Maryland, My Maryland

[Mundame]

The title is the beginning of the state song.

We live on a small farm in the good part of Maryland, which is heavily rightwing despite what you may have heard. I know elections always go left in the Electoral College in Maryland, but that is not the fault of my county, which was one of the landslide counties (60% or more) for Trump.

I've been reading a lot of prepper fiction, and of course as a farmy I've prepped all my life, really. And lately ---- it's getting very scary. I sent for 250 pounds of flour, different kinds, and realized that's all very well, but I need to also learn how to bake in an outdoor oven in that case. Fortunately, we have one of those Maryland smoker BBQs.

 

[Maverick]

Welcome from Washington State

 

[Brent S]

Welcome!

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[jontte]

Welcome from Fin.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Welcome from a top secret location only 142 people know about.

 

[WGregMiller]

Welcome from the southeast.

 

[Dani]

Welcome to the forum! We do the small time farm thing too with raising some critters and garden. Preserving what we raise. I got a "spider" to take camping to make bread in. . . not that we've gone in years. Our camping out now involves an rv, but it was a tent when the boys were young.

 

[Psalm7]

Welcome from Tennessee.

 

[Mundame]

Welcome to the forum! We do the small time farm thing too with raising some critters and garden. Preserving what we raise. I got a "spider" to take camping to make bread in. . . not that we've gone in years. Our camping out now involves an rv, but it was a tent when the boys were young.

A spider! I think I know what that is. I may see about getting one of those, fun to play with. And get experience. I bet you could make good cornmeal hand patties on one.....I also come from Tennessee, originally.

 

[Dani]

I first read about them as a kid in the Little House series. . . I so loved those books growing up. Think it was called 'iron spider' maybe? Hoping grandkids will enjoy them as much as I did when they get a little older. Have three feet to place in fire but not directly on coals with lipped lid so you can put coals on e top to create oven. Replace top coals as they cool down.

 

[Mundame]

I first read about them as a kid in the Little House series. . . I so loved those books growing up. Think it was called 'iron spider' maybe? Hoping grandkids will enjoy them as much as I did when they get a little older. Have three feet to place in fire but not directly on coals with lipped lid so you can put coals on e top to create oven. Replace top coals as they cool down.

Right, that's what I thought it was.

 

[Dani]

Have you tried making a sourdough starter for bread yet? That makes the best in my opinion. Besides, you only have to have yeast once verses every time you make it. . . just feed it and your good.

 

[Mundame]

Have you tried making a sourdough starter for bread yet? That makes the best in my opinion. Besides, you only have to have yeast once verses every time you make it. . . just feed it and your good.

It's a coincidence you just posted this, because I was reading the new issue of "Bake" today (the new cooking magazines are so beautiful!) and someone has an article on using instead of discarding the stuff from the sourdough starter when it's fed. I have had one a long time (I neglect it, but it doesn't seem to care -- I just leave it out all night with the new flour and water and it's bubbly by morning). Anyway, there was a recipe for making biscuits throwing in the discard for the tang --- the recipe still uses baking powder. I mean to try that tonight. And feed my sourdough at the same time. I HAVE made bread entirely with sourdough rising, no commercial yeast. It is, as I'm sure you know, very slow, and pretty sour. I sort of like sour bread, so I mainly use the starter for the tang and speed everything up with regular yeast.

I have come to think lately that the great thing is knowing how to do prepper things, and having experience doing it. I can raise yeast bread with a starter I make myself entirely ---- and that's what's important, just in case I have to.