Sukey, Polly and the Rainbow Whisk

You know how a new pet sort of takes over your life for a while? Regular feedings, lots of attention, new behaviors to get used to...that sort of thing. Well a month ago I began a simple Sourdough Starter using some grapes from my own vines and unbleached bread flour. It took a couple of weeks of daily feedings and care to become a good pet, well behaved and of fine, if mild, flavor. That starter is now called Sukey. Maybe over time she will become a friend.

Thanks to a delightful recipe on Saturday, Oct. 8th from Breadchick at The Sour Dough, which nudged me into beginning a whole wheat sourdough starter, I'm now well on the way to having another pet, Polly.

Surely at some point you have read the nursery rhyme:

Polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on,

We'll all have tea!

Sukey take it off again, Sukey take it off again, Sukey take it off again,

It's all gone away.

Since it seems that Sukey's lot is to have part of her taken away on a regular basis to either make a sourdough recipe using some of her, or so that she can help in the creation of other starters like Polly, it seemed like a fine name. And we will put the kettle on for sure and have tea once I've made those Whole Wheat Sweet Rolls with the help of Polly in a day or two, once she has reached her strength as a whole wheat starter. The story and photos and recipe will be coming to this blog soon :)

The rainbow whisk? Well that is my treat to myself because I'm finding that I use a whisk a lot these days feeding the various starters and recipes using the starters. My old whisk was a wimpy one and the rainbow one is not only cheerful, but strong...plus it washes up easily since the wires are covered in multi colored plastic coating. Woot!

I'm planning on making Sourdough Pancakes Sunday morning, so I have a bowl of that mixture going, too. Now I just have to make sure I keep them straight...they all look similar. Photos of the pancakes once they are done should be more interesting than the ones of the starters :)