Baking for Mom, Friends & Family

I'm sorry I haven't blogged lately....I guess I was busy wrapping up the winter markets, preparing for the whirlwind summer markets, helping my friend Dana get her bakery ready (yeah-we ripped up 70+year old linoleum and painted 10' high walls), and baking for parties.

We celebrated 15 years at work and I was asked to make the desserts. I have to say the mini cupcakes, red raspberry brownies, sugar cookies and other cookies were a huge hit. Then, we had a family birthday celebration this past weekend and again, the mini cupcakes were enjoyed by all. I think they will be a huge hit at my niece's first communion luncheon coming up.

For all of you looking for something SPECIAL for your Mom on Mother's Day, why don't you give her an individual 5"pie (of her choosing) in a gift box with doilie and ribbon. All for $10.

I'll take orders until Thursday, May 6.

St. Pat's and Spring coming to Worthington's Farmers' Market

It is so wonderful to have spring-like weather this week. It inspires me to break out the springtime table cloths, Easter chick and bunny cookie cutters and flowers...lots of flowers.

Its also almost St. Patrick's Day so this Saturday we will be decked out all in green, complete with shamrock decor and shamrock sprinkled sugar cookies.

At Sue's Kitchen we will also bring something that goes delightfully well with your morning coffee...Coffeecake! Look for Blueberry Cream Cheese and Apple Walnut Streusel coffeecake, cut and packaged in individual pieces (see the above pictures). If you can't wait to partake, I will be sure to bring forks and napkins for you.

See you there!

Meeting Mary Alice & Geof from the Ace of Cakes

Have I told you I have a good friend whose name is Dana Landrum? Well, Dana recently won tickets to meet Mary Alice and Geof from the Food Network's hit show "Ace of Cakes" at the Central Ohio Home and Garden show...and she asked me to go with her! We enjoyed a meet and greet during a continental breakfast and got their autographs while we were there. Pictured above is Mary Alice, Dana's daughter Janessa, Me, Geof and Dana. We later attended a Q&A session during the cake decorating contest, which was attended by at least 1000 people. We had a great time!

What do you want? What makes you happy?

I need to try some new recipes and am interested in your favorites. I'll always have my signature pies, cookies, and biker bars but what really puts a smile on your face? I know dessert breads can be yummy. My cinnamon rolls fly off the table. Mini cupcakes are super cute and tastey. What do YOU think?

Here's what's new this week: I'm making berry cream cheese coffeecake for this week's market and will focus on a variety of coffeecakes for the coming markets. You can choose from a whole coffeecake for your family or by the slice to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee. Over the past couple of years I've made blueberry, pecan crunch, apple walnut streusel, and cinnamon sour cream. All are quite yummy and you can look for these in coming weeks.

What else is a popular sweet indulgence? What's your favorite? What do you want to see at the markets or available to order?

I want to hear from you so send me your comments and e-mails!!

Sweets for Valentine Sweeties

Friends Zoe and Janessa enjoyed some mini cupcakes for Valentine's Day at the Worthington Winter Farmers' Market this past Saturday. We had a nice crowd who came out and braved the cold weather to pick up their purchases. Thanks to everyone for coming!

And for Valentines' Day my pies always have to be pretty.........

Snowday

There's nothing like a snowday to get me motivated to bake something just for my family, clean up the kitchen, and organize all the cookbooks and inspirational magazines that I've accumulated. I look outside and see the huge icicles hanging from the roof and the constant falling snow and I know I will surely appreciate spring this year. I know my husband Jim will too as he works for ODOT and has been working many 12 hour shifts plowing the roads in northern Licking County. Winter is beautiful but...come on..enough is enough!!

Here is a fun Snowman Family from Worthington

Pretty Pies and Valentine's Cupcakes

This Saturday we will be at the Worthington Winter Farmers' Market with delicious fruit pies and mini cupcakes. If you want something special for your Valentine this would be the perfect time to order their favorite sweet as we have another market on February 13...the day before Valentine's Day, how perfect! How about their favorite mini pie decorated with hearts packaged in its own box and tied with a bow?? Or a box of mini cupcakes: decadent dark chocolate with chocolate buttercream frosting, vanilla bean with pink buttercream or red velvet with cream cheese frosting? All wrapped up with a pretty bow. All you need is the card.

Mini Cupcakes and Mini Pies.....oh what a sweet small indulgence

Mini pies and cupcakes can satisfy that sweet tooth without causing the guilt of having eaten a whole slice of cake or pie...don't you think? Just a small sweet indulgence, like this mini apple pie. Or these mini cupcakes: Red Velvet w/cream cheese frosting, Dark Chocolate w/chocolate buttercream frosting and Carrot Cake w/cream cheese frosting. Yummm!

I'll see you all at the Worthington Winter Farmers' Market this Saturday with all of the above. Bring your sweet tooth!

Happy New Year Everybody!

A new year means trying new things and I'm always searching for new recipes for delicious goodies to bring to market. Today we had a FRIGID start to the day but our Columbus Winter Farmers' Market was well attended and enjoyed by all. I try to bring things that people can sit and enjoy with a steamy cup of coffee as we have a hospitality area where you can sit a spell and visit.

I'm learning about the lovely little treat called "scones". Yummmmmmmmm! My good friend, Dana Landrum (Landrum Cottage) introduced them to me awhile ago but I only made them a few times. Well, I made them for today's market and they sold out fast! Below is a picture of my cranberry scones slathered with heavy cream ready for the oven. After they come out I drizzle them with a lemon glaze. Wow, these are so heavenly...they melt in your mouth :)

"Christmas in the Country"

Every year I ask myself if I'm going to have another Christmas open house...I ponder the question awhile then decide, "YES!" I started having my open house in 2005 as a way to provide Christmas baked goodies for friends and family. We gather together and enjoy good food and hot spiced cider. Over the years it has grown and this year I was joined by friends Bee Katz of "Cowtown Candies", Gretel Adams of "Sunny Meadow Flower Farms" (you may have seen her on the cover of Columbus Monthly recently), and my sister-in-law, Becky Joseph. What wonderful handmade items they brought! Delicious fudge, cards with beautiful photography, lovely scented handmade soaps...........something for each of our senses!

While the open house is a lot of work and preparation, we sure have a good time being together. Isn't that what the season is for? Being together?

Here are the "Elves" who helped me prepare for my 4th annual "Christmas in the Country" Open House. Thanks to my Mom (Effie), Cousin Vicki and friend LeAnn, we enjoyed a very successful day. Not pictured is my daughter Caitlin-thanks for all your help Cait!! We couldn't ask for better weather...sunshine, cool but not too cold, and no slippery roads! Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed themselves. I'll share some pictures of the goodies we had for gift buying, parties, Santa's plate, etc. We had a "make your own cookie dozen" table which was a huge hit. We'll have to have a repeat performance next year.

I baked for so many hours I lost track. I do know I baked about 60 dozen various cookies and at least 25 dozen sugar cookies. There were also Cranberry Orange Breads, Pumpkin Spice Breads, Cocoa Banana Breads, and Old Fashioned Pecan Tassies. After the open house I baked some more.....pies, cookies, breads. I sure hope everyone enjoyed what they bought. I had fun not only baking everything but also making them look pretty and packaging them for your parties and gift giving. Above are Gingerbread Men, Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Candy Cane Sprinkles, Cherry & Apricot Rugelage, Cherry Thumbprints drizzled with White Chocolate, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Beautiful Buttercream Froster Sugar Cookies.

I'm hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a safe and Happy New Year!

Being Thankful

I take great pride in this beautiful apple pie because my daughter Sara made it for her friends when they celebrated Thanksgiving in her tiny Brooklyn apartment last Sunday. I think her artistic expression says it all................................

Holiday Baking: Get Ready, Get Set...BAKE!!!!

We had our very first Columbus Winter Farmers' Market of the 2009-10 season this past weekend and it was such a gorgeous day. Thanks to all who came to visit us. I'm glad I have a few markets to get me ramped up for holiday baking. So far I'm in for about 20 pies, some pumpkn rolls and cookies. Shouldn't be too bad. As you can see in the picture above, I've baked a lot of pies over the holidays :) This was just a fraction of what I made one year. I think the grand total was 72 large pies. Whew!!!

Please come see us this coming weekend at the market (you can check out the website @www.columbuswinterfarmersmarket.com There will be lots of wonderful goodies for your Thanksgiving table. I'll definitely have a variety of pies (Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan for starters), Chocolatey Chip Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread, Fannie's Apple Walnut Brownies, and who knows what else?

See you Saturday!!