Greek Yogurt, Sourdough Bread, and Other Adventures


Maybe two months ago I decided to make my own Greek style yogurt. And at the same time I ordered the starter for yogurt I ordered starter to make sourdough bread. I used to make my own sourdough in the 70's. Never have made my own yogurt but had purchased my Instant Pot because it bragged it could make it easy. Greek yogurt is simple but perhaps not that easy, if easy is defined as within 30 minutes. It takes 24 hours.

 Sourdough is very difficult especially at my attitude. Today as I took more Greek yogurt out of the strainers and put in containers for refrigeration I decided to not attempt the sourdough any further and washed the attempt down the drain. It seems, per a quick research on whey, a byproduct of making Greek Yogurt, that I can make bread which tastes just like sourdough by using the whey as a substitute for liquids in a bread recipe. 

 I have doubled my yogurt production from a half gallon at a time to a gallon. And my sister has joined in with recipes for frozen yogurt and even cheese. I totally intend to participate via the internet and telephone but I am busy trying to assist in putting on a Holiday Market.

 Some years ago I dedicated my volunteer efforts to assisting the art community on my side of the mountain. I sacrifice my own creative studio time to do this. I am thinking of not doing it any more. I look longingly at my new chairs in the corner of the studio and realize I have had very little quiet time to spend there in the sun because of the bitches and moans and whines of other artists. They don't help out. They just bitch that they need more. Want the impossible. And blame if everything isn't just as they want. Nobody offers to help. Instead you get a fundamental Christian clogging the social media because we called it a holiday market and not a Christmas Market.

 Because of that latter attack none of the churches want to be involved in any way but none of them has put on its own Christmas market. And when I say none, I mean none. A careful reading of all the social media shows all such markets are called Holiday and not Christmas.

 The new tax bill has passed which probably means there will be no grants for art groups after 2018. And churches will be able to lobby from the pulpit. 

 I think after Epiphany I will just stay in my studio and paint and sit in the sun and make Greek yogurt. My volunteer commitment (beyond the studio tour) will go the way of the sourdough starter. The environment has just gotten too hostile.

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