5-31-2020 Amish Friendship Bread

I did more sourdough baking today!

5-30-2020 New Blinds

After 14 years in this house

(which is longer than we've lived in ANY house!)

our cellular Levolor shades are shot...kaput...broken.

So, we replaced them with cellular shades from a local business

Great Plains Blind Factory

to purchase blinds made right here in Iowa.

Their product looks so much more sturdy that the 

flimsy Levolor blinds we had previously,

and we can lower them from the top 

(to let light and breeze in while maintaining privacy)

-or-

raise them from the bottom.

I love our new blinds!

Hopefully they will be the last blinds we need for this house.

5-29-2020 Sourdough Rye Bread

Mmmmm....

I made my starter with 1 c. Flour, 1c. Water, a pinch of yeast, a pinch of sugar, 1 TBS. Greek yogurt, stir it to mix, cover with a damp towel and let sit on countertop for two days to acquire and allow local QC yeast in the air to join the mix. It will bubble up eventually (almost up to the lid!)and then it settles back down and the yeast go to work creating the best part... the SOUR liquid on top!!! Mmmmmm. After that forms, you stir it back in and then the starter is ready to use! I always keep 1/2 c. of the starter back on reserve and add more (1 c. Flour+1 c. Water) to keep it going for another week. After mixing in the new flour and water, I let it sit on the counter at room temperature for two hours before returning it to the refrigerator. Then I just let it sit in the refrigerator for another week (no stirring or feeding...just ignore it!) until it is time to bake again. When it is time to bake again, I set it out on the countertop for at least 2 hours to let it to come to room temperature before stirring in the sour liquid on top, then measuring out what I need for baking, always making sure I have 1/2 c. started remaining in my 'crock'...which I then feed...sit at room temp for 2 hours, and return to the refrigerator for another week. It may sound complicated, but it's actually soooooo easy to do!

 

I started my sourdough started a couple of weeks ago

and so far, have made two batches of incredible pancakes,

one batch of biscuits,

and today, rye bread!

Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe

In a mixer, mix with the paddle on low speed for 4 minutes:

1 c. (8 oz.) active sourdough starter

1 c. bread flour

1 c. stone ground rye flour

1+1/2 c warm water

Then cover bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes.

Next, continuing to use the paddle, mix into the dough

for about 1 minute on low speed:

1 TBS. malt syrup (I used 1 TBS. molasses) 

2 level tsp. of table salt

1 - 2 TBS. caraway seeds

Now, change from paddle to dough hook on mixer,

and add:

1+1/2 - !+3/4 c. bread flour

and knead with the dough hook until the dough

clears the sides and bottom of the bowl

to form a ball around the dough hook. 

If your dough is sticky, it is because your starter is more liquid.

No problem, just add more bread flour,

1 TBS. at a time

until it finally forms a ball around the dough hook. 

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn it once

to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temp.

After 30 min...

uncover the bowl and lift one side and fold it into the center,

repeat with the other 3 sides, then flip the dough over.

You are basically turning the dough inside-out and redistributing the yeast. Cover the bowl and after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure.

Cover the bowl, and repeat again after 60 minutes.

Cover the bowl, and after another 60 minutes,

punch the dough down, knead it for about 1 minute, 

return it to the bowl, and cover tightly

and REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT.

The next morning,

uncover the bowl, dump the cold dough onto a floured surface

and shape your bread loaves.

Cover them with a damp towel and let rise 1.5-2 hours

until doubled in size and it springs back slowly when poked.

Bake at 425*F

uncover for the first 15 minutes,

then lay a piece of aluminum foil (shiny side up) on top 

of the loaves and continue to bake another 15 minutes

to an internal bread temp of 190-200*F).

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack

and cover with the damp towel while the loaves cool.

Enjoy!

Recipe is from this website:

https://www.baking-sense.com/2019/08/01/sourdough-rye-bread/

5-28-2020 Panda

5-27-2020 Pool Time

First foray into the backyard pool this summer...

This year we ran a hose from the outdoor faucet

AND

from the kitchen sink faucet (for hot water!)...

Loved this heart shape in the clouds...

And a rainbow...

5-26-2020 Another Strawberry Painting

I tried painting another strawberry

from Anna Mason's tutorial,

(which took me 2 weeks!)

but this time I used Sarah Cray's method

(from "Lets Make Art")

and it took me less than an hour!

Sweet!

Photographed under window/natural light...

photographed under a lamp...

5-25-2020 Memorial Day

This morning's painting...

Remember lying on your back 
on a blanket in your backyard 

and looking up at the stars as a kid, 

and feeling really small?!?

Ps. 8:3-5...When I consider the heavens, 
the works of your hands (O God),

the moon and the stars which you hast set in place, 

what is man that you are mindful of them, 

human beings that you care for them? 

You have made them a little lower than the angels 

and crowned them with honor and glory.

5-24-2020 Sourdough Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

We love biscuits and gravy for breakfast

but only allow ourselves to enjoy it

once every one or two years

as a great treat!

Thought I would use my sourdough starter for the biscuits.

Mix:

1 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

Stir in:

8 oz. butter, frozen and grated

Gently fold in:

1. c. sourdough starter

Fold dough in thirds, 

turn,

repeat 3 times.

Shape a 4X6" rectangle 1" thick

and cut 6 two" squares.

Bake at 425*F 20-23 minutes.

5-23-2020 Watermelon

I'll be needing this info

in a few more weeks as the 4th of July approaches!

5-22-2020 Eclectic Electric Shawl Finished!

Love the bright colors in this shawl!!!

I added an applied iCord around all the edges

and now it has a lovey 'finished' look to it.

Now it's ready to block and wear!

5-21-2020 My New Online Avatars

5-20-2020 Strawberries Finished

I've been working on these 2 strawberries for WEEKS...

tired of looking at them

and sick of working on them!

I finished the last two final segments this morning,

and I'm calling them DONE

whether they are or not!

No plans to paint any more strawberries

any time soon!!!

5-19-2020 Cornflowers

Took a break from my strawberries today

and did some quick little cornflower mini's.

5-18-2020 Strawberries- Part 3

5-17-2020 Rainbow

It's been raining for D A Y S.

The sun finally popped out at sunset for just a couple minutes

to bless me with this beautiful rainbow!

Tomorrow it's back to cloudy skies and more rain.

5-16-2020 Sour Dough Pancakes

My knitting friend, Kathleen

inspired me to make some sourdough starter...

I used some regularly years ago.

So, I started a new batch and this morning

it was ready for use!

First up, sourdough pancakes!

5-15-2020 Strawberry Painting Progress

Well, I've been working on 
painting these strawberries for 6 days now,

one large, and one medium sized, 

and am about halfway done.

Still have several more days of work to do!

5-14-2020 Macarons

Just a quick painting

to take a break from my strawberries paintings...

some macarons.

I remember my sis-in-law given me a recipe for them ages ago

and I never worked up the courage to try and make them

as it looked quite complicated and exacting!

5-13-2020 Spring Plantings

Took the GDs to an outdoor garden center

wearing masks and social distancing

to each pick out any 5 flowers they wanted

to plant along the front sidewalk

and in their flower garden out back.

This year, they even helped dig and plant and water them!

5-12-2020 Strawberry's Second Layer of Mid-tones

Not finished yet...

several more layers and days to go on this painting!

5-11-2020 Day 58 of Self-Isolation/Social-Distancing

A walk into the woods

for some fresh air outdoors!!!

Butterfly bush...

Honeysuckle (?)...

Any ideas???

They are not bluebells. 

Water music...

I've never seen the skies such a deep blue as today!!!

Crabapple...

5-10-2020 Mother's Day

A phone call from my son,

and lovies from my daughter and GDs...

I am blessed!

J arranged the flowers so that there was a face

yelling "Aaahhhhh!".

5-9-2020 Strawberry

My next challenge...

strawberries!!!

Nothing says "Spring!" like strawberries!!!

My sketch...

First light wash...

Very darkest tones...

First (of 3) layers of midtowns...

Now to let this dry thoroughly!!!

Several more days of work and layers to do on these!