The first day of spring was cold, sunny and windy. We were going to walk the Greenway with a friend, but decided to walk the mall instead, since it was too cold. It was great to catch up while staying warm, and I also got a chance to get some shopping down - party shoes for Baby G and soccer cleats for Bean Dip. We have a baby shower this weekend and G is already planning her outfit -- if she will wear her party dress or party shirt, depending on how cold it is. She got some pretty white dress shoes, and understands that she can get sparkly light up Dora the Explorer running shoes when she grows out of her Chuck Taylors. That doesn't stop her from admiring the Dora shoes, though!

We are reading Charlotte's Web now. The other night, Baby G asked me why the spider was writing in her web (G doesn't always pay attention to the chapter books we read.) So I explained it to her, and while she was digesting it, Bean Dip piped up:

"Well, I don't care if they kill Wilbur. I like bacon."

The Sourdough Experiment

So I have been practicing my sourdough bread baking. I've posted a bit about it before. I won't bore you with more pictures of bread. I think I have my method down, at least enough to not buy sandwich bread last week. I made bread this weekend and it really was surprisingly good -- not too much tang, and very soft and chewy. Earlier this week, I made a loaf but let it rise way too long. It came out OK. That's all I have to say about it. It was OK.

I have been using this recipe, found on this blog:

Sourdough Bread 

3.5 cups bread flour
1 cup warm filtered water
1 cup starter
2 teaspoons salt

My method:

Mix together the ingredients the night before baking, until it forms a shaggy ball. Drizzle with olive oil and cover bowl with Saran wrap. The next day (12-18 hours later), knead dough 10-15 times until it is a nice ball, then place on parchment paper in a skillet. Drizzle with more olive oil and cover again with Saran wrap. Let rise about 2 hours, or until it's about double in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with a cast iron skillet in the oven. Take off the Saran wrap and slash the top of the bread. I like to sprinkle sea salt on top as well. When the oven is preheated, lower temperature to 420 degrees, take out the hot skillet, and transfer dough (still on parchment paper) to the hot skillet and return to oven. I also place a metal pan on the rack below the skillet and fill with a handful of ice cubes when I put the dough in. It creates just a little bit extra moisture that I think helps the bread. Bake for 50 minutes, then let cool on a wooden cutting board.

This has been producing great bread for me. I looked a lot of different recipes and tried different things until I came up with this one. I've realized a lot of it is just experimenting and trying different ways to make a bread you love.

This morning there is snow on the ground, flurries in the air, and a projected high of 37 degrees.

One year ago today, it was breezy and sunny, a record high of 81, and tornado warnings were popping off all over the state.

I wouldn't mind the 80 degree weather minus the tornadoes. But at least with this cold weather, my grass won't grow so fast, and that means less days of mowing.

The Things They Say, Winter Version

1/14/13

At Karate yesterday the sensei was explaining the strategy of yelling when you hit, and Bean Dip raised his hand and shared a long comment about how in chess you have to have a plan to get the king. The sensei said, "You know how to play chess? And Bean Dip said, "Oh yeah, I'm really good."

One of the moms said to me, "He plays chess? I've never even played."

1/31/13 Gwyn: "I want a pink sparkly shooter with pink sparkly bullets. And went I grow up, I want to be a girl shooter!"

(She meant she wants to be a hunter.)

2/2/13 Gwyn: "When I grow up, I want to be a ballerina. Or a truck driver. Or a car driver and drive a pink race car."

2/3/13
Today at the park G came over to me and said, "Those people are speaking Spanish!"

And she was right.

Then I heard Bean Dip say, "How do you say this word: p-o-t-t-y?"

There was a pause, and then G said, "Potty."

It's even more impressive because I never use that word.

2/19/13 Bean Dip to me: "When you were born, were cars pulled by horses?"