What are you baking now?

[Dragonfly Ranch]

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Thanks for all the advise and I will try weighting and writing it down. Also, I remembered that All Recipes.com has the ability to change recipes to weights. I checked and I can convert the muffin recipe to weights!

Thanks for all your support TipsyDog and everyone else - I'm determined to add bread making to talents for cooking. Besides I need to master so I can have yummy bread to spread all my homemade jams/jellies on.

Sandee

 

[SunnyDawn]

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Now I'm bummed! I've been trying to get ahold of info for my local Farmer's markets since I read this post and I finally got an answer today. The wrong answer. Apparently, here in Nevada, we also need to prepare anything we sell at Farmer's markets in a "Certified Comercially Inspected Kitchen".

 

[biddyboo]

SunnyDawn, a similar ruling happened at our local Ashland Farmers' Market last summer. We are small, at the most we had perhaps a dozen vendors, but the market was a great Thursday event in our little town. One of the main organizers of the market supported it by always bringing beautiful homemade pies, quiches, and herbal oils in gorgeous bottles to the "fair." Her booth buzzed with activity and sales; she brought buyers to the vendors just because of the delicious and visual quality of her goods. Then one day, we missed her; her "spot" was empty. Turns out, the local county busy-wigs shut her down, determining that she was selling goods with out being "certified." You know what, the market ran down after that. Traffic slowed, vendors found other places to go. A thriving local enterprise that benefited both buyers and sellers dwindled. Sad, hmm? Shortsighted on the part of the county, yes. I'm sure the intent of the law was for good reasons. Applied here, worth nothing. Politicians without enough to do, for sure. I'm sorry to hear that you ran in to a similar rule. ~G

 

[biddyboo]

Oh, what did I bake today? Lemon Meringue Pie, a special treat for my elderly mother, living with us under Hospice care. I'm always trying to pique her appetite with something she has loved but hasn't eaten for a while. ~G

 

[SunnyDawn]

Thank you for those supportive words biddyboo! I have seen the practices of many restaurants and I do support the government controlling these places that produce huge quatities of food for profit but although I can think of many a restaurant that I won't eat in due to issues such as cleanliness, poor food storage practices etc, I can't think of one friend that I share recipes and food with that I would have any hesitation about dining with.
I'm afraid next their going to tell me that I can't bake for the people at my DH's work any more (boy would they be upset) or share a cake or pie with a neighbor or bake for my kid's school fundraiser! There are so many rules and regulations that it is getting hard for the average Joe (or Josie) to start any small business these days. Soon there will be no such thing left as a small business. Without substantial financial resources to draw on it is impossible to start a business these days!
If the city ever calls me back I'll find out if I can sell my eggs instead of baked goods although I probably don't get enough eggs to support the stall fee.

I'm so bummed I love baking and was going to talk to local restaurants about buying some of my specialties for their menus but thought a farmer's market was a great way to get started with a low overhead. I mean the whole idea of a farmer's market is supposed to be about a sense of community. Buying from those in your own community, visiting, selling to your neighbors. It was started as a way to avoid the grocery store and get high quality goods from the locals.
If I could afford to spend the money on a "commercially certified kitchen" I certainly wouldn't want to waste my time at the local farmer's market. I couldn't afford to! I'd have to think of bigger profits to pay off all the costs of doing business and still make a profit.

Ok, I'm done ranting! Lemon meringue? That sounds delicious!

I make a lemon cream pie that is very good too. I hope your Mom enjoys it!

 

[CocoNUT]

Sunnydawn...

You might NOT be able to bake items for your kids schools! I know out here...we're not allowed to make or distribute any "home made" items at school. If you want to bring a cake to school for your childs birthday, it MUST be 'store bought', same with cookies, snacks etc. If they are to be shared with other children...they MUST be store bought...OH...but it shouldn't have more than x grams of saturated fats, xxx calories, blah blah blah! (Home grown veggies are 'out' too!) The ironic thing...the school does NOT ban peanut prodcuts (allergies).

The reason for no home made goodies? "Different people have different standards and lifestyles/habits". They also argue the possibility of allergens, and potentially ill-meaning people.

Sad...truly sad.

Lemon Meringue sounds FABULOUS!!! (Now...if only I could get my hands on my grandmother's custard pie recipe....i could make a dairy free version and use up some of those beautiful eggs i get everyday!)

Oh...I made a non-dairy version of that custard cake (in the bundt pan) recipe....OMGoodness!!!! DELISH!

 

[SunnyDawn]

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That is the saddest thing I've ever heard! Not the custard cake, that sounds WONDERFUL! But the kiddies having to eat horrible store bought crud instead of heavenly homemade goodies! When I think of all the horrible transfats that most store bought stuff is loaded with not to mention the excess sugars and the preservatives!!! The HORROR!!!
My youngest DS's grade school wouldn't let us bring things with nuts because of all the allergies and you had to let the office know ahead of time (to make sure you knew you were responsible and that you agreed to follow the guidelines) but that made sense! What you are describing seems worse for the kids! Oh my gosh, that is so so sad.

Does that mean you can't bake goodies for the teachers for special occasions either???

 

[DawnSuiter]

We've dealt with that stuff for my daughter's entire school career so far!!! Never been able to send in stuff.. and I'm the $^%%$### mom who never sends anything good in for those bake sales & parties... well.. I send stuff but ALWAYS a veggie tray and NEVER with junk dip or sauce. Yep.. that's me. I've been fighting the "public" over my daughters food since the get go... gosh.. I mean that too.. even in the darn HOSPITAL the day she was born, they whisked her away to bottle feed her when I had EXPLICITLY SAID NO that we are breast feeding. I threw a big FIT and demanded they bring her back and threatened them with HELL OR HIGH WATER if they decided again to parent my child.
Sorry... DD came home today.. at 15 to tell me of the arguement she had with her Sr. Chief (NAVY ROTC) about eating Fast Food while they are "out of town" on their many travels. I always pack her full of proper foods.. she need only gain access to a jug of milk daily and maybe some fresh juices or fruits.. but NO.. they can't stop at even a corner GAS STATION to get any for her.. but they spend hours in McDonalds, Burger King etc. It's WRONG and we fight, will continue to fight it.

sorry to rant.. it just makes me SO MAD... it's been 15 years and still the same old song. you just can't believe how hard it is to convince people that children & humans should eat fresh fruit & veggies, not drink soda or eat fast food, and don't belong on the phone 24/7or using technology until their jobs require it!!! God forbid she live through childhood with a future ahead of her... instead of medical debt and depression!!!

Last year.. the ROTC did a bake sale at our Harvest Festival.. THEY ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED US TO BAKE GOODS!!!! I was so excited.. I took in TONS of stuff.. all healthy options... zuchinni breads, sweet potato cakes, oatmeal cookies, fiber bars... anyway.. it was awesome.. everyone loved everything and we had fun. So maybe there is still hope yet... they earned over $3k in that homemade booth that day.. in ONE day.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Wow! That's quite a haul for a bake sale! Maybe there's hope after all!
That story of the hospital really shocked me. Even with my 30 year old, they left her with me (you had to sign papers and get it all prearranged) and she never had a bottle until she was 4 months (and that was still breast milk). None of my kids had any sugar or preservatives until the age of 3. I'm not fanatical about no treats but I think the first few years shape a lot of lifetime habits. I have a terrible sweet tooth but none of my kids like sugar that much.

I'm trying experiments lately with honey and agave nectar (diabetes runs in the family) instead of refined sugars and have had some success. Anybody have any recipes like this? I know I'm never gonna cut out sweets altogether.

 

[Kim_NC]

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Wow...those situtations really are terribly sad, and bad for the children. Hoorah at least for that ROTC bake sale.