Divine Inspiration

I grew up in Bakersfield, California. Now, this city isn't exactly a cultural mecca, but there are some good aspects to it. Mostly the food. I haven't lived there since 1997, so one of the places I must visit, virtually every time I go there, is Smith's Bakery.
Smith's has been around since 1945 and there are seven different locations in the city. They also happen to be the only Certified Master Baker in Kern County. Now, if you like to kick it old school, such as myself, you need to get yourself over to the Union Avenue location. It's extremely small and the parking is ridiculous, but if you learn to be like a local, just go ahead and park wherever your car fits and/or wherever you damn well feel like parking, you'll do just fine.
From the outside, you might wonder what the heck all the hype is.. until you go inside. The smell is like Jesus Christ's mommy is in the back, baking goodies just for you. It is really delightful. It could also be that the smell just reminds me of being a very little girl and getting a special treat every now and then, but you get the idea.

They have every kind of baked good your little heart can desire and then some. They even do the occasional wedding cake, along with the mid-80's cake topper to go with it. But I digress. Why do I really go here? The cookies, my friends, the cookies.
They are delicious, not-so-nutritious, and incredibly good for you, too. "What makes them so wonderful"? you might ask. The crack. Sugary crack. My favorites are the little thumbprints they make, usually in the colors of whatever current holiday is happening (or about to happen) and I could eat about 30 of them in one sitting. Seriously.

It is because of Smith's Bakery, that I start this Blog and have one of their piggy cookies as my Blog Mascot. I'm sure she will be delicious.