| Cookies by Design transforms traditional gift giving
Giving the gift of flowers and sweets has been a long time tradition for people who want to show affection or appreciation for someone else.
However, when Gwen Willhite introduced the cookie bouquet in 1983, the two gifts formed a new tasty creation.
These edible bouquets consisted of custom-shaped, hand-decorated sugar cookies. They were placed on sticks and arranged in baskets to resemble a flower bouquet.
Manager Kristi Keith of the Cookies by Design shop in Normal said that this is a practical gift idea because real flowers are not edible and have to be thrown away when they begin to wilt.
"You can look at the cookies for a little and then you get to eat them," she said. "You can't do that with flowers."
Cookies by Design started out as a budding enterprise for Willhite but soon blossomed into something much more.
Wicked feeling
PERFECTION in every bite is the enticing promise at Monbulk specialty patisserie Wickedly Delicious Patisserie Cafe.
As if the name by itself were not sufficient to lure the most dedicated gourmet pastry devotee, then one bite of the wickedly delicious cakes, pastries, gourmet savoury products, chocolate creations and desserts will be all it takes.
This delicious fare, accompanied by superb coffee, is made on the premises by Helena Panasewycz, the award-winning pastry chef and owner of Wickedly Delicious.
Helena, who completed her apprenticeship at a prestigious establishment in the Yarra Valley, has been a bright star in the pastry industry for 14 years during which time she has travelled overseas and throughout Australia to gain experience.
Helena was awarded the gold medal pastry award in Workskills in 1998 and competed in the highly esteemed Bakeskills competition.
Home builder MDC, Red Robin set pace for state gains
An index of Colorado stocks rose for the third consecutive week, led by MDC Holdings Inc., Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. and Credo Petroleum Corp. The Bloomberg Rocky Mountain News Index, a price- weighted list of companies based in the state, climbed 2.64, or 0.6 percent, to 422.51. Advancing stocks outnumbered those that rose, 64 to 44. Home builder MDC Holdings Inc. rose $3.57, or 7.3 percent, to $52.82. Eric Landry, an analyst at Morningstar Inc., said recently the company will have the "last laugh" after being criticized for not buying enough land during the housing boom. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. rose $2.27, or 5.8 percent, to $41.66. Destin Tompkins, a Morgan Keegan & Co. analyst, on April 16 raised his rating on the hamburger chain to "outperform" from "market perform." Credo Petroleum jumped $2.24, to $15.11 for the week.
Marlyn Monette: Baton Rouge cook delivered stylish food, big ...
While browsing through my cookbooks recently, I came across one of my favorites I would love to share with you -- "Too Good to be True," written by my late friend Chet Beckwith, of Baton Rouge. Besides this memorable cookbook, Chet also wrote a food and entertainment column for Baton Rouge's InRegister magazine for many years and was a colorful personality in the area.
In the early days, after moving to south Louisiana from Houston, Chet was long known as a master of fashion, serving as general manager and buyer for Goldrings in Baton Rouge for 20 years before opening his own boutique, CheBeck, which he owned and operated for 10 years. It wasn't until after retirement Chet had time to indulge his first passion, cooking, and he went on to make a name for himself as a gourmet cook.
SEEN/Spring cleaners
Dishing it out: Doing dishes by hand might not be so bad after all, thanks to the spicy citrus scent of Home Thymes' Mandarin Coriander dishwashing liquid. It's $8 for a 16-ounce bottle at Aromatherapy Essentials, 326 Main St., Huntington, or Thymes.com.
Top mop: Method's omop uses a combination of microfiber sweeping and mopping cloths with a cleanser that makes wood floors gleam. Bonus: The ergonomically designed handle reduces back-bending. A starter kit, which includes the omop, 14 ounces of wood cleanser, a microfiber pad and three sweeping cloths, costs $24.99 at Target stores, or $30 at Methodhome.com.
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