My Life from Scratch: A Sweet Journey of Starting Over, One Cake at a Time

This book will have you putting on your apron. I love Gesine's ("Geh-see-neh's") candid style. She writes with warmth and honesty about her family and her decision to leave Hollywood for Vermont. I've watched her show on the Food Network. She is an amazing baker. Even though my baking is no where near hers, the recipes she shares at the end of each chapter have encouraged me to try a few. My husband adores the "Cream Scones" for breakfast and I took a batch to share while having a coffee-chat with a friend. Discovering this refreshing book during a time of my own career transition is serendipitous. It may sound odd, but it's allowed me to breath at the start of a new season in life. (Side note-- I adore all the sketches at the beginning of each chapter except for the first. It bothered me enough to contemplate whether to continue. I decided to read the chapter and it explained it. I'm glad it didn't stop me, but it almost did. It's the only thing I'd change in this otherwise refreshing book.)

While this book is now over 10 years old and also called My Life from Scratch..it’s fun to read. A glimpse of her escape from not so glamorous Hollywood, long and difficult hours building her business, her shop, a glimpse into her homeland of Germany and personal family stories to me was fun going along for the ride. Now years later with a private school built next to her home and Ray, her talented husband with an upstairs office, Gesine is still living her dream. With two seasons of Baked in Vermont now on Discovery Plus, she takes us into her school and home for more sweet masterpieces. I have this book in paperback too as it’s full of great recipes. And now I think I’ll read it again!

it was a sesquipedalian speech! I wanted to be inspired instead of having to use a dictionary to decipher the meaning of every sentence! I got through 1 chapter and my mind went numb. Not at all what I expected this book to be...inspirational.

I really enjoy Gesine's cooking show & do enjoy her book. My only complaint is her language is a bit rough for me. I love that she has added a fun recipe with each chapter.

Gesine Bullock-Prado's slim, swift-moving memoir is a fun, introspective look into the privileged life of a misanthropic Hollywood executive-turned-baker. Self actualized and mourning the passing of her iconic mother, Bullock-Prado writes of her life-altering decision to leave the empty glitz of Tinseltown and embark on a stark journey as the proprietor and principal baker of a small pastry shop in the smallest state capital in the country, Montpelier, Vermont. Along the way the reader is treated to glimpses into the author's past, including embarrassing childhood escapades and the occasional nod to Bullock-Prado's famous sister Sandra. Bullock-Prado's reminiscences of her mother and grandmother - women who profoundly shaped her life - are heart-rending and have a great deal to do with the decisions she made to change her life. The memoir includes several good recipes as well, making it worth keeping around on the cookbook shelf.Bullock-Prado writes in an easy, casual style that makes for easy reading. The book's conversational tone keeps things in perspective and prevents the author from sounding too whiney or unappreciative (and she is appropriately self-deprecating when necessary - after all, this is the story of a Hollywood big shot who has the wherewithall to completely uproot and change her life when the mood strikes her, something many of us, despite the having the desire, just can't drop everything and do). Bullock-Prado's transformation, born from grief and and a desire to serve a different purpose in life, is easy to relate to, especially since the author presents her case warts and all. "Confessions of a Master Baker" is a fun little book that offers perspective - in a small way, it challenges the reader to consider how his/her life can be altered (if ever so slightly) to make a different difference on a day-to-day basis.

This book was a light and easy read, I finished it in just a few days (I only read on my commute!).Gesine details her love of baking so beautifully I found my mouth watering as I read. Her devotion to family and to finally pursuing something that made her happy is a wonderful change from the Hollywood she leaves behind. The story is uncomplicated but not so light you'd call it chick lit (yes, I know, it's a memoir, but some are still "fluffy" enough to be called chick lit).Her love of baking is evident even without the recipes but I loved that they were included. I plan on making the Savory Rock Scones soon - I have no doubt they'll be a hit!If you like baking I recommend this book - it tells a great story that ties nicely into pursuing something you love. Even if you don't quit your day job to pursue a kitchen-central career, you can appreciate someone who did. And then you can use her recipes to impress your family. =)

I laughed and cried my way through this book. I'm more into savory foods--though, lately am trying homemade ice creams and sorbets. For this reason, I also bought her latest book.Gesine's writing is luscious, quirky, superbly humorous and poignant (hence, the tears).PLEASE continue to write and bake more to heal our souls that are blasted with trivia and nonsense and desperately crave more.

Honestly, I didn't know from the beginning she was such a "famous" sister!! (good for me) But I loved her passion and energy she put forth to produce her bakery business. Loved her expressions and honesty about the "Hollywood types". Its an "I told you so" moment" for me - they're all a bunch of fakes? Anyway, she plunged on and developed success because of her background for good food and nutrition - German!! I bought the book in paperback so I could read the recipes, but I just can't indulge in all that butter!!! So I gave it to my "foodie" daughter-in-law. She'll love the read.

Oh, I really enjoyed this book. I was really sorry when her show ended on the Food Network, hope there will be more! She is so funny and down to earth, I want to visit her bakery in Vermont! Only negative? I wish it was longer!

As described

I love memoirs.. Especially good ones. This was a fantastic one based on Sandra bullocks sister who left a high end job to become a pastry chef. Super heart warming. Great read for anyone who loves to bake or is thinking of a Career change.

In the end it is a personal cookbook, where Mrs Bullock-Prado reveals some family recipes, some brought a smile on my face, like the apple cake. It is more or less the same family recipe, most likely due to our common German roots. But at the same time the book is a nice ride within the author's life and one thing is clear, if I ever will be in Vermont, I will visit her shop for kaffee und kuchen, simply because I do understand what it represents for her and for me. A wonderful book for my holiday, I enjoyed every chapter, thank you!

Inhaltlich super, nur hätte es eine schönere Aufmachung verdient.