FEATURE

with her one day a week. Her children, aged 13, 11, seven and four, like to assist mom from time to time.

“It really is a full-time job,” she explained.

Her most requested custom jobs are for cakes, and they are her favorite to create. Especially the butter cream cakes with butter cream florals, she said. The first cake she ever made was a five-tiered wedding cake. The most unusual, she said, was a cake that was made to look like a suitcase. That project took four hours of hands-on work to create. Her impressive results are talent based, as Hoover has no formal culinary or cake decorating training.

“I’ve just learned on my own and by watching YouTube videos,” she said.

During the season, Hoover is a regular at the Morgan County Farmers Market. In fact, she was their very first (and often only) vendor when the market started in 2018.

During the winter months, Hoover takes orders for her goods and schedules a weekly pick-up spot for customers. Custom orders can be delivered, depending on location, or cus tomers can meet her halfway.

“The hours I work per week vary based on what I have going on as far as markets, events and special orders,” she said. “I do plan to continue doing this as long as it’s feasible to do so.”

Orders for Hoover’s creations can be made through Facebook messenger or her website (www.mycustombakes.com).

Spruce Up the Garden

Sunrise Farm Market in Sunrise Beach (14539 N. State Hwy. 5, Sunrise Beach) is celebrating 25 years in business and is stocked for another season on the Lake’s westside.

Early in the season you’ll find locallysourced mennonite tomatoes, asparagus, and lettuce with other items coming in seasonally. Three days a week, a Lake area mennonite baker brings a fresh selection of pies and other treats to be sold throughout the week.

The greenhouse has a selection of potted and hanging plants, as well as herbs and vegetable plants, succulents, annuals and perennials, and other varieties perfect for the gardener.

This market has arguably one of the best selections of pottery, rod iron, garden accents, “lake” signs and lots of fun and one-of-a-kind décor to spruce up your deck, outdoor patio or dock.

Their convenient location, off of Hwy. 5 in Sunrise Beach, makes it easy for everyone to access no matter what side of the Lake they are on.