Murals and Billboards...pt.2

When the casinos came to town, they painted murals on a few of their buildings. While not necessarily advertising, at least the murals are in the spirit of the Old West.
To read part 1 of this post, Click Here!

This building is currently Cripple Creek City Hall and was once the
main Fire Station for the town

'Tis the Season... pt.1

For advertising...

A recent blog post by Debra She Who Seeks, got me thinking about advertising. And Billboards. And old timey advertising. 

Before billboards became prevalent, painting an advertisement on the side of a building for a product or business was a common practice. My little town of Cripple Creek has a number of such murals. While most are of newer origins, there are a few that could pass for something originating in the late 1890's or early 1900's. Be sure to click on the individual pictures to read some of the advertising. It's a hoot!

I'll have more murals - mostly modern - tomorrow.

County Courthouse seen on right 

Police Station is home to this mural

Medicinal Liquors!

My Favorite!

 

Altitude Cooking

With the onset of the Holiday Season, baking is many folks' minds. I love to bake. And cook. But living at a high elevation can prove to be challenging when it comes to something as ordinary as cooking or baking.
The higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure. And at an elevation of 9500ft. the air pressure here is L*O*W! This low air pressure means lower boiling points, things will rise more rapidly, and faster evaporation because of the lower humidity. The more common ways to adjust a recipe are to increase the liquid, reduce sugar, reduce leavening agent. 
I learned to cook at elevation. And when we lived at 9000ft, I had gotten fairly adept at baking. It has been almost 20 years since that time and I have forgotten a few things since then. So now I am re-learning what I once knew.

To begin this process, I decided to do what the old prospectors used to do, use a sourdough starter. I try to use my starter about every 2 wks, though using it once a week is better. I store my starter in a crock jar in the fridge when it is not being fed or used.



The batter has a strong yeasty smell which is what sourdough is known for. I have read and been told that the yeast in sourdough is very healthy for a person. 

The first batch I tried earlier this month, I made into bread. It was bit dense but quite tasty. The second batch, which I made into rolls, was not as dense but less moist.

I have been keeping notes on any adjustments I make so that I know what works and what doesn't work. I will soon be attempting cookies. Wish me luck!

Read more about high altitude cooking with hints and tips HERE! and HERE!