I was born and raised in South Jersey where, yes, there actually is quite a bit of farmland! Sadly, where I live there seems to be less and less of it over time. As my name suggests I am the daughter of a farmer. I can’t imagine being more proud of this fact. My dad is the hardest working man I know.
I was extremely lucky to be raised on a farm. I look back on my childhood with lots of warm memories that the farm life provided. Being an 80’s baby, there wasn’t all of the technology that my children are growing up with… I am grateful for that. I had no choice but to go outside. I raised pigs for 4-H, played in the mud with my brother and sister, rode four wheelers, always had fresh produce to eat, and was surrounded by the most beautiful land that will always feel like home.
When we were kids, my mom would make us treats for every occasion. Of course holidays and birthdays, but even for the first day of school, the last day of school, good grades, rainy days, thank yous, and so on. I often wanted to help, and she’d always let me. Looking back I know for sure those experiences sparked my love of baking and sharing what I make with my family and friends. Baking for people is a way I show them my love.
I have an amazing husband, Matt, who for sure is my biggest fan. He makes me feel like I can do anything! We’ve been married for over 13 years now, but I can’t remember what life was like before he was in it. He really is my best friend, and together we have three beautiful little boys, Nate (11), Carter (8), and Gabe (5). They all love to spend time at the farm, play baseball, and EAT! Thank goodness I love to bake because with a house full of boys someone is always hungry. My husband and the boys are always there to test out new recipes for me… what a tough life they’ve got.
(Don’t let this picture fool you, I promise they are little sweethearts. Haha!)
When Nate was a baby, and my stay-at-home mom life started, my husband was off working hard to provide for us. I started baking things for my him to enjoy when he’d get home from work, and I just couldn’t stop. I stumbled upon decorating sugar cookies with royal icing one day while looking for new recipes to try, and I fell in love! They didn’t start off looking very good but I kept at it. I have baked and decorated cookies, cakes, cupcakes, bars, and donuts for every single reason I could think of for the past 11 years. I have learned so much during that time.
I love desserts and everything that comes along with making them! I say a prayer every time I enter a craft store that I can maintain self-control, BUT it rarely works. It doesn’t help that I am usually with my mom, and we certainly enable each other in those craft stores. I collect cake stands, cookie jars, cookie cutters and my sprinkle collection just might be crossing the line between “collecting’ and “hoarding”… oops. If I’m not in the kitchen, I can almost always be found in my office surrounded by my “collections” working on decorating cookies to send to school with my kids, editing my photos (another passion of mine), or typing up a new post for you all to read. It is my happy place. The only little spot in this world that is all mine, where I can let my creativity flow, and escape from life’s stresses for just a little while.
Here is a great example of a time where I had no self-control… How could I leave the store without this oh-so-important to my existence cookie cutter…
In all seriousness, it makes my heart happy to share my passion with my friends, and so, that is what lead me to this. I can reach so much more of you this way than I have been able to by just physically sharing what I bake up in my kitchen. I am so excited to show you my favorite recipes, tips, tricks, and tutorials. I hope you enjoy my blog, and I thank you for being here!
xoxo, Katie
