oh, hey!

sorry, guys.  i've been busy.  and right now my computer is being lame.  BUT i just wanted to post a picture of the cake i just did for the owner of a fabulous burrito shop in downtown laconia called Burrito Me.  His wife had a surprise 30th birthday party for him and asked me to make the cake!  She wanted Happy Birthday Aaron to look like the Burrito Me logo, so i took my first venture into fondant lettering...which btw is a pain in the butt.  but does look nice.  basically i found a font that was similar to the burrito me font, printed out "happy birthday aaron" on the computer, cut those letters out of the paper with an exacto knife, THEN cut the letters out in fondant and let it dry before i put it on the cake!  the swirlies are also a part of the logo.  top layer vanilla, bottom layer chocolate, chocolate and vanilla swiss meringue buttercream for the frosting and the filling.  it was quite delicious if i do say so myself!  here it is!

and check out the Burrito Me facebook page to see their logo so you can compare!

I had a ton of fun doing this (with a little bit of frustration and a very little bit of sleep), but the end result was totally worth it.  Thank you, Mandy, Aaron, and Remy for ordering!

p.s. this is a sample box I put together for someone...

spicy chocolate brownie, chocolate dipped shortbread, 

vegan chocolaty chocolate cookies, and lavender heart cookies

(half dozen of each cookie, and 3 brownies)

A custom sample box with 4 things in it like this costs around 30 dollars, depending on what you order.

thats all for now!

ALSO, piper is wearing pigtails and took 3 steps all by herself!  :)

praying for flight.

sometimes, life is not what we expected it would be.
but it is what we have been given.
so we take it.
and we run.
we run as hard as we can.
sometimes we fall.
but sometimes
we fly.


i am praying for flight.

stuff

here's a quick update on some things i've been doing while i haven't been blogging.

easter orders went out...people mostly ordered the carrot bread and shortbread cookies, but i did have an order for a lemon meringue pie and a cake, and some other random things.  people seemed to love them!  and i did love making them :)  also, i got my first order from the website (for that pie) about 10 minutes after i put the website up!  no action since...but thats okay.

(this is the chocolate cake, covered in chocolate ganache)

i have been working on choosing which farmer's markets i'm going to be a vendor in this summer, which is something i am very excited about.  there's something about the farmer's market community that just makes me happy and feel like i'm doing something that is ME.  finally.  so, if you have any tips on which farmer's markets in the area are worthwhile, please email me or comment with some pointers!  (piperlove@ymail.com)

also had an order for some wedding shower favors from an old friend of mine, which was fun, and they were super cute.

burrito me was asking for some more cookies that were cheaper to sell so that more people would buy them, which would be better for everyone!  they were getting the 2 most expensive cookies to make, which were the vegan cookies, and the coconut chocolate chip, which are both delicious, but have some expensive ingredients in them, so we felt that maybe we could get more people to buy something else that was just as delicious, but a little more affordable.  i would rather have more people buying than less.  duh.  SO i made them these lime shortbread and spicy chocolate brownies.  they were both really yummy, and i think they will go perfectly with BURRITOS! 

                                  (lime shortbread)                                       (spicy chocolate brownies)

my friend lindsay turned 21 and her sister and dad threw her a fabulous party with a 5 course meal and dresses and bow ties and candles and everything!  they asked me to make some chocolate cupcakes for dessert with blue, green, and purple frosting in the shape of roses on the top.  they were quite pretty and really tasty if i do say so myself.

in other news i have received my first wedding cake order!!!  pretty excited!  a 3 tiered chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and raspberry filling....YUM.  thats in july.

also, piper has had a double ear infection that just won't seem to go away for the last month.  fun times.  poor thing.

thats about it for now!  

ever feel like this?

sorry about the lack of blogging lately.  i have kind of a lot going on.  good and exciting things.  mostly.  update hopefully soon.  love love.

WEBSITE!!!!

www.piperbellies.com !!!!

the website is up!  check it out, everyone!

blablabla...and an EASTER MENU!

hello everyone.  i use the term "everyone" loosely.  for all i know there are only 3 of you who read this...but i love you three.

anywho, i've been running around like a crazy person not actually doing anything these last couple of weeks with a sick little girl.  nothing big, just enough to make her super cranky and not sleep and feel pretty miserable.  poor thing.  we went to the doctors yesterday (which was very fortunate because i met my future husband who is a student following the nurse practitioner there....ahhh...i felt like i was in grey's anatomy.....only better.), and got some antibiotics for an ear infection and she seems to be in much better spirits today.  we went out for the first time in a couple weeks...thank goodness.

SO.  i tell you all of this to let you know that i did plan on doing an easter menu that was up to par with the valentines day menu as far as pictures and whatnot go, but due to the craziness of everything, that did not happen.  thats the bad news.  the good news is that i do HAVE an easter menu...just not one with pictures of everything.

here it is!

PiperBellies Easter Menu

PEAR BLUEBERRY GALLET
        A pie made without a pan! The delicious crust is folded around pears, blueberries, and a smidge of cranberries. Very rustic looking, and guess what…there’s pound cake on the bottom. Oh yeah. $17 each

L

LAVENDER FLOWER COOKIES
       These are a sophisticated, light, and crisp sugar cookie cut into the shape of a spring flowers.  They are subtly sweet and slightly savory.  Little lavender flowers give these cookies a unique and truly lovely flavor.             $10 per dozen 

LEMON RICOTTA COOKIES
        Cakey and soft, these zesty little mounds are like several bites of spring sunshine.  They are fresh and lemony, topped with a glaze that will leave you with no choice but to eat another one.  $12 per dozen

EASTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES
       Everyone's favorite classic and chocolate shortbread cut into the shapes of bunnies, chicks, crosses, and eggs, and decorated with spring colored white chocolate.  This is an array that may look like its for the kids, but adults...I'd suggest you eat as many of these as you can while the children are on their Easter egg hunt.       $15 for two large egg cookies, two large bunny cookies, four chicks, six flowers, and one cross.


CARROT RAISIN WALNUT BREAD
      Every Easter dinner should include a fresh loaf of bread (and I do not mean something that comes frozen and is shaped like a mini croissant.).   This carrot raisin walnut bread is a rustic 8 inch loaf that is wonderfully crusty and full of flavor and texture.  Made with pure carrot juice and speckled with raisins and walnuts.  This is one of my personal favorites.       $6 per loaf

Please order with at least three days notice.  Place your orders with me (Courtney) at piperlove@ymail.com or (603) 998-0439.  Small fee for delivery.  Thank you so much!

Carrot Raisin Walnut Bread

Lavender Cookies...just in the wrong shape.  

Yours will be shaped like spring flowers.

E

Easter Shortbread Cookies

i'm stuck on this one.

i know that i should have something to say here.  and i do.  i have a lot of things to say.  but do you ever feel like there are just too many words?  i talk and think things TO DEATH.  they just keep coming and coming and coming and they never end.  and then there is this one thing.  my head will explode soon if i do not work this out.  i am too caught up in this, and i am the only one holding myself here.  i need to let go, but i can't.  i have so many other things that i am and should be doing.  so many responsibilities.  so many joys.  so much.  just so much.  yet i am stuck on this one.  still.