When my husband took this photo, I had just brushed buttercream out of my hair and wiped a confectioners’ sugar explosion off the floor. My daughter helped decorate this sprinkle-loaded 6 inch cake and we’re celebrating something huge!
Milestone.
A significant marker in our lives pinpointing a momentous event. This month, I reached one and I hope you’ll celebrate with me. Afterall, I wouldn’t have reached it without you!!!
In December 2011, I started a food blog that unbeknownst to me would someday host 1,200 recipes used by millions of bakers all over the world. I still cannot wrap my head around it.
I feel I could easily turn this post into a novel with all that has gone into building this career over the past 10 years, but I will keep it short because truly—what I want to convey is just how thankful I am for everyone who bakes, trusts, shares, and enjoys my recipes as well as everyone who helped me get to this point including my absolutely wonderful and mighty SBA team.
When I pressed publish for the first time 10 years ago, I had no idea how much weight that mindless click would hold. My intention was to put cookie recipes in a place for my friends and family to see them, a solution I thought would be easier than emailing recipes to loved ones. I had a full time job and was absolutely not looking for a career change—heck, I had no idea that people even made a career out of food blogging. (It was rare back then.) I took pictures of cookies on paper plates with my fancy new smartphone. I typed vague instructions on my blog, uploaded a photo, and forwarded the link to loved ones. That’s it. That was my food blog. Instagram and Facebook pages were barely new at the time—social media for content creators was in its infant stage. Recipe videos were mostly limited to cooking shows on TV.
So what happened in the past 10 years?
Well, I built a brand from scratch! In 2011, I had never picked up a fancy camera before, never wrote professionally, never owned a business, never managed employees, never wrote a book, and knew nothing about website development. But I had passion and grit—and I believe both are the secrets to entrepreneurial success. I began to build a community who would soon share my recipes with others and before I knew it 1 follower turned into 100 and then 1,000 and then 100,000 and now there are millions of bakers looking at my recipes and sharing heartfelt stories, memories, and traditions based around the content I’ve created.
IT’S SURREAL. THANK YOU.
It’s no secret that baking can spread joy and perhaps it’s become your hobby or an activity when you need to relax or escape. Thank you for making my recipes part of your world.
What’s next? A website refresh & redesign coming in January! Finishing my cookbook proposal so cookbook #4 can happen! Developing quality baking recipes, authoring my blog posts, taking all of my own photography, and managing a trusted and knowledgeable team! These are my professional priorities for (hopefully) more decades to come. But after 10 years of hustling, it feels remarkably rewarding to slow down and reflect on what I’ve created. And without YOU + my supportive family, friends, and team + all of the blogging friends I’ve met along the way, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
Thank you so much for being here. Bake something delicious today!!!!
Happy Baking xo,
Sally
Congratulations Sally! You not only have been blogging and sharing recipes for ten years, you have been blogging and sharing the absolute highest quality instructions and recipes of any baking/cooking blog that I know of. I have never had anything fail that I baked from your recipes. You have created the gold standard of baking blogs, you should be extraordinarily proud of what you have created.
Congratulations! I love to bake and your recipes are the BEST!
Congratulations sally. Thank you for all your delicious recipes that I an my entire family and friends have enjoyed. Your monthly challenges are so much fun and educational. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you at SBA.
Sally,
1,200 recipes!!! Very impressive 10 years, indeed!!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing your great recipes. You’ve made my baking adventures fun and enjoyable. Looking forward to many more delightful recipes!
Whenever I need a recipe for baking, you are the first place I look. Every recipe I’ve tried is easy and delicious. Here’s to the next 10 years!!!!
“Peanut Butter Sallies” is how my husband refers to his favorite cookie from your collection. Thanks so much for all your beautiful, hard work and congratulations on this wonderful milestone. Here’s to the next ten!
Congratulations. Sally!
I dived into baking again during the pandemic and am enjoying it immensely!
To do what you love and be your own boss—it’s very hard work, but like you, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Deb Wade
Sally-
Thank you for creating this awesome website! Searching your website is like searching the vastness of google, except with quality I know I can trust. I discovered your blog at around age 12 (I’m now 14) and I’ve grown so much as a baker using your website.
Congratulations and keep going strong,
Phoebe Jane.
WOW!! CONGRATULATIONS on 10 years. Not sure when I first found your blog but it has been several years since I started to followed you. LOVE your blog!
Congratulations and thank you for sharing your recipes.
Congratulations, Sally!! I’ve recommended your site to many of my friends. You’ve taught me a lot. I have so many favorites but right now I seem to always be making your sprinkle cookies for my grandson. Your lightened up creamy chicken soup is the best! My hubby LOVES your GF apple crisp. (so do I) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
You’re the Best! Congratulations !
Congratulations!! You are so generous with your recipes and sharing all the wonderful tips. You made us better bakers…everyone loves your baked goods!
I LOVE baking cookies and was thrilled when I discovered your blog. Little sis I know your site would become my “go to” for so much more! Thank you and congratulations on this amazing milestone.
Hi Sally! And congratulations!! What a great accomplishment! I am a widower who got into baking after my wife died and I started a new relationship. That lasted for 6 years, but the baking has endured!! My mother was a home baker, so maybe it’s in the genes, and while I like to cook, I love to BAKE!! And, you have become my go-to guru! I love getting the emails in the morning!
I have a recipe for English Muffins, which are so good that you’ll never want to buy Thom@#$% ever again!! I’m happy to share if you want because someone shared it with me. I make thousands of these for my golf buddies, neighbors, and family and friends! Let me know, and I’ll send it!
Again, congratulations on your great success over the last 10 years! Keep it up – don’t retire!
Merry Christmas
Pat
Congratulations! I love the Cookie Addiction Cookbook! Your recipes are amazing!
Congratulations Sally!
I am so happy to have found you. I have tried so many of your recipes and am never disappointed! They have all been outstanding.
Keep on baking..I know there are many of us that look forward to trying your goodies.
Thank you!!
Congratulations on your milestone, Sally! I have been following and baking your recipes for years – they are the only ones I trust to come out perfectly delicious every time! You are truly my baking guru! Here’s to many years of continued success!
Congratulations! I appreciate your site and you are one of my favorites. I also enjoy seeing your ideas on fb. I wish you the best for the next 10 years!
been following you & your recipes almost the whole way and i genuinely credit YOU for making me the baker i am today! congratulations sally, i’ll always support you!
Congratulations Sally!! I love your website, and I love trying your recipes! Thank you for always providing clear notes and tips to help us succeed! May you have many more years of doing what you are so good at and love!
Congratulations! I have so enjoyed the community and all your wonderful recipes. Best wishes and Cheers to 10 more years!
Congratulations, Sally! I am so impressed by how many videos you have posted on YouTube for your older recipes. It must be so much work! The videos are a helpful addition to your recipes but I really enjoy reading your descriptive posts. Your writing style, the fact that you answer questions and comments yourself and of course the delicious and detailed recipes are what brings me back to your site every time I’m looking for a recipe. Thank you and all the best!!
Happy Anniversary! Thanks to you I have tried recipes and techniques I never would have. I’ve had fun and look forward to more great recipes.
congratulations! thanks for being here and all your hard work.
Love your recipes Sally, Congratulations on your milestone business and cheers to many more!
Ohhh many congratulations, I hope you feel happy and proud of what you do, I love your work, I admire you so much. you are the best! ❤️❤️❤️
Congrats on ten years I found you 7 years and made my first Sally’s baking addiction recipe peanut butter banana muffins and Bern using your website every snice.
Congratulations sally! I started following in late 2012/early 2013 when I was on maternity leave from teaching. I was desperate for a creative outlet and baking your recipes was one of the ways I was able to stay afloat during that season instead of getting swept up by PPD. I don’t bake as many party sweets as I used to, but still love following your blog. You have always made baking so approachable and I love how your approach has always been from a place of learning instead of perfection. Congrats again!
Congratulations! thanks for all the amazing recipes 🙂