A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Lainey Freiwald

Everybody has dreams from an early age, but not everyone fulfills those dreams. Some people have a change of heart over time, while others might miss out because they are selling themselves short. Lainey Freiwald had admired making sweet treats for her friends and family since an early age, which is why starting her own business was the cherry on top for her dream.

Growing up in Georgia, Freiwald is a wife of a military veteran and a mother of two children. She has lived in multiple states across the country, but recently made the move to Valparaiso shortly after her husband got out of the military.

“We absolutely love the small town feel of it in Valpo,” Freiwald said. “It actually reminds us a lot of Auburn, Alabama, which is where we once lived. We have sincerely loved everything about this city.”

Throughout her life, the everlasting urge to be creative in the kitchen has always been a skill and passion for Freiwalk. She has lived a variety of dietary lifestyles, with a lifelong interest in baking. One day, she was motivated by her best friends in Arizona and Texas to make the decision of sharing her talent with everyone through her small business called Cozy Oven Creations.

“I sent them Christmas cookies, followed by another batch of cookies. They both told me that I should look into selling my cookies. I also started baking some other treats too,” Freiwald said.

Providing delights for all kinds of customers is a point of emphasis for Cozy Oven Creations. Freiwald works with gluten-free, vegan, keto, and sugar-free options in her baking. Currently, Cozy Oven Creations takes pre-orders and custom orders every week from Monday to Wednesday, along with an open cart for customers from Friday to Sunday.

Customers can also come into Cozy Oven Creations and try out unique samples for free. Something that separates this bakery from others is how much the menu is constantly changing. One week, customers can expect to see s’more bars and a mini hoosier pie; the next week, customers can look forward to a mini double berry pie and nutter butter cookies. Recently, Freiwald designed a menu themed around the Fourth of July, with items such as a mini white flag cake and patriotic sugar cookies.

While the passion for baking has always been present for Freiwald, there was also a time of uncertainty for her. However, she believes that letting the public get a taste of Cozy Oven Creations has only continued to build up her business.

“My biggest advice I always tell people is to just do it. It’s scary at first to put yourself out there, especially when it comes to something like baking because we are our own worst critic, but at the end of the day, you just gotta go for it,” Freiwald said.

When she isn’t creating sweets for the community, Freiwald spends most of her time with her husband and kids. She is thankful for the support of not just her family, but all the people who encouraged her to turn this passion into a special opportunity.

To learn more about Cozy Oven Creations, or to contact Freiwald directly about placing an order, you can check out the business on Facebook.