Week 2, Day 1

The 'during the day' starter didn't work, either. Which totally bums me out 'cuz I did try to watch it as much as possible. I'm going to email Susan again and ask this question: what's the 'high temp' that will kill the bacteria that creates the fermentation reaction? Yesterday's batch might have ended up getting too hot at one point - but how long of 'too hot' will kill the reaction? That remains a mystery. And then, in my effort to cool it down, I think I ended up getting the temp too low - and every article/recipe clearly states that too cool will not work. Too cool is doomed. 10 degrees makes a huge, HUGE difference in this bread, and that limited permissible variance is what makes it so hard.

I didn't factor in, though, that it's not just the water that has to be at 110 degrees. I accomplished that - had the skillet at a setting that was keeping the water at 110 consistently. But THAT outside water temp wasn't enough to keep the inner contents of the batter bowl consistently at 110. Perhaps the glass bowl absorbed heat? Perhaps it's the quantity and shape of the contents - parts get to 110 and parts don't? I thought once I'd figured out a way to keep the water bath at 110, I'd be 'done'. I was wrong - I always sucked at physics and that's what this feels like, really. A week long physics lab where every factor must be accommodated and calculated. It's really bumming me out that I've tried so many times with no success.

I'm going to send an email to my 'expert' and get some input from her and give it more tries this week. I didn't start a batch last night to leave overnight - just couldn't do it. But I'll try again tonight, hopefully with some input from Susan to help me. It's just so discouraging!

I've already been to church to drop off food for the memorial service. Apparently, when H. returned home at 10PM, he raided the unopened boxes of cookies from Costco! So I had to transfer the cookies to plates, and wrap them with Saran Wrap to make it 'less' obvious that there were fewer cookies than their should be. Actually, there were the same number - I supplemented from the one box of Oatmeal Raisin cookies I bought for us to consume - but it added 10 minutes to my prep time that I hadn't planned on. Darn kids. I KNEW I should have put a sticky on them that said 'DO NOT EAT - FOR CHURCH' or something like that.

I'm heading to Manteca shortly for lunch. Probably stopping at Kohl's and/or Mervyn's because I rarely go to Manteca - maybe I can find some bras there that don't cost $60 each? I'm going to try 'cuz I've started to order two bras from Dillard's online and just can't bring myself to do it. I don't know why - the bra is totally, TOTALLY worth $60 and just like swimsuits, when you find one that works - that's comfortable and supportive and not hideous looking (all bra requirements), you stick with what works, no matter what the cost. But perhaps there are other bras out there that will suffice and save us some $$. So I'll look.