Child of another sun?

It is the zucchini of baked goods and so inappropriately named that one wonders how the original nomenclaturist came up with it.  Whether it is fad, fetish, addiction, obsession, plague, or parasitic invader from another sun, I have yet to determine.  But I should know better, I should!  My mother inherited one such specimen back in the 90's and the results were predictable, so much so that I had absolutely no interest in attempting such a feat myself at any time in the last twenty years, though I thought the finished product was rather tasty.  What is it?  If you have not yet figured it out, you have never been the victim of 'Amish Friendship Bread.'

Apparently the stuff never originated with the Old Order Amish and it is the best possible way to lose all your friends.  Following the instructions makes the stuff quite prolific and you must find about 100 people a year to foist the stuff off on, which means people start avoiding eye contact, never return your calls, and go to a different grocery store if they see your car in the parking lot.  You become a slave to the stuff, feeding it and aiding it in its vile plot to reproduce and take over the western world.  So why on earth would anyone want to intentionally start their own culture?

I am a little wiser (I hope) and a little more experienced in breadish lore in recent years, and the bread is very good so why not?  And this would not be my first attempt at sourdough, that is exactly what the stuff is: a sweet sourdough culture.  So if I feed it less it will not multiply and be fruitful, thus maintaining the sacred bond of friendship.  I thought I would give it a try…I might live to regret this yet.  I found the recipe over at allrecipes.com and mixed it up last night.  Already it has overflowed the container and tried to take over the kitchen (probably because I used instant yeast instead of regular, I knew I should have cut it back!).  I stirred it with a wire whisk (a big no no for sourdough purists) and used tap water (another vile sin), but that did not hinder the thing at all, it most definitely has a life of its own!  I will further break tradition and probably use some on day 5 rather than feed and stir until day ten, at least if the fermentation process is complete.  After that, it will live in the fridge and get fed occasionally but not enough to make 3 extra 'give away' cultures each week.  I hope this effectively neuters the stuff and makes it useful without letting it take over my life.  And of course it needs a name, being its own unique entity!  Hey, if you can't have fun with it, why do it?