The Attic

Old

I realized yesterday, and not for the first time, how old I've become.  Why yesterday?  There is this thing going around FB to honor this year's high school graduates, that we post a copy of our senior class/yearbook photos.  I did.  I do not recognize that girl!  And then I thought.....that girl had her 50th high school reunion EIGHT YEARS AGO!  Yikes.  Anyway, I do remember having a fun year my senior year and could never have imagined what the class of 2020 would have to go through.  (Congratulations, Aidan....can't wait to learn where you decide to go!)

Old is also how this situation is getting.  Part of me is content with the staying at home thing, but there is something in my genes that is getting very angry and distressed about some of what is going on.  Yes, I understand....but NO, I really don't.  My ancestors braved the North Atlantic in the early 1600's in a little wooden boat with sails, for crying out loud, and settled in what was then basically wilderness.  My ancestors fought in the American Revolution to protest the tyranny of the British.  My father left college in World War II and enlisted in the Army Air Corps, then lost his life because his job as ball turret gunner meant that he could not wear a parachute in the turret.  And here I am doing what?  Baking bread.  

Totally non-related, but I read about all the people in this town who are "ordering takeout" from their favorite restaurants.  Nice, and helping to be sure, but it's not something I'm doing.  I don't go out to eat very often under normal circumstances, certainly much less since Terry died, and am honestly not familiar with many of the restaurants in town.  Besides, I COOK.  Some of these folks must eat out 3 or more times a week, from what I gather.  Not my thing. (Can't afford it!)

Can't believe the coiffure.

Stay sane, patriots.
 

 

Another Day, Another....

Yeah, I'm now calling the bread baking my "comfort animal" since it does comfort me and I don't have any animals.  Fortunately for the state of my freezer, two of these babies found homes with neighbors today.  Frozen last night (the dough really got away from me...it was supposed to get baked today after a night in the fridge, but just took off) so almost as good as fresh.  Maybe as things ease a bit, people won't be nervous about accepting food, but I can kind of understand.

An old college friend asked on Facebook what I DO with all the bread (she should see the state of my freezer), but I had to respond that it's really not about the bread, per se.  Back to the comfort animal thing:  it's the process that is truly keeping me from going off the rails.  It's primitive, it's elemental, it's not terribly demanding yet at the same time mystical and engrossing, and you just have to go with the flow when it comes to baking bread.  This one pushed me a bit because it's a sort of new-to-me way of working the dough, but otherwise it was just Making Bread.  You throw some flour in the bowl (okay, I now weigh everything in grams) with some water and yeast and salt (note to self:  next time less yeast and more salt!).  Mix (learned a couple of new tricks from Richard Bertinet), marvel at the fact that the dough goes from wet and sticky to smooth and supple just by "working" it (NOT kneading), then watch it rise in the bowl or bucket and marvel again.  The only fly in the ointment was that I forgot Richard uses cake yeast, so I should have cut back on my instant yeast by half.  That baby took off!  Even in the fridge to "retard" the process it was going crazy, so instead of calmly shaping and baking today, I had to run around like crazy to get those loaves in the oven last night.  All's well that ends well.  I learned from the new recipe (which was very sparse with the directions, forcing me to fall back on experience) and may or may not try it again.  It cooled then got wrapped and tucked in the freezer before I headed up to bed, but not before I cut off a chunk to use for a mini grinder sandwich (maybe tonight), and a few pieces for Pain Perdu (French Toast) this morning. 

I took the day off from the bread baking today and went for a walk instead.  (Ya think?!)  Now I will feed my sourdough and look forward to filling that hole in my freezer tomorrow!  But first a steak sandwich on some homemade baguette!

Stay safe, peeps!

 

Strange Times

Yesterday, of course, was Easter for most of the Christians of the world.  Eastern Rite comes later I believe, but for me it was Easter.  That always meant ham for dinner in our house, specifically a Harrington Ham from Vermont.  I wouldn't call it a tradition as much as a ritual, along with fresh kielbasa (poached in beer and chicken broth, then grilled) served on a good hearty rye bread for "appetizers".  That was the Old Man's thing, and I've gradually gotten away from it since he's been gone.  I'd just as soon have lamb, but he wouldn't touch it....

Yesterday, except for the rye bread, was just weird.  I did make the rye and it came out beautifully, but most went over to my son's house for their dinner.  I left the bag on the front porch, and after a chat at 6' or more with the four of them I came home to make my dinner.  (Internets are being squirrel-y in the middle of this storm we're in today....will try later to post some pics.)  Dinner here ended up being fried rice, using the last of my son's smoked chicken and was really quite good.  Never would have passed muster with Himself, but he had nothing to say about it, did he?

 

Quarantinally speaking, yesterday was maybe my low point to date.  I basically don't mind being here in my house, or even being alone, but it is suddenly getting VERY old.  I think that was brought on by what I saw out my kitchen window late morning: the Neighbor From Hell was having a little party on her deck.  Not surprising given how little regard those folks always had for laws and such, but it really irked me for some reason.  There was no "social distancing" and I know at least two of the visitors were no relation to them and probably from out of state.  

Today?  Well, today I sit here in the midst of what could be a very damaging storm:  so far we've had torrential rain and some strong wind gusts, but later they are calling for very high winds (gust up to 70mph) and possible tornadoes.  Oh.  Goody.  Just when you think it can't get much worse.....

Good (Intentions) Friday

It's been another crazy week around here.  Some nice weather, some rotten weather, and today...back to cold with a little bit of snow!  Take me now, I've HAD it!

I've been walking.  Well, I've been trying to walk.  You could call me a "fair weather walker"....it's got to be a bit warmer than 45º with no wind, or forgetaboutit.  Had some issues last weekend with, as my dear friend Laurie calls them, "Social Undistancers".  I like it.  Not them, though.  People are obnoxious, in case you didn't know, and teenagers elevate obnoxiousness to an art form.  I'm doing my walk around the neighborhood (I've mapped out a route that is a bit over a mile without venturing onto the more traveled road) last Saturday, marching along on the PROPER side of the street for pedestrians, and see a teenaged boy approaching with a dog on MY SIDE of the street.  What usually works in this situation is just to stop dead and glare a bit.  He didn't get it.  I finally said "So, who is going to yield to keep the 6' distance?"  Nothing.  I finally crossed to avoid him and snarled, "I wasn't kidding, and you are on the wrong side of the road."  Nada. (I saw him later kicking his dog....nice.)  Several more incidents of Social Undistancing with adults, but hey, this is a neighborhood that has seen two realtor Open Houses, several showings of for sale homes, and a huge group of family members gathering LAST WEEK to clean out the parent's house after the dad died.  Ohmygod what is wrong with people?  

Long story short, I have come up with a solution.  In my foyer is a ceramic umbrella stand that holds not umbrellas, but the Old Man's collection of canes and walking sticks.  He even had a shepherd's crook (what the heck?) but I found the one I wanted.  It's a sturdy, and quite nobby, stick with a leather loop and rubber tip that he bought on a trip to Yellowstone years ago.  It is now my companion on my walks......try to get near me now, SU's!  Held out in front of me at arm's length....a lance!  To the side, I think it makes the point.  Can't figure out what to do if someone sneaks up behind me, though.  Oh, and it's a big help getting up a couple of those hills.  Social Undistancers, beware!

 On the bread front, I am getting very discouraged with this sourdough nonsense to the point of considering going back to my old non-sourdough favorites.  I haven't had many real successes, my kitchen drain is clogging, I'm going through flour like a drunken sailor trying to keep my greedy starter alive, and....I'm not sure I even like the flavor.  Give me back my Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipes or Alexandra Stafford's wonderful "peasant" recipes baked in Pyrex bowls!  I'm giving it one last try (okay, maybe two or three) and then I will dehydrate all my starter for future use and go back to the breads I love.  

Also..... Facemask, Talbot's style

 

Stay safe, but pray for a quick end to this insanity.  I am in serious Home Goods withdrawal and REALLY need a haircut.

 

Oh, nuts

I've had two or three absolutely brilliant ideas for blog posts...and.  Gone with the wind. Can't remember a thing today.

I'm about to end this sourdough "journey" after some very frustrating experiences the past week.  The only bright light has been my successful experiment in drying sourdough starter to preserve it without this god-awful weekly "feeding" drudgery.  (I revived it and made a recipe with the resurrected starter!) And we won't talk about the mess it has made of my kitchen sink pipes!  Seriously, I've been baking for decades and never had this problem till I got into the sourdough.  I think I might be done.  Here's the bottom line: I don't think I even LIKE sourdough!  Well, okay, the crackers and waffles made from discard are awesome, but the bread?  So far, meh.  I have just spent THREE DAYS on a batch of multigrain sourdough sandwich bread that I was going to give my son for making another grocery trip for me, but it wasn't ready when he came because....I didn't KNOW it was going to take THREE DAYS.  Anyhoo, it came out of the oven (had to shorten the baking time and lower the temperature because the damn stuff was BURNING, but it looked okay, I guess) but the crust was SO hard, I didn't think it was sliceable.  I did finally cut into one and, well, it looked alright inside.  Not a great taste, although it was much improved by some peanut butter.  So, now I'm debating whether I want to use the gas to drive it over to my son's house.  Ugh.

Yeah, I'm rethinking the whole thing.  I always made such GREAT bread from the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day book, and my recent discovery of Alexandra Stafford's fantastic, easy, quick method of baking astoundingly good peasant breads in, of all things, 1 qt Pyrex bowls!  That one is "Bread, Toast, Crumb". So, I'm about to offer most of my starter on the local Facebook page, dry the rest in case the urge or need ever strikes again, (or I want to make waffles or crackers) and go back to what I know works and is delicious.  Hey, it kept me busy and my mind off, you know, but I think it's over.  I wasted a LOT of flour but I learned some stuff, so time to call it a day and move on.  

Internet is not cooperating lately....must be all that homeschooling.  In any event, that means no pictures until I can add from my iPad.  I type faster on the computer, though.  Can't win.

Stay sane, guys.  I'm starting to question EVERYTHING I read or hear these days..... 

 

 

Terry took me to see Les Mis on Broadway for my birthday a very long time ago and don't tell my youngest, but I loved this show. I found myself this morning, both laughing and crying at the same time...the word, I was told, is "craughing". Pay attention to the lyrics...very clever.

I hope this works....it pretty much sums up my life at the moment. Enjoy!

Today’s Project: figure out photos again

By George, I did it!  

This was last night, after a GLOOMY, rainy, chilly day.  Only the second fire since the fireplace was declared safe by the chimney sweep and I have to pat myself on the back:  it took only ONE MATCH to get that puppy going!  I also figured the trick to keeping it bearable in the room and that is to add only one log at time.

Sourdough Pumpernickel is on the counter rising, so that will be the big task for the day.  I have an over-abundance of freshly fed starter at the moment, so I might start an overnight batch of something just to use some and avoid throwing it out.  Put up some local Facebook posts but it doesn’t look like anyone is interested.

Their loss.  It is great stuff.  I’ve been drying it, too, for “insurance”, but there is a limit to how much I can dry, so I guess some will just have to get tossed by the end of the day. 😞

Nothing much else to report on Day what?  I figure at least 15 now for me of pretty near total isolation.  I’m learning that having a lot of hobbies doesn’t help much if the effect of quarantine is a muddled brain that can’t focus on a bloody thing (except bread baking) for more than five minutes at a time!  I’m learning that this shared nightmare is making some people nicer, and others really awful.  I’ve learned that some people are taking this madness seriously and others refuse to consider the greater good.  Open Houses?  Really?  (And yesterday I witnessed a group of people who are related but do not live together, gather to clear out a deceased parent’s home.  I saw one mask, could have been some gloves. Yikes!)

Back to that pumpernickel and then a good cleaning of the kitchen!

 

Please be considerate of others and stay safe, peeps!