Oh, What a Year!

2010 is coming to a close and I am using this sleepless night to reflect back on all that's happened since I started Little Kelly Cakes. Wow! That is the word that keeps popping into my head.

It is amazing how God works in our lives. I never thought that I would be baking cheesecakes for extra money! I go to a graduation party back in June where I take 2 cheesecakes because there are going to be a lot of people. They were a big hit.  Several people asked me if I made cheesecakes to sell.  I told them if they order, I will sell! (OMG...did I just say that? What was thinking?)

A few days later, I was sitting out by the pool in our community and I got my FIRST order. I was so happy. This family will always hold a special place in my heart because they placed the first order.  I didn't have a business name yet, but they fanned the flame for a business that was about to be born! (OK, it was smoldering!)

I must say there was A LOT of self-doubt and I almost didn't do any of it. It is one thing to bake for family and friends and the occasional office party, but when you bake for money, whether family, friend, or stranger, it has to be spot-on.  I was having some BIG self-doubt moments. Could I do this?

God places the right people in your life just for you at the right time just for you! Thank you Denise Kelly for the encouragement, for WOW bible study, and for the laughs!  Denise provided the encouragement and support that I needed in launching a home-based business.  She even got me a few orders.  She is my driver to and from our bible study. I love her so much that I named a cheesecake after her~Neesey's Peanut Butter Cup.

I am little out of sync now with the progression of the year, but that's ok.  The post is getting a little long anyway and I don't want you to get bored.  The taste testing party was a success.  Many thanks to Rosann Kelly for suggesting it and many thanks to all who came out and ordered!  The Thanksgiving holiday....I think I made 30 cheesecakes. The Christmas holiday, it was more spread out, but I think around 30 cheesecakes.  The big hit of the season was the peppermint bark cheesecake.  Of course, it uses a whole package of white chocolate chips!

I think my favorite thing of all year is my family coming for Christmas and trying my cheesecake for the first time.  My niece Maddy said the cheesecakes were delicious. Of course, that's all I ever need.

*New for 2011~cupcakes filled with cheesecake
*I am looking for ideas for seasonal-Valentine's cheesecake flavor....email me!!

Make every bite memorable!!
Happy New Year!!

Thelma and Louise

Did the title catch your attention? Read on!!
Since my successful tasting party, my husband suggested that we invest in another mixer. I was a little hesitant.  It would make things easier right now with all of the orders I have right now, but what about after the holidays?  More orders came in for Thanksgiving and I was seduced by the speed of KitchenAid Pro.  The secret to my cheesecakes is not the ingredients, but how I mix them up. So, he found the best price and ordered it for me.  I came home from my bible study on Wednesday and my husband was unpacking it for me. Thank goodness for that because it weighs in at a whopping 30 pounds!! Not exactly the workout I want to get ~moving that around~I probably would throw my back out! It was placed on the counter beside my KitchenAid Classic.

Now, I have to give kudos to my Classic.  She has put out some seriously good eats~cheesecake(duh), brownie pudding, Turtle Cake, Hershey Cake and my mama's pound cake recipe~chocolate, of course. Do you see the theme? I may not eat cheesecake, but I eat chocolate desserts or chocolate cake!!

I was looking at the two mixers sitting side-by-side and I knew that I had to give them a name! I thought of historical and famous pairs or rather, was drawing a blank.  Aren't they beautiful?!

You know, when you need something, you can never think of it. Then, VOILA, it came to me. Thelma and Louise. They are going to be great friends! They are going to work hard together, and the reward will be worth it. I have already made a couple of cheesecakes with them and it did save some time. I love having 2 mixers. They are going to go the distance with each other, kinda like Thelma and Louise. Makes me think of me and my bestie, Julie.  Here we are enjoying one of the last days of the summer.

Well, I must put Thelma and Louise to work in order to fill all of the Thanksgiving orders!!

Make every bite memorable!

A Party to Remember

All I have to say that my taste-testing party was a sweet treat for me in so many ways. You know I didn't eat the cheesecake, so let me explain. I feel so blessed to have each person walk through my door that evening. To know that I gave you something that you loved to eat and made you happy, well, that makes my heart sing. I love to bake and it comes from my heart. I was so humbled by the number of people who came. There were even people I did not know. I felt honored that someone would come out to try my cheesecake and not even know me. The week leading up to the party I was worried about the turnout of people. I didn't want to bake all these cheesecakes and not have many people show up. I don't have a huge ego, but the one I do have probably couldn't take that kind of hit. I am not sure who said it to me earlier in the week, "If you bake it, they will come." And yes, they did! Thank you, God!

I have to thank my husband, Jim, for going to the store, going here, going there, doing this, doing that and being the best husband a woman could ask for! He is an awesome baking assistant, but I will try not to pull him away from the model railroading too much.
I also have to give a shout out to my neighbor in the Village, Rosann Kelly for many reasons.  Through her, I met Jean and Paul, my very first cheesecake customers!  This was before my business had a name, but to me they will always be special because they were the first to order from me!! Now back to Rosann, she kinda put the bug in my ear that I should sell my cheesecakes. So, with encouragement from Jim, and close friends, Little Kelly Cakes was born.  Then I was telling Rosann that I was selling cheesecakes and she suggested that I host a taste-testing party. "That's the best way to get your product out there for people to try," she said. A few suggestion here and there and TA-DA....a business, a party and I am on my way.  Mary Tyler Moore moment! The night of the party, she came over and cut up the cheesecakes, because I had NO clue how to cut them for a tasting. Now, I do. This gave me an opportunity for face time with my guests.  So, thank you, thank you, thank you!! I love our neighbors in the Village....glad to know we have the good ones!
For my early birds, Linda and Michael~thank you for the help and glad you were part of the evening. It means so much to me that you were here! Julie~Claree, well, you know, the luggage and all!
For my guests, thank you so much for coming to the party and sampling the cheesecakes. I hope you enjoyed eating them as much as I enjoyed baking them!
Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures from the evening except for one that was snapped near the end. I was sitting on the stairs with the children of my friends.

There are many stories could share from that evening, but I think I will save them for later blog posts!.  I am thankful to the good Lord above for blessing me with many cheesecake orders from that evening.  I look forward to filling them so people may have joy in their hearts from eating a "Little Kelly Cake."

"Make every bite memorable!"

The Irony of It All

I am asked quite often how I can make cheesecake and not gain alot of weight.  I have to tell you I do have a sweet tooth, but not for cheesecake.  I don't really care for it.  Ironic isn't it?  Let me show how I got into making cheesecakes.

A friend had a Pampered Chef party and I bought the spring form pan because I wanted the bundt pan insert!! To this day, I have yet to use the bundt pan insert!! Irony!!  We were visiting family in Chicago and having cheesecake for dessert.  Other than the fact that I don't care for it, I knew that I could make it better than this so-called famous restaurant. It was dense and heavy in texture and on your stomach.  My husband asked if I could make a better cheesecake and the challenge was on.

I did what I always do when I am posed with a challenge. I googled cheesecake. Google is my "Go-To Woman." Oh My!!!!!  There were so many recipe options I wasn't sure where to start, but I went to a tried and true recipe site. From there, my recipe was born. I have tweaked it over the years and developed something that people have asked for and are willing to pay for.  My cheesecakes are light and tend to melt in your mouth....not like the one from that restaurant in Chicago. Below are some pictures of the cheesecake I made this weekend.  It is very reminiscent of one of my favorite candy bars, Mounds.  Dark Chocolate and coconut.  Now, that makes the cheesecake a little more irresistible. Mmmm!

I am very willing to share my passion and love of baking of cheesecakes, cakes and other things.  I also love to cook.  Look for recipes and tips on the blog for savory things too. I grew up watching my mom bake the traditional Southern pound cake every Saturday morning.  Every time I bake a pound cake, I think of her, smile, and sometimes shed a tear because she is no longer here with me.  I learned how to cook from her, too.  Well, some of it. I don't think she was adventurous as me in trying new and different things.  I look forward to sharing my love of baking and cooking with you.

Make every bite memorable!

New Territory

I love to shop for just about anything, but if you want to get specific-Naughty Monkey Shoes, clothes, bling, and shoes.  I don't have to buy it.  Sometimes it makes me feel good just to try it on and then put it back. Or on nights I can't sleep I troll the internet on such sites as Amazon or Buckle and create wishlists.  I have this wonderfully amazing husband who surprises me with SHOES. But, let me get to the real reason here.

With all of that, you would think that I would love to grocery shop. Oh, how I detest it and I am fortunate that my husband does most of the grocery shopping for us.  I know that I am lucky and I count my blessing each and every day that he will go grocery shopping. I make a list and he gets it.

Well, I am still in the recipe testing phase for some of my cheesecakes.  I was asked about making a vegan cheesecake. Then, another friend upped the ante adding gluten-free/dairy/free. Uh, ok. I don't back down from a challenge.  I asked questions and I did my research.  There was a time in my life where I flirted with the vegan lifestyle, so I knew a little.  I had to do a little more digging with the gluten-free and dairy free products.

I came up with a recipe and was armed with my list of ingredients.  Short List!! I knew that I was not going to find these at my grocery store and I didn't want to frustrate my husband, so I headed to the local Healthy Home Market.  Anyone remember that dream you had in high school where you were naked in the middle of the classroom and everyone is pointing and staring?  Oh, I was so out of place.  This trip was not for the faint of heart.  I found what I needed after asking for help.

These are some of the ingredients that I used for the gluten/free; dairy/free; vegan approved cheesecake. Please note that not all of the ingredients are photographed because I don't want to give away my recipe.

After all was mixed and prepped--- yes, I stuck my finger in it and tasted it.  I was pleasantly surprised. It was light, very creamy, and had a pleasant lemon flavor. Please note the crack in the top came from me trying to slide it on to the board. I pushed up to far in the middle!  Check out the cutie: 

I have 2 taste testers lined up and looking for one more. I had one, but she hasn't contacted me back.  I will try her one more time tomorrow.  If you know of anyone with these food allergies, let me know.  The taste test is on me!!

Thanks to all of those who have "liked" 'Little Kelly Cakes' on Facebook.

Remember, make every mouthful a memorable one!

Starting Out

I have talked about this for awhile and have made a few cheesecakes for money, but if I really want this to work as a homebased business, I need to get my name out there.  What better way than the internet and thank you Shannon for recommending Blogger--I can show you guys what I have to offer and make and it's free for me.

My business name is Little Kelly Cakes and I offer small and large cheesecakes.  I am still developing the menu, but contact me if you have any questions.  My motto is "There is ALWAYS room for dessert...my cheesecake!."

I will be adding more to the blog, but I wanted to get it up and running to share the news with you all.

Here are a couple of pictures of 10 inch Toasted Coconut I made for a special homecoming this weekend:

I also made a 6 inch Plain and 6 inch Pumpkin for a birthday celebration.  Check these out:

 Plain

 Plain

 Pumpkin

 Pumkin

I love to bake and all of these recipes are mine.  Some of the recipes I started with belonged to someone else but I changed them and I have made the recipe my own.  My cheesecakes are very light in texture and not as calorie ladden as you may think.  I will answer any questions, but I won't give away my secret.  Keep posted about the taste testing party to come!!

Make every mouthful a memorable one!