soggy cell phone

Friday 11/24/08
UPDATE for anyone who cares...

Cell phone is kaput. I did get it to power up, but there was no picture on the screen, and it was always on vibrate.

***************

Good grief! Last night I WASHED my cell phone in my pant pocket. On hot. With a second rinse. Let's just say I was an in a big hurry to get those pants off. Ingrid had thrown up all over me -- twice.

Not surprisingly, cell phone baptism is a common occurence; hence, there are lots of helpful tips on the web to possibly restore life to my mobile lifeline. Right now, it is submerged in rice after a rubbing alcohol bath. Yep. That suggestion was echoed many, many times, not just on some random wierdo's site. The alcohol evaporates faster than water, and takes the water with it. It also helps clean out any residue from the detergents in the wash (or whatever water bath the phone could have experienced: toilet, tub, mucky lake). The rice acts as a dessicant (I learned that word last night) and kind of "pulls" the water out.

So if this ever happens to you, take the battery out as quickly as possible -- and for sure do not try to turn it back oh -- it can short it out; dry it off as much as you can with a towel, and then dry it as thoroughly as you can via "baking" it on the lowest setting in your oven (I wasn't brave enough to do that), submerging it in dry rice, or sealing it into a ziplock or container with some of those silicone packets that come in dry foods and vitamins. Finally, after 3 days (that seems to be the magic rice number) it should be dry. But wait another day just to be safe.

I'll update you on Tuesday. Just don't call me.

sourdough results

The rise was very uneven, the oven spring non existent and the crust was just hard -- not crunchy or chewy, just hard. The texture and flavor were not bad...just not great.

I'm definitely going to do a traditional loaf next time...one that does not use NINE CUPS OF FLOUR!!!!! And I'm going to choose the recipe during daylight hours.

1st sourdough

Saturday: 11:00 am - shaped rise...going to do a boule - have it rising in my frying pan and will transfer to preheated dutch oven to bake using the "oven within an oven" method.

This is the thing: I chose this recipe it at 12:00 midnight. That explains a lot. I honestly didn't read through the whole recipe. It called for 1 cup of starter mixed with 2 cups of water to proof overnight. Did that. Got up this morning...nice and bubbly and pleasantly sour.

Read through the recipe for real -- called for two cups of milk, butter, 2 1/4 tsp of ADDITIONAL yeast, 1/4 c of honey, 2 tbs sugar...huh? Plus wheat germ? Bran???? I left the honey and sugar out -- milk has enough sugar. Forget the wheat germ and bran...if I want fiber, I'll make my favorite whole wheat recipe. What kind of sourdough is this??? I like the chewy, holey, crunchy crust kind. All of that milk will make this thing soft and mushy.

Then I read how much flour it called for: 7 CUPS! I couldn't even mix this mess in my stand mixer. So I stood at the counter for half an hour and worked in the flour to this gloppy, sticky, messy dough. I did produce a nice kneaded dough, but I cut it in half and put half in the fridge for another day. The fridge rest should add more flavor complexity.

Next time I do a sourdough, it's going to be a traditional no additional yeast kind.