My Adventures Where in the world is ….

I have really enjoyed my experiments with my sour dough starter.  Having started it from scratch from only flour and water I am really happy it has been so active.  While it was maturing we have enjoyed sour dough pretzels, sour dough biscuits, sour dough waffles, sour dough english muffins, sour dough french bread, sour dough chocolate cake, sour dough lemon cake, sour dough blueberry muffins (not nearly as good as Andrea’s recipe but with some tweeking it might become comparable) and one other loaf of sour dough bread.  I have learned a lot along the way.  For one thing you cannot knead sour dough like regular bread – you “fold” it.  I got a plastic scrapper that I use to fold it that is so easy to use.  This is still a lot of learning but I am getting better.  Looking forward to cutting into this loaf later today.

My starter is crazy active and this loaf really rose as it cooked. Those are chocolate chip cookies in the background.

So life is very busy here, especially for Carl.  He has cleared so many areas of our yard.  Some he had done last year but had to dig up this year and that was some easier but still a lot of work.  I am so grateful he is willing to do all this hard labor as our yard is looking wonderful.  They neighbors have all commented on it so I am glad they also appreciate his hard work.  I am including the updated pictures of our gardening.  It is only May 15th and we are mostly planted for this year.  Yeah for that.

We learned last year that this bed is shaded by the tree and sun loving plants don’t do well here but impatients love it so that is what we planted. They will spread and fill the bed.

Carl has just a little more to dig up before this area is finished and we will plant the rest of our corn for this year. We hope to at least have corn for eating fresh – nothing like corn fresh from the garden. YMMM!

We have this small group of dark purple iris (there is another small group on the hill) and they are so pretty but so lonely. If we can find another location we will probably move them together.

Our peonies are starting to bloom. They are four different colors but for now the two the are blooming look similar. We shall see when the other blooms open what color they actually are.

Our garden from above. The basil, parsley and chives in the raised bed are doing great. We have radishes up and kale just starting. The tomato plants are looking good as well.

Carl’s completed rock garden with the phlox planted. Right now they look sparse but we know they will fill in.

The east side of the flower bed around the upper patio. These are wave petunias and we know they will spread and fill in – they already are some.

The back of the flower bed around the upper patio.

The west side of the bed.

So this is how our garden grows right now.  I love the way it looks and hope I can do my part in the necessary weeding along the way.  Happy Spring to you all!