Tax Day Near and Food Cart Season Starts

YEAH !!!  Tax's are done, well still need to print and sign, but that is it :-)  This is my most and least favorite time of the year. Tax time is just frustrating.  The last 5 years have just shown how my hard work (12 - 18 hrs a day) have led to a pit in our everything.  however this year has finally turned the other way !!  It feels great :-)
  So tomorrow is considered the first day of the 2010 food cart season :-)  Super exciting.  So, a little background on operating a food cart in Madison, WI on the Capitol Square or State St.  Every Food cart is judges by a panel of 28 people (hand picked by the vending oversight committee).  The scores are based on Cart appearance, originality of Food, Quality of Food and Originality of entire package. This judging takes place in late Sept. of every year. Scores are then released and locations for vending are released based on the results.
Now most seasoned carts actually stop vending when the snow starts flying. Some of us crazy people, me !!, keep on going .  On April 15th everyone changes locations (if their results deemed that) and the new season begins :-)  So, I wish I could say this is a really cool process, but it really has some downsides !!  I really truly wish the vending committee would consider having a month to get to each cart.  That would make it much more "True".  When you know the judges are coming it is really easy to clean up one's act for a week , a month is much more difficult !!  I also really wish there was some sort of differentiation for the carts that are judged by only a few judges vs the carts that are judged by everyone !!  However that said it is really cool that the City cares about the appearance and taste of each cart !!  Not just anyone can vend and you have to keep up the great work ALL the time.  
   So this year I have a new "Comfort food " Cart starting on Library Mall, in Madison, WI and my Pasty Cart is still on MLK JR BLVD :-)   We are very excited and ready to embrace summer's craziness!!

  

Baking Magic for Kids Pie anc Cake Bake Off

For nearly a decade I have wanted to assemble an amazing event for Pie and cake bakers alike to come together.  This day and age I don't know a single person who hasn't enjoyed watching a baking contest on tv.
  So one day I mentioned this dream to Heather and next thing we both knew, we were unstoppable !! We agreed , without any discussion, that Capital Candellighters would be the first organization we would support. After talking to the group, they were very excited and we were off !!  :-) We have created a fun web site and a fan page on Face Book.
 Our Venue is The Verona, WI  Home Town Days Festival.  On Sunday June 13th, 2010 we will start our day with registration of pies and cakes for judging and auctioning :-)
  Our amazing line up of judges will be putting their pallets to the test from 10 - 11:30a.  There is a Parade that meanders through town at 12p, and we are putting a float together for the candlelighter kids and their families and the judges. I am extremely excited about the float.  I can't imagine a more exciting "all inclusive" event for these amazing kids !!  We hope to get tons of cheers for these amazing heroes from beginning to end :-)  After the parade we are inviting everyone back to Fireman's park for lots of fun and food.  There will be a live Auction of fresh Pies and Cakes (each entrant will make 1 extra to be sold ). Our guest Emcee's are John and Tammy from Star 96.3.   We will also have cup cake decorating for all ages.  There will be cup cakes donated from many wonderful bakeries around town, including The Rolling Pin Bake Shop, Gluten Free from Silly Yak bakery and LMN O'Pies Catering.  All the proceeds from this event are going to Capital Candlelighters, including auction sales, cupcake decorating, registration to bake off and merchandise sales.
 In addition to this amazing fun stuff we have had some amazing people agree to be on our judging panel !!
Natalie Slater, of Bake and Destroy, from Chicago IL.  She has an amazingly fun blog and has been a judge on Food Networks "CupCake Wars", just to list one of her many accomplishments. One of our other amazing judges is Stefanie Gaxiola of Red Velvet Stephanie. She is an amazing young entrepreneur from LA, CA, and we are very excited to have her join us. 
  We also have some wonderful local  judges.  Susan Siman, from Channel 3000, Live at Five has joined our crew. Susan has been a a very big supporter of Capital Candlelighters for many years. We also have Diana Henry, from Channel 27, excitedly joining our judging panel and graciously bringing a good friend of hers Michael Pruett, Executive Chef at johny Delmonico's in Madison.

   This is my little Hero !!  Caitlynn.  Diagnosed with Leukemia 9/4/08 she is always smiling.  20 1/2 months into treatment and nearly a year left :-)

  I know there is a lot more information, but I will save that for another time :-) If you like to Bake, or know any one who does, we need Bakers :-)

In the Life of the Sunshine Girls: Let's Get started...

In the Life of the Sunshine Girls: Let's Get started...

Let's Get started...

Today is my official First blog !!!   I have been tinkering, and very intrigued by this process, for a while now. 
I guess my desire for this stems from my attemot to log all the crazy , wild and interesting things that happen in my life.  I feel very blessed.  I have had a lot of wonderful adventures, and met a lot of amazing people in my 33 years.  I have 3 beautiful children  Caitlynn (7), Kelsea (5), Izzy (3).  They are my life, in every way. My daughter Caitlynn was diagnosed with T-Cell ALL on 9/4/08.  It was a total shock and life has changed ever since.  Before her diagnosis I had put my entire life's work into a small little Cafe and Bakery.  3 months after she was diagnosed life quickly came to a screaching halt.  As the "everything" in my restaurant, the battle of Caitlynn's daily medical needs proved too much for me, and I had to close the doors to my Bakery.
  I can honestly say that in hind sight I am very glad I did.  Since then I have completely downsized and gratefully reopened a small Catering kitchen in Madison, WI.  I Have been very fortunate to obtain a spot on Martin Luther king BLVD in Madison, WI to operate a small food Cart.  The food cart is a lot of fun, adn hard work,but it also allows me to be where ever Caitlynn needs me to be, any time.
  Catering ...  a very fun new world to be focused in.  I have been able to expand my visions and get involved heavily in event planning.  I have also discovered that catering weddings can be fun !!  Unlike my previous experiences in which it was nothing but difficult.  Don't get me wrong, it is a tough world, but very fun and fast paced.  I have also forged many wonderful relationships, with many corporate accounts, that allow me to be creative.  My most favorite thing is to create custom menus for events.  The WOW factor is always high on my list. 
  I was very fortunate to reconnect with a high school friend , Heather Heinzer, on facebook in 2009.  We have since partnered up in this crazy world of Catering.
  Life isn't easy, and leaves us worn out at the end of each day, but heck IS IT FUN !!!

Welcome !!