The many faces of Marvin

Marvin has been with me for several months now, having been born in January, not because I was dying to try sour dough, but because a friend had asked me if I knew how to make sour dough bread, and learning it needed a starter, I was intrigued. Intrigued enough that my starter has been around, happily, and baked with many times, whereas the friend who wanted it to begin with... well her starter, a cast off of Marvin, made it into her fridge and has likely died a cold death there.

Marvin has made me muffins. He has made pancakes for my children. He has made several loaves of bread, though I still have not quite figured out how to make a boule with him. His bread has made us sandwiches and croutons, as well as bread pudding.

Cinnamon buns, slathered with icing, hinted with flavors of orange, were everyone's favorite. Soft and gooey. Yum.

Time goes on, and despite the neglect to which I've shown him lately (feeding every other day instead of every day, ack!) he lives on. Thrives.

This week was a busy week for Marvin. While he bubbled after a feeding, a muffin "cake*" cooled right from the oven. Dough for cinnamon raisin bread rose in another bowl. And he looked on at products of his work and smiled.


*Muffin "Cake"
I was lazy. I like the muffins that come from Marvin, but do not like scrubbing out that silly muffin pan of mine! Instead, I made a double power starter, 1 cup of starter, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of water, and mixed it up like muffins, but then baked it in a 9x13 pan instead. This particular cake had chopped fresh strawberries, as well as chopped bananas. Baking time is about 45 minutes, instead of the usual 20 for 6 muffins.

Muffin flavors I've tried:
blueberry, fresh and frozen (like frozen better)
with and without orange and lemon zest
strawberry, fresh
mixed frozen berry
apple cinnamon
banana (mushed)
banana and strawberry (both sliced)
banana and blueberry (my favorite, the bananas mushed instead of chopped, with fresh blueberries)
chocolate chip
cheddar and green onion
cheddar and herb (for these, omit the sugar)

I'm sure there are more, I just can't remember them all right now!