Friends, families and co-workers are constantly asking me why I like to do this. I have a wonderful husband and two kids who are always full of energy. They are my motivation! I don’t have lot of time, but I make time when it’s something I enjoy. I enjoy cooking in general and when I make savory dishes, it’s primarily for the sake of eating them. I love eating what I bake, too, but my desire to do
it is often less motivated by the result than by the process itself. In short, I love the baking part of baking, not just the eating. The slow process of measuring, sifting, and stirring; waiting as the dough rises in the oven and the house becomes saturated with the scents of butter and flour and chocolate; pulling the pans out of the oven and finding the dough transformed into something golden and perfect. And, OK, fine, also the part where I stuff my face with warm moist cupcakes. That part admittedly isn’t terrible. Is there anything better than having a house that smells like baking chocolate chip cookies? Unlike other types of cooking, baking doesn’t require a lot of skill or intuition. If you have a good recipe, you follow it, and the deliciousness just sort of happens. Everyone thinks I am a genius, but really you just need to know how to read and follow directions. Baking can feel a bit like putting together a magic potion. You combine a bunch of ingredients into a wet, sloppy mixture, put it in the oven, and—SHAZAM!—it’s a cake! How cool is that? Very freaking cool. And it never stops feeling magical, no matter how often you do it. Having constant access to feeling a little like a wizard? Yeah, bakers don’t get tired of that feeling. When I bake, I usually make a lot. I share with families, co-workers, friends, or with someone who’s simply having a bad day…pretty much anyone who will indulge our compulsive need to make treats and give them to people. Knowing that creating something that will make other people happy is one of the warmest, fuzziest feeling there is. The fact that I get to eat some, too, is simply icing on the cake. (Yes, I went there. For me, saying “no” to a pun is like say “no” to salted caramel cupcakes: impossible.) For as long as I can remember, I've loved eating pastries. I’ve never done any baking, until I took a cooking class in my High School. When I was a kid, I never wanted to join in, I just wanted to eat cake. When and how I came to love baking is a mystery and honestly, I still don't have a good answer. I started baking back in 2008 and I still love it just as much, if not more today. I started by making cupcakes for my nieces and nephews birthdays. For me, it is a good practice. I ask my families and friends for any suggestions. I never stop trying until it’s perfect. My first baking experience began with my son’s 3rd birthday. I created a Mickey Mouse cake with the whole body. I was so proud of myself because it turned out really good. Here I am today. What started with a simple birthday cake turned into a cupcake-baking adventure?
