Thank you all so much for the kind notes about my sister.  She and her boyfriend have moved into a new apartment and are doing well.  Some of their friends generously started a fund to help raise money for putting their lives back together.  It is amazing how kind and giving people can be. 

A couple highlights of the week for me included a feature on Real Simple and a mid-week road trip with Kris.  Sometimes you just need to go for a drive and get out of town for a few hours!

This week will be busy getting ready for Passover and Easter orders. 

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Matzo Crack

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Peppermint Patty Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies (almost gone!), Matzo Crack, Graduation Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Fudgy Black and White Devil’s Food Cake

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Banoffee Pie from Brown Eyed Baker

Perfected Yellow Cake from Mel’s Kitchen Café

Brown Butter Layer Cake with Vanilla Bean Icing and Salted Caramel by Raspberri Cupcakes

Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Blender Ice Cream from Savory Simple

S’mores Cookie Sandwiches from Cooking Classy

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend!

While this week was uneventful for me, it’s hard to think about much other than my sister right now.  Her and her boyfriend got displaced by a big fire next to their apartment a few days ago.  Luckily it was during the day so neither one of them was home, but the place is a disaster and they’ve been in a sort of flux running around trying to find a place to stay and clothes to wear.  Apparently the Red Cross was a huge help to them and now Harvard has helped them find a place to live for the next couple of months, so, they aren’t completely lost.   But losing your home, not knowing if any of your belongings are salvageable and having to deal with regular life at the same time can not be easy.  If Jessica wasn’t ready to leave Boston and come back to NYC, I’m pretty sure she is now.  Just a couple of months to go!  In case we don’t remember every day, this was yet another reminder to be thankful for so many things in our lives.

On a more positive note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!  We celebrated last weekend and Monday I’ll be sharing the amazing birthday cake we ate.  If only every day was about eating cake.

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Black and White Blondies

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Peppermint Patty Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies (almost gone!), Matzo Crack

Most popular recipe/blog post: Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Monster Cookie Dough Ice Cream (no machine needed!) from Mom on Timeout

Healthy Cinnamon Roll Scones from Apple of My Eye

Peanut Butter Snack Apple Cake from Crepes of Wrath

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Cheesecake bars from Food Faith Fitness

French Onion Pizza from Heather Christo

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend!

So for the last month or so I have had a ton of trouble sleeping.  I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep for hours, or, I just wake up before the crack of dawn and am then up for the day.  Sometimes I end up reading and other times I get distracted by the most random thoughts.  Last night, I have no idea why, but around 3am I couldn’t stop thinking about the days of AIM and how important it was to come up with just the right away message.  Oh, that and your actual profile.  For me it started in high school and then freshman year in college it was the way to communicate (texting was just starting and Facebook was about a year away).  Exchanging screen names was kind of a big deal.  You couldn’t just search for someone’s name and friend, poke or message them.  In fact, for one of the first dates I went on in college, the guy had to look me up in the college directory to get the phone number for my dorm room.  Why yes, I do sound ancient now.  But I digress.  Those statuses were our world.  Going to one of my friend’s rooms to hangout?  Had to update.  Going out for the night?  Obviously updating.  Getting ready? Everyone should obviously know that.  It was also an interesting way to stalk people.  Want to see if they never went home that night?  Just check to see how long they were idle.  Memories.  And clearly important middle-of-the-night thoughts.

As for work?  Things are going well and getting busy.  I was definitely happy to for the weekend to come and break things up.  We celebrated my mom’s birthday last night and are having brunch with my family and in-laws today.  There might be birthday cake involved as well.

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Triple Chocolate Cookies

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Peppermint Patty Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies (almost gone!)

Most popular recipe/blog post: Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Cinnamon Roll Bread from Center Cut Cook

Salted Caramel Cups from Yammie’s Noshery

Cookie Shot Glasses from Wanna Come With?

Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Ice Cream from Buns in my Oven

No-Bake Peanut Butter Twix Pie from Crazy for Crust

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend!

I hope everyone is enjoying a Spring-like weekend!  It was warm enough to go for a walk today which made me extremely happy.  I’m just going to ignore the upcoming weather forecast because it isn’t worth getting annoyed about.  I have to remember that about other things in life too, though.  Lately I’m making a huge effort not to stress about things that are out of my control.  And even things that are in my control…. because really the stress does not help things.  A deep breathe and just dealing with whatever it is, that is what helps.  Maybe I’ve been doing too much yoga lately?  I should probably keep that up.

In other news, you know how they always say that if you stop trying so hard then whatever you are looking for will happen?  Turns out that can actually be true.  I finally took a little break on the PR front and it looks like I have a decent feature coming up in a few weeks.  Go and figure!

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Surprise One Dozen Sweets

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Peppermint Patty Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies

Most popular recipe/blog post: How to Make Salted Caramel Without a Candy Thermometer

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Salted Caramel Guiness Brownies with Jameson Whipped Cream from Nutmeg Nanny

Glazed Chocolate Donuts from Buns in My Oven

Skinny Shamrock Shake from Shugary Sweets

Blueberry Banana Bread Cake with Brown Butter Glaze from i am baker

Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches from Just a Taste

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Sometimes these weeks really just start to blend together.  I feel like I spend half of my time just hibernating and avoiding the cold!  Luckily this weekend has been good, though… uneventful but good!  Matt and I spent a lot of time relaxing and last night finally watched Dallas Buyer’s Club.  Okay, I watched about a third of it and fell asleep (not because of the movie, I was just exhausted) and just finished watching this morning.  Wow, if you haven’t seen that movie yet, it is definitely a must watch.  Between that and True Detective, Matthew McConaughey has certainly proved himself this year.  Back in college we saw him at a screening of Sahara (TERRIBLE movie) and while good looking, he wasn’t all that impressive.  He sure has come a long way! (Random sidenote: at that movie screening, Matt got popcorn and offered me some.  When I declined he said that we could never get married.  Ha!)

Speaking of Matt, he is off to Florida for a business trip.  I can’t tell you how many times I considered sneaking into his luggage.  Another snowstorm tonight? No thank you!  I’m pretty sure that the common sentiment this winter is #OVERIT.

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  KISD Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Peppermint Patty Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies

Most popular recipe/blog post: Extra Dark Chocolate Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Peanut Butter from Minimalist Baker

Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt from Shutterbean

Scratch Cinnamon Roll Cake from Portuguese Girl Cooks

Chocolate Covered Potato Chip Macarons from Love and Olive Oil

No Churn Caramelized White Chocolate Ice Cream from Delicious Everyday

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend!

First of all, a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my gorgeous sister, Jessica.  She turns 26 today, one of my favorite years!  Love you so much and am looking forward to being able to celebrate every other birthday in the future with you!!

(Photo below of us celebrating last weekend)

Speaking of Jessica, she sent me the best half birthday card yesterday.  Don’t mind if I do!

What else? Well, this week was partly a blur because all of the sudden I’m not sleeping much.  Well, scratch that.  I pass out super early every night but then proceed to wake up any time between 11pm and 2am and am usually up for two to three hours.  Then I go back to sleep and wake up naturally by 5.  Anyone have a newborn they want me to watch?  Because I might as well do someone a favor when I’m up these hours!  I’ve been reading Divergent (eh, not loving it so far) during this time, but unfortunately it still doesn’t always put me to sleep.

In more positive news, one of my favorite people and close friends Joanne asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding this fall, talk about honored!  I can’t wait to celebrate and eat lots of pumpkin filled foods at the event.

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Triple Chocolate Cookies

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches (just a couple of days left), Valentine’s Day Gourmet Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Toasted Marshmallow Salted Caramel Cookie Bars from Take a Megabite

No Churn Caramelized White Chocolate Ice Cream from Delicious Everyday

Kahlua Caramel S’mores Banana Bread from Baker by Nature

Reese’s Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookie Pie from Oh, Sweet Basil

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Sandwiches from Sweet Tooth

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with someone you love and lots of chocolate.  My night was spent at home in PJ pants (the best) with homemade pizza and ice cream.  It doesn’t get much better than that (and no, I’m not 7 years old).

This week was busy since I had to get a ton done for Valentine’s Day in order to beat the snowstorm.  This weekend will be fun, though.  We are going to Philadelphia to celebrate my sister’s birthday which involves… eating.  How else does one celebrate?

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Triple Chocolate Cookies

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches, Valentine’s Day Gourmet Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bites from A Kitchen Addiction

Five Layer Birthday Cake from Lemon Sugar

French Toast Layer Cake from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls from The Hopeless Housewife

Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt from This Gal Cooks

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Turns out I missed another weekly update because I was busy in Boston visiting my sister and friends.  We were pretty much up there for 36 hours but it was still so much fun.  I’m basically counting down the days until my sister moves back in with me back to NYC!

This week was hectic preparing for Valentine’s Day.  It’s definitely busier than last year which is great.  Let’s hope things keep up like this throughout the year!

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Brownies and Blondies Pack

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches, Valentine’s Day Gourmet Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Red Velvet Hot Fudge Sundaes from Eats Well With Others

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie from Love and Olive Oil

Browned Butter Red Velvet Brownies from Something Swanky

Marshmallow Hot Fudge Sauce from Baked Bree

Monster Cookie Oatmeal Creme Pies from Yammie’s Noshery

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

I didn’t mean to miss last week’s post but we were in San Francisco and the hotel internet was excruciatingly slow.  The short trip was so much fun, though.  We ate our way through the city (and Napa), plus I got to see my cute cousin, Haley!  Well, she is my cousin’s daughter so technically my second cousin, or first cousin once removed? I don’t even know!

It is amazing how just a few days away can lead to such a mass email buildup.  I spent this week playing constant catch up and getting geared up for Valentine’s Day!  The seasonal sweets are already a hit with customers.

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  KISD Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches, Valentine’s Day Gourmet Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Salted Caramel Sheet Cake

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Cracker Toffee Peanut Butter Cups from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Oreo Bundt Cake from The Spatularette

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart from Dieters Downfall

Chocolate Coffee Layer Cake from Completely Delicious

Strawberry Butterfinger Granola Bars from Daydreamer Desserts

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

What a week.  It started off rough… I had to end a pretty toxic business relationship on Monday.  I’m very happy to be through with it but it was stressful and unpleasant.  To be honest, I didn’t realize that someone could be so dishonest and immoral in a professional setting.  Even in my years in finance I didn’t see anything quite like this.  Generally I’m relieved to start fresh on that front, though!  Biggest lesson learned?  Get everything in writing.

I did get a couple of days to disconnect from the drama and unwind at home, though.  I hung out with my mom which was a lot of fun now that she is back on her feet again!  And this week, I’ll be in San Francisco for a few days which I’m really excited about.  I didn’t get an official “vacation” around the holidays so this will be a good opportunity to officially be away, just for a bit.  If you have any SF food suggestions, please let me know!

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Gourmet Gift Basket

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee (on sale), Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Peanut Butter Cup Blondies, Valentine’s Day Gourmet Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: How to Make Caramel Sauce Without a Candy Thermometer

Five favorite things I pinned all week

Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake from Crème de la Crumb

Super Moist Chocolate Cake with Light and Fluffy Whipped Mocha Frosting from Bakeaholic Mama

Apple Pear Cobbler from Eat The Love

Skinny Champagne Parfaits from Beyond Frosting

Christmas White Chocolate Cranberry Cake from Pineapple & Coconut

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy, happy New Year to all of you!  Did you do anything fun to ring in 2014?  We actually went to a concert with friends which was much more exciting than my usual routine.  Maybe we had too much fun, though, because I could barely keep my eyes open until 8pm on New Year’s Day.   Nothing like a couple of drinks and a late night to make me feel old!

Even though the holiday is over, I like to think of this weekend as one last chance to get some laziness in before real life is back in order.  We actually finished the Sopranos this morning after watching the entire series over the last few months.  The show is pretty incredible but I’m a little relieved to be done, it is just so intense.  Next on the agenda might be Breaking Bad or Scandal.  Any other series you have loved?

Work actually picked up for me again this week so I’ll be pretty busy again, though not crazy busy.  Hopefully this will give me enough time to work on some bigger KISD projects I have in mind.

I hope that you all had a great start to the year!

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Brownies and Blondies Pack

Current seasonal specials:  Pumpkin Pie Coffee, Atlantic Blend Coffee, Cookie of the Month: Peanut Butter Cup Blondies, Valentine’s Day Gourmet Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Pink Champagne Cake Pops

Five favorite things I pinned all week

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Quinoa Flour Waffles from Ambitious Kitchen

Snickerdoodle Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream from Always with Butter

How to Frost Cupcakes with Piping Tips from Niner Bakes

Sweet and Spicy Almonds from The Lean Green Bean

Champagne Margaritas from Gimme Some Oven

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Saturday, friends! I am SO much more refreshed than I was a week ago… and much more coherent.  I’m pretty sure I’ve been asleep by 9pm the majority of the last seven nights.  My body is still catching up!

Today we are heading to my parents house.  We are going out tonight to celebrate my mom’s post-surgery progress!  She can finally start driving again which is a pretty big deal after eight weeks depending on someone else to get around at all times.  That is definitely deserving of a nice dinner.  I’m really excited to see my family, especially Jessica.  Oh, and did I mention I get to finally meet my sister’s boyfriend tomorrow?  I’ve only heard good things so far, but you know, I have to make sure he passes all the tests;-)

As for work, next week won’t be too busy because of the holiday so I’ll continue to play catch up on miscellaneous items that fell to the wayside for the last month.  Website upkeep, new packaging, marketing, and inventory management to name a few things.  I’m looking forward to the start of a new year and have already put together a list of 2014 objectives for Keep It Sweet Desserts.   Hopefully some new big things will take place in the early part of the year.

Now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  KISD Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Current seasonal specials: Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee, Gourmet Christmas Gift Basket, Gourmet Chanukah Gift Basket, Atlantic Blend Coffee

Most popular recipe/blog post: Pink Champagne Cake Pops

Five favorite things I pinned all week

Salted Caramel “Ding Dong” Cake from Eats Well With Others

Gingerbread Coffee Baked Donuts from Wanna Be a Country Cleaver

Peanut Butter No Bake Marshmallow Cheesecake Bars from The Hopeless Housewife

Mint Chocolate Cheesecake Bûche de Noël from Sprinkle Bakes

Meyer Lemon Roasted Carrot Strings with Lemon Garlic Sauce from Running to the Kitchen

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

What.a.week.  Scratch that, what a month!  I’ll be sharing more with you on Monday, but boy am I relieved that there is only one shipping day left for Christmas orders.  Whew!  I am looking forward to recovering from the crazy on Tuesday!  Work has been my life since Thanksgiving so I don’t really have much else to report right now.

This week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Gourmet Christmas Gift Basket

Current seasonal specials: Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee,Pumpkin Package, Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Gourmet Christmas Gift Basket, Gourmet Chanukah Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Pink Champagne Cake Pops

Five favorite things I pinned all week (with an unintentional theme):

Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting from Heather Christo

Gingerbread Speculoos and Dark Chocolate Cake from Joy the Baker

Gingerbread Caramel Corn from Piece of Cake

Maple Gingerbread Cookie Dough Ice Cream from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Overnight Apple Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls from Baked by Rachel

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

I’m going to keep this post short because frankly I’m buried in brownies.  We have a huge order going out on Monday and I’ve been covered in chocolate for about a week now.  Luckily, yesterday I had help from Matt and our friends Matt and Deena.  Today, my in-laws are coming to help us box everything up.  So thankful for help!

Oh, and PS – this happened yesterday!  David Burke liked my desserts…. I died.

This week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Gourmet Gift Basket

Current seasonal specials: Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee,Pumpkin Package, Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Gourmet Christmas Gift Basket, Gourmet Chanukah Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts Giveaways: Nutmeg Nanny

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Fudge from Lauren’s Latest

Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies from Damn Delicious

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies with Pomegranate Salt from Top With Cinnamon

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles from The Little Kitchen

Pumpkin SpanaKopita from Eats Well With Others

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!

Thanksgiving week… wow, was that fast.  I can’t believe the holiday came and went but this week was so packed it almost feels like it was the length of two.

Before and after the holiday were spent working like a crazy person, though I did get to see The Hungry Games: Catching Fire on Monday night.  I liked the first one, but I LOVED this one.   It made me so excited for the third!

Thanksgiving itself was so wonderful.  We spent the day at my parents and my sister was home (!!!!!!).  I spent a ton of time in the kitchen but it was nice to have kitchen time that didn’t involve a zillion pound mixing bowl and trays and trays of cookies.  Our meal was delicious and the desserts went for days.  My mom may have had two major foot surgeries in the last six or so weeks, but she still made enough desserts for a small army (plus pumpkin bread, zucchini bread AND apple bread to go with the meal).  My contributions were Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie, Cranberry Apple Pie, Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream and Mocha Ganache (except I used Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream), and a couple of fun random cookies.  However, my mom made a pumpkin cake that completely stole the show.  Pumpkin cake, white chocolate buttercream and whipped cream.  Yeah, exactly.

Today we are heading to my in-laws for brunch to celebrate Chanukah and then it is back to work for me!  Monday is the first huge shipment of the season so I’ll be packaging all weekend long.

I can’t finish this post without mentioning that today marks ten years since Matt asked me to be his girlfriend (yes, he really did ask).  I still remember being so surprised.  We had just gotten back from Thanksgiving break apart and after dating for only a couple of weeks I was caught off guard in being excited to see him.  Prior to that, I’d told my friends that we would probably just date through the end of the semester and that would be it.  Ten years later, here we are!  I still wonder how I was lucky enough or smart enough to find someone so perfect for me when I was only nineteen.  We don’t really celebrate our dating anniversary anymore, but this one felt special so we both stepped up our Chanukah gifts for one another.  Matt got me a Vitamix and necklace I have been eyeing, I got him a Nespresso machine plus some accessories to go with.  Does anyone have some extra counter space to spare?  All kidding aside, I’m pretty darn happy with how things worked out.  Matt and I will be celebrating with packaging tape, tissue paper and breaking for a bottle of wine.  Good thing he loves me enough to help!

And finally, this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Gourmet Chanukah Gift Basket

Current seasonal specials: Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee,Pumpkin Package, Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Gourmet Christmas Gift Basket, Gourmet Chanukah Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Cranberry Apple Pie

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts Giveaways: Diethood

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Cream Cheese Drizzle from Eat the Love

Peppermint Cookie Dough Stuffed Oreo Truffles from Dinners, Dishes & Desserts

Cinnamon Maple Toffee Monster Cookies from Bake Your Day

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette from Eats Well With Others (my sister made this, so good)

Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Shallot Dip from Minimalist Baker

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Last week I said that I couldn’t decide if I was excited or scared, but now I’ve decided I am definitely both!  I’m actually anxious for holiday craziness to just get started.  My wish seems to be coming true, though, because I’m kicking off this coming week with a humongous blondie order.  Speaking of which, if anyone would like to help me deliver blondies for 450 people on Wednesday afternoon, please let me know.

This weekend I’m going to be soaking in some of my last days of freedom flexibility.  Today we are going to see my parents (my poor mom is now waiting on two feet to recover) and tomorrow is Audra’s shower.  Oh yeah, and we still have to set up that darn printer… and take inventory of packaging materials… yes, things are picking up!

And now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Triple Chocolate Cookies

Current seasonal specials: Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee, Pumpkin Package, Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Gourmet Christmas Gift Basket, Gourmet Chanukah Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Cinnamon Caramel Apple Crisp from Heather Christo

Buttered Caramel Popcorn Cake from La Peche Fraiche

Chocolate Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups from Diethood

Cookies and Mint Chip Cheesecake from Crazy for Crust

Quinoa & Kale Stuffed Butternut Squash from Rachel Cooks

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. Enter to win some Keep It Sweet Desserts on Tracey’s blog!

Well, I missed last week’s weekly wrap-up but it was for a good reason.  I was in Florida for a wedding and visiting with college friends.  It was a mini reunion of sorts!  It was also a good chance for me to keep my online time to a minimum and just focus on spending time with people I don’t get to see often enough.  A big treat was seeing one of my best friends who is having a baby in March!  I only get to see her once or twice a year and after getting a day that was just the two of us, I realized it might be a while before that happens again.  You better believe that I’ll be back down there in the spring, though, because meeting her baby girl will not be an option!

This weekend we are finally in town and will be catching up with friends here!  Tonight night we are having a potluck game night and then tomorrow we are bringing lunch to some of our friends who are fairly new parents.  We haven’t seen them since their bris a several weeks ago, so I’m anxious to see their baby now that he is about a month and a half old!

In terms of work, it is really all about getting prepared for Christmas madness!  Last year around this time we were in the middle of a hurricane so I’m a little anxious to see what business is like without Sandy wreaking havoc.  Hopefully it will only be busier.

And now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Cookie Variety Pack

Current seasonal specials: Halloweeen Gift Basket, Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee, Pumpkin Package (check out the current special!), Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Most popular recipe/blog post: Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Cheez-It Rolo Rice Krispies Treats from Diethood

Cookie Butter Pie with Nutella Hot Fudge and Pretzel Crust from Club Narwhal

Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream from Hungry Girl por Vida

Spiced Caramel Apple Cake Roll from Crazy for Crust

Inside Out S’mores Cake from Hungry Rabbit

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

I’m currently blogging from my parents’ house.  My mom had the first of two foot surgeries in a one month period.  I hope my cooking helps her feel at least a little bit better!  If not, I better start baking:-)

In general, this week wasn’t my busiest but I don’t think I should / can get used to that.  Luckily big things seem to be coming in the near-term pipeline.  I’ve got some new corporate clients which is great news.

And now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Pumpkin Package

Current seasonal specials: Halloweeen Gift Basket, Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee, Pumpkin Package

Most popular recipe/blog post: Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Peanut Butter & Jelly Potato Chip Bars from Spoon Fork Bacon

Gluten-Free Buckeye Brownies from The Spiffy Cookies

Apple Butter Cake with Gingersnap Crust from Young Married Chic

Banana Apple Spice Bread from Liv Life

Pumpkin and Fudge Layer Bars with Salty Crunchy Streusel from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

I’m writing this post a little early this weekend, because as we speak I’m on my way up to Boston to visit my sister.  For those of you that don’t remember, she lived with me last spring, so I’m definitely dealing with Jessica withdrawal.  I tried to kidnap her when we were home for Yom Kippur but evidently that didn’t work out.  The good news is that it gives me an excuse to go to Boston a few times over the next 8 months.  This weekend’s trip is with my parents, but I’m sure I’ll go back in the winter with Matt (even though last time I was in Boston in January, I swore I’d never do that again).  Maybe on the next trip I can meet some of you!

This week was another busy one.  One of the highlights was speaking to a college class on entrepreneurism.  Truthfully, I am not a comfortable public speaker.  Even when I know it will be fine, I get insanely nervous before any kind of presentation.  My stomach starts doing flip flops, my heart beats a million times a minute and I instantly start sweating (flattering, I know).  However, when I was asked to speak to the class a few months ago, I thought, “Fifteen minutes? I can do that.  And you know, it’s probably good to push myself out of my comfort zone every now and then.” Meanwhile, the other speaker wasn’t able to show up, so I had the floor for an hour.  Luckily the students were very enthusiastic and had a ton of questions so it actually went by really fast.  Dare I say I even enjoyed it?

And now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Brownies and Blondies Pack

Current seasonal specials: Halloweeen Gift Basket, Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, Pumpkin Pie Coffee, Pumpkin Package

Most popular recipe/blog post: Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Pumpkin Monkey Bread from Something Swanky

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Apple Pie Waffles from Fabtastic Eats

Chocolate Chip Mocha Cookie Dough Brownies from The Little Kitchen

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rolls from Skinny Taste

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

I don’t know who I am anymore.  I’ve got eight weeks of recipes ready to go.  Considering in the last year and a half I’ve been happy if I have one recipe ready to go, this is just crazy talk.  Hopefully that means that by the time I stop seeing the light of day I won’t feel absolutely behind on life.

Generally business is picking up again and I’m thrilled with how well the Pumpkin Pie Blondies are being received!  If you are Iooking for a gift to send right now, they will not disappoint! I’m actually doing a huge order of both blondies for a corporate birthday celebration in November.  Sounds like a great place to work;-)

In terms of life I’ve been trying to get in as much time with friends as I can before I go into work hibernation and then winter hibernation.  I figure I have until about mid-November to see friends and look human.  At that point showers, the gym and makeup all become optional (and by optional, I mean they just don’t happen).  The fact that the weather has been pretty sensational has made it that much easier to get into social mode!

And now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  KISD Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Current seasonal specials: Halloweeen Gift Basket, Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, and Pumpkin Pie Coffee (Brand NEW)

Most popular recipe/blog post: Apple Pie Crumble Bars

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars from Eats Well With Others

Pumpkin Biscoff Swirl Brownies  from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Chocolate Vanilla Tuxedo Cake with Raspberry White Chocolate Buttercream from Pineapple and Coconut

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls from Gimme Some Oven

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Caramel Apples from Sprinkle Bakes

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy weekend, everybody!  This is pretty much our most low key weekend for a while (and it has been a while, too), so I’m happy!  We have an OTF class this morning and then are going apple picking this afternoon.  Then tonight, no plans at all!  I actually made a big veggie lasagna yesterday so that we could stay in and take it easy.  Bring on the relaxing!  Any movies we need to watch?

This was a really productive week for me at work.  Even though my to-do list is forever endless, I did feel like I was able to catch up on a lot of things I’ve been meaning to get to.  I’m organizing some fun giveaways over the next couple of months so keep your eyes open for that.  I also did my first postcard mailing  so I’m anxious to see responses for that.  In all of my business strengths, marketing is not one of them, but I am trying!  We used to always joke that the finance team and marketing team were always at odds in my old job.  Now I’m taking on both positions so I’m constantly playing devil’s advocate in my head.  Never a dull moment when running a business.

And the biggest Keep It Sweet news?  In case you didn’t see on Instagram and Facebook, I finally have a line of Keep It Sweet Desserts coffee!  We are starting small with one flavor, but I’d love to expand if the demand is there.  I think the Pumpkin Pie Coffee will be the perfect pairing for our Pumpkin Pie Blondies, but also a great addition for anyone ordering a gift basket or box of sweets.

And now for this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Triple Chocolate Cookies

Current seasonal specials: Halloweeen Gift Basket, Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies, and Pumpkin Pie Coffee (Brand NEW)

Most popular recipe/blog post: Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream from Baked by Rachel

The World’s Easiest Cinnamon Rolls from Minimalist Baker

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cake from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Pumpkin New York Style Crumb Cake from An Edible Mosaic

Pumpkin Ricotta Lasagna from Feast on the Cheap

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

I’m not sure if it is the first feeling of fall in the air, the high holidays and birthday celebrations spent with family, my current sugar high, or maybe just the weekend before my first real week to focus on work in a long time, but I am feeling very refreshed, energized and ready to hit the ground running.  The crazy holiday season will be here before we know it, and I am ready to go hard.  These next few weeks will be focused on connecting with my current clients and reaching out to some potential new ones.  I’ve got some great sweets lined up for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Channukah and Christmas gifts and I hope that my customers are excited as I am.

On the personal side, I’ll be posting more about Matt’s party this week.  Lots of fun party planning tips and dessert menu details to share!

And another reminder, please vote for me in the Martha Stewart American Made Award.  You all have been so supportive so far, we just have to get through another couple of weeks of voting.  You can vote 6 times daily, so please do that if you can!

This week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Pumpkin Pie Blondies

Current seasonal specials: Halloweeen Gift Basket, Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Blondies (!!!)

Most popular recipe/blog post: Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Brown Butter Fruity Pebble Crunch Marshmallow Cookies from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Pumpkin Fritters from Simply Delicious

Mocha Chip Cinnamon Rolls from Inside BruCrew Life

Banana Pudding Ice Cream with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Swirls from Kevin & Amanda

Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches from Seeded at the Table

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!

I’m not going to lie, this was a rough week.  Maybe it was because this was the first really, really busy week in some time, but boy do I need to get in crazy working shape.  The early High Holidays combined with Labor Day made the end of this week a little nuts.  I just need to remind myself that busy and crazy are good!  Thanks, Mom, Matt and Jessica for helping with my meltdowns:-)

Next week is exciting because I’ll be bringing some of the fall specials out.  Hazel and Erin both said that they enjoyed the sweets they received.  I have a feeling the Pumpkin Pie Blondies are going to be BIG this year!  The other big thing is the Martha Stewart American Made Award.  You all have been so supportive so far, we just have to get through another couple of weeks of voting.  You can vote 6 times daily, so please do that if you can!

This week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Cookie Variety Pack

Current seasonal specials: Halloweeen Gift Basket, Peanut Butter & Jelly Rugelach, Milk Chocolate Toffee Rugelach & Cinnamon Chocolate Rugelach (also available in a variety pack)

Most popular recipe/blog post: Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

Three favorite things I pinned all week:

Secretly Healthy Black Bean Chocolate Protein Truffles from Ambitious Kitchen

No Knead Apple Pie Bagels from Bakeaholic Mama

Brown Butter Spaghetti with Baby Kale and Roasted Butternut Squash from Apartment 34

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

We got back from Hawaii the other morning and I’m still in complete catch-up mode!  We had an unbelievable time and I took hundreds of photos… I will definitely share some soon.  My birthday was Wednesday and although half the day was spent  travelling home, I really can’t complain since half of it was in Maui.  I’m actually going to Philadelphia to celebrate with my parents this weekend (although missing my now Boston-living sister).  There will be lots of dessert involved.  Guess my post-vacation healthy eating can go on hold for the day:-)

Even though I was anxious to be away from the business for the week, things seemed to still be in one place when I got back.  We did mini desserts for an Anthropologie event on Thursday night – yellow cupcakes with vanilla frosting (in pink!), red velvet cake pops and mint chocolate chip cookie sandwiches.  I’m also talking to a few people about upcoming bridal showers and weddings which is always fun!

In other news, I loved reading all of your guesses on the new cookie flavor!  There were so many coffee related flavor picks that I think I might need to have one soon.  However, the brand new cookie will actually be a Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookie!  I’m hoping to have it available starting September 1st.

The other new item?  That is a Pumpkin Pie Blondie!  I’ve been keeping this secret since I developed the recipe in January (not kidding).  I can’t wait for everyone to try it.  That will also be available on September 1st!

Congrats to the giveaway winners, Hazel and Erin, who will receive samples of both!

And finally, this week’s updates:

Most popular product:  Gourmet Gift Basket

Current seasonal specials: S’mores Cookies, Peanut Butter & Jelly Rugelach, Milk Chocolate Toffee Rugelach & Cinnamon Chocolate Rugelach (also available in a variety pack)

Most popular recipe/blog post: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Brown ale ice cream with Salty Caramel and Honeyed Hazelnuts from Somewhere Over the Kitchen

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies from Cooking Classy

Salted Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from Gimme Some Oven

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies with Ice Cream from Vintage Kitchen

Brown Butter Cookie Butter Truffle Chocolate Chunk Brownies from Bakergirl

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!

Summer is officially here.  According to the calendar, the weather, and the quieter week in business, I finally believe it.  It’s about time!

This week was full of all sorts of random fun.  I ate a lot of chocolate, got to see my friend Leslie, and even had time to work on some recipes to share with you!  I’ve got muffins, banana bread, and pie on the horizon.  It was good timing to get busy in the kitchen since Matt has some friends in town.  I actually love having extra people around to feed:-)

What are your plans for the Fourth of July?  We will probably watch some fireworks over NYC on Thursday and then we are heading to Charlottesville for my cousin’s wedding.  Anything I should do or see while there?

As always, here are some highlights from the past week:

Most popular product:  Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies

Current seasonal specials: Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket and S’mores Cookies

Most popular recipe/blog post: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Five favorite things I pinned all week:

Low Fat Peanut Butter Ice Cream from Sumptuous Spoonfuls

Strawberry Banana “Milkshake” Cake from Hungry Rabbit

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes from Java Cupcake

S’mores Ice Cream Pie from Heather Christo

How to See “All Updates” in Facebook from I Am Baker

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Well, after last week’s events, I don’t feel like I have anything very exciting to share, but it really was a good week here!  It was our third wedding anniversary on Wednesday and since Matt was travelling, we celebrated yesterday afternoon.  The day involved a hike, pizza, champagne and ice cream.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  Today I’m heading to Philly to celebrate Father’s Day with my family.  We are going to the brand new Barnes Museum.  I’ll either love it or be ready for a snack/to go to the bathroom/sit down as soon as we start. I get my museum appreciation from Mom.

I think this is the first Father’s Day where I really appreciate how lucky I am.  This past year, a couple of my close friends lost their dads too early.  I can’t imagine how hard it is for them on a daily basis, let alone on Father’s Day.  It makes me appreciate the fact that my dad is around to lend advice on pretty much every.single.topic, talk about anything going on in life, and even annoy me over the dumbest things.  Thanks for all of that, Dad!

As for Keep It Sweet Desserts, things are good and busy here!  Yesterday I delivered a really fun spread of desserts for a bridal shower.  There was a beach theme going on so the menu alluded to that a bit: Margarita Cupcakes (my favorite!), “At-the-Beach” Cupcakes, Strawberry Shortcake Blondies, S’mores Cookies and Black and White Blondies for good measure.  I’m hoping to get some pictures from the shower to share!

This week I’m actually going to be doing a few in-person interviews for my first ever hire!  The day has finally come (well, it came a while ago but I held off as long as possible) and I am so excited.  I’ve actually found a ton of great candidates so it is going to be hard narrowing them down.  Hopefully I’ll be able to hire a few of them when it comes time for the crazy holiday season.

And as always, here are some highlights from the past week:

Most popular product:  Cookie of the Month Club

Current seasonal specials: White Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Cookies for Father’s Day (last day!), the Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket and S’mores Cookies

Most popular recipe/blog post: Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Three favorite things I pinned all week:

Strawberry Grapefruit Margarita from Thug Kitchen

Cheerios Cake from I Am Baker (EVERYONE should read this post)

Homemade Drumsticks from Baking Bites

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend

Oh, and in case you are interested in a few other wedding photos, here you go!

It’s funny, last weekend when I wrote this post, I really didn’t have too much to say.  This week on the other hand, so much has happened.  It was such a crazy whirlwind that I’m not even sure where to start.  However, those of you who follow me on Twitter and Instagram are probably wondering about the details regarding this picture below, so I’ll start there.

To be honest, it is a good thing I took that photo because otherwise I might not believe it happened.

Okay, so hopefully I can tell this story without completely embarrassing myself in the off chance that Johnny happens to read this post…. A few days ago, Johnny Iuzzini popped up on my “you should follow” list on Twitter (how was I not following him before?).  Considering the coincidence just a few days before I had mentioned the fact that I would die/be terrified of him ever trying my desserts, I thought, “why not?” and hit “follow”.

Well, a few hours later I got a tweet from him that he wanted to try my brownies (hello shameless brag in my twitter profile).  Immediately I responded with a few overeager tweets and to make a long story short, we agreed to meet at the OddFellows grand opening.  An opportunity to meet Johnny Iuzzini, share some samples of my desserts AND eat incredible ice cream?  I was sold.

So, here is where I don’t talk about how incredibly nervous I was so that he doesn’t think I am a complete dork.  (Hint: I was really nervous.)  Just read his bio and it is pretty self-explanatory.

Lucky for me, he was so incredibly nice in person that it was really just a great experience to meet him!  When he introduced us (I brought Matt for moral support / ice cream eating) I was pretty flattered to find out that he had taken a few minutes to check out my website and read my story.  We got to meet everyone at OddFellows and they were all pretty awesome.  Being around a couple of culinary geniuses in the pastry world is pretty freaking cool.  They treated us to samples of almost all of the flavors and I have to admit, I liked every.single.one (even the Maple Bacon Pecan!).

Sidenote- check out their Facebook page for updates on OddFellows’ daily selections

I finally decided on Caramel and Chorizo Caramel Swirl.  Yes, I promise, chorizo + ice cream seriously works.  I think that Matt had Cornbread and Buttermilk Honey Blueberry.  It was all so good, another trip to Williamsburg is definitely in order.

But I digress.  Talking to Johnny Iuzzini was just a bit surreal.  He reminded me very much of almost any other pastry chef I have met (if you set aside his incredible talent for a minute) in that he was really energetic, really excited about desserts, funny, likes to have a good time, and slightly “off cuff” so to say, in conversation.

Before he tried my brownie, I told him that I was a little nervous after watching him on Top Chef Just Desserts.  He assured us that he generally gives people 9 positives and 1 negative when he eats something.  Well, he tried my brownie and only said positive things.  Hopefully that means he really did like it and wasn’t just being nice:-)  I’ll go with the former.  And in that case, WIN.  Is this real life?  My only regret is that I didn’t get to hang out longer and I didn’t get a picture with him (yes, ladies, he is as good looking / better looking in real life as he is on TV).  Hopefully we will stay in touch (again, is this real life?) and this won’t be the last time we meet!

The rest of my week feels somewhat insignificant in comparison to that, but it was a good and busy one.  Last night I celebrated the opening of the Le Gourmet Factory cooking school and got to share samples of blondies and brownies with a ton of people.  Today I teach my first class to a group of Girl Scouts.

And if you made it this far, here are some highlights from the past week:

Most popular product:  Gourmet Gift Basket

Current seasonal specials: White Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Cookies for Father’s Day (1 week left!), the Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket and S’mores Cookies

Most popular recipe/blog post: Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway:  1 dozen KISD Items of your choice on The Hill Country Cook

Three favorite things I pinned all week:

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes from Yammie’s GlutenFreedom

Breakfast Acai Bowl from Leslie Durso

Peanut Butter Mousse and Jelly Parfaits from Dessert for Two

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend

This week really flew by here.  It was one of those weeks where I was at capacity before it started but I ended up taking on a few new things here and there.  Somehow I managed to get it all done.  On top of regular orders there were cookies for ice cream sandwiches, cookies shipped to Eat, Write, Retreat, a wedding tasting, and cakes for birthdays and graduations.  I wonder if next week will be quite as exhausting eventful.

This weekend I’ve been immersed in Eat, Write, Retreat meeting some pretty amazing people.  If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you probably are well aware of that!  As a result, this post is a little briefer than usual.

And of course here are some highlights from the past week:

Most popular product:  Fudgy Caramel Pecan Brownies (Did you know you can order them without nuts?)

Current seasonal specials: White Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Cookies for Father’s Day and  the Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway:  1 dozen KISD Items of your choice on The Hill Country Cook

Five Favorite things I pinned all week:

Peanut Butter Fudge Bars from Handle the Heat

Peaches n’ Cream Cake from A Spicy Perspective

Cauliflower Couscous with Preserved Lemons, Chickpeas & Parsley from A House in the Hills

No Crust Spinach and Sweet Potato Quiche from Confessions of a Chocoholic

Red Velvet S’mores with Cream Cheese Marshmallows from Eat the Love

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!

And it is Memorial Day weekend… how did that even happen? Honestly, though, you could have fooled me with the rain and 40-something degree temperatures yesterday.  But, I can’t complain too much, the forecast for the next 10 days is SO much better and it will feel like summer in no time!  Speaking of summer, I highly recommend taking a look at these posts and this Pinterest board.  If you love ice cream as much as I do, you will be set for the season.

Things continue to be very busy with Keep It Sweet Desserts.  This week I brought some sweets behind the scenes to Live From the Couch and Better TV with Kris.  Let me tell you, setting up for a TV segment is not a joke.  I don’t know how she does that all the time.

With everything else going on it was quite the exhausting week.  Luckily Matt and I did get away for a couple of days this weekend, but I’ll be back in the kitchen all day tomorrow!  Tuesday is exciting because I have a wedding tasting.  The couple has the most fantastic plan for their wedding “cake” and I am thrilled to possibly be a part of it!  Oh, and did I mention there will be an ice cream collaboration with Milk Sugar Love, her ice cream is killer and the sandwiches will be epic.  There are also a ton of orders going out in this short week before I head to Philly for Eat, Write, Retreat.  Who else will be there?

And of course here are some highlights from the past week:

Most popular product:  Sea Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Current seasonal specials: White Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Cookies for Father’s Day and  the Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway:  1 dozen KISD Items of your choice on Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Three Favorite things I pinned all week:  Peanut Butter & Banana Baked French Toast from Big Girls Small Kitchen, Caramelized White Chocolate Cheesecake with Blueberries from Raspberri Cupcakes, and Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Truffles from Shugary Sweets

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

I always find it interesting how excited I am for the weekend despite having to work during some or all of it.  I think it is years of that TGIF mentality ingrained in my head.  Plus, it is a usually more relaxed “working” weekend and involves fun things like a dinner at Talde with friends!  We are actually going there tonight and I’m crossing my fingers that Dale will be there! Top Chef fans will know what I am talking about.

On the working side, I’m actually putting together the baking class that I mentioned a few weeks ago.  This morning I tested the cookie recipes I’m using and so far so good.  I can’t wait until the class is official.  Hopefully some of you can come!

Besides that, I’ve got graduation gifts, birthday parties and bridal showers coming up.  I’m so thankful that things are still busy!

Finally, a snapshot of what has been happening this week:

Most popular product:  Triple Chocolate Cookies

Current seasonal specials: White Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Cookies for Father’s Day (Brand new!) and  the Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: Mixed Berry Sauce

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway:  1 dozen KISD Items of your choice on Juanita’s Cocina

Three Favorite things I pinned all week:  Cookie Butter Cookies (with Coffee Butter and Salted Caramel Butter) from WIllow Bird Baking, Lightened Up Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fro Yo from The Domestic Rebel, Chocolate Therapy Cake from Sprinkle Bakes, and Watermelon Strawberry Basil Skewers from Edible Perspective

I’m currently writing this post from my parents house.  Matt and I came in for the Philly Food & Wine Fest and to celebrate Mother’s Day.  This spring has been so much busier than expected so I haven’t been able to come here as much as I normally like.  Even if I’ll be working a bit, it is nice to get out of my normal routine. and have some family time.

A few weeks ago I got to meet the lovely Victoria Shafffer, a young aspiring talk show host who is even prettier in person than she is in the photos.  She is just twenty years old, but already so mature and hard working.   The day I met with her, she actually had an interview for a radio show later that day.  We had such a good time chatting for a couple of hours, but for me the highlight was having her try some Keep It Sweet Desserts samples.

I brought a few different treats to the meeting, but the Chocolate Chip Cookie was definitely her favorite.  Straight from Victoria: “Keep It Sweets Desserts are the best cookies I’ve ever tasted! Lauren has even managed to improve on the classic chocolate chip cookie! It’s so good that it’s worth every calorie!”  I now love her even more.   Oh, and wondering why Victoria’s name sounds familiar?  Her father just happens to be Paul Shaffer.  Most people know him from his work on Dave Letterman’s show, but I also love that he was recently the star of “PS I Love You” on How I Met Your Mother.

Finally, a snapshot of what has been happening this week:

Best last minute gifts for Mother’s Day:  Gift certificates and Cookie of the Month Club

Most popular product:  Brownies and Blondies Pack

Current seasonal specials: Strawberries and Cream Cookies for Mother’s Day (only available for a few more days!) and  the Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket

Most popular recipe/blog post: 22 Easy Dessert Recipes that Make You Seem Like a Pro

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway:  1 dozen KISD Items of your choice on Crazy for Crust

Favorite new website find:  Runnin Wild – love that some of my customers are foodie entrepreneurs as well!

Three Favorite things I pinned all week:  Monkey Bread Muffins from The Baker Chick, Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake from Brown Eyed Baker, Cinnamon Roll from What Should I Eat For Breakfast Today, and Caramelized Banana Sticky Buns from Heather Christo Cooks

Let me know what you think of this new weekly post!  Anything else you want to hear about?

So while I don’t usually have multiple recipes to share each week, I do miss blogging more often like I did before I launched Keep It Sweet Desserts.  I thought it might be fun to add a weekly post where I give a little snapshot of what is going on over here and share some fun links and recipes I have found on other sites.

On life: Things around here are busy!  Orders have been coming in more heavily than I expected for this time of year so that is definitely a good thing.  I’ve been balancing my increased kitchen time with trying to be more social now that the weather makes me want to have a life again.  I got to see my friend Samara twice in one week which was pretty much a miracle for me… with a special thank you to her friend who asked if I was pregnant.  I realize that the question was a result of the Diet Coke I was drinking but whew, that was a self-esteem booster.  Sidenote: the answer is NO.

Other things happening around here- I’m considering teaching a baking class, if only I could decide what I’d like to talk about first!  I’ll keep you updated in case anyone in the NY/NJ area is interested in coming!

Beyond that, I’m going to make an effort this time around to get some more hands on board for the fall/winter.  I think that means I need to start looking for interns or assistant bakers now.  Know of anyone who wants some baking or entrepreneurial experience?  Send them my way!

Finally, a snapshot of what is happening this week:

Most popular product:  Brownies and Blondies Pack

Current seasonal specials: Strawberries and Cream Cookies for Mother’s Day and  the Gourmet Graduation Gift Basket

Most popular recipe: Margarita Cookie Bars

Open Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway:  1 dozen KISD Items of your choice on Flavia’s Flavors

Favorite new website find:  Cookie Hound

Three Favorite things I pinned all week:  Cake Batter Whipped Cream from Beyond Frosting, Sun Dried Tomato Marinara + Pine Nut Ricotta from Young Married Chic, and Peanut Butter Nutty Bar Ice Cream from Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Let me know what you think of this new weekly post!  Anything else you want to hear about?