Category: Totally Tatum

Apparently, sourdough bread is digestible for most of us, so it was a goal of mine to make this bread. It’s not a one-step task, however. It requires a plethora of tools and patience. Good practice!

The “feeding’ of starter takes about 7 days (it must ferment so you have to feed it daily with flour and water) (this makes is so I can eat it! )

Once that is done, you can refrigerate it until it is ready to use (and keep the “discard” for further baking! Nifty!!

Mixed it up with starter, flour, salt and water. THAT IS IT! You have to weigh it so you have a perfect balance. Then let it rise baby!

This cool container lets you see how much it rises (so you can stop it too!)

It should only rise about 50% (then frig if you aren’t ready to bake)

Once it’s ready, you knead it 4 times every 30 minutes to get it all “elastic-y.”

Tot helps here!

Now we are going to let it rise again!
(for the sandwich loaf..it has to rise before you put it in the oven)

For the boule, it doesn’t need that..only frig until you are ready.

Then put it in your dutch oven…

and bake!

woowoo!

Yummy? You have NO idea how good it is. With butter? Take me straight to heaven.

What will be next? Well, I’ll make a bunch more loaves since I have a ton of “discard” left.

Onto some of my coconut bread for my honey!
This week: German Chocolate!
(no sugar, barely any carbs. He’ll LOVE IT!)

Just call me the Baking Queen! A way to serve my family and make them smile.

This is my life:

Yes, this whole process. Who knows where the problem is. Small intestine? Colon? Large? Tummy? Humbling. Very humbling.

Now I have an endoscopy scheduled; Also, I wrote a whole outline of my gut health from 2012-2022. I’m getting ready for my appointment in LA Cedar Sinai GUT motility unit.

Another test I’m having done is a SITZMARKS study.

This morning, I swallowed these rings:

In 5 days, I’ll have an X-Ray of “where are the little rings in my intestines?”

Pretty cool! Moving forward and onward. One of these days, I’ll be able to help so many people, Lord willing. A wonderful goal. Thank you, Father, for guiding me along. Thank you, HHH, for supporting me through all of this.

Today is my grandma, Mimi’s, birthday. She’d be 111. WOW! Well, yesterday, we had a terrible happening. You see, my little doggie, Coti, my first Coton from 2009, has been deteriorating for months. My mom has been taking him to the vet almost weekly, and his health has been suffering.

She would send me pics of him NOT eating, and his hefty body was wasting away. 17lbs…to 13..to.. well, you know. It has been so hard on my mom. He just doesn’t look the same.

Finally, on Sunday, (So GOD that it was on a weekend when we were all home) my mom decided it was time. We took him to the Dr. and decided to let him go.

My sweet boy. I’ll miss you.

Tatum will too. Her first brother and animal in her life.

My mom gave Tot and me a card to remember. So awesome.

Rest In Peace with MIMI my lil guy.

XXOO forever.

Oh, my little artist. ARTISTE Extraordinaire as a scribe and storyteller. The grammar definitely helps.

She is doing quite well in the foundation of it all. My little grammar geek (a girl after my own heart)

Shurley…this is what they call it at PVCP. Surely she loves it! YAHOO!
Did I say she likes to draw? Just the other morning, she decided to create a menu of foods in her journal.

Fred-o-cini. Fred really likes noodles. HA!
Happy meals are next.

But wait! There’s more. She writes too. Stories that would knock your socks off. Her word choice is so mature.

She read it to us after school today. Based on the “Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

Keep up the CREATIVE THINKING, lovebug.

You make me smile and make me so GRATEFUL every single day.

I so enjoy our Friday Brekkies!

Well, it used to be Art on Mondays. What trumps that? Noah. Wait…working out + Noah?

Can’t beat that.

Noah’s mom, Kate, offered to pick up Tatum with Noah and his 3 siblings form school and take them. I then pick her up at Chaparral Christian which is where the Cross Fit is.

Kettle Bell lifting. GO TOT and NOAH! Sorry about the butt shot.

Step ups!

She said she wants to back weekly. OK, kiddo.

You two are so cute!

She had to read a book for a report. Classic.

She read a Thea Stilton book (she loves these mice!)

And covered her cereal box with the various parts:

And guess what Mrs. Denmark thought?

Each box comes with some Jacks. Great idea!

So proud of your efforts!

Tatum and I had a brainstorm idea!!! She has so many books, and they are not doing any good just sitting on the shelves. Why not bring them into her classroom and allow others to read them? In fact, let’s make it fun!
So, we looked up the AR level on each book and put in the front cover.

Here are all the books we looked up.

Then we made a checkout sheet:

Now each student gets a pencil when he/she returns a book. Oh, and the bookmarks stays in the book.

Cookies will welcome this whole idea!

We presented the idea to Mrs. Denmark! Hopefully she likes it.