About - | Bakersbeans (Wanda Baker)

Haming it up with Roger Mooking at Christmas in November

Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Wanda, named after a German relative, and I currently reside in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with my husband Rob and our two kids Hailey and Aiden.

ABOUT BAKERSBEANS

Cooking should be easy and not complicated right?!

If you are looking for easy to make, delicious tasting, and sometimes quick recipes, you will enjoy browsing through our blog. We revisit vintage recipes and create new ones. Inspiration comes form my mom, her family and friends.

As someone who has never been able to sit still for long, we road trip regularly and travel when we can. This allows us to share our love of favourite destinations and hidden gems. Lifestyle and brand features fit naturally with our blog’s vision as we love to create awareness of great products both new and existing.

ABOUT ME

There was no Food Network growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, but there was PBS [Public Broadcasting Service] and cooking shows on Saturday mornings. This kid would watch them all, then cook with my mom.

When I graduated high school I moved to Vancouver to go to University, and was overwhelmed with the flavours and cuisines that make Vancouver so culturally alive. Inspired by my mom’s recipes, work potlucks, and the plethora of International cuisine’s surrounding me, I’d found my happy place with food long before the explosion of food blogs and recipe websites on the internet and social media.

Later I moved to Calgary and met my husband. After leaving a career in Marketing Communications, Events and Social Media, following emergency surgery in my then infant son, I became a work at home mom. Blogging started in 2006 as a hobby and way to continue my creative cooking process while looking after kids. I had so much to say, I would blog about life, travel and recipes. The popularity of the recipes lead to my third blog, Bakersbeans, a blog about food, life with little travel thrown in to showcase our adventures.

I’ve always had adventure in my blood. As a child we would road trip to Regina to see family (can I hear a woot woot) or visit my Uncle in San Diego. As I got older and moved away travel became a part of my life both for business and pleasure.

I’ve been to Mexico (solo and with the family), Texas, New Orleans, New York, San Fransisco + San Diego + Las Vegas and throughout California, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Seattle, Paris, England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Cuba, Toronto, Niagara Falls, traveled all over Western Canada extensively, Ucluelet & Tofino and Haida Gwaii (when it was called the Queen Charlotte Islands).

Baker Family

Our family has a trip to South East Asia planned for the Fall to experience more of what life has to offer in culture, food, history and more.

I hope you browse my collection of tried and true favourite recipes as this blog represents a legacy of family recipes that will be passed on to my two favourite little people, our adventures, travel tips and fun and simply life as we know it!

You can contact me through the contact form or email me bakersbeansblog[at]gmail[dot]com.

NOTABLE MENTIONS:

Get This Columnist with Calgary’s City Palate published 6 times a year.

Calgary Herald’s Food Top Blogger’s Directory

Food Bloggers of Canada Member

Alberta Food Connections Facebook Group

Food Bloggers of Canada Calgary Chapter Facebook Group

Freelance Contributor: Food Network Canada, Huffington Post Living Canada, City Palate Calgary

CONTRIBUTOR TO:

City Palate Calgary

Great Places to Eat Well & Spend Less in Canmore & Banff | January + February 2017
7 Unique Must-Try Eateries | November December 2017

Dining Out Magazine Calgary:

Food Trends Winter 2016-2017 [Ugly Black Sea Greens Filipino Monster Grain Milkshakes Invade Your Grocery Store!]
Dining To Go | Hot Food Apps – Summer 2017 http://lifestyleyyc.com/dining-to-go/
Southern Style Barbecue Heats Up in Calgary | Winter 2017-2018
We all scream for Ice Cream | Summer 2018 (link coming)

CMA (formerly) Hawkair Inflight Magazine Northern Routes [2014-2016]. All editions currently being moved to new website and server. Hawkair has folded.

Fall-Winter 2014 Inflight Magazine: The Calgary Food Blogging Scene
Salads and Salmon, Summer 2015
Fall Recipes | Turkey Bacon Corn Chowder & Pumpkin Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fall 2015
Pizza Burgers: Spring 2016
Three Ways with Tomatoes, Fall/Winter 2016

Amber Approved Magazine 2015-2016. Stories include:

March/April 2015: Mason Jar Lentil Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tuna & Pepitas, July/Aug 2016: Summer Fresh Salads, Sept/October 2015: Leftover Turkey Quinoa Salad, March/April 2016: Roasted Poblano Turkey Chili, July/August 2016: Watermelon Berry Popsicle’s

Gastropost | National Post Ambassador & Reporter

Christmas in November in Jasper 2015 & 2016
Link to stories Gastropost at Christmas in November

CONTESTS

Catelli Reinvent Gluten Free Lasagne Challenge | 2015, 1 of 3 first place winners chosen by Kathy Smart [Vegetable Lasagna]

“I made two pans it was so good! Great complexity of flavours and the added smoked gouda cheese and fresh oregano put it over the top!” – Kathy Smart

Canada wide EIEO Christmas In July Cookie Contest | 2012, 3rd place winner with cookie recipe Bacon Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Westons Grill Up Summer Contest 2013, Period 2, 2nd prize winner for The Blue Cheese, Pear and Dark Ale Caramelized Onion Burger

BCfresh New Nugget Potato Challenge Runner Up 2013 for Stuffed Mushroom Stuffed Potato recipe

MEDIA

Have appeared on various Calgary Radio Stations, Global TV, the Weather Network, Shaw TV talking food, my blog and the charity events I put on annually.