Cupcake queen

MELISSA BEN-ISHAY • Baked by Melissa

CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine

MELISSA BEN-ISHAY • co-founder & CEO • Baked by Melissa
Neighborhood you work in: Chelsea
Neighborhood you live in: Hoboken, NJ

It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
My typical Friday is filled with back-to-back calls and some content if I have time. Today I’m filming a last-minute video of myself eating our Mother’s Day cupcakes, because they’re so damn delicious (and I needed a mid-afternoon pick-me-up). Then I finished proofreading my newsletter that goes out Saturday mornings before rushing out the door to pick up my kids from school. It’s rare that I finish work early enough to get them, even though I block my calendar every Friday afternoon starting at 245p. The work never ends.

I’ve also been teaching cooking classes at the local high school on Fridays to give back to the community I love so much, while inspiring young people to nourish their bodies with delicious food before enjoying dessert. It fills my cup.

Any restaurant plans?
This weekend, my husband and I have date night. We’re going to our favorite local restaurant, 87 Sussex in Jersey City. The rest of the weekend is consumed by my kids’ extracurricular activities, seeing friends and family, and birthday parties. I love regular weekends when we have nothing special planned. They’re my favorite times, soaking in my kids and peeling myself away from work.

How about a little leisure or culture?
Now that it’s nice out, we have our bikes ready for family rides. My kids are on the dance team, too, and competition season is upon us. “Dance mom” is not a title I ever expected to have, but I’m loving it, and could not be more proud. (I also need a second job to support it.)

Any weekend getaways?
We like to spend time upstate in the Catskills at my parents’ house. I grew up going to my grandparents’ bungalow there and now I love to share it with my kids. They love going fishing and spending time in nature. While we’re there, we go to The Homestead in Eldred, NY, for special occasions and will often go to the Bethel Market Cafe with my parents before we leave. My dad meets up with his posse there which is the cutest thing ever. He loves showing off his grandkids — and they have delicious cake.

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A Molekule air purifier.

What store or service do you always recommend?
We order our meat from Cotton Cattle Co. They have a stand at our farmer’s market and deliver locally. It’s incredible quality. I also love GroundUp nut butters — I can’t eat peanut butter, and they have the best cashew butters. My favorite is Cinnamon Snickerdoodle. And I’m convinced these turmeric capsules are why my skin glows.

The number one comment I get on social media is about my eyebrows. Jenn Dock does my eyebrows and makeup for public appearances. She’s the best.