Growing up in a family of bakers, it is pretty obvious where my love for baking came from. Before my grandfather retired he was a seasonal employee at the Passamaquoddy Blueberry Company. Much of his summers were spent away from home and in the fields. Considering Maine’s economy thrives on agriculture and the fishing industry, a lot of time and energy went into this position.
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Image Credit: Yankee Magazine
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I have always spent a lot of time at my grandparent’s house given that they only live 1 minute down the road from me. Every other night my grandmother would bake some kind of goodie for my grandfather to take to work with him.
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Baking for one quickly turned into baking for many other employees too. I would always join her in the kitchen to see what she was up to next! She would let me measure out some of the ingredients, stir, and even taste test our creation at the end. I also watched a lot of different baking shows and hoped that one day I could bring some of the techniques I watched to life.
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Pictured above you’ll find me in my grandmother’s garden posing with a Halloween recipe book. This may or may not have been the very moment where my love for cooking began.
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As I got older, sharing the kitchen with my grandmother turned into a one-man show, with her standing closely by making sure that I did everything just right.
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Monkey Bread in the Making (2012)
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My mother also shares a passion for baking, particularly in the cake department. She has made cakes for as long as I can remember. Up until I turned 18, she made a cake every year for my brothers and my birthday. She has not made a cake since…
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Here are a few of my favorites
Wedding Cake
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Baby Shower Cake
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My Last Birthday Cake 🙁
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Wedding Cake
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I have not mastered cake decorating just yet, but I hope to pick it up in the future when I have a little more free time. Although I still have much to learn, my food allergies have really challenged me in the kitchen, which has only enhanced my skills and knowledge as a baker!
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Tell us your story…Is baking something you have always loved to do? What challenges have you been faced with? Comment below!
