Herfst? Of Laat Zomer?!

This was supposed to be a BLOG with a Fall theme! Last days of September and Summer has just arrived!.. Here to stay if you believe the weather reports this week. It just doesn’t feel right talking about Fall while soaking up the sun in my shorts and flip flops so I am going to postpone the Fall issue and do a belated Summer issue instead!

This will be a short BLOG due to the fact that there is not much to report about Sugar Mama in the summer. Once school is out congresses and large business parties cease to exist. Most Dutch people migrate to the south of Europe in search of a yearly dose of sun (Sugar Mama included) leaving the baker, restaurants, stores, etc. I supply with little business to speak of. And the ones that dare to stay in Holland have other sweet things on their mind: ice cream! I don’t blame them, I also have a weakness for ice cream in the summer (all year if I am totally honest…okay, total honesty would require me to say I have a weakness for anything sweet anytime of the year).

So Sugar Mama spent some time relaxing in Portugal with the family! It was a much- needed battery recharge. Totally rejuvenated and ready for business as usual. That is a good thing because miss Sugar Mama went and double booked herself at 2 outdoor events this weekend on top of all the weekly orders from wholesalers. What was I thinking (probably was not thinking as usual)?! No problem…Yolanda from Not Just Pink in Velp who also sells the Sugar Mama line has decided to sell for me in Dieren at the:

Landgoedmarkt Hof te Dieren zondag 2-10-2011 van 10.00 tot 17.00 uur. Voor meer informatie kijk op de website www.domeinhoftedieren.nl This is a FREE country fair set in a vineyard with choice retailers of unusual, often handmade or imported products of all types. Sugar Mama has sold her goodies here several times this summer and really enjoys the “gezelligheid” and the atmosphere. I will bake in the wee hours of the morning and drop off the pastries in Dieren on my way to event number 2 in Arnhem:

Smaakfestijn- Gelderse Opening van de Week van de Smaak zondag 2-10-2011 van 11.00 tot 17.30 uur. Voor meer informatie kijk op de website www.slowfoodrijnzoet.nl This is an all-food event for people passionate about “Puur en ambachtelijk” products. Last year was the First year that Sugar Mama participated and I am so happy they invited me back to join in on the fun! There are many workshops and demonstrations as well as lots of tasting! One of the speakers is Tom van Otterloo (also a retailer of Sugar Mama products in his bakery in Arnhem) explaining his bread baking process involving locally grown products. I will have most of the Sugar Mama assortiment for sale as well as a few new products only for sale 2-10-2011 in honor of the fair. My daughter has been baking granola, a healthy snack to take to school that is eko/bio and sweetened with honey. YUMMY without the guilt! I am testing a gluten-free brownie to offer at the show if all goes well in the testing kitchen. AND (drum roll Please) I am also going to be making the debute version of the Sugar Mama appeltaart! Quite intimidating considering how “holy” the Dutch appeltaart is! I made a promise to myself never to even attempt to compete in the field of anything “apple” here because it has all been done and there is no way I am ever going to be able to do it beter. Lucky you, I am breaking the promise to myself because I LOVE apples! And this year our old apple tree in the backyard, (which never produced an apple in the last 14 years I have lived in this house) is loaded with apples! Only problem is I cannot get to them without a construction site crane. Anyway, my version will be the eko/bio with less sugar (cannot sell it as American Apple Pie without all the sugar!) but hopefully just as much flavor.

Better get back to baking! Enjoy these glorious last days of summer! And remember to come and visit one of the two fairs this Sunday if you need something sweet for by the coffee and looking for some outdoor fun!

Until the next time! Lori Bonsma (Sugar Mama)

Extra fun with Sugar Mama at Summer events!

Sugar Mama is DRUK met leuke uitjes de komende weeken op leuke plekken voor bijzondere gelegenheden!...

Sorry that there is long winded letter this go around! Sugar Mama is extremely busy and promises to catch up soon. Just wanted to let all the Sugar Mama sweeties in on a few upcoming fairs...


4 september, 2011 stat Sugar Mama zelf weer op de Landgoedmarkt Hof te Dieren van 10-17.00 uur met (bijna) het hele assortiment te koop. Voor meer informatie kijk op http://www.domeinhoftedieren.nl/

2 oktober, 2011 stat Sugar Mama op de Slow Food Smaakfestijn te Arnhem van 11.00 uur tot 17.30 uur. Natuurlijk met allerij lekkers! Voor meer informatie kijk op http://www.smaakfestijn.nl/ en http://www.weekvandesmaak.nl/

Hope to see you there!

It is official...Spring has Sprung!

The signs of Spring are everywhere! There are "fuzzies" in the trees, busy birds building nests for their families, flowers daring to show their glory due to the sun's warm invitation to come out and play.

Spring is a favorite time of the year for many people thanks to a renewed sense of hope, life and love! The sun entices us all to go out doors, enjoy her presence and marel at the wonders of nature.

And while you are enjoying that cup of tea or coffee in the sun (you know where I am going with this conversation, don't you?) you just sense that something is missing. Missing?! You have flowers to look at, coffee to smell, the warmth of the sun touching your skin, and you hear birds singing a serenade...Oh ya! The sense of taste is missing to complete the moment! That is where Sugar Mama steps in. We have just what the doctor ordered to satisfy your taste buds!

Along with the year-round assortment we are offering a few new spring arrivals: Coconut cupcake with passion fruit icing, Strawberry and rhubarb muffin, Passion fruit and white chocolate cheesecake, and there is also a vanilla cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries, white chocolate and coconut. Yummie, Yummie! And... Spring moment complete!

Be sure to check the "verkoop punten" on the website www.sugar-mama.nl We have added yet another new one in Zutphen called Pure Taste www.puretaste.nl Sugar Mama goodies with be ready to take home from this luxury "foodspecialiteiten winkel" starting April 1...NO JOKE!

Speaking of April 1, to all you mischievous pranksters out there who love April Fool's day (Sugar Mama included) this TIP is for you... Once you have done the hilarious deed and laughed so hard you had to do the "potty dance", leaving your unsuspecting vicitm foaming at the mouth with rage it may be a good idea to have a consolation prize waiting to make peace with said "victim". Sugar Mama to the rescue once again! Consolation never tasted so good in the form of brownies, cupcakes, cheesecakes, muffins. No one could stay mad with a Sugar Mama peace offering. Remember our promise..."Love at first bite!" You will be out of the "dog house" in no time!

The oven calls...

New Year, New Chances!

Survived the Holidays! Enjoying a little down first few weeks of January. Always slows down each year due to the percentage of people's New Year's resolution to loose weight (Sugar Mama included). Unfortunatly, Sugar Mama doesn't produce anything sugar/fat/guilt free. These little goodies are meant to be a sweet indulgence. However, FYI I do have a few tips to keep you on your diet track:

1. Ducktape your mouth and don't eat them! (Am I crazy? So not good for marketing...ignore this tip and proceed to number 2).

2. If you are going to veer off track in a sweeter direction but not too sweet, try the muffins (least amount of sugar and fat). Also the brownie with nuts or raspberry-white chocolate is not as fatening as the classic brownie. Or treat yourself to a smaller version...the sugar mamas are just enough to satisfy that sweet tooth. Babies are precious and the little one-bite wonders hit the spot with only a fraction of the guilt.

3. If you feel that you are totally ready to derail and the urge to get that sweet "fix" is taking over, make the "sin" worth it. If you are going to indulge/splurge, make it a Sugar Mama goodie!! Thats my philosophy! If I'm going to eat something I shouldn't, it better be worth it. If I am going to grab a cookie/brownie/cupcake, it won't be some fabricated fake food, it's going to be pure... real sugar, real butter, real eggs, real carrots, real rum, etc. It's going to be Sugar Mama!

4. So if you are still determined to avoid the sweeter things in life, check out the website and go to the assortiment and just stare at your favorite Sugar Mama pastry. I have found that if you stare at say a brownie long enough you can actually taste it. Thats right...taste it! Satisfaction without the guilt! Try it for yourself!

While you are on the site check out the new sales locations (verkooppunten).

We are doing a pilot with the Dutch franchise Kaldi Koffie en Thee in Amersfoort which just opened in December. There's another new store in Ede doing excellent business, Koffie en Koffie. Also, the well respected high quality catering Buitenpoort is selling Sugar Mama products.

There is more demand then Sugar Mama can supply right now...most definitely a good thing. In order to deal with the growing pains this down time in January is allowing Sugar Mama to focus on expanding the production.

Anyway, in case you haven't noticed Sugar Mama is long-winded and could talk forever. Do need to get baking...order for PrinsHeerlijk...Baby cupcakes for their ten year celebration today.

One more thing before I go... "RTL Boulevard" announced that 2011 is the year of the cupcake! Sugar Mama is totally excited but also thinks every year is a cupcake year!!

Events

Busy week for Sugar Mama!

Wednesday 24-11-10 Sugar Mama will be handing out 500 baby cupcakes for "Ladie's Night" at the Rembrant theater in Arnhem. The movie "De Eetclub" will be showing and the ladies will have the possibility to experience a variety of different food related vendors to celebrate the film. Sugar Mama was asked to join in on the fun so we will be there with a sales table with the 15x15cm brownies, sour lemon and carrot cakes. Will also have a fun gift for "Sinterklaas"...a gingerbread house kit that includes the dough, icing, pattern, and decorating candies. A GREAT gift of fun for all the young at heart!! Hope to see all my lady friends there!

If you miss this event or happen to be a man who refuses to take on a female role/costume for the evening, I have more great news! Sugar Mama will be at the Winterfair in Velp 26-11-10 from 14.00-21.00 sponsored by Not Just Pink (one of my sales locations by the way). Yolanda has gathered unusual, uniek and fun vendors for the occassion to help all you desperate shoppers in need of holiday gifts! There will also be entertainment "Dickens Style" to make the shopping (emptying your pockets) more fun. And of course a celebration wouldn't be complete without Sugar Mama's goodies...a party for your tastebuds! We will have a sales table with the above items plus an almost complete selection of Sugar Mama pastries (you can eat it there, give it away or take it home for the weekend), a "bestellijst voor Kerst", and most importantly ...gingerbread men/women/bears/babies (Zie foto) for "Stichting Doe Een Wens".

Enjoyed chatting but I have got to get baking!!!!

Herst!

Het is eindelijk Herfst!

Going to switch over to English because I am afraid of making too many mistakes. After 17 years in Holland there is as much of a chance that I will make a mistake in English. Here it goes!

This time of the year is best defined by the Dutch word GEZELIG! The exact meaning is not to be translated in English because it is a feeling that encompasses all the senses. The word that comes the closest is cozy.

Fall is one of Sugar Mama's favorite times of the year! The weather turns just as do the colors in the trees forcing us indoors to keep warm by the fire with something hot to drink and, of course, something sweet to eat. The fall brings with it the delightful taste of pumpkin (pompoen) which is used in the muffins as well as the cheesecakes. Apples take center stage at this time of year as well in the muffins mixed with walnuts and raisons...YUM! Also making the yearly comback is the vanilla cheesecake topped with cranberries and white chocolate. Check out the "verkoop punten" on the website for locations selling Sugar Mama products or contact us if you are planning a celebration and want something special to serve your guests.

October is a month that spotlights one of the charities closest to my heart, Pink Ribbon, which focuses on breast cancer research. Buitenpoort Catering held a fund raiser in the Westerbouwing located in Oosterbeek and ordered Sugar Mama goodies for the event. See the attached foto.

Halloween is also celebrated in October...the 31st to be exact! Halloween parties are the most fun whether you are throwing one or attending one. Sugar Mama is always in for a good scare in the form of something sweet. Contact us for all the bewitching options!