The Bread Lady
Sarah Gonzalez, Spring Hill
How long have you lived in Spring Hill?
Six and a half years ago we bought a house in Spring Hill while we were on vacation. We knew we wanted to move away from the California crazy and the Nashville area made the short list. We went to dinner with some friends when we came to town in August 2014, and just fell in love with the area. So we spent the rest of our vacation looking at houses and put in a couple offers. Next thing we knew, we were packing!
What is your background and how did you decide to write a cook book?
Before we moved, I was a wedding planner among other things. I grew up cooking and baking with my mom, gramma, and aunts, so I’ve always been interested in food. After we closed Spring Hill Bakery as a storefront, the opportunity presented itself through an amazing friend, and I jumped at the chance. I knew I wasn’t done feeding people and this was simply a new way to do that. I love creating new recipes and storytelling so I’m able to do that and hopefully inspire others to bake and feed others as well.
Tell us about your new cookbook.
Baking with the Bread Lady is a collection of 100 recipes, practical tips to learn to love baking, inspiring stories like “The Care and Feeding of Neighbors” and “Happy Eggs”, and new and creative baking concepts built on centuries of tradition. Most of the recipes are my own, and I’ve also included some of my family’s recipes like my great-great-great grandmother’s gingerbread cake. And YES, there are even some gluten free recipes too! The book will be released August 31st, but Baking with the Bread Lady is now available for presale on my website breadladyskitchen.com as well as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Walmart, and locally at Ghostlight Books in Spring Hill.
How do you balance family and work life?
Honestly, I used to think that was a myth. The reality is, you have to be intentional about setting aside time for each. Because my husband Corey, sixteen-year-old daughter Eva, and I all work together, we try to dedicate work time and family time so it’s not all work and no play. Though while we’re working, we still have a lot of fun.
What activities do you enjoy doing in your free time with your family?
We watch movies, occasionally play cards, and go on mini adventures to other cities in the area. We go treasure hunting in thrift shops, last-minute weekend trips to Chattanooga and Atlanta, and occasionally I can convince them to go antiquing with me. We’re trying to plan a few out-of-state road trips this year now that things are starting to open back up.
What do you enjoy most about Spring Hill/Maury County?
I love the people, really. I’ve made a lot of really great friends here. As I said, I LOVE antiquing, so Bleu32, 2Storeys Antiques, Carter’s Creek Station Antiques, Country Living Newbie, Spring Hill Antique Mall, and literally all the other ones. For cuisine, I love Mozzarella Bar, Don Arturo’s, Legacy Coffee, Mama Mila’s, The Little Juice Co, B’s Salty & Sweet, and Tallgrass Meats because I mostly cook at home.