Believe it or not, the holidays are already here!  If you haven't started Christmas shopping yet, don't panic....in fact, read on and you'll get some great ideas!  There's always those people in life you have no idea what to get.  What do you give those people???  Steph's Sweet Treats goodies of course!

Let's start with Steph's Sweet Treats food gifts!  

-Caramel corn!  This is an item that I just added to the menu.  It's actually the caramel corn I grew up on.  My mom would make it at Christmas and I would eat it until my stomach hurt...ok...so I still do that.  Give a tin of caramel corn for a gift, or just get one for yourself!  Due to the way I make caramel corn, all orders will need to be picked up the week of Christmas, instead of a tin here and there.  Don't get me wrong...I would love to eat all the extra if I only put together one tin here and there throughout December...but in an effort to not eat 10 pounds of caramel corn on my own, I'm planning on doing them the same week.

-Gift baskets-  Want to really spoil someone with Steph's Sweet Treats goodies?  Get them a treat filled gift basket.  Baskets can be filled with cupcakes, cookies, caramel corn, quick-breads, etc.  You can order a gift basket one of two ways.  You can give me a price point and I can give you a few different "filling options" to meet that price, or you can tell me what you want in the basket and I can tell you how much it would be.

-Cupcakes-  Don't forget about the cupcakes!  Cupcakes are always a great gift.  Better yet...do you have a holiday work party or clients that you usually get goodies for?  Why not order from Steph's Sweet Treats this year?!

Cookie Decorating Kit
I came up with this after a customer wanted to only decorate cookies, not bake them.  So I can't take full credit for this fun idea, even though I'd like to! Anyways...last year it was a real hit!

Cookie decorating kits!  These can be a gift or just really fun to do with kids, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends, etc.  You get 2 dozen cookies, 3 colors of frosting, and 3 kinds of sprinkles for $22.  So you can have all the fun of decorating without the baking!  I'll gladly do that part for you.

Speaking of the fun without the baking.  If you have a cookie exchange to attend but don't the time, energy, or desire to make 10 dozen cookies...call me!

Steph's Sweet Treats Calendar-  I created a Steph's Sweet Treats calendar that has pictures of various orders and events throughout the year.  I also created stickers that go with the calendar.  With the purchase of a calendar you get 12 "open day" stickers (so you never miss one!), 6 "place order" stickers and 6 "pick up order" stickers so you can remind yourself of your orders.  I was originally selling these for $20, but I was able to get a really good deal on them by using coupon codes and early black Friday codes, so they will only be $12!  So if you order now you can get one for $12...if I have to reorder more, they will go up in cost a bit since I don't have the really good deal anymore.  So what I'm saying is...get one now so you get the deal before they are gone! I am not selling these for a profit, just selling them for what I paid for them.

Steph's Sweet Treats apparel- I have a variety of Steph's Sweet Treats shirts available at my shop for $9.  Just like with the calendars, I do not sell the shirts for a profit, I sell them for what I paid for them.  I even cover sales tax on my own instead of adding it to the price of the shirts.  You are advertising and showing your love of Steph's Sweet Treats after all!  If you want a specific color, size, or want something other than the T's I have in the shop please let me know and I can place an order before Christmas.  I have the styles to the right in my shop.  If I were to order, it would just be the Steph's Sweet Treats tag line (like the purple shirt to the right).  

Some other styles I have an would recommend would be:
-Long sleeve hooded T- $17
-Sweatshirt- $29-35 depending on the style
-Bag- I have pink and purple and they are $8

Don't forget about gift certificates!  I hope you have a few gift ideas for the season and I hope Steph's Sweet Treats can be a part of your holidays!  Whether it's through a gift, work party, or your own holiday feast.  

Thanks for another week of orders, have a great Thanksgiving, and don't forget to swing by the December 4th open day!  Psst....make sure you check the Steph's Sweet Treats facebook page on Small Business Saturday.....BIG giveaway coming your way!  SOOOO excited about it!

I really liked giving some background and "behind the scenes" info on orders the first time around....so I decided to make it a monthly thing.  As long as there aren't more pertinent things that need to be blogged about, I will do some behind the order stories.  Sooo let's get started with a few recent orders!  

I'll start with this deer cupcake cake.  This cupcake cake was for a very good customer of mine.  She has ordered countless times, comes to open days, and it's always fun to think up something to fit what she needs!  This time around she told me her son wanted a deer on something or camo;he loves hunting.  She gave me numbers and flavors and left the rest up to me.  I really wanted to do a deer cupcake cake, so I looked at some photos, laid out the cupcakes to the rough shape of what I wanted....then the real work began!  I had to "bring the deer to life" if you will.  I was very pleased with the end result, and I hope Jordan enjoyed it as well!  Below are some of the other cupcake cakes I have done for this customer

This cake for a very kind and supportive customer.  They have supported me with kind words, have praised my not breaking copyright laws, and they have even gone as far as to bring me ingredient pricing from a bulk store they shop at as well as a super cute apron!  

As you can see, the person is very giving.  They contacted me because they wanted a special cake for a special 75th birthday.  The birthday girl is part of the customer's knitting club.  Not only does the she knit...she's spins her own yarn from her sheep!  

So I incorporated all of that into this triple salted caramel cake.  See the cute little sheep on the sides of the cake?!

This next order also happens to be for a repeat customer who lets me get creative!  This time her son wanted a Blaze and the Monster Machine cake. Before I get into the order, let me just say I am totally out of the loop on cartoons!  Unless your talking the time of Rugrats,  Rocko's Modern Life, Bobby's World, and Hey Arnold!....I probably don't know the show.  There's a few exceptions because I do have a niece and nephew...but for the most part... I'm stuck in the 90's when it comes to cartoons!

Anyways....Blaze and the Monster Machine....  So as many of you know, I'm one of the few bakers who sticks to not breaking the law on copyright/licensing.  That means cartoons, sports teams, superheros, logos, etc...are off limits.  For the details on the laws and what I can do read this old blog post of mine.

This customer happily obliged to the laws and got toys to add to the cake.  I made the cake with a race track, ramp, checkered flag base, and tire tread on the sides of the cake, and she provided the legally purchased (not replicated) toys to add to it.  Pretty awesome for legally done cake right?!  Below are a few more fun cakes I have made for this customer.

This last order was special in so many ways.  This wedding was for my brother-in-laws brother's wedding.  That's a mouth full I know...  I've been around my brother-in-laws family long enough now that some of them seem like family in a way since I see them several times a year at birthday parties and other functions.  So, baking for his wedding was an honor.  It was also special because the wedding was all the way in St. Louis...what?!?!  Yes...St. Louis.  I didn't deliver the wedding... it went down in several family members vehicles....which was totally nerve wracking!!  Thankfully, everything made it safe and sound.

The cake design was also special because it represented each city the couple has lived in (the cupcakes represented their favorite football teams).  It became even more special when I got to see customers (who I didn't know were even going to be at the wedding) eating and enjoying my cupcakes from states away.  Below are pictures of the cake at my shop, everything packed up and ready for the trip, and the cake at the reception in St.Louis.

Thanks for another week of orders!  If you need anything last minute for Thanksgiving I may be able to fit you in...just call, email, or message me on Facebook!  

This October had five weekends.....which meant more chances for weddings!  I had weddings four out of the five weekends, with a total of six weddings.  But how does that add up?  A triple wedding weekend of course!  Here's a look at the Steph's Sweet Treats October weddings.

October 3rd was the first weekend of October and it was a triple wedding weekend.  It was also the first time my husband and I have been able to deliver all three!  Usually with multi-wedding weekends, we deliver one (two max) and the other party, or parties are responsible for picking up and setting up their own.  This weekend just happened to work out location and timing wise for us to do all three.  Two were located in Dodgeville, so we split and each did one, then we came together and went to Dubuque for the third.  The third wedding had a cocktail hour in a separate room from where we had to set up so it worked out perfectly!

The wedding above was 250 cupcakes at Barn 23 in Dodgeville: apple pie, lemon poppy seed, chocolate covered strawberry, and almond joy .  I set this one up and was so honored to do so.  The bride of this wedding use to make my Steph's Sweet Treats shirts, so  I know her personally.  I used a combination of my wooden crates, gold stands, and wooden ladder to go with her theme.  The bride is also best friends with the amazing Kelsey Jean Photography, so the above photos came from her!

The left and middle picture are from the wedding my husband set up at Dodger Bowl in Dodgeville.  It was 200 cupcakes: vanilla raspberry, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate, and funfetti.  My husband is great at doing wedding setups with me, but he was very nervous about doing it all on his own, especially since we were on a serious time schedule.  He set up a anniversary party on his own for me once, but this was his first solo wedding delivery.  As usual, he did amazing!  He has a few other weddings to do on his own next year, so this smaller one was good practice!  The couple provided the setup and I think the simplicity looked great.

The third wedding from October 3rd is on the far right.  This is the one my husband and I delivered together after doing our individual set-ups.  It was as the Grand River Center in Dubuque- 250 cupcakes vanilla, chocolate, lemon raspberry, peanut butter patty, and funfetti.  It was my first delivery to Dubuque and the place was beautiful!  

The next wedding fell on October 17th.  It was 300 cupcakes at Deer Valley Lodge-funfetti and red velvet.  Their decor was all red and white, so the fact that the bride and groom each picked a flavor that coordinated with their colors, made the cupcake table fit in even more perfectly!  I used my crates, gold stands, and stairs for this set up.  These stands have been the most popular this wedding season!  These photos came from the amazingKelsey Jo Photography (with whom I went to school with/was in cheerleading with) I'm being to see a theme here....if you have the name Kelsey does that just make you an awesome photographer??  Kelsey Jean and Kelsey Jo knock it out of the park every time! Psst....stay tuned for a collaboration I'm doing with Kelsey Jo Photography in December.  It's going to be a fun one!

Next up:  October 24th-200 cupcakes at the Quality Inn in Mineral Point- vanilla, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie dough, and reverse red velvet.  Everything about this wedding's decor was adorable!  I used my wooden crates and stairs again for this wedding.  I love using the same displays in different ways...so when I found out I would have a round table to set up on, I had to get a little creative....and I loved the end result!  We were left with different decorations to add to the table, which is always fun and adds to the display.  Did I mention how AMAZING the cupcake menu was???  The brides friend made the chalkboard window menu on the right.  It was dreamy!

The last wedding of the month was a super fun Halloween wedding.  Not only was it fun because it was Halloween, but it was for a classmate of mine.  It is always a HUGE honor to be asked to bake for a classmate, friend, family, or just someone I personally know.  I NEVER expect people to ask me just because they know me, so it is always such a pleasure when they do! 

This wedding was 400 cupcakes at the Dousman House in Prairie du Chien- vanilla, chocolate chocolate, lemon poppyseed, dark chocolate raspberry, pumpkin, maple peanut butter; 132 cutout cookies, gluten-free lemon poppyseed cupcakes and gluten-free cutout cookies and a 2 tiered cake.  The venue had a glass window/door table set up with a variety of trays.  I just chose the trays I wanted and placed them where I wanted them and added the cupcakes!  The couple also provided some really cool laser cut cupcake wrappers that added another dimension to the table.

Well that concludes October weddings!  If you haven't booked your wedding with Steph's Sweet Treats please feel free to contact me for a wedding tasting!

Thanks for another week of orders and I hope to see you at the open day Friday!

I try to post pictures of most of the orders that go out the Steph's Sweet Treats doors, but nobody really knows the story behind the order, the customer, or the trials and tribulations. Sooo I thought it would be fun to give you some background information from time to time....starting with a few of last weekend's orders!

First up, let's talk about the super fun elephant sculpted cake I got to do!  I got a picture via text from this customer asking me if I could make a cake for her like the one pictured.  I was super excited to see the cute baby elephant looking back at me via text because it is a photo I have had saved on my own for quite a while, just waiting for the chance to make it.  I thought I was making a smaller version of the photo, but after it was all said and done, I think it was actually the same size.

I LOVE when somebody asks me for a cake I've never made before, or for something I've been wanting to try....but it is definitely nerve wracking.  I tell myself I can do it and keep reminding myself to envision the end product.  Because, as you can see from the top left picture, things aren't always pretty in the middle of the process.  

The ears of this little guy proved to be the most challenging...getting the right size and "wrinkles"... but not so much wrinkle that they would fold in half.  That plastic wrap was used during the drying process so they would stay put and get the shape I wanted...which was another battle on its own.

After it all came together I was pretty darn happy.  Even though new cakes and techniques can be scary, it is a great feeling to pull it off.  The only downside to new cakes, especially something sculpted like this, is that you have to guess on time, cake, materials, etc.....so you usually end up undercharging.  Which I did in this case...but it's a gain in my book since I got to try something new and learn!  So thank you customer for ordering a cake I have been wanting to make for a long time!  

Next up, the gambling themed cupcake cake.  I chose to talk about this cake because I have made several cupcake cakes for this customer now, and they are always fun...and I am given the freedom to fit their theme however I can make it work!  The order this past week was for the customer's mom and dad.  After putting in the order, her husband reminded her that her brother had a birthday a few days later....so we added him to the cake too!  Thank goodness her husband remembered the birthday or this cake would have looked very different!  Let me tell you why....

When the initial order was placed, I was told the parents like to go on the boat and play cards.  Now I'm not a gambler...so in my head I was making a boat and a set of cards, both on the same cake board.  So when she called back to add her brother, I asked if this boat was the sailing kind or fishing kinds....hahaha silly me...they gamble on the boat!  Phew!  So glad I got that cleared up!  (Note: I would have called to clarify the type of boat before making the cake-but it got cleared up/fixed faster since she called me first)

The other two pictures are of this customers other two fun cupcake cakes.  The turkey was for her husband's surprise birthday party and the other was for her twins.  Always know it will be a fun one when she calls!

The last story behind the order from last weekend is a fun pink, gold, and white cake.  This too was for a returning customer.  I got to make a firetruck cake earlier in the year for this customer; she returned for her daughter's cake.  She told me the colors and gave me two example of my cakes that she really liked.  One being a rosette cake, or ombre rosette, and a purple dotted cake I had recently done.  After telling me she liked those two specific styles she also said she trusts me, so I could do whatever I wanted.  

Hearing that a customer has given me some freedom because they trust me is always a great thing, but also very scary!  Because even though someone says they don't care, or they don't have something specific they want...sometimes they secretly do.  So since I can't see what's in their head unless they tell me, they may not be completely satisfied...which I never want!  

I went out on a limb for this order and tried something I thought she would like based on what she said....I also made it something I haven't done before, so it was new for both of us.  Risky?...not completely risky since I was confident I had picked up on the styles and aspects she wanted.  But isn't every order just a tad risky in a sense? You just never know what images the customer has in their head/if what their envisioning is the same as me.  In some cases, with a more elaborate cake, or if I need to clarify a design with a customer, I will sketch it out and send them a picture just to make sure the visions match.

All went well because she loved it!  I mixed the rosettes she likes in with another texture, and used dark pink, light pink, and white for a different play on ombre.  The gold pearls not only fit the gold in her theme, but also added a girly aspect, which she had talked about.  

I hope you enjoyed the look at the stories behind of some my orders.  Don't forget about the open day next Friday and thank you for another week of orders!

I have a lot of fun ideas to throw at everyone so I hope they inspire you to order some fun fall goodies!  I don't have pictures of everything, so I apologize in advance....you will have to use your imagination and trust that these ideas will look cute!  If you are having Halloween parties, need a school or work treat, or are having a Packer party in the next month, this post is for you. There's also a fun section at the end of this post...it's a shoutout to my open day helper...aka my husband!

If you came to the open day these cupcakes and cookies may look familiar.  These cupcakes are cookies are simply decorated, but scream fall.  Candy corn and pumpkin frosted cupcakes anyone?  How about fall leaf or pumpkin frosted cookies??  These particular designs can go all the way through Thanksgiving.  If you are looking for something a little more Halloween, how about jack-o-lantern face cupcake, Frankenstein cupcakes, ghost cupcakes, or any of these in the form of a cupcake cake?

The small photo collage are some examples from last year.  Cute Frankenstein cake, jack-o-lantern and one eyed monster cupcakes, as well as some neutral fall cupcakes with leaves and scarecrows.  The possibilities are endless! I have a lot of other ideas, so just contact me if if you want to order and I will be sure to design something around your wants/needs.

Not into the whole "fall" thing?....well lets hope you are least into the Green Bay Packers!  Now, now, settle down if you are fan of another team, I can bake goodies for your team too....I'm just going to focus on the Packers...well, since I cheer for them!

If you are throwing a Packer party you need dessert!  I can do cupcakes, cakes, cookies, or a combination of these to fit your party.  Along with the edible image and swirled frosting, I also have little Packer helmet and football cupcake toppers.  Now, I'll take a moment (a small one) to mention that I do have images and toppers for those of you who may be Vikings fans.  I won't even yell at you for cheering for the wrong team if you order them :)

My open days have been getting bigger and bigger.  More cupcakes, more customers, more traffic....all of which is amazing, but also VERY hard to do on my own.  My mom helps me out when she can, whether it's running the cash register for the day, or stopping by after she's done with work to watch the front while I run around like crazy in the back trying to finish weekend orders and do dishes.  

Well....for the October open day, I asked my husband if he wanted to help me.  He does wedding deliveries with me...he even does wedding deliveries solo now when we have multiple deliveries!  So he took a vacation day from work to help me at the bakery...allll day....all 13+ hours.  I can't park in front of my building due to the 2 hour parking regulations, so I rent a spot nearby.  Since I only have one spot, my husband came in when I did...wakey wakey at 3am!

I kicked off the morning by baking what I needed to bake for the weekend orders (the ones that didn't go with the open day).  While I did this, my husband chilled a bit until I could take a moment to give him something to do.  He wanted to help, so he added the last minute touches to some of the cupcakes (pumpkin on the pumpkin cupcakes; chocolate covered pretzel on the sweet n' salty), and he put the finishing touches on the pumpkin bread by adding a baker's twine bow.

I did one loaf to show him and then let him go to town doing the rest.  It was pretty funny since most guys don't tie little bows on a regular basis.  He struggled with getting the loops up to his standard...thankfully there were only 11 loaves!  Sorry for the crappy photo... I was in a hurry so I ended up cutting his head off and the front lights were still off so people didn't think I was already open. Oops!

Around 5:45 am he started getting nervous because I had yet to show him how the cash register works.  So we got that taken care of, did a practice run, stocked the cases and opened the doors...and it went smoothly all day.  So smoothly that I told him he now needs to help me at all open days!  I don't know if that will happen, but a girl can dream.  If he wasn't running register, he was helping me restock the cases, packing an order if there was a line (I'd do one, he'd do one), holding the door to the case if it made things faster, or grabbing stickers.  

The mornings have gotten really crazy since customers now know that if you don't come early, you may not get what you want.  By 11:00 Aaron was exhausted.  Ok... he wasn't really exhausted, but it was definitely a lot of running around and once the really busy morning hours pass, sleepiness sets in.  He even did my dishes for me!  Ahhh so nice. Did I mention how much I love this guy?!  (And yes, he really stands like that when doing dishes...apparently bending hurts his back so he just does that) 

It was another successful open day for sure!  We ran out of quite a few flavors in the morning and were limited to just a few most of the afternoon.  I promise I made a lot; I'm sorry if you did not get any or you were disappointed to only find limited flavors available. Just how many did I make/sell? 

888 cupcakes
51 cookies
11 mini loaves of pumpkin bread

 P.S.- for all you chocolate chip cookie dough lovers who didn't get any- I started with 133 of them and ran out by 9 or 10am- I feel like I can never make enough of them. Sorry!

Thanks for another week of orders and for another successful open day!!

I mentioned before that I never realized how popular September was for weddings until opening Steph's Sweet Treats.  Now I am going to rephrase that and say... I never realized how popular September is in general!  On top of weddings, September was crazy busy with baby showers, bridal showers and birthdays.  It's just a busy month!  So here's a look at the nine Steph's Sweet Treats September weddings!  If you were at any of these weddings and have photos, I would love to see them.  I love seeing all photos involving Steph's Sweet Treats goodies, so anytime you have photos please feel free to send them my way!

The first wedding of September was a small intimate wedding with 150 cupcakes at Barn 23 in Dodgeville on September 5.  They got cookies n cream, chocolate, and vanilla raspberry cupcakes. They used my traditional tiered cupcake stand displayed on an elegant lace covered table.  

The weekend of September 12 was my first triple wedding weekend.  The wedding above (photos courtesy of Kelsey Jean Photography) was for a co-worker of mine-  co-worker at my parents' company.  It was 336 cupcakes at Bridges in Darlington- chocolate chip cookie dough, smore, vanilla raspberry, and pumpkin. So, in addition to baking for this wedding, I attended it!  

Did I mention how awkward I feel being at a wedding where people are eating my cupcakes?!  I have always felt awkward about it, but haven't been to a wedding where people were eating my cupcakes since my own wedding last year.  When dinner started I got more and more nervous, and then the bride and groom announced everyone could take cupcakes....panic time!  I don't like to watch people eat my cupcakes because I get nervous to see their reactions.  This makes attending a wedding with my cupcakes very complicated!  Everyone around me was eating cupcakes, nobody knew I was the one who made them so I could see and hear them but they didn't know who I was....so I sat awkwardly looking from the ceiling to the floor, doing my best to avoid cupcake eaters.  Thankfully, from what I could hear and see, the guests were pleased... but man oh man was it stressful!

The second wedding for September 12th was another small intimate wedding at Barn 23 in Dodgeville.  This wedding was 70 cupcakes- apple cider, pumpkin, and marble.  They used my rustic stairs to display their cupcakes, which were set up by Barn 23 for the couple.  

The 3rd wedding for September 12th was 250 cupcakes at Arthur's in Spring Green- Mint chocolate chip, lemon raspberry, chocolate chip cookie dough, and strawberry cheesecake.  This couple used one of my stair stands, antique white stands, and supplied their own platters.  The cupcakes were picked up and set up by the couple.  I loved how they put together their display...especially the part where they put my cards throughout the table!  :)

September 19th was also a triple wedding weekend and a weekend where I got to attend one of the weddings!  This time I attended my brother-in-laws sister's wedding.  The wedding was 350 cupcakes: vanilla, chocolate, pumpkin, and apple cider at the family's farm.  To say this wedding was beautiful is an understatement.  They had a huge party tent outside, hay, barrels, rustic chairs, fancy trailer bathrooms, outdoor fire/heaters, etc.  I set the cupcakes up on my ladder set up to fit their rustic theme. I was also given the freedom to do what I wanted with decor, so I did half of the cupcakes swirled with various fall colors and the other half topped with sugar leaf toppers.  I loved the end result!

Soooo....two week's in a row I had to be in a place with people eating my cupcakes!  Thankfully, I had a baby to distract me this time.  I was feeding and bouncing around with my baby niece so I didn't focus on the people eating my cupcakes.  

The second wedding for September 19th was at Century Barn in Mt. Horeb- 225 cupcakes (raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, butterscotch, and thin mint copycat) and 6 pies....yes pies!  How fun, right?!  The pies were strawberry rhubarb and apple.  This wedding was picked up and set up by the couple.  Look how gorgeous their dessert table is!  Thanks again Kelsey Jean Photography for the photo!

Sadly, I don't have a photo of the third wedding to share yet. Hopefully I will have one soon!

The last weekend of September was two weddings.  First up was this 250 cupcake wedding at Dodger Bowl in Dodgeville- raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, apple pie, mint chocolate chip, and chocolate chip cookie dough.  The setup was provided by the couple, and I must say...I loved it!  The table had different platters, stands, pictures, and decor, making it oh so pretty!

The second wedding was 450 cupcakes at the Belmont Convention Center- angel food, raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, turtle, pumpkin, chocolate peanut butter, and ultimate marble.  The backdrop to this table was beautiful!  And you should have seen the backdrop to their head table.  Swoon worthy!  This setup used my crates and gold stands, the cake box was provided by the bride and groom.  My crates and gold stands have become very popular with wedding setups this year and I love that every time I use them, I can make them look a little different.  

Thanks for another week of orders and don't forget to stop by the October 9th open day....I will have a lot of sweet treats!!

I know the sign and logo to Steph's Sweet Treats explains that I am more than cupcakes ("cupcakes, cake, cookies, and more!"), but people are still shocked to hear that I do more than cupcakes (and cake)!  Cupcakes are definitely my specialty, considering I have well over 100 flavors at this point, but I bake just about everything.  I have people ordering more than cupcakes a lot lately...which is exciting.  So I thought I'd give everyone the scoop on some other treats I make.  I'm also considering adding a few of these items to open days, so here's a look at what you might see!

I'm starting with cookies because my friends and family have a favorite cookie of mine.  I can't go to holidays without bringing my frosted sugar cookie cutout cookies (first picture on the left).  They are not fancy...just a good sugar cookie with good frosting.  I'm protective of all my recipes, but this one I am especially protective over!  It's one of the first things I baked on my own on summer vacation from school... bored...at home...in the boonies.  I've had relatives who live nowhere near me ask for it and I tell them "sorry I can't." I once gave it out a LONG time ago to a relative....okay it was my mother-in-law...and it has since been destroyed.  I know...I'm crazy!!  Who calls their mother-in-law years later and asks them to destroy a recipe they have never given out or used??  Me!

Macarons are something I have recently started making. And before we start arguing macaroon vs. macaron...it is macaron. If you want a little history/terminology on it, click here. I called it macaroon at first because Martha Stewart did...so I thought it had to be right!  It wasn't.  I personally don't care what you call it or how you spell it...they are little, yummy, and naturally gluten free!  
I normally don't do the "fancier" decorated cookies, just because I have such a preference to the frosted sugar cookie in my personal life...but when a customer asked me for bride and groom cookies, I just couldn't pass it up.  Give the customers what they want right?!  I have an aversion to royal icing...not a fan of the rock hard icing that doesn't taste like anything.  But I needed frosting that would harden so I found an alternative that I am happy with and have used for the decorated cookie orders.  It tastes and looks good! I don't have a full list of cookies like I do for cupcakes.  I just go on a asking basis....you have a cookie you like/want...you ask me...I bake it! 

Side note:  the holidays are just around the corner and cookie exchanges are very popular.  If you have a cookie exchange to attend but don't have the time (or don't want to) make 9 dozen cookies....call me! I'd be more than happy to do it.  I also offer cookie decorating kits at Christmas time (includes 2 dozen cookies, 3 colors of frosting, and 3 colors of sprinkles), so order a kit to decorate with the kids, friends, or co-workers.  These are also good to order for birthday parties or sleepovers all year round.

(Some popular cookies- sugar cookie cutouts, sugar crackle cookies, peanut butter, cranberry white chocolate oatmeal, chocolate chip, soft ginger, and pumpkin harvest)

Pie!  Surprisingly enough, the majority of pies I have made as Steph's Sweet Treats have been for weddings.  I made banana cream pies for a wedding last year and apple and strawberry rhubarb pies for a wedding this past weekend.  Both had pies in addition to cupcakes.  The pies on the left were gluten free apple pies made last year.  Fall screams pie to me, so it is likely that I will throw a pie or two into my open days.  They would be for sale as a whole pie, not by the slice.  So if you are a pie lover, keep an eye out.  My husband has a new found love for pie after eating a strawberry rhubarb pie I made a few weeks ago...he now thinks we need a pie in the house at all times!

Other treats-
Bars- brownies, scotcheroos, chocolate oatmeal bars, raspberry oatmeal bars, pumpkin bars, banana bars, etc
Cinnamon roll muffins (or other muffins)
Chocolate chip cookie dough truffles
Cheesecake- carrot cake cheesecake, New York style cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, etc.
Quick breads- pumpkin, banana, strawberry rhubarb, apple, etc.

Other treats not traditionally found in a bakery that I make at home, just need to test out at the bakery before the holidays:
Caramel corn
Homemade marshmallows-want to sell as a kit with homemade cocoa mix

In other words....if you want a sweet treat....I do my best to meet your needs! While cupcakes are the main focus or the bakery and at open days, I want people to be aware there is more to Steph's Sweet Treats.  Because not everyone wants cupcakes...what??...crazy...I know!!  

 I also want to incorporate some other treats here and there at open days so people have a chance to try more goodies!  I'm thinking (depending on the month) a whole pie or cake, cookies, small loaves of a quick bread, or individually wrapped bars.  Granted, it all depends on the month and how much time I have, but I hope to have a few of these items at the October open day!  Don't want to wait for an open day?  Order whenever you want!

Thanks for another week of orders!  Two more weeks of multi-wedding madness and then I think I can breathe again...I love every minute of it!...except for the dishes :)

Even though I deemed August to be birthday mania month, I still had quite a few weddings.  Sooooo in case you didn't see them on my Facebok page...here they are!

August 15- 300 cupcakes at the Sportz Page in Belmont: smore, cinnamon roll, chocolate chip cookie dough, vanilla raspberry, vanilla, and chocolate twinkie.  I loved combining my tiered stand with the stair stands the couple provided. Cupcakes were also put on the head table with their beautiful painted bottles.  

The second wedding I did for August 15th was picked up and set up by a friend of the couple.  It was 124 cupcakes (carrot, chocolate chip cheesecake, and gluten free carrot) at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.  Love the rustic wood stand they used!

The first wedding for August 22nd was at Century Barn in Mt. Horeb.  I was beyond excited to set up there (I have always wanted to).  To top it off...I got to set up on old whiskey barrels...another thing I have always wanted to do!!  So far this set up is probably one of my favorites (if not my very favorite).  I used a combination of my gold stands, stairs, and crates to set up: monster cookie, chocolate chip cookie dough, funfetti, triple salted caramel, lemon raspberry, and chocolate peanut butter craving cupcakes.

I did another wedding on August 22nd.... but sadly I don't have pictures yet!  (Tears)  I made 264 cupcakes: chocolate peanut butter, dark irish, lemon raspberry, vanilla strawberry, smore, and dairy free chocolate.  Hopefully I will have pictures of this wedding to post soon!

The last wedding of the month was 250 cupcakes at Deer Valley Lodge in Barneveld: red velvet, vanilla, vanilla raspberry, chocolate, and chocolate mint.  I have done a setup with these stairs and crates before, and I was so happy that even though I have done this set up, it still looked very different because of the location and table decorations.  I felt like a sneaky undercover person or something setting up this wedding.  The couple was getting married right outside the reception hall so we had to get in and out quickly.  So right before the ceremony we got into the hall, started setting up as they got married, and were snapping pictures as we heard the clapping.  That was our signal to skedaddle!  We drove away as the receiving line was going....success!

Thanks for another week of orders!  My crazy September has officially started :)

I've officially named September wedding month....and August is birthday month!  Why is August birthday month??  It's not necessarily the month that has the most birthdays overall, it's just the month that has the most birthdays for me personally. In consecutive weekends I have birthdays for my nephew Liam, my godson Sully, and my niece Chloe.  I have a new little niece (Charlee Jean) who isn't technically an August birthday, but I'm counting her in the birthday madness because her birthday party will fall the weekend before Liam's most years.  

So August feels like Christmas in our house.  I had a box of presents in the spare room waiting for each party; just like Christmas, minus the tree, and plus cake.  Which is what I want to focus on for this blog post...the cake/cupcakes!

I've had the pleasure of being the dessert provider for all these birthdays for several years or their whole lives.  I love doing it because I pretty much get to do what I want for them.  Which is great because I can try something I've been wanting to do, or do something a little more over the top that may not normally get ordered.  

A few years ago I did two tiered cakes for Chloe and Liam.  At the time I was still just baking for friends and family at home and didn't have experience in tiered cakes...so I used their birthdays as a chance to get some experience and do something fun for them.  

Now onto what I made for this year's birthday mania...

Liam's birthday comes first in the August birthday mania.  He's a very active little boy, so for his 5th birthday he wanted a sports themed cake and sports he got!  I've found that most kids prefer to eat cupcakes over cake (shhh they don't know they are the same thing).  So for Liam's sport theme I added "pop tops" to vanilla and chocolate cupcake cake sections.  Upon seeing it he immediately wanted to know if he got to keep them.  He did!

Up next was my sweet godson Sully (Sullivan).  This little man lives all the way in LaCrosse so I don't get to see him much.  So every time I see him it's like he's grown up soooo much.  I can't believe he is 3 already!!  Sully was originally going to have a Thomas the Train theme, but after riding the train at the zoo, the two now go hand in hand.  So animal train it was!  I made the shaped 3 out of monster cookie and chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes, and the top train and all the animals out of fondant.  I was told that when he was asked "what do you want for your birthday?"  he would respond "cake!."   Was he destined to be my Godson or what?!

The final birthday in August mania, the original August birthday, is my niece Miss Chloe.  Chloe turned 6 (going on 16) this year and loves animals just like me!  I incorporated zoo animals with a "girly" tree in the middle.  I had to add the owl because her grandma (my mother-in-law) loves owls.  Chloe knows this and had to make sure grandma saw it.  This was a fun one to make and I'm so glad she is a fellow critter lover.    

Next year this little lady, Charlee Jean, will be kicking off the birthday mania at the end of July.  Can't wait to see what all her birthday themes will be!

Thanks for another week of orders!  Hope to see you at the open day Friday...it's the last one until October!

I never realized just how popular September was for weddings...until last year, when my September 2015 started filling up like crazy with weddings.  And my oh my did I ever get wedding inquiries for September!!  I have been booked for the 12th and 19th for a long time now and have had multiple people who have really wanted to book those days.  Unfortunately, I maxed them out at three weddings each so I couldn't take on any more.  Do you know how hard it is to say no to somebody who REALLY wants your cupcakes at their wedding?!

I currently have nine weddings booked for September.  Considering I had a total of 12 weddings last year (pictured above), I'd say nine in one month means Steph's Sweet Treats has done a lot of growing over the past year!  I am by no means trying to brag, I'm doing this post to let customers know they need to order now.  If you have events in September, my availability is going to be very limited.  Pretty sure I might just need to take a sleeping bag to my shop!  I won't actually do that....but if I could get somebody to make regular deliveries of Bob's Bitchin' BBQ to me that'd be great!  I need my energy (and BBQ) you know....

So please, if you want to order for September please do so now. If you haven't heard yet, there won't be an open day for September...so you better come to the August 28th open day since it will be the last until October!   Weekend cupcake orders for the majority of September, will be limited to the flavors I am making for weddings.   I hate to limit it, but I have to.... otherwise I will be a crazy person...well crazier than I already am. 

Due to the weekends filling up and it being a regular occurrence for me to have a big variety of flavors to make for the weekends, I'm thinking of doing an email list/group if I can get people interested.  I normally have a dozen minimum per flavor when you order.  What I am proposing is to offer a mixed dozen for last minute orders of flavors I am already making for weddings/full weekends.  I would send out a list of flavors via email on Tuesday and ask that people respond with their orders by Wednesday. If you are interested in being part of the email list please send me an email!

Another quick note I want to tell people: Along with a lot of orders, comes a lot of posting on Facebook.  Facebook limits the number of people that can see business posts, and in order for more people to see them, more people need to like and/or share the posts.  Every little bit helps Steph's Sweet Treats grow, so I appreciate every bit of help from customers!  If you want to make sure you see my posts, you can also get notifications by going back to the "Like" button...the one you already pushed (or I hope you did) to follow the page to begin with.  If you click it again you can then click "get notifications." Voila!  When I post you will get notified that I did so.

Don't forget about wedding referrals!  If you know someone getting married and you refer them to Steph's Sweet Treats, and they book...you get a gift certificate!  Note: If you are getting married September 2016... it's already filling up so contact me soon!  

Thanks for another week of orders!  Please spread the word about ordering ASAP for September!