So who is DoughMessTic, anyway?
Thanks for asking. I’m Susan Moss.
I grew up in West Virginia and Virginia, in small towns. Very small towns. Towns so small you are known most of your life by who your Dad is, or what position you played on the football team.
I lived within a 20 minute radius my entire life.
Until 2016, that is.
Life has a way of surprising us sometimes, and in October 2015, after hosting my Food Blogging Conference in Houston, I was handed a surprise that changed my life. The next year, I bought a house with that handsome surprise and moved my life to Spring, Texas.
We remodeled, we laughed, we cried, we rented a U-Haul and drove 1100 miles from Pearisburg to Spring. Has it been a struggle? Sometimes. Life is so different now – BUT- I am happy. I am learning to be happy in different ways. I am learning to be loved in different ways. I am also learning to live in the heat. Wow, it gets hot in Texas. As if Texas wasn’t hot enough, after Hurricane Harvey flooded our new house in August of 2017, we SOLD that house, bought a condo on Lake Conroe (about an hour away) AND a condo in Pattaya, Thailand. YES, Thailand! We are trying to spend 4-5 months a year there, and so far, we love it!
You will see me live out my life here on this blog, as I have done since the beginning. I write like I talk – so bear with me. This blog is my way of joining the rest of the world, of sharing the things I love, the things I bake, the struggles I have, the things I fill my time with. I am lucky to have the people in my life I have – great parents, who miss me but support my big change; Mr. Texas, who loves me unconditionally, who tells me I am beautiful and smart, and his parents (my new in-laws!), who have welcomed me with open arms and treat me as if I am special. And Jon, my ex, who still supports me despite our “ex” status. He’s a great father, and I am fortunate to share my son with him. And of course, my son Seven (yes, that’s really his name). I am a lucky, lucky woman.
I am also lucky in that I have been able to see a lot of the world. Travel is very important to me, and I don’t take one single journey for granted. I’ve lost count, but I have been to over 40 countries, and at least 46 states. I’ve cruised the Caribbean multiple times; ridden more European trains than I care to admit; sailed the Meditteranean; trekked through the Sahara on a camel; covered myself in volcanic mud in Costa Rican hot springs; taken the epic 3 week cross-country road trip (kid in tow!); boarded a 2 day train up the Pacific Coast; went on a tent safari in Kenya, and so much more. I will hopefully always be able to travel, and showing Seven the world is very important to me. He’s already well traveled – he’s seen 14 countries and 30 states. We still have a long way to go though!
I started this blog when Seven was about 8 months old. (Gasp – he’s 12 years old now!) I decided to be a Stay At Home Mom and time at home was getting to be, well, a bit boring. I figured if I am going to be a SAHM, I am going to make it my JOB. I needed to learn to clean house. Do laundry. Cook. Bake. Trouble was, I didn’t cook. At all. I ordered food a lot. We ate out at restaurants. What I did cook came from boxes in the freezer. Thank God for the internet.
I fell into the land of Food Blogging. I decided if other people could do it, so could I. I started simple – Pies. Cupcakes. Some cookies. I got my feet wet and kept on wading. A month or two later, I was involved in both Tuesdays With Dorie and The Daring Bakers, groups that motivated me to try everything with no fear. It’s food…what’s the worst thing that could happen? I burn it? It flops? No big deal – but I found myself succeeding more than failing. I made friends in these groups, and these friends led me to more friends…all inspirations to me in one way or another. What you should expect to find here is me being honest with you. I am NOT a gourmet. But there is no recipe that scares me…and I think everyone should have that mentality. If I can do it – so can you. If I screw something up, you’ll know about it. I think it’s important that I am honest with you…so don’t expect to see all sunshine and rainbows.
Thanks to this Blog and the experience it has given me I have written and published three cookbooks, the latest being the S’mores Cookbook. You know who wrote the foreword for me? Duff Goldman. Duff Goldman, Ace of Cakes! I am happy to say, I call that man a friend. Could I have said that before my blog? Nope. So, you never know what blogging will bring you.
Like – recipe development. True story – I develop recipes for companies like Pillsbury, Krusteaz, KitchenAid, and more. I’ve been featured in Taste of Home Magazine, Bon Appetit, and a featured Cook on many, many websites, like Huffington Post and People.com. I’ve won a a HUGE trip to the Rose Bowl for an avocado recipe, a cake decorating competition, a Pie Baking Competition, even a Cupcake Competition.
I speak at other conferences, and appear at Food & Wine Conferences. I judge food competitions pretty regularly, including The World Food Championships! I get paid to travel now, and experience things like cruises and theme parks. (I know!!) Before the big move, I was a regular fixture on Daytime Blue Ridge, an NBC Affiliate talk show, where I whip up recipes for the cameras. I have ads on my site, and these ads help pay my bills. As you can see…blogging has led to a LOT! It’s been a very positive experience for me, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone on the fence about becoming a blogger themselves. I only wish I had found my calling years ago.
So that’s me. Now…who are you? Clue me in. You can email me at Susan AT Doughmesstic Dot com. I’d love to hear from you!
Reviews & Giveaways
From time to time, you will see Reviews and Giveaways on my site. These are most often provided to me by the company for free, and you should know that, and just to be sure, I will let you know in the post that it was a gift. I do not give positive reviews just because they supply me with a product. If I like it, you’ll know about it. If I don’t, you’ll know that, too. If you are interested in this site doing a review of one of your products, please send an email to Susan AT doughmesstic DOT com. If you are interested in an advertising banner on my sidebar, please email me at the same address for rates/counts/stats. Currently, I am accepting product reviews that pertain to Cooking/Kitchen and Mommy/Toddlers. Books and Music are also acceptable.
Disclaimer Policy
Per FTC Blogger Guidelines, I will be disclosing any sponsored relationship within the specific posts. This being said, my opinions can not be bought. If I have a good relationship with a company and their product, I will review it, good or bad. However, because I prefer to keep my blog a positive and fun place, I prefer to opt out of reviews I find unflattering – therefore you may not find many negative blog posts about products, and instead, I have provided my negative feedback to the company in question. The products I do offer reviews of here on my site are ALL products I stand behind and endorse, publicly and privately. Have a question about a specific post or product I didn’t answer within the post? Feel free to email me and ask!
