Momma Cupcake

I grew up in a very small town....'How small was it?' It was soo small that about 4 years ago, my husband and I were driving there for Christmas and we ran a stop light. The reason we ran the stoplight is that it had never been there before. I am in my thirties and the town that I grew up in had just installed their first (and only) stoplight. My family was not poor, but we were not rich either. We were true middle class and my parents worked extremely hard to maintain that station. I can remember falling asleep in my grandfather's lap on a tractor while my mom, dad, aunts and uncles farmed tobacco. As soon as my sister, my cousins and I grew to a respectable height, we helped as well. My family worked hard, but we worked together. We celebrated our hard work with fishing trips, cookouts and campfires. My parents always took my sister and I on a yearly vacation. It was nothing extravagant like skiing in the Rockies or traveling to Europe, but it meant the world to us and we always looked forward to it. The vacation was usually to the Smokey Mountains, but we did make it to Florida once to see the beach and Mickey Mouse. I remember laying in the back window of our old station wagon half way to Florida; this was before the great seat belt craze, which I greatly appreciate. Momma Cupcake did grow up poor and Daddy Cupcake was a little better off because my grandfather worked for the postal service. So Momma Cupcake has always dreamed of going out west, specifically Colorado and Montana. She has been saying this for so many years and she always knew she would get there. Husband and I have been out west and we kept telling Momma and Daddy Cupcake that they would adore it and quite possibly would not return. So, Momma Cupcake finally got her wish; my parents left for the great wide west this week. She called me on Tuesday night, sounding like a teenage girl going to her first prom. This was the conversation:

Momma Cupcake: "Oh Tricia, we made it. We are finally here!"

Me: "That is so wonderful mom! How was the drive?"

Momma Cupcake: still sounding like a teenage girl, "It was absolutely beautiful. We drove through Kansas and Tricia, it was just like the Wizard of Oz. That's exactly what I thought of as we drove through, Dorothy and Toto'.

Me: trying not to giggle because she sounds so child-like and adorable. I am also thinking that Daddy Cupcake must have been cringing since I forced him to watch the Wizard of Oz every year since I was 4, "That sounds wonderful mom. I have never been to Kansas but you are making me want to visit'.

Momma Cupcake: 'Oh Tricia you should! You know how I have always wanted to travel out west and I kept telling your father that if it ever happened I would probably cry when we arrived. Well, we crossed over the border to Colorado and I just started weeping. I absolutely could not control it. I cried all the way to Colorado Springs. It is all so perfect.'

Daddy Cupcake: spying on the conversation, also sounding like a boy with a new toy truck, 'She won't stop crying Bug'.

Me: trying not to weep myself, because I have never heard anyone so thankful and full of joy in my life, 'I am so glad you are there mom; I knew you would love it. Dad, just hand her some tissues.'

Momma Cupcake: 'Me too honey; I feel very blessed. It was worth the wait.'

So cheers to you Momma Cupcake; I know why you were weeping and it makes my heart sing. I will remember that conversation for the rest of my life because I know that their trip meant something entirely different to Momma Cupcake than just seeing mountains and prairies. To her it meant that she had beaten the odds and had been blessed with a beautiful view on the other side.

Peace & Love,
T

Cupcake Fairies

Sometimes, late at night, while I am being trampled underneath Jack the dog, my mind wanders to the cupcake shoppe. I wonder.....'Is she lonely?', 'Does she miss the sound of the mixer and my horrible singing?', 'Is she scared of the dark?'. Lo-and-behold, last night a picture arrived on my phone; this is said picture:
It would seem that late at night the shoppe is visited by cupcake fairies. I can only assume that the one on the left (with the magical foil helmet) is the stupendous magical fairy of fairydome and the white crowned fairy on the right is the most regal fairy princess.

Thank you cupcake fairies for watching over our little shoppe. I can sleep better at night knowing you are out there. If you could magically mop the floor that would be super awesome too.

Peace & Love,
T

Cupcake Throwdown

So, this morning I am up-and-at'em relatively early; early enough that I get to see the elusive postman who chooses to ignore me. My goal over the past few months is to have this person acknowledge my presence and today he finally said 'hi' to me, but still did not make eye contact. I will wear him down and I feel that in 6 months he will look me in the eye, say hi and possibly ask me how I am doing. The elusive postman laid a large manila envelope on my counter and quickly split this morning. The envelope was from the folks at Kentucky Proud (hooray), so I open said envelope and see that they are having an "Incredible Food Show", which sounds uber fun in October. As I am purusing the paperwork, I accidently drop the manilla envelope and a small post card falls out on the floor. I pick the card up and what do I see displayed on said card???? Bobby 'freakin' Flay's picture was on the 'save the date' card and my heart fluttered. He will be the celebrity chef at the event. I even said his name outloud to the shoppe and giggled a little. I love Bobby Flay, but not in the ga-ga romantic way; I love him because he seems a little smartaleckey (I realize that is not a word) and I relish his grilling/cocktail making skills. I feel that he and I would be instant best friends. Here is how our meeting at 'The Incredible Food Show' will go:

Bobby Flay arrives at the Incredible Food Show and instantly he is drawn to the wonderful auroma of glorious cupcakes. He heads blindly, only using his nose, to our adorably decorated food booth run by the unique and highly talented owner of BabyCakes Cupcakes.

Bobby 'freakin' Flay: "Your amazing cupcakes led me straight to your booth. Paula Dean has told me how remarkable your confections are and you are the main reason that I decided to be the celebrity chef at this great party sponsored by Kentucky Proud"

*please note dear readers that Paula Dean has never tried my cupcakes, but this is my fantasy so I can do as I please

Me: 'Hello Chef Flay, I am honored that you would grace our humble table with your presence. My name is Tricia and I own BabyCakes Cupcakes'.

Bobby 'freakin' Flay: 'Please Tricia, call me Bobby, the honor is mine. I have followed your glorious cupcakes since inception and I would love it if you would travel the world with me, baking your amazing creations. We also should be best friends.'

Me: 'Oh Bobby, you have made me the happiest cupcake baker in the world. I would love to travel the world with you, baking cupcakes and guest-staring on your Food Network shows. I can also do a kick-ass Law and Order 'du-du' that your wife will appreciate.'

Bobby 'freaking Flay: 'Then consider this a verbal contract, but first would you like to have a cupcake throwdown?!"

Me: throwing down my pink apron, 'You read my mind Bobby 'freakin' Flay'.

The fantasy ends with me humiliating Bobby 'freakin' Flay in the cupcake throwdown, thus earning his undying love and admiration. We ride off into the sunset, singing songs and holding hands. I can only hope that you will not miss me horribly dear readers, but rest assured that you can see me every night on the Food Network channel, standing beside Bobby after one of the blonde girls 'mysteriously' disappears on Throwdown.

XO
T

Take the High Road

So, I have been sitting here staring at a blank new posting page debating whether to blog about a blog that said some not-so-nice blog things about our little shoppe. The words were not terrible, but just enough to sting. I have decided to take the high road because if I blog about these things then I would be no better than the people who originally blogged them (did I say 'blog' enough?!) I will say this, when you say or write things with ulterior motives the universe pays you back ten fold and not in the happy-rainbow kind of way. Sooooo....on to fun, yummy cupcake news.

We recently did Taste of the Bluegrass which was an absolute blast! I was a little intimated at first. Here I was, surrounded by all the big name restaurants in town with their amazing graphics and tables set-up beautifully. I walk in with a pink polka-doted table cloth, some roses and a nervous/excited smile. I was alone at our station for awhile, but I felt very 'responsible', which isn't a feeling that I have very often. EVERYONE was so amazing; the vendors that surrounded us were beyond sweet and very helpful considering they had attended this event before. BabyCakes Cupcakes' table was right beside Acres of Land Winery (heaven) and I must say that their Cabernet Sauvignon was the best that I have had in a very long time. They also have a blackberry wine which I am seriously considering for a new cocktail cake; it sounds divine to me. I met so many amazing people; some had heard of us and some had not. My lovely friend Sarah Pratt (master stylist extraordinaire at the Coloroom) joined me looking fabulously adorable and we began handing cupcakes to the masses. We ran out of cupcakes, which I whole-heartedly apologize, at around 9:00 allowing Sarah and I to weave our way through the vendors. Let me tell you friends, Lexington has some wonderful local food and drinks available. I have no clue why you would ever visit a big chain restaurant in this town, when there are so many great, talented, hard working people bustin' their butts. Saul Good was particularly kind and gracious to us that night and I thanked them by giving their staff chocolate bourbon cupcakes. Me and Mrs. Pratt ended our night by dancing like it was 1999, very happy with our first showing at Taste of the Bluegrass. I have lots of great ideas for next year and hopefully our adorable spokesmodel will join me for that round as well.

I was also contacted by a lovely lady from Prep Magazine. I had no clue what Prep Magazine was before she called, but it is a food service quarterly magazine and she is the writer that gets to cover all the wonderful going-on's around Kentucky's food scene. So, she is doing a little story about BabyCakes Cupcakes and I feel very blessed that she contacted us. I feel a little weepy thinking that my 'baby' is growing up but I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished in two months. I can't wait to see our shoppe a year from now; hopefully very grown up and expanded with actual tables to eat cupcakes upon and a lovely tea/coffee service surrounded by comfy couches and access to the courtyard out back. Ohhhh to dream...

Peace & Love,
T