Art Chowder January | February 2017, Issue 7 | Page 30

Writers
Meet Our
C H A N D L E R

A N D E R S O N

B A I R D

I am a big-city girl from Dallas who grew up on Tex-Mex, smoked BBQ and
salsa, the hotter the better. I like sunshine, warm weather, skyscrapers, and
huge malls with designer stores I could never afford. It is no surprise that
Washington is nothing like Texas but I have found that it’s easy to love with
such beautiful scenery that constantly takes my breath away. I feel blessed to
live in the Pacific Northwest and to call Spokane home.
I baked my first batch of chocolate chip cookies at the tender age of 4, and
since that day, I have never been the same. Perched on a bar stool, stirring the
dough, and licking the beaters, I was smitten. As I grew, so did my fascination
with baking and blending, and (most importantly) eating the many creations
that were brought to life around the world. It did not matter the final outcome,
my fascination was in the ingredients, carefully mixed and baked creating a
circle of perfection to be dipped in ice-cold milk and devoured.
While attending college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, I lost my
passion for baking. Possibly because dorm rooms don’t include kitchens, or
maybe because I was terrified of the “freshman fifteen”. As a replacement,
I began creating, mixing, baking and frosting—words, slogans, themes, campaigns, captions and events. Marketing and advertising became my new sugar,
my drug of choice, my “high”. I could mix-up a strategic and creative marketing
campaign faster than any chocolate chip cookie.
My drive to create the perfect marketing recipe included a global marketing
study abroad program, where I visited eight different countries, learning about
international marketing from world-wide corporations, and eating my fair
share of crepes, borscht and even a fried scorpion. My passion for different
food cultures blossomed during this time as I saw street vendors, families, and
locals pouring their heart and soul into their food.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with an emphasis
in Advertising, I followed my husband to Spokane for his long journey through
Medical School at the University of Washington. I work full time as the Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator for a local wealth management firm.
When I’m not at work or writing about food, you can find me at the gym, hiking,
or crafting. I’m a California girl at heart and visit twice a year to get my beach
fix. I love adventures and make a point to try something new every day.
When I began exploring Spokane, I was blown away by the support for local
businesses. I saw an opportunity to help boost the food scene on Instagram
and I ran with it. Since then, I have grown my brand “Spokaneeats” to over
8,000 followers adding a blog, Facebook, and Pinterest page. What better way
to immerse myself in the culture of Spokane, than to start a food blog. Everyone likes food, right? I love collaborating with local businesses and entrepreneurs and I am excited to be a new regular contributor to Art Chowder. I hope
that as you read about the Spokane food scene, you too may be inspired to
find your passion and create something you have always dreamed of.
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