Worth the wait

"It takes time. It takes patience. But the rewards are great.
Every loaf you bake is slightly different, but most of all, it is uniquely your own.
Nothing you can buy at a store will give you as much satisfaction."

- Nancy Silverton

Molly and me with sourdough loaf #3

I'm definitely feeling pretty pleased by my efforts so far! I've baked the last couple of weekends and have ended up with some really good bread. It takes about 2 days to make, but most of the work takes place on the morning of the first day. The rest of the time is spent watching and waiting for the dough to ferment and rise.

I burned the bottom of my first loaf, but we were able to turn the inside of the bread into croutons for Jason's homemade gazpacho, so no big deal! And I also experimented with using some of the leftover starter to make sourdough pancakes, which were absolutely delicious. Speaking of my starter, we've named it "The Yeast Beast" and now it lives in the refrigerator between baking sessions (much easier to maintain). 

I think I need to keep working on the basic loaf of country white bread for the next few weeks, but am looking forward to branching out and trying some different types soon. Baguettes, rosemary olive oil bread, raisin brioche ... I can't wait!

Inter-National debut

I am so proud. Jason's first ever gig poster SOLD OUT and received more than 7,500 likes on Instagram. I wish we would have been able to attend the concert to see it in person, but alas, it was in Portugal and we weren't able to make it! They sent us 10 copies though (Jason did the artwork, but it was printed by someone else in London). I love it!

Happy camper

Ever since we moved to Evanston, we've been hearing about Camp Echo. It seems like half the kids in Evanston end up going to this camp at some point or another and they all just love it. Molly and her friend Ryan have been talking ... and talking ... and talking about going for about as long as they've been friends. So the build up has been pretty intense.

Finally, it was Molly's week to go. The night before departure, she had a complete meltdown. She was worried about the swim test. She was sad that Jason was out of town and wouldn't be there to see her off. She was just plain nervous.

I was kind of nervous too. She's never done anything like this before. Would she be responsible enough to put on her sunscreen? Would she be homesick? Would she like the food? Would she have drama with her friends?

It turns out, our fears were unfounded. Molly had a wonderful time. She made bracelets, went kayaking, bought stuff at the trading post, stayed up late every night, burned a couple of marshmallows. All the best camp things. Next year, she wants to go back for 2 weeks!

Ready to go

A duffel bag as big as the camper

About to ace the swim test - she earned the highest level swim cap

When I saw her face as she was getting off the bus, I knew she had had a good time

Reunited!

Sourdough starter

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I've been watching a show on Netflix called Chef's Table. Well, I was totally inspired by the Nancy Silverton episode and have become obsessed with the idea of learning to bake bread.

And not just any bread. I want to make sourdough from my own personal starter. I've always kind of wanted to do this. A bread starter is basically a science experiment and I've been a sucker for science experiments for just about as long as I can remember. 

So, here we go. I used Nancy Silverton's recipe -- flour, water, and grapes wrapped in cheesecloth. I'll let it ferment and grow and then in a couple of weeks, let the baking begin!

Sourdough starter - Day 1

Family fun

We went back to Cincinnati this weekend, for the second time this month. This time, we were there to catch up with family.

We sent Molly on Friday with my parents so she could get extra time with my cousin Emily's daughter, Ella. Molly and Ella are about 9 months apart and total kindred spirits. They both love ducks, cooking, dress up, playing games, and avoiding the boys. I think it has been at least 3 or 4 years since they've seen each other, but it was like no time had passed. They were thick as thieves all weekend and I just caught glimpses here and there as they ran by us or paused to request another cookie or cup of lemonade.

That left me with plenty of time to keep an eye on my rambunctious dog, who probably had the most fun of anyone this weekend, running around the back yard with my cousin Katie's dog, Birdie, and my Uncle Neal's dog, Sparky.

But best of all was spending time with my Grandma & Grandpa O, who drove up from Tennessee to see all of us. I know they got such a kick out of seeing their great-grands run around. And I think they're looking pretty darn good for 90 plus!

We missed my cousins Patrick, Scott, and Brian, who had other stuff happening this weekend. But that just gives us a reason to plan another reunion, so we can get everyone together.

Molly and Ella - second cousins (if I have that bit of genealogy right)

Betsy's boys also played really well with Emily's kids. Here's James with Max

Back row from left: Archie, B, Me, Sean, Jas, Sus, Aunt Sue, Uncle Roger, Mom, Dad, Uncle Neal, Aunt Terry, Paul, Katie, Emily, and Joe
Front row from left: Molly, Grandma O, Grandpa O, Ella, Max, James, and George

And now, she's nine!

Happy 9th birthday to Molly!! We celebrated with what I have been calling "A Grand Tour of the Midwest" -- Evanston, IL to Minneapolis, MN to Elkhart Lake, WI, then back to Evanston, down to Cincinnati, OH/Covington, KY then home again. We drove approximately 1500 miles over the course of a week and it was equal parts fun, relaxing, and exhausting! I'd write a recap of the trip, but think the pictures are probably worth a thousand words :)

Making her wish

Molly's little face in this just kills me!

With Grandma Janet, out lovely host in Minnesota

Family photo (minus Riley)

Celebrating with G'ma and Papa

The full gang in Minnesota -- Keith, Janet, Lori, Terri, Jeff, Marsha, Me, Steve, Molly, and Jason

Gorgeous Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Stunning views from our room at the Osthoff resort in Elkhart Lake

Cincinnati fun at Dana's pool with Daphne, Eva, Cole, Houston, and cute new baby Chloe!!

Molly and Violet in Cincinnati

Hey summer, can you hear me?

We've had a very rainy June -- it hasn't really felt like summer yet. But Molly is in full camp mode and I've been able to play a few rounds of golf and tennis, so we're getting there. Here are a few highlights from June.

Molly graduated from 3rd grade and Riley graduated from Basic Obedience class

Race Against Hate 5k with my favorite running buddy 

Dinner and night out with the fam - a late birthday celebration for ME

Here's some other stuff that I've liked in June ...

TV:

• The very excellent Chernobyl miniseries on HBO -- intense, fascinating, and very well-acted
• Chef's Table on Netflix -- these chefs are true artists. I promise, you will feel inspired

Books:

• Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens -- a beautiful Southern story / mystery with an unforgettable main character
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon -- I'm almost embarrassed to list this, it's a total bodice-ripper, but so good!

Podcasts:

• My Favorite Murder -- I feel like I'm late to the game on this one. Despite the title, it's really funny. You have to like true crime though!

That's all I've got for now. I'll post again in July with summer roadtrip updates!