I know, the Gimme Dem Cupcakes blog has been quiet, but you understand. ”Momma’s Always on Stage.” Someone asked me what I was proud of in 2011, and I’m definitely proud of my baking. Thank you all for your support.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,000 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 3 trips to carry that many people.
-another wonderful year with the Literacy Council, promotion to bartender at Artie’s and most of all, my new part-time baker position at Sticky Fingers!
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.
It always seems like someone is tugging on this sugar mama’s apron strings, but now… Ahh, summer is my season. And considering Virginia lurches almost directly from winter to summer, it is KT time. No more trainings to staff, more daylight, less clothing, more time to listen to records and enjoy a nice porch! Even better, time to plan summer trips and time with friends. Read below for a list of things I’m really looking forward to this summer:
One of my favorite parts of these warmer months is the Farmer’s Markets! Between Lars and I we live next to two of the area’s finest Falls Church Farmers Market and Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market! This summer at Mt. Pleasant, check out my friend Jill’s new vegan food venture V Picnic Club (maybe she’ll team up with me for the next DC Grey Market?)! Last Saturday, Lars and I picked up some of her yums for brunch and I have never been so in love with KALE! Made our brunch! We also got a loaf of Rosemary Italian from Atwaters! With a some fresh asparagus and summer squash, we had a killer scramble going! I love, love, love lazy Saturdays.
Potlucks and picnics! Saturday we also met with friends for a picnic at Merridian Hill Park. Stretched out on blankets, it was a patchwork of paradise with fresh loafs of bread and delicious fruit mingling with the soft smell of an afternoon sprinkle of rain. Perfectly refreshing. Between the TAFT record club and birthdays, my mouth will be watering all summer.
Taking trips! Be advised, GDC will be taking some time off this summer and will not be taking orders on the following dates: July 3-7 I’ll be moving my bff to Laramie, WY (#allamericanmidwestbday) and July 19-24 I’ll be in Asheville, NC with the Gotrich family. Wish me well!
I hope we can make time to spend together with some sweet tea and something fresh from the garden! Who knows what the the summer heat will inspire in the GDC kitchen!
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!
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!!!!
We don’t all have fairy god mothers, magic shoes, or leagues of talking animals to help us along our way. What we do have is our own free will and the wonderful people we meet to help us make the days full of love and laughter. After a very long and hard September, I had a weekend with good friends to refresh me.
Lars, Becky, and Jenny with me, I had a chance to enjoy the fresh air, campfires, and lots of delicious food. These kinds of weekends are more magical than any movie.
Now that I’m back to normal, after my weekend getaway, how do I continue to celebrate the everyday? Well, I realized, a day without good food doesn’t make for a very good day. I’ve been trying to keep Mondays reserved for family dinners. So yesterday, I bought some herbs de provence for a roast for the fam and fennel for some savory lentils. To round out our first autumn meal together I concocted a new cupcake recipe: the Red Rose. It’s a combination of my favorite everyday tea and rosewater. Sweet, warm and simple, the Red Rose is fit for the everyday princess in all of us.
[This batch was gobbled... New batch and picture coming soon]
this morning’s post requires subtlety, so it’ll be sans caps in true kt b style. it’s after 4 this am and i still haven’t gone to sleep. i’m listening to yankee hotel foxtrot and the slide guitar has me swaying as i type the last few notes up for my training meeting. i needed this music tonight. these past few weeks have been really difficult for me; not the hurtles i have to face or the action i use to pass them, but just my mental place. i still think i might be half super hero, but i know i’m susceptible to the kryptonite effects of self-doubt and its ability to distort the perception of reality.
i’ve been going and going strong, two years helping my family, urging each of us to seek our own strength and independence. i’ve grown a lot and met many wonderful people along the way. while we each have tasks or jobs in life we wish were easier, different or just not there, i realized, i too have limits. i need to be careful of the doors i leave open, inviting people to take advantage of me. and i also need to know there will be relief. my faith has been shaken by the fact that my parents divorce still isn’t resolved after two years of separation. i’m an ambitious young 26 year old woman and i have no savings and school loans to pay off. and what about what they want. they don’t want to be in this permanent purgatory between poor marriage and independence. i know each of us is capable of success, we just haven’t succeeded yet. i’m realizing my parents might not feel strong enough to. i’m realizing i can’t make up for that kind of vulnerability with money or favors. they need self worth and trust in self after too many years of sinking into a turpentine clouded by the layers of beautiful youth and strength that eased into cold forgetful compromise of independence. they didn’t have a partnership, they shared a sense of the other as a stranger, both creating horrible reflections in their mind of the other.
so as the busy fall season approaches, as painful as this self reflection and revelation has been, i hope i don’t forget it. i hope i hold my family accountable for their responsibilities in hopes that we can have more healthy relationships. i’d like to say i’m baking a family of gingerbread people to commemorate this all, but really, i’m giving my self til 5 in the office and then i’ll be busy with two other gimme dem orders. i’m glad for it. i’m glad to see the things i don’t like because i know they don’t have to stay that way. i’m glad i know my self and my free will enough to choose a better life. and i’m glad i have you, my friends. a baker like me is always looking for a place to put her sweetness. screw the fantasy of a terrible present or a impossible dream of the good life. as jake/oasis would say: build a better place and call it home.
So, this morning, getting Cocoa and myself ready to go berry picking, I was alarmed to find I couldn’t reach my mom. Texting wasn’t going through and as I tried to call mom, I was directed to Verizon’s payment services. My mom, excellent at mothering, creating, loving; not so good at adult-ing. She can weave you a dream catcher or lecture you on permaculture, but gee, what happened to finalizing the divorce or child support?
I’m not meaning to make her sound irresponsible, because she’s not. I know she’s thinking about all these things and a zillion others, losing sleep and greying hair over how to keep her wheat grass growing and the cats fed. That’s kind of the thing.
I was so frustrated after I paid that bill; not because it’s hard, but because I’m just not sure how to fix things. I’m not sure how to get mom in a better place. I can get more money, but I can’t fix my mom or keep taking on her responsibilities. It’d be easy to be angry, or to hate her. But really, hate is the absence of something. It’d be the absence of my love for her, and that’s not it. What’s missing right now is whatever mom needs to get through everything.
At any restaurant or fast paced work place, you may hear them say, “don’t get in the weeds.” That’s just what it is. She’s got a jungle in her mind and unclear navigation. We all have our own jungles of responsibilities and miscellaneous thoughts, but we need to know ourselves and know our process or we won’t have a path through the jungle. We have to trust ourselves and our coping skills or we can never really grow or take on new challenges.
So, my apologies, no blackberry pies this summer. Luckily, I do have a freezer full of blueberries. In thye meantime, please share your happy thoughts and trust with those you love. I send you my own happy thoughts for peaceful minds, so you can enjoy your jungle and not just wish for escape.
Now, tucked in bed "over the river and through the woods." Great evening w/ my Grands: wine, pizza, choc chip cookies and playing Canasta. 22 hours ago
Enjoyed today's conference for VA Literacy Leadership. So greatful for our advocates (Jeannie Baliles, David Baldacci, Delegate Kim, etc.) 22 hours ago
