Muddy's Bake Shop ... the Blog!

new blog!

2009-04-14T22:41:00.001-05:00

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)

2009-04-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-13T12:07:00.007-05:00

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!

2009-04-11T14:44:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-04-09T12:38:00.000-05:00

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)

2009-04-08T11:18:00.005-05:00

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!

2009-04-07T23:21:00.002-05:00

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)

2009-04-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

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

2009-03-31T21:53:00.000-05:00

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)

2009-03-31T09:20:00.003-05:00

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)

2009-03-24T13:42:00.002-05:00

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)

2009-03-10T16:13:00.004-05:00

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)

2009-03-03T09:46:00.005-06:00

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...

2009-03-01T21:42:00.004-06:00

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)

2009-02-24T10:03:00.002-06:00

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!

2009-02-18T13:26:00.005-06:00

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)

2009-02-17T12:55:00.001-06:00

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)

2009-02-13T09:12:00.000-06:00

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

2009-02-11T11:08:00.002-06:00

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

2009-02-10T23:20:00.005-06:00

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)

2009-02-09T22:15:00.002-06:00

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

2009-02-09T10:49:00.005-06:00

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

2009-02-04T10:15:00.003-06:00

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)

2009-02-03T15:52:00.004-06:00

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

2009-01-29T18:33:00.007-06:00

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

2009-01-29T07:20:00.001-06:00

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)

2009-01-27T11:54:00.001-06:00

Huzzah!!!

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

no phones!!!

2009-01-27T10:19:00.003-06:00

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)

2009-01-27T08:13:00.000-06:00

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!

2009-01-26T10:13:00.000-06:00

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

real men...

2009-01-25T20:20:00.003-06:00

... fold bakery boxes.

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

pie day!

2009-01-23T07:03:00.000-06:00

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

2009-01-20T20:15:00.000-06:00

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

2009-01-19T16:43:00.004-06:00

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...

2009-01-15T22:05:00.000-06:00

Freakin' adorable.

vegan vanilla cupcakes*

2009-01-15T18:47:00.000-06:00

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

2009-01-14T23:54:00.001-06:00

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)

2009-01-14T12:04:00.004-06:00

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

2009-01-13T22:25:00.000-06:00

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

2009-01-12T22:10:00.002-06:00

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

2009-01-10T23:21:00.002-06:00

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!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T00:39:00.001-06:00

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2: 8-20

our new toy

2008-12-23T17:33:00.003-06:00

Check out our new toy!
We got a mat that lets us roll out cookies that are wood-grain patterned! This is just so cool...
See the demonstration on the gingerbread boys. Huzzah!

it's a Christmas miracle!

2008-12-23T10:03:00.000-06:00

Oh my gosh!Oh my gosh!
We were baking our little hearts out, working on special orders, when what to our wond'ring eyes should appear... Jesus! In a chocolate batter smear!

We had thrown away a piece of wax paper that we'd been resting the spatulas on, and then there He was... the face of Jesus in the trash bin.

Elizabeth and I saw Jesus straight off, but when I showed the photos to Thomas he squinted and said, "how long had y'all been baking exactly?" Mom thinks it looks more like the phantom of the opera... I still think it's Jesus. It's Christmas, after all!

just in case...

2008-12-17T19:54:00.003-06:00

Here's the case menu for the 23rd and 24th!

Please remember, we are a very small bakery and while we do our best to make as much food as possible, we still only have 24 hours each day and the kitchen you see IS our kitchen. We will be up all night baking the nights before, so we hope we'll have plenty, but no guarantees! Thanks!

Cookies
chocolate chip cookies
toffee bars
peanut butter cookies
ginger kips
sugar cookies with red and green sprinkles
snickerdoodles
oatmeal raisin cookies
molasses cookies OR gingerbread men

Cupcakes
prozac
plain jane
capote
pucker up
frankly scarlett
santa baby
egg nog
chocolate with vanilla and coconut topping

Christmas Hours:
Tuesday, December 23 11am-7pm
Wednesday, December 24 11am-3pm
Closed for Christmas Holiday December 25-Jan5

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

hiring soon!

2008-12-14T12:20:00.000-06:00

We have some shifts available beginning January 6 (basic training January 5).
The position is solely customer service.

Job duties include:
-running the register
-taking special orders
-assisting customers with their selections
-keeping coffee filled and fresh
-making sure customer areas are orderly and clean
-folding bakery boxes and other miscellaneous tasks

The ideal candidate:
-enjoys interaction with people
-has a friendly smile and sunny attitude
-has a strong sense of ethics
-is reliable, dependable, and punctual

The openings are only for the days we're actually open (Tuesday - Saturday) and there are two time shifts available: 10:50 am - 5:15 pm and 4:50pm - 9:15pm/ 11:15pm Friday and Saturday. If we need to divide some days into three shifts (10:50-2:45, 2:35-7:45, 7:35-11:15 for example) we will consider it depending on the number of qualified applicants.

If you're interested in the position, please email me at eat@muddysbakeshop.com for an application with the subject heading "customer service position". Please also include which days and which shifts you're interested in.

Thanks!

congratulations, it's a...

2008-12-12T03:36:00.001-06:00

Our new baby is about 72 inches long and 35 pounds...
After NINE months of waiting (getting fabric laminated so it's spill-proof and all manner of delays), we are proud parents of NEW BENCH CUSHIONS!
Huzzah!!!

spicy cheese straws

2008-12-11T13:42:00.004-06:00

We've had a lot of requests for cheese straws, so HERE THEY ARE!

These are the fiery variety and they're, if I do say so myself, delicious!
If you're more of a purist and prefer no additional spices, please post below so I'll know whether I should do some of those as well.

They're packaged in a perfect size for giving away, or eating by one's lonesome and priced at $6 per bag. Enjoy!

Mom's spiced tea

2008-12-11T00:04:00.000-06:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but Mom's tea is so delightful...

One of my best Christmastime memories is my Mom's spiced tea. It's a perfect blend of spicy and tangy- delicious!

I always get cold super easily, so I constantly sip on warm beverages during this season. The spiced tea is a delicious blend of spices and is quick to make. Just add 2 tablespoons of the mix per cup of hot water and stir.

We're selling sacks of it in the shop for $6.50; each sack contains 3 cups of the mix, approximately 18-24 servings, depending on the size of your mug!

Miss Mildred's Wicked Vanilla (batch 2!)

2008-12-10T20:31:00.000-06:00

My friend Courtney makes the best vanilla extract and we've been selling it in the shop since November 19th.
We've already sold half our stock! Courtney came back earlier this week and bottled the second half, so we have more.
She also made two more batches, however they won't be ready until March 1.
In the meantime, head over to the shop; we have about 30 bottles left as of right now!
These make fantastic stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, and little prezzies for friends!

new aprons

2008-12-04T14:04:00.006-06:00

We have some new aprons from Love for Sale!

Yay Christmas-time!!!

Thanksgiving weekend

2008-12-02T02:10:00.001-06:00

There were exciting things going on at Muddy's over the Thanksgiving break! After rousing ourselves from the turkey and dressing coma, we got on our comfy jeans, picked up our power tools and paint brushes, and rolled up our sleeves.

We've done a little re-arranging and I think the new set-up will work well for everyone. We've moved the coffee station to be beside the new cold-case (which I apologize is taking so long to be functioning... making the doors has turned into a construction nightmare), put up lots of things on the wall, re-painted the bench, painted a bookcase, put up window shades, made a new eat-in table, sanded and re-painted the dirty dish station trolley, touched up the walls, built shelving into two cabinets, re-painted a wall, built three new doors for the back, painted the counter-island, and expanded the dry goods/merchandise area. Actually, that expansion isn't quite complete as the Big Ugly Cooler is still there, but once we get our new refrigeration delivered, we can finish dolling up that space.

PS. Many thanks to Thomas and Kip for volunteering to help with the heavy lifting; I appreciate y'all using your days off to help out!

another one bites the dust...

2008-11-30T22:19:00.001-06:00

Well folks, yet another independent restaurant has closed its doors.
I wish all the best to Alyce Mantia, who has made the incredibly difficult decision to close her business, Mantia's. I really enjoyed going there for lunch, special cheeses, and assorted cooking items. Alyce is still available for cooking classes (perfect wedding shower or birthday idea!), private dinner parties, speaking engagements, etc and if you'd like to book her, please contact her at alyce.mantia@gmail.com.
Here is an excerpt from her farewell newsletter:
As you almost certainly know, many local businesses have been affected by the recent drastic economic downturn. Few have been harder hit than our independent restaurants. With costs rising, and revenue falling, many of us have struggled to carry on what we believe to be the best we can do for you, our loyal supporters. Unfortunately there comes a time when difficult decisions must be made. And that time has come for me.

It is important, now more than ever, to support our local businesses, our local people! Please remember, when you purchase a gift, to buy locally. When you go out to eat, please choose local eateries!

Christmas Menu

2008-11-25T23:18:00.001-06:00

Here's our Christmas menu!
These items will be available December 5-24 for special order in addition to our regular menu, and will be the only items available for special order between December 18th and December 24th.

Cakes
*Prozac- chocolate cake with chocolate icing; decorated with red, green, and white sprinkles unless specified otherwise
Plain Jane- vanilla cake with vanilla icing; white icing decorated with red and green sprinkles unless specified otherwise
*Grasshopper- decorated with red polka dots
*Reindeer- special seasonal cake that is DELICIOUS! gingerbread cake with caramel icing and garnished with a holly sprig.
Oodelolly- vanilla layers with a coconut filling, iced with old-fashioned boiled icing and covered with shredded coconut
Frankly Scarlett- red cocoa cake with cream cheese icing
*Capote- chocolate cake with vanilla icing; white icing decorated with red and green sprinkles unless specified otherwise

Cupcakes
*prozac- chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing; decorated with red, green, and white sprinkles unless specified otherwise
plain jane- vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing; white icing decorated with red and green sprinkles unless specified otherwise
*capote- chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing; white icing decorated with red and green sprinkles unless specified otherwise
classic- vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing; decorated with red, green, and white sprinkles unless specified otherwise
pucker up- lemon cupcake with lemon icing and white sprinkles
*grasshopper- chocolate cupcake with pale green peppermint icing and white sprinkles
*santa baby- chocolate cupcake with pink peppermint icing and crushed candy cane topping
frankly scarlett- red cocoa cake with cream cheese icing
egg nog- egg nog cake with buttercream icing flavored with nutmeg

*these stay moist for days, especially when kept under a cake dome, so they're excellent choices if you have house-guests and want something to nibble on for a while!

Pies
sweet patootie pie- light and fluffy sweet potato pie
cocoa chanel pie- chocolate chess pie
shady wake pie- pecan pie made the good ole fashioned way
apple-cranberry pie- a tart twist on our traditional apple pie
kick in the pants pie- our most popular pie, lemon chess

Cookies and Bars
toffee bars
chocolate chip cookies
peanut butter cookies
ginger kips
sugar cookies
gingerbread men
snickerdoodles
oatmeal raisin cookies
peppermint brownies
super secret chocolate fudge squares

Muffins and Breads
pumpkin pecan bread or muffins
banana blitzkrieg bread or muffins
wheat germ muffins

Christmas Hours:

Tuesday December 23 11a-7p
Wednesday December 24 11a-3p
Closed December 25-January 5

warning: public display of affection

2008-11-12T15:20:00.001-06:00

Please please please forgive me. I realize this isn't strictly "bakery related", but I just have to publicly gush for a minute...
Thomas Robinson is without a doubt the MOST considerate man that exists anywhere on this planet.
He makes a fresh pot of coffee for me almost every morning when he leaves for work.
He constantly helps out around the house WITHOUT being asked.
He helps at the bakery and never lets me feel overwhelmed.
He stops by Petco randomly on the way home from work just to get special treats for our dogs.
He brings me chai lattes in bed on Sunday mornings that he picks up on his way home from teaching Sunday school.
And last night, I got home from work around 10-ish at night and when I went in the back to kick off my shoes, I found THIS (see photo) on my bedside table.

Thomas = Great Guy :)

miserable failure

2008-11-10T11:27:00.001-06:00

Well, not everything turns out as planned...
As y'all know I've been totally obsessed with the Baked cookbook (from Brooklyn bakery, Baked) and so far just about everything I've tried has been super-yummy-funtime-delicious.
They are apparently famous for their 'sweet and salty' cake, a chocolate and caramel and sea salt concoction that sounds divine.
I certainly don't blame the recipe (it's one of their best sellers, so clearly their version tastes pretty good), rather, I think I must have seriously mis-stepped somewhere along the way. Personally, I think I burned the caramel... it had a decidedly charred taste to it.
It looks good, but man, did it taste... well, NOT good.
Even I make mistakes in the kitchen!

sweeeeeet!

2008-11-09T11:45:00.000-06:00

Ok, new experiment is successful!
Keep your eye out for our November special, in the shop starting November 11!

Sweet Potato cupcakes with Marshmallow icing

My testers at Fox 13 and MIFA were so helpful in getting feedback to me. These are moist and yummy and taste just like Thanksgiving!

Huzzah!

Election Day

2008-11-05T10:55:00.004-06:00

I just wanted everyone to see how cute our tray of Plain Janes looked yesterday!
I had SO hoped to have toothpicks with photos of McCain, Palin, Obama, and Biden on them, but alas, I don't have nearly that much free time...

This month's Real Simple question of its readers was "What are your hopes for this country?"
These are some of my favorite answers:

"I want the young people of America to realize and understand the sacrifices their grandparents and forebears made so that they could have the freedom to speak, write, and worship as they choose." -Laura Youlios, California

"Mindfulness. Be mindful of the impact everyday activities have on others, the earth, and ourselves. Even the smallest things have the capacity for a big impact. Be mindful of yourself, your surroundings, and your audience before taking action." -Kelly Megill, Pennsylvania

"That people will slow down to talk to each other face to face and not rely so much on virtual communication." -Kanesha Baynard, Colorado

wedding bells!!!

2008-11-04T09:34:00.007-06:00

Congratulations to Susye and Nick!
In case you missed the excitement last week, two of our customers got engaged last week... Nick proposed to Susye in Muddy's!!! We've all been swooning over the romance of it all... cupcakes AND a ring!

Laura, one of our resident badass bakers, wrote adorable letters on the cupcakes, "Marry me Susye?"
Nick brought Susye to Muddy's, where he'd already placed a special order for cupcakes asking her to marry him, and he asked at the counter for a flavor he knew we didn't have that week. Anne (who had been previously made aware of her role) said "oh, have a seat and let me check in the back for you!" and brought out his order to him and he asked Susye to marry him! (She totally said yes).

We've had our goodies used at weddings and even in a proposal, but this was the first proposal actually IN the shop. Huzzah!!! Congratulations!!!!!!

Susye was sweet enough to email me a couple of photos from the big event. Thanks Susye!

garden update

2008-10-29T04:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, some of you early (and oh so loyal) readers may remember my attempt at basil and rosemary this summer... and my claim to a deadly black thumb.

I have BIG, and I mean truly HUMONGOUS, news. I succeeded wildly this year. Maybe it was all the good vibes from y'all, but my basil was like super-enormous mutant ninja basil. At its highest, it stood about 5 feet tall. Booyah!

check out the earlier post here for a photo right after I'd planted... oh yeah... it wasn't a total success. The blueberry bush committed suicide about 4 days into the dirt. Sigh. I guess I can't have everything.

should go without saying...

2008-10-17T04:02:00.004-05:00

Please, no writing/coloring
on the furniture...
or on the walls, the floors, or any place except the designated orange chalkboard area.
If you must use markers and crayons, please just ask us for some paper; I promise we'll give you some.
Thanks!!!

twenty questions

2008-10-15T13:28:00.000-05:00

We would love to hear from you!

Muddy's has been in business for 7 months now and we'd like to take the opportunity to survey our customers to see how we're doing and ask for y'all's ideas.

Please visit this link to take our twenty question anonymous survey. It really helps us out to know what y'all are thinking, wishing for, etc. Some of our best ideas so far have been customer inspired, so please speak up and tell us what you want!

Thanks!

Thanksgiving menu

2008-10-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

It's getting to be that time!
"What time?" you may ask...
"Time to start planning for Thanksgiving!" I answer.

The following menu items are the only items available for special order pick-up on Tuesday November 25th and Wednesday November 26th. By having a limited menu for the holiday madness, we'll be able to accommodate more of your orders and fewer of you will have to hear the words, "I'm so sorry, we're booked".
That said, please be sure to get your order in as soon as you know what you want, as we will have to cap the orders at capacity.
Thanks!

Cakes
Prozac... $30 chocolate cake with rich chocolate icing
Mopsy... $35 carrot cake seasoned with ginger and cream cheese icing
Here Comes Trouble... $35 vanilla cake with caramel icing

Cupcakes
prozac... $18 dozen chocolate cake with chocolate icing
plain jane...$18 dozen vanilla cake with vanilla icing
capote... $18 dozen chocolate cake with vanilla icing
classic... $18 dozen vanilla cake with chocolate icing
pucker up... $18 dozen lemon cake with lemon icing
mopsy... $18 dozen ginger-carrot cake with cream cheese icing

Cookies and Bars
chocolate chip cookies... $6 dozen
peanut butter cookies... $6 dozen
oatmeal raisin cookies... $6 dozen
toffee bars... $7.20 dozen
classic brownies... $12 dozen

Pies
sweet patootie pie... $20 sweet potatoes and spices
punkin' pie... $20 pumpkin and spices
shady wake... $22 Southern pecan
johnny appleseed... $25 double-crust apple pie
cocoa chanel... $20 chocolate chess

Misc
wheat germ muffins... $12 a dozen
pear pecan muffins... $12 a dozen
banana blitzkrieg bread... $12 for 8 inch loaf

squeaky clean

2008-10-08T10:20:00.004-05:00

We just switched our janitorial service and WOW, these people are fantastic!!!
They do lots of restaurants, doctors' offices, and other commercial spaces, but they also do homes. I highly recommend them!
Delia Bennett is the owner and her number is 216-7380.

happy chickens and happy cows

2008-10-07T14:11:00.001-05:00

The summer contest was lots of fun and we got some great submissions. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Y'all have voted and the crowd has spoken...

In a tie for first place are drawings from Emma Reynolds and Elizabeth Summitt.

Second runner up is Ragan Lessley.

These winners will each receive a ten dollar gift certificate to Muddy's.

Yay for happy chickens and happy cows!

get baked

2008-10-04T22:01:00.007-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I read cookbooks like they're novels and my collection of cookbooks easily rivals my collection of real books, which is saying something. Jane Austen and Julia Child have equal reverence on my shelves.

That said, my new obsession is the debut cookbook from the Brooklyn bakery, Baked. Kudos to this dynamic duo, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. The book itself is exquisite in design and my new copy is already riddled with dog-ears and post-its marking my next-in-line recipes to try out.

Tonight, on my night off from the shop no less, I just HAD to try out the banana espresso chocolate chip muffins. Heaven!!! I won't tell you how many I ate, just that I consumed 3 glasses of milk while eating them...

Click here to get the Baked cookbook; it really is so beautiful, the goodies so well photographed, and the recipes so delicious that it would make a fantastic gift for any kitchen denizen.

dog cookies

2008-10-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

Arf! Arf! Yip! Yip!
Ok, a lot of you have requested dog treats and Thomas has been hounding (pun intended) me to make them after visiting several out of town bakeries that offer them.

I made my first experimental batch this week and in all honesty, I think they're only okay. They are a bit flour-y and while Phineas and Dixie, my babies, happily crunched on them, they were a little suspicious at first.

These were flavored with chicken broth and gravy, but there's a peanut butter recipe that looks tasty so I think that will be the next experiment. I'll keep you posted and let you know when they arrive in the shop!

Phineas, post-snack ---->

hand soap... literally

2008-09-28T13:19:00.009-05:00

I know this is random, but does anyone else think these baby hand soaps are both perverse and hilarious?

Ellen, Thomas' MIFA work colleague and new member of Love for Sale, has apparently been strategically placing them around friends' and coworkers' domiciles and cubicles... this is both disturbing and clever.

Thank you, Ellen, for my baby hand soap... I think.

For your own bag of baby hands, visit this link.

St. Louis bakery bonanza: the final installment

2008-09-26T12:05:00.001-05:00

Ok, wrapping up our mega-bakery tour of St. Louis...

Hartford Coffee and Bakery
We found this little place completely by accident after leaving the last lacrosse game of the tournament (in which our menfolk, Thomas and Whit, fought valiantly) while we were making a U-turn to get back to the hotel.
This little place was CHARMING! I love corner spaces and this was in the corner space of an old building smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood- super-high ceilings, old wooden floors... loved it.

The girl behind the counter couldn't have been any nicer. We got iced lattes, a pumpkin mini-bundt cake, a turtle cookie, and dog treats to take home to the pups. I loved the turtle cookie the best but the pumpkin bundt was delicious as well.
www.hartfordcoffeecompany.net

The Cupcakery
...aka the super adorable tiny shop in the totally hip Maryland Plaza. This was one of my favorites. The cupcakes were simply presented and yummy. They didn't rely on gimmick-y toppings or super-complicated flavor combinations; these were just good, old-fashioned delicious cupcakes.
When I called Saturday afternoon to ask about hours, the girl who answered the phone was cheerful, helpful, and super-polite (I'm a sucker for good phone manners) and when Thomas and I went to the shop that evening they were all upbeat and happy to answer my questions. Every customer left there with a smile on their face and licking their lips.
Thomas and I indulged and got a chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing and a lemon cupcake (my two favorites of my own shop) as well as a cakewich and an unbelievably delicious ENORMOUS oatmeal cookie and icing sandwich... like an A-List Little Debbie on steroids.
The Cupcakery is trendy, yes, but also completely un-pretentious. I highly recommend stopping in if you're ever in the St. Louis area!
Also, one of the owners, Erika Robertson Frank, is apparently from Memphis! Yay Erika!
www.thecupcakery.net

Thank you for joining me on the virtual tour, please put your seats and trays in their upright positions...
See you next time!

St. Louis bakery bonanza part deux

2008-09-20T17:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, let's continue our magical mystery tour of St. Louis bakeries...

Dad's Cookie Company
Dad's is a family-run bakery and has been ever since it opened in 1938. I'm totally envious of the cool architecture and the mosaic tile floor, although not such a huge fan of the dank darkness. The place seems a little musty and the lady behind the counter wasn't exactly a bundle of sunshine, buuuuut then I tasted the cookies.
These are an old-fashioned, crunchy cross between Scotch shortbread and those decadently delicious Swedish butter cookies you get in the blue tin. We tried the coconut stars, Scotch oatmeal (delicious crumbled over Hagen Daaz vanilla bean ice cream, by the way) and caramel-dark chocolate popcorn. Mandy raves about the popcorn and Thomas' favorite was the coconut stars.
www.dadscookies.com

Jilly's Cupcake Bar
Whoa, Nelly. This place is INTENSE. I was frankly intimidated and awed by the enormous cupcakes all over the place. These are cupcakes that 3 small children could easily split at $4.25 a pop. Don't let the price put you off though; seriously, the cupcakes are almost as big as a slice of cake and in my professional opinion, quite appropriately priced.
We tried the bee sting (honey and lemon), s'murtle (like a s'more crossed with a turtle), and a carmelita (lots of caramel and chocolate). My favorite was the bee sting; the s'murtle and the carmelita were just too rich for my blood (especially after the amount of sugar I'd already consumed!).
The service was friendly and the place was really cute and super-trendy. This was Mandy's favorite place on the tour.
www.jillyscupcakebar.com

Part three... coming soon!

St. Louis bakery bonanza part one

2008-09-17T10:49:00.013-05:00

Thomas, Whit, Mandy and I headed up to St. Louis for the weekend for a) Thomas and Whit's lacrosse tournament and b) major bakery "research".
Whew. Can I just say, I actually ate enough sweets this weekend that I didn't even want to TASTE another sweet for DAYS after coming back from St. Louis... Of course, this lasted all the way until Monday...

Black Bear Bakery
This place is an anarchist bakery. Like, for real. It's an autonomous collective (does anyone else think of Monty Python- Holy Grail when I say that?) that is anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist. There were anarchist pamphlets all over the place and they had sandwiches with names like "The Insurgent" and breakfast plates called "St. Louis General Strike of 1877" and "French Revolution".
Yes. Really.
We braved the somewhat sketch neighborhood to try their neighborhood brunch (self-serve array of ginger cinnamon french toast, buckwheat pancakes, sliced tomatoes, scrambled eggs with veggies, roast potatoes and kale, etc) and it was crazy delicious.
We also tried a walnut brownie, chocolate oat bar, chocolate cupcake, raspberry oat bars (heaven!) and chocolate peanut butter cookies that the super helpful guy at the counter told me are only sweetened with maple syrup. They rocked. I also got some brioche that had been made that morning.
When we came in, there was a guy singing "I am My Own Grandpa" and we were in luck; we got to hear the whole thing. The two workers (partners? collective members? comrades?) there were nice and helpful.
The bakery gets a lot of it's produce from neighborhood gardens within 2 miles of the bakery, which is really great and believe me, those sliced tomatoes were so thick and red and juicy that it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they were picked that morning. If you visit Black Bear, be sure you have cash or check- they do not accept credit cards. I felt extremely foolish for even asking as soon as the words were out of my mouth... I mean, it's an anarchist bakery, of COURSE they don't accept credit cards.
Anyway, if you're in St. Louis, it's definitely worth stopping in for the peanut butter chocolate cookies, the raspberry bars and getting to go to an anarchist bakery.
www.blackbearbakery.org

Hmmm... I think continuing with the tour on this post will just be anti-climactic, so I'll post more about the St. Louis bakeries in a day or two!

Help Wanted!

2008-08-17T19:31:00.002-05:00

SOS!
I am seeking help in the bakery for the following times:
(note, these are not the shifts, merely the hours I need people, so if you want to apply for part of the time on a particular day, that's cool) I'm hiring for both customer service positions as well as baking positions.

Tuesdays: 8pm-midnight (baking)
Wednesdays: 2pm-midnight (customer service and baking)
Thursdays: 2pm-2am (customer service and baking)
Fridays: 8am until 3am (customer service and baking)
Saturdays: 5pm-midnight (customer service)

If you think any of the following are totally awesome, please apply for a job at Muddy's!
a) being covered in flour and chocolate
b) getting to know some really cool customers
c) helping people get their daily sugar high
d) squeezing icing out of a tube into adorable swirls of buttercream goodness

For an application, email me at eat@muddysbakeshop.com

Thanks!!!

while you were out...

2008-08-12T08:29:00.001-05:00

If you
ever wonder what we do when y'all aren't here, here's an example:

Lucinda asked "have you ever seen anyone just eat a whole cupcake... in one bite?" None of us had, including her, so naturally a dare was born.
We figured it wasn't for real unless there was icing and sprinkles, so we doctored a poor, slightly over-baked cupcake base that we were going to have to throw out anyway and watched in fascination and giggles as Lucinda contemplated how best to embark on this culinary dare.

We debated the merits of icing first versus cake first versus going at it from the side. Finally, after much contemplation and loads of snickering, Lucinda just did it... and Amanda, Laura, and I were doubled up in laughter as she tried to fit an entire cupcake in her mouth in one go.
Oh you know, a normal Friday night at Muddy's...

Cake Wrecks... my new guilty pleasure

2008-07-28T22:50:00.006-05:00

Ok, this site illustrates why we don't do heavy decoration on cakes...
Thomas sent me this link earlier and I feel that it's IMPERATIVE to share it with everyone.

This is an Entire Blog devoted to cake decorating disasters. I have laughed so hard today that my spleen almost exploded. It's now listed under our links to awesome and you can also visit it here.

My hat (or neon wig) goes off to Jen for her diligence as the cake wreck police.

A side note: I do not mean to malign my fellow bakers; I make my share of mistakes. In the words of Jane Austen, "for what do we live but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?"

we've been jammed!!!

2008-07-17T13:10:00.000-05:00

"Some moment of every summer finds me all out of canning jars. So I go to town and stand in line at the hardware store carrying one or two boxes of canning jars and lids, renewing my membership in a secret society. Elderly women, and some men, too, will smile their approval or ask outright, "What are you canning?" These folks must see me as an anomaly of my generation, an earnest holdout, while the younger clientele see me as a primordial nerdhead, if they even notice."

This is an excerpt from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which I just finished reading. Actually, I highly recommend it and would loan you my copy, but it's already promised to about 6 people!

I love canning. It's a guaranteed sense of accomplishment that you can eat for months afterward. Obviously, this surprises no one who knows me.

My recent adventure was strawberry preserves and rastrablaberry jam. Dad and I washed and stemmed the fruit, hovered over the pot as Preston and I stirred and skimmed the foam (cackling like MacBeth's hags just for kicks), boiled the jars and ladled our finished product into their new homes before re-boiling the filled jars to double-sanitize. I cut fabric for the tops and printed labels and voila! We are now selling them in the shop!

I plan to make more with blueberries and peaches and other summer fruits as they reach the zenith of their respective seasons.

Right now, available in the shop, are strawberry preserves and also rastrablaberry jam (raspeberry, strawberry, and blackberry). There's a limited amount, so don't miss it!

nashvegas

2008-07-14T15:43:00.005-05:00

I'm so sorry that's it's taken me awhile to report on my trip to Nashville!
First, thanks to EVERYONE who sent me some suggestions of bakeries to stop into. It really helped out a lot!
I ended up visiting 2 (actually 3, but one was closed or relocated or something) and had A BLAST! Here's the verdict:

Gigi's Cupcakes
Wow! It was packed but they kept the line moving quickly. Also, I've never seen icing so high. I mean like a beehive of icing. Mandy, my friend and co-market researcher (it sounds way more professional to say we're market researching than to say we're eating our weight in sugar and butter), and I actually had to use a fork to remove about an inch and half of icing just to get to taste the cake. Seriously.
It was quite good (although probably, and I NEVER thought I'd say this EVER, a little too much icing for me) and I apologize profusely that I didn't think to whip out the camera until we'd pretty much made an enormous mess of our haul. Four people, two forks, and a box of cupcakes... not a neat endeavor!

Sweet 16th
OMG. I am IN LOVE with this place!!! If you go to Nashville any time in the near future, you MUST go here. We got a huge variety of things to try, you know, to make sure we did an adequate job researching, and ALL of it was good.
My favorite things: little baked dog treats to take home to Dixie and Finny, the macaroons, the 'brookie'- combination brownie and cookie, and Best of All... the GRITATTA. Holy grits and eggs, Batman! A gritatta is the creation of "Al", whom we met while there, and it's basically a base of grits with an egg fritatta on top... all combined into one lovely and delicious creation. I've been having gritatta dreams and fully plan on making some of my own for a decadent Sunday brunch.
I got to meet the owners, the Einsteins, and they could not have been any nicer. Now THIS is a neighborhood bakery. They had a small space, a small menu, and huge smiles. They use locally roasted coffee just like us (while ours is Ugly Mug, theirs is Drew's Brews) and they were so nice as to send us off with a free package to try out! We traded contact info and they were so enthusiastic and encouraging of my budding business.
Whenever I go to Nashville, I will DEFINITELY be stopping back in for more treats, more gritatta, and a great cup of Drew's Brews. Awesome spot!
Visit Sweet 16th here!

e-i-e-i-o

2008-07-08T09:36:00.005-05:00

As many of you know, I'm a farmers' market groupie. I love farmers' markets and I love sharing that love with everyone I meet.
If you haven't been to the downtown farmers' market yet, I suggest you go this weekend. It's such a great spot to get fresh produce and really learn about where your food comes from, how it's grown, and who is supplying it. Also, there are musicians and activities for kids; it's a really great family outing!

Even the produce that's grown conventionally (using pesticides, etc) is way better for you when you get it from the farmers' market than at a grocery store because it was allowed to fully ripen before being harvested. When food is shipped many miles and goes through many processes to reach you, the diner, it must be picked early in its life.

I made some yellow squash for dinner the other night and only had one left from the farmers' market so I augmented with one from Nameless Grocery Store. When I sliced them I saw an amazing thing... one was a deep, sunny yellow and one was a green-tinged white. The yellow one tasted so full and well, squashy, while the white one tasted mostly like water. I'll give you one guess as to which was which!

Here are some photos of my Saturday morning at the farmers' market downtown-
please visit their website at www.memphisfarmersmarket.org

Some of what I bought:
Ripley tomatoes... does it get any better?
peaches for pies from Jones Orchard
enormous sunflowers from Bluebird Farms (our egg supplier!)
a blueberry peach cobbler from Bun in the Oven (what can I say, I love sweets!)
honey whole wheat bread from Cucina
yellow squash and zuchinni from Whitton Farms
quart upon quart of blueberries from Harris Farm (mmm, more pie...)
After that, Thomas and I couldn't carry any more... haha!

4th of July Insan-o-rama

2008-07-07T11:07:00.007-05:00

Okay, we really blew it out of the water for our July 4th line-up. It was like Fashion Week in NYC for baked goods. My team REALLY outdid themselves!

I think the photos pretty much speak for themselves, but I'll just say that I owe a huge Thank You to my team, especially the creative genius of Elizabeth, Laura, and Lindye, who came up with a bunch of our 4th of July offerings.

We decked out our Plain Jane cupcakes in red, white, and blue, dying the batter blue! We had our Frankly Scarlett cupcakes topped with blue sprinkles in the shape of a star and blueberry cupcakes with blueberry icing. Elizabeth made a Plain Jane cake with a bright red layer, a bright blue layer, white buttercream icing, and red and blue icing stars drawn all over it. We also had star-shaped sugar cookies that were each decorated in red, white, and blue icing. I made teeny pies in strawberry and blueberry with a star in dough on top. We replaced the usual daisy on top of the Daisy cupcakes with a star in red or blue.

We hope you all had a fantastic Fourth of July!!!

I sigh, you sigh, we all sigh for summer pie!

2008-06-27T10:13:00.011-05:00

I LOVE pie. And I LOVE summer. Therefore, it's no surprise that I LOVE summer pie. There are so many possibilities for pie in the summertime; with so much fresh fruit in season one almost can't go wrong.
Here are some of my most recent pie creations:

Early Peach Pie
I got some early peaches at Jones Orchard in Millington and while they're a little bit tedious to slice because they're pretty small, boy were they good. I love peaches in the summertime. A little cream, a little brown sugar, a few spices, and a ton of early peaches made the perfect filling for this lattice crusted beauty.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
TTDF. Totally To Die For. The key with any rhubarb dessert is to not get carried away with too much sugar and to not let the other main ingredient, in this case the strawberries, steal the show. Rhubarb is a "wallflower" flavor and easily overwhelmed by the luscious strawberry or the dazzling raspberry. I tend to think of rhubarb as the Ally Sheedy of summer produce: subtly pretty, kind of quiet- remove the glasses and brush her hair and you've got a real winner.

Blueberry Pie
I'll also call this one 'my new favorite breakfast'. The filling is almost entirely fresh blueberries so I can easily justify it as 'health food'. In fact, I just make this one a double-crust... you know, to make sure enough I get a healthy amount of "bread" with the meal... maybe a little ice cream for dairy...

The difference between a good fruit pie and a stellar fruit pie lies in... the fruit. It seems elementary that one should choose ingredients whose flavor is good enough to stand alone, but surprisingly few people seem to follow this bit of logic. People figure that if it's going to be cooked or mixed with other ingredients, it's okay to cheat on quality. My dad always told me "never cook with a wine you wouldn't drink on its own" and I believe that bit of wisdom applies across the food ingredient spectrum.

Ok, the post is getting a bit long (and I'm getting hungry), but never fear... I imagine I'll rhapsodize about pies many more times over the course of the summer!

Have a great weekend!!!

yummy dinner recipes

2008-06-24T09:39:00.005-05:00

Saturday night, Thomas and I had an impromptu dinner party. Preston and Tanisha had the shop well in hand, so Thomas and I quickly scanned the thicker-than-my-thigh folder of 'recipes to try out' also known as the 'good culinary intentions' folder.
We settled on a simple halibut and pasta recipe from Real Simple and we already had loads of fresh produce from our weekly trip to the downtown farmers' market that morning. So we settled our menu: orange-ginger halibut, whole-wheat angel hair pasta, sauteed squash (mixed varieties) with sweet onions, French bread, marinated tomatoes, and blueberry pie.
We had everything we needed except the fish, so we made a quick trip to Wild Oats where we discovered that halibut was a little out of our twenty-something people budget for feeding seven adults. The very helpful grocer suggested the (much) more modestly priced wild cod as an alternative and it was delicious!
I don't know what was more enjoyable for Thomas and me, cooking together in the kitchen with the dogs stretched out on the floor (obviously lounging wherever our feet needed to be) or actually sharing it with friends that we don't see as often (no one ever tells you that you have to schedule 'hanging out' once you're a grown-up!). The whole evening was splendid!
Here are a few recipes (sorry- not giving away the pie recipe! teehee). Please let me know if you try it and your opinions!

Thomas' Cod and Angel Hair (adapted from Real Simple's halibut recipe found here)
4 tangelos (recipe calls for oranges, but he already had tangelos in ice box!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
6 4oz pieces wild-caught cod
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch green onions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
1 pound whole wheat angel hair pasta
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Cut the oranges into segments, removing the surrounding membranes as well as able. Don't sweat over this too much, just know that the membranes and pith will make it more bitter. Squeeze the membranes over a bowl to catch their juices.

Heat a cookie sheet or other pan in oven with a little oil so that pan is hot before adding fish. Add ginger and cook about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the halibut with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cumin, scallions and oranges and continue cook about 10 minutes, turning mid-way through, until the fish is the same color throughout and flakes easily.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions while the halibut cooks.

Farmers' Market Squash (aka. shameless promotion of buying local produce)
Step 1: Buy a variety of squash. I used one zuchini, two yellow ones (real name?), and a totally cool scallop squash. I'd never cooked a scallop squash but it just looked to interesting to pass up.
Step 2: Buy a sweet onion.
Step 3: Chop them all up (I only used 1/2 of the sweet onion).
Step 4: Saute in olive oil, freshly cracked pepper, and kosher salt until a bit softened up.
Step 5: Add some hot water to the pan and allow to continue cooking until soft, but not mushy.
Step 6: Eat and say "mmmmm"!

Marinated Tomatoes (one of my favorite things in the world)
Ripley tomatoes, sliced into thick rounds
Olive oil
Fresh basil (I used a little of my own new garden supply: a mix of columnar basil and sweet basil)
Mozzerella cheese
Salt and pepper (freshly cracked)

Place tomato slices on paper towel to soak up extra water, then transfer them to a plate.
Place pieces of fresh mozzerella cheese on top, then torn up pieces of basil.
Drizzle with olive oil and then a wee bit of salt, and a more generous amount of pepper.
Voila!

Blueberry Dessert
We served a blueberry pie (my own recipe) heated up with our guests' choice of a scoop of Hagendaaz vanilla ice cream or Ciao Bella coconut sorbet. The coconut sorbet is a fantastic accompaniment to blueberries, whether plain or cooked into a pie or cobbler. Sadly, Wild Oats doesn't seem to carry the coconut flavor anymore, but Fresh market does. Sublime!

Well, that about wraps up our dinner party! Here are a few of the vendors we used:
Wild oats: cod, ginger, pasta, ice cream
Fresh Market: Ciao Bella coconut sorbet
Memphis Farmers' Market: Bluebird Farm by Van Cheeseman: sweet onions, flowers (he supplies some of our eggs in the shop!) and also Tims Family Farm: tomatoes and I think that's where I got the squash, but not positive

Have a great day!!!

newsFLASH

2008-06-18T20:40:00.002-05:00

It's official. Summer has begun. I saw the first lightening bug!
Ok, maybe you've already seen one and mine wasn't actually THE first, but still, I just wanted to share.
You may now go on about your business. :)

my foray into the world of botany

2008-06-18T13:15:00.008-05:00

Confession: I have a notoriously black thumb. I am the accidental culprit behind many a plant's untimely demise. You could call me (if you're a Law and Order fan)... The Perp.

Despite this, each year, I try again. Each year, I venture into Dan West and choose my victims. It's a bit depressing actually to know that they huddle together in fear... they know the Black Thumb Cometh.

This is so sad because for years I've fantasized about being a green thumb... coaxing little shoots through the soil, tenderly caring for the green leaves and fragrant blossoms while birds chirp a song at my shoulder and little woodland critters comically frolic at my feet. Each year I am determined to shake off this curse that must have been placed upon my head by some irritated fairy godmother (my parents swear they didn't offend one, but who knows).

However, This Is My Year! I know it! I WILL nurture these plants and they WILL grow and flourish under my care.

These are my babies and I'm so excited because I know that this is the magic year. I've planted arp rosemary (a hardy strain of a hardy plant, just in case), columnar basil, and even... a blueberry bush. I treated the soil with a little concoction for acid-loving plants (the blueberry) and followed the directions to a tee. I glowed (profusely) in the dirt beds making sure they were free of weeds and tilling the soil. I am following the watering guidelines carefully.
In other words, Really Trying.

Here's what I'm asking:
1. Clap if you believe I can do this... actually, just cross your fingers for me and send some really good vibes my direction!
2. If you have a green thumb and have some good advice for me, please comment below!

Wish me luck!!!

New Favorite Sunday Brunch

2008-06-18T13:02:00.003-05:00

Ok, if you haven't been to the Beauty Shop yet for brunch on Sunday, you are missing out... Big Time. One of my favorite meals is brunch, so I'm a good judge.

The mimosas are enormous (huzzah!), the atmosphere is fantastic, and the food... ah, the food. I could gorge all day on challah French toast, lemon ricotta silver dollar pancakes, fruit salad, eggy fritattas, and cheese grits.

I like to follow up my feast with a strawberry milkshake (extra strawberries for me) that is out of this world. It's smooth, creamy, and rich without the little icy crunches found in many lesser milkshakes made from (gasp!) powders.

Karen Carrier (sheer genius woman behind Beauty Shop, Do, Automatic Slim's, and Mollie Fontaine Lounge) isn't paying me for this glowing endorsement, but if she wanted to drown me in milkshake, I wouldn't complain. :)

Beauty Shop... 966 S. Cooper... Memphis, TN 38104

Washington, DC

2008-06-02T13:34:00.006-05:00

I spent Memorial Day weekend in DC for a friend's wedding and after the festivities, Thomas and I got to toodle around Georgetown. The weather was perfect, the shops were great, and we discovered a couple of bakeries- yum!
We found a little cupcake place called Georgetown Cupcakes that was delish and sophisticated; definitely stop in if you're planning a trip to the capital!

Also, we found an Austrian bakery, Leopold's, that had all kinds of yummy treats.
I'm most inspired to try making macaroons like theirs- the traditional flavored ones that are little sandwich cookies. We tried peach, pistachio, raspberry, passionfruit, and of course, chocolate. Mmmmmmm!!!

memorial day weekend

2008-05-19T07:42:00.002-05:00

Muddy's WILL remain open for memorial day weekend, however we will be closing at 9pm on Friday and Saturday instead of our usual 11pm. We hope this isn't too much of an inconvenience!
Have a very happy memorial day!!!

so...

2008-05-18T17:31:00.005-05:00

Ok, so first post... Huzzah!

We've survived our first two months in business and it has been a WILD time. Firstly, a humongous THANK YOU to all our awesome customers who have been SO supportive and encouraging. It's super-scary to start a business and not know what kind of reception you'll get from people and I'm tickled pink to say that y'all have given us a fantastic welcome.

Now, a word (actually 162 words) about the blog... the main purpose of this blog is to have a good vehicle for feedback from our favorite people (aka our customers). I know that no matter how much you like us, there will always be things that need improvement. things we can be doing better, and new things that maybe none of us have even dreamed up. We want to hear all about it!

The secondary purpose is to give everyone a sort of inside peek at the shop. If you've been in our shop, you know we're big fans of having everything out in the open, so it seemed natural to have a blog to air all the news and goings-on.

We'll have posts from various members of the Muddy's gang that will really cover a number of topics from baking to shop news to personal news to things we think are just really awesome; it's sort of a supplement to our newsletter.

So, that said, I guess we have lift-off!!!