Wanted to share a quick update as we prepare for baby #2.
I’m 36 weeks pregnant and our lives are rapidly about to change. We’re excited for Noelle to become a big sister, but know that comes with its own unique set of challenges. She understands there’s a baby coming and seems very excited, but I know the reality will be an adjustment. You’ve given me some wonderful advice for this big change, so we definitely feel better prepared.
An update on our dog, Jude. He has come off chemotherapy. While his bloodwork has been normal and he’s been eating/sleeping/smiling like usual, we made the decision with our vet this week to take him off any more medication that helps stop his cancer from spreading. It’s hit his lymph nodes and is enlarging, so we understand the medication is no longer working.
Nothing but snuggles for our big guy moving forward.
It’s been a heavy few months. In addition to our world tragically losing hundreds of thousands to the pandemic, there’s also immense grief and sadness following the death of George Floyd, among others. This isn’t a news or lifestyle website; it’s a food blog and I know you come here for joyful recipes. But these Coffee Break posts are where I can share a piece of my life and heart. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting and self education and want to share my heartfelt thoughts with you today. I shared some of this on Instagram, too.
We ALL Love to Bake.
You’re probably here because you love to bake. And isn’t it so beautiful that no matter what we look like, where we live, who we love, and what we do– that we are all united in this delicious hobby?
Sally’s Baking Addiction is a brand and business owned by me, a woman who has a strong commitment to inclusivity and practicing kindness. This is how I was raised. I’m also learning about ways to help disrupt the unjust cycle of racism in our world and country. I’m disappointed and sorry that I’ve never touched on anything like this before, but given the past couple of weeks we’ve seen, it would be wrong not to use my platform to share my thoughts. I stand with you, all of my Black followers and readers. I see you, I support you, I’m listening, I’m learning, and I thank you for being here. I’ve written and rewritten this post 100x this week because I don’t have the perfect words. I don’t know if what I’m saying is helpful or not helpful or seen as artificial. My hope is that my words and actions show my genuine intent. I’m committed to bettering myself both online and offline and am looking into concrete ways on how to make a change for both right now and future generations. I want to help be the change and I know many others here do as well. All lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter.
- Here is an extensive list (a google doc) of anti-racism resources. Books, films, organizations, podcasts, causes, articles, and so much more.
- This video is beautiful, eye-opening, and powerful. Though there are many resources we can use to self-educate, Emmanuel gives his time and speaks so eloquently, yet directly, about how we can actively help. And that begins by listening.
- If you have children, consider checking out Here We Read (thank you to a reader, Cathy, who shared this with me on Instagram). There is also The Conscious Kid book club. Here is their Instagram account. Available to us are many resources for how to teach children (of any age) about anti-racism. I’m looking forward to going through it when I take time off in a few weeks.
But no matter who you are, you’re here because you love food. Here are some wonderful food bloggers who have so much inspiring content. Some of these blogs/sites are new to me and I’m looking forward to supporting them in this business. Follow, comment, like, and engage with these talents. Their passion shows!!
- Sweet Tea & Thyme – follow on Instagram
- Big Delicious Life – follow on Instagram
- A Little Food – follow on Instagram
- Jessica in the Kitchen – follow on Instagram
- First & Full – follow on Instagram
- A Classic Twist – follow on Instagram
- Grand Baby Cakes – follow on Instagram
- My Forking Life – follow on Instagram
- Orchids & Sweet Tea – follow on Instagram
- Butter Be Ready – follow on Instagram
- Cooks With Soul – follow on Instagram
- Brown Sugar Food Blogger – follow on Instagram
- Tried and Tasty – follow on Instagram
- The Hungry Hutch – follow on Instagram
- Peaches to Peaches – follow on Instagram
- Sweet Potato Soul – follow on Instagram
- Artisan Bryan – follow on Instagram
- All the Healthy Things – follow on Instagram
And I know you love cookbooks. Cherry Bombe has an extensive list of Black authored cookbooks. I only own 2 of these! I’m looking forward to expanding my collection. I found Sweetie Pie’s Cookbook while searching yesterday, too. Do you have this one? The list on Cherry Bombe’s website also includes chefs, creatives, restaurants, and initiatives.
Thank you for giving me the space and courage to speak up.
PS: I’m taking time off after our baby is born. While you’ll continue to see Sally’s Baking Addiction in action on social media, in your inbox, and here on the website, the new recipes won’t be as frequent. I’ll be checking in periodically! Sally’s Baking Challenge will continue, of course. Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches this month.
Dearest Sally,
You have the heart and soul of an angel on earth. Your thoughts and mine are in complete agreement. Regarding Jude, you made exactly the right decision to stop the meds. And what a lucky boy he is to have you doing right by him. I have a St. Jude statue which I’ll light up for him – ironic, right?!? Be well and enjoy your new baby when he/she arrives. You deserve every wonderful thing life has to offer. You’re one in a trillion.
Beautiful post, Sally! My heart goes out to you and your family as you deal with Jude’s cancer. He is a beautiful dog, and I’m sure an amazing pet-even in pictures, he looks so protective of you♡ As for the tragedy of George Floyd…it was a horrible incident, and it always has broken my heart that there is such dissention and strife among people just because of the color of their skin. God created all men equal in his image, and he cherishes all of them–not just the whites. It must grieve him to see how his creations treat each other. Romans 12:9-10 says, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” If only the world would acknowledge this, perhaps we could avoid these atrocities. But we should not be the ones to judge the man who committed this crime–we are all sinners, and only our Lord and Saviour can judge wrongdoing. After all, Christ took all our places on the cross and paid for our sins–we don’t deserve the grace he extended towards us, but he gave it anyway. And he paid for that police officer’s sins just as he did mine. I pray that this man will find peace and forgiveness in our heavenly father’s love.
Sally, You are a gem, love you and all your sweet bakes, look up to you for your great recipes and in-depth descriptive recipe directions; but today, my heart just stretched a little more from the sheer depth of the fibers of your being. How blessed your children are for picking you as their mother! I’ll pray for Jude, my daughter went through the same thing with her beloved dog, Poppy. I want to thank you, for being a role model for me and being encouraging to pursuing my own food blog, and for showing me to write from the heart. I wish you God’s grace and love at this time in your life, as you approach the birth of your beloveth child; God bless you and your entire family!
I want to wish you the best in the coming months. A new baby is very exciting, but a lot of work too.
I so appreciate everything that you do for us.
I was never a baker until I came to your site. I enjoy all the new recipes and so do my family and friends.
God bless you and yours.
Thank you for sharing Sally. These are indeed challenging times.
I am baking Peanut Butter Bacon dog treats for my grandpuppy Madison today – she loves them! I’ll be thinking of sweet Jude and sending him hugs and kisses.
Hugs,
Barb
Some early sympathy for the hospice care of your buddy. Been there, done that, with our first girl. (I’m a people nurse).
If you want/like any cook books I have many from my moms estate, one is by “Oscar” of the Waldorf, it is in tough shape, but would love a new home, I have 2 copies. Drop a note to me email and we can chat.
Congratulations on the new addition.
Since I discovered you on IG, through Baking with Melissa, I am a different baker. Thank you for all your lessons.
I wish you well in all you do and that your growing family succeeds in all aspects of their lives ❤️❤️ and the world brings them a joyful peaceful life.
My Mumma tip to offer you is to have the new baby bring Noelle something small, a keepsake of sorts, to greet the big sister and form a bond right away for her in that who doesn’t love a gift? We still have the gift from when baby sister arrived. Bearing that gift. Cheers and love to you and yours
Dear Sally. I love “Sally’s Baking Addiction.” I can’t count the number of recipes I have used to make mouth watering cookies, cakes and muffins. I am called the “Cookie Lady” at my church. Once a month we have “Cookie Sunday,” and ladies from the church bring a plate of cookies. I almost always make one of your recipes and I take my cookie plate home with just a few crumbs. I created a cookie cookbook about a year ago because where ever I brought a plate of cookies some asks for the recipe. I called my cookbook “May I Have the Recipe Please,” and it sold fairly well. The
proceeds from the sale are being used to take my three teenage grandchildren to New England for a week. Boston is my home town and I want these 3 great children to see New England. We will be leaving the first of August and I pray that this virus will be gone and we will enjoy all the sights and sounds of NE. Looking forward to hearing about the birth of your second child. Will be praying for a safe delivery. Thank you again for your wonderful website. It brings me great joy.
Oh Sally! I’m so sorry to hear about Jude. Enjoy those snuggles! Can’t wait to see photos of your new baby! Take it easy & take care of yourself! <3
Dear Sally,
I can’t believe you are almost there to give birth to a second baby. I’m wishing you a healthy delivery and no matter what happens at the beginning, it’s a gift for Noelle to have a sibling.
This week has been heartbreaking. I pray for all of us to get through it safely. Sending prayers to Jude. Lots of good wishes to you and you family. Thank you for your kind spirit.
You are an amazing and strong woman as I believe many of your followers are. Thank you for sharing part of your life and resources
Prayers to you for Jude and you upcoming birth you are loved by many ❤️
Sally, thank you so much for the coffee-break. It has really lifted me this morning. So sorry about Jude. I will be praying for a peaceful passing.
I just wanted you to know how much I love your site. I know I can trust your recipes to be exactly right. Never disappointed.
Prayers for you too for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.
Your words were perfect , Sally…clearly heartfelt and sincere. As a young mom, you are in a perfect position to be part of the change that has to happen if this country…this American experiment…will survive for the generations ahead. Some necessary changes will happen in the months ahead but the bigger ones, the systemic ones, must continue to happen as we move ahead. Our strongest tool is the voting booth and education. I pray every American educates his/herself before November and vote for candidates who are truthful, inclusive and want to unite this country as we move ahead.
Sweet Jude…he is so fortunate to be in your care. His spirit will always be with you. I am thinking of Franklin right now too. He won’t understand but I know he will get extra love to support him.
Be well, Sally.
Thank you Sally at the age of 73 you have taught me how to bake bread which I just love as well as my family and friends. Being an avid baker I never attempted to bake bread but being shut in with the virus I was looking for different items to bake and low and behold I found you and your web site. Wishing you and your family good health and love.
Thank you. For everything. ❤️✌️
Dear Sally… I am so moved by your love and concern for humanity…With all that is going in our world, thank you for pausing a moment to air your view about what’s relevant…As for Jude I only hope the very best of health.. I just want to wish you and your precious family all the love, as you wait on your new arrival…Stay blessed..
Charmaine
I think you worded this perfectly Sally. I, too, don’t have the right words to say without coming off as artificial so I’ve chosen to stay quiet this week. But I would echo every word you wrote. I am SO sorry to hear about Jude. I will say a prayer for him. you are right to show him as much love as you can right now. My heart is breaking for you, and for everyone. To add another site to your list, I discovered MyForkingLife.com last year and I LOVE her!! She has a lot of great Instant Pot recipes, which is how I stumbled on her. I was doing research after I received my Instant Pot, and just love her! Check her out.
THANK YOU Sally for helping to effect change. I’m proud of you and others who have used your platforms to elevate Black voices and promote their outstanding work. Let’s work together to address the systemic racism in our country.
Your post was perfect, written from your heart. Wishing you and your family all the best with your new, sweet arrival ❤️ Jude will keep smiling with all the love you are give him.
Thank you for the awesome resources- I am already following and picking out recipes from these awesome bloggers! Sending thoughts and prayers for your new baby and Jude❤️
Good wishes for a safe & happy delivery! You will feel like a ping pong ball at first. I remember feeling torn between which kid needed me most at that moment. That was so hard at first. Eventually though, you figure out a balance & really enjoy watching your kids relationship grow. I still tear up when they say “I love you” to each other& mine are 8& 11.
As a white woman married to a black man, who has seen through him and through experiences we’ve had together, the pain that racism can cause, I appreciate this post, Sally.
I’m so sorry about Jude as well. My sister lost her dog to cancer last year. I understand how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. Hugs. ❤
I’m so glad I found you and have had you as my recipe “go to”. Your heartfelt words were said perfectly, as well. Thank you for expressing how so many of us feel, and may not know exactly how to share. Your baking blog is full of kindness and love, as well as amazing recipes. Blessings to you and your family.
Thank you, Sally! These resources are so helpful, and I’m now following several new food bloggers. I appreciate you using this space to promote inclusion.
Thank you for putting kindness out into the world-when you do that, you never have to worry about having the perfect words because you are speaking from the heart. I look forward to checking out all the baking websites you listed. Enjoy the time you have left with your sweet dog ( I have been through the same thing with one of my dogs and know the heartbreak) and best of luck to you with the new baby!
Thank you for your post Sally. As a white police woman, over the past week, I have been standing along side my black, brown, white, Mexican, Asian, gay, straight, aetheist, catholic, Jewish, brothers and sisters, defending and protecting our City from the violence and destruction that has been going on. I have seen peaceful protesters try to stop the destruction and looters, only to be called Uncle Toms and and told to get out of the way. We have had rocks, scooters, bottles etc thrown at us and have been called every name in the book, simply because of the color of our skin or the uniform we wear. None of us agree with the unjustified killing of a suspect no matter what crime they have committed. In fact, we have been trained for many years, even if you have to use force to protect yourself or others, if that suspect is harmed, you must call a squad and begin first aid or you will be disciplined/charged. I hope all of the facts pertaining to the situation, are brought to light in a complete and impartial manner. I too use baking as therapy, and as a means to provide enjoyment to my brothers and sisters in blue, and to celebrate family and friends. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes and for sharing your talent with us. I wish you the best of luck and blessings with your growing family, and I know that all of God’s four-legged furry friends go to heaven. I hope that “one day we are all judged not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character!”
I truly appreciate the comments of the white police officer and understand her feelings. It seems like all the protests we’ve seen are making demons out of ALL the police officers in our Nation. Just because there are a few bad apples, doesn’t mean they are all racists and murderers!!!! And it doesn’t give these people the right to shoot and maim other police officers that are doing their job, because then these people loose all credibility and makes themselves “Hypocrites”. We all need to respect and appreciate the diversity in our nation. “One Nation, under God”. Best to you with baby # 2. I had a 10 1/2 month baby when my second was born:) (We all made it thru). Love all your recipes and helpful comments. Warm regards:)
Thank you for putting yourself out there to protect all of us. I also thank you for your post. The MLK quote is what we all need to live by. This means ALL of us, all races, colors, religions and occupations. No one wants to be judged by the least among us. Change will only happen when EVERYONE stops judging whole groups of people by a few bad ones. All blacks do not commit crimes and loot, all whites are not privileged and racist, all police officers are not committing acts of brutality.
Stop judging and promote peace.
Thank you for talking about this, and the list of resources. Sending love and positive thoughts to your whole family, and best wishes for an amazing birth coming up!
Thank you for sharing. It has helped me put my own thoughts together.
Hi Sally, I was so sorry to hear about Jude. I’ve been following you for years now and know that Jude was your first baby. Stay well and enjoy the time you have with him!!!♥️♥️♥️
Ditto all the comments – thank you for the resources. I so appreciate the lists you gave! I’ve realized how I need to expand my follows to provide more diversity and learn more myself. Thanks for doing the work to give that to us. You’ve become my go to for all baking type recipes.
Sweet Sally,
Thank you for all the joy you bring to us readers, from your character and integrity to your fantastic recipes and suggestions.
My heart is broken in regard to George Floyd’s death (and others), the resulting grief and anguish, and our wrong attitudes and mindsets that have resurfaced.
We can’t legislate love. It’s a heart matter, and only Jesus can change our heart. He’s made each of us in His image and loves each of us. Change needs to start in our own heart. Sincerely seeking Jesus’s heart will also lead to more loving dialogue and actions between us. I support the peaceful protests.
…Sally, God will work out all your busy details, and I pray for a healthy child and peace in your and all of our lives.