rise. After that, it baked for about an hour with the lid on and 5 minutes with the lid off, so I was able to relax while it baked as well. 

At first, I was a bit disappointed in the final product because it isn't as tall as I'm used to and it wasn't as tangy as I wanted. However, I realized that it isn't going to be the same as a classic sourdough boule because it is made with a different process. Also, the tangy flavor comes from the started. I'm not sure why, but my starter seems to be losing its flavor. 

That being said, I will be making this again. I have grown to love sourdough bread for many reasons, and this is a way to have it without being stuck at home for an entire day every time I want to make it. I will, also, make more traditional loaves when I am able. 

Bread Bowls and Memories

 

When I was in high school, I hung out with my brother here and there. (He was really a great brother!) One of the places he would take me was Perkins where I would order a salad in a bread bowl sitting in the smoking section, and we would talk and laugh and enjoy being friends and siblings. 

How 1990s is that memory? We used to be able to buy soups, salads, pastas, and more in bread bowls. That was before people were afraid of bread. We also used to have smoking and nonsmoking sections in restaurants in which there was either an accordion curtain, half wall, or just a sign between sections. If I was eating with Anthony, we were always in the smoking section. (Apparently, we didn't realize or care that it wasn't good for my asthma.) this of course was before we learned how dangerous secondhand smoke was for us. Also, Anthony died in 1996. He didn't live to see these things go away. 

While making my weekly sourdough batch, I thought of my brother, Perkins, and those bread bowls and decided that I would make bread bowls with broccoli cheese soup this week. I found a recipe online for the bread bowls and searched my recipe books for the broccoli cheese chowder that I love and waited patiently for Friday to come. 

Finally, that day came, and I got to make this meal I was looking forward to. I started making the bread bowls around 2pm (luckily work was slow) and carefully followed each step of the recipe. They were smaller than I expected, but that was a good thing because I can no longer eat like I did in high school. Then, I made the soup. As soon as it was all done, we sat down and put it all together. This was one of the best meals I have had in a long time! I will definitely be making it again. 

Not Conference Cinnamon Rolls

 

For many years, I have been making cinnamon rolls each General Conference weekend. It all started when someone at church said they did it, and Chad loved the idea. Sometimes the rolls are Pilsbury, but most of the time they are from scratch. I just use the same recipe I use for bread. 

Yesterday, I was making bread for the week. The recipe makes 4 loaves, but we only have 3 bread pans. Most of the time I make rolls or buns with the dough that won't fit on those loaves. Yesterday, I decided to make only 2 loaves and some cinnamon rolls. Then, I had Sean go to the store for frosting. We will eat them today, and I'm excited! I can't say I will do this every time I make bread, but it is kind of a fun treat every once in a while. 

Cranberry Sauce

 

I made cranberry jelly today for my Thanksgiving prep. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It was a lot like making applesauce with a lot of sugar. I doubled my recipe because I wanted to use the entire bag of cranberries, and it made a little over 4 pint size jars. 

If you want to try the same recipe, it is in this book:

Halloween 2024

This year, Noel and I made our costumes again. I was pizza made by hot gluing felt "toppings" on a t shirt. Noel was Remy the rat from Ratatouille (her boyfriend is the chef). She bought two shirts, made one into a skirt, and made some ears and a tail. We spent Wednesday evening last week putting them together. Then, we wore them to a trunk or treat at the church on Saturday. She is wearing hers again tonight while hanging out with her boyfriend. 

Another tradition that somehow came to be is having a jack-o-lantern pizza. We used to get them from Papa Murphy's, but last time we tried, it was a disaster. This year, I made it, and I think it was better than take out. 

Noel and I seem to be the only people in our home that still enjoy Halloween, so I think I did fairly well.

Fruit Leather

I hate wasting food. My compost is looking great, but I wanted to find a way to use the produce before it went bad instead of putting it in the compost every time. 

Yesterday, I decided to make fruit leather with the apples that were starting to get a bit soft. Once again, I  found a very easy recipe online. First, I pealed, cored, and diced the apples. Then, I added 1/2 cup water to the four cups of apples in a sauce pan and simmered it for about 10 minutes with the lid on. Next, I used my potato masher on the apples as I added sugar and cinnamon until it tasted right. Then, I poured it into the food processor and puréed it. Finally, I poured it onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and put it in the oven at 170 (the lowest my oven will go) for about 8 hours. It tastes really good, and it is a much healthier snack than the cookies and such I normally have. 

Making Butter

 

Chad made pumpkin pancakes with a carmel sauce for dinner which used some whipping cream, but about half of the bottle was left over with no plans for it. I decided it was the perfect excuse to make butter. 

I cleaned out a jar and washed a lid. Then, I poured the cream in in the jar and shook it until it became a solid. Now, I have butter and saved money by not throwing out the unused cream. 

Canning Applesauce

I have vague memories of my mom canning jelly, applesauce, and apple pie filling. The main memory is the smell that filled the house. I have craved that smell for many years not knowing exactly where to find it. Earlier this week, I remembered and made a plan to make and can applesauce this weekend. Today, the plan was executed with Chad as my helper. 

We started with pealing, quartering, and coring nine pounds of apples. Then, we cooked them in a large pot until they were soft. 

Next, Chad puréed them in the food processor and heated the purée to boiling while I washed some of jars. Then, we filled the jars to 1/2 inch below the top of the jars, smoothed out the air bubbles, wiped the tops, and put lids on the jars to prepare them for the water bath. 

At this point, we filled the pot higher than the tops of the jars and boiled them for 20 minutes. The jars are now on a towel on the counter cooling. 

I am so excited to have made this. I am getting back to my plan from earlier this year, and it fills me with joy!

Scripture Bag

I have been studying in my scriptures a lot lately. I read in the morning as part of my Miracle Morning, and I listen/watch a scripture study podcast on YouTube called Don't Miss This later in the day. As I have dove deeper into them, I have accumulated some colored pencils and a pen to mark important passages and note insights as I go. The problem was that they kept falling out the flap that snaps down, and I didn't have another way to keep them with the scriptures. 

One day I came up with a solution; I would put everything in a scripture bag. I looked online several places for the perfect bag. I found several that would work but none that I loved or could see myself carrying around. (I am one of those weirdos that likes to bring and use paper scriptures instead of using the app on my phone.) After looking for a few days, I decided I would make one. 

The idea I came up with was to use the left-over yarn from a sweater I made earlier this year to make a modified version of a bag form the same pattern book. The original pattern was a bag that lied flat, but I wanted it to fit around the book, so I made sides for it. Also, the original pattern was twice as tall as I needed it, so I just made it shorter. Finally, I wanted the handles to be shorter because I wasn't looking to have one that went over my shoulder, so I made them shorter. Other than that, I basically used the pattern as written. 

Within two weeks of starting it, I had a bag for my scriptures that I love. It is big enough for the book, gum, and my colored pencils and pen. It was harder than I thought it would be, but it was totally worth it!

Hoagie Buns

 

I am continuing to do my best to not have to buy bread products, but I have yet to perfect it. Last week, I made hoagie buns for dinner. After making hamburger buns too small a few weeks before, I wanted to make sure these were big enough. I may have over corrected a bit. We ended up with 6 mini loaves. No one complained. They actually let is these over sized buns. They did not appreciate it as much when I accidentally made oversized hamburger buns a few days later that were about half the size of these buns. 

Sourdough Bread

 

I made my first sourdough loaf this weekend after carefully working on the starter for almost two weeks. I found the recipe on TikTok, and carefully watched and rewatched it before and during the process. I was sure I was doing it wrong almost the whole time. It just didn’t look like the video until I was ready to let it ferment overnight. 

Yesterday morning, I preheated the dutch oven in my oven and baked it. When it was done, I put it on a plate on the island until I got home from church. I worried the whole time that it would be too dense. As I cut into it, I was happy to see that it was bubbly and soft. It isn’t as tangy as most sourdough bread I’ve tasted, but I’m ok with that. I’m not a huge fan of the strong tangy flavor of most sourdough. 

Homemade Breakfast

 

I have really been enjoying my breakfasts this week. They have consisted of berries and a sandwich made of homemade English muffins, butter or cream cheese, and an egg. There is just something satisfying about eating something I have worked so hard at making. It’s a lot more filling than cereal and has far less preservatives. 

This was my second batch of English muffins, and they are far from perfect. I’m learning with each batch though. I still need to turn down the fire on the burner, and I may need to let the sourdough starter ferment a bit longer. I definitely need to be a bit more patient while making them. I am determined to make this work. 

Meet Freida

 

I started a sourdough starter last week on Monday. Growing her has been a learning process. In day 3, I thought things were going great. She was bubbling and seemed happy. Two days later, she went flat, but I didn’t want to give up on her. I just kept discarding and feeding as the instructions told me to, but couldn’t help thinking I was doing something wrong. In Sunday, I found a Facebook group for sourdough beginners and took a deep dive into the tips and tricks for growing the started and making the perfect bread. I followed a few of the tricks (feed with half wheat/half white flour and use filtered water), and she perked right up. In fact, when I ched on her tonight for her 12 hour feeding, she had completely filled the jar and was about to spill out. Chad happily helped take care of her as I worked on the English muffins. I am hoping she stays happy. I really want to make sourdough bread this weekend. Wish Freida and I luck!

Soap Time

I finally made soap again! It has been a few years, but I really do like this process. There is something fun and exciting about playing with oils and chemicals, and when it comes out right, it is so satisfying. 

I first made soap in 2020 when I was worried about losing my job and started an Etsy shop. After I closed down the shop, we used the soap as hand soap in the bathroom. Last time it was getting low, Chad tried his hand at making it, and it turned out lumpy and runny in places. When I went to take it out of the molds a liquid squirted out that burned my hand. That made me a bit scared to make it again. Plus, I wasn’t sure if the equipment was still good and was concerned I would have to get more. 

Well, I am in this phase right now where I want to make things for the household and see what will save us money in the long run. I don’t see myself using this in the shower, but I work from home and would welcome a different soap in the bathroom by the sink. I got paid on Thursday and needed to take Noel to Hobby Lobby for something for the dress she is making, so I grabbed some new molds while I was there. Once I was home, I inspected my equipment and ordered new gloves and more coconut oil (Chad uses it for his granola as well). It was all delivered today, so I took the chance to make soap after dinner. So far, I am pleased with the results, and I’m crossing my fingers I be even more happy when I take them out of the molds tomorrow. 

Orange Candle

 

A few years ago, Eric gave me a candle maker for either my birthday or Mother’s Day. I made one with Noel a while ago, but I was rushed that day and had to leave most of the work to her. A couple of days ago, I decided to get the candle maker out and make one alone. I had a lot of fun doing it. Since I was using the orange oil, I decided to make the candle an orange color. Mixing the color was the hardest part, but I am happy with how it turned out. 

This is something I will do again. I have loved scented candles for my entire adult life. There is just something soothing about them. 

The Third Hat

 

I finished Eric’s hat last Friday and gave it to him yesterday. I think this one turned out the best. The yarn was better to work with, and I already knew what I was doing for the most part because I had already made two. No matter the reason, Eric likes it, and I am satisfied with the final product.

I enjoyed making these hats, and I love that the pattern is customizable. It is possible I will make another one in the future, but I am happy to be done with it for now. I am not usually the type of person that knits the same pattern more than once (other than socks). 

Now, I am working on the purse for my adorable niece. I will post pictures before I ship it to her. 

Hat #2

 

I have finished Sean’s hat. This one took longer because Sean has a bigger head than Noel. I think I made it a bit too long, but he seems to like it. I’m going to work on Eric’s next. I think I will make it about 5 to 10 centimeters shorter (the pattern designer is from South America), but his head is about the same size. I am at a point where these hats are a labor of love. 

Tatting? Sure

 

The more needlework I do, the more I want to learn. I had thought I would be happy with knitting and crocheting, and I have been. I cross stitched here and there growing up, but it was never something I enjoyed as much as my dad or grandma. I’m not going to say that I would never do it again, but it does not grab my attention right now. Macrame has yet to appeal to me. Tatting has never quite been on my radar. 

Before I left a few days ago, my stepmom asked me if I had thought about learning because she had a book she wanted to give me. As I thumbed through the book, my first thought was, “I haven’t considered this, but I really want to learn to make that heart.” Guess what I am now excited to learn when I have my 7 week school break? How to tat!