Because I AM ON FIRE!

I am not sure if it’s some kind of reverse virus, but I am bursting with cookery energy this weekend.  I dipped into Pongo, my sourdough starter, and got some bread dough rising, and while that was doing its yeasty thang, I toasted a batch of muesli and finished sewing my new skirt — it only needed a hem, but it still counts.

After a lengthy lunch with family, I finished my first Watermelon sock:

…and cast on the second.

I let the sourdough rise slowly overnight, and the next day put it on to bake before brunch with some friends.

Although it looks a bit like Jupiter, I’m very proud.  I did some experimenting with the dough, too:

Look! Little breadsticks!

This spotty fellow was dusted with polenta before cooking, and with a slightly different approach to cooking time.  Looks good.

I also made some frozen yoghurt, because why not?, and a batch of fresh home-made yoghurt, both using recipes from 101 Cookbooks, and both of which turned out pretty damn fine.  The frozen yoghurt is a little sweeter than I think I want it, but I can improve on it later.  Now I’m itching to try a frozen yoghurt whipped with stewed fruit or berries. I don’t have an ice cream machine, so I just had to be vigilant and take it out of the freezer for a stir every thirty minutes, but it wasn’t labour-intensive or challenging in any way.  However, I did get bored towards the end and quit early so we could go out for drinks with friends.  Still, seems okay!  No photos of my dairy adventures, sadly, but I do have photos of the other field I fiddle-faddled with:

English muffins! I love English muffins.  So making my own seemed like a pretty natural extension of the whole make-it-yourself kick I’m on.  Got the recipe through Wild Yeast’s YeastSpotting feature from last week, and I’ve got to say: it’s a winner.  I made teensy-weensy ones, since I didn’t have an English muffin-sized cutter-outer and just used an egg ring instead.  But the texture is perfect.  I think next time I’ll add less polenta (cornmeal) and more oats, because I really noticed the presence of the polenta, and I want to try them without.  But still, it is a winning recipe.  Next time I will also make proper-sized ones.  (But these are a good size to snack on.)

I don’t know what has gotten into me, and I have no idea how long it will last, but this orgy of baking and cooking has been an utter delight.  I’m rockin’ out.