Food and Flowers

I baked a couple of loaves of sourdough bread. One went to my daughter and son-in-law. Thank you for your kind words and condolences on the loss of their dear mother. She was a friend to me and I will miss her. 

My sourdough starter is a couple of years old, given to me by my younger daughter. I've decided that it needs a name - so I'm calling it Betty. She never married and lived with her sister Mary, a nurse, also unmarried. Great-aunt Betty was a fabulous cook. I had the sisters over for lunch one day, and I'd made soup and rye bread. When Great-aunt Betty told me, "very well done, Lorrie," my heart swelled. 

Besides my great-aunt Betty, I also have an Aunt Betty who is very dear to me. 

I keep Betty, the starter in a glass jar in the fridge and she is forgiving when I neglect her for a week or two. She perks right up when I feed her and bring her into the warmth of the kitchen. 

Keeping Betty going requires a bit of waste, and I never like throwing away the discard after feeding, so when my daughter mentioned sourdough waffles, I thought I'd give them a try. Sunday morning breakfast was waffles with a caramelized plum sauce that I made last summer and found languishing in the freezer.

A friend contacted me about sharing some of my starter, so I set out a portion on the porch and she came by to pick it up. Sourdough is a great alternative to commercial yeast, which I hear is in short supply. 

In my garden a few bright, early tulips bloom. They were from a mixed bulb pot a few years ago. When the potted plants are finished blooming, I take them out of the pots and pop them into the ground where they bloom again the following spring. 

A yummy chicken dish, made with drumsticks, bacon, onions, peppers, and a hint of chipotle pepper made a very satisfying dinner, along with rice, butternut squash and a salad. 

Are you eating more these days? I find myself frequently hungry, but ask myself if I'm just bored or really hungry. Usually it's boredom or stress, so I try to assuage those feelings with a cup of tea or a glass of water. It doesn't always work. 

Beautiful blue scilla is almost done, but there are pockets still smiling brightly. How encouraging it is to have flowers blooming. I know some of you are still seeing snow out your windows, but spring is just around the corner. Take heart. 

My brain is getting a workout these days. I've learned so many new technology things for teaching online. Today I had my first virtual live meeting with my students and that went fairly well. It's a challenge to really connect with the students this way, and I hope that improves. 

How are you doing? Are you getting into a routine? Connecting virtually? Cooking a lot? Reading anything interesting? I'd love to know.