Written by Adelyn Loeffler
Each spring semester brings a wave of miniature sweet shops to the student center after chapel. These kiosks crop up in every corner, adding to the hubbub and allowing the breakfast skipper to grab an oh-so-nutritious cupcake on the way to his 10 o’clock class.
The breakfast skipper breezes past several bake sales, dropping a couple of quarters here and there in exchange for a mouthful of burnt cookies. Stomach still growling, he takes a big bite of a blueberry muffin, expecting to have to choke down the dog food taste.
He screeches to a halt, so taken by surprise that he gives himself whiplash trying to get a glimpse of the master baker behind the most delicious blueberry muffin he remembers eating. He catches her eyes and gives her a thumbs-up. From behind the Alaska mission trip bake sale table, Rachel Marshall returns a humble smile and goes back to doing what she does best — encouraging others with the joy of baking.
For Rachel, baking is much more than the cliché “quick fix” for a tight social club budget. It is a passion and a ministry, a way to give back to others using her God-given talent.
“Probably my favorite thing about baking is the joy it brings to others,” Rachel says. “I love it. God has blessed me with the gift of baking so I can bring joy to people in a small way.”
What started out as a hobby for Rachel has developed into something much more influential and inspirational. This week, Rachel and her mission trip team are baking to raise money to serve in Ketchikan, Alaska, during spring break.
Rachel is also devoting her talents to an ongoing project that promises to make a positive impact on a global scale. Rachel is baking cinnamon sugar Friendship Bread to raise money forLifebread, a non-profit organization that helps build bakeries in Uganda, Togo, and Kenya so that impoverished people can learn how to bake and establish their own sustainable bakery enterprises.
Baking to support Lifebread is just one of many ways Rachel is using her culinary skills to give back. She recently tapped into some new ways to make a meaningful difference by marrying old fashioned “lovin’ from the oven” with modern digital media.
With the help of her sister Casey, Rachel showcases her scrumptious creations, recipes and baking tips on their blog,Sweet Tooth Sisters. The Kentucky sisters share a love for the art of baking and cooking, and are always searching for new flavor combinations and recipes. Each blog post shows the step-by-step process to make everything from Caramel Swirled Golden Cheesecake Oreo Bars to whole wheat, homemade pizza.
Rachel and Casey started blogging together with the encouragement of friends and family. Rachel says she thought no one would care about or like her baking, but the idea of blogging sounded fun and she decided to give it a try.
“Long story short,” she says, “after being away at college and receiving so much positive feedback from my friends on how much they enjoyed my baking and how they thought I should start a blog or business, I decided it was worth a try.”
Although their blog is in its early stages, Rachel and Casey post regularly and are enjoying watching Sweet Tooth Sisters grow and bring more smiles to people’s faces. According to Rachel, social media have played a significant role in spreading the word about her baking.
“Especially now that I have a blog, so many people come up to me saying things about the blog, how they want me to bake for them, and giving me encouragement to keep doing what I love,” she said.
Rachel said she also receives positive feedback from posting links to her blog on Facebook.
But at the end of the day, traditional word-of-mouth is the most valuable and reliable source of advertising, Rachel said.
“People are much more likely to try my baking if they have heard from someone who has had it before that it is really good, rather than just seeing and reading things off Facebook or my blog,” she said.
Blogging about baking provides a platform for Rachel and other students who are passionate about baking and cooking to share ideas, sharpen their creative skills, and encourage one another. Another student-run baking venture with growing Web presence isRagamuffin Bake Shop, which specializes in decorating cakes and supports various local causes.
For students seriously considering pursing baking as a career, being able to trade advice, learn how to market products and practice technique are of the utmost importance, according to the sisters. Rachel said she hopes to open a bakery-café of her own, with a people-first focus.
“Any type of baking business I own will have an emphasis on service, whether it is in the community, the homeless, or some very worthy cause,” she said.
For Rachel, baking will never be about personal gain. Baking will always be about using quality ingredients to create wonderful treats, spreading a little more joy to anyone who looks like they could use a nice chocolate-covered pick-me-up.
