My two comforts, Kate and Bread.

To keep me busy (and less lonely) at nights while Marcus has been away I have been working my way through Annabel Langbein's cookbook.  "The Free Range Cook." I have enjoyed the challenge of trying new stuff and using seasonal fruits of which we are so abundant in Hawkes Bay.   It has been fun but I started from the back of the book not the front. You know why? The front of her book is breads and I CAN'T despite so many many attempts seem to be able to cook bread. 

My friend Kate can, and does cook bread on a daily basis and when she posted this post on her blog I knew I would have to have her around for a long overdue coffee and to take notes to see where I was going wrong. 

 I have had another friend do this too,  but as so often the case with bread that takes so dam long and has so many processes, she had to go, leaving me with half risen dough and true to form, I managed to stuff up that in it's final stages too. So this time, I wasn't letting my instructor out the door until the bread was in the oven.

Anyway I love it when blogs collide. So if you follow Kate's blog (which you really should) and mine then you are in for a treat because look, there she is in my kitchen!

This is not going to be a how to cook bread post.  If you want the recipes then you will find the scrolls here. And the loaves here.  I was busy chatting, observing, gooing and gahhhing with her Theo and taking photos which made her most uncomfortable, if not slightly rock starish.

I did love how she had to stand on tip toes to reach over our counter.  Would you believe this tiny little lady has birthed 6 children.  Not only that she is a wealth of wisdom, grace, beauty, style  and heart. I really do count myself honoured to be her friend. 

Ta da, and just like that, these loaves were done. Wow.

And there she is,  Theo and Kate after a quick costume change from slaving away in my kitchen.  She was being treated out to lunch being Valentines day and all.

And these are all going in the freezer so I've got my kid's lunches sorted for the next week.  Simply glad wrap, freeze then throw in a lunch box on the morning needed. Brilliant. 

Thank you Kate for a lovely morning.  On another note if you are local and keen to hang out with Kate and I then come join us on the evening of Friday 28th Feb. We are doing another clothes swap night which was a heap of fun last time and a good chance to sort out the wardrobe and maybe gain a few things too.  Message me if you want details but the more the merrier so come along! Your cast offs could be someone else's' treasure.