Meet Lea!
Wow, December is just flying by! Christmas is right around the corner, and I know I’m not the only one filled with excitement for this special holiday. Here at Miller’s we love this season of joy. We love getting our lights hung on the porch, and little touches of Christmas can be seen all around our store and custom shop. We hope that every time you visit our store you feel the Christmas cheer. I know one employee in particular that will never fail to make you smile and bring that Christmas joy into your day. If you are a regular store customer then Lea’s face is not a new one.
Lea Wangerin was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany and moved to the United states when she was 5 years old. Her father served our country in the military, which caused many moves throughout her childhood. She grew up in New York, with her 7 siblings and Lea was the second oldest of the Wangerin children. Lea has enjoyed baking ever since she was young, and her kitchen memories stretch way back. Lea’s mother was a talented pastry chef in Germany, so Lea loved learning all her mothers baking tricks so that she would become a great baker herself. The two of them love the Christmas season, and take pride in their holiday treats. Lea explained to me that she and her mother made cookies together every Christmas, they would fill giant tins with delicious homemade goodies for all the neighbors. She elaborated and told me they would make at least six different kinds of cookies, and invite others into their home to bake with them and enjoy the tasty results of their work. Growing up Lea’s specialty was brownies, she told me that they had a spectacular recipe, and everyone loved when we would whip up some delicious brownies. She also spent a lot of time making bread throughout her years at home, her mom is known for homemade sourdough bread. Lea’s baking days definitely didn’t end in her childhood home. She went on to be a head baker at a food co-op for about 2 years, and now uses her talent here at Miller’s Meat Market. It was about a year ago when Lea began working here at Miller’s. She had moved to our area not knowing anything about our store, but a close friend thought it would be a good fit for Lea. She was then approached by Sherri Miller, who offered her a job. Lea cheerfully told me that she and Sherri hit it off right away, and she quickly fell in love with Miller’s Meat Market. She said with a smile that Miller’s is the nicest place she has ever worked, and she thoroughly enjoys interacting with all the customers. Lea spends her days at work baking, cashing out customers at the register, and helping out anywhere else that she is needed. Her goal everyday is to “make people happy however [she] can”. Since Lea started working at Miller’s, she has learned more about different cuts of meat, and has expanded her baking experience even further. Her days at the cash register have showed her that there are still so many nice and amazing people in the world.
What is Lea’s favorite Miller’s Meat Market product??
“It is a hard choice because I love so many things, but I have to go with the double smoked pepperoni, maple cotton candy, and the maple pecan granola we sell.”
Lea has gotten very creative in the Miller’s Meat Market bakery. This memorial day we introduced new cheesecake pies that had beautiful and festive designs that suited the holiday perfectly. Those were amazingly created by Lea! She hand placed each fresh strawberry and blueberry into lovely flag or floral designs that made the perfect topping for her creamy no-bake cheesecake. She made each cheesecake that we sold. Since this dessert was a hit for memorial day, we went on to sell them for the 4th of July and then for the remainder of the summer months. When the holidays came around, Lea came up with new variations of her cheesecake. We now sell a pumpkin cheesecake, and a mixed berry compote cheesecake. Both are full of flavor, and absolutely delicious. New this holiday season is also two kinds of homemade cupcakes, both made by Lea herself. The first is a hot chocolate cupcake, with a brownie like cake and yummy marshmallow frosting. The second is a gingerbread cupcake! A chocolate base with gingersnap flavored frosting and crumbled gingersnap cookies on top! Lea tested many different ways to make each of these cupcakes to make sure she was giving our customers her best. The employees were thrilled on taste-testing days, every treat was great in our eyes but Lea just kept making them better and better! When I tried Lea’s cupcakes, she asked me which one I preferred, and I just could not choose! Both the cheesecake pies and the cupcakes are perfect for holiday get-togethers. If you order either of these products, you are guaranteed to get a dessert made by Lea. She does each order herself, and does a fantastic job.
Now is the time to place an order for one of Lea’s treats! If you need a contribution to a meal or gathering, these are the perfect desserts! A half dozen cupcakes costs $4.99, and the cheesecakes are $15 each. I think you all need to try Lea’s baking for yourself. I have loved getting to know Lea while she’s been working at Miller’s, and I hope you have enjoyed getting to know her through this blog as well. When Lea isn’t working she loves hanging out with her friends, travelling and going on trips, she loves being outdoors when the weather is nice and she also enjoys photography. Lea’s big dream would be to open a florist shop! She would want to incorporate baking into her shop, and have her baked goods for sale inside. She told me that she would love to highlight German baking, and make new things for people to try. While we all hope Lea’s dreams come true someday, we love having her at Miller’s Meat Market and we are glad that she is here to stay for the time being! Next time you are in the store be sure to give Lea a big smile, she will without a doubt return the favor!