Annual Civista Wine Tasting

Mark your calendars! Buy your tickets!

Please join us for the 14th annual Civista Wine Tasting!!

It all goes to a great cause and you get to eat and booze it up for the evening at the lovely Historic Port Tobacco Courthouse and, not to mention BABYCAKES will be there!

It's always a great time and I'm beyond excited for our table and display!

See you there, Sugga Lova's!

a day in the life of a Mompreneur..

Mom + Small Business Owner + Wife = one thing and one thing only, not enough time in the day...

Yup - that's us. I swore I'd never put a picture up of the kids/hubs, but how can I resist when they are this fabulous? Besides, this photograph is almost 4 years old. The kids are much bigger and louder now.

 Back to that whole not enough time in a day thing... I am constantly wracked with guilt about what isn't getting done. I'm either NOT doing laundry, NOT spending time with my husband, NOT playing baseball with the kids or NOT working on this little bitty business that I call my own. And, to be perfectly honest - they all NEED me. Of course, there are priorities.. and sometimes, we don't have enough clean socks to go around... but, there is always enough love and so what if we are having breakfast for dinner, again - you guys love fruit loops and frozen waffles.

I just thought you'd enjoy a day in the life of... I mean, why not? You read all my other crazy shit. For starters, it's almost 1am on a Friday night - the house is quiet. Perfect Mommy drinking wine and watching a movie time.. I'm blogging. Oh wait, I just blogged about wine and a movie, does that count?

So, my alarm is usually set for any time from 3am - 7am depending on what the day ahead holds. If I'm baking, the earlier the better. I get finished before breakfast and can actually shower and funnel a cup of coffee before delivering and throwing some breakfast at the squirrel monkeys. Generally, before breakfast someone has had a mach 4 meltdown over socks, cereal, or perhaps the fact that Mommy has finally put her foot down and "NO, we aren't watching Sponge Bob again..". We skate over the first meltdown and pack up to make deliveries, hoping once we are all buckled in the car that mine and the kids teeth have been brushed, hair isn't a tangled mess, and that there are no "boob stains" on my shirt... hell, let's just hope I brushed my teeth. During the school year, my first stop is kiss and ride at the Elementary school - which we all know has stresses of it's own. "kiss, kiss, loveyouhaveagooddayseeyouthisafternoonbegood! all in 5.3 seconds - 'cause you cannot slow down the flow of the Elementary school drop off line. It's punishable by being shunned at the next PTA meeting. I'm not kidding, don't laugh. I get nervous and start to sweat - every. single. time.

Depending on where deliveries are, we can be in the car for a good long while. If the kiddos are tagging along we usually come prepared - snacks, hand held video games, but... let's be honest - at some point the kids are fist fighting and launching themselves from the back seat over the captains chairs and I'm desperately begging them to stay away from the cupcakes, and stop biting each other! It happens. Hopefully no one draws blood, 'cause Lord knows we don't have time to stop for first-aid.

By the time we get home, if we make it in one piece... everyone is a little worse for wear and probably hungry.. look! Cheerios for dinner! And chocolate milk!

If I'm really lucky, at some point in the evening I'll find my daughter holed up in the bathroom attempting to wax her arms and legs with Mommy's eyebrow waxing kit. True Story.

But, the best part of the day, is when things finally quiet down, there is no more tornado affect rolling through the house and we get to tuck those little monkeys into bed. There is nothing sweeter or more peaceful than a sleeping child. No, really... nothing.

Long story short, all you mompreneurs out there...  take pride in the simple fact that no matter what, we do our best as parents and work our tired hineys off as providers and moms and wives and sisters, friends, etc. for our families.
I may carry guilt with me forever, but what kind of mom would I be if I didn't?



cupcakes for breakfast? yes, please.

HELLLLLLLLOOO! (in my best Mrs. Doubtfire voice) Sorry, just watched it with the kids the other day... You might be muttering how strange I am under your breath right now, or even shaking your head -- but guess what - you're reading the crazy sugar bitch's blog. What's that say about YOU?

Anyhow, I'm back. Finally. As usual, I get sucked into the kitchen and can't come up for air for days and when I finally do have a chance to catch my breath the last thing I want to do is sit at my computer and blab about what's been going on in the world of BABYCAKES. But, here I am.. blabbing away.

So much has been going on, between graduation cakes, graduation cupcakes (all sorts! even a graduation from Dental school - check out the little teeth we put on those cupcakes.. edible teeth! ha!) a Certifikid deal, a scrabillion cake pops, cookies, naked cupcakes (more about those later) and the never-ending kitchen experimentation that fuels our creations.. we've been locked down. Below you can expect what's coming soon, food porn, up-coming SugarWhore treats and some brand new confections.

Let's see, first order of business - a little but of sugar porn. It's necessary... You'll see why.

Yup. BABYCAKES version of the Oreo. It's very similar to the traditional, all American, have been in your lunch box since you were a kid - Oreo. Only way freakin' better. These "cookies" are the best kind.. not crunchy and not TOO chewy, and the filling? Our classic Vanilla Buttercream. Coming soon... Red Velvet sandwich cookies, Strawberry sandwich cookies, Lemon, the list could go on for days. And, I double checked just to be sure -- totally dunkable (in milk, duh).

And, here are the little teeth that we put on top of the cupcakes for the Dental graduation.. chomp. chomp.

Pearly whites sitting on top of Triple Berry! Which is the perfect lead, since July's SugarWhore cupcakes are just that! Triple Berry.

Triple Berry (strawberry, raspberry and blackberry all crammed into pound cake, topped with Marscapone frosting and a "red, white and blue" Strawberry on top to be exact. What's a red, white and blue Strawberry you ask... You will just have to wait and see. Bottom line, adorable. They aren't to be missed, kids. Not a SugarWhore? Join via. the website, and do it before June 27th if you want to get in on the July action.

Moving right along. Let's discuss ice-cream cakes. Haven't worked out all the deets.. but, it's happening and SOON! Quite possibly even w/ BABYCAKES own homemade ice-cream. Just think, peach ice cream, french vanilla cake, and why not throw some fresh peach slices into the middle - cover it with frosting and just freeze it all up. Drooling? Me too. We'll keep you posted.

Oh, oh... naked cupcakes. IE. for breakfast!

Basically, we have decided that it is appropriate to eat cupcakes for breakfast as long as they are naked (sans frosting), and have some sort of fruit in them. Above = Blueberry Coffee Cake and in our eyes - totally acceptable for breakfast. The entire line/list o' flavors of naked breaky cakes coming soon.

Holy Mole, I'm tired of talking about myself. I've got more to blab about, however, there are children and a husband that are going to turn into rabid raccoons if they don't get fed dinner at some point this evening.

More coming soon.. pinky swear.



buzz-buzz

Who doesn't love pretty pictures, a la food porn?

Chocolate Cappuccino

Very-Berry Strawberry

Peaches and Cream

Chocolate Raspberry

Don't worry - that wasn't our upcoming "big news"... That would have been lame if I got everyone hyped up for a few new flavors. Everyone would have been all... "I can't believe she's been talking this up for two days, and she gives us peaches and cream..."

Don't worry..  actual good/exciting/big news coming soon. And, it's not just about sugar!

Expect more cupcake porn when we get back from vacation! Everyone enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

better than sex chocolate cupcakes!

I thought these turned out kinda cute.. they were for a friend's birthday. Most importantly, they were damn delicious. Better than sex chocolate cupcakes filled with Chocolate Mousse topped off with Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting. Oh, and PS -- a fresh raspberry in the middle of the Chocolate Mousse (surprise!). I told you they were going to be better than sex.

Holy Italian Buttercream Batman!

If you haven't heard. I'm really fucking busy. Excuse the language, or don't... at this point, I've lost all sense of couth and/or giving a shit. See... there I go again. You know it's bad when you sign into your "Foodbuzz" account and you have 747 messages in your inbox. Holy Italian Buttercream Batman, this is getting redic. The good news... there is an end in sight to the insanity. Who am I kidding? There is no sooner an end to the insanity before another whirlwind begins. I'm still trying to work out the kinks between wife, mother, and small business owner. Obviously (just ask my husband). I'm lucky to have a lot of people that believe in me and offer help (don't worry, I'll be taking you all up on it soon!) and support. I need that. It keeps me from 100% losing my marbles. I know, I know... short trip.

Whatcha think about that cute little cupcake? Thanks to the wonderful Miss. P that will be the cupcake that graces our bakery box seals. And, you can see the other logo above. Yes, the really big one at the top of the blog. Congrats, you found it. It's equally fantastic. At least, I do say so myself. Thank you again to the fabulous Parisa for all of her rockstar hard work. She'll be eating BABYCAKES on the house... oh, I don't know.. forever?

Moving right along. The website is fully functional. Go there. Now. And, while you are there... go ahead and visit the "Got Questions?" page and order your cupcakes. I'll say, Thank You! in advance. Seriously though -- www.willhustleforcupcakes.com. Tell your friends, your mom, your neighbor, and the guy that works at the gas station. You get the picture.

I know that I've promise you a "For the Record, part two" rant... but, hell. I've promised a lot of things. Who knew one little confection company could keep me so busy?

AND... Happy almost St Patrick's Day! You'll be able to order the Chocolate-Guinness cupcakes w/ Bailey's frosting for the entire month of March. Why not add a chocolate ganache center and make them Car-Bombs? Sound delish? That's because they are. Slainte!

don't forget!

Tomorrow night BABYCAKES will be at La Plata TV and Appliance (with SAMPLES) helping the store kick off their line of KitchenAid small appliances. Come by, grab a mini-BABYCAKE and place an order for Thanksgiving before it's too late (we are down to the wire!) and don't forget to grab a KitchenAid stand mixer for the pastry chef in your life (or accessories for a certain someone that already has a KitchenAid...)

 Tuesday November, 16th -- 4-7pm at LaPlata TV and Appliance, 5895 Crain Hwy. LaPlata, MD

'tis the season

I've been obsessing over, well.. I obsess over just about everything. But, I'm currently racking my brain over what BABYCAKES to take with me to our family's Thanksgiving celebration. It's generally easier to prepare what you all order and request then it is to decide what to make for my favorite people, not to mention show off a little bit of what I've been so hard at work over.
I think I've finally decided on Sweet Potato Cupcakes topped with Vanilla Meringue and Apple Cupcakes filled with Dulce de Leche and topped with Browned Buttercream. I'll put money down now though, that I change my mind 17 times before Turkey Day.
And, then there's Christmas?! Godiva Chocolate with Peppermint Frosting? Gingerbread with Butter Glaze? Vanilla Latte?
One thing is for sure.. We won't be having fruitcake. Well, other then the ones that will be sitting at the table!

and, PS: If you are considering BABYCAKES for Thanksgiving, please order soon -- I am looking to be a busy girl and may have to stop taking orders eventually.

HOLIDAY BOXES

let's just get straight to the good stuff...

BABYCAKES is offering Holiday Boxes from now until the New Year. Dozen cupcakes, two seasonal flavors of your choosing.. $36 (keep in mind that shipping is additional if you are outside of the MD, VA, DC area).

PUMPKIN WITH SPICED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
APPLE WITH BROWNED BUTTERCREAM
SWEET POTATO WITH VANILLA GLAZE
GINGERBREAD WITH BUTTER GLAZE
CRANBERRY WITH PECAN FROSTING

Kindly, Thanksgiving orders must be placed by Nov. 20th and Christmas orders must be placed by Dec. 20th. You can place your orders directly at babycakesSKJ@gmail.com

Looking forward to feeding your faces!

LA PLATA TV AND APPLIANCE SHINDIG

If I didn't quite make myself clear in the first post about how much I dislike quantity over quality (think McDonald's, and other mass produced food/or conglomerates), let me put it to you this way. I adore family owned, mom and pop, local business... I think that it's what America was built on(excuse the soap box) and it should be what we pay for as well. We should all, whenever possible, support the little guy. Because, not only does that cheese from local/artisan farmer taste delicious, but I am pretty sure that Kraft doesn't need our money. They'll survive w/out your cash. And, you'll survive a lot longer w/out putting that processed cheese product in your system, also. My point is, shop small and local whenever possible. Don't get me wrong. We don't always have the time.. but, I believe it's important to make the effort when you can.

Which brings me to my next point. La Plata TV and Appliance. (I know, what happened to cupcakes? Apparently -- I've taken a turn for the crazy. All preachy and pushy... Well, your wrong. I was always crazy... and it's totally pertinent).
La Plata TV and Appliance is a family owned store in our little town (it also happens to be where I purchased my washer). And, BABYCAKES is going to be working with them to help kick off their promotion and sales of Kitchen Aid small appliances. On Nov. 16th they are going to be hosting an open-store if you will.. inviting people to come in, check out the Kitchen Aid small appliances, have a few munchies and OF COURSE have some BABYCAKES!! I'll be there with 150ish of my mini BABYCAKES giving out samples. They will also be raffling off a gift certificate for a free dozen BABYCAKES to be redeemed when the winner chooses. It's going to be a great time. Come grab a stand mixer for someone for Christmas... or one of the attachments (if someone you know, ahem... already has an Artisan, or even a Professional... you could get them one of the gorgeous glass bowls to go with it... or an extra whisk attachment... you know... if you know someone like that....)
Bottom line is, I am obsessed with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I think everyone needs one. And, you should come and get one on the 16th (details to follow).

Besides, I'll be there w/ my BABYCAKES... what more reason do you need to show up?? 

BE BRAVE AND SHAVE

I've been looking for some sort of charity to get involved with since I'll now have the time to participate... even if it only means, donating cupcakes to an event. And -- then, this fell into my lap while I was listening to the radio this morning. HEROES AGAINST CHILDHOOD CANCER -- check it out. Do it, now. You can follow them on Twitter, and FB as well.
I'm definatly going to try and get in touch with them before their next event (which PS: is Sunday) and hopefully donate some BABYCAKES. But, somehow -- that just didn't seem like enough to me. I started thinking... If I could power fund raise (yes, I just made that term up)... if I could, and possibly raise enough money in the next few days... I might just shave my head. What's wearing a wig for a few months, if it helps sick children?!
I immediatly thought about our two children, and if anything were to happen to them, if they were to get sick, in a way which rendered us powerless... well.. let's just say, I sobbed my way through that website. The empathy that I have for those parents, and children alike... it's almost painful. And, it made me want to immediatly get involved.

I'm def going to look into this, and focus some energy on being an active participant -- be it donating BABYCAKES, shaving my head, or simply volunteering with HACC.
Although, I can promise you -- my kids would LOVE to watch me get my head shaved! :)

legalize frostitution

Alright, so she's back. It's been so damn long since I've actually put something it writing -- I feel a little bit rusty. I wonder if I've lost my uncanny ability to be witty via type? I guess we'll find out.

So, here I am.. I've quit my job and I have this dream. You know what, I won't even call it a dream -- because that makes it sound almost unattainable. I'll call it a goal. In fact, I've got several goals. So, here I am.. I've quit my job and I have several goals.

Wow. That sounds like an absolutely fascinating, entertaining, and hysterical path we are on.. Jesus.
And, that brings me to my next point. If you are easily offended, by language and/or inappropriate content you may want to just go ahead and stop reading right now.

What have we got so far... Goals? Filth? and of course, Cupcakes?

Seriously. I'm starting this BABYCAKES thing from the ground up. Those scrumptious looking treats that are featured behind this blog -- those are BABYCAKES. It's true, I did quit my job... and I'm relying on my ridiculous determination to fuel my success. Of course, I make fantastic, delicious, and out of this world confections... however, I have yet to meet a person as stubborn as myself. And, I'm pretty much banking on that characteristic to push me through.

I'm cupcake obsessed. Or, I should say -- I'm obsessed with particular cupcakes. Mostly, the good ones -- nope.. the great ones. The ones that use quality ingredients, and have beautiful and unique design. The cupcakeries that are all about the quality and consumer, not the dollar bill.
Dare I say it? I should probably get it out of the way now (so you can go ahead and stop reading). I have issues with the cupcakeries that crank out 1000 cupcakes a week, and charge $55/dozen. You lose quality with quantity. That is simple fact. And - I'm going to assume that you all know who I'm referring to. And, no -- it is certainly not jealousy, folks. None of my goals include selling out, or mass producing... I can assure you. But, if they did!

I'm not only cupcake obsessed, it's more of an obsession with that final course. I adore dessert. What good, stress loving woman doesn't though? Who leaves the table after dinner and talks about how great the broccoli was? No one that I'm friends with anyhow.

So, let's recap for those of you that don't read Shan-Speak (you'll get used to it the more you follow along.. think sarcasm.).
Goals? Check.
Trashy Smart Ass-ness? Check.
Cupcakes? CHECK.
My obsession with quality? Check.

I see nothing more to add here, at the moment.

I'll be using this to get the word out on BABYCAKES promotions. Probably, talk a little non-sense. And, most importantly keep you up to speed on all things BABYCAKES. I may even throw in a recipe or two, along with some photographs - although, I did promise to be different. Didn't I?

inaugural post

BABYCAKES BLOG, COMING SOON!