Yellow Chick themed Baby Shower for my BFF

I've been planning my BFF's Baby Shower in my mind for as long as I can remember, even before her baby was conceived...this was also the case when I was planning her bridal shower too.



I decided to base it on the very hilarous book HATCHED by Sloane Tanen of NYC fame.
Her wit and sarcasm hits "home" on so many pages for me. The scenarios are relevant to all North Americans who have given birth within the last 2-5 years.






I always had a soft spot for the little yellow chenille chicks and I had a whole box of them in small, medium and large sizes. I decided to use yellow and white gingham ribbon and the yellow chicks as the theme of the whole baby shower.



DECORATIONS:

-pennant paper banner downloaded from http://ruffledblog.com/printable-alphabet-bunting/



fresh white daisy flower cake made by me




yellow chick arrangements made by me




Part 2 coming soon with details 'about the delicious food and other baby shower ideas.

Bunny, Teddy Bear & Panda Bear Breads

People are so creative...these Teddy Bear breads totally hit the cute overload button, for sure! If you know how to make these, we'd love to see you sell them at the Baker's Market, coming October 2011 in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

We are seeking super creative bakers who love to bake and sell their crafts.

Not sure if these bunnies are breads or cookies...i'll take both please.



How 'bout this loaf of Panda Bear bread? I'm guessing it is matcha bread with accents of white bread and black sesame bread. Mmmmmm.





Images courtesy of www.Pinterest.com

I wish someone would sell these at the Baker's Market in Vancouver

With Fall just around the corner, I'm smitten with these gorgeous Faux Bois Wood Grain Graham Crackers. I hope that a local baker can make these to sell at our Baker's Market in Vancouver.



Or how about these rustic looking maple leaf cookies? Just darling...I say!




Images and cookies are available from: http://www.etsy.com/listing/58625481/handcrafted-wood-grain-graham-crackers

Or for Thanksgiving, how about these adorable Pilgrim hats?


Recipe and photo courtesy of Woman's Day online.

New vendor Hearth and Larder at the Baker's Market in Vancouver

I am so looking forward to meeting Michele from Hearth and Larder and tasting the very scrumptious sounding preserves that she concocts.



She offer the traditional flavours like orange marmalade, strawberry...and even Dandelion jelly...and you thought it was just a weed?!

I'm smitten with her lovely jars and labels too.



Be sure to visit her at the Baker's Market in Vancouver coming soon, Fall 2011.

Vote for us and you could win a $600 prize

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU??

Vote for us and you could win a $600 prize. True to its name, Cornucopia is the Fall Festival for the indulgent and the connoisseur. Ideally located in the majestic and historic resort town of Whistler, BC, the festival celebrates local chefs and regional wines for every type of bon vivant.

Cornucopia Food & Wine Festival is offering the Voters' Prize winner (and a guest of their choice) the chance to immerse themselves in the incredible Whistler food and wine culture, with two tickets to the flagship wine tasting event CRUSH and a two night stay at the beautiful Fairmont Chateau Whistler hotel during Cornucopia Weekend November 10 - 13th, 2011 (accommodation for Friday and Saturday night). Come and experience the glamour and the gourmet! Estimated retail value is $600.00.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR US?

We'd use the prize $ to expand the Baker's Market in Vancouver and make our market even bigger and better. There's always room for improvement, eh?

If you've been to our Baker's Market and love the experience, please take a moment to vote for us. If you've never been, we hope that you'll come visit us this Fall 2011. You'll be glad that you did.

Yeah for Cannelé & Honeybun

We are thrilled to have Cannelé & Honeybun join us again as a FEATURED VENDOR for all 10 Saturdays of the Fall Baker's Market in Vancouver, starting Oct. 1 - Dec. 10, 2011.

Olivia, the head baker is a sweet gal who created cannelés that are just as sweet as she is!



Here is a little history about the company:

Cannelé & Honeybun is a small company started at Baker’s Market Vancouver offering unique pastry items that tickle your senses. With a passion to make irresistible cannelés and small batch artisanal cookies, Cannelé & Honeybun pays attention to quaility and freshness of ingredients and never uses preservatives.


Inspired by a trip to San Francisco in fall 2009 and fell in love with cannelés (a small French pastry with soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust; a specialty of the Bordeaux region of France), Cannelé & Honeybun was realized.


Cannelé & Honeybun brings to the community hand-made baked treats with heart and soul. A rare treat that just cannot be found on a supermarket shelf.

What to expect at the Baker's Market?

Whenever I go to a new restaurant, I try really hard to not have high expectations...'cause if I do, I will be disappointed. Having said that, what do you expect to see at the Baker's Market in Vancouver?

I've seen some reviews on Yelp saying that our very first marktet a few years ago was rather small, others saying that "I can make this stuff at home".




For something to become big, it must start off small. Think of a growing fruit or a growing baby....yes, although it is small, it doesn't mean it isn't great or won't be great.

As for the other comment, I can give only kudos to all the bakers who follow their passion, to give up their spare time to bake and offer it to other foodies who are also passionate about their food.

Most of the bakers who come to the Baker's Market are not full time bakers. They are full time mommies or daddies, full time folks with other types of jobs during the day.

The Baker's Market is only possible due to the participation of local community bakers. It is a fun market 'cause of the people and customers it attracts.

Cant' wait til October 1 when the Fall 2011 Baker's Market in Vancouver opens up again. It is like Xmas day for me since I can always be surprised by the scrumptious goodies that the bakers bring.

Why do I love the Baker's Market in Vancouver?

Let me count the ways....the hustle and bustle of setting up, greeting all the bakers, the sweet smell of bakers' breads, cupcakes, tarts, cakes, macarons, cake pops and more!

The reason for putting on the Baker's Market in Vancouver is for the love of people sharing, but most importantly, getting excited about homemade goodies.



Ladies from the Ivy Oven

I love the creativity that the different bakers bring to the Baker's Market. Each week they bring whatever they enjoy baking. Their offerings are influenced by their multi-cultural backgrounds, childhood memories, family recipes, travels abroad, local produce and fruit or their favourite things.

I love to greet customers and chat them up about their favorite goodie or how they found out about the Baker's Market. Or where they are from. Perhaps from around the corner or from around the world. It's always so humbling and fulfilling for me to see customers take time out of their busy schedules to come the Baker's Market.



I love to see happy bakers, happy customers, smiley faces all around. How could you be sad when there is all this sweetness? Although the Baker's Market is ALOT OF HARD WORK for my entire family, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for all their tireless efforts and continued support. At the end of a Saturday, I'm happy to load up my trunk with all the goodies that I've traded and go home for a nice cup of afternoon tea. I always look forward to a bite of something new. It's all worthwhile.

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Next time you come to the market, take a moment to look around at all the baked goodies. The key ingredients for baking are usually flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, chocolate, shortening, lard, baking powder, baking sugar, salt.

But look at the myriad of items that the bakers offer...WOW is what I say every week.

Mark your calendars, come support our local bakers.

Must-have tools for baking French Macarons

Ever since I started baking French Macarons, I noticed that I no longer need to stock my cupboard with All purpose or A.P. flour any more since I am constantly running out to buy almond flour.



The key ingredients and tools that you'll need for baking French Macarons are:
INGREDIENTS

-almond flour, icing sugar, egg white, granulated sugar, water,

-coloring either Wilton Gel or dry powder

-depending on your recipe for the filling, you'll need: cream, butter, eggs, sugar, the best chocolate that you can buy, I use only Valrhona chocolate from France.

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TOOLS:

-6 small bowls for the ingredients


-digital scale for measuring out the ingredients...no measuring cups needed

-a really good mixer ( I use a shiny fire engine red Kitchen Aid mixer that I had on my wedding registry...really the only thing that I desperately wanted)


-a large food processor that holds 8-12 cups

-a large 12" sieve

-digital thermometer

-heat resistant spatula

-stiff bowl scraper

- 2 large mixing bowls

1 pot

An oven that bakes evenly...hopefully.

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-parchment paper

-black steel French baking sheet pans

-pastry bag

-round piping tip

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wire racks for cooling

large flat covered plastic re--useabble containers for storing the completed French Macarons

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If you want to make macarons, it is a serious investment in equipment and most importantly, TIME.

Baby brioche for mini grilled cheese sandwiches

I'm planning my BFF's baby shower and I was racking my brain on where to get brioche...but not just any kind of brioche...but mini loaves of brioche so that I can make Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

The theme is "mini everything" of course! I emailed my fave French baker in town, David of French Made Baking. Love the pun on the word "made" and the logo of the actual "french maid".


I know David because he participated at the Baker's Market in Vancouver previously as part of another bakery that he was working for. A few months later, he started his own baking business and now is busy as ever, selling at markets all around town.

He was kind enough to make me a sample and even drop if off at my doorstep, following my specific instructions of "please put it in a zip loc baggie and then another plastic bag and hand it from my mail box, so that the ants don't get to it before I do". This is amazing service that I did not expect, considering how busy he is and the price of gas these days!

It was the perfect size and tasted like heaven once it was toasted in the toaster over. I am proud to say that I had "commissioned a baker to bake bread for me". Just like how one would commission an artist for a painting. Baking is an art form and it's always good to make lots of friends in the art world.

ps I gobbled it up so fast that I forgot to take some photos...please check back in August for the actual baby shower photos...i'm sure you'll love the brioche photos.

***I just visited David's site today French Made Baking and found his lovely photo of the mini brioches that I asked him to make for me.




We are so excited to have David's support as one of our FEATURED VENDORS who will be at the Fall Baker's Market for all 10 Saturdays, starting from Oct. 1 - Dec. 22. Keep on baking....can't wait 'til Oct.

The Sweetie Pop Tree - the modern way to display cake pops

Inspired by the popularity of cake pops, we are excited to introduce to you, The Sweetie Pop Tree, the newest and most modern way to creatively display cake pops, French macaron pops or gourmet lollipops or any other fun treats on a stick.




The Sweetie Pop Tree will be the centerpiece of your event and the highlight of your dessert table or candy buffet table.




The Sweetie Pop Tree can be customized for each event and season by adding colorful accessories, like wooden leaves, paper flowers, birds, squirrels or acorns (all sold separately). These items can be attached by using your favorite type of double sided tape, not included.



Ideal for bridal or baby showers, birthday parties, weddings, anniversaries and tea parties. This is the perfect gift for the happy baker on your list too.
The Sweetie Pop Tree is designed by a day dreamer of many, many ideas who has been avid baker since she was a young girl. The Sweetie Pop Tree is hand crafted with lots of care by a wood loving artisan.

Crafted from maple wood and hand made with lots of love in Canada. Each tree can accommodate up to 12 pops.

Each tree branch is finished with bevelled edges and the tree is lightly stained to enhance the natural grains of the wood.

SIZE OF TREE: Base 9.5"Lx 6"W. Tree Dimensions:24.5"W x 17"H.
Diameter of the each hole: 3/16" diameter. Fits a normal lollipop stick, 4” long.
PLEASE NOTE: this tree can be fully assembled and glued together or sold un-assembled for easy storage and transporting to parties.

Wooden Willow Leaves as shown above or Wooden Maple leaves (not shown) also available.

French Macarons and Macaron Pops courtesy of J'adore Les Macarons, www.jadorelesmacarons.com

Yellow Honey Bee Cake Pops courtesy of Something Sweet for You in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Gourmet lollipops coming soon! Please email us if you'd like to be notified when they arrive.

On your mark, get set, BAKE!!!

Put on your aprons, pull out your secret family recipes and start thinking about what to bake and sell at the upcoming Fall 2011 Baker's Market in Vancouver at the Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre, 7646 Prince Albert Street, (2 blocks east of Fraser St. at East 60th), Vancouver, BC V5X 3Z4.

We've got a very nifty location this time...a building all to ourselves (no other events or other people during our market hours)...loading in & out will be a breeze at ground level and double doors. Free parking for everyone (customers and vendors) all around the perimeter of the large grassy field. Washroom facilities available. Wheelchair and stroller friendly. Sorry bike racks are not available.

Registration for tables at the Baker's Market in Vancouver have just begun...hurry before your favourite category gets filled up.
We like to have a variety of all sorts of delicious baked goodies so we reserve the right to deny certain products. Also this will prevent table, after table selling cupcakes!

If you are serious about baking or about promoting your new business, be sure to sign up as a FEATURED VENDOR for all 10 weeks at the Baker's Market.

BENEFITS for Featured Bakers = bakers who pay in advance for all 10 weeks for Fall session


-ONLINE: be a star baker on our Featured Bakers page, includes
Vendor profile Q & A section, website link, your story, 1 image of you and 4 goodie shots

IN PRINT: be listed on all 5000 + postcards and posters that will be distributed around town

-Optional participation in a hard cover bound photo receipt book that introduces readers to you, your business and your fave recipe that you’d like to share

- Optional participation in an "eye-candy" photo shoot of dessert tables that will be featured on blogs


-First right to sell specialty items: example cupcakes….we like to limit the # of vendors for cupcakes to 3-5 per week depending on the total # of bakers.
If you are a featured vendor, then you will be privileged (or get first dibs) to sell cupcakes.

-Permanent reserved table location (this can be slightly moved depending on the # of tables each week. Please note: you cannot leave any items here.)


-A special shopping opportunity exclusively for the participating Featured Vendors at the Baker’s Market. Lots of exciting packaging and supplies that are not normally available and hard to find. Bulk buying power!!!


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Or sign up as a weekly vendor, one Saturday at a time.
-you'll get a link on our website www.bakersmarket.com
on the week that you are attending

-exposure to thousands of sweet-lovin' customers who come to the Baker's Market
seeking unique, home made goodness

-who knows who you'll meet and what kinds of potential sales and exposure you'll get...."the world is your cookie, not oyster!"