About The Host Notes
Welcome!
The Host Notes is your place for joyful recipes and hospitality tips – designed to help you create connection, celebrate the everyday, and host with intention and joy.
I’m Amber Dawn — a hospitality writer, recipe developer, and food expert based in the Greater Seattle Area. I am a seasoned brand storyteller and marketer, with hands-on experience as a trained baker, barista, caterer, and event hostess. I’m here to to help you create meals and moments that make people feel truly welcome and seen. (Including you!) Here, I share my learnings (all of my notes!), and my love for serving others through delicious food and unfussy details. Thanks for popping in!
Hospitality can change the world – and make someone’s day.
Fun Facts About Me
Current Coffee Order
Americano w/ coconut milk
Hosting style
Warm + unfussy
Go-To Dinner
salmon w/ cucumber salad
Kitchen Soundtrack
Indie folk + blues
Favorite Place
Near the water
Pantry Staple
Flaky salt
Hospitality, Made Simple and Meaningful
Whether you’re planning a cozy brunch, hosting a crowd, or simply trying to get dinner on the table with a little less fuss, The Host Notes is here to support you with recipes, rituals, and not-so-subtle reminders that hosting should nourish you, too.
If you want to:
- Host more often, but don’t know where to start
- Make cooking for friends and family easier and more enjoyable
- Learn how to accommodate different dietary needs
- Create meaningful moments around the table
- Get out of your cooking rut
- Bring a bit of hospitality into your everyday life
… you’ve come to the right place.
Here you’ll find: Joyful Recipes & Hospitality Tips
- Make-ahead appetizers and crowd-pleasers to simplify entertaining
- Flavor-forward, seasonal recipes designed to be joyful to make and share
- Brunch ideas, main dishes, sides, and sweets that are as delightful as they are doable
- Hospitality how-tos, checklists, and real-life hosting advice you can actually use – Download my free, mini hosting guide, 5 Tips for Hosting Overnight Guests to get started!
Featured In
The Host Notes and my collaborative work has been featured in Pacific Northwest food and lifestyle publications, such as Snohomish City Lifestyle, local product campaigns, and small business storytelling outlets throughout the region. Check out the Sugar Cookie Magic feature inspired by family Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe!
My Culinary & Hospitality Background
Before I dove into corporate marketing work, I was trained as a baker making gluten-free, vegan pastries and savory dishes for The Flying Apron Bakery in Seattle. I loved learning to make food anyone can eat and the joy on the faces of our customers afflicted with food sensitivities. Prior to baking, I was a hostess and server for a French-inspired bed and breakfast where I was first introduced to the etiquette of fine dining, some of which has become foundational to the way I host in my home. Working as a prep cook in cafe kitchens and wedding venues around the Pacific Northwest, I learned how to create quality dishes based on customer specifications and dietary needs and the importance of kindness in the most stressful of circumstances. I believe hospitality can change the world (and make someone’s day!).
I am a life-long learner and follow my curiosity into classrooms and kitchens whenever possible. In addition to my hands-on experience in commercial kitchens, I have taken culinary courses on everything from sourdough baking to classic French dishes, as well as recipe writing seminars online and in-person through the Tastemaker Conference (the world’s largest food blogger community). It’s important to me that I learn from the best, always refining my culinary knowledge and skills so my recipes are accurate, delicious, and well-informed. I truly love this work.
Events
The Host Notes has been commissioned for select private events including private chef services for artist workshops, retreats, and cooking class experiences throughout the Greater Seattle Area and beyond. Availability is limited and bookings are required a minimum of three months in advance. Inquiries are welcome!
Let’s Connect!
Subscribe to The Host Notes newsletter for inspiration delivered straight to your inbox —seasonal recipes, real-life hospitality tips, and personal anecdotes to remind you to savor and connect with joy.
For inquiries about collaborations, partnerships, and events, reach out to [email protected].