Where to Begin ... Maybe With a Short Introduction

Pastry Girl was a nickname I earned while working at a large entertainment complex. I worked there as a pastry cook for two years. One of my responsibilities was to arrive at work by 4:00 a.m. so I could have the donuts and other yummy pastries on display in the coffee counter cases by 7:00 a.m.

One of the baristas started calling me Pastry Girl and it just stuck. There was talk of getting me a superhero cape with the letters "PG" on it, but then the discussion lead to what would that do for my reputation :-)

I left my first Pastry Girl assignment to hopefully hone my cake decorating skills at a smaller, family-owned bakery. Unfortunately this job did not turn out as promised. My primary job was baking (which I love), and never really ventured much into the cake decorating side of things. As a matter of fact, I did more cake decorating on my own then I did at the bakery. After a short time there I started noticing small things that gave me the indication that this little establishment may be in trouble. Needless to say I was laid-off in January for what is supposed to be only for one month. However, I do not see myself or the other baker being called back.

I have worked in an office setting since my senior year of high school. Approximately 5 years ago my position was eliminated during a reorganization. I relocated from Michigan to Indiana to hopefully get a fresh start. I was staying with my older sister and through a few twist and turns of fate ended up in the Baking & Pastry Arts program at Ivy Tech Community College. That is where my adventure began.

I will be returning to the office field in a temp position for at least the next 4 months. I don't necessarily want to permanently leave the baking and pastry field, however I need to pay the bills. Currently, I intend to continue to pursue my baking and pastry business on my own. So this is where this adventure starts.

I decided to start blogging after a friend suggested it was a good way to stay in touch with the baking and pastry love as well as a great tool to learn more by experimenting and researching. To get my feet wet I am planning on posting about different recipes that I find on the Internet, mostly through Facebook and Pinterest. I will try them out, post pictures of techniques and my result as well as any suggestions or tips to change or possibly improve the recipe. Once I get going I am hoping to actually take recipes I have tried and turn them into more healthy options either by making them sugar-free, low carb, gluten free, allergen free, etc. So here is to lots of fun and interesting baking! Turn on the oven and get your mixer ready!