by Suzanne

When my children were young, it was easy to maintain the diet I thought best. I am in charge of grocery shopping and cooking, so basically they ate what I put on the table, and it worked really well. We were all healthy and no one knew anything different.

 And now, the teen years. As my children get older and more independent, they are discovering all sorts of processed foods, some better than others. And most contain ingredients I would never have chosen for them. But it’s time to let them make their own decisions and subtly add in some healthier choices when I can.

 We’ve been avoiding grains for years, but in order to provide some food ‘like everyone else’s’ I have compromised a little. I still avoid most gluten-containing products in our home, but I decided to give rye sourdough a try. Rye is more of an ancient grain, and using a sourdough starter helps to predigest the bread, making it easier on those I’m-a-teen-now-so-I-know-everything tums.

I started with the Danish Rye Sourdough Starter and some organic rye flour. The starter was super easy to use and began bubbling within one day of feeding. I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to build up enough starter to make a full loaf of bread.

 After a few more days of feeding, the bubbles increased and I did notice a little bit of a strong aroma when I forgot to feed it one day. But the starter recovered nicely, and once it was really active, I decided to give it a try. Look at all those bubbles! After this attempt, I have already learned so much about what an active starter really means. Nevertheless, the bread turned out really ok.

It does feel odd to eat bread again, but dipped in some delicious pumpkin soup, it was amazing! The whole family ate a couple of pieces. And so far, no upset stomachs. Now I’m eager to experiment further. Stay tuned!