Let’s just get this out of the way…I must declare myself the proverbial foodie, but a health-conscious one at that.  I have taken cooking and baking classes in the US and abroad, and have traveled and eaten my way through thirty countries.  When not checking out nature, museums, churches, or boutiques, I am drawn to exploring the places where the locals shop for their food and other kitchen supplies.

While I love to cook, baking is truly my passion. Putting ingredients together and creating something that makes people happy, being forced to slow down in our busy world and wait for the transformation to happen in its due time…magic. Some people relax with a massage or a glass of wine…baking is what does it for me.

I like to make a wide-range of treats, but am especially drawn to more rustic endeavors, trying recipes from various countries or different regions of the US, and tweaking recipes. Tweaking for me means I might take a recipe and try using different kinds of flour, reduce the amount of sugar, substitute one fruit for another, make it dairy free or gluten free, etc.   Experimentation in the kitchen is always fun!

Welcome to Oven Notes.  Thanks for reading about me and visiting my blog.

Helen Boltson