As a 13 year girl, that just moved to another side of the world- Austria, I was fascinated by the bakery at every street corner. I couldn’t help to look at all bakery display each time I walked by and be fascinated. My best friend’s mom was very kind and would have baking afternoons with me couple times a year. Nothing else made me happier than watching her bake and having her explain the steps to me. I loved the process of mixing, baking and the final product. That went on for a few years until I went to college in the US.
The love of baking stayed with me. I was distracted with the ups and downs of surviving the physical world. So I didn’t bake for many years. After a divorce, two kids, making ends meet as a single mom, I finally had the time to do what I love- baking. During covid, baking brought me so much joy. Sourdough starter became my best friend, I worked with the sourdough starter each day, tried different recipes. I was so lucky that my friends would tell me which stores had flour in stock.
Nothing brought me more joy than to watch the baked goods in the oven and waiting for the magic to happen!
Then in 2023, I found out some of my friends had dietary restrictions in different forms: gluten free, vegan, and nuts. The restrictions motivated me to bake things that are possible for us to enjoy at our gatherings. Miraculously, it came easy to me- to bake without using wheat flour, butter or egg. My lovely friends were way more excited than I was and encouraged me to start a business, so more people can enjoy the baked goods. It has been in my wildest dream to be a baker one day as a little girl. Now it is becoming true. Life is sweet’s mission is to bake the world a better place. We bake all of our items from scratch and with love. When you have that first bite, you know that life is sweet. It might be bitter or bittersweet at times, but I hope that Life is Sweet reminds you that it will all be ok in this journey.
The experience at the farmers market in 2024 brought me lots of joy, it was a dream come true. I had so much fun baking, interacting with customers, spending time with the family on getting the market together. I was very busy during that time, but I appreciate every minute of it. As the farmer comes to an end, I decided to do a bake by order business model, as I know how difficult it is to order baked goods for some people. The journey continues.
With lots of love,
Shih-Ying