I got the name, The Bored Baker, in junior high school. If I wasn’t doing schoolwork, or reading a good book, I would get “bored” and bake as a creative outlet and my dad would say “the bored baker is back.” I think I originally got the bug from HomeEc class and loved trying new recipes, especially desserts. I remember attempting lemon meringue pie, croquembouche, and even baked Alaska. In high school, I loved making a huge batch of chocolate chip cookies and taking them to share with my friends at school. When I was married, I was always asked to bring dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas—my grandmother Elsie’s cheesecake was always a huge hit.
In 2002, a high school friend was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was six months pregnant, and in 2004, I lost my brother to a rare form of cancer. It made me want to address my health in a more holistic way and I started to look at food as medicine. I also began to address my emotional and spiritual health as they are all inextricably linked.
Sometime around 2008 or 2009, I read a book by Dr. Mark Hyman, called Ultrametabolism and it changed how I looked at food. Besides understanding how certain ingredients like hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup were making us sick, I also learned that low-grade food intolerances could affect us just as much. I did his elimination diet, eliminating all 8 major allergens, for two weeks and as soon as I added my nonfat lattes back into my diet, I got headaches. After eliminating dairy, (I have since added back sheep and goat’s milk products) I cut out wheat products. After a few years I cut out all gluten and then around 2017 I eliminated corn and rice. I don’t say this to tell you that you should eliminate those same things—everybody is different but what I do want is for you to realize that if you do have to give them up, it’s not the end of the world. Besides anything by Dr. Mark Hyman, you can read books by the Food Babe and Michael Pollan to educate yourself on the hazards of the modern day food industry.
During my spiritual, physical, and emotional journey, I worked with different healers and sought out numerous books on every topic to help me come to a new understanding of what it was to be healthy. I ended up going through a divorce, leaving a job of ten years, starting my own business, and just generally upending my life. And now I’m sharing my recipes for a yummy, healthy, feel good menu that you can easily adapt into any food plan.
Below is a fast, delicious, Super Simple Fudge from my first book!
Super Simple Fudge
(For when you’re being lazy—no judgment.)
3 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (11.25oz) sweetened condensed coconut milk
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Put chocolate chips and condensed milk in a heavy bottom pan and cook at a LOW temperature, stirring often. When it starts to thicken, turn off the heat, add vanilla and salt and pour into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Let chill for at least an hour before cutting.
