Aya's Little Nook
I grew up in a house where we ate at least three times a day, every day. My mother was a hardworking housewife, and she loved to cook. Growing up in Southeast Asia, her cooking was never simple, and it was always delicious. Our kitchen was busy, warm, and always smelled of something good.
I didn't turn out exactly like her. She made the big meals. I was always drawn to the small things: snacks, desserts, the sweet little extras at the end of a meal.
I love pretty little things. There's a saying that we feast with our eyes first, and I believe it. A neat row of cookies, a perfectly swirled cupcake, a box tied with ribbon. That's what makes me happy in the kitchen.
I've only ever baked for the people I love
Until now, everything I've baked has gone to family and friends: brownies, cakes, cookies, pastries. I've never sold a single thing. I've never priced a cake, taken an order, or handed a box to a stranger.
So when I say I'm starting from zero, I mean it.
Why now?
Recently, work stress has been wearing me down. It made me stop and think hard about my work-life balance, and about what I actually want my days to look like.
That's how I got here, standing at the starting line, trying to figure out if a micro bakery is the path I'm meant to take.
My goal: $1,000 a month
My first goal is $1,000 a month from baking.
I know that doesn't replace my salary, and it isn't meant to. But it would give me a little freedom, the kind of freedom I've been craving for a long time. Some breathing room. A sign that I can build something of my own.
If I get there, the next stop is $3k. For now, $1k is the mountain I'm climbing.
Where I'm starting
I'm starting from my own small kitchen, with a simple hand whisk and an electric oven that only fits two trays at a time. No bakery shop, no fancy equipment, no business experience.
What I'll be figuring out is the same for any home baker, wherever you are: what to bake, how to price it, how to find people who want it, and how to keep going without burning out. That's what I'll be sharing here, step by step.
Am I scared? Yes.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is never easy. Honestly, it feels like waking up from a sweet dream.
Some nights I can't sleep well because I keep asking myself whether this will work or flop.
One thing I know for sure: I'll never find out unless I actually do it. There's a line I keep coming back to: clarity comes from action, not thinking. So that's what I'm going to do. Act, and figure it out along the way.
Why I'm writing this in public
I want to document this journey from the very beginning, including the messy parts. I'll share my real numbers, my pricing decisions, my first orders (I hope!), what works and what doesn't.
If you're in the same boat, with a day job that drains you, a love for baking, and a quiet "what if?" in the back of your mind, I'd love for you to follow along on this odyssey with me.
Let's see where this goes. 🍪
— Aya
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