Food Challenge

When it comes to cooking, I like a challenge. Actually I think that can be said of most things in my life. I remember when I was working a job for a retail store and my manager’s report to corporate constantly said “Great in all areas. Needs to be challenged” (maybe that was just because he desperately wanted me to be his assistant manager? but I think it rings true even still)

I find these projects and skills that I have a urgent need to learn and conquer. Most times, I do it, check it off the list and move on. Some times it sticks with me. Crochet is one of those challenges that has stuck. I decided to make some blankets for Christmas gifts in 2009 and that begun my crazy obsession with yarn and why I had to get even more creative with our limited storage in our apartment.

Cooking is another one of those things. I love to cook. I especially love to bake. I find myself daydreaming of meal plans and ingredients. I wake up excited about what kind of food I can make that day. I checkout giant cooking books from the library and look forward to grocery shopping at Henry’s Market on Wednesdays for our weekly groceries items. I challenge myself to make meals out of the sale items for the week. It’s a little game I like to play in my own mind, in my own kitchen.

With cooking and baking I find things within the subject to challenge me. My recent challenge has been sourdough bread. One of my good friends, who is also obsessed with all things food, has been telling me that I need to try and make sourdough bread, from scratch. Now, after hearing her stories of the smell and failure of sourdough starter, I wasn’t really in a hurry to begin this challenge so I set it in the back of my mind. At the library a few weeks ago I found this book by James Peterson

It’s a wonderful book with great pictures and tips on baking pretty much anything. In this book I ran across sourdough bread starter and figured I might as well give it a try. So, my journey began…

If you ever decide to take this journey, here are a few tips:

1) It’s going to smell weird. It’s creating yeast, it’s not supposed to smell like roses. If it does smell like roses, you probably did something wrong and should start over.

2) Keep it tightly covered and set the bowl of starter on a place mat or fabric of some kind. Don’t set it on a counter or stove.

3) Don’t open your kitchen window. Try to keep the temperature consistent during the first week of the starter’s life.

4) Do read the recipe fully before starting so you can get your schedule straight for when you can start baking.

5) Make sure to use organic stone ground wheat flour during the first few days of making the starter. I used it the whole time because I wanted to bake whole wheat sourdough.

6) I’ve heard some horror stories of mold growing. If it turns funny colors, throw it out and start over.

I was afraid that the bread was going to be awful especially because it takes a lot of time to get this stuff going. You have to feed and water the starter every day just like a pet. Adam and I do not have pets, nor do we want any.

After about 8 days I was ready to start my recipe for the bread. The starter was finished and I wanted to test it out. I didn’t schedule things quite right and the day that I needed to bake the bread was a bit hectic. I ended up baking it at 10pm that night.

The bread turned out well to my utter surprise. A part of me wanted it to fail so I didn’t have to keep taking care of the starter and another part of me wanted it to be great because I had spent over a week taking care of this thing. The flavor was good and the bread had a nice chew to it. I was a little saddened with the rise though. I think the rise problem was due to a few things that I will play with the next time around. I am going to try these things out to see if I can get it to rise better.

1) Use 1/4 cup more bread flour.

2) Knead the dough a bit longer to shape it.

3) Proof it in a proofing box.

if that doesn’t work

4) Use a combo of starter and commercial yeast.

Here is the end result (Sorry for the lame iPhone camera quality. It’s all I had around when the bread finished)

Etsy

Here is some of what I’ve been up to over the past few months.

Etsy

I finally got my etsy shop set-up. You can check it out here

Music

My Band

www.adamsandeves.com

Venue Adam and I help with

http://theparkgallery.blogspot.com/

Germany

Adam and I are going to Germany in October for 2 weeks. I have been trying to learn a little bit of the language and make arrangements for that. It’s a lot of work to go on vacation. We are super excited though! If nothing else we have backpacks, passports and plane tickets. Look out Germany, here we come!

I have also been doing all kinds of crafting and baking during my few moments of spare time lately. I hope to start keeping my blog up-to-date with these wonderful adventures. Life is grand.

One Day

I might blog again. Been working on an album with Adams and Eves and lots of craft projects. I think an update is coming….

Your Love is Strong

I’ve been listening to Jon Foreman’s season EPs. I’ve really latched onto this song.

“Heavenly Father, you always amaze me
Let your kingdom come in my world and in my life
Give me the food I need to live through today
And forgive me as I forgive the people that wrong me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one

I look out the window the birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune or out of place
I walk to the meadow and stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl on her wedding day

So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need

Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong

The kingdom of the heavens is now advancing
Invade my heart, invade this broken town
The kingdom of the Heavens is buried treasure
Would you sell yourself to buy the one you’ve found?

Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me
Yes, you love me

Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong

Our God in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Above all names
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us weary sinners
Keep us far away from our vices
And deliver us from these prisons”

Getting it together

Our trip to Texas was wonderful. Worked hard on getting the wedding stuff set-up (Adam’s sister got married) spent time with family and got to do a lot of reading.

I only have a few minutes, but I’m planning on really getting with blogging regularly now that holidays and vacations are over. So, stay tuned….

I am in the middle of reading Pagan Christianity right now. It’s an amazing book. I have so much to say about it, but I don’t have the time to even begin right now. As I read it, I will be blogging about it. Some friends and I started a book club. We got together last night and everyone decided to read through Pagan Christianity together. It will be interesting to get different perspectives on it.