The Last Month, Day 29: All Quiet on the Western Front.

It's TOO quiet on the Western Front. Last night at 9pm I thought I was really and truly in early labor--strong contractions every 10 minutes for the previous two hours. I was tired so I lay down to take a little rest, and all action ceased. MADNESS! I had even left Stitch'n'Bitch early, and took a brisk walk with the family. My previous three labors were not like this at all. They kicked into gear and didn't stop. I went to bed, hoping for action to develop on its own. Weather had been brewing all day yesterday, and while the storm broke in the middle of the night, my water did not. I'm still having occasional contractions though. So while I wait for this stubborn baby, here's the baklava recipe. And there's still time to guess this kid's weight.

Baklava

FOR BAKLAVA

• 1 1/2 C. almonds, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 C. pecans, finely chopped
• 1 C. hazelnuts, finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp. cardamom, finely ground
• 1 tsp. cinnamon, finely ground
• 1 lb. phyllo sheets
• 1 C. (2 sticks) butter, melted

FOR SYRUP

• 2/3 C. water
• 1 3/4 C. honey
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• zest of 1 to 2 oranges

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together nuts, cardamom, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl.
Brush 13 x 9 inch baking pan with melted butter.

Place phyllo sheets on plastic wrap and cover with a damp tea towel to keep moist. Put phyllo sheet in bottom of pan and brush with more butter. Top with 9 more sheets, buttering each one. Sprinkle 1/3 - 1/2 C. nut mixture over phyllo sheets. Top with two more sheets, buttering each one. Repeat layering nut mixture with two sheets, buttering each time, until all nut mixture is used. Top baklava with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter, until sheets are used up.

With a sharp knife, cut baklava into diamonds and pour remaining butter on top. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees and bake until golden, about 1 hour.

Make syrup:
Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until somewhat thickened and reduced. Remove from heat. Pour over hot baklava. Let stand at room temperature overnight.

Make yourself some. I'm going for a walk in the rain. The kid has felt like a water-baby all along, so maybe this is what he was waiting for.