Exercising My Brain

In our age of technology, we have ample ways to say in contact with loved ones. Many people have creative work solutions. We have endless sources of entertainment. I think my boys talk to their friends more now than they did in school. 

It's not easy getting them all into one picture. The birds
fight over territory and the dog is sure that they are
either a snack or a squeaky toy.

I live in a small house with 3 males, 1 dog and 2 parrots. I'm not suffering for companionship (well, maybe a little girl time!) Spring is coming with the long list of house and yard jobs to be done. I'm not suffering for things to do. I have an entire craft room full of supplies and tools. I'm not suffering for hobbies. What I did find was I was suffering for intellectual stimulation. Passive wasn't enough, I could read all I want and watch all the documentaries that I want.

I didn't realize how much brain power my job used. I thought that after ten years, I really didn't have to think too hard about what I was doing. I could let my fingers do all the thinking. Massage requires a surprising amount of problem solving. From trying to separate initial injury from radiating pain to creating solutions for people with unique situations. Not to mention the emotional support and navigating all the different personalities! (and the huge effort to bite my tongue sometimes!)

Writing this blog has really helped fill that niche for me. I had to drastically expand my technology comfort zone. (I wouldn't go so far as to say I was a luddite...but more than once I seriously considered throwing a computer out a window!) It has been a great refresher for anatomy and conditions. I've been cracking open my text books again - it wouldn't do to pass along faulty information after all! It's also been a test of my comprehension. They say that you don't truly understand something until you explain it to another. So, thank you for being my audience. You are keeping me sane!

Today was grocery shopping day. I was lucky enough to run into, in a distant sort of way, several clients and friends. It was great to hear how they are doing, and to get a chance to do a little scolding of those who are doing too much (you know who you are!) The warmer weather is boosting people's spirits. I'm also not embarrassed to say that when I saw my massage therapist, I stopped the car, rolled down the window, and yelled, "I miss you!" It's OK, I was in the post office parking lot, not stopping traffic!

We have been lucky in our community, we haven't suffered too many shortages in the grocery store. A few occasional things that were briefly out of stock. The one thing that I have noticed is yeast. There is still no yeast to be found. We are not the only family that is doing more cooking from scratch and more baking. Bread has never been in short supply, so I suspect people are just dusting of those old skills and trying to keep busy. Is it possible to feel bad when there is the smell of fresh bread in the house?

I have a "Cooking From Scratch" that is new to me. From the social media chatter, I'm not the only one. Sourdough is one of those things I have always wanted to try, but seemed like it took too much babysitting. Well, now is the time. A friend of mine posted the bread she made this week (thanks for the inspiration Mel!), and lit a fire under me. I did my research, pulled out my scale and got a batch of starter going. There are a lot of different methods out there. Eventually you just have to bite the bullet and pick one. I think I'm going to name it Ruth, after Ruth Goodman, a social and cultural historian - she's my hero. If you are interested, here's how Sourdough Ruth came into being.

Sourdough Starter

Day 1

113 g (about 1/2 c) lukewarm water

113 g  (about 1 c if white, 1/2 c if whole wheat) flour

It's important to weigh the ingredients, because flour can vary. Whole wheat flour weighs twice what white flour weighs. Bread making is a chemical reaction. The boys have learned how important careful measuring is with the bread machine. Some loaves have been bagel like, some have pushed the lid up.

Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2 - Remove 113 g of starter and discard.

Mix together 113 g water and 113 g flour. Add to starter. This is feeding the starter. Leave 24 hours. 

Day 3 - Remove 113 g of starter and discard.

Mix together 113 g water and 113 g flour. Add to starter. 

Repeat after 12 hours.

Day 4 - Feed starter every 12 hours.

Day 5 - Feed starter every 12 hours.

Day 6 - Feed starter every 12 hours.

Day 7 - Feed starter every 12 hours. At this point, if the starter shows vigorous growth, bubbly and smelling sour (in a good way), give it one more feed and then you can use it in 8 hours. To make your bread, you use the 113 g that you have previously been discarding every day. 

There should always be 113 g of starter left in your jar that you keep feeding. If you make bread a lot, keep in on the counter and feed it once a day. If you want to make bread once a week, keep it in the fridge. The night before you want to make bread, take it out and feed it. Leave it at room temperature overnight. There are tons of recipes for using sourdough, including ways to to use the part of the starter you would be discarding, if you don't want it to go to waste.

I have already had a hard time following basic instructions. It's day five and I wasn't feeding Ruth twice a day. I hope she forgives me! She has grown, she's half way up the jar now.

I would love to hear if you have used sourdough, or what you have done to keep your brain busy. If anyone has a kombucha scoby, I'm looking for one!