new blog!

Hello friends!

Our new website is up and running and we are now hosting our blog on our own website.

Please click HERE to go to the new blog!

Thanks,
Kat

in the case this week (april 14-18)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
oatmeal raisin cookies
Elizabeth's chewy sugar cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
tomboy
strawberry fields forever
grasshopper
cappuccino
chocolate decadence
neopolitan
mopsy

Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, cake and pie are chef's choice!

dance dance revolution

Ok, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen.
I found it on Kerry's blog and love love love it. Now this is a way to make people smile!

According to wikipedia, a flashmob is defined as a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusal action for a brief period of time, then disperse quickly.

As it happens, Memphis has its own flashmob group! To get more information and join the group, go HERE.

reminder about Easter hours!

Don't forget...

we are closing shop at 7pm tonight so all employees can get home in time to prepare their own Easter celebrations.

Happy Easter everyone!!!

muddy's family grows again!

Our family of local farmers just keeps growing!

I'd like to introduce y'all to Tina and her family; they are our newest egg-suppliers and bring fresh eggs from their hens once a week for us to bake our goodies with.

Tina and her family raise a small flock of hens in their large backyard where her husband has built a chicken coop. They started out with two hens that a friend gave them and got hooked on these sweeties!

The family now has thirteen hens (no boys allowed!), each one has a name, and friends have told Tina that these must be the most spoiled chickens on the planet.

Tina says, "the weather is nice now, so if you knock on our door and don't get an answer, just come around back- we're probably sitting amongst the girls with one in our lap!"

Photos: the ladies (above) and Tina's son, Isidro, with Butterscotch (below)

in the case for easter (april 10,11)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
oatmeal raisin cookies
elizabeth's chewy sugar cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
strawberry fields forever
frankly scarlett
flopsy
hubba hubba
and some 'specially decorated prozacs and plain janes!
VEGAN prozacs and plain janes


As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

Dutch Door Press on Design Sponge!

yay!
Anna and Mara at Dutch Door Press are so awesome and I've really enjoyed having their cards for sale in the bakery.

Anyhoo... my favorite blog, design*sponge, just featured them today, so congrats!
Here is the blog entry.

And here are some of the cards we have in the shop...

in the case this week: april 7-9 (there will be a separate fri-sat menu)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
oatmeal raisin cookies
woody's no-bake cookies
elizabeth's chewy sugar cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
strawberry fields forever
grasshopper
pink lady
frankly scarlett
s'more
cookies n' cream
citrus explosion

Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

big bad breakfast

OMG. Mom and I went to visit Preston in Oxford and we had the bestest breakfast! My friend Charley recommended this place called Big Bad Breakfast, which is owned by the same people as City Grocery and Boure.

BBB was super-crowded so we put our names on the list and headed over to the neighboring antique/junk shop to kill some time, which was a pleasure in itself.
I got the Secret History omelet, which was HUGE and fluffy, filled with tomatoes, herbs, shallots, and swiss cheese. I chose the grits and biscuits to accompany it and added a side of fruit.

BBB uses as many local ingredients as possible: dairy products from Billy Ray's Farm in Yocona, Mississippi State cheese, all the bacon and sausage is smoked on premesis, orange juice is squeezed each morning, the preserves are made fresh each day, and the herbs come from the chef's organic garden.
In the words of Joey Lawrence, "whoa!"

I highly recommend Big Bad Breakfast for whenever y'all head to Oxford!
Check out the menu here.

in the case this week (march 31-april 4)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
oatmeal coconut cookies
choc-orange brownies
lime coconut bars
apricot almond bars
woody's no-bake cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
white tie
chunky dunk
strawberry fields forever
grasshopper
hubba hubba
pink lady
mopsy

Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

in the case this week (march 24-28)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
molasses cookies
hello dollies
mint brownies
honey lemon cookies
oatmeal raisin cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
strawberry fields forever
tomboy
neopolitan
snickerdoodle
mocha madness
chocolate chimp
frankly scarlett

Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

in the case this week (march 10-14)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
oatmeal cranberry cookies
therapy brownies
honey rosemary cookies
ginger kips
coconut macadamia shortbread cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
frankly scarlett
tomboy
oodelolly
mocha madness
white tie
chocolate chimp
strawberry lemonade


Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

in the case this week (mar 3-7)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
molasses cookies
chewy sugar cookies
sprinkle sugar cookies
rocky road bars
lemon bars
ginger kips

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
strawberry fields forever
grasshopper
mopsy
pb&j
chunky dunk
chocolate decadence
cookies n' cream


Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

happy birthday...

Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us!
Happy birthday to u-us, Happy birthday to us!
... and many mooooooore!

Well, last night Muddy's Bake Shop turned one! (Our birthday is technically February 29, which is a leap year, so I figure on non-leap years our birthday is midnight between February 28 and March 1!)

I'd like to take a minute to really thank everyone who made it possible:
my family,
friends,
employees past and present,
suppliers, landlords, and other business partners,
all of my wonderful customers who are so quick with an encouraging word and a smile,
and most importantly the Lord for being with me and accepting the control I very reluctantly handed over to Him.
Muddy's would still be a figment of my imagination if it weren't for all of you.

THANK YOU!!!

in the case this week (feb 24-28)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies
oatmeal raisin cookies
crispy rice treats
therapy brownies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
strawberry fields forever
grasshopper
tomboy
frankly scarlett
the king
mocha madness
neopolitan


Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

our intern!

We are hosting an intern from Grace St. Luke's School today, Thursday, and Friday! She is learning the ins and outs of business and will be guest blogging!
Here is her first post...

My name is Kate Valk, I am 13 years old and in 8th grade at Grace St. Luke’s Episcopal School. Our school assignment was to intern at a business of our choice, and of course I picked Muddy’s! I have been baking since I could walk and I absolutely love it. I have always wanted to own my very own bakery and was inspired by Muddy’s Bake Shop. I go to Muddy’s so often, sometimes I might as well live there. Right after we pick up my brother from school, I usually ask to go to Muddy’s to pick up my favorite chocolate cupcake. I will be interning here for 3 days and can’t wait to get started and learn the how-to’s of owning, running and working in a bakery.

in the case this week (feb 17-21)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip cookies
molasses cookies
peanut butter cookies
coconut macaroons
oatmeal raisin cookies
hello dolly bars
minty chocolate cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
white tie
grasshopper
razzmatazz
peanut butter cup
pink lady
mopsy
chunky dunk (new flavor!)- chocolate cupcake with chocolate chips and a chocolate and chocolate chip cookie icing- not for the faint of heart!

Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!
I do know that we're starting the week with coconut chess pie, lemon chess pie, and red velvet cake. Wink!

in the case (feb 13-14)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
honey rosemary cookies
sugar cookies
espresso brownies

Cupcakes:
Prozac
Capote
Plain Jane
Frankly Scarlett
Classic
Strawberry Fields Forever
True Love: chocolate cupcake with raspberry icing
Love Potion: raspberry cupcake with white chocolate icing
Muchas Smuchas: chocolate cupcake with strawberry icing and Hershey kiss
Woman Scorned: chocolate cupcake with vanilla-rosewater icing and black icing rose
Bitter with Baggage: chocolate cupcake with bittersweet chocolate icing and raspberry drizzle
Ashes of Old Flames: chocolate chip cupcake with chocolate icing and skull on top

Other Things
cake by the slice
pie by the slice
conversation heart cakes

it's official, Domino is closed

I wailed, literally wailed, when I read that my absolute favorite home magazine, Domino, was closing its doors.

Like many of you, I don't get a lot of free time, so when I received my copy in the mail each month I'd save it on the dining room table and as soon as I had an hour to myself, pour a drink and hunker down to lose myself in the colorful pages and inspiration. While I adore Cook's Illustrated, Martha Stewart Living, and Yes! (my other subscriptions), only Domino had that "one hour vacation" excitement.
Best of luck to my homies at Domino. You'll be missed.

ps. here's a fascinating article on the closing of the magazine. It all boils down to ad sales, although I'd have gladly paid triple the subscription cost to keep receiving it. read the article

las tortugas: deli mexicana

Ok, I'm going to make you drool.
I took some time off today amid all the errand-running and accounting (the less glamorous side of the bakery!) to get lunch with my mom at one of our favorite spots, Deli Mexicana. It's quite a drive for me and I haven't gotten to spend much time with Mom lately, so it was a real treat!

We had some delicious queso with avacado and cilantro and the best drink ever, their limeade! Mom had the tostadas de tinga de polla (a chicken thingie that she gets every time) and I had my favorite, de huachinango (red snapper/tilapia tacos).

Y'all, this is REAL Mexican food, not Tex-Mex. The food is crazy good, made with super-fresh ingredients, and the owners, Jonathan and Pepe, are so fabulous. Jonathan knew I'd be in a hurry and he so sweetly kept my order on "stand-by" so it'd be made the instant I stepped in the door.

Mad props to Jonathan and the deliciousness that is Deli Mexicana! Check the website HERE.

in the case this week (feb 10-12)

This week we'll have this menu for Tuesday-Thursday, then some special Valentine's Day (and anti-Valentine's Day) flavors for Friday and Saturday, so check back for that menu!

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
honey rosemary cookies
oatmeal cranberry cookies
molasses cookies
espresso brownies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
strawberry fields forever
pink lady
chocolate decadence
frankly scarlett
cookies n' cream
mocha madness
cocoa banana


Other:
banana puddin'
oreo puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!
I do know that we're starting the week with carrot cake and apple pie. Wink!

lazy town

Ok, I don't watch a lot of kids' tv (I don't have cable... or kids) but I found this clip on one of my super duper favorite blogs (cakewrecks) and thought it was hysterical. Obviously, I love this chick's pink hair, but I also love the crooked end-result stacked with lollipops. It's like (plastic) cake on ecstasy.
Check it out HERE.

hmmm... after watching a few other Lazy Town videos on youtube I'm not sure it IS kids' tv. That weird-haired dude wears awfully tight pants (reminds me of David Bowie in Labyrinth crossed with B-movie genius Bruce Campbell)... is it kids tv?

kids' artist swap

Ok y'all, I LOVE this idea! I wish my own children (canines Dixie and Phineas) could participate!
I got this from fellow blogger WiseCraft and it's fabulous...
She and a friend created an artist trading card swap for kids and her blog entry is posted below:
To see original post, click here!

What exactly is an Artist Trading Card, you ask? Here's a little bit of history and information on how they are done, materials used, etc. There are Flickr groups devoted to these your kids might get inspiration from.

The rules are simple to create these tiny little works of art:

- If you are interested in this swap, please send a message to atckidswap@gmail.com by this Friday, 2/6. Let us know your address, your child's name and age.

- This is exclusively a child project (no adult ATC's please), for that reason, we are specifying that participating children be ages 4 and up.

- We will group everyone into groups of 6, meaning your child will make 5 cards to mail out.

- Artist trading cards are the perfect size to fit into a standard envelope, so to keep it simple, the participants are not obligated beyond mailing the actual card out to its recipient (plus any information about the card they'd like to add).

- Finished cards should be mailed out to their recipients no later than 2/28.

Sign up now and we will notify the participants on Monday, 2/9 of their group and more details. A big thanks to Erin and Jenny, who really planted the seed for this whole idea.

in the case this week (feb 3-7)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
honey rosemary cookies
oatmeal coconut cookies
sprinkle sugar cookies
Elizabeth's chewy sugar cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
strawberry fields forever
flopsy
pink lady
tomboy
cherries jubilee
jim's darn cake
grasshopper

Other:
'nana puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

neopolitan cake

Elizabeth wanted to practice her mad icing skills and create a cake for the case, the Neapolitan, a twist on her cupcake creation of the same name.

This yummy delicious cake has a layer of chocolate cake, a layer of vanilla cake, and a layer of strawberry cake iced with first strawberry icing, then vanilla icing, then chocolate icing.

It's amazing and in the case now!
$4.25 per monster slice.

super-cute tea towel

Oops! I made this post right after Christmas and forgot to publish...

My dad got this tea towel for me for Christmas and I thought I'd share.

It is so freakin' adorable and it cheers me just to look at it.
He got it on Etsy from the seller LeiLiLaLoo.

Check out her Etsy shop here!

phonelines phixed! (heh heh)

Huzzah!!!

And mad props to AT&T for getting Sanderlin Centre's lines fixed SO quickly!

no phones!!!

The phone lines at our shopping center are broken and AT&T has estimated a repair time of 7pm on Wednesday!

This means our regular phone line has been forwarded to my personal cell phone; if you call during open hours* and get the voice mail, it just means we're on the phone with another customer so please just try again in a few minutes.

You are also welcome to email us at eat@muddysbakeshop.com. Although our internet is down, I will be regularly checking this email from home.

This also means our credit card machine is inoperable, so please bring cash or checks with you!

I am so sorry for the inconvenience!!!

*open hours: T,W,Th 11am-9pm F, Sa 11am-11pm

in the case this week (jan 27-31)

Cookies and Things:
toffee bars
chocolate chip
peanut butter
strawberry almond oat bars
ginger kips
molasses cookies
oatmeal raisin
chewy sugar cookies

Cupcakes:
prozac
plain jane
pucker up
capote
classic
strawberry fields forever
frankly scarlett
chocolate decadence
mocha madness
citrus explosion
strawberry lemonade
grasshopper

Other:
'nana puddin'
pimiento cheese

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice are chef's choice!

twitter!

Muddy's is now on twitter! (I know, can I get any more technological?)
Follow us at http://twitter.com/muddysbakeshop
Yay!

real men...

... fold bakery boxes.

Preston displays his powerful guns after a box-folding marathon.

pie day!

Ok, so today is apparently one of several "national pie day(s)", so obviously this is a very important time for me. :)

We have pulled out all the stops for national pie day and will be selling more than the usual number of pies by the slice as well as 4" individual pies, 7" pies, and teeny cupcake-size pies.

We have quite the variety as well:
lemon chess, apple, bourbon chocolate, pumpkin, banana cream, pecan, blueberry, pumpkin with bourbon and pecans...

Yum yum yum.

curry lamb casserole thing

I cooked!
This may not sound like a big surprise coming from someone who bakes professionally, but I am terrible about collecting recipes from books and magazines with Good Intentions to cook them and then, oops, staying at work 3 hours late and just making peanut butter and jelly.
Poor Thomas... he gets promises of yummy dishes that just don't materialize!

However, I made myself go on and purchase the fixins for this one so that I'd HAVE to make it and it's pretty good!
I made a half recipe (better for just two of us with a few leftovers or if you're a little tight on cash for lamb!), so I'm putting those instructions here. I added my notes in red and edited a little for clarity.

Mild Curried Lamb Casserole with Almonds
from Martha Stewart Living (I think January, but maybe February issue...)

1 1/2 Tbl olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 Tbl fresh minced ginger (I'll add a little more next time)
coarse salt and pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (I'd add a little more)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 pound ground lamb
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I'll use 1/2 cup next time)
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
1/8 cup and 3/4 cup whole milk (I bet coconut milk would be interesting)
1 Tbl apricot preserves (I'll use 2 Tbl next time)
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 dried bay leaves (I'd say these are optional)
cilantro and rice, for serving

Preheat oven to 325.
Heat a large saute pan (and if you double the above recipe you will need a LARGE one, you're putting just about everything into it!) over medium-high heat.
Add oil, onions, and fresh ginger; cook until onions are golden and tender, about 15 min.
Mix turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon, cardamom, and ground ginger together, then stir into the onions. Add the lamb also and cook until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add almonds and cook 2 more minutes.
Tear the bread into largish pieces and place in a small bowl; add the 1/8 cup milk and a pinch of salt and let it stand until absorbed. Add the bread to the lamb and cook, stirring a lot, about 2 minutes.
Now stir in the apricot preserves and lemon juice; cook 2 more minutes, then remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the lamb/onion mixture into a 6 cup baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs, nutmeg, lemon zest, and the 3/4 cup milk together, then pour this over the lamb. Place the bay leaves on top.
Bake until the egg mixture is set around edges and center isn't runny anymore, about 25-30 minutes. Let stand 15-20 minutes before serving (the perfect amount of time to cook your rice!).
I served with rice and chopped cilantro. Martha also suggests mango chutney, sliced banana, and/or unsweetened coconut flakes as toppers.

Yummy!!!

handmade toys

Ok, I'm on my soapbox for just a minute...

In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China etc, sold toys with high lead content, unsafe parts, and made from dangerous chemicals. In response, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) , which among other things, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys. This testing will be easy for large corporations who churn out thousands of each toy a year.

However, the way the current act is written, it puts most small toy-making businesses out of business. All the Etsy sellers, crafts fair artisans, etc in America would also have to pay the $300-$4,000 fee for third-party testing for EACH toy that they make. This makes the crafts-fair toymaker extinct while Mattel and Bratz prosper.

Please visit the Handmade Toy Alliance for more information, including a sample letter and a list of state representatives and their contact information:
www.handmadetoyalliance.org

You can also sign the Handmade Toy Alliance petition here:
petition

two words...

Freakin' adorable.

vegan vanilla cupcakes*

Woohoo! We're really on a roll now.
We have made some pretty decent vegan vanilla cupcakes and vegan vanilla icing. We haven't yet tried it in cake form to see if it holds up there too, but we will soon.

I think they're pretty good, although I still prefer my food made with real butter and eggs!

Next up is the hunt for a good vegan chocolate recipe. If you have one, please share it with us but if not, we'll continue the search.

We do get a lot of requests for goodies made without animal products or without eggs, etc, so I hope that we'll be able to add these to our special order menu very soon.
Stay tuned!

*Ok, I wrote the above last week and totally forgot to publish it... in the meantime, we've made a pretty yummy vegan chocolate cupcake. We some available this week in the shop, so come check it out!

Muddy's portrait

Yay!
We've had this blank spot on our magenta wall behind the register just screaming for something to go there, and now that space is filled with a gorgeous portrait of my grandmother, Muddy.

The painting was done from the black and white photograph that most of you have seen in the shop of her as a young woman and the artist did a wonderful job providing color, texture, and basically, bringing Muddy to life on canvas.

My thanks to Clare Torina, the excellent artist, for painting this and for doing such a wonderful job. Clare was a dream to work with and is so gifted. If you're interested in having a portrait painted, I highly recommend her and have her business cards at the shop. You can also check out her website here.

in the case this week... (jan 13-17)

Cookies and bars:
chocolate chip
peanut butter
oatmeal cranberry
oatmeal coconut
honey rosemary
toffee bars
sprinkle sugar cookies
elyssa's espresso brownies

Cupcakes:
plain jane
prozac
classic
capote
pucker up
frankly scarlett
mocha madness
white tie
chocolate chimp
strawberry fields forever
the king
neopolitan
vegan chocolate

As usual, our cakes and pies by the slice vary- chef's choice!

pear ginger pie

Oh how I love to experiment... like Dr. Frankenstein in my lab, only less gruesome. On Saturday, I decided to try my hand at some pear ginger pie. I didn't want to make a whole 10" one, you know, in case it was gross, so I made a few 4" ones.

I rolled out my pie dough and lined the tins, then peeled and chopped the pears. I added just a little bit of ginger, because I didn't want to overpower the pears. I tasted the filling so far and thought it needed just a dash of cinnamon.

I made little cut outs in heart shapes instead of regular ole' slits in the top, you know, feeling creative.

They were yummy, and we'll definitely be making more!

great big whisk

If you've been in the shop in the last week, you've probably noticed we have a Great Big Whisk hanging from the ceiling.

Laurel (I'm sure you've seen her smiling face on Fridays on Saturdays!) was visiting a friend, Kody, and saw that he had a huge whisk. Apparently, it was from a Limited Too window display... I know, random.

So, Kody gave it to Laurel who gave it to the shop.
I mean, what's a bakery without a be-jeweled whisk big enough to beat eggs in a bowl the size of a little league field? Crazy!

greeting cards

You asked, we answered!

We now carry a selection of cards for many occasions. We have really tried to pull together a selection that is unavailable anywhere else in Memphis.

We have cards from Knoxville's Yee Haw Industries printing press as well as several independent printers such as Dutch Door Press, Morris and Essex and Love for Sale.
We also have some cards from local artist Lia Gordon (my stepmother!) and welcome other artists to submit designs.

This will make it even more convenient when you're picking up birthday cakes, etc. Please let me know what you think of the selection!