The Baker

Hi, I’m Tara.

I’m your typical stay-at-home baker who happens to have a culinary degree. I am trained both in culinary and baking and pastry, however, baking is what I enjoy the most.  I love to bake everything and anything, from cookies to cupcakes to bread. The kitchen makes me happy and I enjoy sharing my baked goods.

I believe in using only real, fresh ingredients in my baking. I never use anything artificial, low fat, sugar free, or butter substitutes.  I’d rather have the real thing and just eat less of it. I don’t eat preservatives either. I’m a big believer that our bodies function better if we give them real food. Even in dessert, which is necessary for our sanity. Or mine at least.

I’m sure you are thinking “Oh boy, another food blog. Been there, done that”. Yeah, I think that too.  I often forget what I’ve baked, what it looked like, and where on earth I put the darn recipe. I figure if I post all this stuff online, at least it is there for my own reference! It also forces me to try new things and experiment with recipes, as well as photography. And most importantly, it allows me to share my baking with You. Yep, that’s right. You.

I hope you will enjoy some of the recipes shared here and are inspired to try some yourself, as well as share your own pointers and recipes! As you will find, I get my recipes from a variety of sources including other blogs and cookbooks.

My photography is constantly a work in progress. I’ve made big strides since I first started this blog but still have a long ways to go. I recently upgraded to a much wanted DSLR, a Nikon D3100, which, quite frankly, I am in love with. Not only does it take great food pictures, but I’ve also captured amazing family and outdoor pictures. I’m slowly learning how to use the manual settings and am learning all that photography terminology. Thank goodness for all the photographers out there willing to help us newbies learn! And I hope to do the same with all the newbie bakers out there. Because baking is meant to be shared.

Please feel free to contact me with any baking questions at all. If I don’t know the answer, I’d be more than happy to help you find the answer.

I hope you enjoy my blog and please say hello!

lets.talk.cookies (at) gmail (dot) com