Member Moments: Living the Sweet Life
Cathy always dreamed about having her own bakery. In 2019, the Isanti resident turned that dream into a reality. By day, she’s a math teacher, having been in the world of education for more than 24 years. By night (and weekends), she’s busy in the kitchen, baking up delicious treats, from cupcakes, to cakes, to cookies and more. Cathy’s baking journey started with her mother and grandmother. Her mother started the obsession with cupcakes when she was 17, in the form of a decorating kit.
“Without the support of my family, there’s no way I would have been able to pursue one of my biggest dreams,” said Cathy.
Her love for baking has grown over the years, concocting different creations, experimenting with a variety of flavors, and making everything she bakes with her secret ingredient: a whole lot of love. Many of her recipes have been handed down to her from her parent’s families, from Aunt Alice’s butter cookies, to Uncle Bill’s gingerbread cookies, and her own love for chocolate chip cookies. If you want to see a giant cookie cutter collection, she’s got you beat, with more than 570 cut-outs. It’s a sight to see!
If you’re wondering where the name came from, get this: Sweet Ride Bakery Shoppe marries Cathy’s love for baking with her love for riding her purple ‘05 Harley Davidson. She says that her friends helped her pick out the name, and it is simply perfect.
Cathy is registered as a cottage food producer in Minnesota, which means she can only sell goods for local delivery or pick up. There are certain rules she must follow and must register every single year.
One of the things Cathy loves most about owning her own business is the joy that it brings to those she works with. Some of her favorite things to bake include: anything baby shower related, or making her husband’s favorite apple pie and apple crisp.
“I bake because it brings me joy,” said Cathy. “I hope that what I give people just helps add joy to their event. Sometimes I think I am more excited about giving them their stuff, because it’s baked with love.”
Cathy has been an Affinity Plus member since 2005 and banks at the Cambridge location. She says what she loves most about Affinity Plus is that small-bank feel.
“I love that I’ve been able to get to know them over the years because I’ve been with them for so long,” said Cathy.
Cathy says she recalls a time where she accidentally wrote a check to her niece from the wrong checking account and someone from Affinity Plus noticed, and personally called her.
“They said they noticed I took a check out of this one and assumed that I meant to do it from another account. That was correct, and I felt like it was just such a nice and personal touch. They just took care of it when other banks may not have caught that.”
As for what’s next for Cathy? She says, there’s a few sweet options on the horizon.
“Eventually, I would love to open up a storefront,” said Cathy. “So when I get to the spot where I am ready to retire, that’s going to be my next endeavor.”
To learn more about Sweet Ride Bake Shoppe, please visit: https://www.sweetridebakeshoppe.com/, Facebook page, or can be emailed at: cathy@sweetridebakeshoppe.com