Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Yes...I am still here...

What a crazy 6 months!  So, to catch up...
Candy Cake Bites have made it into one holiday bazaar, my little girl's preschool, random orders here and there, and finally the write up in the business to business magazine Candy Industry.  I am calling this particular approach to business my "pro bono marketing campaign.  I am doing a lot of donating this year, and hopefully the moves will pay off eventually.
I have tried to promote at a few places, with little success as my free time is spotty at best and my follow through a little rusty. 
Since the last post, I have decided to expand my sweets repetoire and include cupcakes, cake pops, and the cake bites.  I am a licenced bakery and since the cake bites use such a small amount of cake it seemed practical to include other products that showcased my little star attraction!  Besides, there was waaaay to much cake in my freezer...
So, I am hereby deciding to bore all of the blog readers as much as I bore my facebook friends and fans with not only pictures of what I am concocting, but descriptive exerpts as well!  I know, you can't wait....:)  First up, my picture of the write up in the magazine


Can I just say how appreciative I am for all the friends and family who have supported my venture at every turn? I SHOUT IT from the bottom of my heart. You are the best from the compliments on the taste or look and the OMG's of the tasters. Those who tell me each time they see me how wonderful they are and how talented I am, and to all who repost my pictures and share me on social media. The preschool newsletter gave me a personal shout out that I didn't even see until today! Yes, I am behind on the school newsletters, and the laundry, and the bathroom cleaning, and the...well, you know how it goes. A friend of mine said the other day, "I don't know how you get everything done, and do all the baking you have been doing lately."
My reply..."I don't!  I see and hear all of the praise and am very grateful and humbled by the showering of positivity! I can't thank you enough.

As much as I would like to continue this post, the computer seems to be having issues...I will not admit to operator error this time...I will post more on the lovely sweets I am creating and share the trials and tribulations therein, soon.

Live Sweet---

Monday, June 3, 2013

Alright!  Now the fun can begin!  Tempering machine--check.  Chocolate--check.
Fancy Flavors--check.  Packaging--check.  Got all the admin stuff squared away, now it is time to find my markets, my buyers, basically all the people that will help me move from the "OMG I've started a business and have debt,"  to that wonderful place in the black where I am working all the time making yumminess and making people say "MMMMMMmmmmm."  Always great when they say it with a full mouth too!

Getting the website published today was a huge step, and load off.  I am also happy to say I have made some progress in my organization skills, and even my chocolate making skills.  I have gotten some books with wonderful ideas for my molding designs, some practice (first time not soooo successful) with the chocolate transfer sheets, and a lesson or 3 in hand tempering this wonderful chocolate.

Taste tests have shown that the move to couveture chocolate was the right one, even if it doubles the prices I used to have, it more than triples the flavor!  I found a recipe for Sachertorte (a Viennese chocolate sponge cake with apricot jam and ganache) and tried my hand at making a cake bite that would do it justice.  Flavor profile so far is on target, the cake recipe itself may need to be revised, but have some testers to hear from yet!

Such an exciting time, so fun, and looking at the chocolate world again has been so stimulating creatively.  Can't wait for this to take off....

I am open for business!  Check me out at www.simplysweetsoregon.com and my online shop at Etsy : Simply Sweets Oregon.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Back to Business

Welcome to the home of Simply Sweets Candy Cake Bites! 
Available soon on Etsy and hopefully other local establishments!!!

A long time coming, but a late night discovery may springboard me into action again-both creatively and professionally.

The "Beer Fairy," as I have been told, is a muse of sorts.  It seems she paid me a visit late on Mother's Day.  After a glass (and a half) of a nice stout, I realized that my left over truffle ganache and the extra cake from my daughter's grasshopper birthday cake pops may in fact make a nice pairing.

And what do you know...?  They were great together, and my Candy Cake Bites were born.  Well, at least they were a scrumptious little morsel at midnight, but it was my children who came up with the name at breakfast the next morning.

 After brainstorming a bit, and running the gammit of all the Minecraft related names they could think of, my 8 (almost) year old said, "Candy Cake Bites."  Ah ha!  There it is, ask your children.  All of my names were so complicated, all my little creations needed was the perspective of someone who saw them for what they were:  little pieces of bite-sized candy made of cake...duh.

And so, long story short...I have reopened my candy business focusing solely on this new creation.  I still get to make my caramel, my truffle ganache, play with chocolate (the good stuff this time), and make people say "Yummy!"

 I ordered all my supplies last night, bit the bullet and bought a chocolate tempering machine, and am sufficiently scared!  Excited too, I mean, if I am going to do this, I am going to do it better and bigger than the first time.  I have a focus now, a niche that as far as I can tell no one has ventured into yet, and a hugely supportive network of family and friends!  Mmmmwwwwaaahhh!

Lets make some chocolate, people!  And yes, taste testers always needed!
I'll keep you posted here and facebook about the coming, facebook page, etsy store. and all the haps!  I am almost ready!!
New supplies should be here in about a week, but I do have some chocolate and some older boxes and tins available if people need stuff now...  :)