LIFE IN A BUBBLE: Ruth Heath, The People's Bread Co

Beautiful little waxeye keeping calm and carrying on. By Ruth Heath

Where’s your bubble and who’s in it? 
Our bubble of six is at home at Hāwea Flat and includes myself, my husband Jeremy and our four children - Timo, Caoimhe, Lennox and Ezra.

What does an average lockdown day look like?
So far, it's mostly wake up, breakfast, homework/business admin. After lunch is more homework/free to choose/bakery work, then dinner, homework and films. With all the children home there is a lot of trending to their needs.

What are you doing for exercise/general wellbeing?
Exercise has involved daily circuits on the bike without leaving the property - we’ve created a single-track circuit in the paddock. Online pilates with The Body Garage. There’s also more time for slow food cooking in the evenings.

What are you reading/watching/listening to?
Reading: Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz for some different fermentation projects - today I'm working on Injera, an Ethiopian flatbread.
Watching: We’re working through the entire Star Wars epic, again, all in a row as a family, one each day.
Listening: Desert Island Discs recommendations and new music via Spotify.

What is the luxury of time giving you?
More sleep.

What are you missing?
Rock climbing, seeing The People’s Bread Co customers and Aki Sushi. 

What are you not missing?
Road traffic and, albeit selfish, I am not missing all of the children's extracurricular activity drop offs and pickups! 

What would you like to take with you into post-Corona Central Otago life?
More time at home, less driving. 

Do you have a lockdown-friendly recipe you’d be happy to share?
Here is our brownie recipe to keep things sweet for all. More cakey than fudgy and great for using up loose bags of dates and sultanas, etc.

 Jeremy's brownie

 2 cups chopped dates (add sultanas or raisins if you don't have enough)
200g butter
3/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
1 cup (140g) flour, any kind including gluten free
1 cup cocoa (we used 1/2 cacao, 1/2 good-quality cocoa)
1/2 tsp baking powder (or use 2:1 cream of tartar:baking soda)
½-1 cup chopped dark chocolate

1 Put dates, butter, boiling water and baking soda into a large bowl and leave 20-30 minutes until dates are soft, then mash.

2 Mix in eggs.

3 Mix in flour, cocoa, baking powder and chocolate and leave for 20 minutes or so for flour to absorb water or you can bake straight away if in a hurry.

4 Heat oven to 160C.

5 Place mixture into a greased and lined 20 x 30cm tin and bake for 20 minutes.