weekend roundup

Weekend Roundup: From our Hearts to Your Harts

September 29, 2014 — 2 Comments

September has been quite the month! And just like that summer is gone. Fall has arrived and October is on our heels. This past weekend I was busier than ever in the bakery busting suds, baking bread and delivering like a true boss. On Friday we made our very first delivery to Harts Local Grocers Rochester newest inner city market. This marks our very first retail partnership as a bakery. It has been a long time coming but the best things take the longest to come to fruition. Harts is dedicated to featuring the best of the best local goods from all around our area so we are in good company.  So here’s a few pictures of our Hart’s launch. The ebst is truly yet to come 🙂

harts feature

HARTS

For more information on Harts…click here

Summer Roundup: God Keeps Making it Grow

September 3, 2014 — 1 Comment

And just like that Summer 2014 has unofficially but officially come to an end! 🙂 A happy, sad, and surreal reality. Honestly I cannot believe I made it. From opening a bakery, trying to figure out said bakery, figuring out how to run the bakery, and trying to balance life, etc… everything about this summer has been wild and crazy. How I’ve made it this far is beyond me and only due to that of a higher power. I don’t think I have enough words to articulate the full scope and range of emotions that this summer has evoked so I won’t. I’m grateful to have this blog to allow me to capture all the best and worst moments so this time period isn’t a complete blur. So without further adieu I will pay homage to Summer 2014 through photo and leave you with one of my favorite biblical quotes. It helps me stay centered, focused, humbled, and aware. Everything that I do is not of my own initiative but by the Grace of God and so many others who have provided assistance in a variety of ways. To each and everyone of these people you mean more than you know. I planted, Apollos waters but God truly keeps making all things grow (1 Cor 3:6)

tomatoes and celery

We’ll start with the gleanings from this year’s garden. Heavy rains and no time gave me a dismal return this summer but fortunately God’s green thumb is better than mine. Nature worked it out.

apple tree

Only a food obsessed foodie nerd like myself finds happiness in apple picking and gardening. Fresh apple tree in the city. #PRICELESS

Demetrius

This summer couldn’t have happened without our summer intern D. Seriously we could not have made it without him. Special thanks to Rochester Works for providing us with summer support and helping us make it during our very first summer in business.

D and Toni

D and a new very special friend Toni. (Side note: Blossom and has introduced me to an assortment and A+mazing people)

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Costumes, laughs and hilarity are always part of our party. Work hard. Play harder.

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See what I mean

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Soliciting business by any means necessary.

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One of my favorite photos of this era. My Mom, Mama Cindy, Grammy and Blossom all the very special women in my life that I literally couldn’t survive without any of them

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Oh the places you’ll go

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And there you have it #Summer2014

Weekend roundup: Celiac Strong Camp

August 4, 2014 — 1 Comment

celiac strong campWe had a blast at our Celiac Strong Demo demo chatting and fielding questions from an  A+mazing bunch of engaged and hungry campers! The trip down to Ithaca was beautiful and are so happy we could be a part of this event. We look forward to this annual event.Check out a few pictures of our Ithaca adventure below:

 

celiac strong demo setupStrawberry granola demo set up and ready to go

celiac strong samples

Just a few samples of the granola and other amazing treats

recipes, celiac strong

Copies of the recipe, business cards, and our full menu to spare.

celiac strong full pic

Happy Campers!

Weekend roundup: Two Weddings and a Party

July 28, 2014 — Leave a comment

And the cakes continue to roll on out in our big, comfy and quaint bakery this past weekend as we baked and Blossom decorated plenty of customs cakes for our ever expanding customer base. Imagination runs wild as Blossom thinks up such gorgeous designs. Everything from WWE wrestling rings to water lily’s, daises, and roses this designer has no bounds. And now with our new spray paint gun the possibilities are truly endless. Check out our weekend in cakes below:

spaull wedding cake

First up was this gorgeous simple yet classic wedding cake for Council Woman Elaine Spaull’s daughters wedding. What a beauty.

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Wedding #2 took us all the way to Naples, NY. Oh the places we travel.

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Who knew fondant flowers could be as gorgeous as the real thing? Only these taste better.

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Pretty.

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And last but certainly not least, a PRICELESS reaction for a very special 10 year old fan on his born day! #A+MAZING

Weekend roundup: Everything’s Better with Cake

July 7, 2014 — Leave a comment

This past week was indeed an emotional roller coaster. Ironically, I hate roller coasters yet I’ve managed to ride the roller coaster that has been this whole bakery endeavor and survive somewhat unscathed. How have I survived you ask? Cake of course. One. Cake. Bowl. At. A. Time (more about cake bowls later). Seriously, my life has become one big cake bowl. One moment we’re happy. The next we are mad. Then sad. Then happy. Wash rinse repeat. Still I wouldn’t trade it for the world and having an awesome, A+mazing, and hilarious partner in crime makes every ounce of blood, sweat, and tear worth it. Check out our week in pictures:

convection oven

Finally! Our “real” commercial bakery convection arrived. But of course our life is a hit reality tv show waiting to be picked up so its delivery was even more of an ordeal than its delay of 5 weeks. We are so happy…we can’t even know what to say.

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One more try.

birthday cake

Happy Birthday Everyone!  Who knew July 2 was such a popular day for birthdays. Kicking out cakes like it is our job. (it is, right?:)

birthday cake

More Cake.

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And one of our most popular: Flourless Chocolate Cake. Rich. Decadent. #Beautiful

fresh raspberries

Fresh raspberries for a fruit filling for what else: Cake.

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I’ll leave you with this. Live life and eat cake.

strawberry cake

Everything is just a bit easier with: CAKE

Weekend roundup: Running Nine to Five

June 23, 2014 — Leave a comment

America Runs on Dunkin. We run on determination. tenacity. and hard work. Settling into the groove of owning my own business is happening slowly but surely. As with most things in life the learning curve has been steep but we are already seeing signs of finding a work life balance. Still we are working more than nine to five. But to be living out a dream makes it all worth it in the end. Here’s a glimpse of my  my week in photo. garden

 

Finding time to garden has been hard but I am determined. Even a few minutes is calming and helps me focus and relax. The fruits of hard labor make it all worth it.

celery

cake

And the cake orders just keep on pouring in.

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Simply beautiful.

display table

A full display table is a happy display table.

cinnamon raisin bread

Cinnamon raisin on Saturday…Makes me happy.

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Getting my running mojo back this week also makes me Happy!

Weekend roundup: Catching Our Breath

June 16, 2014 — Leave a comment

keep-calm-because-we-made-it-3Well we successfully made it through our opening day and week as retail store and bakery owners! I know I keep using adjectives like surreal, overwhelming, emotional, exhausting etc but I honestly cannot think of any other words to describe our experience. To be living out a dream is still mind boggling and well surreal 🙂 We are in a quick recovery mode from all the work, the  overnights, and festivities of our equally never ending and whirlwind week. I’m still slightly dazed and tongue tied so I let me show you rather than try to write how A+mazing our week went.

proposal cupcakesWho else but the gluten free chefs can fulfill a last minute wedding proposal set of cupcakes for a nervous young groom. Design and frosting courtesy of B. Fox of course.

blossom

Speaking of weddings Blossom was able to flex some major decorating muscle with this birch cake. In our very first week.

wedding cake sarah

Congratulations SMB and SEL!

multigrain bread

Monster multigrain loaves. Need I say more?

sandwich bread

Yes it is gluten free. And A+mazing.

blossoms cousins

Little bodies. Major appetites. Blossom’s cousins came and devoured

And this is just a small glimpse into our FIRST WEEK EVER. We really needed a camera crew to capture all of our laughs, cries, tears, whining, and every other emotion in between. But we plan to be in business for a very long time. So in words of Porky the Pig “That’s all folks.”

P.S. Thank you to all of the family and friends that supported us this week and over the last several months. We literally could not be here without the love and support from every single one of you!