Hi there!

You may have noticed a very long absence in the “this is a baking blog” sphere here. In truth, I haven’t had the capability or interest in a long while for several reasons, some better than others.

First off, I just don’t feel that good, man! I’m keeping up appearances, going to events and smiling at functions and publishing pieces. And I’m doing it as a genuinely happy person. I’m happy! That’s great! But being happy doesn’t take away the fact that my body’s been needing some extra love these past few years, and that love means I need to give it plenty of quiet, take extra long baths, spend time laying down doing nothing but watching TV or listening to a podcast, and practice moving slowly when I can so that the times I need to go out for work or let myself burn for a few hours so that I can have FUN (!), it can recoup quickly enough and not fall deeper into whatever this period is that I’m going through.

I’m eating well, I’m meditating, I’m taking the supplements and spending time and dough on doctors. I’m chilling in acupuncture and getting my spine twisted by the chiropractor and getting kneaded out by my massage therapist. I’ve felt better, I’ve felt worse. I’m doing okay, really!

But I’m not really baking. Sniff.

I’ve been keeping myself off sugars as much as possible for a while now, and very strictly for these past few weeks. The time on my feet testing and retesting is exhausting. My food list is limited while I figure out what’s causing me so much inflammation. I’m eating well, but simply.

But the holidays are coming! Which means more recipes are coming no matter what! So stay tuned for some pretty things and some revamping of old things. I’ve got a Cherry Chip cake to perfect, and lots more in the bag.

Until then, here’s some super fun stuff I’ve been a part of, all over the internet and of varying mediums. Please feel free to keep in touch here, on Twitter or Instagram, or by emailing me at jacqueline@thedustybaker.com. And if you’re interested in the work I do — namely, writing about people in the food world for various outlets — check out my website, www.WordsFoodArt.com.

Love love love,

– Jacqueline (the DB)

Pieces about chronic illness on Elle and Cosmopolitan!

I Can’t Have Children – But I Don’t Want to Anyway on Elle and Cosmopolitan Magazines

My Chronic Illness Has Cost Me More Than Just My Health on Cosmopolitan

Five years later and I’m still making the same face, evidently.

I have a radio show!

Love Bites: Where Dining and Dating Collide hits that sweet and sour spot where working in food and being single in your thirties collide. I co-host it with a dear friend, Ben Rosenblatt, and we welcome industry professionals from all over the worlds of food and beverage in to talk about how the business affects their love lives.

Show topics have run from when you know it’s right to break up with someone (as I did thirty minutes before our first episode!), what we think of how the interweb suggests you act to land a second date, how anxiety disorders play into work and love, and how loving what you do means that maybe dating is not quite as exciting as it was in your twenties. Oh, and I may have gotten up on a soapbox about women having sex without being shamed for it. We’ve had some amazing guests and a lot of fun.

It’s casual, it’s honest, it’s funny, and I hope you like it. Check out our website, find us on Twitter, listen to all episodes on Heritage Radio Network, or subscribe to us as podcast on iTunes!

I made a new portfolio of all my work… on Pinterest!

I’ve been stealing some freelancing tips from Carrie at Careful Cents; you should totally check her out if you work for yourself and need help with increasing your productivity, need some new resources for basic office stuff, want referrals for things and stuff like that. One really easy one to jump on what doing a portfolio on Pinterest. It makes it super easy to add pieces as they get published on different sites, and I have boards that differentiate columns I’ve had (like my Serious Eats WE CHAT WITH column, above), kinds of pieces I’ve written, etc. Check it out!

I got interviewed by FoodyDirect!

Read all about how my degree in acting and playwriting served me as a blogger, and how my experience as a blogger has served me as a writer! Plus, I share my gluten-free black and white cookie recipe… which I want to be eating right now. Click here to read!