Welcome to Two Bite Tuesdays

I had a dream in high school of opening a bakery: CupCates.

It was going to specialize in cupcakes (because it was 2012 and that's all anyone wanted), feature a pun on my name (because again: 2012) and it would be my little business baby. I was 16, wide-eyed… and didn’t have a clue how much work it was to start a business, or even where to begin.

So.

That dream gave way to more practical things, like going to college and getting a degree that I'm totally using (sorry Mom), and I was... surviving. After graduation in 2018, I moved back to my hometown of Sunshine City, USA - St. Petersburg, Florida - and got a job working at a local vegan bakery. It was hard work, but I absolutely loved it. I got to see the smiles on peoples’ faces as they came in and found versions of their favorite treats that they hadn’t been able to eat in years. I got to hear about their days, good and bad, and I watched as my boss took care of both her employees and her regulars like they were her own family. I wasn’t there long, but I moved onto more office-type settings having learned incredibly valuable lessons in baking and business. As I spent time at my job working with nonprofits, I knew something was missing, that there was something bigger for me - I just didn’t know what.

When I found myself unexpectedly unemployed back in April of this year, through the encouragement of friends (yes, Reanna, I’m talking about you) I began having hopes and dreams again - including starting my bakery. This time, though, I've got about 10 years of life and baking experience on high school Sarah, and now the dream is a reality.

I remember staying up late on school nights, perfecting my cupcake recipe to take into school the next day. I remember feeling right at home as I combined butter and flour and vanilla and sugar, mixing it all up and putting it in the oven. There was a feeling of peace that came with it, like I was right where I was supposed to be - cooking up treats that would bring joy to the people I love.

That feeling has never left me. I bake out of a place of joy, knowing that it will bring a smile to your face when you take that first bite, and that maybe, just maybe, for a few moments the weight of the world becomes a little lighter.

Around here, I believe that baking is magic (you’ll probably get sick of hearing me say it!), and that dreams really can come true.

Welcome to Two Bite Tuesdays :)