Bread and boredom

Following on from Mark Bittman's no-knead loaf, I wanted to try his sourdough recipe from How To Cook Everything, following Emilin's recommendation. I actually made the starter and the first loaf over a week ago, but I think that I rushed the process a bit. The starter is supposed to sit and sour initially for 24-48 hrs at room temperature, so as my kitchen is warm, it was already smeeling sour and looking fairly bubbly after about 24hrs, so I moved on to the next step, of mixing the dough, and then leaving it to rise, which can be for anything from 6hrs to overnight. Because I mixed it at lunchtime (using just under half wholewheat), I baked it the same evening. It turned out fine as a loaf of ordinary bread, but didn't have much in the way of the sourdough flavour that I craved. The texture was quite finely crumbed, and reasonably firm/dense without being heavy, but not chewy. However, it did keep very well, staying fresher for longer than a regular loaf would. Anyway, having refreshed the starter, I left it in the fridge for almost a week to get nice and sour, and made a second loaf late last week, giving it much more rising time etc. This turned out better, but it still didn't have the flavour I was hoping for. I have to say, I think that I prefer the no-knead recipe. I'm going to try this one again today/tomorrow.

I'm feeling totally bored today - I really had to summon up the energy to even come on-line, which is so unlike me normally. I started a cold over the weekend, so I'm feeling very lethargic and sorry for myself. It's not a really bad one, but I hope that it goes quickly.

Karen came home on Friday night having had a terrible day at work, at the end of a draining week. So she was totally ready for Pip to arrive ASAP, just so she wouldn't have to go back to work on Monday! I started taking my black cohosh tincture to soften the cervix, and when the midwife came on Saturday, we decided to try for a membrane sweep - as much to judge the state of the cervix as anything, since it was only 2 days past EDD. It wasn't the most comfortable of procedures as my cervix turned out to be extremely posterior, way up behind the baby's head so the midwife had to do a good deal of digging around just to locate it. Ouch. Not surprising that I couldn't find it when I tried myself the other day. Sadly, it was very tightly closed and still pretty thick, so there was no chance of an actual sweep. However, all the fiddling around didn't cause Pip any agitation, as his/her heartbeat was exactly the same before and after the procedure, at 150bpm. And the head is now an extra 2/5 engaged compared to the exam 10 days earlier, so that was good news. I've been bouncing on the yoga ball, and walking as much as I comfortably can to try and get the pressure of the head to cause the cervix to thin out. Plus continuing to take my tinctures etc. At this rate though, I think I'll probably be making the "official" sweep appointment at the hospital's antenatal clinic on Thursday, 1 week past the due date.

Now that it looks like I may well go reasonably overdue, my mother is coming down tomorrow to keep me company (original plan was to call her when I went into labour; she's going to be with us for a week after I give birth, to look after us while we get to know/look after our new baby). I'm looking forward to it, as the waiting around is getting rather dull. We've asked her to be there for the birth now that she'll definitely be around, which she was really moved by. We'd both really like her to be there, and we know that she will be supportive without being interfering. And if it turns out to be a long labour, it means that she & Karen can take turns to get some rest/re-fuel.