So, it is party time again, folks!

[wiseheart]

Each year this time, we launch my virtual birthday party, which starts on October 1 and ends on October 9 at midnight, sharp. The goals of the party are to post as many comments and collapse as many threads as possible, on as many new pages as we can. It is always great fun, as you can see if you check out the similar entries of the last few years.

This year, I'll also throw the real party at mid-time - and post the recipes of all the food that will be there for you, so that you can all participate if you want to. Virtual food has no calories.

Fandom-related discussions are as welcome as the ones about coffee or chocolate (just to name a few favourites from previous years), and, of course, pictures and recipes of birthday cakes. ;)

So, drop by, tell your story, post your pics or silly poems, ask questions you always wanted to ask and have a good time!

Soledad, in excited expectation




Oh, and by the way, to provide birthday gifts hobbit-style, I've got a revived story and a Kansas 2 update for you.

Enjoy!

Comments

[lhun-dweller.livejournal.com]

Others have already done a fine job of explaining the "wild-crafted" yeast, so I'll just add that it's a fancy schmancy hippy dippy term for, as several of you have noted, something humans have been doing for thousands of years! [grin]

Alas! the first effort did not produce an edible product: way too dense and still sticky in the center, despite copious amounts of flour. Nice smell, and the bit that baked enough to sample was, indeed, tasty and tangy.

Reading through the comments, I wonder whether I should try the feeding-and-chucking-half thing for a bit to get enough yeastie beasties growing to lift a full loaf. I certainly had to leave the dough sitting a day or so at each stage to get it to rise. Well, I still have half the original starter in a jar in the fridge, so I could give it another go. And we're back down to the house by the sea next weekend -- we decided some more time down there was A Good Thing -- so I could try a fresh start. I'll keep you posted.

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

Even with the four week, feeding-and-chucking-a-lot-away thing, my dough didn't rise a lot or very quickly. The recipe book said that was to be expected though, and I did quite like the result. So I would encourage you to give it another try and would love to hear about how you get on with it.