Lynn April is the woman behind the popular blog FreshAprilFlours.com and is the former owner of Lucky Duck Cakes, where she become known as "The Cake Lady" in her hometown of West Chester, PA. It would be cliché to say Lynn had "always been in the kitchen" or "grew up baking with her grandmother." Neither is true. Lynn considers herself a "self-taught" baker. However, on a whim, she did decide to take up a Wilton Cake decorating class at her local craft store and fell in love with it.
"I never had an interest in baking until I forced myself to find a hobby," says Lynn, "and I never had an interest to be in the kitchen when I was younger. It wasn't until my 20's when I decided to put on my baker's hat and learn to bake from scratch. I found the experience therapeutic, stimulating, and science-y." In her recently released cookbook "The Chow Down" (published by Halo Publishing International - http://www.halopublishing.com), Lynn shares some irresistible cereal snack mix recipes the whole family will enjoy. Each recipe is kid-friendly and simple to follow. "I wanted a cookbook the whole family can do together. I didn't want a cookbook that makes baking unenjoyable or complicated. I'm all about families gathering in the kitchen and making memories there," says Lynn. In "The Chow Down" Lynn shares some of her favorite puppy chow recipes she loves to make at home and bring with her to parties and gatherings. Lynn's favorite puppy chow flavor, Piña Colada, is on page 25.Videos