It’s almost spring! How do we know? We observe signs of it all around us in the cherry tree blossoms and the stores with blooming tulips for sale. What about growing something that is good to eat, like your own fresh greens? Things like bean sprouts, lettuce, bok choy, & kale are greens.

Each year I always look forward to planting the garden with my daughter. She loves to help plant, water, and harvest. This is a time that I will always cherish no matter how the garden turns out that year because, let’s face it, some years are better than others. Each year is a learning experience, and every year I try to learn a few new things.

Learning about the art of sourdough has been a fun process. I didn't get it right off the bat; it took me a few tries and a lot of reading and many troubleshooting conversations with my sister-in-law who already had it down. Being able to transform flour, water, and salt into beautiful loaves still makes me feel a little bit superhuman, but it’s really not as complicated as I thought. And once you understand how a starter works, there’s a lot of room to play and experiment.

You’ve Saved All That Sourdough Discard, Let’s Make Some Waffles!

After almost a week of growing our own starters, we’ve got lots of sourdough discard sitting in the fridge ready to be used. This is an easy recipe for your weekend breakfast. I’ve also included two recipes quantities, depending on how much discard you have and how much breakfast you need. The instructions are the same for each. The 3 cup recipe made about 10 large round waffles. You can also freeze these and reheat them in the toaster on busy mornings. Enjoy!

This chicken and this salad became a regular favorite; even my kids requested it. And now that the weather here in Virginia is finally beginning to warm up, it’s time for this salad to come back out to play. The chicken is a recipe that a friend of mine makes; she’s fed us often over the years, and this is a delicious way to grill it up. The secret is in the sauce.

I come from a family who firmly believes in the life-giving power of freshly baked things, especially bread… this recipe has become my own from a combination of many I’ve tried over the years. It’s bread for people who don’t bake, and it’s a great way to impress your friends—it looks like it requires quite a bit of skill, but it’s super easy—promise. Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning.