The Steveston Cookie Company Blog - The Steveston Cookie Company

CRAVE Vancouver

11/18/2010

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 your moustache and eat it too!

11/8/2010

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

Introducing our new employees!

11/3/2010

   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

Aren't these guys a hoot?!

10/11/2010

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We started our Thanksgiving celebrations on Sunday with a fantastic final Steveston Farmers Market for 2010. Our classic turkey cookies disappeared early in the day and we hope that their recipients enjoyed them thoroughly! Gobble gobble!

Thanks again to everyone for your support of our little cookie business. It means a lot to us when you come visit us at the markets and follow our activity on our website, Facebook and Twitter. Your enthusiasm for what we are doing drives our creativity and inspires us to create new products and designs. Thank you!

     Speaking of inspirations, have you noticed all of the adorable owls and owl motifs that are popping up everywhere in home decor, fashion, and jewellery? I sure have! Just walking through Steveston Village the other day had me wanting to empty out my wallet on these funny little birds. In particular, the window at A Monkey Tree caught my eye with owls adorning tea towels and other kitchen goodies. http://www.amonkeytree.com/

     I also saw some owl friends in the window at Violet Hill Clothing boutique and in the change room when I was trying on a gorgeous blouse. Apparently, the owl clothes hooks in there come from one of my other absolute favourite shops in Steveston, Nikaido, which carries all things beautiful and delightful. http://violethillclothing.blogspot.com/

    Further afield from Steveston, in Gastown, I always stop for an ogle at Parliament-- an uber-stylish, yet surprisingly affordable shop for all things modern and cool for the home. 'Parliament' it turns out, is not only where our government does their business, but also the term for a group of owls. So of course, Parliament the shop is full of owl motifs, statues and other treats. http://www.parliamentinteriors.com/

    A friend of mine, talented photographer and jewellery maker Rubina Mangat, also loves owls and made me a gorgeous necklace that features a silver owl whose belly holds one of her amazing photos. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whisper-Photography-Jewels/187239068023?v=photos#!/photo.php?fbid=271629138023&set=a.187262848023.129358.187239068023

     With this owl trend growing rapidly, I couldn't wait to try out owl cookies. The result, I think, is funny and adorable. I was actually giggling a little as I put the finishing touches on these silly birds. Aren't they just a hoot? No wonder these little guys are becoming so popular!

And now off to prepare a different sort of bird for Thanksgiving dinner: Round Two! Thanks again for all of your support :)

- Mika

Cookies + Quilts = Beautifully Delicious!

9/13/2010

About a year ago, one of our fantastic fans and supporters, quilt designer extraordinaire, Dougal Walker, had the brilliant idea that we could probably turn a square cookie into a quilt block.

Now, I am ashamed to admit that I have a lovely sewing machine gathering dust in the corner of my closet. I also have several pairs of expensive jeans that have sat next to that sewing machine for over a year waiting to be shortened the extra foot or so that will enable me to actually wear them.

While my sewing skills (or lack thereof) leave much to be desired, Dougal can turn fabric into artful wall hangings and other decorative pieces full of beauty and imagination. So for our cookies she kindly introduced me to quilting magazines that show traditional and contemporary quilt blocks for inspiration... and inspired I was! I had a blast trying to turn fabric into icing once again (the first time being the tartan cookies we created almost a year ago) and the quilters at the Quilt Show recognized my cookies were quilt blocks which was exciting.

The Designer Quilt Show at Tanglebank Gardens was a lovely introduction to the world of quilting. The sun shone all day and the amazing quilts were displayed throughout the gardens. We had fun talking to visitors about quilts and cookies, and enjoyed the company of a delightful orange cat named Mr. Tubbs. All in all, a fantastic day.

If you want to check out Tanglebank Gardens we hear they have an amazing Christmas display in their stylish gift shop. http://tanglebank.com/

If you want to try your hand at quilting, or if you just want to learn more about Dougal Walker and her beautiful quilts, her designer label is "The Freckles Collection." http://frecklescollection.com

Our next Steveston Farmers Market is on September 26th... hopefully it isn't as rainy as it was this week! We are taking orders for Thanksgiving, so if you want to make sure you have turkey cookies for your Thanksgiving table place settings, get your orders in now -- there are no minimums if you pick up at a future market (Sept 26th or October 10th Thanksgiving).

-Mika

Wedding Spotlight: Brock and Thyra

8/27/2010

   Brock and Thyra's wedding was one of many this summer for which we had the privilege of creating some cookie favors! They decided on a colour scheme based on a regal purple, a very popular colour for weddings this year.
   Their lovely invitations were not blue and black as my poor quality photo suggests, but rather white with a purple edge and a swirl motif.  The bridesmaid dresses were purple and gorgeous, and all of the flower arrangements and bouquets featured some dark purple blooms as a base with brighter pink accents.
   To round out this theme, we created cookie favors with a white cake shape, dark purple text and a variation of the swirl motif from the invitations. Purple satiny ribbon finished them off and provided a nice extention of their colour scheme for each place setting on the tables.
   Finally, remembering how hungry we were after neglecting the delicious buffet at our own wedding in all of the excitement, Andrew and I put together a little snack basket for the couple to be sent to their hotel room in case they felt the same way. We put in some extra wedding favors and a dozen of Grandma Nam's Classic Choc Chip, along with some tea from one of our favourite gift shops in Steveston. Yum!
   Congratulations Brock and Thyra and wishing you all the best for a long and happy life together :)
-Mika

School's Out For the Summer!!

6/25/2010

Well it is technically summer now, and many signs that it is indeed time to break out the flip flops and shorts are starting to appear (kind of...come on Mr. Sun!) but none more so than that circled date on our calendars...the last day of school! Congratulations to all the students who have worked hard all school year and are now ready for a break and some new adventures. Congratulations also to our fellow teachers who have worked hard all school year and are now ready for a break and some new adventures :)
Being teachers, June is an extremely busy month with all kinds of celebrations and wrap up activities going on. It is also at the end of this month that we say goodbye to graduating students, retiring colleagues, and teachers and students moving to new schools for the fall. The absolute classic book for these moments is Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go" (one of our all-time-favourites!!!) and with this in mind we created our cookie version of the inspirational title. We think these make a great gift for graduates and retirees, or perfect party favours for the celebrations that follow.
Big thank yous are also in order as here at the Steveston Cookie Company we have been extra busy in the past few months and we have all of our awesome customers to thank for that! May and June have been very busy with retirements, graduations, wedding showers, baby showers and more! And of course, we have been busy with our dear Steveston Farmers' and Artisans' Market. Thank you to everyone who comes by our booth when we are there to say 'hi', and to pick up some treats. At the Market you'll always find some classic Steveston Cookie Company cookies such as our Flocks of Seagulls and Steveston Boats, along with some seasonal specials and other surprises. Check out our photo galleries to see some pictures of what we have been up to, or send us an email if you want to request that we make something in particular for the Steveston Farmers' Market when we are there.
-Mika

Spring has Sprung!

5/1/2010

Ok, so we're a liiiittle slow coming out of hibernation :) Actually, we've been busy with cookies through the Olympics, and now gearing up for wedding season with showers, parties and other fun events. You can see some photo updates in our cookie designs. We will get to a proper blog post soon, but if you're looking for something to read, and if you haven't read it yet, we were approached by Steveston journalist, Jodie Blaney back in February for an article. Check it out! http://www.examiner.com/x-31360-Vancouver-Sustainable-Foods-Examiner~y2010m2d6-Contemporary-chic-cookes-made-locally

And if you're thinking about ordering cookies for a wedding event, school graduation, or retirement party, it's never too early to contact us and get the creative juices flowing (and your cookie order date secured!)

-Mika

Happy February!

2/7/2010

Oh dear... this was supposed to be a Happy New Year post, but we don't know where January went! Things are getting pretty exciting in Vancouver with a certain major sporting event coming to the city and surrounding suburbs in just a few more days. We admit it... we have a raging case of Olympic Fever! We are very excited about the Olympics and hope to partake in as many of the festivities as possible over the next few weeks.

With all this excitement we just about forgot a certain lovey dovey day that is also quickly approaching... ok, we didn't forget at all... we have had a few Valentine's Day cookie ideas stewing for awhile and we are pleased to unveil some more original designs! For the first time, we have combined chocolate with our traditional cookies and we think the results are majorly delicious!
See more photos of our Valentine's Day cookies and more in our updated Cookie Design galleries, 'Kids and Babies' and 'Seasonal'.

Go, Canada go!!!!
-Mika

Christmas Craft Fair Success!

12/3/2009

This post is a little late, but Andrew and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at the Steveston Christmas Craft fair on November 28th and made our day such a success! Once again we had fun chatting with people from the Steveston Community and beyond. During the day we met Tina Mathews, a fellow Steveston resident and blogger who stopped by our booth to say hello. Check out her post about the day at www.stevestonlife.com . We have also updated our Seasonal Cookie Designs, so check out some of the new stuff we've dreamed up for the holidays.... and now back to baking!
Thanks again!
-Mika