birthday treats + sourdough successes
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Hi friends! Daylight saving time just ended here in Michigan, and I am here for it. My husband teases me about how early I go to bed, but I am not bashful about getting into my jammies at 6 pm. The evenings are dark, soup is on the stove, and hot chocolate is a daily staple (don't forget the marshmallows). I think winter agrees with me. Last night, we had a soup party with friends. G made French onion soup with gnocchi, and they made chicken tortilla soup with homemade yogurt. We swapped ideas about all the soups we want to try this winter. It got me excited to cozy up to the stove and get creative. I've got a few recipes lined up to publish on the blog. I'll keep you posted! My birthday was last Saturday, and the neighbor kids came over for a game (or five) of Uno. Competition runs high with this bunch. G and I have learned to keep an eye out for suspicious card peeking and shameless rule-bending. They reluctantly let me win this time and called it birthday privileges. Later that night, we handed out candy and spent the rest of the evening with friends. We learned a valuable lesson this year that opening the Costco candy bag before Halloween is a bad idea. There is a trash can full of wrappers and a few extra pounds to prove it. A few weeks ago, our nephews came over for a sourdough crash course. We got them mixing, folding, and shaping. I'm not sure who was more proud of this fine-looking result (photo below). It inspired me to start working on a sourdough guide. I hope to make the process feel a little less intimidating and a lot more approachable. I hope you are looking forward to the holidays as much as I am. Until next time, |
Green Tree Homestead
Hi friends! Fall in Michigan has been kind of magical lately. Cool nights and mornings, days in the 60s and 70s, plenty of sunshine, and all the autumn color you could ask for. I've been spending a few hours each week reclaiming some overgrown garden plots in one of our community spaces. The plots sit alongside a fence surrounded by thick brush, which provides privacy from the houses beyond. Unfortunately, it's also the perfect place for seeds to take over. I've been making it my mission to...
Hi friend! As you may know, sourdough is one of my loves. The baking process brings me pure joy (not to mention the warm bread that results!). I often hear people say that they think sourdough is too much of a time investment, or that it’s too complicated. But I have to say, neither of those things has to be true. There is a learning curve, of course. But once you get the hang of it, sourdough is actually pretty easy to incorporate into your rhythm. Over the years, I’ve learned that a big...
Hi Friends! It's been a busy month over here as we have expanded the garden and are working hard on all the outdoor projects before the summer heat comes in full swing. We are building a sustainable, permaculture-style design that makes the most of our tiny space. This year, we acquired jostaberries, wild strawberries, rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes, ground nuts, gooseberries, walking onions, and an elderberry tree. Sprinkled in are some perennial flowers and fruiting shrubs like blueberry,...