Hello there! I'm Ray-Ray and I am a baker and a belly dancer, though professionally I am a billing manager for a small business. Baking and belly dancing are my passions, and sometimes I manage to do both things at the same time (but never near an open flame).
I started this blog as a way to keep track of the recipes I try, because I bake quite a lot and sometimes forget what I thought of a recipe, and sometimes I even forget what I have baked in the past.
 |
| Dancing! |
For me, baking and dancing are ways of connecting to people. I believe that connection is important, and not just in a technical sense. Both activities are a way of sharing with others. I want to say sharing myself, but somehow that sounds really bad. But, to me, in order to be good at both of these things, you must put love into it. A dancer without love is flat, and baked goods without love are tasteless.
 |
| Lucy and the waterfall |
I'm a single gal living on her own, trying to make her way in this crazy world. I do have two roommates of the furry variety, a dog and a cat. Lucy is the best dog in the whole wide world (don't you dare try to convince me otherwise) and Enzo is...a tree-dwelling cat.
 |
| Enzo and the rug |
I feel like I should give you a little of my family background, since that shapes a lot of who I am both as a person and a baker. I come from a good-size family. My parents are still together after 30+ years, and I have two brothers and a sister (I am second-oldest). I also have a sister-in-law who is like a real sister to me, and a really rad chocoholic nephew. I also have a new brother-in-law. In short, family gatherings can be a bit of a big deal, and I usually try to bake something for said get-togethers.
 |
| Weirdest Christmas present ever. |
My mom loves to cook and tried to teach me to cook when I was growing up. I was reluctant both because I was afraid of getting burned, and because she didn't try to get my two brothers to cook and I am all about gender equality. Eventually, though, about the time I started college, I discovered that I actually enjoyed playing around in the kitchen. It started with cake and progressed from there. My sister, Frakah (not her real-name, but her name as designated by our nephew), went to baking school and I sometimes ask her for tips and tricks. Eventually, we would like to start our own business.
