Hi there! I'm Joanna, a recent Ohio transplant but a Kansas native. Though I have enjoyed cooking and baking for as long as I can remember, it never occurred to me until several years ago how much I love baking - it was just something I did. Growing up, it was part of my household chores to prepare meals regularly, and certainly the task I enjoyed the most. It wasn't until I was in college that I realized how important it was to me to spend regular time in the kitchen.

Once I realized how much I loved baking, I began to devour (ha, ha) cookbooks, food magazines and websites, everything. My first-read and forever-favorite bakebook is The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. This book formed the foundation of my baking knowledge and I still hold the goal of someday baking, at least once, every recipe in that book.

Though my day job is working for a promotional products distributor, I try to take time regularly to bake. I love reading recipes and picturing myself taking the steps to make the dish. In every food I see on a supermarket shelf or on my plate at a restaurant, I also see a challenge to replicate it in my own kitchen. I do cakes/cupcakes/etc for weddings, birthdays, graduations, and the like on occasion, so you may see some of those pop up from time to time.

Some fast facts about me:

I currently live in Toledo, Ohio with Kyle, my future doc/current flashcard-obsessed med student. Cheese, bread, and coffee are my three favorite foods. I believe there is a direct and measurable correlation between my mood and my proximity to sunlight. I studied environmental science in college. My favorite color is lavender. I love traveling the world and my favorite city of all I've visited (this should really come as no surprise..) would be PARIS. Three words: espresso and croissants.

Please let me know if there are any topics you want to see covered. I appreciate suggestions. Check my "Contact Me" tab for my email. I'm so pleased you've found it worth your while to read a bit on my blog.

Cheers!