Food. A neighbour dropped off a bag of sourdough starter batter for Amish Friendship Sweet Bread. I'm now on day 10 of the process, having followed the instructions all the way along, including the rather suspect pouring of a cup of milk into the ziploc bag on day 6--and leaving it sitting on the counter. Seemed wrong, somehow, but I guess that's why the dough is sour. It smells fantastically yeasty. This recipe calls for two boxes of vanilla pudding, which, as a friend said (Nath) doesn't sound all that Amish, but there are loads of alternate recipes online. I have no time to bake today, so I'm freezing the lot--it made five cups of starter. The idea is that you give away a cup to three friends and get them started. Sorry, friends. I'm keeping it all in my freezer. Not because I don't think you're worthy of Amish Friendship Sweet Bread starter, but because it's feels too much like a chain letter. If any friend, upon reading this, is inspired to make Amish Friendship Sweet Bread, please let me know, and I will give you a cup of starter.
Our CSA was pleasantly chard- and kale-free on Tuesday. It was the last box, and it will make Tuesdays easier not to have to do pick-up and then clean and store all that food; but I will miss is sorely, too. Kevin picked a great box: lots of squash, another pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbages. I have been baking squash and mashing it with butter and a bit of salt, and it's divine. Also have been saving some for CJ, who is a fan of tastes beyond barley cereal and breastmilk. He is savouring new textures (homemade bread crusts) and flavours (squash, pumpkin, banana).
It is a gorgeous fall day, sunshine and warming up, but I am NOT hanging laundry outside (or inside) today. I have made it this entire rainy, chilly month without using our drier, but I have three loads that need doing before we leave for the weekend, and I accepted as a smallish revelation the understanding that by not hanging all this laundry I could instead hang out with my kids this morning. And there is already way too much to do. Every once in awhile, economy and environmental considerations are not worth the extra workload. This is one of those times. I am definitely feeling stretched thin ... or flattened, somehow, by all this responsibility. So will take advantage of modern conveniences, while they're still in existence. Does that sound overly apocalyptic?
Aagh, am listening to the "new" CBC Radio Two--and it stinks! Easy listening for the dentist's chair. Gonna switch to Jian Ghomeshi on Radio One ... or try Radio Three. Feel like background music this morning.Labels: CSA box, kids