Just Call Me Susie-Home-Maker
I've been really busy lately! More so than usual - and busy doing life-giving, home-y things, which is nice.
Sourdough starter started a few weeks ago, but I went away camping for a few days with a friend and four of my children...........the starter got over-fermented and ended up mouldy, so I had to chuck it out. Then it got cold. I got busy. So the starter hasn't started again. But the rye flour is here ready to go! Yoke Mardewi's Sourdough book is so inspirational and practical. I'm so glad I asked for and received it one Mother's Day.
There's nothing better than slicing and toasting a fresh piece of sourdough bread. Now, I know you may be wondering how the flip I get time to make my own jolly bread, let alone sit down and eat it? I often wonder myself, actually. The trick to it is that sourdough needs lots of time to rise and become ready to bake. So there's lots of leaving it to rise, kneading for a few minutes then leaving it again. I find it quite convenient to set the timer on the oven and do another job while the dough rises. It's actually easier than a trip to the shop to get nasty preservative-and-sugar-filled bread!
I'm a practical natural health food adherent. We have used white bread for quite a few years now, which I had to do with my mental health issues and subsequent babies. I'm a big believer in 'Do your best, trust God for the rest.' I'm looking forward to starting my starter again and getting sourdough going.
Overall, I've been delighted to be in the kitchen lately. This is not a normal thing for me. One of my personal pet hates is cooking while stressed, tired and hungry little people hanging off my legs. I just hate it! And it happens most nights I cook. However, thanks to a few influences like MamaBake and now purchasing our vegetables fresh from Birdsong Market Garden, I am enjoying cooking and baking again. I think sometimes we need a fresh inspiration and focus. I definitely feel refreshed!
Something else that has helped me enjoy cooking again is deciding to not to purchase our desserts and snacks from the shop and bake them at home instead. I've had to find steady recipes to feed my family at snack time! Now that I'm enjoying cooking again, I reckon I'm ready to bring Mr Man (12) and Sparkles (10) into the kitchen with me to share the love. Before, it was more like 'Gotta get this done!'. Now I'm more enjoying cooking many things during one go and producing healthy filling snacks and meals.
I can highly recommend MamaBake's cook book and Living on Little's Jen Shaw for healthy ideas for meals and snacks. We have been really enjoying the fresh local produce at bargain prices from Rick and Racheal at Birdsong Market Garden. We pick up a large seasonal box almost each week and our favourite by far and away is the beautiful corn - which tastes sweet and so full of flavour!
Rick and Racheal grow their produce in biodynamic soil which means the vegetables have all the minerals and vitamins they're meant to have, instead of being grown in soil that's depleted of essential elements. The vegetables are beautiful, fresh and taste amazing! If you haven't checked them out, I can't recommend them highly enough. They even deliver to Toowoomba..........
Our garden is ready for planting - after a quick mulching. I have a few things to go in and I'm hoping it's not too late to sow! Lately with the busyness of things, I've had to make myself go outside for ten minutes or so to breathe the fresh air and relax my mind and body.......looking at the garden all ready to go definitely restores my soul.
So.......baking, sourdough, gardening.......I'm definitely embracing the life here at home. I haven't always felt this way, but it just seems to be flowing at the moment. I love home!
Sourdough starter started a few weeks ago, but I went away camping for a few days with a friend and four of my children...........the starter got over-fermented and ended up mouldy, so I had to chuck it out. Then it got cold. I got busy. So the starter hasn't started again. But the rye flour is here ready to go! Yoke Mardewi's Sourdough book is so inspirational and practical. I'm so glad I asked for and received it one Mother's Day.
There's nothing better than slicing and toasting a fresh piece of sourdough bread. Now, I know you may be wondering how the flip I get time to make my own jolly bread, let alone sit down and eat it? I often wonder myself, actually. The trick to it is that sourdough needs lots of time to rise and become ready to bake. So there's lots of leaving it to rise, kneading for a few minutes then leaving it again. I find it quite convenient to set the timer on the oven and do another job while the dough rises. It's actually easier than a trip to the shop to get nasty preservative-and-sugar-filled bread!
I'm a practical natural health food adherent. We have used white bread for quite a few years now, which I had to do with my mental health issues and subsequent babies. I'm a big believer in 'Do your best, trust God for the rest.' I'm looking forward to starting my starter again and getting sourdough going.
Overall, I've been delighted to be in the kitchen lately. This is not a normal thing for me. One of my personal pet hates is cooking while stressed, tired and hungry little people hanging off my legs. I just hate it! And it happens most nights I cook. However, thanks to a few influences like MamaBake and now purchasing our vegetables fresh from Birdsong Market Garden, I am enjoying cooking and baking again. I think sometimes we need a fresh inspiration and focus. I definitely feel refreshed!
Something else that has helped me enjoy cooking again is deciding to not to purchase our desserts and snacks from the shop and bake them at home instead. I've had to find steady recipes to feed my family at snack time! Now that I'm enjoying cooking again, I reckon I'm ready to bring Mr Man (12) and Sparkles (10) into the kitchen with me to share the love. Before, it was more like 'Gotta get this done!'. Now I'm more enjoying cooking many things during one go and producing healthy filling snacks and meals.
I can highly recommend MamaBake's cook book and Living on Little's Jen Shaw for healthy ideas for meals and snacks. We have been really enjoying the fresh local produce at bargain prices from Rick and Racheal at Birdsong Market Garden. We pick up a large seasonal box almost each week and our favourite by far and away is the beautiful corn - which tastes sweet and so full of flavour!
Rick and Racheal grow their produce in biodynamic soil which means the vegetables have all the minerals and vitamins they're meant to have, instead of being grown in soil that's depleted of essential elements. The vegetables are beautiful, fresh and taste amazing! If you haven't checked them out, I can't recommend them highly enough. They even deliver to Toowoomba..........
Our garden is ready for planting - after a quick mulching. I have a few things to go in and I'm hoping it's not too late to sow! Lately with the busyness of things, I've had to make myself go outside for ten minutes or so to breathe the fresh air and relax my mind and body.......looking at the garden all ready to go definitely restores my soul.
So.......baking, sourdough, gardening.......I'm definitely embracing the life here at home. I haven't always felt this way, but it just seems to be flowing at the moment. I love home!
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