I began training for the opening of Schatzie's long before I was ever aware of it. As a young girl, I awoke every weekend to find 2 huge paper sacks tucked into our front door - a special delivery from my grandfather who was a baker at a local German bakery. One was stuffed with fresh donuts and the other filled with fresh hardrolls. After working the night shift, he would stop on his way home to drop those goodies in our door. It was through these early morning visits that I came to expect bakery that is fresh and made with the best ingredients.

As a young teen, I was able to work at that same bakery. To date, it was one of my favorite jobs. It was there that I watched the cake decorators craft beautiful cakes and hand-decorate sugar cookies. I learned how to knot a dinner roll, fry a donut and ice a stolen. I also learned how to care for customers.

I realized how the little things made a difference; tissues between each donut insure that the chocolate icing doesn't mix with the apple Danish and that a smile and friendly hello made customers feel welcome.

My family also helped shape my passion for cakes and desserts. Past generations taught me the joy of a fresh loaf of bread, the irreplaceable taste of homemade buttercream icing and how food can bond a family forever. In fact, my great-aunt, Marge, is the inspiration for the name of Schatzie's. We have always had a special relationship and as a young girl, she called me "Schatzie", a German slang word for "sweetheart".

I believe we all long for a bit of the "Old World" in our lives - a slower paced, more pure and neighborly time. When you step through the doors of Schatzie's, I hope you experience that sense of the Old World. Our cakes and desserts are created from old-fashioned recipes, some handed down from past generations. My desire is that when you taste a dessert from Schatzie's, you bite into a memory…a cake just like your grandma used to make or cookies that take you back to when you were a kid.

Always remember: "the occasion is special, the dessert should be, too!"