January ~ Sourdough Journey

TIP #1 "GO FOR IT"

"Let it snow" Sourdough Loaf

My first try at a snowflake score

      A little over a year ago I started making sourdough bread. I was a little apprehensive in the beginning because I couldn't comprehend making a loaf of bread from just water, flour and salt. Thank goodness for youtube because I'm a visual learner and I soon found out there were all kinds of videos out there to watch on the subject. Needless to say I'm obsessed with this new hobby. I just love it! So, if you're wanting to get into it, my first words of advice is to just "go for it." Don't be intimidated by it. You can do it. Some home bakers do very simple methods and others, I dare say, require a more complex approach. What's great is the process of it all. It is fun developing a method that works for you. Don't worry if you have some failed loaves. Its okay. That's how we learn. I'm still a work in progress because I like to jump around a lot from recipe to recipe and try to see if I can advance myself a little bit on different things. So, again, just "Go for it." The first youtube video I watched about sourdough was a baker named "Ron Tressler". He's a baker from Utah. Also, "Bake with Jack", he's from the UK and "Sourdough Enzo" is from Canada. There are lots more. I like them all.  I'll have more tips in future posts, until then... Happy baking:)

2025 ~ YEARLY HIGHLIGHTS

Still enjoying our time and home in Deercroft.

This is "The Year of Sourdough Bread." Baking sourdough bread has become an OCD but somehow it is very therapeutic for me in a lot of ways. I just can't explain it.

For Dave's birthday in March, we went to his historic hometown of Winchester, Virginia and did some family history in the wonderful Handley Library. This library is amazing. 

This is one of the homes in Winchester where his grandmother's grandparents lived "The Browns" We couldn't believe it was still there. A lot of these homes date pre-1900's.

 It's now a small apartment building.

Here's a photo of what the building looked like many years ago.

In April we celebrated Robin's 2nd birthday with Lauren, kids and her parents.  Jake has been in the US Army Reserves, working in Iraq.

In the month of May, We got sad news of Dave's dad, Walter, becoming quite ill and passed away. He was 88 years old. 

Also, in May we took a quick trip to Utah to see our daughter Jessica graduate with her Master's Degree in genetic counseling from the University of Utah.

In June, for my birthday, we took another genealogy trip within a couple of hours from where we are to where my "Lindley" relatives lived in Alamance County, North Carolina. It was a treat to go to "Lindley Mills" and get some flour for my sourdough bread. This mill has been in the Lindley family for years. There was a famous battle from revolutionary war time here.

We also were able to see the grave of my 7th great grandfather "Thomas Lindley".

In June, we also went to a Memorial Service for Dave's dad in Lewisburg, West Virginia.

In July we celebrated the 4th of July here at Deercroft with the Andersons. My oldest daughter Angie & her husband Edward and their kids came up from Leland. It's about two hour away.

Deercroft has put on a spectacular fireworks show for the last 2 years.

Dave has worked a lot this summer with his dad's estate in West Virginia. We laugh as we see this comic which pretty much describes the process of helping your elderly parents...lol

Dave had a little time to take a dip in the pool with these kiddos. Even though he is somewhat "retired", he has taken on a side job of being a foreman for some homes being built in the area. He also does a lot of charity service, helping neighbors with odd jobs.

In September, we got to go to Morgantown, West Virginia where Jessica found her first job as a Genetic Counselor. She relocated from Utah and we were able to go up and help her and Justin start to get settled in there new place. They live real close to the campus and stadium of the University of West Virginia. She's working at the hospital there.

In October, we went to Savannah, Georgia where my sister Martha & husband Hugh have relocated. My brother Adam & his wife Sally and son Michael were visiting from Utah, 

My sister lives about 4 hours from us now so we can take occasional trips to see her.

For Thanksgiving we had a visit from son Carson, wife McKenna and daughter Ellie. It was the first time to have our family all together for Thanksgiving, All our children were able to come.

 We got to see the Christmas Lights at our little local town south of us called "Laurinburg" with Carson & his family

We also went down to Wrightsville Beach.

Great to see these cousins together at Thanksgiving. 

Grandchildren bring joy to the holiday season.