yeah I finally got around to trying that sourdough starter you gave me last month and honestly it turned out way better than I expected. I think the key was just being patient with the rise times and not rushing it. I fed it twice a day for about a week and it got really bubbly and smelled amazing. The first loaf was a little flat but the second one had a nice open crumb and that tangy flavor you mentioned. I used it for sandwich bread mostly and it held up really well even after a few days. My kids actually liked it more than the store-bought stuff which is saying a lot. I kept a small amount of the starter going in the fridge and I am planning to try a batch of focaccia this weekend. Let me know if you have any tips for getting a crispier crust because mine came out a bit soft even though I used a Dutch oven. Anyway thanks again for sharing it with me. I will bring you a loaf next time we catch up.

also I finally watched that documentary you were talking about the one on deep sea exploration and I thought it was stunning visually but honestly I got a little lost in the middle when they started talking about the biology of those weird fish. Still it was worth it for the footage alone. I might rewatch it with my older kid because she is really into ocean stuff right now.

hope you are doing well and that work is calming down a bit. let me know if you want to grab coffee next week.

oh hey I was just thinking about our conversation the other day about getting a new grill and I wanted to tell you that I finally pulled the trigger on a used Weber kettle from a guy on Facebook Marketplace. It was only forty bucks and honestly it is in such good shape I barely had to clean it up. I tested it out over the weekend with some chicken thighs and they came out perfect with that charcoal flavor you just cannot get from a gas grill. I used the snake method for the coals and it held steady at around three hundred fifty for almost two hours without me having to add more fuel. I am thinking about trying a pork shoulder next for pulled pork but I know that is an all-day project. If you have any rub recipes you like send them my way because I usually just use salt and pepper and it works but I would love to mix it up. Anyway hope you are having a good week and maybe we can grill out together sometime soon. I will bring the buns.

also I finally organized my garage shelves and it feels so good to be able to actually find things again. I used those heavy duty plastic bins from the hardware store and labeled everything with a label maker which was probably overkill but I love it. My spouse thinks I am ridiculous but honestly it is so much easier to grab what I need without digging through boxes. I even found an old camping stove I forgot I had. Might use it on the next trip.

anyway let me know when you are free. would love to catch up properly.