We celebrated my little girls fourth birthday this weekend. She turns 4 on Monday. We did a "Peace on Earth" theme. Cupcakes are my thing, I love making them. I love making them special. This is what I came up with this year for her birthday. They are my decadent chocolate recipe with cream cheese icing that I make so it's not super sweet but just right.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, pumpkin roll. I really think that heavenly log of yumminess is what started my love of baking. I was introduced to the pumpkin roll in the 7th grade during Home Ec. It was a total disaster. We really messed it up somehow and one of the Mom's had to come in and help us fix it. It was fun though and the best part was the award of eating our hard work.

I think every year after that I have made pumpkin roll for the family at Thanksgiving and as gifts. Five years ago I even sold it as one of my offerings through Kickshaw Confections. It was really hard to ship though so that was the only time I did that.

I started with the Libby's Pumpkin Roll recipe in 7th grade and through the years have changed it up to make my own secret recipe. Whenever someone asks me for my recipe I just direct them to Libby's because it is a great place to start.

Here's a picture of me and my roll from Thanksgiving 2010.

I'm slowly getting things around. The business plan is coming together, testers were a success, ordering supplies here and there. I'll be stocking for the first time with "the fifth monday" at Hyena Cart. I plan on stocking Gluten free cake in jar. I'm pretty excited. Then I'll stock a couple things the first Monday of December at universal mama.

Today I received a bunch of different box samples for me to test out packaging options.   I think I found the perfect boxes.  I don't think I'll be open for Christmas but for next Christmas I found these cute little boxes.  Aren't they awesome.

On Monday I sent out basic brownies to 11 people for testing.   I wanted to know how they traveled, did they get stale, and of course how did they taste.    They were mailed to AR, AZ, CA, FL, NC, NY, OH and Canada.     Feedback is starting to roll in.   I love getting feedback,  good and bad.   The good feedback feels good and the bad lets you learn what you can do to get more of the good.     I'm looking forward to hearing from more testers and from the Canadian testers.   I sent the Canadian test brownies the slowest method to test shipping length and freshness.

After a crazy year I have decided to take a look at my life and see what I need to do to make myself happy.  I've looked at what I've done in the past, what my dreams are, what doesn't serve me well, what does me justice.  Being honest with yourself is sometimes the hardest thing one can do.

I always felt being a healer was my life dream.  I have a passion for natural healing and raising my family as holistic as I can.  I love researching alternative remedies, so in 2009 I started the journey towards being an Aromatherapy Practitioner and Master herbalist.  I was loving it but it didn't feel so much like a passion.  It was feeling more like a job and robotic.  When talking to my friends about remedies I would feel the fire of excitement but when it got down to the work that would fizzle out and it wasn't so much fun anymore.  Maybe being a holistic practitioner isn't my passion, perhaps just living that lifestyle is.

In 2004 I started making candy for people to purchase.   My inlaws were confectioners and it was fun to think we were keeping that tradition going.   It was a small little business with a few sales here and there but by the second year things were in full swing.  I was having fun, I was good at what I was doing and I was making lots of people happy.  I loved hearing about the joy I was giving people with my confections.   Unfortunately,  I had some health issues in 2008 and no longer could handle the business and take care of my healthy.  I had systemic candida and if you know what that is you know being around chocolate all the time is not good.   I'm all better now though but still need to limit how much chocolate I eat.

Since the close of Kickshaw Confections I've felt a little empty inside.   I can't believe how much it was a part of me.   The past year I've really been yearning to get back to the kitchen with dreams of opening a cupcake bakery.   That's just not in my card right now, not with finances or with my kiddos.  However,  with a little nudging from friends and family I'm going to change the dream around a little bit and start planning a revised dream...... "Back to Bliss Bake Shop", cupcake and brownie specialties.   Back to Bliss because I'm ready to do what makes me happy, to get back to bliss.  In return, I will still be a healer, just healing the soul with food.

Stay tuned and see what happens!!!!!