I Love to bake. It's in my blood. My mother is European. She was raised during World War II. Making due with what little was a way of life for her. When I was a little girl I watched her make a variety of yeast breads, rolls, streusel's, dumplings, jams, cakes, cookies, pudding, custards etc. If I was good she would hand me a lump of dough and a little rolling pin made for my little hands. I worked that dough with flour and a donut hole cutter until it wouldn't flatten any more. If I spilled any flour Mom was quick to recover it back towards the work area. I was mesmerized with creating anything out of just a few ingredients. In my teen years my older sister introduced me to making candied fondant for chocolate dipping. She would give almond joy a run for it's money and I was determined to do the same. I would have to sneak my kitchen baking time in when Mom wasn't home. The mess I'd make and ingredients I'd wasted really made Mom upset. I didn't realize until I was an adult how the mess didn't bother her but any wasted ingredients really made Mother sad. Not at all angry. By the time I'd left home I had mastered the Nestle toll house chocolate chip cookie recipe as my Dad would have liked it.
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As a young adult I enjoyed baking. I picked up some basic cooking skills with The Pampered Chef, Hamburger helper and plenty of trips to the local Burger King and Arby's after failed attempts at making dinner. I learned hands on (after the first bite) just how a whole Tablespoon of peppercorns is supposed to be added to meatloaf.
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I found myself at 32 needing a job. I was looking for a regular paycheck that didn't require much thinking. A no brainer; I'm thankful to be employed and can focus on other things kind of job. At the same time I was desperate. I put my application in everywhere. After a good 3 months I finally got a call from Wal-mart. I told myself I would never work in a Wal-mart unless it was in the bakery department. What Luck. Within 2 weeks from submitting my resume I was an official Wal-mart associate. For months I packaged bread, stocked shelves and washed surface areas. There were 2, sometimes 3 cake decorators before I was asked if I had an interest in training as a decorator. The basic skills I had learned and perfected in a high production atmosphere changed my life forever. Not to mention: It was there I had met my husband as well.
