Once upon a time, there was a girl who liked the idea of baking a lot, being as addicted to sweets as she was, but never really baked. And when she did try to bake, she never really found much success. During her first feeble unsupervised attempts, she made brownies from a box... three times. And three times her friends at the fire department had to come to shut off the smoke alarm. Inside the oven, the mix in the nine by nine pan was smoking. Oops.
Contrary to her lack of skills behind the wheel of an automobile, she couldn't blame this on genetics. She was raised on homemade goodies. In fact, for many years they followed her in parcel boxes all around the country and across oceans. Her mother had talent in the kitchen. More recently, her sister had proven she could design and deliver an entire Thanksgiving feast from start to finish with distinction (albeit an hour or two later than planned). The Christmas cookie tradition was carried on by her sister as well. Amazed, she really did wonder when her sister developed such skills.
The girl moved to New York and then, eventually, to Baltimore. In New York, she found a very receptive audience fpr her sweet experiments--kids and roommates--and, with practice, the results slowly started improving. She even had some signature cookie treats. (That pecan pie, though, was a good reminder that a pastry chef she was not! It may have even smoked a little...)
Baltimore brought time, interest, an appreciative patron, and a critic. She was living amidst people genuinely interested in the actual make-up, taste, and presentation of the product they put in their mouths. Food was the center of choice, conversation, and nourishment. She was able to learn and try, take encouragement, and accept criticism. And, finally, the mark was moved up. The critique was more advanced than the basic idea to follow the time suggested in the recipe to avoid a smoky house. It even helped her to peek her interest to cooking categories beyond baking.
It's amazing what a little belief and interest can produce. A fancy looking turtle cheesecake (all ingredients from crust to caramel made from scratch) to start!