Guess who got (another) job!? That’s right, the haphazard kt machine is gonna try a new combination of crazy starting this weekend as I start baking PT for Sticky Fingers in DC. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up! Learning from pros who totally took em down on Cupcake Wars?! No brainer.
What does that mean for Gimme Dem Cupcakes? GDC will be making it’s last for profit appearance this weekend at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers market in collaboration with V Picnic Club. To prevent a conflict of interest with my Sticky Fingers friends, I will only continue baking cupcakes for current friends and loved ones who already have my contact information. In the future, I still plan to take part in local events like the Capital Area Cake Show as well as collaborate with friends on other ideas, so you’ll still be able to catch some sweets or an empanada here and there. I’ll keep you apprised as the blog is re-purposed into a solely personal outlet.
You know we’re always full-tilt boogey over here at GDC and sometimes it seams like I put a lot of work and effort into the littlest of projects, but that’s what makes every thing from our bakery so special. That said, it takes a dedicated team of loved ones to keep me sane.
The DC Grey Market was a definite success! After ordering tons-o-new swag from Moo, baking beau coup cupcakes and salteñas, labelling and planning logistics, coordinating around my defunct car and schlepping–it all came together! Set-up was a breeze and the day went really smoothly. I feel really good about Gimme Dem Cupcakes’ showing at the DC Grey Market, especially as our very first opportunity to sell at a public event! Even though there were so many bakers, I feel really good about the niche our vegan yums held out! It was also great to meet so many other vendors and see what they’re doing to realize their food concepts! We broke even and we got our name out there. More than that, it was really really amazing to see so many of my friends pull together and support me. I really feel kind of overwhelmed when I think about it. I can’t wait for the next one! I couldn’t have done it without a stellar team of volunteers* and Maya, the DC Grey Market organizer!
If any visitors from the market have questions about GDC’s market’s offering or the other items on our menu, please feel free to contact me by emailing beckmaka@gmail.com
Check out the pictures!
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*Volunteers: at GDC HQ-Niva, Asmait, Joy, Anna, Boom, and Lars; at the register: Boom, Joy, Chuck, Dad and Lars; working the crowd: Boom, Dad, Lars, Jasmine; and even more friends that came to support: Patrick, Niva, Alan, Padmini, Braniff, Cynthia, Jill, Cynthia, Scott, Asmait, Adrienne, Sara, Kerrin, Alicia! Thank you all for being!!!
Quick update!!! As I blogged last week, the DC Grey Market is on for May 21st 12-4PM hosted by Local 16! They have registered 25 vendors and are putting them all up on the Grey DC website product page and they are expecting 1000-2000 people to come through the market all day! That said, if any customers want to turn in containers, I love recycling, and I do offer a dollar toward any subsequent GDC order for recycled tins/containers!
As I look at the monster preparation time required, I’m asking if my favorite helpers would like to volunteer and help me prep in the GDC kitchen! If it looks like the weather will hold out, I’m shooting to make as many as 800 minis (Dreamsicle, Chuck Raspberry, AmeriCAN Dream, Bananaramadingdong, and Chocomint) and at least 100 empanadas (both corn and saltenas). Dad will be standing by with me the day of to sell and answer questions! I can’t wait to meet the other vendors and see you all there! It’s going to be amazing!!!
Hi Gimme Dem Cupcakes supporters!!!
Customers and friends may have already receieved this via email, but for the wider Gimme Dem viewing audience:
I hope you’re all reveling in the good weather and even better company as everything warms up this season! Warm weather means it’s time for markets to reopen! That said, Gimme Dem Cupcakes is about a month away from participating as a vendor for the first time at Grey Market DC on May 21st!
What is the Grey Market?
“The DC Grey Farmers Market is a private membership club that serves as an incubator for small food vendors who can’t yet afford to be licensed.” How can you support Gimme Dem and other vendors?
Show up and buy stuff May 21st at our host venue, Local 16 (1602 U Street)! For now, the venue and day are set, but time is TBA. Sign-up on the Grey DC website to get the skinny on confirmed vendors, estimated numbers of participants etc. and other reminders!
Why should you support?
(I know spring is a super busy time of year for everyone but, this is a very big deal for me and the other vendors!!!) Gimme Dem has been trucking along with short seminar classes, fundraising events like RAFA and the World-Wide Vegan Bake Sale as well as made to order sales, BUT I think events like the Grey Market will help me explore its viability as a full-time business. This is a great opportunity to move toward the next step. I encourage you to please forward this email to locals in the DMV area that might be interested Gimme Dem goods or the market!
Want more vegan !?!?
I’m trying to gather people intersted in promoting vegan culture. Several of my clients are interested in starting a business like a storefront, restaurant or a cooperative. I have contacts at several businesses (Harrisonburg’s The Little Grill Collective or The Friendly City Food Coop, or other city’s gem’s like Nashville’s The Turnip Truck). I think would be good models for us. I’d like to bring in diverse talents and interests to the conversation, so please, If you’re interested in learning more email me and we’ll arrange a meet-up asap!
Thank you all for your love and support! I hope to see you at a Gimme Dem event soon!
Happy Earth Day! This week, even though I have killer allergies and atrocious spider bites, I’m super stoked that Mother Earth has all the stuff to to create everything we see around us! I’m especially thankful for all my Gimme Dem Cupcakes compadres – thank you to everyone who made it out for our Cupcake & Empanada Fiesta last Saturday!
As with every year, Earth Day coincides with the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale raising awareness about the vegan culture and help raisie money for local charities. If you missed last week’s party, you can catch us at Falls Church Community Center with all sort of vegan yums (some of the participants are listed here). I’ll be at the local fundraiser benefiting the efforts of Compassion for Animals with Dirt Cupcakes! You can also visit the the area’s best farmers market! Eating local food that’s vegan=mondo savings on your carbon footprint! I hope to see you Saturday!
Holy, moly. What an event. And I was only there for Saturday! The National Capital Area Cake Show was AMAZING! I’m so glad my friend Yuli encouraged me to go! After an evening baking with my family Friday, I started my day with an 8 AM class with Norm Davis on how he runs his shop and manages clients for his award winning cake business The Sweet Life. Afterwards, I met up with my friend Morgan and we let the sweet smell of baked goods guide us. There was a lot going on: more classes; vendor expo; entries for the wedding cake, themed, and divisional cake decorating contests; cookies; cupcakes; a live cake challenge with celebrity pastry chefs; free demonstrations and so much philantrhopy! Right up my alley! I was really impressed with the sense of community as well as the professionalism of the bakers, especially amateurs! Next year, I’m definitely taking more classes and loading up on the swag as much as possible. (full photo album of what we saw here.)
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But my very favorite part was the Cupcake Cocktail Hour and Cupcake Challenge which Gimme Dem proudly participated in with what my sister like to call the “Plump and Juicy Fuzzy Navel Cupcake.” It was long week with the addition of bar training and spending time tweaking my recipe… but Friday night, with the help of my family, we nailed it. It took a lot of Schnapps and peach puree to get the recipe right, but we finally got a standout peach flavor to pop against the intensity of the orange zest.
I had a great time meeting spectators and sharing with the other bakers. On top of all that, I was shocked and surprised to get an email telling me we won second place in the amateur division! I am not ashamed to quote the email here:
We are writing to congratulate you on receiving a 2nd Place Award in the 2011 NCACS Cupcake Challenge! The results are posted on the website at www.cupcakechallenge.org . Please send your mailing address and I will mail you the ribbon!
Thank you so much for competing and I hope that you will be returning next year to defend your title. The judges noted that not only was your cupcake delicious, but you did it with all vegan ingredients, which shows an added level of skill. They were very impressed! (For your personal bragging rights I will also note that your numerical score tied the winner in the professional category.)
Congrats,
Melissa Westervelt & Megan Ferrey
Cupcake Event Coordinators
along with the 2011 NCACS Committee
There were probably over a hundred entries and 40 or so bakers professional and amateurs. I got a lot of really great feedback and really feel like I got the opinions of my peers. I can’t tell you how good it feels to have won and I definitely wasn’t even expecting it. Gimme Dem wouldn’t be here without all you and it really shows. That said, I think a Gimme Dem Cupcakes and Empanada party is in order!!! Shooting for April 16th, I’ll confirm and send invitations this week!
So, I’m expanding my skill set. At the restaurant I have started training to be a bartender. Can you see me slinging beers and shaking up martinis?! Banter and booze. Yup, I can see it, too. So far, it’s really fun. I finished the first stage of training, and now I’m in the behind the scenes bar doing drinks for the main dining room every Sunday night until we coordinate a training schedule for the main bar. I haven’t mastered shooters or all the less frequently ordered mixers, but I understand the standard pours and I have all the basics for Artie’s favorites fairly mastered like martinis, cosmos, mojitos, and margaritas. I think I’m at the same stage with Gimme Dem where I’ve established my foundation of strong recipes and my method of service, and now, it’s time to expand!! I want more! I can do large scale production, I can deal with allergies, and I can make you smile. Now it’s time to take it to the next level! And maybe add a shot or two to brighten up our spirits.
About a month and a half ago, I registered for the National Capital Area Cake Show‘s Cupcake Cocktail hour tasting and competition. I’m working on a new Vegan Fuzzy Navel Cupcake (thank you barnivore!) just for the event and I can’t wait to see what else is out there! Orange you glad!?!?! Bwah! I hope you’ll consider coming out to support your favorite vegan cupcakes!!!!
Hi friends. I hope you’re warm and toasty, cuddling with love ones on this slushy day. I am! Yesterday around 3 o’clock, big wet snowflakes quickly blanketed and overwhelmed Northern Virginia. We closed the office early and I hit the grocery store for dinner ingredients and a loaf of Italian bread. It was dangerous even in two miles of driving. Cars had slowed to a crawl and some were starting to get stuck.
Luckily, I was home by 4:30 and I settled in for a little cat nap. I’ve been keeping weird hours so I can get enough done to enjoy my family during waking hours, sharing meals and watching TV or listening to music together. That said, I had enough time to lounge and by 7:30, I whipped up a nice steaming dinner.
Boom and I drained away the hours eating junk food while I worked on laptop and our favorite channels ran together. She took periodic gallops in the snow with Cocoa Bean, but mostly we were glued to our seats. Exhausting work.
By 3 am I was about done with a PowerPoint I’d been working on and then I took a hot bath while I read. By the time I crawled in bed, I secretly hoped we’d be snowed in for the morning and drifted off to dreams of my nana. When I woke up, I set up a record and went straight to the kitchen, eager to try something new. I sliced the Italian Bread from the night before, some bananas and prepared for a sumptuous vegan breakfast-Banana Stuffed French Toast with mixxed berry compote. Dredge batter= soy milk, cinnamon and ginger; crust= graham and almond meal. Seared on med-hi heat for about 3 minutes per side! Delicious. Now I feel totally ready for the trek to work!
Some of you may be wondering where I spend my time when I’m not baking or who I share my yummies with… Ask no more! Check out the blog for Literacy Council of Northern Virginia to get to know the staff and the daily haps of my daily grind (aka best place to work and volunteer)!
I woke up feeling awful this morning, my whole body aching as I tried to do my morning stretch. My sister just got over the same cold that laid her out for almost a week of coughing, feevers and general uselessness. “Crap, ” I thought. “I have so much to do,” as I thought about the training, paperwork, and other projects I had piling up on my desk. After a cup of mornign tea with my dad and a peak at the apple pie I made for today’s potluck, … Read More
Hi friends! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who helped me bake, practice, get pumped and dance Saturday.
I had a great time baking with Niva and Joy Friday night and felt really prepared for the day of. Plan was to arrive at Crafty Bastards by 1 o’clock and gather everyone to distribute the cupcakes and have time to cypher before the actual competition. Of course when the came time, I ran an hour late and left my family at the entrance of the fair with arm loads of cupcakes but no business cards, while I parked the car and grumpy passers-by demanded cupcakes. When I got to them, instead of rallying troops, I decided we should unload them immediately. It only took 10 minutes and we were out. I was so pumped when I ran down the stairs to the dance floor. Seeing everyone who came to support after pleasing so many strangers with cupcakes was absolutely too thrilling. I actually was overly excited so when we actually were called to dance, I couldn’t concentrate on my run. It was not my best performance, but it was still super super fun. I’m so glad we were paired against Atomic Goofball, he’s the most honestly funny and talented breakers in the area. Instead of being the intimidating type, he stays true to his name and is balls-out funny. T-Bone, you have been super fun to practice with, and like cupcakes, it’s been realy important to me to have dancing as an outet. Thank you to his dad for all the super sweet pictures! If anyone else has pictures, I’d love to see them!
Despite my adrenaline rush, I think everyone had a great time. So so happy and can’t wait for more cyphers, especially next year’s Crafty Bastards!
