Can’t believe it’s been almost three months since I last wrote here. I could say it’s gone by in the blink of any eye, but that’s entirely not the case. It’s been three months of ups and downs – such is the roller-coaster life of a small business owner!

Let’s take a look back, shall we?

These babies got quite the workout in late February and early March while our treats were for sale on Fab.com! Six of our products were listed and sold in lightning speed -  we sold just about 500 orders in the week our sale was on the site. Fun fact: That’s the same number of items I sold in my first YEAR on Etsy!

Selling on Fab was a HUUUUUUGE learning experience. The #1 takeaway – I needed to move commercial kitchen spaces, and fast. The place I started at was perfect for getting an itty-bitty business of the ground, but if I ever intend to have another huge wholesale event [which I dooo!] then I needed a space with bigger and better equipment. Enter the 30-quart monster above! They’ve got TWO of those babies at my new space AND a 60-gallon MEGA mixer I can use too. Oh the possibilities!

March closed out with one of the best things ever – the Craftcation Conference. Craftcation is a hybrid indie business/crafty conference where makers can learn how to Make and learn how to make Money doing what they love. It’s what inspired me to become a Real Business in 2012 and it’s been the catalyst to SO many big dreams currently in the works for me personally, and for Bake All The Things.

*Concurrent with closing out Fab and attending Craftcation, some other stuff happened, and is still happening. I was in the emergency room twice, diagnosed with kidney stones, and some horrible-awful personal stuff began as well. Sure, I try to portray a rosy-posy image on social media, but sometimes Real Life is messy and complicated. And I get to decide how much Real Life to share. And sometimes that means business mistakes happen while I learn – and 99% of the time, people have been understanding. Can’t change anything in the past – onward and upward!

Sometimes pain gets masked with sugar. And disguised as business research. This cherry blossom cupcake from Crumbs definitely perked me up!

Part of the journey I started when life started spinning out of control was to seek solace in new experiences, in getting out of my comfort zone. So I took a water color painting lesson with the lovely ladies of The Craft Cabinet – a joyful evening with inspiring women where I learned that even if you haven’t picked up a paintbrush since preschool, *somewhere* inside there’s room for creativity.

Respite was taken at my parents for a weekend and then it was time to turn 29. The past year has been absolutely wild and I’m looking forward to what the next one brings. What you’re looking at above is hands-down the best brunch ever: Mascarpone stuffed baguettes, dipped in creme anglaise  AND THEN BROILED, with fresh berries from Starling Diner in Long Beach. I’d go there weekly if my metabolism would let me!

And then just as I was getting caught up with backlogged orders…BAM! ER visit followed by being admitted to the hospital for the first time ever. Followed by emergency surgery to remove my first kidney stone…and then a narcotic-haze for a week in recovery. The good news? That sucker is gone. The bad news? It’ll happen again, and I won’t be able to pass them on my own – I’ll need to have surgery every time.

But I’m out of the worst of it for this time, thank goodness. And just in time too – I’ve got EXACTLY what the doctor ordered coming up this weekend at the Blend Retreat. A girls’ weekend of healthy living, fresh air, and sisterhood! I’m going by myself, to a place I’ve never been [Park City, Utah (image via ShutterStock)!]…and I couldn’t be more excited for the trip! And then it’s back to the kitchen and back to business!!

Life is still a roller coaster, and the loops and dips simultaneously more scary and more exciting than I ever could have imagined. I’ve learned some incredibly tough [yet necessary] lessons in the last few months. Now though, spring is a time for renewal, for change, and I’ve got so much in the works on a brighter path for my personal life and for my bake shop.

Just a little sneak peak of what’s been going on over the last couple of weeks…

Slutty Brownies had a photo shoot for an upcoming event. Drool-worthy, yes?

A pallet of shipping supplies was delivered. Thank goodness my apartment complex has garages!

Several local Targets are now completely out of stock of Double Stuf Oreo cookies.

90 pounds of pecans have been purchased.

My 700 square foot apartment is drowning in shipping boxes!

Can you believe we’re at the point that we need to rent a U-Haul truck to get ingredients to the commercial kitchen???!

This is what 240 dozen eggs looks like.

Killing three birds with one stone: package-sealing, pretty little extras, and color-coding helpfulness!

And we’re all loaded in to the commercial kitchen!!!!!

So much fab baking starts tomorrow. 500 batches of Slutty Brownies. 300 pounds of pumpkin pie spice candied pecans, and SO much more! Not sure WTF I signed up for but it’s going to be awesome!

I’m a part of something really special today. The lovely Amanda from I Am Baker put out a call for bakers to create a cookie recipe using McCormick vanilla extract and share the love. Of course I signed up – I love Amanda, I love cookies, and I love vanilla!

Today is extra-special for me though: it’s the first time I’ve ever shared a recipe for one of my treats.  You won’t be seeing a how-to for any of the yummy goodness available in my Etsy shop; a lady must have some secrets! These chewy butter cookies deliver a wonderful vanilla flavor and aroma that will please a crowd. Hope you enjoy these cinnamon kissed vanilla sugar cookies.

The ingredients for these buttery cookies are simple – wouldn’t want to distract from the delightfulness of vanilla!

One thing I really love about McCormick’s vanilla extract is this nifty pour spout – no chance of accidentally tripling the amount with a shaky hand here.

Once all the ingredients are combined, use a cookie scoop, one of my favorite kitchen tools, to form consistent cookie balls on a parchment-lined pan.

Watch the oven carefully! As soon as the edges are just starting to brown, remove the cookies and dust with cinnamon.

Voila! A little stack of cookies tied with a pretty bow would make a lovely gift for a teacher or neighbor! This recipe is also the base for my chocolate caramel snickerdoodle cookies – an even more indulgent delight.

Thanks again Amanda for the kick in the booty to share a recipe – I can’t wait to try your Christmas Meringue Cookies!

Cinnamon Kissed Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Makes 2 dozen large cookies

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1 tbsp McCormick vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl or electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy.
Add vanilla and egg and mix to combine.
Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder and salt.
Mix just until combined.
Scoop dough into 1-1.5 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are barely browning.
Sprinkle cookies with cinnamon and allow to cool.

Enjoy!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Crunchy leaves, a chill in the air, steaming mugs of hot cocoa, happy visits from family and friends, and presents! Who doesn’t love presents?

The best gifts are handmade, especially if they’re sweet homemade treats! Something yummy to indulge in, something festive to share with company, and a lovely gesture of appreciation.

Something Sweet With Pumpkin was the trend for last month, but lately I’ve become a far bigger fan of sweets with a kick – a kick of cinnamon! Here’s a little round-up of my favorites!

These may look like your average candied pecan, but mine pack a mighty punch! They’re pumpkin pie spiced pecans – candied with my own blend of rich dark brown sugar,  TWO kinds of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mace, allspice and cloves. Such a treat!

The runaway favorite in my Etsy shop this season? Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars – by a mile. LOTS of buttery cinnamon brown sugar swirls in this chewy cookie bar, with the perfect amount of gooey sugar glaze to top – they taste JUST like a cinnamon roll!

And now for something completely different. Cardamom Shortbread – just baaarely sweet with hint of luxury. Flaky, buttery shortbread gets an exotic kiss from this Asian-Indian spice, both mixed in to the dough and sprinkled on top. A little goes a long way [it better, when the spice can cost upwards of $10 per ounce!], and adds a wonderful sweet-but-spiced flavor.

How about a scrumptious treat for Christmas morning? Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake. Just say that three times out loud and tell me you’re not drooling. All I can say is WOW! Rich, fluffy buttermilk cake swirled with pure Vietnamese cinnamon and sugar. The aroma fantastic and it’s a wonderful balance of light and airy with rich and decadent.

Is your tummy grumbling now?

So it’s been almost two months – how the time flies! I’ve been a busy bee, and sometimes life just gets in the way. While not an excuse, I also fell into the trap many bloggers do – haven’t written in awhile, worry that what we say after a period of silence must be noteworthy, nothing has been noteworthy ‘enough’, so we don’t write. Repeat. Multiple times.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been up to since my last post:

Indulging in LOTS of yummy treats! These delicious macarons are from Lette Macarons at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I used to trek up to their Beverly Hills shop – I’m thrilled they opened a second location. My faaaavorites? Sweet wedding almond, salted caramel and passion fruit! SO GOOD, though I swear this whole box wasn’t just for me!

Lots and lots of baking orders from the website shop and Etsy! My apologies for the blurry image – I’d been baking and packaging for 6 hours at this point! And this was only ONE days’ worth of work!

Taking several cooking classes at the ever-fabulous Sur La Table – I’ve learned all sorts of things about macarons, chocolate, caramel and more! I can’t wait to share my new knowledge with many new treats in my Etsy shop and more mouth-watering posts here on the blog! This was my first-ever chocolate souffle – it may very well be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! Now I just need to finally buy some ramekins so I can make it again [and creme brulee]!

Attending several special occasions with family and friends. Isn’t this wedding cake gorgeous? It’s from a local favorite – Sweet & Saucy Shop in Long Beach. The layer I had a slice from was a vanilla cake with passion fruit filling and coconut frosting – delightful!

And the biggest news of all – my first craft show! I participated in the fall Penelope Lane Boutique – SUCH a great learning experience for me. Surprise biggest sellers, other than Slutty Brownies [of course!] – pumpkin cake cupcakes with pumpkin pie frosting, and mint chocolate cookies!

In case it isn’t obvious, several of the above photos are from Instagram – I update there pretty frequently with action shots of new recipe testing, yummy treats tried in my travels, and a bit of life in general. Follow me there – my username is bakeallthethings!

So much excitement in the past two months, and so much more to come in the next few! What about you – any new recent baking adventures in the kitchen or tasting while traveling?

Last Friday was a happy adventure! It was my first crafty meetup, my first time decorating for an event [the artistic gene is not to be found in my family!] and my first time providing Bake All The Things sweets for swag bags!

[P.S. I'm so new to this blogging thing that it didn't even occur to me to bring a camera - I just used my phone! And taking photos of the general ambiance for context? Something I need to remember for next time!]

The lovely Andrea from Four Flights of Fancy and Jules from Pancakes and Fries had this awesome idea for a Pinterest-to-reality party and The Craft Cabinet was born.

The venue: the quaint yet gorgeous vintage shop, Salvage Life in the adorable Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach

The decor: simple, chic and all-together fabulous. I showed up early to deposit my sample boxes into swag bags and roped myself in to party-prep with the fabulous Danni from Oh, Hello Friend. Look what we made – I am so proud!!

The food: yummy! Sandwiches and fruits and snacks and of course, dessert!

The treats: Salted caramel and raspberry cheesecake cupcakes, meringues, toffee and sea salt almonds [these were my faaavorite of the night and I hear you can get them at Trader Joe's!], wine, my secret favorite ‘fancy’ water, and Izze soda with paper straws!

The attendees: fun, LOCAL, creative ladies! We swapped stories and giggled over our craft projects. I feel awful that I never made it over to  the other table – there better be a second event and I’ll get better at ‘working the room’!

And look, I MADE STUFF. Like I said, no crafty genes in the Miller family. NONE, I tell you!

This is a time-out jar. The concept is that the glue in the water creates a kind of ‘time warp’ for the sparkly glitter, and as a child watches it slooooowly sink to the bottom over two or five [or however long you make it for depending on the glue: water ratio], they CALM DOWN. It’s therapeutic for adults too, I swear! This will go into a grab-bag of holiday gifts for a friend with three boys!

I also made this adorable ‘things for me’ jar. Each popsicle stick contains an idea to either help me focus and get back to work [draft a blog post, find a new recipe to try, write to a mentor] or allows me a break to indulge, relax and reconnect [get a pedicure, go for a walk, call a friend]. I’ve already put this into action and it’s awesome!

Can’t forget the swag! SOOO much awesome crafty stuff! And and and and, and also, a little tiny sampler from Bake All The Things!

I included cake batter blondies, tiny Slutty Brownies, and a Nutella butterscotch cookie cup – hope everyone loved them!

Jules has a fantastic write-up [and WAY better pictures than me], that also includes a link-up to the blog posts of many of the wonderful women in attendance.

All in all, I’m SO glad I went and can’t wait for the next one.

It’s been a BIG month for Bake All The Things!

New branding thanks to the fabulous Hearts and Laserbeams, new holiday treats rolling out, branching out into professional networking, booking our first craft shows and more. Each of these fabulous things is worthy of its own post – but I have something bigger to share first!

The biggest, most awesome [and most expensive!] news? I announced it on Facebook the day I received the official word…

WE’RE LEGIT!

Bake All The Things is fully licensed, insured, in compliance with all California laws and baking in a certified commercial kitchen!!!!

This is HUGE! Not only is starting a food business a confusing and stressful [and expensive!] process – so much so that I’m thinking of writing an e-book – but this really solidifies us. So many people are wary of buying edibles -  especially online – from independent business, and we’re THRILLED to officially be given the stamp of confidence!

Now that I’ve surpassed this milestone, it’s time to ramp up the work – promotion, marketing, blogging, launching new products, everything involved with getting Bake All The Things out there and on the radar of anyone interested in decadent yummy treats!

Raindrops on roses may be pretty, but I hate getting raindrops on my glasses. Whiskers on kittens are not cute – they tickle me at 3 in the morning which is not fun. Bright copper kettles – what am I going to do with one of those? Warm woolen mittens – I live in southern California, I don’t own mittens.

But brown paper packages tied up with string – now THERE’S something I enjoy! Mail, packages, pretty packaging. I love this lavender Divine Twine – it ties up packages all pretty AND it’s got my last name in it – it’s just begging me to use it, right?

A few more of my favorite Bake All The Things – related favorite things!

The cookie dough scoop has been a total game-changer for me! Not only do you get perfectly round and perfectly portioned balls of dough, but it takes so much less time to get the dough from the mixer into the oven. Plus, no more sticky fingers!

I never expected to be particularly attached to a brand for something as simple as a zester, but this Microplane tool is simply fabulous! It pulls along fruit rinds so smoothly, is a breeze to clean and creates actual little whirls of zest – gone are the days of a juicy pulpy mess. And I’ve only grated my thumb once!

Last for now, sprinkles! They just add a little bit of fun. And they come in so many shapes and sizes and colors!

Here’s one of the surprise best-sellers for my shop – yellow butter or strawberry cake batter blondies. The rainbow sprinkles add that little something special, don’t they?

Or unicorn poop cookies – they wouldn’t be complete without the star-shaped sprinkles!

Tell me about some of your favorite things! Know of any cool kitchen gadget I absolutely need to try? Or ‘little somethings’ to make treats or packages special?

Growing up, our birthday cakes were from Duncan Hines box mixes and Betty Crocker cans of frosting. In fact, of all the birthday desserts I’ve had over the years, my favorite is still strawberry cake from a box and rainbow chip frosting from a can. Thanks, Mommy!

Anyway, the first time I tried baking a cake myself? Not so successful! I somehow managed to forget the eggs and ended up with a warm chocolate brick. I’d like to chalk that up to only being 11 – but seriously, there are only 4 ingredients required AND the box has pictures!

The first time I baked chocolate chip cookies from scratch – also a flop. I got chocolate chip cakies. Learning that baking powder does expire was a big lesson.

And then the first time [okay first 3 times] I tried making a pie? Well, lets just say I make a fantastic pie crust. With fruit soup in the middle. I did learn a fantastic tip though: If the pie doesn’t turn out the way you intended, crack the top, add ice cream and tell everyone you made cobbler!

Finally, my favorite – the first time I made up my own recipe for a cake as an adult? I think I was attempting a yogurt-fruit-coffee cake type thing. But what came out of my oven was a lumpy, soggy mess.

All this is to say…well, a few things:
1. I’m human! We all make mistakes, even Martha Stewart.
2. Mise en place – the concept of setting out your ingredients, pre-measured and in order, before you begin your recipe – really does help.
3. Expiration dates are there for a reason!
4. Improvisation isn’t likely to be successful the first time without some background knowledge on how ingredients work together.

Over time and with much practice, even I became better in the kitchen! Here’s some evidence – from early attempts at making mint chocolate truffles.

What helped?
Patience.
Figuring out how chocolate works.
Trying again, and again and again.

And eating all the imperfect ones. I swear that’s part of the learning process!

Hello, world! I’m Gena – like Gina, but with an E. Welcome to the blog of Bake All The Things!

I fully admit to having quite the sweet tooth, so why not share my love of baking, eating, and indulging with the world? What started as a fun hobby after losing my job last fall has quickly morphed into a ‘real’ business…and I couldn’t be more surprised with it myself!

Many of my favorite childhood memories include fighting with my younger sister over who gets to lick the beaters and who gets to lick the bowl when we ‘helped’ our mom make our family birthday cakes. When I had the opportunity last fall to shift gears from non-profit fundraising and event-planning, the thought of brownies and cookies and truffles as a part of my daily life sounded fantastic.

It didn’t take long for me to find my baking specialty – rich, decadent treats just begging to be tasted! I enjoy learning to work with hard-to-find or extravagant ingredients, or with recipes that require multiple pots and bowls and include so many steps that three years ago I’d never have attempted them! I hope you’ll take a look around my shop here and my larger selection on Etsy and find something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Since I’m currently an online-order business, I’d like to use this blog to tout all things yummy and indulgent that DON’T fit in a shipping box. I can’t wait to share my recipes for cool, creamy or iced desserts I simply can’t offer to mail! I’ll happily take the opportunity to wax poetic about fabulous dessert shops [and brunch - I loooove brunch!], trial-and-error-and-hopefully-successes in the kitchen, share handy hints and product reviews, and generally satisfy your sugar craving digitally.

I’m still trekking the steep learning curve of starting my itty bitty business, so we’re all in this journey together. I invite you to share your comments with me on the blog whenever you’d like. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter or email me at info@bakeallthethings.com

Enjoy!