SHORELINES

21 Shor e l i n e S | 2017 Vol :1 "My mom and her friend had an old pasta maker and they made their own fondant. I thought, if she can do it, I can do it. I probably made 30 different vanilla cake recipes that year," Wood says with a laugh. Making her wedding cake revealed that her love of food and science were a perfect pair when it came to baking. "Baking is really just one big science project," she says. Wood and her husband now live in his hometown of Selma with their two children, Aimee and 9-month-old George. For the big-city transplant, Wood has taken to the closeness of a small town. "Life in a small town is so rich. People truly care about each other, we are all sewn together and you realize how your life affects others," she says. After her wedding cake success, Wood has continued to bake and has a dream of creating a cookbook of her own. She started Wood and Spoon to document her recipes and journey through baking. "It was scary at first to put yourself out there and trust that what you have to say is meaningful. But this is a passion that God has put in my heart. We all have goals, and I want this to be full; it's a labor of love." Inspiration for a new recipe seemingly waits at every corner for Wood. "I get ideas traveling, looking at a restaurant menu or even just seeing an item at the grocery store," Wood says. "I keep a running list of ideas and just see where the inspiration strikes me when testing recipes." Using her food science background, the recipe development process can take a few short days or can stretch weeks at a time. "I made easily 40 loaves of cinnamon bread before I was happy with it," she recalls of a recent recipe. More than her passion for nutrition and food, Wood embraces the opportunity baking offers to spend time with her family and to connect with her loved ones. "At the end of my life, I want my children to look back Above: Photo contributed by k aTe Wood – The Woods enjoy spending time with family from across the country at the family's Lake Martin home.

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