Soapy Stevens

Hello again! It's been a while, and as usual I've been busy, and taking photos the while, always with the intention of writing a blog post - but not actually writing it! (When I was in college, I used to think about writing or phoning home, and then when I did, Mother would say she had been thinking about it too - and writing letters in her head but never sitting down to put them on paper and post them. Actually, we're both the same now, and it's 24 years later!)

At the start of the holidays we had The Girls for a sleepover and a climbing party, to celebrate Girl's 14th birthday.

Then it was the exhibition in Seaford with my usual last-minute flurries of preparation. We had nearly 600 visitors in all, and everyone sold something - hooray! It was utterly lovely to spend time just sitting, either in the gallery or on the beach, without the guilt that I should be "doing" something.

Since the exhibition finished I've caught up on some gardening, and even done a bit of dressmaking. Remember when I made a sort of sack? This time I've made a voluminous blouse. My reasoning being the Japanese models in my dress books are so slight and willowy, I need to scale up and cut out a 12 not a 10. And then my seam allowances are probably a bit off too, so I keep ending up with large, shapeless bags. Comfy, but definitely bags! Just as well I don't teach dressmaking...

In news of sourdough, I have well and truly got this nailed, I can tell you. Look at that:

And the "crumb" shot:

And how about hot cross buns from the excess starter?! Genius! Ok, they were ready at 10pm on Easter Sunday so a little more work may be needed on the timings, but they were utterly delicious for breakfast!

And today yesterday I finally got round to making a batch of seaweed soap, something I've been meaning to do since last August. The packets of dried seaweed from the French health food shop have been sitting there waiting patiently, but I admit I chucked away my hand collected and "home dried" (ie laid out on a bin bag in the sun until crispy) seaweeds from the beach. 

It was all a bit of a palaver, involving multitudinous implements, pans and items of protective clothing, but the smell lingering in the house now is amazing, and no! It's not what you think! I used sweet geranium, bergamot and patchouli essential oils (and a touch of green clay). I can't wait until the four weeks is up and I can try it! 

* Two Way Stretch, 1960, starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins et al

Crumpets

It's been a while, hasn't it?! I have been busy doing all sorts of things, not least decorating the Girl's bedroom a calming shade of duck egg blue:

Just before that, I also won my local Embroiderers' Guild branch "purple" competition with my purple circle, inspired by aboriginal designs, and completed at the very last minute (as usual, but I may have hit upon a system to stop myself doing that again...it's early days...)

But there's more! The second most exciting thing: my sourdough experiments are working! I've got my pot of starter (nicknamed "bubbles") on the go, and I've dabbled and experimented, and yes, I think I'm there. I've made round things, lumpy things, dubious things where I tried using ordinary flour instead of bread flour, and I'm now experimenting with one of those silicon rugby-ball shaped devices from a certain kitchenware company based in Cumbria. It's all working so well we've bought a new toaster, and I've gone from eschewing all things wheaty* to eating sandwiches and toast like the good ol' days.

Here are a couple of loaves on their final rise:

and out of the oven:

But the eagle-eyed readers will notice I said second-most-exciting! Because the FIRST most exciting thing, the biggest and most important triumph of recent weeks, has been the discovery that all that excess starter that you are told to "discard" can be kept in a tub in the fridge, and then - miracle of miracles - become CRUMPETS!!! Who knew?!

Crumpet rings warming up on the griddle:

Pot of saved starter, being sticky:

Crumpet rings duly filled and cooking gently, with some already out of their rings:

Some crumpets are now ready to be flipped over:

Those that weren't eaten straight away are cooling:

And the best thing is, it is SO easy! A teaspoon of salt and sugar, a dash of bicarb, and Bob's your uncle. Nice.

* I have a (possibly half-baked!) idea that my family history of bowel cancer may be linked to diet. There's a lot of dubious science out there on the "dangers" of gluten, but there does seem to be a consensus that wheat has changed in the last 50 years, and food sensitivities, particularly to gluten, are on the increase. The family risk for cancer may be just chance or bad luck but it is definitely something to ponder. "People" say fermented and soaked grains, especially old varieties of wheat like spelt, are supposed to be kinder to our bodies. Sourdough is a fermented food, so also good for general gut health. Apparently. Worth a go? Tastes good, crumpets as by-product - can't go wrong!