Blog Posts - PATRICE'S CAKES AND CONFECTIONS

HAPPY ALMOST NEW YEAR - 2018!

12/28/2017

If you've even glanced at my website recently or reviewed the blog, I'll bet you're tired of seeing "WELCOME FALL"....sorry friends. We were hit with the cold/flu bug earlier and still recovering a bit. Family came from Texas (YAY) and we had an early Christmas celebration. As we wind down 2017, it is time for catching up, updating and a bit of downsizing.

You may have noticed that I've trimmed the online ordering to reflect Caramels only. Most of my customers are local and can pick up or have delivered anything from my menu. If you reside outside of my delivery area, I can still prepare (in a commercial kitchen) all caramels and ship anywhere in the United States.

I've been quite busy the past few months with local sales and a few craft markets. The biggest one was Machado's Apple Festival in October. It was an all-day event filled with fun, hard work and new customers!! Thanks everyone!!!

I am hoping to revive local bread baking for those friends and customers interested in fresh breads from the plain white, whole grain loaves to baguettes, dinner rolls and specialty-type breads. I will keep all of you posted here as well as on Facebook.

I must now leave my office (Starbucks #623), which is very much like home! Thanks, Rosie and my barista family!!! I do hope to keep up with blogging here and welcome your comments and suggestions for future blog posts.

HAPPY, JOYFUL AND BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!

PATRICE

WELCOME FALL!!!

9/7/2017

I'm so happy to see the end of record high temperatures! Other places have had worse, yet, I am grateful for a bit of cooling down and look forward to fall breezes.

I seem to be in between events and activities, let alone projects and LIFE in general. That said, there will be time to update you via this BLOG as well as on Facebook and Instagram (@patricescakes). I am working on yummy BREAD products and hope to narrow down the selection to 3 or 4 varieties of sandwich loaf breads, hearth breads and maybe a multi-grain wheat bread. Local customers can place orders soon!

So, in the interest of finishing my TODAY list of errands and other tasks, this will be a short post. Hope to hear from some of you this fall!

When it's all said and done....STAY SWEET!

PATRICE

HAPPY SUMMER!

6/30/2017

HI EVERYONE!
HEY, I'M STILL HERE...
Still breathing and slowing down a bit. Getting ready for summer vaca, bread baking and setting up my small dessert catering biz. Check out future blog posts along the way. I will make every effort to post more often. Those of you daring enough to read any of these little posts of wisdom, please leave a comment or two so I know someone's out there!
(big smile!)

STAY COOL!

FIRST EMAIL PROMOTION!

3/7/2017

IT'S FINALLY DONE!

Hurray! I finally did it!

I sent an email...

Okay, not as exciting as some would think. For quite some time, I have postponed establishing a web-based email system. Time? Money? What to say? Well, I usually have lots to say, so that's not an issue. Just suffice TO SAY that it's done.

So, if you are reading this and have not had the tremendous opportunity to receive a Patrice's Cakes and Confections email, you can now! Please CONTACT me via this website and send me your email information (first & last name plus email address) and I would be overjoyed to add you to my customer list. Eventually I will be publishing a monthly newsletter in between sales. Speaking of sales, let's get started!

This Spring Season sale, the first one I used in my new email system, is all about CARAMELS! What better way to break out of that winter, rainy wonderland of "comfort food" and the prolific consumption of holiday sweets than to break out in song and greet Spring time with....uh, more Sweets!!!!! (Are you buying this logic?) Okay, an advertising genius I am not, but this is the type of solo business owner ad copy you get to experience in these blogs. I save my serious stuff for the newsletters (yawn).

That's all for now, my friends. Thanks for checking in. Browse through the website and order a few pounds of absolutely mouth-watering, caramel-liciousness.

Oh, and a note to my local customers:

Look for a new website section on CATERING FOR THE SMALL CROWD. I am working on a page devoted to my local dessert buffet catering services for stand-alone "dessert-only" events or to complement your dinner parties or other social events. CONTACT me for details or to schedule your initial catering consultation.

Welcome Spring. . . the sooner, the better! Stay sweet!

PATRICE

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...ALL MONTH!

2/8/2017

ONE MONTH DOWN...YIKES!

Welcome to February, or at least a week into it!

Please check out my SWEETHEART sake on the HOME page. My signature SALTED VANILLA CARAMELS are reduced by $10 for a full pound box! Deliciously fresh!

I am contemplating a newsletter for my email customers, of which I hope you become one. If you happen onto the pages of this blog AND read this, please let me know what topics you'd like to see, such as starting a small business-ups and downs, recipes you'd like to see, baking tips and tricks, or any baking (or savory) related topic!

Like February, a short and sweet blog post!

Have a blessed month!

CELEBRATION MONTH!

1/21/2017

Happy January Everyone! It's going to be a great year!

I look forward to celebrating many things this month:

1) Getting over (almost) the nasty New Year's week bronchitis battle.
2) My BIRTHDAY ...ummmm...TODAY....and awesome Facebook greetings and a late night dinner with hubby at The Chef's Table.
3) Baking up a storm to help our "home-away-from-home" Starbucks gang celebrate several more birthdays and say "goodbye" to a lovely barista, who is going to another store.
4) Updating my LOCAL MENU with new bakery items and catering information.
5) Anticipating NEW online customers and an INCREASE in the catering business.

It is by no means an easy task to start any type of small business, particularly in food service. If you've read my story ABOUT you'll catch a very brief introduction as to how I started. You must have a plan, be open to change, anticipate financial roadblocks AND overcome them, have a back-up plan, make a TON of mistakes, maybe even make the same ones over and over, ask for advice (lots of it), and accept criticism, gracefully and without making excuses...okay, so I wasn't so hot at that sometimes!

The real challenge for any young (hey, or OLD) business person starting out is to NEVER GIVE UP! There will be setbacks and disappointments, and maybe even the dreaded no-no of comparing yourself to other similar businesses or whether your stuff looks like, or doesn't look like stuff on PINTREST. Keep researching, practicing and talking with encouraging friends and mentors. Give YOURSELF a pep talk. Find YOUR niche.

After almost five years, I am still learning about timing and planning, changing out menus/products, and yes, making NEW mistakes. I will never be Mrs. Fields or even like some great local bakers and candy makers that have their own store or custom packaging. However, I am improving, doing my best to serve my loyal customers, receiving encouraging and positive feedback from a bunch of people and graciously accepting and often implementing others' suggestions and constructive criticism.

It IS going to be a great 2017. Hang out with me on my blog and let me know where you are with your business plans, goals and dreams. We all learn from one another!

Have a blessed week!

A BELATED HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

1/6/2017

Welcome to 2017!

This post finds me "on the way to normal" from the cold-turned-bronchitis season! (Just in case you were wondering what happened to all of these "coming soon" posts!)

However, we are of GREAT CHEER! Back in business and making seasonal, as well as New Year menu changes (good things), increasing (just a few prices), and establishing an email list. (Please send your email via the CONTACT page and I will happily add you to my email customers!) I will use the balance of this month to update the website, email, do a few Facebook and Instagram updates and, yes, prepare for that not-so-distant date, APRIL15th! (I won't even type the word.)

Please let me know what you think of this site, and, perhaps, what discussion items you'd like to see on the blog.

Thank you for checking in!

Patrice

YEAR-END POST COMING SOON!

12/28/2016

WHERE DID THE YEAR GO????? (SIGH...) LET'S JUST EAT CAKE!

APPLES + APPLES + APPLES = PIE!

10/30/2016

I so love apples!

Oh, by the way, if you haven't met our latest family member, please see below this post.

Back to apples. I make quite a few "rustic" apple pies throughout the year. However, there is nothing like a freshly baked, from scratch, apple pie!

I mentioned below (in the post about Teddy) that Teddy was a surprise birthday gift for my husband. One of my hubby's favorite desserts (on occasion) is thee Classic Apple Pie. And, in my helping him celebrate his birthday pretty much all month long, I decided to have another stab at my ICE CREAM MADNESS capers and also make a luscious Vanilla Bean Ice Cream AND a Salted Caramel sauce. Needless to say he was content with just the apple pie a la mode. I, on the other hand, had to guild some lilies and continue the decadent dessert with the addition of yummy caramel sauciness! I so love apples. Happy Birthday, my dear!

Leisurely reading the Magnolia Journal...Jo's recipe looked good!

let's meet teddy!

10/30/2016

Nothing like a little rain, a little sunshine and a new, little member added to the family. . . everyone meet TEDDY!

Here is our adorable, extremely cute and quite little (9 lbs) Chihuahua Short Hair doggie - Teddy! We have always had rescue dogs. He is an SPCA full-grown boy, about 3-5 years old according to the vet. He is bright, cuddly and a follower! Not a real barker (mostly whines) and loves attention. Gotta watch where we step!

Oh, yes, I know this is my Fall blog about baking; however, why not start the fall season with this cute little guy, who was also the surprise birthday gift to my husband, Bob!