Tag Archives: susan magnolia

a reset by the water

There is so much going in the world and I have been trying my best to stay informed but gosh it can be overwhelming and heavy. Every day I read about covid 19 and police brutality and poverty and wonder how we will get through this time in history. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer and the middle class is dissolving. Americans are sick and dying and struggling and being beaten and killed and arrested and not getting their basic needs met. It feels dystopian yet I have watched it all unfold before my eyes and it is very real. So I take my family on a hike. We breathe the fresh air and for a moment try not to dwell on the suffering but live in the present moment. On a former landfill we find beauty. A place named after a civil activist who fought as hard as he could to fight oppression. We are revitalized and move forward.

Baking experiments with a starter

Hiya, Susan the baker here to report back on my new starter. This past week I have used it in blueberry pancakes, pizza dough, rolls and a rustic loaf. I am pretty happy with it over all and it is certainly fun to experiment. I honestly had the most doubts with the rustic bread round because I did not follow a recipe but it turned out perfectly edible – it made fantastic french toast anyways. The pizza dough was a success and it enhanced an already fool proof recipe. The pancakes were great. The rolls satisfied a craving for meatball sandwiches I was having. The outside was crunchy from being cooked in covered cast iron pot to begin with in the baking process and had a nice soft inside. Paired with sauce, veggie meatballs and sauteed cabbage it was my favorite meal this week.

I have been keeping the starter out on the counter and regularly feeding it as I take most of it out for baking. I have been going through a lot of flour during a time it is a bit hard to come by in the stores. I am comforted knowing I could always use it less and keep it in the fridge and the starter will stay alive receiving less attention.