“You know you gotta get goin’ if you’re gunna make a showin’ “

On Saturday morning when I heard the news that Biden would become the Next President, I immediately heard this song in my head : “Its a good Day” written by Peggy Lee and David Barbour.. Its so damn catchy and yes I had to kick up my heels (if I still can) and march along, arms bent at the waist swinging vigorously punctuating the beat! This song pushes you into optimism if you have no idea why or how or if everything will work out in the end RIGHT??? and then it goes on to say;

Yes, it’s a good day for singing a song
And it’s a good day for moving along;
Yes, it’s a good day, how could anything be wrong
A good day from morning’ till night…..

And then one of my other favorite writers Dorothy Parker says:

Resumé

BY DOROTHY PARKER

Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren’t lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.

so that pretty much sums up my thoughts on THE NEWS OF THE DAY

Now lets move on to the news from the HIGHLANDS BAKERY SHOPPE:

I Have been making a SOURDOUGH BUTTERMILK BREAD WITH OATS AND HONEY IN THE SHAPE OF A STANDARD LOAF! Yes even I get tired of the obligatory crust and crumb shots of perfect air pockets and burnished sheen of crust. After all, I remember feeling absolutely jubilant when I made my first perfect loaf the old fashioned way in a standard 9 by 4 inch loaf pan from my first baking book which was from Sunset Magazine if some of you people remember Sunset???? I learned the difference between annuals and perennials from Sunset as well as baking my first loaf…

My current flour selection which I am loving is a Hard Red Wheat called AMOROJO, grown in Pleasant Grove Ca. ( I love that it is the words red and love together because I assume of the reddish tint??) It comes from this great mill company in Pasadena Ca called https://www.gristandtoll.com/current-selections/ The way it is described is: “sweet hay and warm spices.” I don’t know if I can honestly say I can taste any of that but what I do know ABOUT It is that the flour soaks up water beautifully and bursts open beautifully as far as spring and it tastes superb with buttermilk! I love to read the flavor profiles of coffee and pretend that I am “getting it” because I really want to…. and I know a true coffee roaster can truly tell you all from pod to roasted bean.. I love recently when a roaster told me that Sumatra was like the “blue cheese ” of coffee. I kinda know what he means.. so yes.. descriptions have merit.. they are trying for something illusive and it wakes up our senses to try and put words to something which is very very good! even if it can be somewhat precious you know?

I have finally mastered the score.. that decorative design that puts the last touch to your bread. I was digging too deep a slit which made the bread open too much. Now I use the Lame (fancy word for razor) to just very lightly skim the surface of the loaf creating a very shallow cut and that seems to do the trick ….

and finally I love this colder weather for baking.. I think it is kind of a bakers wet dream!! I mean All bakers are on high alert for the upcoming feasts of Thanksgiving and Christmas rummaging through their greatest hits of recipes and coming up with the new and impoved or to go with the tried and true! For ME and Bread.. the sourdough starter gets to sit a little bit longer.,, changing the flavors just a bit here and there and I get to learn to slow down along with the starter which NOW MORE THAN EVER IS A VERY GOOD THING!

Just hang on everyone.. its going to be a bumpy ride!!!