About BB and the Kitchen Chronicles

Hey fellow bakers and retro-lovers!

I am a pop aficionado, a vintage lover, and a baking geek who wanted to create a space that celebrates all my interests: beauty, baking, cooking, crafts, and culture. I decided one fateful day to blog and within an hour, thought the title of my first blog: “The Burlesque Baker.” 

The word burlesque, from the 1860s to the 1940s in the US, refers to a type of variety show–-entertainment consisting of a set of differing acts that includes everything from drama, comedy, music, and even the bawdy or illicit. Many of these shows satirized cultural norms in a populist rhetoric, and delivered cheeky, flamboyant aesthetics with saucy humor. My former blog then, was cut from the same fabric: every day I’d write differing posts on culture, fashion, beauty, baking, and cooking, all dressed up in colorful (and sassy) “burlesque baker” style.

My Burlesque-themed blog also happened to be dedicated to sugar, candies, sweets, and more! I am/was a Sugar-a-holic. In fact, “Sugar rush” would have been an apt name for my former eating style.

However, as of recently, I discovered I had auto-immune thyroid issues (gasp!). Even worse? I noticed that every time I ate some of my favorite things– sugar, caffeine, bread– my body would react with hives or general itchiness. I actually had to take multiple antihistamines to calm my body. Within a few months of living on antihistamines and still not feeling my best, I made the choice to change my lifestyle. I began experimenting with foods to see what made me feel “good” and what made me feel “bad.” I also changed my blog name to Kitchen Chronicles of a Pinup to match my new lifestyle changes and direction!

I realize now that a low sugar lifestyle works best for me. I eat grains, but I try to keep the concentrated carbohydrates to a minimum. (But I cheat! Like you all knew I would. Sometimes a girl just needs a piece of pizza.) I now am on the hunt for fun recipes that are thyroid-friendly (less grains, sugar, and alcohol for less stress on the body) and delicious! I do still consume dairy through cheese consumption, which means my diet is more “Primal” than “Paleo”, although I am definitely not following any “diet” plan. I just eat sensibly.

This blog, then, is a naughty-but-nice domestic haven for all of you bakers and chefs. This will be a community of DIY recipes, beauty, and lifestyle tips featuring everything from helpful hints and recommendations to sweets, meats, and vegetarian delights. I also wanted to emphasize designing and cooking on a dime, because I live on a budget. Who says we can’t make and bake our own luxuries and feel like a million bucks?

And, of course, I want my Readers to be the men and women who celebrate all shapes and sizes, all shades of skin, all styles, and all healthy manners of feeling sexy and wonderful. “Domestic burlesque-ing” and being a “Pinup” means understanding your personal beauty and what you find attractive and fulfilling, and then celebrating that through cooking and style/design expressions! Because you’re worth it!