Hope's Homemades 1st Email

Some of you have probably received this already!

I have already had a few kicked back as bad addressees AND I have already remembered some people I should put on the list. I wish I could afford an IT Department and an accountant and oh, maybe to start a business at all. Who knows? I may fizzle after holiday Market. I may be a fantastic hit. We'll just wait and see and try to be optimistic for now.

I am also afraid it will go to spam filters because I sent it as a bulk email.

I baked more focaccia bread tonight.

My friend Kim posted a pumpkin muffin with butterscotch chips recipe a couple of days ago. I made it tonight only doubled it, whole wheat flower and ground flaxmeal for half the flower and made it in a bundt pan. It looks and smells amazing I haven't tasted it yet - a little piece might happen to pull off when I take it out of the pan...

Hello Friends, Family, Taste Testers and Everybody Else!

You have been included in this group because either you signed up for it, you have helped test my products over the years and expressed pleasure, you have been with me in some important part of this journey and been supportive, or you are my family and therefore obligated to at least feign interest in my attempt at starting a business!

Hope's Homemades is much closer to reality. After small business development classes, food safety classes and ServeSafe certification (I am 97% sure how to kill you if I want!), a lot of sampling, trying new ingredients, and taking treats to work, all while trying to lose weight of course, a REAL SALE APPROACHES!

Hope's Homemades, as part of the Bloomington Kitchen Incubator, will have goods for sale at the Holiday Market, Saturday, November 28th. 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Holiday Market takes place in the Showers Plaza - along with the Farmer's Market. BKI will have a table in the area with the crafts and art vendors.

Currently Hope's Homemades is functioning as a Home Based Vendor as allowed under Indiana Law. What does that mean? It means all my foods must be labeled "This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the State Department of Health." The law also limits what types of foods I am allowed to sell and where I am allowed to sell them - either Farmer's Markets or at Roadside Stands. Bad thing - NO CHEESECAKES. Good thing - Bloomington has a great Farmer's Market and a winter market and although it may not happen this year I am researching the requirements to become part of those markets. In moments of desperation I may pitch a tent in the yard. Bonus to living outside the city limits!

PRODUCTS I have planned for holiday market are:
Tuscan Spice Focaccia Bread (vegan)
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Gingerbread Cookies (vegan)
Toffee with chocolate topping
Dipped pretzel rods.

Pricing is yet to be set as I determine my packaging, labeling and costs - yikes! I promise to be as reasonable as possible.

As always I will try to use true, wholesome ingredients, locally obtained (not from Schenectedy over the internet) and locally produced if possible. I have found one locally produced whole wheat flour I love!! There will be no preservatives, no artificial flavors and no hydrogenated shortenings in any of my goods.

If you would like to place orders ahead of time, please email and let me know. I know that's kind of a silly thing to offer when I haven't yet priced the products. If I have many orders placed ahead of time, however, it may actually keep costs and prices lower. I will know how much to prepare and be able to prevent too many leftovers and waste - although Shalom Center and Community Kitchen would benefit if I DID over-bake.

If you know someone who may be interested, please forward this email to them and give my contact information. If you do not want to receive any additional emails from me (I can't imagine!) or if you would like me to use a different email address, please reply and let me know.

I look forward to receiving your orders. I will send pricing and package sizes and amounts as soon as determined and I look forward to seeing many of you at Holiday Market!

Hope Leeper
Hope's Homemades
812-325-4802

I attached a flyer/sign I made for our last tasting event: (which now Blogger says it can't show pout!)