THE ACCIDENTAL BAKER, a cake for every crisis, is a courageous memoir, revealing a near perfect life and marriage gone wrong A mother, homemaker and social hostess in an ideal house and family in the affluent suburb of West Vancouver, Canada, Barbara's reality became a nightmare when her husband of thirty years lost his income, sank into alcoholism and died. Widowed, destitute and soon to be homeless, she realized 'no white knight' was going to ride in and save her. She needed a plan. Barbara turned to her talent for food preparation and baking and found her niche market in the culinary world. Using only her homemaker experience, she opened 'Cuisine de Barbara' a private cooking school. Soon Bon Appetit Magazine featured Barbara in an amazing spread of ten pages, propelling her onto an executive position in San Francisco. After six years in this corporate world, she was downsized out of her high powered job. Networking and her own creativity saved her again. She opened FunFrance Travels, a boutique food and wine travel company plus The Beideman Street Group, her own food consulting business. In her memoir, The Accidental Baker, food was the common theme; it flowed like a silky ribbon throughout her life, giving credibility and warmth to every crisis. The lessons learned on the road to success make for great reading and baking. This story sends a powerful message: your dreams are within your reach. You can do it A memoir with recipes."