How are you holding up? We are definitley living through some unprecedented times that have prevented us from living our lives as we once thought was normal!
I miss going to church, visiting my favorite coffee shops and cafes, training for destination marathons and to be honest, travel in general. Some days are definitely harder than other days. It’s sometimes really hard to put on a smile on and shake off negative thoughts. After all, we’re only human right!
This article is excellent and I have read it multiple times. I hope you also find it helpful….
So when I need a little pick me up, I head outside. There’s something about being out in nature that makes me feel better. I much prefer running outside and I have never regretted going for a run, even in our hot and humid July temps.
However, you don’t have to be a runner to reap the benefits of spending time in nature. Simply sitting out on your patio or a walk around your neighborhood will do the trick….!
I have also found connecting with friends, whether it be virtually, on the phone, or in person helps me go from feeling blue to feeling much more positive.
Several months ago I jumped on the sourdough band wagon and since COVID, I have discovered so have a lot of other people?. I have learned so much from connecting with other more experienced bakers. The baking community reminds me so much of the running community and to be perfectly honest, my Shaklee Family.
There is seriously nothing more fulfilling in life than caring about others and helping them succeed. Runners love helping other runners get stronger, run faster if that’s their goal, and most of all, stay healthy. I am so thankful for my coach who has taught me that running slower than you want to run is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do as a runner. Heart Rate Training is no joke and to be perfectly honest, I am still learning and I have been running for over 4 decades.
I have never considered myself a baker but damn, look at me now. Hmmm, maybe I have inherited some good baking genes from my Mother?. In my opinion she makes the BEST Cinnamon and Carmel Rolls I have tasted in my entire life…EVER! I’ll never come close to her expertise, but I am certainly having fun trying?.
Recently I have hooked up with some really fun and more experienced bakers like Maurizo from The Perfect Loaf. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen these pretty photos of my bagels? Or this beautiful Turmeric & Fennel Loaf I made from Breadtopia. I also took an online Sourdough Baking Class from Vituperio which was a blast.
Last week I also joined two July Challenges which started the Monday after celebrating our Independence here in America. I am leading a July Challenge in which I am helping others re-commit to healthier habits and so far it’s been really fun! If you want to join my group, it’s not too late! I love helping others feel better and you’ll receive this 30-Day Healthy Meal Guide free for joining.
FREE 30-Day Healthy Meal Guide ~
Shaklee…. “Thank you for making the commitment to help people get started on (or back to) healthier habits by hosting an accountability challenge group this month.
As a reward for registering your group, please find below a link to download your FREE 30-Day Meal Plan that you can share with members of your accountability challenge group.”
And mostly likely if you have your own sourdough starter and you’re not baking every day, you have excess discard. One of the hardest things for me is dumping my discard down the drain. Heather from Leavenly invited me to her sourdough discard challenge which also began on Monday July 6th.
Here’s how the Sourdough Discard Recipe Challenge works:
To keep things simple, you will receive your weekly recipes each Sunday.
A few days before, you’ll get an email with information on the upcoming recipe, what ingredients and tools you’ll need, and what you can expect.
You can reply to any email with questions or comments – I love to hear your feedback!
She has an amazing list of discard recipes and these English Muffins are one of her faves and I now understand why! They are so EASY to make and I can see why these were the first discard recipe she shared with our private facebook group.
My mom said “These are way better than Bay’s English Muffins❤️.
You are also probably thinking but isn’t bread on the list of Do Not Eat Foods? Personally I don’t think so but not everyone agrees with me or many other Sourdough Fanatics. In fact Sourdough bread is one of the five foods Centurians eat on an almost daily basis. Did you know Sourdough Bread has 1/20th of the gluten of other breads?
Let’s go for a run and make some sourdough muffins shall we?. I promise you’ll feel better!
SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS
(adapted from Heather @Leavenly)
INGREDIENTS:
The Night Before
- 1/2 cup starter discard
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup spelt flour
- 1 cup milk (I used dairy free)
The Next Day
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or more as needed
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- cornmeal for dusting
DIRECTIONS:
The Night Before
- To make your overnight sponge: combine discard with flours and milk. Stir well to combine, and cover loosely with plastic. Rest on countertop overnight, or for up to 18 hours.
The Next Day
- Dust baking sheet with cornmeal; set aside.
- Add flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda to overnight sponge, and stir well to combine. The consistency should be like bread dough, and highly depends on the hydration of your starter discard. If needed, add more flour or more milk a little bit at a time to achieve this consistency.
- Mix in stand mixer with dough hook on low for 2-3 minutes, or by hand on a floured surface for 4-5 minutes. The dough should be the consistency of a soft bread dough, very slightly sticky. Add more flour or milk to achieve this consistency.
- Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out dough to 1/2″ to 3/4″ thickness. Cut muffins using a biscuit cutter or cup rim, dusted with flour. Push straight down; do not twist!Combine remaining dough into a ball and let rest 10 minutes. Then roll out and cut as above, getting as many muffins from the dough as possible.
- Transfer cut muffins to cornmeal-dusted baking sheet and let rest for 45-60 minutes.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over low or medium-low heat for several minutes (better to start your heat on the low side than on the high side!). Place muffins in skillet, six at a time, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Check undersides every minute. Dust tops lightly with cornmeal and flip, cooking 5-7 minutes more.
- Serve warm, or toast before serving if cooled.
Do you have Blue Zone Kitchen Author Dan Buettner new book?
It’s definitely on my list!
What is the number one thing you do to help you get out of a bad mood?
What do you miss most from life as we once knew it?
If you are interested in joining my July Accountability Group, feel free to comment and I’ll be in touch with the details.
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