2011 was the Year of the Rabbit.  I still love the idea of zodiac cookies... although 2012's Year of the Dragon cookies will no doubt be a little more involved than my beloved bunnies.

Our "cookie" year began quickly with many orders, but in early March we were saddened by the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

We were thrilled to celebrate the wedding of our dear friends, Nicole and Dan, in Mexico.  We were also thrilled that all of the cookies we created made it there in one piece!  

And here is one of our favourite wedding shower orders, because funny thing... we did several actual wedding orders this year, but wedding orders are so huge (and a wee bit stressful) that I usually forget to take a picture!  Any pictures you have would be welcome :)  Our largest wedding order... make that largest order ever period, was for 6,600 cookies this summer.  Nope, not a typo. 

We were asked to create cookies for many special events from graduation parties to corporate events.  These Alice in Wonderland cookies for an elementary school fundraiser were SO much fun to make and we loved the results!

These Easter cookies were also a personal favourite for a customer wanting "anything Easter-y".  If you ask me to 'be creative' when making your cookies, you might get a sweet surprise :)

Baby onesie cookies for baby showers were probably our most popular item this year... we created them in all kinds of colours and patterns.  We particularly enjoyed the sea creature motif below for a marine biologist's shower (I'm partial to anything with animals).

Elmo and Hello Kitty were also very popular...they are definitely a perennial favourite of children everywhere.

I think these were the most unique custom cookies requested.. I had fun making the "wool" texture on these sock monkeys.

And these are the cookies we made for our favourite nephews who turned three with a most amazing "Go Dog Go!" birthday party in Seattle.

Our cookies officially traveled more than we did in 2011.  This set went to Hawaii!  

We'll be heading to Kauai in 2012... any tips??

Although the official Tall Ships Festival in Richmond has been postponed until 2014, we enjoyed the tall ships that came this summer... and all the crowds that came to the Steveston Farmers Market to check them out.

And who could forget this?  Oh wait, that hasn't happened yet.  Last year's playoff run was apparently just a warm up for the cup in 2012 :)

So there are some snapshots of our year!  We hope to update the blog more frequently, but we aren't kidding ourselves with any resolutions... 2012 is already shaping up to be as busy as 2011!  Thank you to the family and friends, fans and customers who have supported us and inspired us.  You make it fun!!

Happy New Year :)
Mika and Andrew

    


As usual, May and June are very busy months for us at the Steveston Cookie Company!  But we're here now, and ready to tell you about a fantastic event that we sponsored and attended last week at the Gateway Theatre.  Notice our logo to the left there on the poster between Starbucks and Tapenade Bistro???  That was an exciting moment for us, and only the start of a wonderful evening. 

    The Gateway Theatre secured donations from about 100 artists, each piece appraised at at least $300.  With your ticket of $350 per couple, you were able to enjoy an evening of delicious food from many amazing restaurants (you HAVE to go find "Nooch", a restaurant tucked away in the business district around Ikea... worth seeking out for yumtastic, nutritious delights), desserts from Anna's Cake House (and us!), a martini bar, and wines from several different wineries.  Oh, and the best part:  Each couple got to take home a piece of art at the end of the night! 

    
   




  There were clowns, live music, and champagne on the red carpet...

Gorgeous ostrich feather centerpieces and other theatre-transforming decor from Upright Decor....

Stunning art, to take home...

And cookies!!!!!!!! 

The night was a success for the Gateway Theatre and will now be an annual event... and you'd better watch out for it because next year the tickets are going to go fast!  In the meantime, you can tide yourself over with theatre productions from the Gateway's 2011-2012 lineup... looks like it will be a great year of theatre.  You can shush me when I'm singing along quietly at the Sound of Music in December... Do re mi fa so la ti dooooo!!!!!

-Mika

   
    Back in March we had the pleasure of traveling to Mexico for the wedding of our good friends Nicole and Dan.  Forty-five guests flew out, and we had an amazing time soaking up sunshine and good times with friends in tropical Playa del Carmen.  
    The weather was amazing (of course) and the setting couldn't have been more beautiful for such a lovely event.  The ceremony itself took place in a gazebo overlooking the azure surf beyond, and the reception followed into the night in an amazing open-air, thatch-roofed patio.

    

   
 





The colours for the wedding were fresh green and bright pink, which complemented the tropical location beautifully.  The bridesmaids wore green, and carried gorgeous bouquets of white and pink stargazer lilies. 

   

     We were thrilled when Nicole asked us to create some custom wedding cookie favours for her reception place settings.  
    In her wedding stationary, table numbers, and even shower invitations (created by another crafty friend) Nicole used an adorable, yet elegant pink starfish motif.  We experimented with some different options, and Nicole settled on a white square cookie with a dotted edge, names in green to match the font on her invitations, and pink starfish to match her theme.    
    The cookies made it safely to Mexico and helped round out the table decor.  We had a fabulous time (and maybe momentarily considered changing The Steveston Cookie Company to the Playa del Carmen Cookie Company) and wish our dear friends a lifetime of happiness... Congratulations Nicole and Dan!

-Mika

  So much for the Year of the Rabbit being a calm and quiet one.  There is much sadness and unrest in the world right now and it is weighing heavily on our hearts.

  Being half Japanese, and with loved ones in Japan, we have been watching the news with great trepidation.  Thankfully, our relatives live in the far south, on the island of Shikoku, and are safe.

  The same cannot be said though, for so many others. 

  Our thoughts are with those who are suffering right now, in Japan and elsewhere.

  If you can help at all, please do.  We like to think that every little bit helps, and shows the world we care about each other.  

See the Red Cross website, for information about how to donate.  http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003

  In Japanese, the word "ganbare" means "hang in there" "do your best" and "never give up."  

-Mika

  Okay, maybe I shouldn't speak for Andrew (but even he admitted that these birthday cookie favours turned out pretty cute).
 
   Hello Kitty was created in Japan and unleashed upon the world in the 1970's and is now one of the most loved, recognizable, and enduring cartoon characters on the planet.

  You can check out Hello Kitty's official profile on the Sanrio company website.  Apparently her full name is Kitty White, she's 36, and she is very good at baking cookies.  Who knew? 

  While these cookies were made for a four-year-old, we know of many adults who also share a passion for Miss Kitty.  In fact, Hello Bella Weddings & Events, a company based in White Rock, BC, even created a Hello Kitty Baby Shower for one of their clients, complete with a Hello Kitty dessert bar!  Check out the photos below of their adorable event! 
-Mika

For more information about Hello Bella Events, check out www.hellobella.com

  Officially it may have been the Year of the Tiger, but for me 2010's animal inspiration of choice was the owl.  Those funny birds found their way into my jewelry, home decor and of course, cookies.
  
  This year, I'm already feeling more in line with the zodiac's official choice of beast.  The year of the rabbit is supposed to bring calm after a volatile tiger year... I'm not too well-versed on the exact fortunes, but peace and stability sound good to me!

  What I do know is that the rabbit would be an adorable motif for anyone celebrating a 2011 wedding!  A quick search on etsy.com yielded some squeal-inducing results for Alice in Wonderland/white rabbit wedding shower tea parties, and rabbit jewelry for flower girls and bridesmaids.  

  

  Packages of mini rabbit cookies could be customized in any colour scheme, and with monograms and other pretty designs to make a great wedding favor or shower thank you favour.

  For that matter, these would be great baby shower favours too!  Babies born in the Year of the Rabbit are supposed to be blessed with sunny dispositions and good fortune.

We wish you good luck planning your Year of the Rabbit events... we'll be waiting for our phone call from Prince William and Kate Middleton... I'm sure they'll be wanting rabbit cookie wedding favours for their April 2011 wedding.  One can dream :)
 
Happy New Year!
-Mika
 

 
  As we finish our last orders of 2010, we have been reflecting on our very succcessful year of cookies!  
 
  We have had a wide range of interesting and exciting orders from corporate orders during the Olympics to very personal retirement and birthday orders, and we capped it all off with 2000 cookies in December!

  We have thoroughly enjoyed making all of your cookies and thank you all for visiting our website, reading our blog, saying 'hi' at the Steveston Farmers Markets, and of course, challenging us with new cookie orders all the time.  

Merry Christmas and we wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

-Andrew and Mika
 

   Many months ago, we were invited to be featured in CRAVE Vancouver-- a glossy, gorgeous, full-colour guidebook that celebrates women in business.  We jumped at this opportunity and are very excited to be a part of this hot-off-the-presses 3rd Edition.

   The CRAVE guides started in Seattle, and are now available for major cities all over the USA, Canada and soon, even Amsterdam, Holland! 

   The Steveston Cookie Company is featured on pages 232-233.  New for this year, the book includes a discount page featuring 10-30% off select businesses... amazing value!  We have the book for sale for the retail price of $20.  Your purchase through us also includes a 10% off coupon for any purchase or order from The Steveston Cookie Company... wedding, corporate, and event orders included!  (Note, this discount is not available through other copies of the book) 

   The CRAVE book launch party was earlier this week, and was held at the very sleek and stylish Canvas Lounge in Gastown, Vancouver.  We provided cookies for the event and I attended with a good friend and had a blast mingling with other entreprenesses and members of the media.  There were lots of treats from other great businesses like Hagensborg Chocolates (truffle pigs, YUM!) and Frankies Candy Bar, and mini spa services from Absolute Spa, Wink Beauty Lounge, Bombay Brow Bar and more.   

   I have attached some links for pictures and details about the event by some professional photgraphers, bloggers and journalists who were at the event.  Enjoy!  
 


Jessica Rae Photography
http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=37805&id=143764452308742

yellowrainbootz - blogger Angela Jung
http://www.yellowrainbootz.com/2010/11/vancouver-crave-ings.html#commentsni

Jugni Style - Online Lifestyle Magazine
http://jugnistyle.com/rsvp/what-we-crave-a-party/

Thanks for reading, and I hope you pick up your copy of CRAVE Vancouver soon!  Contact us to purchase.

-Mika

p.s. my dress is from Violet Hill Boutique in Steveston!www.violethillboutique.ca 

   Have you by any chance noticed a sudden resurgence in the popularity of facial hair?  It can only mean.... It's Movember (the month formerly known as November)!!

   Over the next few weeks, those mo's you've been spotting are only going to get more obscene.  Movember is when men all around the globe grow their moustaches and raise money for men's health, specifically prostate cancer.  The idea began in Australia in 2003 and has since spread to nine countries around the world.  By my professional opinion, I would say that it has become particularily virulent in Canada!   

  

   We think this is a fantastic event, both fun and effective.  Apparently the Canadian Movember campaign is now only second in size to the original Australian movement!  And all the money raised from Movember Canada goes directly to Prostate Cancer Canada, fueling cancer research and helping to fund treatment options and support services for those battling prostate cancer.
  

   So...want to get involved? 

   Andrew is growing a moustache behind that cookie, and we would love it if you supported the cause.  For every $5 you donate through Andrew's pledge page, you will be entered into draw for a Steveston Cookie Company gift basket!

  Follow the link below to donate!  Be sure to fill in your name and a correct email address that we can reach you with.  The email address does not show up on the pledge page after you donate, but it does get emailed to Andrew so that we are able to contact you later. 

  Every little bit helps, and aside from helping a great cause, you might win a sweet treat for yourself as well :)  Thanks for all the support!!!
http://ca.movember.com/mospace/1144848/

-Andrew and Mika

   Here they are, armed with chocolate chips and ready to start training!  

   We obviously do not support child labour so unfortunately you will not get the pleasure of eating cookies from these two for another fifteen years or so, but on our visit down to Seattle to hang out with our twin (yes, seriously, twins) nephews we figured it was about time they had more than a taste of the family business.

   The boys are big fans of Grandma Nam's Classic Chocolate Chip cookies, so we whipped up a variation together...

  







   Excited to get started!  These two were pretty sure that the chocolate chips should be added first, and tested for quality every minute or so. 

   Helping Uncle Andrew unwrap the butter.

In goes the sugar!

   Carefully measuring out the brown sugar.

   The almost finished product.... not looking too bad, and not too much of a mess on the table or the babies :)

  








Eagerly awaiting our treats! 

  Enjoying their finished cookies! 

   Cooking with wee ones is fun ...especially if you get to do it in someone else's kitchen!  These two are actually experienced chefs and have been cooking and baking with their momma for quite a while now.  They are only just past two, but through these experiential learning experiences have expanded their vocabulary and learned how to behave in these situations.  Cooking with children gives you an opportunity to teach and reinforce ideas about safety, being careful, sharing, creating, etc., all while having fun and making something (hopefully!) delcious.

  For more ideas about what to do with your little ones, or what to do in Seattle, check out my sister's Examiner articles... all about enjoying life with twins in the Emerald City.  The articles are based out of Seattle and directed at parents of multiples, but have a universal appeal for mommas and poppas with broods of all sizes.  http://www.examiner.com/parenting-multiples-in-seattle/terumi-pong

Happy baking!
Mika