My almost-8-year-old daughter likes to watch the TV show "DC Cupcakes." Being a baker, I was intrigued at first, and thought I'd give it a whirl. This was last year some time. But I quickly realized that I couldn't take it. It is so scripted, Sophie is a terrible actress, and Katherine is almost as bad, that I couldn't get past the acting to find any enjoyment in the stories that happened in each episode. So I stopped watching.
But then over the summer, we spent a long weekend in Washington D.C., and of course, we had to visit Georgetowne Cupcake. We weren't sure what to expect. I have had their cupcakes before, but they were always a few days old after someone brought them home from D.C., or actually ordered them online. Those versions weren't that great. Plus with all the hype, could the cupcakes really be all THAT fabulous?
Well, they were. Oh my gosh, you can't imagine how good they were. We purchased a dozen, plus received two free ones. If you follow them on Twitter, every day they post the "secret flavor" for the day, and if you order that secret flavor, you get it for free. So we enjoyed some kind of chocolate raspberry lava cupcake, or something like that, for free. Every single one of those cupcakes was fantastic. The cakes were moist, tender, delicious, while the frostings were just sweet enough, with a nice creamy texture, not too buttery. The flavors were awesome, too. We actually even saw Sophie running out of the shop, probably to go to their satellite shop close by. That was kind of cool. And the shop itself is so cute, and they do everything very well there. It's a well designed store, and a well designed process, and a well designed package.
So I thought I'd give them another try on TV.
But yet again, I was terribly disappointed. We watched an episode that was on last week where they featured a new employee. I forget his name. Let's call him Dave. Dave was in the back making boxes when a delivery guy arrived with fresh fruit. Dave signed for the fruit, and later Sophie discovered that the strawberries were moldy. She was upset and wanted to know who signed for the rotten fruit. This whole debacle was so staged and scripted. I wouldn't mind the staged and scripted part of the show if it were better acted. But it's not. So it doesn't feel like reality TV, and it doesn't feel like I'm watching a sitcom. It's somewhere in between, which makes it awful.
But my daughter likes it. And I like to watch shows about baking with her. So will I watch it again? Maybe. But my interest will probably not last for long.
So what about you? Do you watch DC Cupcakes? Do you love it or hate it?
Read about the somewhat weekly happenings in the world of HappyJack Bakery, including how things go at the farmer's market each week throughout the summer.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 16, September 24, 2012
This week's market was pretty awesome. I arrived at my usual time, about 2:15 pm, set up my tables and tent, and again had a small line formed right before the bell rang at 3:00. I sold a few things, and was just settling in at about 3:15. This is about the time, after the initial rush, that I text my husband to see how his afternoon is going, and to update him on any news from sales. However, before I had a chance to do that, he showed up and surprised me. I was so very happy to see him on my last day at the market for the season. It was wonderful to have his company and help as the day progressed.
It was a chilly day, too. The sun was shining, but it was cool in the shade under my tent, and when the wind would blow, I would get too cold for comfort. I ended up giving in to the weather and put on my new winter parka. Well, it's not quite a winter parka—it's more of a fall jacket with a fuzzy lining. But it helped a lot.
Then, to my surprise, my mom and dad stopped by at about 5:15 pm. They ended up staying for the rest of the night, which was very helpful, as they helped me tear down my tent, drove home with me, and helped me unload. Jack actually left shortly after they arrived because he had a volleyball game to get to—he's a coach. Then at 5:45 pm, Lila arrived with the babysitter, and the babysitter hung out for a little while for a visit, too.
So it was great! I had a lot of company to pass the time, and I had all of my great customers stop by for one last hurrah! Several folks stocked up on treats that they were planning to freeze. I had pre-sold a batch of pumpkin gobs, and also pre-sold a batch of Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies. I also had a few pre-orders for some cookie packs, so overall, it was a very good day for sales, and I only ended up with one blueberry HappyJack left at the end of the night (we call our mini pies "HappyJacks"). I gave it to my mom. I love her.
But now it's over.
How about some stats? Over the course of the 16-week farmer's market, I made 5769 cookies, 13 apple pies, 173 mini pies (apple and blueberry), 93 gobs, and 16 pound cakes. No wonder my shoulders are sore. And how do my sales this year compare to the past two year's that I've been selling at the market? Well, they've been pretty steady. There's maybe been about a $200 fluctuation among the three years, but also in the first year, there were 15 weeks, last year I participated in 17 weeks, and this year I participated in 15 weeks. So that fluctuation is to be expected because of that. Now, granted, ideally in any business, you grow from year to year. But I haven't raised my prices in these three years, and I can't force people to buy my products. I'm happy to just have a following that loves what I do for them, while I make a small amount of money on the side. It's fun, and I truly enjoy every minute of it (well, except maybe those times at the end of a day of baking when I just want to sit down and rest, but have to clean a mound full of dirty dishes, pots, pans, and baking utensils).
So what's next? Well, I'll be selling Squish Monsters and Chocolate Chip Snowballs to The Dancing Bean coffee shop in Caste Village, so in the off season, if you need a fix, you can always stop there. I'll also be happy to fulfill orders for you at any time. My website lists the variety of goodies that I make, in addition to the ones I sell at the market. And if there's something you'd like that you don't see there, send me an email and ask. I may still be able to get you a price and whip it up for you. I'll also be taking orders for Thanksgiving (apple pies and pumpkin tortes are my specialities), as well as for the Christmas holiday season. So please keep in touch, and let me know if you need anything.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
It was a chilly day, too. The sun was shining, but it was cool in the shade under my tent, and when the wind would blow, I would get too cold for comfort. I ended up giving in to the weather and put on my new winter parka. Well, it's not quite a winter parka—it's more of a fall jacket with a fuzzy lining. But it helped a lot.
Then, to my surprise, my mom and dad stopped by at about 5:15 pm. They ended up staying for the rest of the night, which was very helpful, as they helped me tear down my tent, drove home with me, and helped me unload. Jack actually left shortly after they arrived because he had a volleyball game to get to—he's a coach. Then at 5:45 pm, Lila arrived with the babysitter, and the babysitter hung out for a little while for a visit, too.
So it was great! I had a lot of company to pass the time, and I had all of my great customers stop by for one last hurrah! Several folks stocked up on treats that they were planning to freeze. I had pre-sold a batch of pumpkin gobs, and also pre-sold a batch of Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies. I also had a few pre-orders for some cookie packs, so overall, it was a very good day for sales, and I only ended up with one blueberry HappyJack left at the end of the night (we call our mini pies "HappyJacks"). I gave it to my mom. I love her.
But now it's over.
How about some stats? Over the course of the 16-week farmer's market, I made 5769 cookies, 13 apple pies, 173 mini pies (apple and blueberry), 93 gobs, and 16 pound cakes. No wonder my shoulders are sore. And how do my sales this year compare to the past two year's that I've been selling at the market? Well, they've been pretty steady. There's maybe been about a $200 fluctuation among the three years, but also in the first year, there were 15 weeks, last year I participated in 17 weeks, and this year I participated in 15 weeks. So that fluctuation is to be expected because of that. Now, granted, ideally in any business, you grow from year to year. But I haven't raised my prices in these three years, and I can't force people to buy my products. I'm happy to just have a following that loves what I do for them, while I make a small amount of money on the side. It's fun, and I truly enjoy every minute of it (well, except maybe those times at the end of a day of baking when I just want to sit down and rest, but have to clean a mound full of dirty dishes, pots, pans, and baking utensils).
So what's next? Well, I'll be selling Squish Monsters and Chocolate Chip Snowballs to The Dancing Bean coffee shop in Caste Village, so in the off season, if you need a fix, you can always stop there. I'll also be happy to fulfill orders for you at any time. My website lists the variety of goodies that I make, in addition to the ones I sell at the market. And if there's something you'd like that you don't see there, send me an email and ask. I may still be able to get you a price and whip it up for you. I'll also be taking orders for Thanksgiving (apple pies and pumpkin tortes are my specialities), as well as for the Christmas holiday season. So please keep in touch, and let me know if you need anything.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 15, September 17, 2012
Whew! We are in the home stretch, ladies and gentlemen! Only one more week left.
But before we talk about next week, let's talk about yesterday. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, but it was a mild 70-some degrees. No rain in sight, at least not at 3:00, and I was comfortable in my shorts. As I was pulling in to set up, an old friend stopped by to say hi. I didn't expect him to stay for long, as he seemed to have other things he needed to get home to do, but he was sweet, and hung out with me during my 45 minutes of set up. He even pitched in and help. It was nice to have the company, and to visit for a while.
At 3:00 when the bell rang to open sales for the day, I actually had a line! I never have a line, but I had a line! It was so exciting!!! (As I'm typing this, I'm thinking how lame that sounds, but trust me, you would have been excited, too.) I had printed out some ballots for my customers to vote for the final week's cookie of the week, but I was so bombarded with customers during those first fifteen minutes that I totally forgot about the ballots. Oh well.
The rest of the day went pretty well. This week, I sold my cranberry orange pound cake in four small pans, and they all sold. I had found these adorable little brown paper pans at the grocery store, and they seemed the perfect size. And they were! I was able to bag them like all of my other cookie packs with my ribbon and stickers. So I think I'm going to try that again for next week.
I did end up with some leftovers—not many, but enough that I can contribute to the bake sale that my daughter's school is having this evening, without having to bake anything new. Thank goodness, because I didn't have time to bake anything new anyway.
Cookie of the week yesterday was the pumpkin gob. I really should be taking pictures of these things. I'm not sure why I don't think to do that. Maybe because I don't have a camera that takes beautiful pictures like I've seen other people use for good food shots. The lighting in my kitchen is very orange, so everything has this weird glow; although I guess for a pumpkin cookie, that might not have been bad. Anyway, I made a double batch (61 cookies), and I was sold out by 5:00. I even had a customer who didn't get to try one order a batch for next week. How cool is that?
So, I mentioned that I did this ballot to determine next week's cookie of the week. In the end, I didn't have very many people vote (totally my fault for not pushing it more), and only one cookie ended up with two votes—the potato chip cookie! So that's what I'm going to make for next week. I hope that everyone else feels the love and stops by to buy some. They really are a delicious and unique cookie.
This is going to be a busy week coming up, though. I have a few special orders, plus I have to make dough for three of my regular cookies, as my frozen inventory is just about wiped out (which makes sense since we're going into the last week of the market). In addition, we have to give our house a good cleaning this weekend, plus we're having my niece and some of her friends over on Sunday afternoon to jam (not to make jam.... to jam.... sing, play instruments, that kind of thing.... more on that later if it turns into a successful venture).
I hope to see you all next Monday, September 24, as it is our last week for the farmer's market at Caste Village. To everyone that came out yesterday, thank you so much! I'm so glad that you get as much enjoyment out of eating my treats as I get out of making them for you!!
Until next time, have a yummy day!
But before we talk about next week, let's talk about yesterday. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, but it was a mild 70-some degrees. No rain in sight, at least not at 3:00, and I was comfortable in my shorts. As I was pulling in to set up, an old friend stopped by to say hi. I didn't expect him to stay for long, as he seemed to have other things he needed to get home to do, but he was sweet, and hung out with me during my 45 minutes of set up. He even pitched in and help. It was nice to have the company, and to visit for a while.
At 3:00 when the bell rang to open sales for the day, I actually had a line! I never have a line, but I had a line! It was so exciting!!! (As I'm typing this, I'm thinking how lame that sounds, but trust me, you would have been excited, too.) I had printed out some ballots for my customers to vote for the final week's cookie of the week, but I was so bombarded with customers during those first fifteen minutes that I totally forgot about the ballots. Oh well.
The rest of the day went pretty well. This week, I sold my cranberry orange pound cake in four small pans, and they all sold. I had found these adorable little brown paper pans at the grocery store, and they seemed the perfect size. And they were! I was able to bag them like all of my other cookie packs with my ribbon and stickers. So I think I'm going to try that again for next week.
I did end up with some leftovers—not many, but enough that I can contribute to the bake sale that my daughter's school is having this evening, without having to bake anything new. Thank goodness, because I didn't have time to bake anything new anyway.
Cookie of the week yesterday was the pumpkin gob. I really should be taking pictures of these things. I'm not sure why I don't think to do that. Maybe because I don't have a camera that takes beautiful pictures like I've seen other people use for good food shots. The lighting in my kitchen is very orange, so everything has this weird glow; although I guess for a pumpkin cookie, that might not have been bad. Anyway, I made a double batch (61 cookies), and I was sold out by 5:00. I even had a customer who didn't get to try one order a batch for next week. How cool is that?
So, I mentioned that I did this ballot to determine next week's cookie of the week. In the end, I didn't have very many people vote (totally my fault for not pushing it more), and only one cookie ended up with two votes—the potato chip cookie! So that's what I'm going to make for next week. I hope that everyone else feels the love and stops by to buy some. They really are a delicious and unique cookie.
This is going to be a busy week coming up, though. I have a few special orders, plus I have to make dough for three of my regular cookies, as my frozen inventory is just about wiped out (which makes sense since we're going into the last week of the market). In addition, we have to give our house a good cleaning this weekend, plus we're having my niece and some of her friends over on Sunday afternoon to jam (not to make jam.... to jam.... sing, play instruments, that kind of thing.... more on that later if it turns into a successful venture).
I hope to see you all next Monday, September 24, as it is our last week for the farmer's market at Caste Village. To everyone that came out yesterday, thank you so much! I'm so glad that you get as much enjoyment out of eating my treats as I get out of making them for you!!
Until next time, have a yummy day!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 14, September 10, 2012
So did you miss me? Yes, we were off for Labor Day, but there was no break for me. I baked my tushie off over Labor Day weekend to help my niece celebrate her 21st birthday. I made her all kinds of yummy desserts for her party—peach pie, birthday cake, cookie cake, cheesecake, and a bunch of cookies and cupcakes. I think they ended up ordering too much from me, but what's wrong with having some leftover HappyJack treats? Nothing, right?
Well, this past Monday's market (I realized today that I hadn't blogged yet this week... so sorry for the delay) went fine. I went back to making the amount of treats that I had been consistently making, and although the market seemed pretty slow, I still ended up selling most of what I took. I think I only had leftover one pound cake (this week it was cranberry orange!), and two packs of Cinnasnappers. So although it was a slow day, it must have been steady, as I ended up with a good day of sales.
So let's talk about this pound cake for a minute. Every week up until this week, I had been making a blueberry sour cream pound cake. I made one every week, and every week it sold. This week, since we're now in September and the beginning of the fall season, I thought I'd mix it up and make a cranberry orange pound cake. I actually made two because one of my customers pre-ordered one. I figured surely someone else would want one, too, but I was wrong. It didn't sell. I don't know why. Is cranberry just not appealing to people? Well, for this coming week, I'm not giving up on the cranberry pound cake, but I am going to try smaller portions. I found these awesome little cardboard bread pans at the grocery store. They even came with their own little bags that look like the bags I wrap all of my cookies in. So I'll see if the smaller size will appeal to more people. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll either skip the pound cake for the final week, or go back to blueberry sour cream.
My cookie of the week this past week was Pumpkin Pie Bars. I made a double-batch, so I had about 80 cookies to sell. These went very well. I love these things, and I considered making them again for the last week (two weeks from now on September 24), but I don't know. I'm now actually considering doing a survey this coming Monday, and see which cookie-of-the-week flavor was the crowd's favorite. For Monday, September 17, I'm making pumpkin whoopie pies (gobs). Those are always a favorite, too. I love anything that has pumpkin in it. I love this season. I love sweets. I love it all!!!!!
I had a customer on Monday that I didn't expect. My daughter's teacher stopped by to buy some Squish Monsters and Better Than Regular Old Chocolate Chip cookies. I realized that she must have been a returning customer all summer, as she knew exactly what she wanted, but I never realized that she was a teacher at the school. But now I know. No wonder Lila likes her so much. She's pretty awesome!
That's about all I have for you today. I can't quite remember details about anything else special that happened. That's what I get for not blogging right away.
Oh, and totally unrelated, is anyone else thrilled that the new TV season has started? I am a TV junkie, but have no idea how I'm going to keep up with all the shows we love, considering I usually only have about an hour of time each evening to watch. Maybe once the market is over, I'll be able to squeeze in a little more time. And maybe it will give me something to blog about during the times I don't have baking stories to tell. I wonder if you'd be interested in reading my take on my favorite TV shows? I guess time will tell.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
Well, this past Monday's market (I realized today that I hadn't blogged yet this week... so sorry for the delay) went fine. I went back to making the amount of treats that I had been consistently making, and although the market seemed pretty slow, I still ended up selling most of what I took. I think I only had leftover one pound cake (this week it was cranberry orange!), and two packs of Cinnasnappers. So although it was a slow day, it must have been steady, as I ended up with a good day of sales.
So let's talk about this pound cake for a minute. Every week up until this week, I had been making a blueberry sour cream pound cake. I made one every week, and every week it sold. This week, since we're now in September and the beginning of the fall season, I thought I'd mix it up and make a cranberry orange pound cake. I actually made two because one of my customers pre-ordered one. I figured surely someone else would want one, too, but I was wrong. It didn't sell. I don't know why. Is cranberry just not appealing to people? Well, for this coming week, I'm not giving up on the cranberry pound cake, but I am going to try smaller portions. I found these awesome little cardboard bread pans at the grocery store. They even came with their own little bags that look like the bags I wrap all of my cookies in. So I'll see if the smaller size will appeal to more people. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll either skip the pound cake for the final week, or go back to blueberry sour cream.
My cookie of the week this past week was Pumpkin Pie Bars. I made a double-batch, so I had about 80 cookies to sell. These went very well. I love these things, and I considered making them again for the last week (two weeks from now on September 24), but I don't know. I'm now actually considering doing a survey this coming Monday, and see which cookie-of-the-week flavor was the crowd's favorite. For Monday, September 17, I'm making pumpkin whoopie pies (gobs). Those are always a favorite, too. I love anything that has pumpkin in it. I love this season. I love sweets. I love it all!!!!!
I had a customer on Monday that I didn't expect. My daughter's teacher stopped by to buy some Squish Monsters and Better Than Regular Old Chocolate Chip cookies. I realized that she must have been a returning customer all summer, as she knew exactly what she wanted, but I never realized that she was a teacher at the school. But now I know. No wonder Lila likes her so much. She's pretty awesome!
That's about all I have for you today. I can't quite remember details about anything else special that happened. That's what I get for not blogging right away.
Oh, and totally unrelated, is anyone else thrilled that the new TV season has started? I am a TV junkie, but have no idea how I'm going to keep up with all the shows we love, considering I usually only have about an hour of time each evening to watch. Maybe once the market is over, I'll be able to squeeze in a little more time. And maybe it will give me something to blog about during the times I don't have baking stories to tell. I wonder if you'd be interested in reading my take on my favorite TV shows? I guess time will tell.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 13, August 27, 2012
Boy, was I off to a great start yesterday! The market opens at 3:00, and by 3:30, one of my mom's friends stopped by my table and bought 6 of my blueberry happyjacks (mini pies). Dee had stopped by my table the week before after I had run into her at church the day before that, and reminded her about the farmer's market. Last week, she bought 2 blueberry happyjacks, and some cookies. Over the course of the week, she ran into my mom and told my mom how great the pies were, and that she'd be back for more. So, as promised, she stopped by again and bought all 6 blueberry mini pies that I had. She paid me a lovely compliment by saying that friends that she has that are "in the business" raved about my happyjacks. It was very sweet, and I was very grateful for her business. She bought a few packs of chocolate chip cookies, too. It was a great way to start the day.
My cookie of the week this week was a sugar-free cookie—my last of the season. These ones were made with oatmeal, peanut butter, and bananas, plus a small amount of maple syrup (pure, of course), and some raisins. My diabetic customers, and those watching their sugar intake, loved these cookies. A few people purchased a dozen, and another purchased a 1/2 dozen, which didn't leave very many cookies left for the rest of the crowd. But that's ok. I'm just so happy to be able to provide a treat for those that can't really eat much sugar, or don't want to eat much sugar.
So the cookie of the week was pretty well-depleted by around 4:30. Same with the apple happyjacks, too, and several other cookies. And I think I would have had another sell-out had it not been for the rain that set in around 5:15 and lasted pretty much until the market closed at 7:00. But I only ended up with 7 packs of cookies leftover, which isn't too bad. Jack was happy to have some brownies to gobble up for his bedtime snack last night.
The market is closed this coming Monday for Labor Day, but there's no rest for the weary in my house. My very special niece is turning 21 next week, and my brother and sister-in-law are throwing a big party for her. They've asked me to make the desserts for 60 people, so I'll still be busy this weekend, but in a different way. For her party, I'm making a bunch of cupcakes, a pie, a cookie cake, a regular cake, and a variety of cookies. So it will be fun, as most of these are desserts I don't make regularly. It will be nice to change it up a little bit. Oh, and on top of all of that, I have to make a batch of old fashioned chocolate chip cookies (you know, the ones from the recipe on the bag of chips) for my husband's fantasy football draft this Saturday. Whew, I'm tired already!
When we are back in business on September 10, we'll only have three weeks left to go. I'm planning on doing pumpkin infused treats for cookies of the week for those three weeks.... I'll probably do pumpkin pie bars on September 10, pumpkin whoopie pies on September 17, and then pumpkin pie bars again on September 24. They seem to be very popular this time of year. Lastly, I'm planning to make cranberry orange pound cakes those last three weeks, instead of the blueberry sour cream pound cake I've been making, so be on the lookout for that.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
My cookie of the week this week was a sugar-free cookie—my last of the season. These ones were made with oatmeal, peanut butter, and bananas, plus a small amount of maple syrup (pure, of course), and some raisins. My diabetic customers, and those watching their sugar intake, loved these cookies. A few people purchased a dozen, and another purchased a 1/2 dozen, which didn't leave very many cookies left for the rest of the crowd. But that's ok. I'm just so happy to be able to provide a treat for those that can't really eat much sugar, or don't want to eat much sugar.
So the cookie of the week was pretty well-depleted by around 4:30. Same with the apple happyjacks, too, and several other cookies. And I think I would have had another sell-out had it not been for the rain that set in around 5:15 and lasted pretty much until the market closed at 7:00. But I only ended up with 7 packs of cookies leftover, which isn't too bad. Jack was happy to have some brownies to gobble up for his bedtime snack last night.
The market is closed this coming Monday for Labor Day, but there's no rest for the weary in my house. My very special niece is turning 21 next week, and my brother and sister-in-law are throwing a big party for her. They've asked me to make the desserts for 60 people, so I'll still be busy this weekend, but in a different way. For her party, I'm making a bunch of cupcakes, a pie, a cookie cake, a regular cake, and a variety of cookies. So it will be fun, as most of these are desserts I don't make regularly. It will be nice to change it up a little bit. Oh, and on top of all of that, I have to make a batch of old fashioned chocolate chip cookies (you know, the ones from the recipe on the bag of chips) for my husband's fantasy football draft this Saturday. Whew, I'm tired already!
When we are back in business on September 10, we'll only have three weeks left to go. I'm planning on doing pumpkin infused treats for cookies of the week for those three weeks.... I'll probably do pumpkin pie bars on September 10, pumpkin whoopie pies on September 17, and then pumpkin pie bars again on September 24. They seem to be very popular this time of year. Lastly, I'm planning to make cranberry orange pound cakes those last three weeks, instead of the blueberry sour cream pound cake I've been making, so be on the lookout for that.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 12, August 20, 2012
The weather today started off beautiful. The sun was shining. The humidity was low. The temperature was pleasant. The wind was refreshing. But then around 5:45 pm, the threat of rain started to set in. We got lucky, and it never really did rain, except for a few sprinkles for not even 10 seconds at a pop. But I think it still drove customers away, and it caused extra work for me, as I decided to put up two of my tent's sidewalls to try to ward off the dampness from the rain that never came. Those sidewalls are a pain every time I try to use them, but during a rainstorm, it's helpful to have them, as it protects me from the rain that decides to blow sideways into the tent.
Anyway, I'm not sure how to evaluate my week this week. I didn't sell out, but that's because I made a bunch more stuff. I had the equivalent of 97 items to sell, and I only sold 84. That's not too shabby. Last week, I had 80 items to sell, and I sold out at 6:30. That's why I decided to make more. I guess I didn't need to go as overkill as I did on the extra stuff, but I must admit, HappyJack is pretty happy tonight because he got to eat some apple pie. He's been begging for leftovers for weeks, and I just haven't had any to bring home. Tonight, he is a happy man.
Today's market was fun, as usual. It was nice to see all of my regulars, as well as the few new customers I had today. I hope the newbies enjoyed my treats. I had one customer ask about what happened to the other girl that had been selling pie at the market. I told the woman that the other pie girl was no longer selling her pies at this market, and the woman said, "Her pies were so good!" as she was standing there in front of my mini pies. I had to laugh (to myself, of course). So I then said, "Well, have you tried mine? They're very good." That wasn't enough to convince her to buy one. Oh well. Maybe next week. Someone else bought one, commenting, "This better be good for as fattening as I'm sure it is." Hopefully she ended up a satisfied customer. But I may never know.
This week's cookie of the week was my mom's old peanut butter cookie recipe. They're so fabulous. I just love them. I used to make them all the time before I discovered all of these other wonderful cookie recipes (back when I was more of a one-trick pony in the kitchen), so it was a nice memento of another time in my life. They sold pretty well. I had made a lot of them, and ended up selling about 75% of what I made. My friends at work will probably be happy to have some leftovers tomorrow.
I'm thinking of doing another sugar-free cookie for next week's cookie of the week. It's been about a month since I did one, so I'm interested in trying another recipe.
This time of year starts a rough time for me and the market. I have a love-hate relationship with it at this point because of my husband's schedule (he coaches volleyball, so he often has games or practices on Monday nights). He was unable to make it to help me pack up my gear (and subsequently unpack it back at home) at the end of the day today. And I think over the course of the remaining weeks of the market, he may only be able to help me once. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is for me. Everything is heavy, it takes a long time when there's only one of me, and I have to do it all after having worked a 12-hour day between my regular job and the farmer's market. But c'est la vie. I manage, and it's never enough to make me want to quit, because I get so much joy and satisfaction out of baking, and making friends with my customers and the other vendors, that at this point, I can't imagine my life without HappyJack Bakery.
So until next week, have a yummy day!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 11, August 13, 2012
Wow, three weeks in a row selling out. I don't get it. Four weeks ago, I had the worst week I had had this season so far. I had taken the equivalent of 83 items (6-packs of cookies, single happyjacks, or a single pie), and I came home with 18 items. It's unusual for me to have that much left, but four weeks ago, that's what I came home with. I was so discouraged. But I don't know what happened. Ever since that week, things have really picked up, and I've now sold out week after week. And I feel badly as people walk by my table at 6:00 pm, with one hour to still go, and all I have left is a few sad little bags of cookies. There's no selection left, but fortunately, what's left still sells, as it's still all good, no matter if it's what's left at the end or not.
So now, in order not to disappoint my customers, I'm torn about whether or not to make more items for next week. I don't like to have leftovers, but I don't like to sell out too early, either. The girl that was selling mini pies at the market in prior weeks was not there today, but even without her there, it still took all afternoon to sell my 12 mini pies. I don't understand how she comes and that's pretty much all she sells, and I'm sure she sells more than 12. So why do I have so much trouble selling my 12? It's not because they're not good; I'm certain of that. I just don't get it. So if I made more, would I sell more? If I made more cookies, would someone come along and buy them? I guess maybe I'll just have to try it and see, and be ok with the fact that I might have leftovers.
My cookie of the week this week was a vanilla raisin cookie, and wow, did I really like it. I'm surprised. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, and I'm almost considering adding it to my menu for next year, perhaps even replacing the oatmeal raisin. I don't know. We'll have to see. Speaking of cookie of the week, I feel bad because every week, someone comes by that had my cookie of the week from the previous week, and they want more. They don't realize that the cookie of the week is usually a one-time deal. But often, they don't buy anything else from me when they find out that the sought-after cookie is not there. Surprising.
As you can see, I really don't have anything new or interesting to tell you about today, so I won't bore you any further with the details. Next week, the other cookie lady is making a sugar free cookie, and I'm going to make one the week after that. So that still leaves next week's cookie of the week open for suggestions. I'm sure I'll find something if no one makes a request, but if you have a hankering for something, let me know, and I'll see what I can do for you.
Until next week, have a yummy one!
So now, in order not to disappoint my customers, I'm torn about whether or not to make more items for next week. I don't like to have leftovers, but I don't like to sell out too early, either. The girl that was selling mini pies at the market in prior weeks was not there today, but even without her there, it still took all afternoon to sell my 12 mini pies. I don't understand how she comes and that's pretty much all she sells, and I'm sure she sells more than 12. So why do I have so much trouble selling my 12? It's not because they're not good; I'm certain of that. I just don't get it. So if I made more, would I sell more? If I made more cookies, would someone come along and buy them? I guess maybe I'll just have to try it and see, and be ok with the fact that I might have leftovers.
My cookie of the week this week was a vanilla raisin cookie, and wow, did I really like it. I'm surprised. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, and I'm almost considering adding it to my menu for next year, perhaps even replacing the oatmeal raisin. I don't know. We'll have to see. Speaking of cookie of the week, I feel bad because every week, someone comes by that had my cookie of the week from the previous week, and they want more. They don't realize that the cookie of the week is usually a one-time deal. But often, they don't buy anything else from me when they find out that the sought-after cookie is not there. Surprising.
As you can see, I really don't have anything new or interesting to tell you about today, so I won't bore you any further with the details. Next week, the other cookie lady is making a sugar free cookie, and I'm going to make one the week after that. So that still leaves next week's cookie of the week open for suggestions. I'm sure I'll find something if no one makes a request, but if you have a hankering for something, let me know, and I'll see what I can do for you.
Until next week, have a yummy one!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 10, August 6, 2012
This week was amazing.
Last night, I was having a tough time of it. I have a "real" job where I work in an office, and my role is an operations manager for a design firm. I love that job, but baking is my passion. I love to bake, and most people that eat my treats love to eat what I bake, so it's always a win-win. But during the farmer's market season, I don't get a day off. I work at my "real" job four days a week. On my three days off from my real job, and even on days that I work at my real job, I'm home baking, or I'm at the commercial kitchen baking or making dough. So I have no day that I'm free from work. And then even on those days that I'm home baking (you know, those days we call weekends), there's so many things to also be done at home that I rarely feel like I get to rest or relax. It feels like all my family does is run here and run there. I'm sure you feel the same way. It seems to be an epidemic that we're always on the go.
Well, last night, I had a mini breakdown. My husband and daughter spent the day at a birthday party (they were gone from 1 pm until almost 8 pm), while I stayed home to get things done. I didn't get to relax at all, and barely had time to eat dinner before they got back, only to be disappointed in myself that I didn't get everything done that I wanted to get done while they were gone.
So after my daughter went to bed, and my husband and I were finally sitting down to watch a little bit of TV, I just started to cry. It's been over two months of this non-stop pace, and I had just had it last night. I was tired, cranky, hungry, pooped. You name it, I felt it. Jack suggested I take a week off from the market. But this is where the rub comes in—I can't seem to be able to allow myself a day off. What's wrong with me? Am I a glutton for punishment? I don't think that's it. I guess standing at the market, having a sell-out, greeting customers, talking with my regulars—I guess all of that outweighs the pains it takes to get there every week, and it makes it all worth it.
To make my point, today I had one of my regular customers stop by to buy her three regular treats: Squish Monsters, Chocolate Chip Snowballs, and Fudgy Brownies of Doom. We chatted for a minute or two, and when I went to give her her $1 in change, she said, "Just keep it." I tried to give it to her saying, "No, I couldn't possibly keep this. It's not necessary, but thank you." But she insisted. And then she said something like, "I'm so glad you're here every week, so I want to thank you with this tip." Well, if she just didn't know what to say at the right time, huh?
But it's for reasons like that, among all of the other accolades that I receive from my customers, that keep me coming back. Not because I like people to tell me how good my treats are, but because I know that I'm making them happy with my treats. I'm so happy that I can make all of you so happy. Again, it's a win-win.
So to everyone that came out, to those that hung out and chatted with me for a while, for those that I haven't seen in a while, and for the new folks that came by today and tried some goodies for the first time, thank you so much for making what I do so worth it.
Oh, by the way, today was another sell-out. Woo-hoo! So an extra thank-you to that man that bought the last pack of oatmeal raisin cookies. I really appreciate your business!
Until next week, have a yummy day!
Last night, I was having a tough time of it. I have a "real" job where I work in an office, and my role is an operations manager for a design firm. I love that job, but baking is my passion. I love to bake, and most people that eat my treats love to eat what I bake, so it's always a win-win. But during the farmer's market season, I don't get a day off. I work at my "real" job four days a week. On my three days off from my real job, and even on days that I work at my real job, I'm home baking, or I'm at the commercial kitchen baking or making dough. So I have no day that I'm free from work. And then even on those days that I'm home baking (you know, those days we call weekends), there's so many things to also be done at home that I rarely feel like I get to rest or relax. It feels like all my family does is run here and run there. I'm sure you feel the same way. It seems to be an epidemic that we're always on the go.
Well, last night, I had a mini breakdown. My husband and daughter spent the day at a birthday party (they were gone from 1 pm until almost 8 pm), while I stayed home to get things done. I didn't get to relax at all, and barely had time to eat dinner before they got back, only to be disappointed in myself that I didn't get everything done that I wanted to get done while they were gone.
So after my daughter went to bed, and my husband and I were finally sitting down to watch a little bit of TV, I just started to cry. It's been over two months of this non-stop pace, and I had just had it last night. I was tired, cranky, hungry, pooped. You name it, I felt it. Jack suggested I take a week off from the market. But this is where the rub comes in—I can't seem to be able to allow myself a day off. What's wrong with me? Am I a glutton for punishment? I don't think that's it. I guess standing at the market, having a sell-out, greeting customers, talking with my regulars—I guess all of that outweighs the pains it takes to get there every week, and it makes it all worth it.
To make my point, today I had one of my regular customers stop by to buy her three regular treats: Squish Monsters, Chocolate Chip Snowballs, and Fudgy Brownies of Doom. We chatted for a minute or two, and when I went to give her her $1 in change, she said, "Just keep it." I tried to give it to her saying, "No, I couldn't possibly keep this. It's not necessary, but thank you." But she insisted. And then she said something like, "I'm so glad you're here every week, so I want to thank you with this tip." Well, if she just didn't know what to say at the right time, huh?
But it's for reasons like that, among all of the other accolades that I receive from my customers, that keep me coming back. Not because I like people to tell me how good my treats are, but because I know that I'm making them happy with my treats. I'm so happy that I can make all of you so happy. Again, it's a win-win.
So to everyone that came out, to those that hung out and chatted with me for a while, for those that I haven't seen in a while, and for the new folks that came by today and tried some goodies for the first time, thank you so much for making what I do so worth it.
Oh, by the way, today was another sell-out. Woo-hoo! So an extra thank-you to that man that bought the last pack of oatmeal raisin cookies. I really appreciate your business!
Until next week, have a yummy day!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 9, July 30, 2012
This week was a total success.
After last week's lackluster performance, I wasn't sure what to expect this week. But I decided to make most of what I normally make anyway. Last week, I had 14 packs of Squish Monsters for sale, and only sold 7. This week, I only had 10 to sell, and I sold out by 5:00. I'm sure I could have sold more if I had them. Also, last week, I had apple pie samples that I was giving away, yet I still ended up with a leftover pie, and lots of people asking for Apple HappyJacks, which sold out early last week. So this week, I didn't make any big pies, and made an abundance of HappyJacks (12 apple and 6 blueberry). Fortunately, all of the HappyJacks sold out, and believe it or not, within the first 30 minutes, I had someone ask for a big pie. It killed me to send them down the parking lot to the competition.
By the end of the day (in fact, by 6:45, a little before closing time), I had sold out of everything. I was thrilled. But it does make planning for next week a little more complicated. Will I really be able to sell another 18 HappyJacks? It seems like such a lot, and they're risky to make a lot of because they can't be frozen for the following week. Jack likes when these don't sell, because he then gets to eat them, but right now we're both trying to lose a few pounds, so it would really not be a good thing to have leftovers.
Anyway, my cookie of the week this week was the Snickerdoodle Blondie. The cookie of the week usually sells out by 6:00, if not sooner, so I was surprised this week when it took until almost 6:45 to sell them all. They are such a good cookie... kind of cake-like in texture (well, dense cake-like.... like a brownie), with snickerdoodle flavors. The cinnamon... the nutmeg.... oh, I can just taste them now. They were divine! I'm not sure what next week's cookie of the week will be. I'm not feeling particularly inspired at this time. I'm sure something will come to me.
Also, I decided not to make fortune cookies this week. They just have not been selling well, which I really don't understand. They're so good and flavorful, and they even have fortunes in them. But they're not worth the effort if no one is interested in them—they take a long time to make (well, relatively long, considering how long it takes me to make all of my other cookies).
Lastly, this week I also decided to make some homemade ice cream...not to sell at the market, of course, but to enjoy at home. I had some leftover Squish Monsters from a batch I had made for home, so I chopped up about 8 of them and put them in the ice cream. It is to die for! It's too bad I can't sell ice cream at the market. I'm certain all of you Squishie lovers would love this, too!
So that's the scoop for now (ha, no pun intended!). Until next time, have a yummy day!
After last week's lackluster performance, I wasn't sure what to expect this week. But I decided to make most of what I normally make anyway. Last week, I had 14 packs of Squish Monsters for sale, and only sold 7. This week, I only had 10 to sell, and I sold out by 5:00. I'm sure I could have sold more if I had them. Also, last week, I had apple pie samples that I was giving away, yet I still ended up with a leftover pie, and lots of people asking for Apple HappyJacks, which sold out early last week. So this week, I didn't make any big pies, and made an abundance of HappyJacks (12 apple and 6 blueberry). Fortunately, all of the HappyJacks sold out, and believe it or not, within the first 30 minutes, I had someone ask for a big pie. It killed me to send them down the parking lot to the competition.
By the end of the day (in fact, by 6:45, a little before closing time), I had sold out of everything. I was thrilled. But it does make planning for next week a little more complicated. Will I really be able to sell another 18 HappyJacks? It seems like such a lot, and they're risky to make a lot of because they can't be frozen for the following week. Jack likes when these don't sell, because he then gets to eat them, but right now we're both trying to lose a few pounds, so it would really not be a good thing to have leftovers.
Anyway, my cookie of the week this week was the Snickerdoodle Blondie. The cookie of the week usually sells out by 6:00, if not sooner, so I was surprised this week when it took until almost 6:45 to sell them all. They are such a good cookie... kind of cake-like in texture (well, dense cake-like.... like a brownie), with snickerdoodle flavors. The cinnamon... the nutmeg.... oh, I can just taste them now. They were divine! I'm not sure what next week's cookie of the week will be. I'm not feeling particularly inspired at this time. I'm sure something will come to me.
Also, I decided not to make fortune cookies this week. They just have not been selling well, which I really don't understand. They're so good and flavorful, and they even have fortunes in them. But they're not worth the effort if no one is interested in them—they take a long time to make (well, relatively long, considering how long it takes me to make all of my other cookies).
Lastly, this week I also decided to make some homemade ice cream...not to sell at the market, of course, but to enjoy at home. I had some leftover Squish Monsters from a batch I had made for home, so I chopped up about 8 of them and put them in the ice cream. It is to die for! It's too bad I can't sell ice cream at the market. I'm certain all of you Squishie lovers would love this, too!
So that's the scoop for now (ha, no pun intended!). Until next time, have a yummy day!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 8, July 23, 2012
Today was hard.
I arrived home from work a few minutes later than usual, so I was rushing as I was loading the car to head down to the market. Prior to loading, I had to cut up an apple pie into sample-sized servings, so that took extra time, too. By the time I arrived at the market, I only had about 30 minutes to set up. That's enough time, but it makes me feel very rushed.
The weather today wasn't too bad. It was warm and humid, but there was a breeze. It seemed about 10 degrees cooler than last week, that's for sure. However, the crowd at the market was a little light. At the sound of the 3:00 bell, it just didn't seem like there were as many people bustling around. My sales were indicative of a light crowd. While I did fine, I did come home with more than I expected. It's weird, and so hard to predict. I would never have guessed that I would have the leftovers that I had...especially since I came home with half the Squish Monsters that I took, and they're my best seller. I just don't get it.
As I mentioned above, today I gave out samples of my apple pie. Everyone that tried it said it was very good. Some people I believed, and others I wondered if they were just being nice. I had a lot of people ask for my mini apple pies (we call them Apple HappyJacks) after I had sold out of them, and I only sold one of the two whole pies that I took. That's ok, because I've owed my mother-in-law a pie for a few weeks now, and she's coming to babysit tomorrow, so that will work out just peachy for me.
For dinner today, I had some pierogies and stuffed cabbage from Polish Pierogies food truck. They served them to me with a side of sour cream, and I thought, "What am I going to do with this?" The pierogies are so good on their own, they don't need sour cream. But I put it on the stuffed cabbage, and boy, was that fabulous! I highly recommend trying it.
My cookie of the week this week was a sugar-free oatmeal cranberry spice cookie. It seemed to go over well. It had an odd texture since it had no sugar—there was no crunch—but the flavor was very yummy. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. And the cranberries added a touch of sweetness. They were really good if you can get past the fact that there was no added sugar.
So you're wondering why the day was hard? Well, I realized how very much I appreciate having my husband with me at the end of the day to help tear down my booth, load the car, and unload everything at home. But today, he started volleyball practice for his fifth and sixth grade girls' JV team, and he was unable to come to the market. So I had to do most of the work myself, with a little bit of help from Lila, who's only 7-1/2 and can only do so much to help. It was hard work, and took a really long time, and to top it off, I hurt myself doing it. I pinched the skin on my left upper arm as I was closing up my folding tables. It's been over two hours and it still stings.
Anyway, I'm hoping for a better week next week, although it's going to be tough predicting what will sell. Wish me luck! And until next time, have a yummy day!
I arrived home from work a few minutes later than usual, so I was rushing as I was loading the car to head down to the market. Prior to loading, I had to cut up an apple pie into sample-sized servings, so that took extra time, too. By the time I arrived at the market, I only had about 30 minutes to set up. That's enough time, but it makes me feel very rushed.
The weather today wasn't too bad. It was warm and humid, but there was a breeze. It seemed about 10 degrees cooler than last week, that's for sure. However, the crowd at the market was a little light. At the sound of the 3:00 bell, it just didn't seem like there were as many people bustling around. My sales were indicative of a light crowd. While I did fine, I did come home with more than I expected. It's weird, and so hard to predict. I would never have guessed that I would have the leftovers that I had...especially since I came home with half the Squish Monsters that I took, and they're my best seller. I just don't get it.
As I mentioned above, today I gave out samples of my apple pie. Everyone that tried it said it was very good. Some people I believed, and others I wondered if they were just being nice. I had a lot of people ask for my mini apple pies (we call them Apple HappyJacks) after I had sold out of them, and I only sold one of the two whole pies that I took. That's ok, because I've owed my mother-in-law a pie for a few weeks now, and she's coming to babysit tomorrow, so that will work out just peachy for me.
For dinner today, I had some pierogies and stuffed cabbage from Polish Pierogies food truck. They served them to me with a side of sour cream, and I thought, "What am I going to do with this?" The pierogies are so good on their own, they don't need sour cream. But I put it on the stuffed cabbage, and boy, was that fabulous! I highly recommend trying it.
My cookie of the week this week was a sugar-free oatmeal cranberry spice cookie. It seemed to go over well. It had an odd texture since it had no sugar—there was no crunch—but the flavor was very yummy. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. And the cranberries added a touch of sweetness. They were really good if you can get past the fact that there was no added sugar.
So you're wondering why the day was hard? Well, I realized how very much I appreciate having my husband with me at the end of the day to help tear down my booth, load the car, and unload everything at home. But today, he started volleyball practice for his fifth and sixth grade girls' JV team, and he was unable to come to the market. So I had to do most of the work myself, with a little bit of help from Lila, who's only 7-1/2 and can only do so much to help. It was hard work, and took a really long time, and to top it off, I hurt myself doing it. I pinched the skin on my left upper arm as I was closing up my folding tables. It's been over two hours and it still stings.
Anyway, I'm hoping for a better week next week, although it's going to be tough predicting what will sell. Wish me luck! And until next time, have a yummy day!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 7, July 16, 2012
Boy, was it a hot one yesterday! I arrived at the market around 2:15 to set up, but before I could set up, I had to run an errand down at The Dancing Bean (coffee shop in Caste Village). The Bean is now carrying my Squish Monsters, so if you need a fix mid-week, you can always stop in there. Marianne makes a mean smoothie, and she's got quite a few flavors to pick from. I enjoyed a mixed berry in the heat of yesterday afternoon, and aside from the brain freeze I had from trying to gulp it, it was fantastic!
Anyway, the drop off set me back a few minutes, so when I arrived back at my car, I only had about 30 minutes left in which to set up. Set-up is always a stressful time, but it's even more stressful when I'm pressed for time, and it's 90 degrees and humid outside. At about 2:50 pm or so when I was nearing completion of set-up, I went to hang my banner, and as I was hanging it, realized that I was kind of trembling. I just felt like I had the shakes. It was very uncomfortable, and I just wanted to stop, but I had to finish, as I still needed to make a stop in the restroom to change into my HappyJack Bakery t-shirt. Anyway, by the time the bell rang at 3:00 to start the market, I was relieved to be able to sit and relax for a while. The shakes subsided shortly afterwards, thank goodness!
The other woman that is usually there selling cookies was on vacation this week. I thought it would help my business, but I don't think it mattered much. I think I still would have done just as well even if she had been there, as I think a lot of my business comes from repeat customers. A few folks stopped by yesterday that I hadn't seen yet this season. It was nice to see them again, and I was happy that they were still interested in my goodies.
The crowd was average sized—the heat didn't seem to keep them away, so that was good, but like last week, I did feel like there were a lot of people milling about, but not as many stopping at my table. Although, by the looks of my sales, I did do better than last week, so I guess more people stopped by than what it seemed. I ended up coming home with only 7 packs of cookies. That's pretty good, and it made jack happy, as he now gets to enjoy some of those leftovers.
I had made two pies on Sunday, and had planned to only sell one, and use the other for free samples. However, on Monday afternoon before the market started, I received a phone call from one of my customers asking me to hold the pie for him. So then I figured I had better try to sell the other one, as I can't really have free samples of a pie with no pie available to purchase. But it was about 6:30 pm and the pie still hadn't sold. But fortunately, a woman who lives on the street behind me, and who has frequented my table in previous years, stopped by right after that. She hadn't been to the market yet this season, and I told her that it was nice to see her back. I mentioned that my pie wasn't feeling the love yesterday, and she immediately said, "I'll take it!" Woo-hoo! She's had my pie before, and I was grateful that she wanted to try it again.
I also made potato chip cookies for yesterday's market. Growing up, my mom used to make these, but I always thought they were gross. I recently came across a recipe, so I thought I'd give it a try. It called for toasted pecans, which I normally shy away from, but decided to give it a try. They turned out fabulous. They were crunchy, and had a great buttery flavor—sweet and salty all in one bite. Total yum!
For next week, I'm planning on trying another sugar-free recipe. This time, it will be an oatmeal raisin cookie that uses applesauce for sweetener. I sure hope they turn out tasty. In the meantime, I'm also preparing for my next HappyJack Chat, which is a baking demo at the Whitehall Library on Wednesday, July 18, at 7:00 pm. In addition, I promised my daughter that I'd make some homemade ice cream for her.
Well, until next time, have a yummy day!
Anyway, the drop off set me back a few minutes, so when I arrived back at my car, I only had about 30 minutes left in which to set up. Set-up is always a stressful time, but it's even more stressful when I'm pressed for time, and it's 90 degrees and humid outside. At about 2:50 pm or so when I was nearing completion of set-up, I went to hang my banner, and as I was hanging it, realized that I was kind of trembling. I just felt like I had the shakes. It was very uncomfortable, and I just wanted to stop, but I had to finish, as I still needed to make a stop in the restroom to change into my HappyJack Bakery t-shirt. Anyway, by the time the bell rang at 3:00 to start the market, I was relieved to be able to sit and relax for a while. The shakes subsided shortly afterwards, thank goodness!
The other woman that is usually there selling cookies was on vacation this week. I thought it would help my business, but I don't think it mattered much. I think I still would have done just as well even if she had been there, as I think a lot of my business comes from repeat customers. A few folks stopped by yesterday that I hadn't seen yet this season. It was nice to see them again, and I was happy that they were still interested in my goodies.
The crowd was average sized—the heat didn't seem to keep them away, so that was good, but like last week, I did feel like there were a lot of people milling about, but not as many stopping at my table. Although, by the looks of my sales, I did do better than last week, so I guess more people stopped by than what it seemed. I ended up coming home with only 7 packs of cookies. That's pretty good, and it made jack happy, as he now gets to enjoy some of those leftovers.
I had made two pies on Sunday, and had planned to only sell one, and use the other for free samples. However, on Monday afternoon before the market started, I received a phone call from one of my customers asking me to hold the pie for him. So then I figured I had better try to sell the other one, as I can't really have free samples of a pie with no pie available to purchase. But it was about 6:30 pm and the pie still hadn't sold. But fortunately, a woman who lives on the street behind me, and who has frequented my table in previous years, stopped by right after that. She hadn't been to the market yet this season, and I told her that it was nice to see her back. I mentioned that my pie wasn't feeling the love yesterday, and she immediately said, "I'll take it!" Woo-hoo! She's had my pie before, and I was grateful that she wanted to try it again.
I also made potato chip cookies for yesterday's market. Growing up, my mom used to make these, but I always thought they were gross. I recently came across a recipe, so I thought I'd give it a try. It called for toasted pecans, which I normally shy away from, but decided to give it a try. They turned out fabulous. They were crunchy, and had a great buttery flavor—sweet and salty all in one bite. Total yum!
For next week, I'm planning on trying another sugar-free recipe. This time, it will be an oatmeal raisin cookie that uses applesauce for sweetener. I sure hope they turn out tasty. In the meantime, I'm also preparing for my next HappyJack Chat, which is a baking demo at the Whitehall Library on Wednesday, July 18, at 7:00 pm. In addition, I promised my daughter that I'd make some homemade ice cream for her.
Well, until next time, have a yummy day!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 6, July 9, 2012
Did you miss my boring commentary last week? Yes, I skipped a week at the farmer's market in lieu of a few days off with my hubby and sweet daughter, as we traveled to Washington D.C. in the 100 degree heat to go sightseeing. Despite the derecho that we drove through on Friday night to get there, and the 100 degree heat both Saturday and Sunday, we still had a nice time. We even made it up to Georgetowne Cupcakes (shop featured on the TLC show "DC Cupcakes") to buy a dozen cupcakes, although the frosting got a little melty on the bus ride back to the hotel. But they were still the best cupcakes I've ever had. Fabulous!
Anyway, back to reality, yesterday's market was just so-so for me. The hotter it gets, the lower my sales seem to be. I'm not sure if it's because there just aren't as many people at the market, or if the people that are there aren't interested in baked goods when the temperatures are high. Regardless, I ended up bringing home about 8 items, including my one and only apple pie. I can't quite figure out why people don't buy my pie. I only bring one, and it's always delicious—a beautiful dutch apple with a mildly salty crust to balance the sweet apple filling. What's not to love? There are two other vendors selling pies, and I know that one of them sells them for a few dollars less than mine. But I bet his aren't as "made from scratch" as mine are, but often the general public doesn't realize that, or doesn't care.
Although it was cooler yesterday than it had been for the past week, it was still warm, and the few Squish Monsters that I had out on my table for sale got pretty darn squishy. I couldn't bare to sell them, so I kept selling off the ones from the cooler. Today, my friends at work were happy about this, as I brought the two squishy packs in for them to enjoy (I did refrigerate them last night, though, so they're no longer squishy). I brought the pie in, too. Everyone goes crazy for it here. I love that.
While at the market yesterday, I was approached by two women from McGinnis Sisters grocery store. They wanted to know if I sell wholesale, and I told them not now, as it's hard to find the time with my regular job, and the market. They were interested in maybe selling some of my product at the holidays, so I will definitely keep in touch with them regarding that idea. Also, the Dancing Bean coffee shop at Caste Village wants to sell some of my product there, too, so hopefully you'll see my sweets popping up around town now and again. It's so flattering, and very exciting, to be wanted. :)
So that's the story for now. I'm hoping to find another sugar-free recipe that I can make, as I continue to have people ask for sugar free cookies, especially now that I dabbled in it a few weeks ago. But this time, I'm determined to find something that uses fruits for the sugar, as I'm not crazy about using artificial sweetener—at least not as much as I used the last time. Until next time, have a yummy day, and I hope to see you all next week!
Anyway, back to reality, yesterday's market was just so-so for me. The hotter it gets, the lower my sales seem to be. I'm not sure if it's because there just aren't as many people at the market, or if the people that are there aren't interested in baked goods when the temperatures are high. Regardless, I ended up bringing home about 8 items, including my one and only apple pie. I can't quite figure out why people don't buy my pie. I only bring one, and it's always delicious—a beautiful dutch apple with a mildly salty crust to balance the sweet apple filling. What's not to love? There are two other vendors selling pies, and I know that one of them sells them for a few dollars less than mine. But I bet his aren't as "made from scratch" as mine are, but often the general public doesn't realize that, or doesn't care.
Although it was cooler yesterday than it had been for the past week, it was still warm, and the few Squish Monsters that I had out on my table for sale got pretty darn squishy. I couldn't bare to sell them, so I kept selling off the ones from the cooler. Today, my friends at work were happy about this, as I brought the two squishy packs in for them to enjoy (I did refrigerate them last night, though, so they're no longer squishy). I brought the pie in, too. Everyone goes crazy for it here. I love that.
While at the market yesterday, I was approached by two women from McGinnis Sisters grocery store. They wanted to know if I sell wholesale, and I told them not now, as it's hard to find the time with my regular job, and the market. They were interested in maybe selling some of my product at the holidays, so I will definitely keep in touch with them regarding that idea. Also, the Dancing Bean coffee shop at Caste Village wants to sell some of my product there, too, so hopefully you'll see my sweets popping up around town now and again. It's so flattering, and very exciting, to be wanted. :)
So that's the story for now. I'm hoping to find another sugar-free recipe that I can make, as I continue to have people ask for sugar free cookies, especially now that I dabbled in it a few weeks ago. But this time, I'm determined to find something that uses fruits for the sugar, as I'm not crazy about using artificial sweetener—at least not as much as I used the last time. Until next time, have a yummy day, and I hope to see you all next week!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 4, June 25, 2012
It was a good week. Windy, but good.
The weather today was perfect. Couldn't ask for anything better. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, there wasn't a spec of rain in sight, and the temperature was very comfortable at 70-something. Good weather = good day at the market. The crowd was much more steady this week than the past two weeks when the weather was a bit threatening. I don't think it really slowed down until after 6:00. I sold all but two packs of cookies, so yay me!
I was surprised at the number of people that stopped and asked if I had anything sugar-free again this week, which I did not. This week's cookie of the week was snickerdoodles. I was surprised, also, by how many people thought that a snickerdoodle was a peanut butter cookie of some sort. I sold my pie early on, and sold half of my happyjacks in the first 15 minutes. I knew then that it was going to be a good day.
Several folks stopped by today that I haven't seen yet this season, and it was nice to see their faces again. A older fellow stopped by and bought some cookies, then came back later and asked if I were married because he wanted to take me out for a cup of coffee. I told him I was married....to Jack... and that he's quite happy, and so am I, so thank you, but no thank you. I honestly think that was the first time I've been hit on in at least 10 years, if not much longer than that. It was kind of awkward.
I'm not going to be at the market next week, as we're taking a long weekend trip to Washington, D.C. Our daughter has been begging to go for two reasons: the Smithsonian, and Georgetowne Cupcake. Hopefully we'll be able to see both.
Until two weeks from now, have a yummy day!
The weather today was perfect. Couldn't ask for anything better. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, there wasn't a spec of rain in sight, and the temperature was very comfortable at 70-something. Good weather = good day at the market. The crowd was much more steady this week than the past two weeks when the weather was a bit threatening. I don't think it really slowed down until after 6:00. I sold all but two packs of cookies, so yay me!
I was surprised at the number of people that stopped and asked if I had anything sugar-free again this week, which I did not. This week's cookie of the week was snickerdoodles. I was surprised, also, by how many people thought that a snickerdoodle was a peanut butter cookie of some sort. I sold my pie early on, and sold half of my happyjacks in the first 15 minutes. I knew then that it was going to be a good day.
Several folks stopped by today that I haven't seen yet this season, and it was nice to see their faces again. A older fellow stopped by and bought some cookies, then came back later and asked if I were married because he wanted to take me out for a cup of coffee. I told him I was married....to Jack... and that he's quite happy, and so am I, so thank you, but no thank you. I honestly think that was the first time I've been hit on in at least 10 years, if not much longer than that. It was kind of awkward.
I'm not going to be at the market next week, as we're taking a long weekend trip to Washington, D.C. Our daughter has been begging to go for two reasons: the Smithsonian, and Georgetowne Cupcake. Hopefully we'll be able to see both.
Until two weeks from now, have a yummy day!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Farmer's Market—Week 3, June 18, 2012
Preparing for the third farmer's market of the season was very time consuming. In addition to the market, I had a graduation party that I was making cookies for. In addition to making cookies, we had company all week, and I didn't want my baking to interfere with any of our plans, so I was up at 6:30 every morning baking for several hours to get it all done before we were ready to head out for the day. In addition, any downtime that we had from activities, I would squeeze in baking a few dozen cookies. Needless to say, by the time Sunday night came, I was pooped.
Joe, a customer that stopped by last week, challenged me to make a sugar-free cookie, and if you know me at all, you know that I take challenges very seriously and will do what I have to to meet that challenge. So I found a recipe for a lemon ricotta cookie, and I replaced the sugar with Splenda. It was hard deciding what flavor of cookie to make, as I was hesitant to duplicate, or make something similar to, a cookie I already make. But I don't make anything with lemon, so I thought that was a good option. The cookies turned out ok. I'm not crazy about the Splenda flavor, but my diabetic customers (or those wishing to limit their sugar intake) must not mind it because the cookies sold out long before the market ended. I had a few people, including Joe, buy one to try it, and then end up buying 8 more. But, of course, Joe is now looking forward to me making other sugar-free cookies, and I'm not sure I want to continue using Splenda for that. I'd love to find a recipe that doesn't need sugar... maybe it's a pie, or some kind of snack cake or breakfast bread or something. We'll see. I'm on a mission to make a spectacular sugar-free treat. It may not happen this week, but it will before the season is over.
Other than that, there's not much else too exciting to share. The weather was warm, and fortunately the rain held out. My booth was pretty steady with customers until around 4:45 or so, but then the whole crowd at the market slowed down, so my customers slowed down, too. It was pretty dead from 5:00 to 7:00, although once Jack arrived to relieve me at 6:00, he had a small burst of customers. Must have been some folks unable to resist his welcoming charm.
Overall, I think I did pretty well. I sold about the same amount this week as I did last week. Hopefully that's a trend I can count on. The fortune cookies didn't do well at all this week. Not sure what's up with that. I ended up with about 6 or 7 packs leftover of those. In addition, I had one pack of chocolate chip and one pack of lime, and three packs of flourless peanut butter cookies. That kills me because late on Sunday, I decided to make another batch just for the heck of it. I guess I didn't need to. Lastly, I made one pie that didn't sell. But that was OK. I owed a pie to a guy that did me a big favor, and he was very happy when I drove up to his house yesterday to drop it off.
So that's the long story of it all. Until next time, have a yummy day!
Joe, a customer that stopped by last week, challenged me to make a sugar-free cookie, and if you know me at all, you know that I take challenges very seriously and will do what I have to to meet that challenge. So I found a recipe for a lemon ricotta cookie, and I replaced the sugar with Splenda. It was hard deciding what flavor of cookie to make, as I was hesitant to duplicate, or make something similar to, a cookie I already make. But I don't make anything with lemon, so I thought that was a good option. The cookies turned out ok. I'm not crazy about the Splenda flavor, but my diabetic customers (or those wishing to limit their sugar intake) must not mind it because the cookies sold out long before the market ended. I had a few people, including Joe, buy one to try it, and then end up buying 8 more. But, of course, Joe is now looking forward to me making other sugar-free cookies, and I'm not sure I want to continue using Splenda for that. I'd love to find a recipe that doesn't need sugar... maybe it's a pie, or some kind of snack cake or breakfast bread or something. We'll see. I'm on a mission to make a spectacular sugar-free treat. It may not happen this week, but it will before the season is over.
Other than that, there's not much else too exciting to share. The weather was warm, and fortunately the rain held out. My booth was pretty steady with customers until around 4:45 or so, but then the whole crowd at the market slowed down, so my customers slowed down, too. It was pretty dead from 5:00 to 7:00, although once Jack arrived to relieve me at 6:00, he had a small burst of customers. Must have been some folks unable to resist his welcoming charm.
Overall, I think I did pretty well. I sold about the same amount this week as I did last week. Hopefully that's a trend I can count on. The fortune cookies didn't do well at all this week. Not sure what's up with that. I ended up with about 6 or 7 packs leftover of those. In addition, I had one pack of chocolate chip and one pack of lime, and three packs of flourless peanut butter cookies. That kills me because late on Sunday, I decided to make another batch just for the heck of it. I guess I didn't need to. Lastly, I made one pie that didn't sell. But that was OK. I owed a pie to a guy that did me a big favor, and he was very happy when I drove up to his house yesterday to drop it off.
So that's the long story of it all. Until next time, have a yummy day!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Farmer's Market: Week 2—June 11, 2012
Today's market started out much slower than last week's...not necessarily at my table, though. I just mean in general. It could have been because of the threatening weather, which did end up showering us with a mild sprinkle here or there. But there just weren't as many people milling about at 3:00 as there were last week. Overall though, throughout the day, my sales were pretty steady, at least until about 5:00. They usually dwindle at that time anyway, so that was no surprise. But the good news is that I sold all but three items. And that's even better news for Jack, who is ever so happy when there are leftovers to be enjoyed.
Anyway, I saw most of the same faces from last week, along with a few new ones, and a few regulars from last year that weren't able to make it last week. This year, I decided to see how my blueberry sour cream pound cake would sell if I brought one each week. So far, I'm two for two, so I guess I'll keep making it until there doesn't seem to be any interest in it. I only made one pie this week, which seemed to be the right number. It sold, but I may not have been able to sell another. There are two other vendors that sell pies, so that's a lot of hefty competition. And it's a pricey investment if it doesn't sell, so I'm ok selling one pie a week, as long as it's selling. The people that buy my pie love my pie, so I'm glad I'm able to make them happy with it.
I had two potential customers ask if I had anything sugar-free. I currently don't make anything sugar-free, but I did look around back in early May for some recipes that might fit my brand. I need to get back to that quest, because I told one of those people that I would try to make him something for next week. The challenge is on!
I had a few people tell me that the fortunes stuck to the fortune cookies last week. I felt so bad, and I did explain to them that I made them a little differently this week (in other words, I placed the fortune more towards the outer edge of the cookie this time so it didn't get stuck in the folds). Hopefully I'll win back some customers that bought them and were turned off by that. They really are a fabulous cookie!
So that's about all I have to report for now. Maybe next week's cookie of the week will be something sugarless... who knows. We'll have to wait and see. Until then, have a yummy day!
Anyway, I saw most of the same faces from last week, along with a few new ones, and a few regulars from last year that weren't able to make it last week. This year, I decided to see how my blueberry sour cream pound cake would sell if I brought one each week. So far, I'm two for two, so I guess I'll keep making it until there doesn't seem to be any interest in it. I only made one pie this week, which seemed to be the right number. It sold, but I may not have been able to sell another. There are two other vendors that sell pies, so that's a lot of hefty competition. And it's a pricey investment if it doesn't sell, so I'm ok selling one pie a week, as long as it's selling. The people that buy my pie love my pie, so I'm glad I'm able to make them happy with it.
I had two potential customers ask if I had anything sugar-free. I currently don't make anything sugar-free, but I did look around back in early May for some recipes that might fit my brand. I need to get back to that quest, because I told one of those people that I would try to make him something for next week. The challenge is on!
I had a few people tell me that the fortunes stuck to the fortune cookies last week. I felt so bad, and I did explain to them that I made them a little differently this week (in other words, I placed the fortune more towards the outer edge of the cookie this time so it didn't get stuck in the folds). Hopefully I'll win back some customers that bought them and were turned off by that. They really are a fabulous cookie!
So that's about all I have to report for now. Maybe next week's cookie of the week will be something sugarless... who knows. We'll have to wait and see. Until then, have a yummy day!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Farmer's Market: Week 1—June 4, 2012
I was so excited about being at the farmer's market again this year. To everyone that stopped by, thank you so much! Even if you didn't buy anything, it was great to see you all. I think the highlight of my day was when my youngest repeat customer, Darby, came over with her mom and handed me a bouquet of pretty, hand-picked little purple flowers. Her mom said she was excited to get to see me that day. I was very, very touched. It was so sweet!
Things were busy when they rang the bell at 3:00. As usual, the market is busiest between 3:00 and 4:00, and every hour after that, it slows down. But overall, it was still pretty hopping most of the day. I did very well, selling about the same amount this year on opening day as I did last year on opening day. I didn't quite sell out, but I didn't have much left over. I had a few happyjacks, one pie, and several packs of chocolate chip cookies. Go figure. Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? And mine are flavorful and chewy. The perfect cookie, if you ask me, but of course, I'd say that, huh? Oh well. Hopefully more people will give them a chance next week. They used to be my best seller. I don't get it.
It was truly wonderful to see the other vendors, and some new faces that joined the team. And it was so much fun to see all of my favorite regulars. One of them even sprouted a new baby during the off season, and he was so darn cute! Only two weeks old, and all squishy-faced. I just wanted to hug him! There were some folks that didn't make it out for opening day that I hope to see soon in the upcoming weeks. I missed you guys!
My cookie of the week went over well: a blondie loaded with toasted coconut, chocolate chips, and Heath Bar chips. I also have a new item this year: Jackanese Fortune Cookies. Hopefully the paper didn't stick too badly in the cookies. In the test runs that I did, the cookies were dry enough that the paper didn't stick, but every cookie is different and unfortunately, I can't test them all. I just hope the majority of them were ok. Otherwise, I'll need to rethink the fortunes.
Lastly, I was extremely grateful to have the support of my best friend/husband/partner, Jack. He was able to take the afternoon off of work and join me. It's a tremendous help to have him there to set up, and it was wonderful to have company during the afternoon. Around 5:00, our daughter, Lila, joined in the fun, and we were able to enjoy dinner from some of the vendors, and dessert from the other cookie lady. All in all, it was a wonderful day. Hopefully next week, the weather will be a little more sunny, and a little less chilly.
Until then, have a yummy day!
Things were busy when they rang the bell at 3:00. As usual, the market is busiest between 3:00 and 4:00, and every hour after that, it slows down. But overall, it was still pretty hopping most of the day. I did very well, selling about the same amount this year on opening day as I did last year on opening day. I didn't quite sell out, but I didn't have much left over. I had a few happyjacks, one pie, and several packs of chocolate chip cookies. Go figure. Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? And mine are flavorful and chewy. The perfect cookie, if you ask me, but of course, I'd say that, huh? Oh well. Hopefully more people will give them a chance next week. They used to be my best seller. I don't get it.
It was truly wonderful to see the other vendors, and some new faces that joined the team. And it was so much fun to see all of my favorite regulars. One of them even sprouted a new baby during the off season, and he was so darn cute! Only two weeks old, and all squishy-faced. I just wanted to hug him! There were some folks that didn't make it out for opening day that I hope to see soon in the upcoming weeks. I missed you guys!
My cookie of the week went over well: a blondie loaded with toasted coconut, chocolate chips, and Heath Bar chips. I also have a new item this year: Jackanese Fortune Cookies. Hopefully the paper didn't stick too badly in the cookies. In the test runs that I did, the cookies were dry enough that the paper didn't stick, but every cookie is different and unfortunately, I can't test them all. I just hope the majority of them were ok. Otherwise, I'll need to rethink the fortunes.
Lastly, I was extremely grateful to have the support of my best friend/husband/partner, Jack. He was able to take the afternoon off of work and join me. It's a tremendous help to have him there to set up, and it was wonderful to have company during the afternoon. Around 5:00, our daughter, Lila, joined in the fun, and we were able to enjoy dinner from some of the vendors, and dessert from the other cookie lady. All in all, it was a wonderful day. Hopefully next week, the weather will be a little more sunny, and a little less chilly.
Until then, have a yummy day!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Market and Chat
I can't believe that the first day of Farmer's Market season is almost here. Every year, I have found that by the end of the market season, I'm tired and ready for it to be over. But then by April, I'm always getting the itch, and I'm so excited to get back to it all. This year has been no different.
Monday will mark the beginning of my third season at the Whitehall Farmer's Market at Caste Village Shopping Center. I'm so excited because I got the same spot this year as I had last year. I love my neighbors in the booths next to me and across from me. I love to chat with them when the crowd slows down, and I love to purchase their wares. Joyce has fabulous fudge, Lynn has the best pierogies, and Paul and JoAnn have great fruit! I'm also really happy that I'm soon going to get to see all of my regulars again, and I hope to meet some new folks that soon will also become steady customers. It's just such an exciting time!
So this weekend, I'm baking my little heart out...well, at least trying to in the midst of two dance recitals and a graduation party. Be sure to stop by for all the usual suspects that you're used to getting at my table: Better Than Regular Old Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Snowballs (Justin at Escajeda's Tacos LOVES these cookies–I've tried to get him to try something else, but he can't bring himself to do it), Ma Abbate's Oatmeal Rounds, A-maize-ingly Lime Cookies (Lynn at ZumZum swears she's not a sweets eater, but she seems to really like these ones; Angela seems to really like these ones, too), Cinnasnappers, Squish Monsters (everybody's favorite), Fudgy Brownies of Doom, Apple and Blueberry HappyJacks (Debbie loves the blueberry ones!), and some Super Apple HappyJacks. In addition, my cookie of the week will be Loaded Blondies...a brownie-like texture of a cookie bar, but with no chocolate, loaded with chocolate chips, toffee chips, and coconut. My newest creation this year, though, and one that I'm so excited to see how you all like it, are my Jackanese Fortune Cookies. They'll be the best fortune cookie you've ever had, trust me.
One other thing I wanted to mention was that I'm doing another HappyJack Chat at the Whitehall Library on July 18 at 7:00 pm. The topic this time is Chocolate and Oatmeal. I'll be demonstrating how to make a chocolate chip oatmeal cake that is foolproof, moist, and delicious. I'll also share with you Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses oatmeal in two forms. These aren't the cookies I sell at the market, but they're a pretty good, hearty cookie that I'm sure you'll love. Be sure to sign up at the library's web site and join me for an hour of conversation all about baking, chocolate, and oatmeal.
Well, that's it for now. I can't wait to see everyone on Monday. Please stop by and say hi, even if you're not in the mood for my treats. I miss you!
Monday will mark the beginning of my third season at the Whitehall Farmer's Market at Caste Village Shopping Center. I'm so excited because I got the same spot this year as I had last year. I love my neighbors in the booths next to me and across from me. I love to chat with them when the crowd slows down, and I love to purchase their wares. Joyce has fabulous fudge, Lynn has the best pierogies, and Paul and JoAnn have great fruit! I'm also really happy that I'm soon going to get to see all of my regulars again, and I hope to meet some new folks that soon will also become steady customers. It's just such an exciting time!
So this weekend, I'm baking my little heart out...well, at least trying to in the midst of two dance recitals and a graduation party. Be sure to stop by for all the usual suspects that you're used to getting at my table: Better Than Regular Old Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Snowballs (Justin at Escajeda's Tacos LOVES these cookies–I've tried to get him to try something else, but he can't bring himself to do it), Ma Abbate's Oatmeal Rounds, A-maize-ingly Lime Cookies (Lynn at ZumZum swears she's not a sweets eater, but she seems to really like these ones; Angela seems to really like these ones, too), Cinnasnappers, Squish Monsters (everybody's favorite), Fudgy Brownies of Doom, Apple and Blueberry HappyJacks (Debbie loves the blueberry ones!), and some Super Apple HappyJacks. In addition, my cookie of the week will be Loaded Blondies...a brownie-like texture of a cookie bar, but with no chocolate, loaded with chocolate chips, toffee chips, and coconut. My newest creation this year, though, and one that I'm so excited to see how you all like it, are my Jackanese Fortune Cookies. They'll be the best fortune cookie you've ever had, trust me.
One other thing I wanted to mention was that I'm doing another HappyJack Chat at the Whitehall Library on July 18 at 7:00 pm. The topic this time is Chocolate and Oatmeal. I'll be demonstrating how to make a chocolate chip oatmeal cake that is foolproof, moist, and delicious. I'll also share with you Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses oatmeal in two forms. These aren't the cookies I sell at the market, but they're a pretty good, hearty cookie that I'm sure you'll love. Be sure to sign up at the library's web site and join me for an hour of conversation all about baking, chocolate, and oatmeal.
Well, that's it for now. I can't wait to see everyone on Monday. Please stop by and say hi, even if you're not in the mood for my treats. I miss you!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
What do I want to be when I grow up?
At 18 years old, I wish I knew what I know now—I love to bake, and I love to cook, and I'm very interested in nutrition. Had I known that back then, my life would have taken a completely different path. Having said that, I'm very happy with the path it took, as I have had great work experiences, saw love fail, and saw love soar, and without the path I've been on, I would have never met my husband or had my beautiful daughter. I wish that life allowed us a do-over so I could go back to school—culinary school, to be specific—and continue to learn more and more about the topics that really interest me at this point in my life. But going back to school isn't in the cards for me, so I self-teach.
Remember in my last post back in November, I had a lot of homework to do to figure out if I can make a living selling my products wholesale. Well, I think I've completed steps 1, 2, and 3, and I now have to focus on step 4: finding customers that want to buy my product.
In my calculations (you can't believe how much number crunching I've done over the last few weeks), I've determined that in order to be able to make a living doing this, I need to be able to sell, EVERY DAY, five days a week, the following amount of goodies:
-125 packs of cookies
-2 breakfast breads (pound cakes)
-24 muffins
-2 apple pies
-6 apple happyjacks
Every day. With proper equipment and my own commercial kitchen, I can definitely produce this amount each day, but can I sell this much each day? I don't know. My next step is to create a nice little leave-behind flyer/brochure, make some samples, and hit the road. I need to create a list of places to target: coffee shops, local delis, grocery stores, etc. And then I need to visit them, convince them to buy my product, and see how much they would order on a regular basis. The hard part is this: I can't commit to anyone until I know I have enough commitments to make it work. How do you walk into a place to get a commitment when you don't even know if you can commit? How do I sell that? I also need to figure out shelf life of all of my cookies, so that will require some baking and testing over the course of a week or so. That should be fun for my husband.
So I have some questions for you, my followers:
Do you know anyone that owns an establishment that might be interested in selling my product?
Do you have any suggestions on how to sell my story to potential customers? Do I play the "little guy trying to get a break" card? What would convince you to take a chance on me, aside from the deliciousness that is my product? :)
Hopefully I have more tell you about in another month or two. The farmer's market will be starting up in June. I'm very much looking forward to seeing everyone again.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
Hopefully I have more tell you about in another month or two. The farmer's market will be starting up in June. I'm very much looking forward to seeing everyone again.
Until next time, have a yummy day!
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