Sourdough Starter, Part 1

A few months ago, I ordered a package of sourdough bread mix on Amazon. When I received a few teaspoons of powdered sourdough starter instead, I contacted the vendor. He said "Amazon must have put up the wrong title. Not my fault. Not taking it back from you, either, since it's a food product." Amazon was kind enough to refund my money, though, and I tossed the starter in the back of my pantry. I thought "Well, I'll give it to someone else down the road. No sense in wasting food."

This month, I was cleaning out the pantry. I came across the powdered sourdough starter. I decided to give it a try and see if I could make sourdough bread from it. I wasn't sure how long you could keep that stuff around before it goes bad, so why not ?

The home printed instructions from the vendor were vague and not very helpful. He said the starter was enough for two starts. Each start was supposed to be one teaspoon of powder plus one teaspoon of water. Which was to be followed by feeding one tablespoons of flour and one tablespoons of water 2x daily. Just one problem: there were nine teaspoons of starter in the packet. Could nine starters be made from this ? Was two a typo ? I just thought "Oh forget it, I'll dump all nine teaspoons of starter + nine teaspoons of water in this plastic tub, then feed it the recommended amount daily."

Things became more confusing once I started checking my cookbooks and googling "how to take care of my sourdough starter." Among the advice I'm wading through:
- "You can use white flour" vs "It must be whole wheat or rye flour"
- "Add one cup of water + one cup of flour 2x a day" vs "Add two cups of water + two cups of flour 2x a day"
- "Throw out your starter if it bubbles and rises but fails to separate into brown goo and light goo" vs "As long as your starter bubbles and rises daily, don't worry about separation"
- "You only need flour and water to get started" vs "You need flour, yeast, sugar" vs "Use flour, baking soda, sugar, water"
- "If your starter isn't growing fast enough, add yeast in" vs "Don't add yeast, you'll ruin the starter" vs "You can fix it with raisin sugar / pineapple / other natural method"
- "You can use starter after three days of fermenting" vs "Never use starter before it's two weeks old. You'll get blech results."

This is what I've gotten done so far:
- Week 1, Day 1-4: Starter, flour and water in plastic tub + 2x daily feedings of one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of water
- Week 1, Day 5: I read online "Don't put starter in plastic or metal. The flavor will leech into the starter. Always use glass to store starter. And only bake it in a glass baking dish." Oops. Switched over to glass for storage.
- Week 1 Day 6: I read online "Switch to a different, clean glass containers every four days. You don't want a cruddy, gross mixture." Check, will keep doing that.
- Week 2, Day 1: Maybe I should switch to feeding one cup of flour and one cup of water daily. Everyone is doing such a large amount, so it must be correct, right ?
- Week 2, Day 2: Huh, my cookbook says to use yeast. Let's add yeast. Oh great, this website says that a bad idea. I HOPE YOU DON'T DIE ON ME, STARTER!

I'm basically winging it as I go along at this point. More about my sourdough starter later.
*ETA: I have been using self rising flour.

Carmex Blog Squad: Healing Lotion & Cream

Where I live in Florida, the winters are a bit odd. We have sunny, humid weather in the daytime and cooler, windy weather at night. Weeks of both extremes wreak havoc on my skin. This kind of weather requires something different than simply a sunscreen or the usual nightly face cream. The Carmex Blog Squad sent me a product that fits the bill, just in time for Florida's whacky winter weather.

My package from The Carmex Blog Squad contained Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream. The distinct red and yellow squeezable tubes were in a mesh gift bag, tied with a ribbon. Too cute!




5.5 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
4 oz Carmex Healing Cream
1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
.75 oz Carmex Healing Cream


5.5 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
4 oz Carmex Healing Cream
1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion


1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
.75 oz Carmex Healing Cream

You're probably wondering how Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream compare to each other. Take a walk down the virtual beauty aisle with me:

Carmex Healing Cream (purple label)
"Use to help repair your driest rough skin"
"Non greasy pleasant scent"
"9 Healing ingredients"

- Carmex Healing Cream smells like vanilla frosting when you open the tube.
- When you squeeze a dab on your skin, the scent changes to vanilla mixed with either lemon or lime (lemon and lime are not on the ingredient list). I am a sucker for vanilla mixed with citrus, however they managed to make that scent happen *happy sigh*
- Some of the ingredients include lanolin, bees wax, cocoa seed butter, mineral oil, vanillin. That explains the vanilla scent!
- Carmex Healing lotion is not sticky or waxy when applied to skin. It dried fast on my arms, hands, legs and elbows. My skin became noticably softer within a few minutes. Many other creams take a large glob of cream or long amount of time to notice a difference. I know some of you wear gloves or socks to bed to make your lotion work, ala Miranda Hobbes from Sex and The City. Let's do away with that routine. Treat yourself to a tube of Carmex Healing Cream instead.
- The handwashing test: The true test of skin care is washing your hands. There's nothing more gross than washing your hands and having a gluey wave of skin care product slide right off. And then your hands are suddenly not soft again. It's one of my pet peeves. Carmex Healing Cream did not glop off when I washed my hands. My hands are still velvety smooth, too. Yay!

Carmex Healing Lotion (teal label)
"Use daily to soothe and protect dry skin"
"Non greasy pleasant scent"
"Aloe and vitaman E"

-Carmex Healing Lotion has a scent of honey and vanilla. The lotion takes on a light sunscreen-ish fragrance when it comes in contact with skin.(I do not know if Carmex Healing Lotion has any ingredients in common with suncreen) The smell is fainter than that of the Carmex Healing Cream (purple label); but neither product has an overpowering aroma
-A few ingredients in Carmex Healing Lotion: vitamin E linoleate, aloe leaf juice, beeswax, cocoa seed butter, mineral oil, camphor, menthol and vanillin
- The lotion feels thicker and waxier than the cream when it touches your skin. The only thing I disliked was that initial texture; it gave me the impression Carmex Healing Lotion was going to stay sticky, which fortunately was incorrect. It does dry fairly quickly. The healing lotion also made my hands as equally soft as the healing cream.
- The healing lotion passed the handwashing test, too

I was left with a very positive impression of both the Carmex Healing Lotion and the Carmex Healing Cream. The purple label Healing Cream is fantastic for repairing dry skin, especially in harsh winter weather. The teal label Healing Lotion is a must have for daily skin protection. And with a variety of package sizes to choose from, you can pick up a full size tube for your beside table and some mini tubes for stocking stuffers, holiday travel and your purse. Carmex Healing Lotion and the Carmex Healing Cream will make people take notice of your fabulous skin!

The Carmex Blog Squad will send one lucky duck AMW reader a kit like the one I received. The contest rules are simple: post who you will be gifting Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream to this holiday season. The contest begins on November 30, 2011 at 2:50 PM EST. One name will be chosen at random on December 6, 2011 at 8 PM EST. The winner's prize will be shipped by the Carmex Blog Squad. One entry per person and per household, please.

*Update 1: Congrats to T! You are the winner. Email me by 8 PM on December 7th with your address. Otherwise the prize goes to the runner up.

Lesson Of The Day: Black Friday

If you're like me and (1) have a huge sweet tooth and (2) usually refuse to venture out on Black Friday, learn from my mistakes. I really should have stocked up on sweets, drinks and junk food before today, which is Black Friday. I was down to a little bit of milk and a boxed cake mix with peppermint frosting that did not taste like the package promised (blech!). So I convinced myself that, yes, a carton of ice cream was worth a trip out. Bought the lowest price ice cream, took it home and went "Ugh, this tastes nasty. Why did I buy a cheapo brand ? I should have splurged on a better brand of ice cream." The only saving grace was that I'd also picked up decaff tea, a Fannie May Mint Meltaway and a Russell Stover Dark Chocolate & Coconut Cream Santa. Not gonna let this happen again next year.

Carmex: Ultra Moisturizing & Moisture Plus

How I love September! It's a mix of back to school shopping, elegant fall weddings and getting in those last beach days before the weather changes. All three events are very different, but they have one thing in common that makes of all them a hit: Carmex Lip Balms. The Carmex Blog Squad sent AMW a fabulous package that proves autumn + Carmex = a great way to kick off the season.


Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish, Carmex Ultra Moisurizing Vanilla Stick, Carmex Ultra Moisturizing Lime Twist Stick, Carmex picnic blanket



Carmex Vanilla Stick



Carmex Lime Twist Stick
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The first two products I tested were the Carmex Vanilla Stick and the Carmex Lime Twist Stick.

- Ingredients (partial list): Cocoa seed butter, meadowfoam, camphor and beeswax. The camphor adds a nice cooling sensation to the lip balm

- Ease of use: Simply twist the round bottom of the tube to raise the lip balm. The down side is that the twisting mechanism is super loud. It's like winding a noisy watch. I'm one of those women who likes to discretely add a little lip balm on the go (and not have 10 people stare), so hopefully the twisting piece can be made less noisy in the future.

- Scent: I honestly couldn't detect a vanilla scent with the Carmex Vanilla Stick. What I smelled was a pleasant lemon aroma. However, other people told me "Smells like vanilla to me...What scent is it ?...I thought it was vanilla." The Carmex Lime Twist Stick, however, had a beautiful, tropical lime scent.

- Taste: Carmex Vanilla Stick tasted like a lemon lollipop. Not vanilla to my lips, but delicious none the less. Who doesn't love lemon lollipops ?
Carmex Lime Twist Stick brought to mind lime lollipops. Definitely a craveable flavor!

- The water bottle test: I applied the Carmex Vanilla Stick. I then drank from a water bottle several times, over an extended period of time. Not once did I need to reapply my lip balm or wipe off the top of the water bottle (although the package does say to reapply after swimming). Carmex Lime Twist Stick held up equally well.

- Bonus points: For being SPF 15, availability at three well known stores (Walgreens, Walmart and CVS) and having three extra moisturizers. Also of note is the safety seal on the tube. Obviously the outer package is sealed; but it is comforting to know there's a second safety barrier between my cosmetics purchase and the outside world.

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The third product I tested was the Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish

- Ingredients (partial list): Vitamin E, aloe butter, beeswax, shea butter fruit, camphor and avocado butter. It's like treating yourself to a day of pampering at the spa!

- Ease of use: Twist the top of the tube to extend or retract the lip balm. Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish can be used, according to the package, "under or over lipstick" or by itself. You know how I've often griped about putting sticky lip balm on over lipstick ? No more, my friends.

- Scent: Random lime scent (lime isn't listed on the package). Lightly sweet but not cloying or overpowering

- Taste: A cooling and soothing lime taste. Definitely not sticky or gloppy, as many lip balms tend to be.

- The water bottle test: Passed with flying colors. Carmex Satin Gloss smoothly rolls onto your lips smoothly and stays put for a long time.

- Bonus points: Containing sunscreen / SPF 15, having a thin slanted tip, not falling apart or melting after a few uses and not being tested on animals
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I loved the Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish, Carmex Vanilla Stick and the Carmex Lime Twist Stick. Each lip balm is long lasting, smells divine and is a must have for fashionable women this fall. This trio of lip balms makes a great bridesmaid gift for fall weddings. Especially since bridal party pictures are taken outdoors for at least an hour every time, in sun, wind or cold. Carmex is also perfect to send to the busy college girl in your life. College students need that Carmex lip care for their 24/7, always on the go life. But don't forget about pampering yourself. Pack Carmex lip balms for your Labor Day beach trip. Your lips will thank you!

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I have a surprise for all of you. The Carmex Blog Squad will provide one lucky AMW reader with the same kit I received (the lip balms + the cozy blanket pictured below). The Carmex blanket is reversible, with fleece on one side and a smooth, flat surface on the other. It has a handle and a velcro strip to hold the folded blanket. There's also a cute pouch attached to the blanket. Carmex lip balms can be tucked into the pouch for beach outings.

To enter the contest, post which flavor of the twist sticks you want to try. Be sure to include your name and email in your post. If you aren't comfortable posting your email address, please email AMW and let me know which entry belongs to you. One entry per person, please. The contest will run from 9:30 PM EST on 9/4/2011 and ends at 4 PM EST on 9/5/2011. The winner will be randomly chosen on 9/4/2011 at 4:10 PM EST. Carmex will mail the prize kit to the winner. Good luck, everyone!





*Update #1: Congrats to L.K. You are the winner of a Carmex kit. Please email me your address by 8 PM tonight. Otherwise the prize will go to the runner up.
*Update #2: Thank you, L.K. Expect your prize from Carmex in a few weeks.

Garden update

My garden is coming up nicely. Very excited to have fresh produce in my own yard!



Organic brandywine red tomatoes
Picklebush cucumbers
Yellow summer squash