Monday, March 31, 2008
the answer to my retail prayers!
so my "sales calls" the other day paid off! SCS Bistro and Coffeehouse has an almost empty bakery case at their front counter that they would like a local baker to fill! I called Dan, the health inspector, and hopefully he can come out in the next week or so and get me official! Very exciting, to say the least. I have been working on a schematic for the case, a bit of a seasonal rotation plan, and hopefully I can get some teddy bear and cake business out of this as well. Hooray! It is the sweetest little shop. They had originally opened up in Greenwood and I do not remember the details of why they moved to Ashland, but thank the Gods, eh?! They are also running the Ashland Country Club, so hopefully I can be supplying some baked goods that way, too. Busy busy busy, to say the least. Speaking of busy, I'm going to bake up a "display" bear--going to try and let one dry out a bit and lacquer it so I don't have to keep spoiling a sample one out every week. Keep your fingers crossed. I'm outta here--and into the kitchen. Ciao!
Friday, March 28, 2008
sales calls
I created a couple of "sample" packs for the Bistro coffee house here in Ashland--I know they like to make their own stuff...but I noticed they purchased some things, too. I took in a menu and a box with some coffeecake, double-dutch chocolate scones, carrot cake scones and some decorated sugar cookies. Did not talk to the owner as he was busy unloading his vehicle. Hopefully, I will hear something, though. Then Meredith, Ben and I cruised up to Gretna to the little Beanery coffee house there. The couple that own/run that one are lovely! Young--funny, energetic. I am so happy that they seem to be very successful there. Anyway, I got to talk to them a bit. I know they purchase their stuff, in fact at one point, from Target. Which has pretty good stuff, don't get me wrong. Anyway, I was able to explain to them how I only want to supply small, independents and that I am working on sourcing local dairy and eggs, etc. In fact, I have an appointment at Branched Oak Farm in Raymond, NE next Friday. I'll take the kids and we shall go see cows, buy some milk and meet some new friends! I sure hope the weather holds. The guy at the dairy said they are getting out of the egg business, but their neighbor across the street has some. As I said, I'll check it out! I've been in contact with 2 out of 3 of the Farmers' Markets I would like to participate in this summer. I just need a serious cash injection! Right now, tentative plan will be Beatrice on Thursday evening, Ashland on Saturday mornings, and Old Cheney on Sunday mornings. There is talk of a Wednesday afternoon market in old Havelock which would be lovely--I think my bears would be very popular in that neighborhood. I'm waiting to hear back from Mary re; Ashland's market--I don't know what it costs to participate yet. All very exciting to say the least! I am teaching a class at Whole Foods tomorrow. Finally! The last two got canceled, so hopefully the tide is turning. This is just a Mommy & Me class but I'll take anything I can get. My cousin James has expressed an interest in helping me with my website. He is practically graduated from a computer tech school and needs to get some experience on his resume. Hopefully, he can even make a blog link and this will be on there, too! I've still got to work on my cap cake idea. I think it's a good one! Okay, baby crying and I wanted to make a batch of hamburger buns to go with our dinner this evening. Oh, and I'm donating several dozen cookies to the elementary school for a parents' meeting during kindergarten round-up next Friday. I'll bring a couple of signs saying I'm the one who donated them! again, any and all advertising sampling etc I can get going the better!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
carrot cake scones
tried a new recipe last night and finished them up this morning with a cream cheese glaze and then topped with shredded carrot, toasted coconut garnish--they are really impressive looking and very tasty-I am thrilled! Always nice when an experiment goes well. My cousin James is finishing up a two year computer tech school and wants to help me with my website. My friend Mary set it all up--I love it--but she is busy and I always feel badly asking her to do more stuff! I'll put James to work--he can then use it as part of his resume. I also got my first wedding cake commission for this upcoming July--hurray! I am very excited about that as well. I have been doing some serious investigating online and I think I have my plan for the summer figured out...at least to get started. I really want to support the farmers' market here in town and it is Saturday mornings--so Beatrice, which is on Thursday evenings, Saturday here in Ashland, and hopefully down in Lincoln on Sundays. Hopefully that will work. I need to find out what it costs to participate in these various markets first--I'll try and make the calls today. I have an idea for a ball cap-shaped cake, too that I want to try. Just finding time and money for ingredients! That's the kicker, eh?! I am out of coffeecakes in the freezer, so going to make a batch of those today. And hopefully get my sample packs together to drop off at the two local coffee shops. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
sweets in nebraska
So many things have been going on lately I hardly know where to begin. Michael, my brother-in-law, has inspired me though, and one of my new year's resolutions was to journal more, or at all! So, here goes nothing--will be nice to have something down to record my "journey" as it is, as well! Okay, brief history, or my story up until now...I am a 42-year-old mother of 3, ages 5, 4 and 8 months old. I have been in the restuarant/food service business pretty much always--love it, miss it, as I am a stay-at-home mom right now. We just cannot afford childcare! Anyway, I love to bake, think I am good at it and think people will buy my stuff so I decided to get a kitchen licensed and start selling to other businesses. This way I do not have to worry about a retail front at this stage of the game--can basically bake when I have time (at night when kids are finally asleep) and can hopefully establish a bit of name recognition, etc so that when my wee ones are bigger I CAN open up a retail/dining establishment. Anyway, I found a tiny little building that is perfect for what I want it for and I have been paying rent since October 2007 without having it open. My husband said he would help me get it ready and he moved much slower than I originally anticipated. So, here I am in March 2008, totally broke, and my kitchen is all ready to go but I cannot afford to have the inspector come look at the place. It will run about $200 and I, at this point in time, do not even have money for gas in my van--a very sad state of affairs, I must say! I am going to talk to a couple of local coffee shops to see if they are interested despite my lack of official license--its all there, ready to go, built to the inspector's specs even! Like I said, just cannot afford the $200 until I have some sales! Very much a catch-22, eh? I'm going to work on some samples today and plan on taking them with a copy of my latest menu tomorrow. I have found that with food, you definitely need to get people to taste it. Even if what they are tasting isn't exactly what they're looking for at the time, they will get an idea of what you are capable of, so my first batch of samples is going to consist of double-dutch chocoalate scones, carrot cake scones, cinnamon pecan swirl coffeecake, a sugar cookie shaped like the state of Nebraska, a blueberry muffin and a big, ol' cinnamon roll. That should give them a great idea of what I am capable of! I'm pretty excited. I'll just keep shoving samples down everyone's throats until someone will give in and start buying my stuff!! I also need to get out of the house soon. I've been baking way to many new recipes and sampling them myself too often. Keep it up and I'll have to be fork-lifted from this house-yikes!
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