Sourdough Starter

Hello again! I know I'm usually a proponent of quick, easy, low-effort recipes, but ever since we bought a house and property that will eventually become our homestead, I've found myself wanting to slow down, to cook and bake from scratch, to plan ahead and lovingly put time and effort into the food we eat. We are on the road to a simpler life, raising and producing our food instead of shopping for convenience, and one of my goals along this road was learning to bake bread.

Of course, bread has been one of the things that I cut out of my diet when I began trying to lose weight and eat more healthfully. We've all heard that carbs are bad for you, and that yeast and gluten are causes of stomach upsets, etc. Yet nearly every culture on every continent of the world has included bread in their diet, usually as a nutrition staple. If we, as the human race, have survived on bread for so many centuries, why is it suddenly something that is bad for us?

The answer is that bread today, as we buy it in the grocery store, is nothing like the bread our ancestors ate! Our bread today is processed, bleached, and lacking most of the good nutrients that God put into plants. No wonder our bodies have a hard time processing it!

I decided to try my hand at sourdough bread. Of course, being home only a few days a week makes it difficult, but I managed to make a sourdough starter in 3 days that has now been alive for a few weeks. I have done more baking in the past few weeks than I have in the past several years - and I'm enjoying it! A lot of people have asked for the recipes that I've been using, so I will be sharing a series of recipes that have worked for me. I should also mention that I've been baking with honey to replace sugar lately, and I'm feeding my starter with all-purpose flour, I've been using whole wheat flour or a mix ratio of both in my baking. Also, you will want to use filtered water for your starter and baking, as the chlorine in plain tap water might mess with the good organisms in sourdough.

So, what's the first step in sourdough baking? A good starter, or sourdough mother. For this, you will need flour, water, and yeast, as well as non-metallic bowls and utensils and something to cover the bowl.

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups flour
2 cups water, room temperature

Good bubbles!

Stir the ingredients together in a large bowl until combined, cover with a towel, and leave in a warm-ish place where it will not be disturbed. For three days (or more), feed twice daily with another cup of water and cup of flour, stirring gently until just combined.

By the second day, there should be bubbles and a pleasant sour smell. If the smell becomes sharp and unpleasant, or the starter turns any color besides the pale tan dough color (i.e., pink, green, orange), immediately throw out! On the third or fourth day, as long as there are plenty of bubbles and pleasant sourness, pour the starter into a container (such as a mason jar), but leave the lid loose enough to allow it to breathe.

If you're planning to feed and use the starter daily or every other day, then leave it on your countertop. If you will use it only once a week, like me, then keep it in your fridge and take it out only on weekends.

The internet has a wealth of information, recipes, and ideas for using your new sourdough starter. So far, I've used it to make bread (of course), dinner rolls, muffins, cupcakes...the possibilities are nearly endless!

Orange Dreamsicle Cupcakes

Traditionally, through the years, I've had lemon pie or lemon cake for my birthday. But both seemed too much like spring for this year, so instead I decided to make orange cupcakes. You might be familiar with the old Weight Watchers recipe for cake, using just a dry cake mix and a can of soda, but I've found that recipe to be too crumbly for sheet cakes. It's absolutely perfect for cupcakes, however! And this recipe is relatively low fat!

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 box vanilla cake mix
1 12 oz can orange soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:
1 can whipped vanilla frosting
2 tsp orange extract
Red and yellow food coloring
Candy orange slices, optional

Mix cupcake ingredients and bake in cupcake tin as directed on the box. Cool completely.

Beat frosting ingredients together and use a knife or frosting bags to frost cupcakes. Top with candy pieces, if desired. Enjoy!

Microwave Blueberry Cobbler

Microwave blueberry cobbler with blueberry sauce

This recipe starts out very similar to my Microwave Cake recipe, and is a great example of one base recipe being adaptable! I used frozen blueberries, since we have a tiny freezer now, but fresh would probably be fine (just keep an eye on the cooking times).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry yellow cake mix
1 tsp oil
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup blueberries, divided
2-4 tsp sugar

Cobbler: Mix dry cake mix, oil, and water together in a bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Add 1/4 cup blueberries and mix well. Microwave 2 minutes and check. If batter is still wet, microwave in 10-15 second intervals until cake is set. Set aside to cool.

Topping: Place 1/2 cup blueberries in a bowl and add just a splash of water and 2 tsp sugar. Microwave 5 minutes and check. Berries should be cooked and there should be liquid in the bowl. Taste and add sugar as desired. Let stand to thicken, about 3 minutes, then serve on top of the cobbler and enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash with alfredo sauce and garlic chicken

First off, let me start by saying that I have wanted to try spaghetti squash for awhile but wasn't sure exactly how to do so in the truck. I then ran across directions for cooking it in the crockpot - problem solved! They also recommended sautéing it afterwards - also no problem. Easy peasy! And, I must say, it really was very easy!

Unfortunately, I must also add that I was disappointed in the flavor. I was hoping to enjoy it, or at least tolerate it, as a good way to cut carbs and up veggie intake. However, spaghetti squash seems to me to have a sweet, almost nutty flavor, kind of like a lighter version of pumpkin. It really wasn't bad...if you like sweet veggies, that is. Me? I don't like mixing sweet and savory flavors together. I don't eat fruit on salad, I don't like sweet and sour sauce, etc. So the combination of the sweet-ish squash with the creamy alfredo sauce and garlic chicken was, I am disappointed to admit, not something I enjoyed.

I have talked to a lot of people who have suggested different kinds of sauce or flavors to pair it with, and there might come a day when I feel particularly adventurous and decide to try it again. In the meantime, however, here's the recipe. If you feel adventurous, give it a try and tell me what you think. Or feel free to share your favorite recipe or flavor pairing with me!

Ingredients:
1 small spaghetti squash
1/2 cup water
Olive oil and garlic, if desired

Cooked squash

Prick spaghetti squash 6-10 times with a sharp knife. Place in the crockpot on low with the water and let cook approximately 4 hours. When the flesh is tender and the knife slides easily when you prick it, pull it out and cut it in half, width-wise. Scoop out the seeds, and shred the flesh with a fork. It should separate easily in long strings. If desired, sautee with olive oil and fresh garlic, and top as desired.

Spinach-stuffed Chicken

Spinach-stuffed Chicken with Rosemary Pepper Potatoes

This recipe is very, very similar to my Spinach-stuffed Bacon-wrapped Pork Chops recipe, but significantly less work! I knew I wanted to experiment more with the idea of cheesy spinach stuffing, especially since I don't usually like cooked spinach! Last time, I used fresh spinach, sautéed with butter and garlic and then mixed with cheeses, but this time I used half a block of frozen spinach. We just recently received a fridge in our truck, and it has a tiny freezer in it - I can't tell you how excited it makes me, because it opens up possibilities that were never available before, such as frozen fruits and veggies!

Ingredients:
5 oz frozen spinach, reheated
4 oz lowfat cream cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
4 tsp fresh minced garlic, divided
2 large chicken breasts
Additional seasoning to taste

Mix the reheated spinach with the cheeses and 2 tsp minced garlic, set aside.

Rub the chicken breasts in minced garlic and any other desired seasonings. Cook in a skillet on medium heat till juices are clear and no longer pink. Carefully cut a slit lengthwise down the middle of each breast. Holding the slit open with tongs, spoon spinach mixture into the opening. Add more spinach mixture on top and allow to cook until thoroughly heated (any excess spinach stuffing can be heated in the pan). Serve and enjoy!

Microwave Bread

Bread with pot roast and potatoes

Well folks, it took me well over a year, but I finally figured out how to make bread/biscuit-ish in the microwave! Let me clarify. It came out a sort of spongy, soft, almost cake-like bread, with a consistency similar to moist cornbread. It won't get the crusty effect of an oven, but it made a nice soft bread with good flavor.

I figured I could use Bisquick mix, but wasn't sure exactly how it would work in the microwave. My first attempt was a stiff dough like what you would make for biscuits in the oven, and the result could probably crack a windshield if thrown hard enough. There had to be a better way!

My second attempt was a much wetter batter, more like what I use for Microwave Cakes, and I added minced garlic and Italian seasoning for flavor. The finished product was a soft and tasty bread/biscuit. I served it with roast and potatoes, and was great for soaking up roast juices!

Side view of bowl of bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Bisquik baking mix
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp olive oil
Seasonings to taste

Mix all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl until batter is smooth with no lumps. Microwave 90 seconds and check. If bread is still a little doughy, microwave another 30 seconds. Let cool, it will firm up more as it cools. Enjoy!

Salads For Days

In an effort to eat more healthy foods and lose some weight, I have committed to #DailyVeggies, making sure I have at least one serving of vegetables every day. Since I detest most cooked vegetables, this means that a meal-sized salad is my best veggie option. Therefore, #SaladaDay has become my usual lunch. Of course, salads don't have to be boring or bland - not at all! There are many variations and possibilities when it comes to salads. I thought I would share some of my favorites with you, and please feel free to share your ideas with me! I'm always looking for more ideas!

Basic chicken salad: romaine lettuce mix, grilled chicken, corn, bacon bits, cheese, and a light drizzle of thousand island .

Taco salad: mixed lettuce, taco seasoned beef, queso blanco sauce, salsa, sour cream, and cheese. No dressing needed!

Deconstructed sandwich salads: basically the ingredients of a sandwich, placed on top of a salad. This one was lettuce and radicchio mix, chopped steak strips, half an avocado, lowfat provolone cheese, and Green Goddess dressing.

Extra protein salads: for those days when you need more protein, adding navy beans, hummus, and boiled eggs to the salad gives it both flavor and protein kick.

Tuna salad: these days you can get flavored tuna packets in a variety of flavors. I don't usually like tuna, but the ranch flavor is really good! Here's lettuce mix, ranch-flavored tuna, navy beans, peas, cheese, and Green Goddess dressing.

Think outside the box: salad doesn't always have to start with a leafy green base. Try other combinations like beans, tomatoes, avocado, eggs, different cheeses, or other vegetables that strike your fancy. I'd like to hear what ideas you come up with!