New pet!

On April 5, 2022April 4, 2022 By CarynIn Bread

Meet “Legion” our new sourdough starter. (My husband suggested the name.) I’ve been resisting getting into sourdough since it really is like getting a new pet. You have to have an appropriate habitat (yes, just a crock or jar, but still), and you have to feed and water it (I really should say “them”). And you have to deal with the “leftovers”, the waste starter each time you feed. All this considered, I finally caved because I read that sourdough has a lower glycemic index. Ok, we’ll give it a go.

This particular strain of sourdough starter is over 100 years old and is originally from Italy. I came by it as a freebie from Sunrise Mills for buying Heritage Wheat flour. They also sent a very nicely formatted instruction sheet with a sourdough bread recipe. I’ll be following their instructions before branching out with other recipes.

Fun fact, sourdough starter has many organisms in the colony, and each colony has a different mix, which gives rise to the different tastes of sourdough. This colony is supposed to be less sour. It will be interesting to bake with it!

Day 5 of reconstituting sourdough starter

Potential strawberries

On April 4, 2022March 31, 2022 By CarynIn Garden

The strawberry plants from my uncle’s garden survived the winter and are blooming! There are some clusters of mint coming up as well. Time will tell how the battle goes this year.

Screen change

On April 3, 2022March 31, 2022 By CarynIn chickens, Coop

Ultimately, I hope the crossvine will grow up the sides and across the top of the chicken runs, providing shade in the summer (and a whole host of orange blooms). Several times last year I had to redirect trailing vines away from the man made shade sail I put up. Rather than have warring shade makers, this year I put the sun sail inside the run to keep the afternoon blaze off their food dispenser (which is metal and gets hot).

Shade sail fabric hung up inside the run

The hens were not happy at first; having me rustle around their enclosure with a huge scary cloth was not appreciated. To keep the cloth from flapping too much in the wind, and scaring them further, I used cable ties like a stitch to hold the fabric to the poultry wire.

The next afternoon, they were all clustered happily in the shade in front of the coop. Mission accomplished.

Cherry crochet hook

On April 2, 2022March 29, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I hand-carved a crochet hook out of cherry wood from my Dad’s woods. I turned it on my lathe, carved in the ergonomic thumb indent, and the hook. After sanding it down to 400 grit, I painted two cherries on it (because cherry wood). When the paint was dry I started coating it with tung oil. The hook has actually been done since December, but I finally made myself make the Etsy listing. Honestly, making the hook was easier than putting together the listing with the pictures, video, and descriptions! (Yes, I even did a video, Missy makes a cameo.) I really need to do more of this so it isn’t so daunting. Oh, the hook? It is very nice, a smooth finish without being slick, and fits nicely in my hand. It is a size M, so for use with chunky yarn, and the short neck works well with single crochet stitches. The Etsy listing is here.

Hand carved ergonomic cherry wood crochet hook (with mini painting)

Stories of her death…

On April 1, 2022March 29, 2022 By CarynIn chickens

Thermometer showing 100 degrees (I don’t think the hygrometer is working)

… are greatly exaggerated. It always makes my heart skip a beat when I see one of my chickens lying boneless in the blazing summer sun. As I approach they always pop up and look at me like I’m the crazy one (and do I happen to have some treats?) Seriously, it is 100 degrees and you are sun bathing?

Critters and Craft

Month: April 2022