It's begun

Today I walked to work in a light frost, accompanied by beautiful sunshine. It really felt as if finally the long slog of winter is over, and spring has decided that it might be time to show it's face.

The bright beginning to the day lifted my spirits and got me thinking about the coming year and the new beginnings. More so than new year, spring feels like the truly new start for me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
This spring the newness is even stronger than usual as it is the first year tackling the new garden, and experiencing the seasons unfold both in (hopefully) the produce we bring from garden to table, but also in simpler things, like experiencing how the light changes in the house, which we have never seen in spring and summer. It's all very exciting.
Today the first baby steps for our new beginnings have been started. I potted a selection of things and placed them carefully on the kitchen windowsill in the hope of tempting them to begin growing. Oh and I've begun tackling the monster that is sourdough! I've always wanted to make it, and for the last couple of weeks I've been feeding and tending a pot of sourness as practice for feeding and tending my plants. On Thursday evening the first batch of bread came out of the oven. It wasn't quite as light and airy as I'd hoped (it's still not that warm in the house for proving and rising) but it tasted distinctly like sourdough! So this week I'm attempting a batch with malted flour. Fingers crossed please, and updates to follow.
In the meantime, I hope you've all enjoyed a splash of spring sunshine in your lives, and are looking forward to the new season...anyone growing things this year too?

p.s. spiced honey cake tomorrow...nom.