100 Days of Flowers and The Art of Breadmaking

Hi friends, 

The new year always gets me reflecting on changes I want to make and 

I've often shared that for me the little things add up. 

I love finding beauty in small things... and sometimes those small things

can make a big impact.  January 1st of 2020 I gave up coffee creamer for life. 

I loved coffee creamer.  I mean coffee without it... to me; bleck.  

But I knew my cholesterol was screaming at me because I ingested so much of it...

for years.  I tried to just drink coffee black... but I hated it.  So; I started using a dash of 

fatfree milk with stevia and I could do it.  Now ... I love it.  So I've went over a year now

with no creamers.  I haven't had my cholesterol checked lately but I'm anxious to.  

I still eat some fats in other foods but I made a change.  One small change that hopefully 

will make some difference.  It's something I look back on now and ... I'm just glad I did it.  

One of my changes in 2021 is learning the art of breadmaking.  

I love to bake bread the old fashioned way.  Years ago I had a breadmaker but it just wasn't the same

as kneading the dough yourself and watching it rise in a bowl on your counter.  

Myguy loves bread day.  I use the little round bread bowls  and he loves cutting two big thick slabs 

and toasting them  ... he then slathers  with butter and lots of  honey.  To hear him eat it... makes me want to just ...bake more bread. lolol  He oohs and ahhhs -  and he's completely adorable smacking 

his lips enjoying homemade bread toast.  

So with that... this is my year to hone in on my breadmaking skills.  And that brings me to 

sourdough bread.  I am soooo intrigued with the whole process of making my own wild yeast and 

have my starter going pretty good now! 

Years and years ago, my Mama shared an Amish friendship sourdough starter with me.

We kept it going for so long... but back then I didn't know about using starter

for regular breads.  Oh I wish I did and would have kept that precious starter 

from my Mama. 

But today is a new day ... 

and I want to learn everything I can. 

...Here's my new baby!!!... 

I just fed her and 

look at all those cute lil bubbles coming to the top.  

I'm so excited!!!!! 

I actually have three going at once now because well; I just got 

crazy about it all and this one on my counter is whole wheat. 

Another in the fridge is  all purpose.  

And another in a jar ... yall we are going to have sourdough 

coming out our ears. 

Least if I screw something up til I get the hang of it all...

there will be another in the wings.  

Tomorrow I'll be trying out my new banneton baskets 

and hope to carve some pretty designs in my first artisan loaf.  

I hope this year to make some amazing breads!

What's not to love about a big bowl of comforting vegetable beef soup and 

a chunk of crusty bread.  ohhhh I know; stop it right?!!  

This afternoon I'm going to go wild and experiment with the recipe Myguy loves so much 

and try adding sourdough starter to it.  The regular recipe has molasses and honey in it ...and I 

am wondering what the flavor of sourdough might add to that?  It could be a flop.. but 

what if it's really good?!!  Worse thing that can happen is it may not rise well or at all and 

the chickens get some hockey puck bread for supper.  But I'm gonna try!

Then the next thing I'm starting... 

I've shared before that sketching every day really helps me.  I've known it but 

sometimes things come up and I don't make the time.  

There is a project starting soon called The 100 Day Project.  Maybe you've heard of it?

I've always watched from afar because trying to keep up for even 30 days doing something is hard.  

The pressure of it all makes me want to run and hide.  But... I've seen other people do it and you can 

actually see how they have improved their art or craft over that span.  

So... here I am.  

For 100 days I am going to sketch, paint, or doodle  flowers and botanicals.  

Being a gardener ... I just adore flowers and plants  of every kind and color.  

While 100 days ... is daunting to me... I've decided to just do it.  

On days when I just don't have time... I will to make the time.  Even if on the hard days

if I do nothing but doodle a stick flower for five minutes... that too will be just fine. I'm tossing the pressure cooker and giving myself grace.  

While other people post their photos every day of their projects... -- that probably will not be me.  I may share something here though ... time will tell.  

For so long I've wanted to paint my garden.  

One bloom at a time.  

My favorite style is painterly flowers..

it's messy and imperfect and 

yet depicts  the essence of a flower.

This little bouquet in Blakelea's mudkitchen 

will be in my 100 days somewhere.  

:)   

And I hope to somehow learn 

how to layer petals like this one only

in paint.  Roses and peonies, and zinnias oh my. 

And simple little blossoms too.  

So I painted the cover of an Arteza 8.25x8.25 journal to get ready. 

There are not enough pages in one journal but two came to a package so

I might need to use both.   That or divide some pages and go two to a page 

or four to  a page. As I go along I want to do swatches of colors I use for a recipe as well 

and just record what I'm learning along the way.     

These will be my hashtags if I do add on Instagram. 

I'll be using my @wellblessyourlittleart account.  

Speaking of flowers today; I found some weeds that were blooming!!

I picked them and sent this very photo to  my friend Dawn in Wisconsin.  

My phone dinged and I got this back. 

Thanks for picking me some snow Dawn. 

lololol 

I'm still chuckling.

Well it's time to try that bread recipe using sourdough starter for yeast!

Will Myguy be oohing and ahhhing or will the chickens be 

the beneficiary?  Time will tell but... 

Checking on this jar of starter that 

got fed; look at it go!  I think I'm ready to 

crank up the oven!

I sign off with this scripture picture using 

today's bloomers. 

Until we meet again,

<*)))><