I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow...

Well at least I don't have to make the turkey this year I guess! Thankfully, no pun intended, we've been invited to a friend's house for the big meal, so all I have (get) to do is make dessert :)

I did have a pretty awesome time at Michael's tonight buying treats for myself to re-invest into my business though, since I finally got some time to myself.  For those of you with children, I'm sure you can relate to the fact that time alone is rare and cherished!  This weekend I'll be working on making and decorating cake ball truffles in addition to working on some Christmas themed treats for a co-workers' event at the beginning of December.  Now that I know my husband Matt likes those pie crust cookies that I posted the photo of the other day,  I'm sure I'll be making some of those too!

I ordered some business cards a few days ago (weee!), which will definitely be a huge help in getting the word out about Three Chicks!  I'll also be 32 weeks pregnant this Friday, so it will be nice not to have too much going on this weekend other than generating ideas for the website and creating a rather extensive list of products and prices!  Hooray!

Happy Thanksgiving in advance to everyone as I'm sure that I will not be posting tomorrow!

-amanda

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Crust Squares

Here's a picture that I added to our facebook page earlier today.  I was working on some pies this past weekend and had some leftover pie crust.  Since my mom always did this when I was a kid (and it's sooo delicious), I thought I'd test out this snack on my super-picky husband see what he thought.  I cut the pie crust into sections using a pizza cutter, pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees, sprinkled the sections with a cinnamon sugar mixture I keep in my pantry and baked until golden brown (about six to eight minutes depending on the thickness of the crust).  He loved it!

Business cards should be ordered this week!  I have a few orders I'll be working on in the coming week and hope to start getting the word out about what we can do!  Have a great night everyone!

I'm up really early for a Saturday...

And I'm amazed that my two year old isn't...or at least I can't hear her from my bedroom.  It's totally fine though, because since this is the week of Thanksgiving, all of the food channels on cable have tips and tricks for the upcoming feast that is about to ensue, and I'm such a sucker for Martha Stewart holiday baking specials.  Always have been.

Of course, if everyone had the perfect kitchen for making anything imaginable, having every conceivable kitchen appliance, the counter top height refrigerator drawer and ten burner stove, maybe more people would spend time trying new recipes.  Maybe?

Anyway, today seems like it's going to be a day of stocking up on holiday ingredient deals and due to the current state of our economy and the push to get people out shopping, I hope I'm not being naive to think that I'll be able to get in and out of Target easily this morning!

Thankfulness

What things are you thankful for this year?  The little things (and some big too I suppose) might be what have made me more aware of just how thankful we should all be on a daily basis for things like great friendships, good jobs (or jobs at all these days), and a wonderful family.

Today's post is simple and is dedicated to all of the people who have encouraged me to pursue my goals and have assisted me in ways that have impacted my life beyond imagination.  It's amazing when people care enough to lend a hand without being asked!

By the way, the pies I made for my 'Work Thanksgiving' turned out great!  Pictures to come...

Link of the Day

If you check out the top right portion of the blog, you'll notice I pick a link of the day that will lead to you a super fun, yummy and usually educational site that will hopefully show you something new each day.

Today's link of the day is www.wilton.com, which is totally relevant to my childhood because my mother would always make a big to do out of our birthday cakes every year.  Most of the time they were made using a Wilton form pan and usually their piping bags and tips for decorating.  I can honestly say if it weren't for these cakes and the special times I spent in the kitchen with my mother growing up, I wouldn't be as inspired to do what I'm doing now and follow this dream of mine! awww...*tear*

But seriously, this site is awesome and while I don't offer classes on baking and decorating right now, you can sign up for cake decorating classes at most of your local Michael's craft stores.  They're usually offered in four different skill levels and typically run for four weeks and held once a week.

Thinking About Pie

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week already!  This year we've been invited to spend the afternoon with some friends of ours in Ankeny, which should be a great time.  It's always nice to get together with people and share great food and more importantly, time making great memories and talking about the future.  The future is on my mind a lot lately with the pending birth of our second daughter in January!

This week at work we're having a Thanksgiving themed potluck for which I've offered to bring a pie and possibly some yummy cupcakes! :)  Of course the option of having pie usually sparks a debate about what everyone likes as their favorite flavor.  So far it looks like the consensus is Apple, but maybe I'll sneak in a Pumpkin pie as a surprise and see what everyone thinks.  What's your favorite kind of pie?

As always if you or any of your family or friends is looking for a homemade alternative to a frozen pie or dessert, email me at threechicksbakery@gmail.com!

Day One

Welcome to Three Chicks Bakery!  This is a business I've thought about (and probably agonized, stressed and dreamt about too) for a long time and I'm finally ready to make it happen.  I mean really, who doesn't like to have a sweet treat like a cupcake or cookie to make their day a little better?  Or how about a freshly baked baguette or roll that they can top with something delicious like Nutella or just a little bit of butter?  I know all of my friends from my high school days in Belgium would agree with the latter.

We are based in Ankeny, Iowa which is a suburb of Des Moines.  I can make anything for special occasions given the proper notice and can accommodate a wide variety of tastes and budgets as well.

For more info or to order email me at Threechicksbakery@gmail.com!