Yellow Kitchen Update

I'm taking a deep breath, relaxing in the sunshine streaming through the window, and finally posting again. It's been a very busy couple of weeks. So busy, in fact, that I didn't feel like I could justify taking the time to sit and write a post, though I thought about it often. I got a little off balance for a short while and fell behind with my school work. I wasn't quite sure where to put my focus - class work, baking, house cleaning, baby prep, etc. Fortunately, I'm now stepping beyond that. I think it all came down to a day at the end of last week when Pete got home early from work, which freed me to spend hours and hours at Barnes and Noble and the UMD library. (No appropriate study locations stay open later than 10 in Duluth - besides Perkins, which I often visit - so I gave in and went to the library. Even though I'm again a UMD student, I hadn't actually studied there since my undergrad days back in 2005.) It was enough to get me all caught up on things! Ah, such joy.

a Little Einstein rocket cake I made on Saturday

What I've really wanted to write about are the updates with my newly formed baking business The Little Yellow Kitchen. It's been almost a year (in May) since I started dreaming about what it might be like to sell a few cupcakes here and there. I had no idea who would actually pay for these things other than a few of the nurses who work with Pete. Surprisingly, though, I've become quite busy! I finally decided last fall to try my hand at turning this little endeavor into a real business. I applied as a business through the state and opened a business bank account. Then I started looking for a certified kitchen to work out of since it's not legal in Minnesota to sell products out of your own kitchen. That was the hard part. There are very few kitchens that are open for use by a long-term business, even if it's as small as mine. (Honestly, I didn't look all that hard for a few months while I fought the first trimester yuckiness and a new semester of classes.) I'm happy to now report, however, that things are moving very quickly!

red velvet cake with blue almond frosting

The latest updates are pretty exciting. I'm now fully insured (whew!) and am working with a kitchen downtown to write a lease for use of their kitchen for at least the next year. The fun part about the kitchen is that it is located in The Encounter building where Pete and I met for the very first time nearly seven years ago. The church we were attending meets in the building, which is owned by Youth for Christ. So not only do I have amazing memories there, but I love knowing that my rent will be going to a really great cause. As soon as the lease is signed, I can get licensed! According to the gentleman with the Department of Agriculture here in town, it will be a very fast process. Yay yay yay!

In the meantime, orders for summer weddings are really picking up. I've had a few fun evenings with brides and their fiances or mothers while we discuss what they envision for their wedding and try cake samples from my menu. The thing that I have to remember is that I'll have another wee one at that time. Oddly enough, I keep forgetting! No orders in June. The first will be my cousin's on our five year anniversary in July!

Your prayers are really appreciated as I try to get everything in line for my license in the next week. I know bumps can happen, but I'm praying that this will be smooth sailing.