I had a little parcel this weekend from Lynne who is an enthusiastic baking friend who posts on Dan Lepard’s forum. She is based in Switzerland where I have it on good authority it is impossible to buy a decent sausage roll. 
This is the best Wikipedia can do, but a good sausage roll is a mouthful to treasure!
We swap obscure ingredients from time to time and she eggs me on to bake things I would normally never dream of attempting. Lynne doesn’t have a blog yet, I think she is a bit busy, but I reckon it is only a matter of time…
Obscure objects of desire
Lynne knows my fondness for Boots disposable shower caps for covering my bannetons when the dough is rising and has sent me a box of three different sized food covers, so if the Three Bears do turn up and want to make bread, I’ll be ready for them. Though I am not sharing my picallilli with them. More on that in a later post.
She also popped in a box of French yoghurt enzymes to try out and, a very pretty little pack of mini loaf cases in the parcel and it’s not my birthday. Anyway, I have put one lot in the yoghurt maker this evening and it should be ready for breakfast. Such a good idea, wonder why you can’t get them here?
So here are some virtual flowers from Zeb to say thank you!
Merci beaucoup Lynne!
The following morning – the yoghurt enzymes worked beautifully! A sharp fresh tasting French yoghurt. Now to make some Mellow Bakers breads…
A lovely bowl of super fresh yoghurt and Dorset Cereal!
Zeb Bakes 
Oh, I “know” Lynne from her comments in Dan’s forum… would you do me a favor? Tell her she needs to start blogging!
I remember so well when you decided to go for it, and now you’re a natural! She should join the club ;-)
Lucky you! I didn’t know you needed shower caps, though – we can get brightly coloured bowl covers here, let me know if you ever need anymore. And the paper loaf cases are soooo gorgeous!
I love food packages from afar!
My niece sends me ever so many exotic ingredients- some without explanation- so I am always taking a walk on the wild side of food preparation!
You got a nice haul there. :)
Lynne’s great. She should certainly start a blog.
I use shower caps to keep my bike saddle dry!
I keep telling Lynne to blog too, Sally :) It’s all you professionals who got me doing this in the first place !
Thanks for the offer Celia. Did I tell you that your orange welding gloves went to Yorkshire where they assisted Brian in manipulating hot trays of pizza up and down stone staircases? Well they did and he was very glad they came up with us :)
Heidi – I’d love to hear more about your exotic ingredients – maybe a post one day?
Gill – Got to keep those saddles in tip top condition :)
Thank you Joanna for writing about my little parcel and very happy it got to you in one piece.
Would be v interested to know if the enzymes make good “cream” youghurt similar to creme fraiche, but the version above looks just lovely.
Thanks to everyone for their encouragement re blog writing…just now I either have time to blog or cook so not a realistic possibility for the short term, but at Christmas I want to “publish” a little book along the 12 days of Christmas theme with 12 recipes and I think I will be able to prepare it to publish one a day on a “pop up” blog…like those pop up shops, there for a short time and then gone. The positive words are much appreciated.
Fried courgette flowers for lunch today in the “workers canteen” of a company in Italy…..why is it that the Italians know how to live ??????
Lynne, I will try a packet of the enzymes with some cream at the weekend – forgot you were travelling when I wrote this….
,,,Fried courgette flowers? How lovely, one of the perks of the job I guess. x Joanna
Dorset Cereal huh? Looks like it’d cost more that a lux meal – but damn good!
Hey, I swear Zeb has the look of a dog who knows a hell of a lot more than he’s saying.
Dorset Cereals is a brand, I don’t eat much breakfast cereals but this one is pretty good, that’s the one with spelt flakes there. Zeb is a plotter and a conniver and if he had opposable thumbs he would rule the world :)
shower caps? interesting….
So nice to receive a surprise parcel…lots of thought and care put into thinking of just the right things to delight a fellow enthusiast. And such perfect manners from Zeb too… :)
Hi Spiceandmore, I have sent some very odd things to people since I started baking, but it’s fun, a global Lets system :)
Hi, it is a bit like Freecycle with people you know! I’ve been converted to the shower caps too since you told me about them last year at Mair’s baking do!
This weekend I made the bread that Gareth made, pizza bread with the contents inside! mmmm.
Allison
I had a phase of Freecycle when we did the kitchen, met all sorts of people, it’s a great concept. I saw that bread being made but didn’t get to try it, is that what it was, a sort of giant calzone? Now I want to know more… please please :)