[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING KRISTEN WASHINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 13, 2023

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Kristen Washington: Jacksonian Baker On `The Great Chocolate Showdown' 
of Jackson, Mississippi.
  If a dessert could describe Kristen Washington, she said it would be 
a cinnamon roll because that baked good is brown and round, just like 
her. The Jackson native grew up watching her grandmother, Maple 
Washington, throw down in the kitchen, and while those skills skipped a 
few of Kristen's siblings, Maple passed them down to Kristen.
  Some of her favorite recipes she learned from her grandmother are her 
peach cobbler and tea cakes, which fed her a love for dessert in her 
youth. ``Dessert can be your breakfast, lunch and dinner,'' Washington 
told the Mississippi Free Press. ``You can have a cinnamon roll for 
breakfast, and it's still a dessert. And it's comfort food. Dessert is 
a comfort food.''
  As an adult, Washington always baked in her free time for fun, using 
her grandmother's old recipe books or following Instagram reels for 
cake ideas and inspiration. She started selling funnel cakes in 2021, 
and later that year, she made a birthday cake for her sister-in-law. 
Washington was hesitant, but her sister-in-law encouraged her to step 
outside her comfort zone.
  That affirming moment led Washington to launch PhatKake's, her at-
home baking business, where she creates homemade cakes, funnel cakes, 
tarts, and other desserts. She named the business after her childhood 
nickname and runs it while balancing her day job as a personal-care 
aide.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. 
Kristen Washington for her passion, dedication, and tenacity to serving 
her community.

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