I'm Ellen, a thirty-something gal (she/her/hers) who has been baking for at least half her lifespan. Oh, I also started this blog when I was 17 (photo on left, baby Ellen).
The moment I could comprehend what the kitchen was, I was in. I wanted to crack the eggs, hold the electric mixer, touch the bread dough, flip the pancakes, set the table, and get up at dawn to make everyone tall stacks of buttered toast. I started pulling cookbooks off the shelves and writing requests on our grocery lists. After making a recipe once, I would soon do it again, changing it up a bit, throwing in this and that. Not all these adaptations were perfect, but I was eager to learn.
One fateful day as a teen, I hopped on the internet to look for a recipe and discovered the amazing world of food blogging. In short, my email was soon jammed full of blog subscriptions, and I loved it.
I wrote most of this blog when I was 17, 18, 19, etc., and I think it's kind of cute and worth keeping. Albeit a little cringe at times. Coming back to this blog after a prolonged break is interesting. My heart and soul went into it until I stopped sometime around 2020. I went through life occurrences like graduating college, finding my way out of the restaurant world, and trying to find a stable job in my 20s. I got busy, went through breakups, and lost motivation.
I have realized that food blogs these days are less about the writing and stories behind recipes and more about just getting a damn recipe. I'm even guilty of searching endlessly for that "jump to recipe" button. For me, the food blogs I grew up with were not only sources of food inspiration but also a dose of comfort and advice. Reading posts from Joy the Baker, Orangette, and The Wednesday Chef, and several others gave me a chance to peek into those bloggers' lives. I lived vicariously through them at times, and I loved the dose of realism in their writing styles. Their posts and books got me through some rough times
In addition to sharing indulgent treats I truly enjoy creating, I'd like to be that encouragement or validation for anyone who needs it. So, sometimes, I get a little wordy. But feel free to "jump ahead" if that's not your thing. Welcome to my corner of the internet!