Nerdy Nummies, a million subscriber cooking channel on YouTube featuring Rosanna Pansino, has whipped up a passion for baking in a Fremont junior’s life.
Norma Castellanos began baking around the age of eight, helping out her mother at home which led to the creation of her business in February of 2020.
“I asked my parents for a breakable heart mold as my Christmas gift and they got it for me so I was like well Valentine’s day is coming up and I posted a picture about it and got DM’s about it on Snapchat,” said Castellanos. “I might as well make an Instagram page (@sweet.treat.stop) and see where this goes.”
Castellanos started off by taking pre-orders and having her customers pick-up from her home. She has now done several pop-up shops around the community at local businesses, one of the main one she sells in is Smitten Boutique, on E 6th street in Fremont, NE.
Preparing for a weekend sale takes her the whole week to prepare for.
“I go the weekend of, so the day after a sale, to stock back up and then Monday I start prepping, cutting, and having everything ready to go so on Tuesday I can start baking the cakes,” Castellanos said. “Wednesday is kind of like game on to finish baking the cakes, cake pops and Thursday is time to decorate the items so on Friday I can finish baking and decorating the cookies and packaging.”
As of right now, Castellanos has a variety of items on her menu which include: cakepops, cookies, cakes, breakable hearts and hot cocoa bombs, with funfetti and red velvet cake pops along with her carrot cake being clients most liked items.
“I think the quality is a 10/10 and it’s very good,” junior Analy Moreno said. “The texture is always moist so you can tell it’s just baked properly.”
With the holiday season coming along, she specializes in creating festive holiday boxes. Prices for her items range from $2 and up – depending on the product.
“Getting creative with everything, especially around the holidays, and just letting my mind do what it does best is something I enjoy about being in this business,” Castellanos said.
Castellanos explains that her business has certainly taken off leading to her sales being somewhat chaotic but she “loves it and it’s worth it in the end.”
After high school, Castellanos plans to pursue a career in the culinary arts world as a chef or open a baking business, it is undecided as of right now.
