The Burns’ Family Blog & The Confection Chronicles

So it hit me just now as I was reading Lindsay’s blog “Anyone Hungry” that most of my great customers don’t know the story behind my Carolina Cake Truffles.  Lindsay and Emily Page taste tested some cake truffles today and, to my delight, loved them (you can read about the experience here).  I am always excited to hear reviews after someone tastes them for the first time — it makes all the hard work that goes into them worth every minute!

In 2000 or 2001, I took my first cake decorating class ever.  Medical transcription is pretty much the same day in and day out, and I really needed a creative outlet.  I had always enjoyed baking, but oddly I had never (yes, never) decorated a cake.  I finally bought a shiny new Wilton Blue’s Clues pan and gave it a shot for a family birthday.  I followed the directions exactly, and it took HOURS!  My kitchen was a wreck, but the final product was great and everyone loved it.  The next morning, I signed up for a class. 

My sister and I made the trek each week to Southern Pines for our classes and I truly loved it.  She made it through the first set of classes, but really had no desire to continue.  I went on my own until I had completed everything my instructor had to offer.  I spent the next couple of years making A LOT of cake — cake for family, friends, church functions, work functions…anything that required a cake!  And with each cake came “cake scraps” (I know it sounds appetizing and glamorous)!!  Cake scraps typically would consist of the “dome” on the top of each cake that would have to be cut off to make the cake level.  If I made a lot of cake that week, then there were lots of scraps.  I just could not bring myself to throw them away, and eventually started stockpiling them in the freezer thinking I would find some purpose for them. 

After a couple of years of baking for family and friends, I decided to have my kitchen inspected and have a real business.  Things started out slowly at first, but after a while, I was busier and busier — and guess what grew…the cake scraps!!  Everytime I threw them away, I felt so guilty that perfectly good cake was going to waste.

OK – if you are still reading after all this blah, blah, blah, this is the birth of the Carolina Cake Truffle – Finally one day I set out to find a use for these Ziploc bags full of cake.  I tried several different things, but finally tried mixing them with a secret ingredient (hey, I can’t tell all my secrets!) and rolling them in powdered sugar.  This was quite tasty, but something was still missing.  

While dipping some chocolate-covered strawberries, I decided I would try to dip the balls of cake also.  Oh.my.goodness!!  It was delicious.  Everyone who would visit my house was forced to try them, and every person said “wow, you should sell these.”  I didn’t think too much of it at the time.  I would take them to parties and serve them to guests, and that was it. 

Fast forward a year or so…boy meets girl, etc., etc., etc., and I married this wonderful man, AKA Mr. Amy now (ha!), who was more supportive than I could have ever imagined!  He encouraged me to start selling them.  The first “cake balls” were sold in plain white bakery boxes and were really nothing fancy.  Kim Pritt mentioned the folks that she works with buying them, and boy did they ever!!  Those ladies really got the ball rolling for me.  From there, a local gift shop wanted to sell them, which also brought another loyal customer base.  It was then that we decided they needed a new name.  Cake balls just didn’t get it…so, being Carolina born and bred, they became Carolina Cake Truffles.  They were revamped with a new shape and the packaging that we use today. 

Fast forward again to 2008…of course, I can no longer use cake scraps to make the truffles.  We bake huge cakes that are then transformed the next morning into truffles.  At our Shops of Steele Street location, people actually call in the morning to “reserve” their truffles to make sure they get them before they run out that day.  I can’t believe there is actually a “Carolina Cake Truffle Waiting List!”  A lot of work goes into each little truffle, as they are completely hand-crafted from start to finish, and they are truly a labor of love – love for my product and my customers.  I have met so many people and made so many friends thanks to these truffles! 

Since opening our online store last year, our Carolina Cake Truffles have been all over the world!!  They have actually been to more states and more countries than I have! 

An old friend who I hadn’t talked with in years happened to pop in the shop a month or two ago.  She then sent the sweetest email about how much she loved the truffles.  Since then, she has sent so many new customers my way, and she says her new project is to get the truffles on Oprah!  Another long-time truffle customer is also always trying to get me some added press.  I have promised them if either one gets us in a major magazine or on Oprah, then they get free truffles for life!!

I haven’t posted any cake pictures lately.  I have created several over the last month or so that I have been very pleased with. 

An All-White Wedding Cake — Most cakes that I do are covered in bright colors and funky shapes.  When a very special customer wanted an all-white cake, I was very excited!  They chose a beautiful design and I was very happy with the end result!

This pink and green cake was from this past weekend.  The bride and I have been discussing her cake for probably two or three years.  I was so excited to see the final design.  I hope she was happy with it!

You can’t really see the details on this cake, but I thought this was a really cool picture.  It was white icing with silver luster swirls and blue ribbon around the base of each tier.  The bride found a beautiful monogram topper that was a beautiful finishing touch!

I haven’t had a lot of time to blog lately — so much has been going on — some good, some not so good! 

The most fabulous, wonderful, magnificant thing is… (drumroll please)…I got a new job!!!  I will still be doing transcription from home, but my hours are going to be very different, but the new hours will actually give me a lot more time to get things done for the confection company.  I can’t wait to start!

I ran into fellow blogger Kim Pritt while celebrating my birthday with my in-laws last week at Myra’s Kitchen (shocking, I know).  It is always nice talking with Kim.  She is busy working on the CIS Gala.  I will post more about that later, but Jonathan and I both LOVE the CIS Gala.  It is my favorite event of the year, and it is for such a great cause.  Myra is also going to participate in the gala, and I cannot wait to see taste what she will prepare!

The waitresses at Myra’s were so sweet and gave me banana pudding (delicious!) and sang happy birthday.  It made my dinner extra special!  As usual, dinner was delicious.  I think we are going back again tonight. 

For the rest of my “birthday week,” Jonathan took me to LobSteer in Southern Pines the day before my birthday for our “birthday date.”  That was his first time there, and we both loved it!

On my actual birthday day, mom cooked all of my favorites.  It was great to get to enjoy it with Jonathan, the boys, my granny, my sister, my parents, and my uncle (who never comes to anyone’s birthday celebration, so I felt honored).  Emily Page asked if someone made me a cake, and I told her that none of my family would dare make me a birthday cake!  I’m sure I would love it, but they won’t even give it a try!  The last few years, my sister has gotten me ice cream cakes each year and we all enjoy them (and still are since there is plenty left in mom’s freezer)!

Overall, it was a great birthday.  Last year, I turned 30, and I am actually a little ashamed to say that it was a rough day — not because I felt old or anything like that (yes, I know that 30 is not old), but more because I thought my life would be a little different at 30.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my life.  I have the greatest husband in the world, two wonderful step-sons that I think of as my own, a great family, and a growing business.  I was just one of those women who always said that I would have all my children before I was 30.  Then, all of the sudden, 30 hit me and…no babies!  Hopefully 31 will be the year that some miracle happens and things turn around!

My sister’s wedding is quickly approaching with only two weeks to go.  She has had showers every Sunday for the last month or so and the last one is day after tomorrow.  Last Saturday night all the girls took a trip to Raleigh for her bachelorette party, and we had a great time!  It is rare that I go out on a Saturday night, but I really had a great time!  

There is so much left to write about.  My goal this week is to try to start blogging on a regular basis again…we’ll see how that works out!!

The folks at Stepping Stones in Sanford are working really, really hard to update their playground.  You can find detailed information at Emily Page’s blog or Anyone Hungry?  They have also started a really informative new blog about the entire program here.  They are trying to raise $37,000 to make their playground accessible to ALL children — that is quite an undertaking, and they need all our help! 

Today, at the Depot Park Fourth of July festivities (which you all should be going to anyway!!), they will be selling raffle tickets and will have lots of activities for children.  Make sure to take a few extra $$ with you and stop by to help them out!

I have enjoyed Lindsay’s blog, “Anyone Hungry” for a while now.  I have tried a couple of recipes and loved them all. 

Last night, I made the Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy found here in here post http://lindsayrose.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/salisbury-steak-with-mushroom-gravy/ and it is wonderful!!!  I had never made salisbury steak for some reason.  I served it with fresh smashed potatoes right out of our garden and corn (frozen from last year’s garden). 

If you’re contemplating what to have for dinner tonight, definitely visit Lindsay over at “Anyone Hungry!”  You won’t be disappointed!

So, I was very excited to see Myra’s on the front page of The Herald this morning.  Amy’s Confection Company and I have made it to the front page of the business section a few times, but never the “big” front page!!  I know it was very rewarding for Myra and Buddy to see all of there hard work spelled out so beautifully by Jonathan Owens!

We had already planned to have Myra’s for supper tonight and we debated it after thinking it would be really swamped after the newspaper article.  Fortunately, we decided we had to have our Myra’s fix. 

Kim wanted to know if they had been busy…I think they were SWAMPED all day long!!  It was a huge crowd for a Tuesday night and they were out of a lot of different things.  Apparently I have been pegged as a country fried steak girl, because they quickly let me know they were out!

I had the pot roast with vegetables for the second or third time and, as usual, it was awesome!  Jonathan had the smothered chicken with fried okra and fried corn on the cob.  I tried the cucumber & tomato salad for the first time and I will definitely be having it again!  We have a surplus of cucumbers on our farm right now and I’m going to try making a similar recipe tomorrow. 

Myra was telling me that Kim and Emily Page had told her about all the blogging surrounding her restaurant and that she had read my blog — I told Jonathan I felt like a blog star (just kidding – sort of!). 

I was so excited Sunday when I read that Jonathan Owens was going to have a piece in the Tuesday paper about Myra’s Kitchen.  Several months ago, Kim Pritt introduced me and the other local bloggers to Myra’s through her fabulous blog.  Since then, Jonathan and I have been loyal patrons and have tried to introduce our friends and family to the quaint, country restaurant. 

Jonathan Owen’s article was great and really captured the essence of Myra’s.  We have plans to go there for dinner tonight and I’m anxious to see if there is an extra large dinner crowd due to the article.   I know there is a piece of fried corn on the cob with my name on it!

I’ll make sure to post about the scrumptious meal I am sure we will have!  If you haven’t been out to visit Myra’s, it is on Colon Road across from Turner’s Chapel Church.  If you are coming from downtown, just go to the Fairgrounds and keep going.  If you are from Tramway/Lemon Springs like us, the new bypass makes it extra easy to get there quick! 

Often Jonathan and I are so disappointed in young people we see with no manners (listen to me — young people — Ha! – I must really be getting old).  Brandon has excellent manners.  Phillip…well, let’s just say that he is still a work in progress, but we are trying so hard.  We definitely try to “practice what we preach” and exhibit good manners. 

Tonight, we have Phillip’s last ever band concert.  He has decided that he doesn’t want to take band in high school, and I must admit that I am a little disappointed.  He has taken band for two years and has had four concerts.  Jonathan and I always try to sit where there is no one on the row directly behind us or in front of us.  Always — and it never fails (the same thing also happens at the movies) — some small group of people come and sit behind us and talk or make a lot of noise or kick our chairs or something rude. 

Well, tonight was no different.  The seventh grade band had already finished, and the eighth grade band was just beginning (of course this is the part of the show we are most interested in).  In walks a group of four adults with one small child.  From the moment they came in, they were talking.  I don’t mean they were whispering…they were talking at a normal volume.  They were rattling around some type of plastic wrap. 

I have no idea which child belonged to them, but I pray that some person in that child’s life — maybe a teach or preacher or friend’s parent — will try to guide this child and help him or her with some general social graces!