Chance Meetings

Well I've finally come up for air and decided that I will get to my blog today, at last! The last few months have been crazy ... crazy good ... and I continue to be blessed with opportunities in my new life. A few months ago at my fiance's urging, I started a bread scheme that involved sending him to work with a few loaves of my no-knead bread for folks to try. I then created a newsletter with weekly specials, added other farm products like our eggs and Mulefoot pork, and started taking orders. Customers now place their orders via e-mail and I bake twice a week, and everything gets delivered to their desks by Hank, without me ever having to make a trip to town. Hence, the name of my little business is "The Local Loaf, Artisan Bread Delivered to Your Desk."

Over Memorial Day weekend, we attended a wedding at a friend's farm and I was honored to provide the bread. I handed it over to the caterer and accidentally left my tote bag in their van. Upon trying to retrieve it a few days later, her and I struck up an e-mail conversation and it turns out they loved the bread, and now we are in talks to provide them with vegetables, meat, and bread, all from our farm! 

And one more chance meeting ... while having a drink at our favorite neighborhood bar in Osage City, The Sportsman, a girl sat down next to us, obviously beat from a hard day's work. We asked what she did for a living and would you know, she runs a bakery down the street! She makes specialty cakes for weddings, parties, birthdays, etc. and wanted to sell bread but had no time to do it. I am now offering bread to her customers as well. So, my bread has taken on a life of it's own, appropriately, and I love providing people with homemade, wholesome food. In fact, I feel honored to do it, and I'd probably do it for free if I didn't have bills to pay! 

In addition to The Local Loaf, I've been doing lots of freelance writing, food styling, recipe development and food photography for various magazines--my second favorite line of work after cooking. With the fall issue, I'll be working as the editor of The Heirloom Gardener, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed's magazine. I adore Emilee and Jere Gettle, and it is a joy to work with people who are all on the same page, editorially and ethically. I'm in love with this mixture of work--a little desk time, a little kitchen time, a little garden time--it doesn't get much better!

If you work at home, please post a message about what you do and how you like it. I'd love to hear your story. Until next time ...