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Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
This gluten-free carrot cake is irresistibly moist, made with organic carrots and frosted with a deliciously tangy cream cheese frosting. The textures – soft cake, plump raisins, juicy pineapple, crisp nuts, and rich, creamy frosting all perfectly complement each other in every bite. A flavorful, gluten-free twist on a classic favorite.
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Strawberry Cake
A delicious strawberry cake bursting with fresh berry flavor in every bite. Made with partial almond flour for a moister, denser crumb and a hint of nutty texture, this cake is as satisfying as it is flavorful. Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting with freeze dried strawberry powder whipped throughout.
The Eldest Daughter
Eldest daughter coded. Rules reimagined.
Howdy!
Iโm Kathy, eldest daughter and second-gen Asian American, on a journey of rewriting the rules and forging my own path. Here, I share recipes, travels, and stories from my everyday life. I also use this space to capture the entertaining exchanges I share with my mom. As the eldest daughter of an eldest daughter, I deeply appreciate the special bond we share. Our relationship has grown and evolved over time, shaped by the imperfect, quirky ways weโve learned to bridge generations and cultures โ while navigating the occasional language barrier here and there.
I hope what I share here brings a little hope or joy to your day. Life can feel overwhelming, but Iโm inspired by the small mysteries that connect us to one another. Whether youโre here for a minute or along for the ride, Iโm so grateful youโre here!
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Born on the East Coast and raised by two Chinese immigrants, my brother and I learned and experienced America at the same time as my parents, who both left their families behind in China and came to the US in their mid-30’s. Our house was a revolving presence of our visiting grandparents, and the aunties and uncles we inherited from the small but strong Chinese community in Pennsylvania. My early childhood was stitched together by Chinese tradition and scrappy immigrant spirit. In our house, education wasn’t just important – it was everything. There was an almost comically intense, oppressively heavy focus on academics, all in the hopes that one day we’d earn an Ivy League education and reach one of the holy trinity of honorable careers: doctor, lawyer, or engineer.
Fast forward to my early adulthood: after falling short of the Ivy League dream (RIP application fees), I graduated from NYU’s Stern School of Business with a degree in Finance and Marketing. Much to my dad’s disappointment, I had no stomach for the toxic work culture in the finance world and abandoned that career path before it ever really began. Instead, my twenties and thirties became a winding, soul-searching journey through restaurant management, door-to-door sales, sales leadership at a major tech startup, and eventually real estate. Along the way, I moved cross-country 6 times with quite a few extra interstate moves for good measure, fell in love and then fell devastatingly out of it, survived Covid, and stumbled into a second chance at love in a place (and a friend) I never saw coming. In 2023, I tied the knot with the person who turned out to be the perfect plot twist to a storyline that never sticks to the script.
These days, I’m letting myself slow down. I’ve stopped chasing titles and promotions, and work no longer defines my self worth. I’m finding comfort in my kitchen and refining my sixth love language: food. As we try and grow our family, we’ve faced the painful setbacks and heartache of miscarriage and unexplained infertility. This chapter is still being written, and Iโm trusting that whatever comes next will arrive in its own perfect timing.
Kathy
