A Worthy Life

dot.mc #6: mini berry tartlets

Our April dessert was one of the sweetest tweets...at least to my humble palette! Sweet berries with citrus-y zest, massive deliciousness in one lady-like bite (tipping your pinky in the air makes everything lady-like no matter how quickly you devour ;)!

And done! Six months of desserts, packaging, and delivery is done! The kids can finally claim all the profits (minus 15% that went to support others in need) and are eager to spend, spend, spend now that it's the end, end, end!

With summer just around the bend, we're in the market for a trampoline...just as soon as we convince the pops that we will not break any bones and that the mama will do the difficult task of packing it away for the long winter. Hmm, we might be finished with business but the hard work is just beginning!

dot.mc #5: 5 spice oatmeal raisin cookies

The reviews were mixed on these, something I worried about when picking such an exotic recipe but thought, who wants ho-hum oatmeal cookies? Ho-hum was the only spice not included in these. By the time I was done, my house smelled deliciously like my mother-in-law's after a fabulous Indian meal.

Lots of our customers under 20 didn't like them. Which was just fine with their parents who were forced to consume the entire batch. And which left me with all the oopsies that didn't pass quality control to eat throughout the rest of the week. Workout to follow shortly.

Recipe can be found on epicurious, my favorite app for baking and my husband's favorite for his ambitious attempts at gourmet cooking. Thanks, epi for keeping our house smelling yummy!

dot.mc #4: cream puffs with strawberry filling

Can you tell our monthly dessert co. is kicking my boot-ay? Less pictures this month although I had plenty of opportunities to take them on the 3 days it took to make these. Might still have one more day of making them if the ones in the freezer don't hold up well. Though I gotta say, we got the most feedback from these ones...must have hit plenty of sweetspots! :)

dot.mc #3: sugar cookies

Both our bakers and our customers waited with eager expectation for December to roll around. December for dot.mc clients meant one thing: sugar cookies! One customer, who shall go unnamed to protect his identity, grumbled that all the previous desserts had vegetables in them and he was bound to never eat his veggies, even when doused with sugar and icing! His day finally came when the girls delievered his cookies last week. He danced a happy jig and swore to eat them all before his wife got home! :)

1. My favorite packaging so far: a holiday card from the girls thanking them for their support and wrapped with yarn and an ornament/cookie cutter. I've gone crazy with yarn decor lately...just wait until you see my Christmas mantel!

2. Prepping our surface. Between mixing the ingredients, rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, baking, cooling, and decorating, this was our fullest day yet. And, hopefully, ever. I was on my feet in the kitchen from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed. So exhausted!

3. A few of our cookies, fringed in holiday cheer!

4. Yaak excited about something. Probably the fact that he just learned he'll be eating all the broken misfits that don't pass quality inspection.

5. Some more cookies getting some more loving.

6. Icing sugar icing = sugar high and then a deep spiral into sugar coma.

7. Edie, with floured hands and not afraid to use them.

8. Manu keeping us all in stitches throughout the long morning and afternoon.

9. Els, our champion decorator.

10. Packaging late into the dark afternoon/evening.

dot.mc: cooking up hope

When we first started throwing the idea of a baking business around with my girls, I emphasized a few major points that would show them the value of their hard work. For one, they would be working to save up for a big item that their mama and pops were not going to buy for them. If they wanted it, they would have to work for it. And in so working, they would understand the effort necessary to earn a wage, i.e. the sweat value in each dollar.

Second, they would learn the social and marketing aspects of business. They delivered their fliers and had to essentially sell their product door to door, talking up the benefits to the customer and the investment the client would be making in a unique educational experience for the girls.

The biggest emphasis for me was making sure they understood this: the opportunity they have to bless others with their time, talent, and income. We live in a free country that allows our children the privilege of education and exploration, unlike millions of children around the world who are forced into labor at a young age for pennies a day or children whose parents cannot provide them an education. They are blessed with healthy bodies and bright minds that are competent for this new endeavor. While still apprentices in mama's kitchen, they are learning valuable skills that can bless and provide for others now and in the future. Having all of these privileges necessary to begin this new enterprise, they would be able to earn another valuable asset which they could also use to bless others.

Halfway through our first fiscal year (our business has a 6 month life span), we began to look over our finances. Having decided to give 20% away, we started shopping for ideas of how we could best spend it. I was eager to get the annual Christmas catalog from Compassion because I knew it was chock full of brilliant ways we could partner with others living in poverty a world away. In the past we've bought a goat, chickens, soccer balls, school supplies, etc. This year, there was an addition just right for us:

Bakery training in El Salvador!

For almost exactly 20% of our income, we were able to provide one child the training necessary to bake and prepare a budget for a business of their own. Knowing that we are working to help another child have the same opportunity we are enjoying was priceless.

Teaching my girls the basics of business is fun but teaching them that giving can truly be better than receiving is by far the best lesson. Seeing as we have been given so much, don't we have so much more to give?

dot.mc #2: pumpkin bread

I'm stopping at my computer only briefly, a pitstop before a long soak in a warm bath. I've been on my feet for almost every single minute since I woke up and we started our December dessert baking this morning. I knew I had to post November's dessert before I could post December's so here it is: pumpkin bread!

Years ago I had bought these ceramic loaf pans for cents a piece after Thanksgiving thinking that the next year I would make the neighbors some bread for a holiday gift. Turns out, I'm not that nice of a neighbor. I make them pay us first! ha!

One satisfied customer asked if we had bought the bread and were reselling it, so professional was our presentation and superior our product. :) Nope, all homemade, all by little hands and a little supervision.

Ok, a LOT of supervision but I've learned some tricks along the way to ensure the kids do the majority of the work while still maintaining quality. The girls filled the pans, sloppily to be sure, but I realized if I took the bread out while still warm, I could wash the pans and have them looking brand spanky new for delivery. Today they decorated the majority of the sugar cookies while I edged them in piped icing sugar and covered over the flaws with ample sprinkles.

No pain, no gain, right? And if it's to be their gain, it better be their pain, too!

Later in the afternoon the kids printed off some masks and thought it would fun to deliver incognito. Hope we didn't scare some customers in the process! ;)

dot.mc #1: carrot cake cupcakes with buttercream icing

Yesterday was our first official day in business. That is if the first day of production, packaging, delivery, and accounts payable makes it official.

Remember our new venture into the desserts market? Nine willing guinea pigs/friends/neighbors graciously signed up and were eagerly waiting the first delivery this week. Not sure how smart it was to bake goodies the day after a holiday but our initial feedback has been superb, with some of our customers consuming the product within minutes of delivery.

The day started with devotions with Papa as usual and then on to math before getting our hands dirty in the kitchen. Between batches and icing we did spelling, handwriting, and book reports. The kids were all hands in when grating and measuring and mixing were involved. They almost went on strike when they realized they would also be responsible for the clean-up, right down to mopping the sugar and batter covered floors. Next week we'll be visiting our neighborhood pizza parlour so they can hear first hand from a business owner all that is involved in running a food establishment. Their mama harldy counts as an expert on such matters.

Lessons learned from day #1:

• 3 lbs. of carrots grated with a cheese grater would have taken 3 months. A food processor got the job done in 3 minutes.
• Carrots contain beta-carotene which your body converts to Vitamin A, which helps your vision. Ingested or applied directly to your eyes seems to vary little when determining effectiveness.
• Hats come in handy when you lack the proper hygenic head gear necessary for baking.
• Crafty packaging makes for a fun art project. The jury's still out on who enjoyed it more, mama or her wee CEOs.
• Icing sugar goes airborne at the slighest breath. However, the mess is easily licked up by eager tounges. (To our valued customers, no baking/prep was done on said counters the rest of the day.;)
• Adding up $25.25 of expenses (cupcake boxes are expensive, even after I used Micheal's 50% off coupon three times in one afternoon) and giving 20% to charity, we were still left with a profit once all was deducted from $45 of the montly dues.
• Best feedback from the business owners: "best part of the day was working with my mama and loving my sister." I'll take that over Employee of the Month anyday!

For crafty folks, our packaging was made with corkboard shapes found at the dollar store and paper from Micheal's with hello fall tags downloaded and printed from here.