Sundays are for sundaes
Growing up on an Iowa farm in the 1970s with seven brothers and six sisters meant that every hand was needed at mealtimes. As the youngest, I learned quickly and fiercely. I have a small, round scar on the knuckle of each thumb, nicked from fumbling a potato peeler when I was too young for the unending task.
But I was undeterred because I found peace and purpose in the kitchen. The physical process of gathering, harvesting, and creating something that everyone needed was nourishing to me beyond the actual food on the table. When cooking for others, I felt worthy and, occasionally, I felt noticed. A rare commodity when growing up in a crowd.
In the kitchen as a child, I could also be near my Mother – a treat when so many other people were in the way.
She was an extraordinary recipe developer, curator, baker, and critic: “I wouldn’t give you two cents for a tough crust!” Dry wedding cake was denounced loudly. After all my years of craft baking, many of my best recipes are still hers.
I have always loved baking. I love reading about it, thinking about it, and creating it with the freshest ingredients I can find. (I annoy my family every summer when I haul 60 pounds of Balaton cherries home to Iowa from northern Michigan.) Because of my passion (obsession), I’ve won over 600 state and national baking awards.
After decades of working in corporations, I finally turned my passion into a profession with Sunday Night Foods so that I can share my baking secrets, recipes, and sauces with you.
I bake when I’m stressed, mad, happy, or sad. Pretty much all of the time. And often that time is Sunday night, when my family and friends and I slow down and take time to simply be with each other. Food is an important part of the ritual of connecting around a table or a couch or a campfire that grounds us, whether it’s in person or on a video call thousands of miles apart.
Baking is the process of thinking about what people need, and then taking time to create something by hand. It’s about love and consideration and generosity. I created the Sunday Night brand so people can easily enjoy that same feeling of comfort, care, and kindness any time they wish. Even if it’s simply being kind to yourself.
Along the way, we will work with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in honor and hope that through baking we can help people stay present, find purpose, and create joy within them and around them.
Stay sweet,
