Happy 1st Birthday Adeia Madeline!

Adeia is the daughter of some of our best friends. And she just turned one! It's hard to believe, but now she's walking and talking and is as cute as ever. Ryan and I are so glad that they moved back up to Chicago, so we can see them more often. We like being her "Tia" and "Tio"! We were fortunate enough to celebrate Addie's 1st Birthday with her. The party was a lot of fun. We got to hang out all day with her and the others of The Tuma family! I mean, it's been a while since I ran around with a baby and I sure have missed it, so needless to say, I had a blast! What would a birthday party be with out with cookies from The Baker E! I love that Addie is one of my #1 fans! She savors every crumb! Here's some picture from the party and the cookies of course!

Think Spring!

So now that the weather is finally nice, and since we missed a begining of spring, I figured I'd post some pictures from Easter! Can't get any more spring than that, now can it? My favorite thing about Spring cookies is the colors!I love decorating in fun bright colors. I have a large collection of Spring cookie cutters (that is always growing) and offer great options for Easter gifts, baskets and my personal favorite, table place settings.

Au Naturale

So you want to know something that makes me sad and often brings a tear to my eye? The fact that these days home-baked, fresh, and preservative free desserts and baked goods are just unheard of. Now, don't get me wrong. I grew up eating those cream filled treats and cupcakes from the grocery store with 5" of icing on them too, but had I known (or if my family did) I don't think I would have consumed them like I did. In this fast-paced world, it's probably a lot easier to pop a perservative-packed treat in your kids lunch box, but just imagine what you're feeding them. It's never a good thing when you can't pronounce the name of the ingredients. What I'm getting at is that baking with natural ingredients is something I take pride in. When you enjoy a sweet treat from The Baker E, here is what you're eating: real butter, real milk, real eggs, real sugar, real flour and pure vanilla. Nothing more, nothing less. Note: never say the "s" word in front of me. Shortening is not welcome in my kitchen.

People always ask me the shelf life of my products are. And while they are enjoyable and tasty for a good length of time, don't be surprised that they don't last months like many other brands and vendors. When you bake with ingredients that are natural, you can't keep them on a counter or shelf for months. And that's how it should be. Plus, if it tastes that good, it's usually not around for long anyways.

Food For Thought:
-Margarine is one chemical away from being plastic. I'm not making this up!
-Our bodies can break down butter. Since margarine is fake and has no nutritional value, our body does nothing with it.
-Shortening (it's killing me just to type that word!) is nothing but trans-fat. And we all know as of recently, how bad those are for us. It's partially hydrogenated, and the way it looks in that tub...imaginge that in your arteries. Gross, I know! Again, our bodies don't know what to do with those fake elements.

-Immitation Vanilla. It's just that. An impostor! It's made synthetically with chemicals that may smell and maybe taste like vanilla, but they are not real at all. Not unless it says 100% pure!

So you get the picture. Baking with natural ingredients is best! Best tasting, best looking and most importantly, best for us! So if you're going to indulge, why not indulge on something that is real and not fake and stuffed with chemicals and perservatives? When you order from The Baker E and feed that sweet tooth of yours, rest assure, that you are enjoying something that is naturally delicious and made with love!