I'm excited and honored to announce that I was on the front page of a local publication in Norman, Oklahoma called The Oklahoma Daily! Read the article here or look at the embedded publication below!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Coffee Break #5
Hello friends! I'm trying to pick back up with this blogging business. I've been really busy the last several months and a lot of you know why, but if you don't, grab a cup of coffee and sit down with me for a bit.
In January, I had the exciting opportunity to start working towards opening up a physical bakery in Norman, Oklahoma. I had a lot of signs pointing in the right direction, so I felt obligated to follow the attempts and began learning more about opening up my own business. My partner, Irene, and I worked together to develop a business plan and get things rolling. In February, we decided to try to launch a Kickstarter Project and see if we could get the money raised through pledges of people who supported our idea to open a local bakery in Norman. While the project was a great experience, we did not meet our goal.
At this point in time, I've learned quite a bit about trying to run/start a business. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of passion, a lot of time, and a lot of knowledge. While I had the first three, I lacked the fourth, and in the end I didn't feel comfortable enough opening a business without knowing what it takes to actually run one. At the moment, Confections + Coffee, Inc. is on hold, and I'm going to take a while to educated myself on the ins and outs of running a baking business, including finances, laws, requirements, time management, employment, and everything in between.
I'm not sure if I will ever open the bakery, but in the end, I am so glad I tried to follow my dreams and am proud to say I took the risk just to see what it would be like. I'm young and have plenty of time to gain experience about the baking industry, and if I do decided to open a bakery later on in life, I know it will be right when I need to.
In January, I had the exciting opportunity to start working towards opening up a physical bakery in Norman, Oklahoma. I had a lot of signs pointing in the right direction, so I felt obligated to follow the attempts and began learning more about opening up my own business. My partner, Irene, and I worked together to develop a business plan and get things rolling. In February, we decided to try to launch a Kickstarter Project and see if we could get the money raised through pledges of people who supported our idea to open a local bakery in Norman. While the project was a great experience, we did not meet our goal.
At this point in time, I've learned quite a bit about trying to run/start a business. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of passion, a lot of time, and a lot of knowledge. While I had the first three, I lacked the fourth, and in the end I didn't feel comfortable enough opening a business without knowing what it takes to actually run one. At the moment, Confections + Coffee, Inc. is on hold, and I'm going to take a while to educated myself on the ins and outs of running a baking business, including finances, laws, requirements, time management, employment, and everything in between.
I'm not sure if I will ever open the bakery, but in the end, I am so glad I tried to follow my dreams and am proud to say I took the risk just to see what it would be like. I'm young and have plenty of time to gain experience about the baking industry, and if I do decided to open a bakery later on in life, I know it will be right when I need to.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies
A chewy oatmeal cookie stuffed with chocolate chips and peanut butter M&Ms!
I am a cookie lover. Out of all the things I bake and eat, rebake, and eat more of, I love cookies the most. I don't know what it is… But I have an affinity for cookies. Maybe it was from all the times I went to the mall with my mom so she could get her hair cut she would buy me one of those delicious Great Cookie Company sugar cookies so I would behave. Or maybe it was from that episode on Rugrats where Angelica discovered cookies because it reminded me of me. (I can't seem to find a link to it, though. Womp!)
Regardless of the reason, I have always loved cookies, specifically sugar and chocolate chip. Don't bring me any of those weird flavors when I was young, because I'd just pass them for the sugar cookies with icing.
I hated oatmeal cookies as a child. They were deceiving! I thought they were chocolate chip, then those little brown specs would end up being raisins! The horror! As I got older, my mom would make oatmeal cookies with different kinds of add-ins. White chocolate chips and cranberries were her go-to add-ins. I finally caved in at the ripe age of 21 and tried a batch of her oatmeal cranberry cookies, and what do you know? I liked them! A lot! Ever since then, I've made that particular recipe several times and always enjoyed them immensely.
These are a great treat. I love oatmeal raisin cookies now, but I am always craving peanut butter. So I thought it would be necessary to come up with a recipe that including my new-found love of Peanut Butter M&Ms. They are one of my favorites up there with Peanut M&Ms and Pretzel M&Ms.
So I combined Peanut Butter M&Ms and semi-sweet chocolate chips as my add-ins on this recipe, but you can add anything in it you want. I'm sure raisins would suffice, but I've learned that if you take the risk on trying something new, it works out deliciously!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Cupid's Arrows
Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for being so patient with me during this hectic time. I thought I'd take a break from the "real world" and jump on in here to share with you a sweet Valentine's recipe. I don't know about you, but I love the idea of Valentine's Day… and I hate the nasty candy that comes with it. I think those yucky chocolates and conversation hearts are just the worst! Nothing tastes fresh to me and maybe I'm just a candy snob, but I have politely asked that no one give me any Valentine's candy.
So in my midst of Vday prepping, I got the idea to make something sweet and salty! My Halloween version was a hit, so I figured I'd remake these delicious chocolate covered pretzel rods into something a little more cutesy.
The process is easy peasy! I think making these particular pretzels took all of 15 minutes, and I was baking two other recipes at the same time! Phew!
I'll also post that I am selling these locally. Since I'm taking a hiatus from Facebook, I will not be updating my page. If you are in the Norman, Oklahoma area, feel free to order from my menu!
INGREDIENTS
Optional toppings:
1 bag of pretzel rods
1/2 a brick (12 net wt oz) white almond bark
Festive sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
1. In a saucepan on medium-low heat, slowly melt the almond bark. Do not melt too quickly or it will burn. Lay out wax paper on a counter or a few large cookie sheets. Set aside.
2. Once the almond bark is fully melted, dipped/roll/coat the pretzel rods in the bark and gently tap the excess off. To decorate with sprinkles, coat the wand while the bark is still wet. Place on the wax paper and let dry completely.
So in my midst of Vday prepping, I got the idea to make something sweet and salty! My Halloween version was a hit, so I figured I'd remake these delicious chocolate covered pretzel rods into something a little more cutesy.
The process is easy peasy! I think making these particular pretzels took all of 15 minutes, and I was baking two other recipes at the same time! Phew!
I'll also post that I am selling these locally. Since I'm taking a hiatus from Facebook, I will not be updating my page. If you are in the Norman, Oklahoma area, feel free to order from my menu!
INGREDIENTS
Optional toppings:
1 bag of pretzel rods
1/2 a brick (12 net wt oz) white almond bark
Festive sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
1. In a saucepan on medium-low heat, slowly melt the almond bark. Do not melt too quickly or it will burn. Lay out wax paper on a counter or a few large cookie sheets. Set aside.
2. Once the almond bark is fully melted, dipped/roll/coat the pretzel rods in the bark and gently tap the excess off. To decorate with sprinkles, coat the wand while the bark is still wet. Place on the wax paper and let dry completely.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Coffee Break #4
Hello all and welcome to Coffee Break #4! Please, grab a cup of coffee and join me for a bit!
It's been a few months since my last Coffee Break, but it feels like it's been forever! I also haven't been posting as much (read: I haven't posted since Christmas) because of some very exciting things going on in my world!
Drumroll, please…
I have been incorporated! Which means…
I am opening a bakery!
That's right ladies and gentlemen, I am in the process of opening up a bakery. I have spent the last two weeks baking my buns off, recipe developing, perfecting the sweets I'll be selling, writing out a business plan, and doing everything else I can to get this project off the ground.
It is a lot of hard work. I spend a lot of my spare time (read: not spare time anymore) working on the business plan, pricing, inventory, and looking for the best gadgets to use in my kitchen. I will be working with a good friend (plus a few more good friends) of mine to run this business in small town Norman, Oklahoma. I am super excited and I can't wait to get to the next big step… Leasing out a business!
I'll definitely keep you readers updated, and I'll be posting some sweet treats for Valentine's Day as well! Thank you for your support! If you feel like you can help, even the smallest amount, please donate via the PayPal link to the right!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)