Hello there!
Only 8 days until Thanksgiving! If you are hosting this year, then bless your heart.
That also probably means that you are on turkey duty. Here are 3 tips to make sure your bird is a hit:
1.Remember to take out the "bag o' guts". Speaks for itself.
2 Cut up a few yellow onions, garlic cloves, carrots, celery, herbs and salt and completely cover the bottom of your pan. This will create a delicious braising liquid for step 3.
Oh step 3... you are glorious...
3. Roast the bird upside down (yes, breast to the bottom) for 75% of the time it's in the oven. Low and Slow baby. The white breast meat braises in it's own juices as well as the yummy veggie juices, making it so very delicious.
This happy accident was discovered by my friend who had never made a turkey before and decided to host a friends Thanksgiving one year. She, unknowingly, place the turkey in the roasting pan upside down, and when it came out, we all cocked our heads to the side wondering why it looked so funny, but then dug in and realized it was the juiciest white meat any of us had ever had....
...I hate the word 'juicy', so the fact that I voluntarily said that means it was exquisite.
Once you have about 45 minutes left to go on the timer, take the bird out, carefully turn it over so it's breast side up (have a couple sets of hands available as well as tongs, and oven mitts...it could get a little messy), baste with butter, and continue to roast for the remaining time so the skin can crisp up and brown.
Boom.
The most moist Thanksgiving turkey ever.
You're welcome....
...I hate the word 'moist' equally as much as 'juicy' so again, you know it must be good.
...and 'crusty'...I hate that word too...
Turkey wisdom aside, that's not really what my post is about today.
I'm at a crossroads with work, and I could use a little input from you.
Yes, YOU.
I am currently in the process of making my bakery a bit more professional and by that I mean I am finally investing in having a real logo made in order to have some marketing materials made up to boost and expand business.
One of the issues I have come across with designing a logo, is the business name...
...yes, I know I already have a business name, Bittersweet Bakery, but during my countless hours of research, I have come to realize that there are about a million other Bittersweet Bakeries out there as well...
...not sure how I missed that two years ago, when I chose the name. One of them is even in Nebraska!
My face when realizing the abundance of Bittersweet Bakeries.
So, naturally, as I'm never satisfied with anything, I now wonder if I should change my business name before I pay to have a logo and marketing materials made up. My overall customer base is still small, so if I was going to do it, now would be the time.
I just really dislike the idea of being one of a boatload of Bittersweet's out there.
I want to be unique.
I want to be one of a kind.
I want to be memorable... ya' know?
For example, I really love the show "Unique Sweets" on Food Network. Many a nights I have sat Indian style in bed, watching this show, drooling, running to the kitchen during commercial breaks to search for old Halloween candy or freezer burnt ice cream just to satisfy my sweet tooth, and every once in a while they highlight a bakery that has a very unique name.
My two favorites are Craftsman and Wolves, and 4 in 20 Blackbirds. Both neat shops, and both with very interesting and memorable names. The name alone makes you want to visit the place.
When I first opened my bakery, I decided to go the safe route as far as the name went. I chose a word that was baking related, and of course, sounded cute. After a couple years, I now realize that that may not have been the best decision for me personally. I know the name shouldn't matter, that it's the products that I sell that I need to keep my focus on, but I just can't help this nagging feeling that there is a better name for my little bakery. A name that makes it stand out on the street as well as on print. A name that makes you wonder how the owner came up with that? A name that makes you want to come in and check it out.
So I've been brainstorming...
...and drinking wine...
...and brainstorming some more, and what I have come up with is 3 different ideas. Not names, but methods for choosing a name.
1. A name that doesn't even sound like a bakery, but rather something on the opposite end of the spectrum. For example:
The Butcher Shop
This name is actually taken already, by an east coast bakery. It's neat. I feel like this is a good way to show a little quirkiness and that you aren't afraid to think outside the box.
2. I like business names that play on either someone or something's name, or sound almost like a book title. For example:
The Girl and the Fig
Country food with a French passion
(yes taken. It's in Sonoma and its adorable)
I use a lot of dairy products and honey in my recipes, so I thought about maybe a play on words involving a cow and a bee... like,
Bumble + Pearl
(a bees name and a cows name)
See what I'm saying? Cute, but curious.
3. And last but not least, a name that takes a simple yet consistent physical feature of the business itself and makes it into a short and sweet name. For example:
Blackboard
Old School. American. Bake Shop
This one I actually came up with. My bakery has lots of blackboards and I love them. I actually plan on adding more as soon as I can find the time.
So, I don't know...thoughts? I have so many ideas running through my head and I can't seem to wrangle them and sort out the sick ones...can you tell we deal in cattle too?
hmmm, a name with cattle in it could be fun...
Argh!!! What to do?!
I should turn this joint into a wine shop too so I can drink at work...
Any thoughts? Please? Respond in the Facebook link if you don't mind...
:) Ashley
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