My moment was like a storm, brewing slowly.
I have always loved to bake. It was my calm space, I guess — the place I went when I needed things to feel steady. And over the years, I would hear from others that my cookies and other baked goods were “good enough to sell!” I didn’t really believe them, though. They were family or friends. Of course they’d say that.
Then I made a giant batch of chocolate chip cookies when my partner, Dave, started at the company I worked at. It was supposed to be a sort of “yay, you got the job!” thing — a congratulations for him and the rest of his training class. And his fellow training class members were talking amongst themselves about how good the cookies were. Dave proudly stated that I had made them.
These weren’t people who loved me. They were strangers who just really liked a cookie. And something about that cracked the whole thing open. Maybe the storm had been building all along, and that was the moment it finally broke.
Here’s what I’ve figured out since then: baking gives me something that is just mine. I have a space where I can be creative and explore that side of me — and I get to give gifts to others who really appreciate my baking. That’s not a small thing. That’s the whole thing, honestly.
So why a blog, and why now? Honestly, the blog idea even came about because of a class assignment. But from that class assignment, my brain scuttled off into the realm of “What if…” What would I have wanted to know when I was starting out? What tips and tricks do I know that could help someone else? What can I share that would make something like this worth a read?
Because here’s the thing — how is this any different than the countless food blogs, recipe sites, and things of that nature? The difference, I think, is that I DON’T have it all figured out. I AM still learning. I AM still trying to figure it all out.
So, we’re going to be learning side by side. Friends figuring out the chaotic chemistry that is the baking world, together.
Welcome to Chaotic Confections. I’m glad you’re here.