If you have ever had a family heirloom recipe and thought, “Wow, I wonder if I could sell actually sell this Chocolate Truffle Brownie Bar?” You’re not alone. I actually started a small home bakery when I lived in Cary, North Carolina (the best home-based baking state in the U.S.) and sold pies. Talk about a grueling experience! But you know what, it was the best thing I ever did and started me down an exciting life journey that I’m still on today.For the past five years I’ve been a huge advocate of cottage food laws and with the unemployment rate being in the double digits there really is something to be said about being a food crafter. It’s probably one of the more creative and inspiring home-based start-ups; everybody eats, right? Plus, your make a supplying your community with delicious food!

My blog Cooking with Denay started out as a place for home-based food crafters, primarily bakers, then it grew so, until it was out of control and I started HomeBasedBaking.com. It was created out of necessity since I could not longer handle all the emails, letters and  (long distance) phone calls inquiring about “how to start a bakery” from a home kitchen.

Today Cooking with Denay is a blog about food, issues with food, food inspirations, innovations, cooking, baking, bizarre foods, and great cookbooks. It’s a no frills type blog, that talks about stuff foodies want to know. I also drop in things food crafters want to know from time to time.

The fact is,  I grew up in a family business (from the age of 6, til I joined the U.S. Navy at 21) and I can tell you first hand how great owning a small business is. We were lucky, my dad was a savvy businessman and accountant by trade, so he made it appear easy…it wasn’t.

The lessons you will learn as a business owner, and the lessons your children or grand children will learn from either working in the business or watching you create history first hand will be something you will never be able to put a price on.

I have dedicated my life to working with small business owners, people who have a dream to one day sell their specialty food product. I can’t tell you how many folks have attended my classes, workshops, read my book; and taken their dream from a mere thought to reality; but as long as there in one candy or jelly maker, cake decorator or artisan bread baker, or pastry extraordinaire out there, I will be offering up the over 30 years of experience that I learned from my own business and my family’s.

Stop by for a live chat if you would like to learn more about starting a home bakery!