Opening a bakery has been in the making for a long time. While my husband and I took our morning walks we discussed what we wanted to do - sharing our dreams with each other. Both of our dreams compliment each other - well eventually they will. I get lost in the process of the baking. Then seeing the final product and watching others enjoy what my hands have created just fills my heart.
I would tell my children they should do what they love to do and don't worry about the money, that will come. So why then am I not doing what I've told them to do?
I tried this before, why would it work again? What I did before was bake - to orders - market to local espresso stands, eBay and local consumers - package - deliver. I cannot do everything. Not only that but people would order a dozen cookies. How do you make just one dozen cookies? Why would you make just one dozen cookies? It took me the same amount of time to make one dozen as it would to make 4 or 5 or more. Then I didn't sell them for enough money to make it worth my time. Okay, learn from your mistakes.
This time the plan was to develop a following. My daughter wanted a lemonade stand last summer. Perfect time to bake and create. She did good. We sold cheap, just to let people know what we had. A couple months later we did another lemonade stand. This time I had more products and the delicious homemade lemonade. Never, NEVER use a mix. We did well again. Still thinking and developing the idea.Now I need a name and a name that isn't taken by a website. This was something that took a long time. Just need to find the perfect name. Well, once we finally did come up with the name (when I looked previously the name was available for a website) I attempted to register the name for a website, you wouldn't believe it - taken! Only a week prior!! Back to the drawing board.
We settled on Lion's Heart Bakery. Why? I'm a Leo, my favorite animal is the lion (beautiful creatures!) and I love baking, pouring my heart into each product. (My husband didn't care for '7 Purple Lions') I went to GoDaddy.com to register the name. Even now it's waiting for me to create a website. (Did I mention I work fulltime too?)
Next I applied for a business license with the state. During the Christmas season I got orders for cupcakes. I had taken some in to where I worked and let people try them. Needless to say, they were hooked.
I also made some for my husband to take into his classes (he was student teaching at the time) to celebrate his final days of student teaching! He knew I wanted feedback from the kids on how they tasted! Oh boy did I get some. I got their phone numbers, their birthdays, offers to let me bring cupcakes in more often! "Best cupcakes EVER!!"
Now, I am at a new job in a new location - while commuting back to where I used to live and still working on the business. I just got an order for 200 cupcakes!! Fabulous. Uh, I'm still working on a logo. I put 'status' on my facebook about needing someone to help me create a logo. Believe it or not, the one I chose was from my oldest daughter. We finalized it this week! I love it!!! Now I can order stickers to go on the boxes I also ordered and make business cards for this order. And today I just got an order to do a wedding cake as well as cater the wedding!! 175 guests!! I'm so happy!!!!
Before I could order the stickers and business cards (and because my webpage isn't up and running yet) I needed an email account specifically for the business and a blog. So here we are. Stay tuned for the next steps!!
Yay!! I get to be the first to kiss your blog! MUAH!
ReplyDeleteThis is so awesome, you've got a blog and your business will be up and running in no time.
I'm so excited for you!
THIS woman can bake! She makes all her baked goods taste OUT of this world delicious! The cupcakes are so moist and the frosting is soft, airy, and succulent! Out of this world flavors to touch the tongue. I'm so happy that I get the opportunity to 'test' out all the yummy delights!!
I can't wait until you open a bakery, I will definitely be the first in line!!! :-)
Hurray for following your dreams!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you make your cupcakes taste so good. I think it must be from the love you put in them while you bake! LOL, that sounds corny, but I love watching you mix and sample and try new things. I can't wait to see how this next step in our journey together plays out.
Congratulations on the catering job! Is the next post you do going to be about how much you love working with fondant??
And *I* got to be your first follower!!!
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ReplyDeleteI wish I could have tried the Zane & Zach's chocolate cupcakes, I bet that would have been delicious. Maybe an idea would be to put a little bit of the Zane & Zach's and some pureed raspberries. That would be really good!
ReplyDeleteI found a recipe you could probably add some Zane & Zach's thing. Of course, I don't really understand baking so I'm sure that you could figure out whatever I give you and make sense of it or see if you can even use it. You said you were up for new recipes or ideas. :-)
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups cake flour, (not self-rising)
* 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1 1/4 cups whole milk
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
* 2 1/4 cups sugar
* 6 large eggs
* 2 containers (6 ounces each) raspberries, 1 container pureed, 1 container coarsely chopped
* Gel-paste food coloring, in Tulip Red (optional; sugarcraft.com)
* Pink Buttercream
* Chocolate Filigree Hearts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with baking cups.
2. Whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar in a slow, steady stream, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, and beat until smooth.
3. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in pureed and chopped raspberries and a small drop of food coloring.
4.Divide batter among baking cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes, and let cool completely. Decorate with pink buttercream and lacy chocolate hearts.
(Obviously, you would make the icing WAY better than any recipe could hope to do, but I thought I would include it because it was part of the original recipe.)
Let me know if you do anything with it. :)