ABOUT ME
Welcome to Tall Blonde Bakery! I'm Carey Broadwater - a Tall Blonde & a Baker. I am a "local only" Arizona bakery. Let me tell you the story behind "Tall Blonde". First and foremost, I'm a lover of giraffes. Giraffes have been my favorite animal for many, many years and about 22 years ago, a friend starting referring to me as her "giraffe friend". She would give me gifts of giraffe items; such as little art statues, coffee mugs, picture frames, but my favorite was the book she gave me titled "Tall Blondes" by Lynn Sherr. This book contains everything one would need to know about giraffes, and most importantly, how they got their nickname "Tall Blonde". So, if you were wondering why I have a giraffe in my logo, well, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. Giraffe + Nickname + Baking + ME = Tall Blonde Bakery! Priceless, right?!
​
Now a little about my love of baking (and cooking). There are two very important women in my life that, very silently, taught me the love of baking and cooking. Here's a little background: I grew up in the Midwest under the incredible guidance of very loving parents and protected by three awesome brothers... sure, we argued (who doesn't), but ultimately we had each other's backs and always loved each other through any circumstance. My fondest memories were our summer vacations every year. We usually met up with our grandparents and cousins - either on The Jersey Shore or in the Smoky Mountains. Sometimes, we just went to our grandparents' homes in either Pennsylvania or Connecticut (later Florida & North Carolina). But family was always the focus and there were always meals & goodies to enjoy together.
My Grandmother, Carey, is one of those important women. She loved to bake and cook, and I clearly remember wandering through her house, peeking into every cabinet or cupboard I could get my hands on. I loved all her special china pieces, I loved the different crystal and glassware, & I loved going through her kitchen drawers to look at all her baking and cooking equipment. I loved the way her house always smelled of coffee cake, homemade dinner rolls, pies, & grapefruit (she always had grapefruit)….the house always smelled heavenly. Most importantly, I loved walking into the kitchen and seeing her standing there in her apron, smiling! My Grandmother Carey inspired me to want to be in the kitchen myself. Even today, I use many of my Grandmother Carey's recipes (and yes, I'm named after her... and my other Grandmother, Jane).
Back at the house I grew up in you'll find the other important woman, she is my Mother, Nancy. Raising four very active, very athletic children, my Mother was constantly in the kitchen whenever she was not out carpooling us, selling real estate, or at the swim & tennis club. She had the largest role in my love of the kitchen, as I started young to help her cook meals for a family of 6. My specialty eventually became making chocolate chip cookies for my brothers (ok, and me...), but for as long as I can remember, I have loved being in the kitchen. My Mother always taught me to take pride in what I bake or cook, making sure it's presentable, how to make sure the flavors are apparent, and to always respect the equipment I'm using.... such as the oven..... it can bite back, ya know (insert giggle)!
​
What can you expect from my baked goods? You can expect that your order will be home baked, by me personally, with incredible flavors, visual appeal, some family history, and definitely baked with love! Please allow Tall Blonde Bakery to become your Baker of Choice! My baked goods are baked to order and are Taken to a New Height.
*Unfortunately at this time Arizona State Laws do not allow me to ship out of state*
