A little Across the Clothesline chit chat

Hello Happy Homebody!

Internet Photo
But...I would love to have a clothesline pole just like this one. 💖

Is it spring in your neck of the woods or fall? Both are my favorite. 

I am in the springtime here where I live. Perennials are coming up, Oh I don't doubt they won't have one or two dusts of snow, but they'll be ok they always are.

It's bread making day.

. Fermenting started for some red onions I want to try. I used some raisins and apple peels. Always in a learning curve here. The ferment will be used in a few days for red onions. 

Speaking of fermentation

Sourdough!

As of this posting, the sourdough starter looked just like it did yesterday, no change 11 days have passed, and it should be ready to bake. I thought perhaps it was the freshy milled flour. It was bubbly and I messed with it. Shouldn't have. I did misread the directions and tried to correct, shouldn't have done that either. It was not the flour; I'll chalk this one up to user error.  😲

This isn't my first sourdough; it is a learning curve all the way around. Once it is established it flourishes with minimal care.

If you don't try, you have 100% of failure, 50/50 if you give it a go.  

 I've made a command decision, starting fresh with non-bleached, organic King Arthur flour, buttermilk just as before following the specific instructions. I did not put it in the oven to keep warm; it is setting on the counter, I've got it covered with a coffee filter, loosely not affixed with a rubberband. 

 Bound and determined!

I've got a few more things I'd like to learn and be just that more self-sustainable. 

I am at some point going to try my hand at butter. We don't live near any cows unfortunately, so I cannot get milk from the farm, I'm still looking into this. I'm going to invest in a butter churn. 

I've always said skill sets are important, and now more than ever.  It is my intention do everything I am able to do to advance self-sufficiency as much as can be expected, for such as the times we are in.  

Today I received this by delivery, I do love when something fun is delivered.

Thank you man in the brown truck.

 I've had 2 of these over the years, and they both went to Goodwill for someone else to love. 

This one is smaller, should be easier to manage.

 I'm not going crazy with it. We grow tomatoes in the summer and some sauce over the winter would be nice. The price of spaghetti sauce is off the hook. Maybe applesauce

It is a good skill set to learn. Stocking, and preparing for lean times. which are coming sooner than later. I stocked up on some dry beans & topped off my jars. 

I don't have the jars yet, I had a difficult time locating a smaller canner, now that I have that the jars won't be a problem. I live in the "hood" and people here don't do anything but wait in line for coffee and fast food. There won't be any run for canning jars. Lucky for me.

I'm always into something, I'm not a spring chicken, but I've always said I've lived my life backwards. 

The candle tin arrived after a short tour of our local post offices.  

Townsends 

It is beautiful, handmade.

I have one and it makes 6 tapers at a time, so now I can make 12. I've got plenty of the beeswax rosettes left, and we picked up 1 lb block at a bulk store in Amish.

The taper mold is made in USA by hand, makes beautiful short tapers. I'll be doing that later this month. 

Be of good cheer!