Hey! I'm Alex.
I started this blog in the summer of 2011 when I was 18 years old. I didn't grow up baking much (something people always ask me), but I started experimenting in the kitchen with a bread-baking book, and eventually I realized baking was something I really enjoyed doing. Pretty soon I discovered the world of food blogs, and before long I decided I wanted to make my own. That's how this project got started.
What you'll find on this blog is mostly baked goods and other sweets with a few savory recipes and mixed drinks thrown in. I try to make everything from-scratch as much as possible, and my goal is to make baking from-scratch seem more attainable to the everyday person who, like me, doesn't have any formal training in the kitchen.
As of fall of 2017, I officially went gluten-free for health reasons, so all the recipes on my blog from that point on are also gluten-free. Whether you eat exclusively gluten-free or not, I'm hoping to show that gluten-free baking and cooking doesn't have to be any more difficult or any less delicious, and I'm slowly working on revamping some of my old favorites from the blog to make them accessible to the GF community.
More than anything, I hope you'll find a recipe or two here that inspires you to get creative in the kitchen, and ultimately become more confident making food from scratch!
A bit more about me...
I grew up in a small(ish) town called Clovis in California's Central Valley. After moving to Oakland for just over two years, I moved back to my hometown, where I now live with my boyfriend, Greg, and my dog, Jake. Aside from baking, some of my other favorite hobbies include traveling, snowboarding, and going to baseball games (Go Dodgers!). You can always follow me on Instagram for a little more of an inside scoop on what I do outside the kitchen.
Happy Baking!
singadiva says
cinnamon chips!
now you've made a truly bright-eyed novice baker out of me! i ♥ cinnamon! THANK YOU! i chanced upon your DIY cinnamon chips recipe via google as i've never heard of it before (i'm asian). definitely a must-try as soon as i get my hands on some vegetable shortening.
your blog is a breath of fresh air. love the fact that you DIY this & that! gives your food an extra dose of love :) my mum cooks & makes everything from scratch, too! that's how i do it with my family.
i've 2 not-so-little angels who are self-confessed chocoholics so you are the perfect mentor ;) we'll be "studying" your recipes to pick out what to bake pronto.
what a way to start the day :)
sending you lotsa sunshine from dubai!
alexandra says
You made me so happy reading your comment, so thank you! It thrills me when people get something out of reading my blog.
One reader tried the cinnamon chips with coconut oil rather than vegetable shortening, so if that is more accessible to you, you could try that out as well.
And I think you'll find plenty of chocolate recipes to experiment with here! I hope you enjoy them all. :)
Thanks again for making my day!
Max says
I am absolutely in love with your site! You communicate a passion for life and for baking in this blog that I have never encountered elsewhere. I enjoy the sincerity and simplicity of your writing and the fact that you find humor in your own foibles - I found it amusing that you never preheat your oven because you are too slow to get everything ready, as I am the exact same way. I, like you, love the feeling of warm, living dough in my hands, and I love to try new recipes. I have made your pain du chocolat twice already and am in the process of making it again as I write this; it is a recipe that I pull out when I want to impress people. I hope that you continue to enjoy your baking and to update your blog. I bet that you have thousands more readers than you realize, as many of them, like me until just now, are probably too shy to leave a comment. Keep up the good work!
brighteyedbaker says
Your comment means so much to me. You have know idea how great it makes me feel when someone like you comes along and takes the time to share such kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy everything on the site. The pain au chocolat is one of my favorites as well; it definitely is a recipe built to impress! Thanks again for making my day. :)
carolina says
I am absolutely amazed by your wonderful blog... Thanks God, I can read in English and follow your recipes... I am from Spain and have just discovered your page through facebook and obviously had no time to try any of them, but i will, that´s for sure!!! meanwhile, i´ll keep on reading your confessions and decide my next recipe.
Carolina
brighteyedbaker says
Thank you so much for your sweet comment. You have no idea how happy it makes me to read comments like yours. I hope you let me know what you think when you get a chance to try some of my recipes. :)
Faith Thompson says
I absolutely love the danish cookies you can buy in a tin this time of year. In fact I ate whole tin (a small one) by myself yesterday. Everyone goes for the sugared ones. I tried a shortbread recipe thinking it would be close but it was no where near. In fact it was really plain and boring. Do you have recipe that would be similiar, (yet better because it is made from scratch) to the Danish cookies I love so much.
PS. I am going to try your pumpkin chocolate chip scones for Christmas breakfast. Do you top them with anything? A drizzle or raw sugar?
alexandra says
I have shortbread cookie recipes, but none that I've made lately other than these, which are covered with chocolate. Everyone loves those, but if you want something more like the Danish cookies, what I would suggest is to make them but use a dish half the size so they'll be thicker, sprinkle some sugar on top before baking (perhaps coarse sugar) and adjust baking time to be longer if necessary.
As far as the scones, I love them how they are. You can try a chocolate drizzle, perhaps, but I don't think it's needed at all.
Hope this all helps :)
Thanks for stopping by!
foodepix says
Hi there,
I'd like to introduce to you a new website http://www.foodepix.com that we have just recently launched. Foodepix is a photo gallery of delicious and mouth watering food.
We've seen your blog and we love your pictures and recipes. We would love to invite you to register with foodepix.com and upload your pictures.
Hope to see you there. :)
Thanks.
alexandra says
Thanks for letting me know! I'll be sure to check out your website :)