The Barn Sale at Spring Creek Roller Mills

It's time for fall y'all... and that means the Barn Sale at Spring Creek Roller Mills is happening this month! I've posted photos of this event before. For photos of previous years click on the year; 2012, 2013,  2014, 2015! I think I've made or sold something different every year, but variety is good, right?!

This year I plan to do a booth with my new(est) business venture.

Here is a peek of my tiny shop at Dressed Up Threads to give you a taste of what is to come...

Oh, and I think I talked my husband into making 

some cutting boards to sell as well.

 

I hope to see you there!

Hope

Sourdough Bread

Hello friends! It's been awhile. Now that summer is nearing an end- I feel like I can breath again.

I've been making sourdough bread for months now. For years I tried to make a homemade bread that Josh would use for sandwiches. He always would say it was too heavy or crumbly. After a couple weeks of sourdough bread making I could finally make sandwiches for him with homemade bread!

I am now sharing a recipe I tweaked from the "Food for Life" cookbook. My friend, Kim, accidentally used all milk for the liquid one day and her bread was better than ever. So now I use all milk instead of part water. Thanks Kim!

 My first loaves that made me so proud - but were dense and heavy:)

 Scored loaf ready for baking.

The loaf that finally turned out. Most times they look like this - 

but there can be fluctuations depending on the weather.

I make cinnamon rolls and pizza dough with the same dough recipe.

It's so handy to mix up one recipe and make

different baked goods from the same dough. 

Sourdough Bread

2 cups sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups whole milk

 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 Tbsp. honey

5 - 5 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached flour

2 1/2 tsp. sea salt

In a Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook,

knead first five ingredients for 3 minutes.

Cover your mixing bowl with a cloth and 

let dough rest for 20 minutes.

Uncover; add salt and knead for 5 minutes.

Place dough in a large bowl that has a lid. Grease 

bowl and dough with oil. Cover and let raise 

4 hours or until doubled in size. 

From this point you can make pizza or cinnamon rolls. 

For bread: Divide dough in half and shape into two loaves.

Place in greased bread pans and place loaves in a big container

with a lid and let raise again until doubled.

Score loaves and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until

the center registers 195. I cover my loaves with foil around 

20 minutes so they don't get too brown.

Cool on baking racks and freeze one loaf for later that week.

I hope you enjoy!

Hope

Faith's Living Room Tour

Here is a little tour of my oldest sister, Faiths, living room. She sometimes comments how I need to help her decorate but when I go to her house I think she needs to come help me:)

I love seeing inside other peoples homes and thought while I had my camera at her home yesterday I'd take a few photos of her lovely living room.

Happy Wednesday!

Hope

Mango Chicken

I once had some fresh mangos I needed to use up and googled "mango chicken recipe". I found a recipe with some unusual spices -but decided to give it a try. I've tweaked the recipe a bit and it's now a family favorite.

I serve it over rice and beans with a side of creamy cole slaw.

 

Mango Chicken

5-10 chicken thighs, cut into pieces

olive oil + salt

Mix together

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. red pepper 

1/2 onion sliced

2 cups chopped mangos or peaches

(can use fresh or frozen)

a splash of lemon juice

Heat a kettle and coat well with olive oil. Add chicken pieces and 

sprinkle one side liberally with your spice mixture. I used about 

3/4 of the spice mixture this evening on 8 chicken thighs.

Once chicken is browned flip over and salt the other side.

When your chicken seems close to done add your sliced onions, cover

and simmer until they are a little soft. Then add mangos or peaches, 

cover and simmer until they are soft and juicy. Add a splash of lemon juice 

for a fresh taste. If the mixture seems really juicy just uncover and 

simmer until juices reduce. 

Serve over rice and beans.

 For rice and beans I cook 1 1/2 cups of rice with 1 can of black beans

and 1 tsp. of salt. Add water according to rice package directions.

Some rice requires more water than others.

Garnish with fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Hope

Sourdough Shortcake

Sourdough gets into everything I bake these days. And I'm not one bit sad about it. I picked strawberries yesterday and decided to make a shortcake. I looked up several sourdough shortcake recipes -but they all looked too complicated so I dug out my mama's shortcake recipe and revised it for sourdough.

I honestly had no idea if it would raise or be edible but I thought it was worth a try. And well. It turned out!

  Sourdough Shortcake

1 cup sourdough starter

2 cups flour

1 cup water

Mix together, cover and ferment on the counter for 4 hours.

The mixture with be thick.

Then add:

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

 1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and pour into a greased 9" pan.

Sprinkle with sanding sugar. 

Let rest 30 minutes before baking.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Hope

These days...

Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't write here like I used to. I remember the excitement of creating a recipe for supper after work... now I get excited when supper is on the table in pots and pans and I can sit down to rest:) I tell myself this is a season of life I want to savor- and I don't want to miss out on Caroline's younger years. I can create recipes when I'm old and retired:)

My days are filled to the brim with the normal household/mom tasks and I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Here is a bit of our lives lately...

 I've been having fun with my sourdough starter. My first sourdough bread!

 Sourdough waffles.

 "The second best heritage you can equip your child with is gardening. 

The first is food for the soul, but the second is food to keep that soul healthy." 

- Hope Helmuth

 Caroline's 2 year old photos.

 We had fun making a new play area after Caroline

broke a flower pot she pulled off the bench:)

Our little family of three. I'm one lucky wife and mom.

That's all for now...

Have a wonderful week!

Hope

Hopefulthings Boutique

My sister invited me to sell decor and gift items at her fabric store (Dressed Up Threads) that just relocated to Dayton. I was delighted at the idea! I love to decorate and I love to give gifts! It has been so much fun searching for items to place in my small, booth space. 

Here are a few photos of my booth.

 

 Stop by if your local! :)

Hope