It Started with a Clove of Garlic

Some of my earliest memories are in the kitchen. My mom would let me peel garlic, which eventually turned into helping with more and more complicated recipes. I grew up watching Julia Child and Jacques Pépin, and one of my favorite cookbooks was a Mickey Mouse cookbook that I absolutely loved.

There was just one problem: I was never particularly interested in following the recipes exactly.

Some things never change.

By the time I was a teenager, I was selling homemade cheesecakes to my dad’s coworkers. My first job was washing dishes at a French bistro in Granby, Connecticut, where I eventually graduated to the glamorous responsibility of peeling and cleaning shrimp. I loved being around food and kitchens, but like it does for so many of us, life eventually took me in another direction. “Real” jobs took precedence, and cooking became something I loved rather than something I did professionally.

That changed after I moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in 2007.

I became the catering manager for a private school, helping create daily menus for students and faculty and arranging everything from lunches and dinners to parties and special events. Being back around food every day reignited something—and from there, you could probably say things got a little out of hand.

I started a cooking blog and became the Norfolk Cooking Examiner. My recipes began reaching thousands of readers, with some going about as “viral” as a recipe could in those days. That opened doors I never expected. I had opportunities to interview chefs including Anthony Bourdain and Fabio Viviani, and eventually my cooking caught the attention of WAVY-TV 10.

Soon I was filming cooking segments both in my own kitchen and at the television studio—sharing everything from Thanksgiving recipes and healthier comfort food to, of course, desserts. Along the way, I also had recipes published in two national cookbooks through Sodexo and started my own local catering company.

And then life changed again.

In 2017, I came home to Connecticut to be closer to my family. But no matter where life has taken me, the kitchen has always been the place I find my way back to.

These days, it's rare to find me anywhere else. I'm still cooking. I'm still baking. I'm still experimenting. And no, I'm still not following the recipe.

Why Blue Cottage Bakery? For nearly a decade after coming home, I kept thinking about finding my way back to food professionally. And eventually I realized that what I missed most wasn't the blogging, television appearances, catering events, or even seeing my name in print.

It was watching someone take that first bite.

I love seeing people's eyes light up when they see what I've made. I love arriving at a party and hearing “What did you bring?” before anyone even says hello. And I love sharing something I made with someone and waiting for that reaction.

That's why I started Blue Cottage Bakery.

I wanted to take the same breads, cookies, and treats that have brought so much happiness to my friends and family and share them with more people. Nothing complicated. Just really good food, made from scratch and meant to be shared.

And the name? There's no elaborate branding story behind it.

My house is blue.

It's the little blue cottage where I'm once again doing what I've loved since I was old enough to peel a clove of garlic.

More Than a Bakery

My hope for Blue Cottage Bakery goes beyond selling bread and sweet treats. As the bakery grows, I hope to partner with local nonprofits and find ways to provide bread and baked goods to food banks and people in our community who could use them.

Because, ultimately, that's what food has always meant to me.

It's meant to be made. It's meant to be enjoyed.

And most of all, it's meant to be shared.