Wow Hector! That’s great. I would love to have a job like that, just for the experience and to learn about the business side of baking. Enjoy your time there! I used to work in a hotel but not in the kitchen. I didn’t envy the pastry chef though who had to start his shift at 2 AM so guests would have fresh croissants etc.

Hector, maybe you can help them with their website too with your skills.  Everything says coming soon.

Baby steps…. I can always save ALL my skills on my own Sweets Everything!

I couldn’t be happier for you, Hector! You are a continuing inspiration.

Good for you, Hector!  I would love to learn about baking w/o sugar b/c I am sugar intolerant/hypoglycemic.  So many have asked me if I can make healthier cakes, but I have yet to learn about that whole area.

Keep us posted!

I know nothing about sugar-free baking, and the question I always ask myself about what is healthier:

A bite of natural-ingredients-sugar-etc cake vs. a sugar-substitute-plus-other-chemical-stabilizers-loaded piece of cake?

Is a diabetic allowed to take one small bite of regular cake?

I hear you, Hector.  I know they have to keep check on it constantly.  My dad is borderline diabetic and eats some sugar every once in a while, but has to keep checking to make sure he isn’t overdoing it.  But, again, he is borderline.

I just came upon a book by Paula Spencer that sounds very good regarding starting your own bakery business.  Just want to pass it along….maybe some of you have seen it.

http://www.lulu.com/content/730549

I passed it along to my family as a special request for Mother’s Day or as I told my smiling husband…why wait?!  I would gladly accept a gift any day! 

Hello everyone, something I’ve just wrote to my buddies:

* * * * *

Seems like I am becoming established at Sweet Nothings, the owner is calling me more often.  My piping of Happy Birthday letters are coming near-perfect (for me, there is never a perfect state), no matter what type of frosting, what equipment, or how hot is the kitchen. 

I do carry my own piping tip #3 because w/o is like been in the kitchen without hands.  The cooks throw the piping tips everywhere, so instead of hunting for it, I buzz it out from my pants pocket!  Tip #3 is the most common tip for lettering, as Cake Bible says!  Sometimes I need to use a thinner tip, which they have, and if not, #3 is a good compromise.  If I need to do thicker lettering, just about any other tip will work, specially the close or open star tips. 

I’ve learned how to quickly wash piping bags.  I am still a little slow on holding the bag with one hand and fill it in one take!  At my home studio I only use one type of piping bag and one type of spatula.  At the bakery, I never know what piping bag I end up with or what spatula is available or not dumped in the sink to drown.  One thing I’ve learned:  never use a piping bag that was filled by someone else, you never know how it was assembled, and it just explodes on me.

I went there last night and also this early morning, and going back tonight, too.  I told the owner I am so ready to quit my day time job, he is willing to take me, but realistically better in the future when I know more and when he can pay me more.

Thanks for hearing my firsts days of work.  Are you up for this challenge?  I want you to be my business partner, but you also need to get dirty first!

/H

My sister and I launched our bakery this weekend with a booth at our local “taste of” event. We sold 1500 cupcakes all covered with mousseline and classic buttercreams!!!

our commercial kitchen rental fell through and we had to produce 1500 cupcakes in my home kitchen! my legs and back and possibly my mixer will never be the same! i literally poured boiling water on all surfaces to remove the boiled sugar and chocolate! while i never want to make 1500 cupcakes in my kitchen (with one oven) again, I was extremely pleased with the results of our sales!

If you are planning to launch your own business and you don’t have a culinary degree i highly recommend taking a baking course at a local community college AND the food safety course offered by the national restaurant association. The food safety course is only one day and it provides a lot of information about NOT poisoning your customers.PLUs it’s usually required by your local health dept upon opening a food biz.

jen

Well done, Jen! That’s very pro, coming through like that despite your rental kitchen falling through. With that attitude, the business will succeed! I do hope you and your sister are able to put your feet up (and give your poor mixer a break haha) for several days at least.

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations to both Jen and Hector!! That is so exciting.

Hector, one of the little fears inside my head about start a baking business is health-related. If I am looking to lose weight and stay healthy for life, why I am choosing to be around sugar 24/7? Well, I love baking! And I do agree that the classic, really sugar, real fat way is the most effective way to do it. Working with the fake stuff is iften frustrating and a sorry subsitute sometimes. Maybe this will inspire me to create a couple more healthful items (I already make fruit pies with lower sugar and whole wheat pastry flour crusts with Rose’s cream cheese crust recipe - that works fabulously!
Maybe I can be the poster child for a balanced lifestyle and bake traditional cakes but also come up with some top-quality healthier baked goods, too!

Jen, thanks for the tip about the commercial kitchen course. I didn’t realize it was short and I definitely need to do that.

Thanks for the inspiration people!

Rachel