New Deals and Happenings

It's been a crazy week here at Pittsburgh Sweet Relief. Besides the fact that our regular day job is sucking most of the energy out of our day, we're also trying to get ready for a road trip home this weekend. That means lots of baking. They always say your family is your biggest support group, and ours is no different. They love to eat things we bring home to bake, and this time we're using it to our advantage. Our sister has an awesome photography business (shameless plug, a link to her hilarious blog is on the right) and also has a sweet tooth for vanilla cupcakes. Being sisters, we're good at deals: she'll photograph some awesome photos of our stuff, and in return we'll bake her some of her favorite vanilla bean cupcakes. A win-win.

It is crazy here at PSR, though. Baking is EVERYWHERE!!! So is icing. And flowers. Our KitchenAide is humming, we'll have to post a review of it soon. It's working overtime, the poor thing.

Next week we'll show you everything we've been baking up, and we can't wait. Stop back to see all the wonderful things we've been creating!!

Homeward bound, here we come!!!

Lady Mix-A-Lot

Oh. My. God, Becky, look at her butt!

Ok, maybe that's not me.  But I could be Sir Mix-A-Lot's wife this week, after the arrival, finally of my KitchenAide mixer.

My word this was a long time coming!  As you guys know if you follow my posts, I have wanted this mixer since the dawn of time.  And now it's finally here, in all of its metallic glory, waiting for me to mix something in it.  I'm waiting to break it in until probably tomorrow or Friday, depending on my awful work schedule.  The first order I have is for a dear friend who moved to Massachusetts a few months ago.  She has the winter blues, who wouldn't in Massachusetts, so some cupcakes will soon be on their way to her house soon.  I also have a wedding cake to make this weekend, which means sitting down to invest some good ole' quality time with my rose making skills.  This is definitely the worst part of baking: making roses.  Ugh.  But more about that for another blog post.

For now, I'm gonna freak out a little more about my mixer, grin because I've got a big butt and I cannot lie, and gear up for a full weekend of baking.  

Shake that healthy butt!  Baby got back!

Quiz: Do I Like Cupcakes?

Sometimes people question aloud to us how strong their devotion to cupcakes really is.  Here's a simple quiz for you to determine if you like to eat cupcakes:

1. When I get home from school/work I like to:
 a. Run 6 miles to burn off any excess calories I may have accidently consumed today.  Must. Run. More.
b. Find a relaxing way to unwind by cooking, reading, or playing on the computer.  Sometimes I need to treat myself to some me-time.

2. My idea of a perfect party is:
a. Acquaintances gather in a circle to discuss life after Earth, and whether fortified jerky made of plant compounds is a realistic thing.
b. Music, games, good food, and plenty of laughter!

3. My idea of a healthy diet is:
a. Sprouts, sprouts, and more sprouts!
b. Balance that puppy, but leave room for some fun treats too!

4. On TV I like to watch:
a. Amish Mafia.  Their beliefs on an eye for an eye really get my blood pumping!
b. Cupcake Wars.  They're so cute, and fluffy, and I WANT TO EAT THEM ALL!!!

5. A friend calls and asks if I'll meet him at a bakery to catch up with each other.  I:
a. Panic.  Bakeries mean sugar.  Sugar is evil.  I cannot consume evil.  I must not set foot in a bakery ever!
b. Wonder how I have such amazing friends that they know meeting me at a bakery is a dream come true.

6. My favorite flavor of cupcake is:
a. Bran.  With a side of kale juice.
b. Chocolate.  No, vanilla.  Wait, maybe peanut butter.  Or perhaps red velvet.  Oh, it's mango peach.  I CAN'T DECIDE!!!

7.  I read this blog because:
a. I'm trying to get my certification in online creeping.
b. I love cupcakes!!!  And Lis!!!

RESULTS
If you answered mostly A, it's safe to say you're not a cupcake fan.  And you may want to check in with a doctor sometime soon.  And avoid the internet.

If you answered mostly B, congratulations, you love cupcakes!!  I know it was hard to figure out, but now that this quiz proves your love and devotion, it's time for you to show your love and devotion and eat a few!  The gym can wait!!

I hope this quiz was informative and helpful for you.  We here at PSR want to help all cupcake addicts to embrace their love for the delicious treat, and to let you know it's OK to admit you die for the treats.  We do too!!

Reviewing For You: LorAnn Gourmet Candy and Baking Flavoring

Product: LorAnn Gourmet Candy and Baking Flavoring (cherry and raspberry)

Claim to Fame: Anyone who has ever tried my baking knows I adore flavor combos.  A good old classic and vanilla is nice, but how about a basil and tomato cupcake with cornmeal?  Or a peach mango beauty made with fresh fruit?  Sound delish?  It is.  To me, baking is about finding a wonderful combination of flavors that make your mouth scream "OH MY WORD!!"

I do what I can to get as many fresh and natural flavors into my baking.  I use real vanilla beans.  My freezer is full of frozen fruit I purchased in the summer and cleaned, cut, and bagged myself.  But no matter how hard you try, sometimes it's just not possible to get fresh, all natural flavors you're looking for without spending an arm and a leg.  Sadly.

That's where LorAnn Gourmet flavorings come in.  These little bottles pack quite the punch in flavoring, and promise me 4 times the flavoring of regular extracts.  That's a hefty promise, but I decided to put it to the test.  I wanted to make a raspberry orange cake, and while fresh oranges are a dime a dozen right now, raspberries are not.  Time to try out my new flavoring.

Price $ ($0-$10): The price for these are amazing, one package is $3.49.  At first that seems a little pricey considering, if dared, I could swallow the contents of this with one try.  But then you think how much you'll be able to bake with just this tiny bit of flavoring, and suddenly the $3.49 seems like a steal.  Extracts usually run $4-8, and you need to use a lot more to achieve the same flavoring.  If nothing else, the savings will eventually make it worth the investment (if they taste ok).

Testing it Out: As I said, I wanted to bake an orange raspberry cake, pictures to come soon.  I had the orange flavoring no problem, but decided to bust out the LorAnn Gourmet raspberry flavoring for this project.  I do appreciate that they add very little artificial coloring to their mix: yes, it's tinted red, but you use so little of it you can't even tell.  Helps for those of us who love to make funky colored cakes and cookies.

Using was easy, no different than adding vanilla extract.  I used 1/4 tsp of the extract, and after I mixed it into the batter, it was time to bake.

The Results: I was a little disappointed in the final taste.  Maybe I'm too picky, but it definitely felt like this extract was made for candy flavoring, not baking.  Yes, I realize it says on the package it's made for candy flavoring, but it also says it's perfect for baking.  Ehhhhhhh....not so much...it definitely tasted like raspberry, but the raspberry taste was off.  It was, to be honest, a little fake tasting.  Kind of like it was made for a lollipop.  Haha.  I guess that should have been obvious for me when I bought it, but I was expecting more of a natural flavoring than what I got.

It wasn't bad.  It just wasn't what I was looking for.

Final Verdict: If you're looking for a cheap option for flavoring, and like the lollipop type of flavorings, this stuff is made for you.  It's well-priced, easy to use, and definitely gives you a pop of flavor.  For me, and my more natural preferences, I am probably going to keep looking for an alternative.

Rating: *** out of ***** Again, in the right situation, these are probably amazing products.  I just find it a little misleading that the packaging suggests it's the perfect tool to use for baking.  It's not, at least not in my opinion.

New Year, New Stuff!

Well hello 2013, didn't you creep up on us a little bit...?  Still getting used to writing "2012" on my things, and now have to make that 2 turn into a scary looking 3 with a few well-crafted pen strokes.  Remember when time seemed to stand still when we were kids?  What happened to those glory days?

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!  We're excited that we can officially begin telling people, "Yes, we started our business last year."  What a nice ring that has instead of, "Oh, we started our business a few months ago, don't laugh, we're serious about making this work."  It sounds so much more professional when you can tell potential clients that you have successfully been in business since 2012 with no major mishaps.

This is all paled in comparison to the amazing news we have for everyone today.  For those of you who are new to the blog, or only read a handful of our posts, this past year has been operated on a shoestring budget.  As of right now our baking bank account has $162 in it.  We are by no means ready to trade on the NYSE. We're growing, though, which is evident in the fact that we even have a separate business bank account.  But this is still a shoestring operation until further notice.  We buy only what we need, everything in bulk at discount stores, and bake only what is absolutely necessary.  We use Facebook and this blog as our only means of advertising, as both are free.  We have wallpapered the Pittsburgh area with our business cards that someone gifted to us.  We have no working dishwasher, and make every order by hand with a small hand mixer and a few well-loved mixing bowls.

Until today.  Today, everything changes.  Today we can officially announce we have enough money to buy the one appliance we have always dreamed of owning, a professional KitchenAid Mixer.

For those of you who think, "Those things are only like $400, why haven't you bought one yet?" let me remind you of our shoestring budget.  While we do have a separate full-time job at a company, those funds are used to pay bills, buy food for us to eat, and pay down those dastardly student loans.  There's little left over at the end of the month for high-end appliances, and all the funds that are left over are saved for the day where we eventually do open our restaurant.  We believe in the theory that we use what we've been blessed with, whether it is a hand mixer with a questionable motor, cupcake tins from the Soviet era, or donated supplies from friends and loved ones.  Opening a business is a marathon, and well-planned finances help you finish the race.

So for the past 6 months we've been saving our coins and small bills in a jar on our dresser.  You know the routine, you get ready for bed, empty your pockets out and find 84 cents you didn't know you had.  Into the jar it went.  It's money we didn't even realize we had, so adding it to the jar was nothing.  Didn't even thing about it.  Every time we had $50 saved up, we would make a trip to the dreaded Giant Eagle (that's another story for another post) and buy a Visa gift card.  Slowly, ever so slowly, we were going to save up for this mixer.

We had help along the way.  Donations from friends who heard about our coined plight.  Gifts from friends and family.  We were once even paid for a job with a $50 gift card (totally unexpected but appreciated).  Slowly the number of gift cards grew.  Slowly we realized this would eventually work.

So as 2013 rings in across the world, we are happy to announce we finally have enough gift cards to buy that dang mixer!  The professional size, of course, we do have an image to keep up.  :-)

Now all we have to decide is what color we want.  Any suggestions?  Our flour/sugar/rice counter containers are red, yellow, and lime green.  Should we go with a color that compliments that like an aqua or pink or orange?  Or do we go with something classic and timeless like ivory or black?  Maybe we should consider which color is the easiest to clean...

Let us know your thoughts about color choices, or any other helpful KitchenAid mixer tips you might have.  And if you order anything from us from this point on, know that we did not mix it by hand!  We will soon be the proud owners of an amazing KitchenAid mixer! :-)

Happy 2013 everyone!

12 Things We Learned in 2012

Man, what a year!  365 days ago PSR was just a twinkle in our owner's eye.  It was a far off dream, lacking in skill, time, money, and hope.  Sure we liked to bake, but to actually sell what we made to people?  Book weddings and stuff like that?  Really?  Sounds unlikely.

And here we sit, 365 (366 for those keeping up with their leap years) days later, in awe at what has happened in this past year.  Are we where we ultimately want to be?  Heck no.  But we are much closer to our end goal than we ever thought we could be last December.

To celebrate the past 365 days of awesomeness that 2012 has brought our baker, we present to you a list simply entitled

12 Things We Learned in 2012

1. It is never too late to try something new.  We say that only being 26, so maybe that sounds a little funny.  But 4 years ago we graduated college with a degree in history and secondary education.  And now we're trying to start a new business.  It's amazing the path our lives take if we simply open ourselves up to possibilities.

2. Baking is not as simple as following a recipe.  There's so much more to it than that.  This is not a simple "Follow steps A-G" business.  This is artwork, this is creation, this is pure joy and love.  If you don't love baking, and you're a baker, your customers will see it in every piece you create.  My pieces may not be 100% perfect, but you can tell I put my heart and soul into each one.

3. Practice makes perfect.  I've had some pretty big mess ups this year.  Some of which people still lovingly accepted.  Some of which I quickly pitched.  But working at something until I get it, it's such an amazing feeling when you can pull off the unthinkable.

4. Powdered sugar has a way of ending up in really strange places.  Always wear an apron and never wear an outfit that you look at and think, "Hmmm, maybe I could go out later tonight in this."

5. Never bake on an empty stomach.  The customer will suffer, as will your waistline.

6. Put yourself out there.  Take risks, be adventurous.  Don't be afraid to say, "Hi my name is Lis and I run a small bakery!"  You never know who might remember that one line later down the road.  We've been selling that line for the past 6 months, and have booked 1 bridal shower, 2 weddings, and several parties.  It feels great to know that my enthusiasm for my business has lead to a steady growth in business.

7. Take your finances seriously.  Don't put your business money in with your actual money.  Open up a separate account, and act all "adult-y" with your funds.  Spreadsheets, finance trackers, find a way that works for you and stick with it.  You will only regret it later if you don't.

8. Find your weakness and educate yourself.  I'm not a business woman, never have been.  So I took tons of classes, read books, and asked for advise from business professionals in the area.  It's amazing what I've learned in the past year about running your own business.  It's hard work, that's for certain.  But if you're passionate about something you love to do, make sure you learn all the ins and outs of it.

9. Always thank those who help.  Starting a business takes a little luck, a lot of planning, and a mountain full of help from friends and family.  When help comes from loved ones (and it will), make sure you acknowledge how much you appreciate their time, services, and support.  I have a stack of cupcake-themed thank you notes that I constantly use to let people know how much I appreciate their support.  You can't open a business by yourself.  Make sure you take time to let those who have helped know how much their helping hand means to you and your business.

10. It's OK to make messes.  Just remember to clean them up.  No matter how tired I am, everything at least gets rinsed out before I go to bed.  Waking up to dirty but rinsed mixing bowls is much better than waking up to dirty mixing bowls with dried on batter.  The bed can wait 5 more agonizing minutes.  The dishes cannot.

11. Be open to new opportunities.  This is a hard one for us to remember sometimes, because we have a dream idea in our head about how our business should look 5 years from now.  It's good to set a plan, but keep yourself open to new opportunities.  We never know where it might lead.  Personally, I started out as a teacher, but allowed myself to slowly be lead to baking.  Who knows where I might be if I hadn't allowed myself the chance to try something new.

12. Have fun or get out of the kitchen.  Baking is an absolute joy for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  If the time ever comes where I think, "This isn't any fun for me" I need to either readjust or hang my apron up.  Good baking comes from the heart, not from a recipe card, and I need to remember to have fun each and every day I step into the kitchen.

There you have it, 12 lessons from 2012.  Keep following our bakery in 2013, we have some amazing things planned for you!!

Happy New Year, readers!

Lis

The End of the Road

Whew.  What a week.

For those of you who don't know, I work at a place I lovingly call Initech (yes, that's an Office Space reference, you nerds!)  It's one of those soul-sucking cubicle jobs that every college student boldly announces "I will never have a job like that" at some point during their days on campus, even though most of us know we'll end up there anyway.  It pays the bills, and has provided me with some very good friends.  Other than that, I'd rather force a nosebleed every morning than sit there for 8 hours a day.

The third week of every month my job becomes a living hell.  Crushing deadlines fall to my team, and it's an all-for-one-one-for-all get 'er done kind of mentality.  Did I really just mix Alexander Dumas and Larry the Cable Guy in the same sentence?  Really?  Anyway, the days are long, the overtime is ferocious, and you learn to love 5 minute Ramen breaks 3 times a day.  I see my co-workers more than anyone else during that week, and long enough overtime to technically take the following week off.  To say it's an insane week would be an understatement.

On top of that, me and my bright ideas thought it would be the perfect time of year to have a Christmas bake sale.  Sometimes my ideas, in theory, sound wonderful, but in practice, are just about the worst things I've ever decided to try.

Here's the thing, you all know I love baking.  If I didn't, this blog wouldn't exist, and I wouldn't be carefully creating my own Ocean's 11 heist for the needed start up funds.  But baking after 12 straight hours of work...?  Wow.  That's where the boys become men, in my book.  It takes real dedication to work 12 hours, 12 stressful, million-miles-an-hour hours with problems, phone calls, and international break downs (I am making this job sound so interesting...it's not) only to come home to my little crack den on Duncan Avenue, the one with no counter space or dishwasher, and pump out cupcake after cupcake.  Real dedication.  For the past 8 days or so, this is what my schedule has looked like:

     6am: Alarm goes off
     6:05am: Alarm reminds me the world is expecting to make something of myself
     6:10am: Alarm is shoved down the garbage disposal as I wearily make my way into the shower.
     7:30am: Welcome to work.  Let the headaches begin.
     8:30am: I greet the state of New Jersey with a round of "Why didn't you pay your taxes?" phone calls.  So sexy.
     9:43am: Cookies for breakfast?  No shame here, shove 'em down.
     10:37am: Have not peed since 6:12am.  Bladder may explode.  Question whether I could be sent home if I pee my pants.  Decide to risk a trip to the bathroom.
     11:51am: Call from Germany.  Do I know where the U.S. Embassy is in Berlin?  Do I look like I know where the U.S. Embassy is in Berlin?
     12:04pm: Boss reminds me I have a lot of work to do.  Really???  I had no idea.
     12:45pm: I'm hungry.  Maybe it's time to grab some...
     12:46pm: Call from Florida.  Crisis at the bank.  CODE RED!!  ALERT!!!  ALERT!!!
     1:31pm: Crisis averted.  Now about that lunch...
     1:32pm: Co-worker begs for help.  Lunch stays in the fridge.
     3:21pm: Barely have the strength to reach into the fridge to retrieve my lunch.  Running on some water and a handful of stale cookies.
     4:09pm: The Germans are back.  Why are they not in bed?  What's the time difference?
     5:16pm: Do I know the zip code for Biloxi Mississippi?  Seriously?
     7:15pm: Good bye Initech.
     8:00pm: Hello crack den.  It's been too long.
     8:11pm: Where is that flippin' spatula?  I had it right...oh crap, it's dirty.
     8:12pm: Wash all dishes.
     8:45pm: Start baking
     9:01pm: NEW GIRL IS ON!!!!  AND I MISSED THE FIRST MINUTE!!!!
     9:11pm: Continue baking during the first commercial break.
     9:20pm: Continue baking during the second commercial break.
     9:35pm: Into the oven you go!
     9:53pm: Holy bananas is that pan hot!!!
     10:43pm: Cupcakes should be cool by now.  Maybe I should make some icing...
     10:45pm: Well great.  I'm out of butter.
     11:38pm: $5 more that Giant Eagle has sucked from my wallet forever.
     12:00am: Icing's done.  I'm way too tired.  I'll ice tomorrow.
     12:16am: Good night world.

8 days of some sort of variation of this.  I'm kind of klutzy and kind of forgetful, so there's always a crisis to worry about.  Thursday night I pulled a pan of gingerbread cupcakes out only to watch them fall and splat all over the floor.  Monday night I put an accidental hole in a bag of powdered sugar, causing my clothes and the counter to be covered in the mess.  And the one night I left the milk out alllllllll night.  I think I was a bit sleep deprived, though.

So looking back, was it worth it?  Well, in 8 days I sold 20 orders of cupcakes, baked and iced hundreds of little cakes, and (hopefully) gave people a holiday treat to enjoy with friends and family.  Oh yeah, and I also raised several hundred dollars for my baking business.  So was it worth it?  Definitely.  Would I do it again like this, given the chance...?

Probably not like this.

The baking was fine, but man was Initech a killer.  But you know what, this entire blog is about learning how to start a bakery.  Down to those nitty-gritty details like, hey, remember to put the milk away!  This blog is not about celebrating only my victories.  It's about learning from mistakes, laughing at messes, and trying not to cry too much when things go south.  It's about discovering my own strengths, changing my weaknesses, and learning how to become a better business woman.  I guess this is just another step in the journey.

If you helped me at all through this past week, thank you.  Thank you to the Cokes for letting me invade their very large and wonderful kitchen (complete with two ovens AND a dishwasher.  I was in heaven!)  Thank you to those who donated supplies and time.  Your donations were appreciated more than you realize.  Thank you to my coworkers who helped keep me laughing through the stressful times, and who taste tested dozens of batches before I rolled them out to the masses.  And, of course, a big thank you to all who trusted my baking skills enough to buy some cupcakes for themselves, friends, and family this holiday season.  You are trusting people, but I thank you for it.

And now, I think, it's time for a much needed good night's sleep.  I might be a little tired!!

Merry Christmas all. :-)

Lis