09/15/2026
This time of year always summons reflection from me—the mornings are darker and cooler, the days are structured, and the quiet of each evening stands out in stark contrast to the busy hours of each day.
Thirteen years ago I packed up my belongings in Portland, moved them into my mom’s garage in Arizona, and hopped on an airplane to Europe. After 4 months of traveling (and depleting much of my savings), I moved to Richmond to be closer to my brother’s growing family and to start from scratch. And now here we are—almost 11 years into business—with so many memories to reflect upon and so much gratitude to share with you all.
I was going through some old things last week with my boys both back in school (any other moms purging over there?!) and I came upon an old notebook with recipes in it. As a professional baker, going back to an old recipe is like visiting an old friend. The memory of how the dough comes together— the butter and sugars incorporating, the way the whole grain flours hydrate—comes flooding back. It feels like stepping back into the kitchen where I first made that recipe.
This one is from my time at Bakeshop in PDX with Kim Boyce, my forever mentor and friend. Crunchy pepitas, chewy golden and dark raisins, whole wheat flour (milled by Sub Rosa), milk and dark chocolate. It’s the perfect cookie to eat on the front porch while thinking about the change in the seasons, reflecting on places you’ve been, chapters that have closed, and those that lay ahead.
We’ll have these in the case this week as we begin our fall menu transitions. Maple scones, vegan pumpkin muffins, ginger molasses cookies and blackberry biscuits are all making their way back this week.
Be kind to yourselves in this season. There’s a lot to taste and see and feel—try to carve time out for yourself to savor it all, even if sometimes those feelings are bittersweet. 🍁🍂
