From baking for my family…
To baking for events…
To baking for a facebook page…
To baking for my own bakery.
At 13 years old, I run my own bakery.
For all who want to know, here’s my story.
(Psst, read this side first!)
I don't think I would have developed my baking passion if it wasn't for my parents. They are both keto, and since they could never have the birthday cakes or starbucks cake pops that me and my siblings always enjoyed, they got creative and began to bake their own keto desserts.
And I'm not lying when I tell you that every keto dessert that came out of the oven was a shame on the world of culinary.
I hated all of those desserts, but my parents didn't. They loved them. Maybe they were on a diet for too long and just got used to food tasting bad, or maybe they just loved being included. Whatever it was, it made them happy to eat those desserts, and since I love them, I baked the gross keto stuff for them anyway.
Turns out seeing them so happy to find almond flour brownies when they got home from work made me curious about things that I could whip up in the kitchen, things to bring a smile to a person's face. I began experimenting, baking birthday cakes and cupcakes that weren't keto, giving myself and my siblings the satisfaction of eating them, exercising the creative and perfectionist side of me while decorating them to the best of my ability.
But in the back of my mind there was always a sad feeling, thinking about my parents missing out on all of the desserts I was baking (perhaps exacerbated by the fact that every time i would bake something, my parents, one by one, would always ask if the dessert was keto, and when I answered no, you could hear the dramatic sigh of sadness from a mile away). So, after a lot of complaints from a certain two people, I decided I would try out keto baking again. Only this time, I wouldn't be cooking up that unsatisfactory, grainy, bitter stuff my parents called dessert. Instead, I experimented, realizing certain things about certain nut flours or sugar-free sweeteners, being persistent because I knew it had to be possible to create something healthy that didn't taste like it.
Even though I had opened the door to keto desserts again, I couldn't stop my love for the "real stuff." So I baked that too.
I slowly expanded my knowledge over the years, until I realized one day that I really loved doing this. I was good at it, and my constant strive to be perfect left me with more and more beautiful desserts every time.
And that was when my father gave me a little idea. He told me that people sell baked goods on a nifty site called facebook, and said that I could start putting the baked goods I perfected on my facebook and allow people to buy. I decided it might be fun to try it out.
In my short time of living, I have never made a better decision.
Soon after that I created my facebook page, naming the business (with my mom’s help) after our yorkie Willow, who has always been my kitchen buddy and, let’s face it, food vacuum. Right after that I began posting desserts on the page, word spread, and I began to sell.
I was wrong. I didn't find selling fun. I found it exhilarating.
And just like that, the business had grown from a facebook page to a website, to a business specializing in dietary desserts, because turns out all of those gluten free or keto or lactose intolerant people out there really did love my recipes.
I created my facebook page when I was 11, and now at 13, Sweet Willow's Bakery has already grown far beyond my wildest dreams, but I know this is only the beginning of my journey. I want to become a name in the culinary world and represent all the people out there who are trying to balance healthy with happy. I would not have gotten here if it wasn't for all the people supporting me, from my neighbor who was the first to fall in love with my carrot cake 3 years ago (love you, Ms. Patty!), to my parents who helped and supported me every step of the way, talking me up at every opportunity (seriously, love yall so much!).
Who knew such a little girl could bring smiles to so many faces?
To the person reading this, thank you for taking the time to read my story. I am truly grateful to have you here, and I hope you love what I have to offer here at Sweet Willow's.
I'm Kim Courtney, thanks again for visiting, god bless your day, and feel free to explore the website and order anything that catches your eye!