The Start of a Dream

If you are reading this, you probably know me and know that I'm searching for a job as a school counselor, but struggling in this venture. Back in August, I decided that I needed a new hobby while I searched for jobs, so I decided to do some more serious baking. I wanted to finally bake cakes from scratch, something I was always too busy to try while in school. So for my birthday in September, my family gave me all sorts of baking paraphernalia and I was ecstatic.

Let me explain why I love to bake. I love to give what I bake away to friends and family. There is nothing that makes me happier than watching someone take that first bite of some delicious treat that I made. I love sharing something I created with other people. That is why I bake.



I think my love of baking really started in middle school. I used to bake chocolate chip cookies or boxed cakes for all my friends' birthdays. When I made cookies, I'd always make a few extra special ones for my friend Nicole because she adored them. When I'd join my friends for our then annual Christmas sleepover, I always made fudge. I became adept at making Mom's fudge brownies. I watched my sister Erin making all the pies for Thanksgiving. I fell in love with the precision and art that defined baking.

It continued well into high school where I got more creative. I made a cake in the shape of Michigan. And one of California. And a soccer ball. And flags of different countries. I colored the frosting and made them personal. The cake mix and frosting were all the same though: Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix and Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip frosting. This combination was affectionately known as a "Megan Cake." To this day, my dear friends from high school still request "Megan Cake."

Now, the name of this blog comes from college. I was a sophomore in college when Laura, my boss at the time, looked out from her office and said "What's up, Buttercup?" And the nickname stuck. It's even continued on past college, into graduate school, and further. So I decided that whenever I finally got up the courage to start my own bakery (a lifetime dream), I would called it Buttercup Bakery, or something like that. And we'd of course serve Breakfast Brownies, another something named by Laura.

Since starting a bakery isn't exactly in the cards right now, I decided to finally start writing about the things I bake. (Writing is also something I love and happen to be pretty good at.) I have been posting pictures on Facebook and my friends seem to enjoy them (and want to eat them), so I thought it was time to put it all in one place. Most of my recipes come from cookbooks or old family recipes, but I'm gaining confidence and starting to play around with things and make my own creations.

I hope you enjoy reading this and please feel free to leave comments and compliments! :)