Sourdough and salve........

Over the past few days I've commenced two sourdough starters ( I had to start a second after the cat ate the first one......) and made calendula salve. I have a yeast intolerance, but can tolerate REAL sourdough bread...so I'm very keen to become successful at sourdough baking!

I've wanted to make the salve for years and a few months ago planted a number of calendula plants purely to do so. I was then pleased to find a post on http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/ a few weeks back about how to go about doing so!

So back in December I started infusing the petals in olive oil on my kitchen window sill, then strained the oil through muslin to remove th epetals leaving me with a lovely golden oil:

I melted some pure beeswax in a bowl over a pot of simmering water ( because I don't have a double boiler!):

Next I mixed with the slightly warmed oil, giving it a whizz with my stick blender to emulsify it:

This salve is thick and a little goes a long way-it smells slightly of honey due to the beeswax. I applied some to my hands earlier and they feel wonderful!



Sourdough starter:

There are many options on the net to peruse if you want to try a sourdough starter-this is the one I am trying which I found on the Down to Earth Forum!

Day 1: Mixed 50g wholemeal flour with 50ml rainwater-forgot photo! :)



Day 2 : Added 50g wholemeal flour with 50ml water. Starter already bubbling and looking "spongey". Definite sour smell.

Day 3: Add 100g white flour and 100ml rainwater. Bubbly but looks wetter. Smells like slightly off milk.

Day 4: 200g white flour plus 200ml water added-very wet and looks like pancake batter. Smells yoghurty.

 

Tomorrow I will remove most of the starter, leaving 100g; to which I will add 50g white flour with 50g rainwater.

The starter I remove I will attempt to bake some bread with!





Set in concrete....

We have been in the house for 1 year on Christmas Eve and have finally been able to arrange the concreting we needed out the front and back of the house.

The front of the house. A verandah will be added when finances allow! I can now finish creating the garden beds-which already have Little Gem Magnolias and two varieties of roses growing.

This section leads from the existing undercover area (which will be enclosed to make a games room)-the large pad will have a timber pergola built to enable grape vines to grow and shade the house-this area faces N-NE.

We are really please with the concretor and would recommend him to anyone in our area!

I have ended up having to spend the day at home due to my neck and shoulders being in spasm, but have found that seeing the Calendula oil seeping on the window sill ( Thanks Rhonda http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/) gives me a lovely sense of self satisfaction! I started it seeping a couple of days ago after reading on Rhonda's blog about how to make your own Calendula salve-quite fortuitous timing as I planted calendulas ( English Marigolds) in the vegetable garden this year purely so that I could harvest the flowers to make the salve!

I've also made homemade Coffee and Chocolate liqueurs over the past couple of days to add to the hampers I'm putting together for Christmas!