Capital Confectioners

HB 970 Needs a Vote! Call the Lt. Gov!

kimberlychapman — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:51:29 +0000

HB 970 – the updated cottage food law for Texas – was unanimously voted out of Senate committee this morning. The full text of it is here.

Next it moves to a Senate vote, but only if Lt. Governor Dewhurst picks it to be voted upon.

The Texas Baker’s Bill folks provided this information on their Facebook page for what needs to be done next:

To get this bill out of the Senate, do two things:
1. Call or email David Dewhurst, Lt. Governor, and tell him you support HB 970 and want it to be voted on by the Senate and sent to the Governor for signature. (512)463-0001 or http://www.ltgov.state.tx.us/contact.php

2. Call your own Senator (except Deuell or Schwertner; Deuell is the Sponsor, and Schwertner is becoming a Co-Sponsor) and ask them to Co-Sponsor the bill and vote YES on it so that it can become law. Call (512)463-4630 for the Capitol Switchboard and give the operator your zip code; they will be able to connect you with your Senator. You can also email your Senator through their page on the Senate site. http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/Members.htm

If you care about your rights to sell baked goods from your home kitchen, you need to make these phone calls first thing tomorrow during business hours. Typically calls to government officials like this are very quick: tell them what bill you want voted on, they’ll ask you for some details to ensure you’re in the appropriate voting area, and you’re done. If you want to take time to tell them why the bill is important to you, you can, but honestly it just takes a few seconds to make it clear that you want a thing voted for and a handful of people saying so can sway a politician significantly.

So call!

Club Members Visit Frosting Creators in San Antonio

kimberlychapman — Mon, 13 May 2013 05:33:05 +0000

A few of our club members went to the 2013 Frosting Creators of San Antonio Day of Sharing on May 5. We had a lovely time with our sister cake club! One of our members, Kimberly Chapman, brought home a blue ribbon for her gummy version of the US flag.

We love introducing people from the cake world to each other and fostering partnerships that help everyone. To that end, our president Kyla Myers took one of Earlene Moore’s tiara molds over to the Simi Cakes booth for some isomalt.

Michelle Galprin helped Kyla get the isomalt into the mold, and below is a photo of Irene Hackbarth (our treasurer), Kyla, Michelle, and Gwen Drake (our historian) working to get the piece out of the mold:

Having quality molds and quality isomalt makes decorating easier!

It worked very well, as you can see from this photo later at Earlene’s booth:

Such amazing possibilities with these products!

We love our vendor partners and friends, and it was great seeing them at such a lovely event. Thank you to Frosting Creators and everyone involved!

Oklahoma Cottage Food Bill Update

kimberlychapman — Mon, 06 May 2013 02:37:58 +0000

We support other states trying to get cottage food laws enacted so more home bakers across the country have the freedom to sell their wares.

We got an update from our friends in Oklahoma the other day with this news about their petition:

Dear Cottage Food Law Supporters,
I wanted to personally thank you all for your continued support! We are almost to 4000 signatures!! I am emailing you all to congratulate YOU! As a result of this petitition and the efforts of Mary Jane Newlon, Representative Roberts of Durant and his co-authors, Governor Fallin signed the Home Bakery Act of 2013 (House Bill 1094) on April 15, 2013. I have enclosed a link for the bill for those who would like to read it in it’s entirity, but here are the highlights:

-Home bakeries may make $20,000 Gross in Sales yearly
-Baked good may not contain fruit or meat (this includes fillings)
-Home bakeries do NOT require a license to operate
-Food must be properly labeled with name and address where it was baked, including the name of the item
-Inlcude label, “Made in a home food establishment not licensed by tthe State Department of Health.”
-Effective November 1, 2013

Link to the House Bill 1094

While this is not a Cottage Food Law as they are designed, this is certainly a step in the right direction. Please note that this bill does NOT included canning or any item outside of baked goods.

Again, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart for the continued support. This is a great step in the right direction for Oklahoma!

Sincerely,

Tina Curtis
Originator of Cottage Food Law Petition

If you are in Oklahoma or have friends who are, please sign/pass this information and petition on.

Austin Bakes for West

kimberlychapman — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:19:27 +0000

Just got an email via Bake a Wish that there will be a bake sale to benefit West, TX hosted by Austin Bakes. Details and a sign-up form to bake or volunteer can be found here.

HB970 And Why It’s Important

kimberlychapman — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:44:11 +0000

If you live in Texas and sell cakes out of your home – even occasionally or if you might want to in the future – you need to be aware of House Bill 970 and how it can affect home bakers.

Our club’s own Kelley Masters has been on the forefront of home baker law in Texas for ages. She runs an excellent website resource at http://www.texascottagefoodlaw.com/ and a Facebook page that has regular updates here. She sums up the key elements of the bill on her site this way:

The bill:

Expands the list of allowed foods

Lets you sell at a location other than your home

Prohibits municipalities from outlawing cottage food operations through zoning.

If you can get to the Capitol when the Facebook page lists events, please do. And everyone should call their representative and ask them to support HB970. If you’ve got a personal story to share why this bill would benefit you, be sure to tell them that. There’s a lobby out there trying to keep this bill from passing, so your voice is key to maintaining and expanding your right to sell baked goods from your home. See Kelley’s How to Help section for more ways to get involved and have your voice heard.

Groupon Deal and Deadlines

kimberlychapman — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:58:30 +0000

Our cake show has a fabulous Groupon deal that just started, but has limited quantities. So grab it while you can and tell a friend!

Also remember that the deadline to enter a cake, pre-register for a class, or get discounted online general admission tickets is February 15. So sign up now to avoid missing the competition, higher costs, longer lines, and full classes at the show!

You can also still sign up to volunteer or buy a t-shirt online, but after February 15 you have to take what’s available at the show itself.

Hope to see you at the show!

On-Site Competitions at the Cake Show

kimberlychapman — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:39:42 +0000

That Takes the Cake! has two special on-site competitions this year – a Cake Club Cake-Off Challenge (Saturday 2:30 – 4:30) and a Speed Wedding Cake Competition (Sunday 12:30 – 2:00). Email Jennifer Bartos if you are interested in participating and she will send you more information.

Craftsy Partners

kimberlychapman — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 04:23:26 +0000

Capital Confectioners is happy to announce Craftsy as a new sponsor for the “That Takes the Cake” Sugar Art Show & Cake Competition this year! We’ve got an exciting partnership lined up that will involve hands-on demonstrations. More details coming soon, but for now we’d like to help spread word about their current Groupon for 50% off the cost of their excellent video classes: http://www.groupon.com/deals/craftsy-5

Early Bird Registration About To End

kimberlychapman — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 07:21:13 +0000

Make It Sweet’s latest newsletter is all about our cake show and the upcoming deadlines so be sure to check it out and register for the cake show here! Early bird registration ends on January 18 so sign up now to get a discount.

Job Posting: Crema Bakery is Looking For a Decorator

kimberlychapman — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:35:43 +0000

From Jessica, the owner:

Crema Bakery & Cafe, a new spot opening in Southwest Austin, is looking for a baker/cake decorator with a passion for quality, creativity and great customer service. We’re looking for someone who can help elevate Crema become a destination for customers who crave delicious, scratch-made goodies, including breakfast pastries, cakes, pies, cake balls, fudge and whatever else we feel like putting in the cases. (Yes, you WILL have a say in what’s on the menu!) In addition to baking, this person will be responsible for consulting with clients and bringing their visions for custom cake creations to life.

The cafe is scheduled to open just before Valentine’s Day. Still working out the schedule and hours/compensation… honestly, that will depend on how busy we are. (In other words, the quicker we start building a reputation for AWESOME, the more hours will be available!) You will need a City of Austin registered food handlers permit before you can come to work.

If you’re interested, please send an email to Jessica at info@objectsofconfection.com. Please include a resume, a sentence about why this job appeals to you and some pictures of your work or link to your website. If you have questions, send those along too.