Stress Baking

Welcome to Stress Baking, friend!

A loaf of golden banana bread, sliced on a white plate

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Are you into baking therapy? Me too! Not familiar with what stress baking is yet? Read this post first!

I want to provide easy to follow homemade recipes that anyone can make – not just Martha Stewart. On this site you’re going to find desserts, drinks, savory dishes and more – you should be able to find a little bit of everything here.

I mean, honestly – the amount of powdered sugar and mascarpone cheese I purchase on a regular basis should be criminal. I’m always looking for new recipe ideas and inspiration, so please send me your ideas! I’d love to make your ideas come to life.

We all need to eat – so why not take the opportunity to use stress baking recipes as an outlet for a delicious form of stress relief?

Meet Leslie

Hi there! My name is Leslie and I live in coastal Massachusetts where lobster and sports reign supreme. I’m originally from Illinois and have a deep love for deep dish pizza… and lobster.

The Official Stress Baking Taste Tester is my husband, Bill – his hands appear on the blog from time to time, as well as our cat Puck in some form – usually because he seems to believe he’s an excellent food stylist. Keep an eye out for them in my posts!

I try to make my posts fun to read by injecting some humor – life can be overwhelming, but baking sweet treats for friends and family (that includes your dog) shouldn’t be. Even if you are stressbaking them.

Featured On

Reality > Pinterest Perfect

I won’t hesitate to show you when I create an epic fail, because that’s reality. My life isn’t Pinterest-perfect, and that shouldn’t be the goal.

An overflowing bowl of batter that drips on a cat’s head because I added baking powder and forgot I’d just poured in some vinegar… that crap is funny.

I am not going to hesitate to tell you if a certain process is a complete pain in the ass and that using a box mix is going to make it easier – why make things more difficult that they have to be?

Baking Basics

If you’re new to baking, don’t let that stop you! My goal is always for your recipes to come out as deliciously and beautifully as possible, and it all starts with the basics.

Baking Basics is a blog series that will teach the fundamentals of baking to provide readers with the knowledge they need for successful baking endeavors!

Just start from the bottom and work your way up – you’ll feel more confident and comfortable in the kitchen in no time.

Origin Story

My life has always been relatively high-stress, and one day I realized that baking really helped soothed that anxiety-filled beast inside of me.

The vigorous whipping of frosting, crushing of peppermint, and the oh-so-delicate placement of cupcake toppings all help me channel my anxiety into a constructive (and delicious) place.

I’m self-taught, and seek inspiration in my daily life. I see a pretty drink at a restaurant and immediately start brainstorming ways to turn that into a baked good. Sometimes it works wonderfully, and sometimes it fails miserably.

In print

In 2015, a few of my favorite recipes were published in the Fall edition of Esperanza Magazine along with a brief interview about how I use baking and blogging as an outlet for my stress and anxiety. Check them out – it’s a wonderful publication.

Leslie at Seabird Coffee in Cohasset, Massachusetts

Podcasts

I love talking about food and stress management, and you’re more or less guaranteed that I will make dad jokes or let me dark humor leak – so be warned! 😉 Here are podcasts I’ve had the pleasure of joining previously:

This is Not What I Ordered – Discussion about chronic illness, work-life balance, using baking as a form of stress management
Cook it Real Good – We talked about all things butter, as well as my Baking Basics series.

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Reader favorite recipes:

A Salty Soul "Stay Salty" tank | stressbaking.com

Thanks for being here!

You can always send me a note to leslie@stressbaking.com with any questions or concerns. I also love love LOVE it when you email me pictures of your creations, so don’t hesitate to do that, too!

Thank you so much for stopping by Stress Baking – I hope you find some recipes you enjoy, and I hope to hear from you soon!

~ Leslie