The "To-Do" List

New Stuff for Sugar and meringue, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.


•look for fun things to put in the etsy store √ (see above)

•get fun things listed in etsy store √ (I got a few of them listed)

•design business cards √

•Get business cards printed

•design a "party pack" for the shop with invitations, cupcake toppers and goodie bags √

•get parts to "party pack" printed and assembled

•try this recipe for macarons (they look so pretty and yummy!)

•learn to make poured fondant (here's the directions I plan to follow)

•determine prices and create a listing of them in iWeb that I can link to from here

•try some different cupcake and cookie designs using gumpaste accents

•work on a business plan

•research possible kitchen spaces

•decide wether or not to show cookies at fall craft show

•learn to live without sleep

May Basket Cookies

A friend is going to start selling Longaberger Baskets and asked me to make these for her first party which will be on May Day. I'm still learning how to work with fondant. This time, the marshmallow fondant I made was very hard. I had to add water and really work with it to get it to hold together and roll out smoothly. Once the fondant was the right consistency it was fun to work with. I had fun making the lines on the baskets. Hopefully, with more practice, I'll figure out how to make fondant the right way so it's not so hard to work with.

May Basket Cupcakes

I had some gumpaste flowers left over from the anniversary cookies I made a while back so I used them on these May Basket cupcakes. I wasn't sure about using pipe cleaners for the basket handles but I think they worked okay. I just loosened the paper cup a little where the pipe cleaner needed to go in and tucked the pipe cleaner in so that it's kind of "next to" the cupcake and not actually "in" the cupcake. The pink crepe paper that I wrapped around kind of holds everything together.

I just wrote a post at Flying Time about how I'm trying to keep this whole Sugar and Meringue Etsy business organized . It's probably something I should have posted here instead but the pictures looked better over there. :)

A Treat to Keep You Coming!

I promise, this blog is not going to turn into one big advertisement for my etsy shop. That's not at all what I want this to be about. But that is what I've been working on lately so it's really all that I've got to talk about as far as "Sugar & Meringue" is concerned.

I sold a couple of things this week and decided it would be fun to include a favorite recipe with my orders. Unfortunately, I didn't have any cute recipe cards. Inspiration strikes! I decided to design some. They are at the print shop right now and should be ready tomorrow so hopefully I'll have them listed by Wednesday or Thursday. I also made some cupcake toppers and they are in the store now.

Okay, so the next post will NOT be about my etsy shop. I want to make some May Basket Cupcakes to share with you. I saw the idea in a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook. Here's the thing…it says to poke pipe cleaners into the paper cup for the handle. I can't see the paper cup holding the pipe cleaner. Seems to me the pipe cleaner would need to poke into the cake a little bit. Is that gross?

Also coming up…My friend Catherine introduced me to a pastry chef in California who is just starting her own business. As soon as her web site is up and running I'm going to interview her and post our conversation here. I can't wait!

Since you've been kind enough to read through all of my ramblings, here's the treat I promised. I had about 10 extra cupcake toppers. I'd love to send them to you if you leave a comment on this post. If I get more than one comment I'll throw the names in a hat and draw out a winner. Good Luck!
Thanks for stopping by!
Emily