Hi, I'm Barbara

Hi, I'm Barbara.

I'm passionate about a lot of things, especially my husband Lance, my daughter Judith, and chocolate (yes, in that order).  

I've loved to bake since I can remember – and grew up being in the kitchen a lot with my mom.  Family specialties included brownies, decorated cakes, no-bake cheesecake, and lots of dipped candy (peanut butter, mint, and coconut) at Christmas time.  As I grew older I became more and more of a snob about dessert – and so began to experiment more and more with my own stuff.  I learned how to make cheesecake.  I learned how to temper chocolate.  And I learned that I was really really passionate about baking.

So in the summer of 2005 I started taking classes at American River College toward a baking certificate.  I dreamed of working in a bakery or a tea shop, somewhere that I could be creative but not be the boss (bosses have lots of headaches!).  I graduated with my certificate in December 2006, and I started to look for a way to leave my well-paid secretarial position to work in a bakery.  Everything was planned (in my mind!) for my husband and me to be financially stable enough by June 2008 that I could walk away from my job and find something my heart loved.  

But God had different plans!  In November 2007, I got pregnant!  And there was no way I was going to leave a well-paying job (with benefits!) just before I had a baby.  So my dream of working in a bakery has been superseded (for now) by the joys of being a stay at home mom.  I still get to bake a lot, and sometimes I even get paid for it.  I've created a website ( HYPERLINK "http://www.chocolatecornucopia.com/"www.chocolatecornucopia.com) and a pseudo-business baking for friends and family.  I try new recipes frequently, and I continue to look for ways to improve and perfect old favorites.  And I love to pass on my love of baking to other people.  So I'm really excited to write the baking half of Monday's MOPS blog.  

I'll also be contributing to the Green Living blog posts on Saturdays.  My interest in all things “green” has grown through many different parts of my life.  First, I married into a really green family.  My husband's aunt owns a health food store – and I have become educated beyond my inclination about both the poisons we pour into our world and our bodies through conventional modern living, and about the many natural substances that God has created for us to help in healing.  In addition, as I've become increasingly snobby about food, I've researched more ways to get the best food I can.  And one way that really appeals to me is through making my own – whether it's bread, yogurt, jam, granola, or something else.  And that make-it-yourself mentality has spilled over into non-food items for me too.  Now I've been experimenting with making my own laundry detergent, hand soap, body scrub, lotions, and more.  Yet another influence has been the necessity of living on a strict budget.  Buy organic or “green” items in the store can be outrageously expensive.  But growing my own vegetables, making my own detergent, and baking my own bread saves me money!  While some of what I write about  under green living is stuff I've been working on for a while, some of it will be totally new to me...I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me.