The Latest from the Shop

As we stand here looking
At the flags upon these graves
Know these flags represent
A few of the true American brave

They fought for their Country
As man has through all of time
Except that these soldiers lying here
Fought for your country and mine

As we all are gathered here
To pay them our respect
Let's pass this word to others
It's what they would expect

I'm sure that they would do it
If it were me or you
To show we did not die in vain
But for the red, white and blue.

Let's pass on to our children
And to those who never knew
What these soldiers died for
It's the least we can do

Let's not forget their families
Great pain they had to bear
Losing a son, father or husband
They need to know we still care

No matter which war was fought
On the day that they died
I stand here looking at these flags
Filled with American pride.

So as the bugler plays out Taps
With its sweet and eerie sound
Pray for these soldiers lying here
In this sacred, hallowed ground.

Take home with you a sense of pride
You were there Memorial Day.
Celebrating the way Americans should
On this solemnest of days. 

Michelle Keim - 1999

 

"They always looked back before turning the corner. For their mother was always at the window to nod and smile, and wave their hand at them. Somehow it seemed as if they couldn't have got through the day without that, for whatever their mood might be, the last glimpse of that motherly face was sure to affect them like sunshine". -- Louisa May Alcott

We've created 7 different boards full of pictures, ideas, and pie stories. To find them and begin to follow us and re-pin us, just click on the Pinterest logo in the top left corner of any of our webpages. Happy pinning!!

On April 25th Linda and Stephanie traveled to Orlando Florida to compete at the National Pie Championships. Stephanie competed in both the Commercial Division, Independent Bakery, competition and Linda competed in the Professional Division competition. Below is a message from Linda...

"Friends - It just wasn't our year down in Orlando. We are disappointed, of course, but more than grateful to all of you for supporting us and loving our pies like you do. It is very hard to win down here, but having sixteen first place ribbons and two Best-in-Shows awards on our walls already is something we are very proud of! So we are moving on to tomorrow with grateful hearts as we have lots of exciting national things going on that we will share with you soon...Thanks for cheering us on and making us feel as special as you all do. Love you! Eat pie, and love life!"

Mother's Day is just a few weeks away! Here is the list of the pies and other sweet treats we'll be making. To order, call the shop at (517) 669-9300

PIES - Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry, Cherry ...Berry Berry, Cherry Rhubarb, Cherry Raspberry, Blueberry Raspberry, Blackberry Raspberry, Coconut Cream, Raspberry Coconut Cream, Raspberry Cream, Banana Cream, Chococate Cream, Lemon Meringue, Keylime, Keylime Raspberry, Pecan, Lemon Pecan Chess.

CAKES - Coconut Angel Food Bundt Cake, Cherry Chip Angel Food Bundt Cake, Carrot Bundt Cake

Farm markets start in Michigan the first week of May. This year we'll be bringing our baked goodies to three farm markets around Central Michigan. Starting on Wednesday May 2nd. (and every Wednesday after tha...t) we'll be at the Fulton Street Farmer's Market in Grand Rapids. Starting on Saturday May 5th (and every Saturday after that) we'll be at Meridian Farmer's Market in Okemos, and starting on Sunday May 6th (and every Sunday after that) we'll be at the Howell Sunday Farmer's Market in downtown Howell. We'll be bringing our yummy pies to sell. We hope to see you there!!

For more information about each of the markets, check out the following links
Meridian Farmer's Market
Fulton Street Farmer's Market
Howel Sunday Farmer's Market

For those of you you didn't get to see photos from last year's National Pie Championships, here is our Facebook album... enjoy!

National Pie Championships - 2011

In just a couple weeks Linda and our bakery manager Stephanie will head down to Florida to compete at the 2012 National Pie Championships. The competition will be held on April 27th and 28th at the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando. This year we have some pretty amazing pie entries to tempt the judges taste buds.... but we're keeping them under wraps till then. All we can say is that they are awesome tasting!!

On Saturday April 28th and Sunday April 29th the Great American Pie Festival will be held at Lakeside Park in Celebration Florida. If any of you will be down in Florida during that time, be sure to stop by the Pie Festival, it's a ton of fun!

Some charming tips for your Easter Dinner... from the Betty Crocker Hostess Cookbook (1967). 

"Planning the Party - Decide what you are going to wear and see that it is cleaned and pressed. Choose a simple costume - no billowing sleeves or skirts, nothing too tight.  Fashion points can be a handicap in the kitchen. "

Wonderful Weiner Crown Roast.

One of my family's favorite dishes for Sunday dinner! This dish makes a SMASHING presentation! The nitrate juices from the hot dogs simply glisten when prepared to perfection!

APRIL FOOl!

Can you believe we found this recipe in one of our retro cookbooks?!

Easter will soon be here. Be sure to call the shop (517.669.9300)as soon as you can to order your Easter pie.

Below is a list of the pies we'll be making...

Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry, Cherry Berry Berry, Cherry Rhubarb, Cherry Raspberry, Blueberry Raspberry, Blackberry Raspberry, Coconut Cream, Raspberry Coconut Cream, Raspberry Cream, Banana Cream, Chococate Cream, Lemon Meringue, Keylime, Keylime Raspberry, Pecan, and Lemon Pecan Chess.

We'll also be making Coconut Angel Food Bundt Cake, Cherry Chip Angel Food Bundt Cake, Carrot Bundt Cake, Easter Egg Sugar Cookies
(1/2 dozen minimum)... and Quiche - Bacon & Cheddar, Ham & Swiss, or Spinach & Feta.

"Then with with good friends... and good food on the board,
and good wine in the pitcher,
we may well ask, when shall we live if not now?"
-- M. K. F. Fisher
 

MENU

Linda's Amazing Mac & Cheese
A crisp salad of fresh spring greens
Crusty Ciabatta rolls
A good bottle of Merlot
Our Key Lime Raspberry pie

Linda's Amazing Mac & Cheese

This Mac & Cheese recipe is based on the Kraft 1920’s advertisement recipe found in magazines at that time. I updated it a bit to give it a bit more flavor zing. Mom Hundt introduced me to a similar version when John and I first started dating. I have been in love ever since. Family and friends are always thankful when I make it for them, and yours will be too! 

• ¼ C. butter plus 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• ¼ C. flour
• 1 Tbsp. minced white onion (Vidalia if possible)
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• 2 C. milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• Dash black pepper
• 1 ½ C. sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ C. white cheddar cheese
• 2 C.  cooked and drained elbow macaroni 

On medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. butter and olive oil. Add onion, fresh thyme until tender and light brown – stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add ¼ C. butter until melted, add flour, salt & pepper to make paste. While stirring, gradually add milk until mixed, then 1 C. of sharp cheddar and 1 C. of white cheddar cheese until melted and thickened. Add cooked macaroni until well mixed. Pour into buttered 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheeses on top of macaroni. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Spring has sprung, flowers are blooming, and the trees and bushes are budding. Here at the the shop we've got Spring Fever! So we thought we'd share some of our favorite Spring and Easter photos with you...

We are already sending hundreds of copies of our seasonal "Sweetie News" newsletter to folks via email. (We hope you are one of the folks who are already getting it.) However, in the next few weeks we'll also be able to email folks...

* Announcements of special events at the shop
* Monthly digests of the recipes we post on our website
* E-Coupons that you can print out and bring into the shop for super savings

To receive these new things, you need to tell us which ones you want to receive, as well as provide us with your email address

If you haven't signed up yet, scroll down the homepage to the "Email Signup" section, check any of the four email features you wish to receive, type in your email address, and press the Submit button. It's that easy!

If you've already signed up to receive the newsletter via email, scroll down the homepage to the "Email Signup section, and check any of the three new features we've added (It's not necessary to check the newsletter feature a second time.) Then type in your email address, and press the Submit button.

(From Secrets of the Great Old Timey Cooks -- Barbara Swell) 

Old time kitchen adages --  

A fat kitchen - a lean will.  

A rotten apple spoils his companion.  

Don't fall out with your bread and butter. 

Our warm homemade Meatloaf Sandwich is a favorite with everyone! It is served on grilled Great Harvest white bread along with  crispy bread-and-butter pickles, onion straws, lettuce, and tangy barbeque sauce. We only serve them on Mondays, so be sure and stop in to try one soon. You'll be glad you did!

Our brand new Turkey Cobb Sandwich is loaded with sliced white meat of turkey, crisp maple bacon, fresh avocado, red onion, and tomato slices. It is served on grilled Great Harvest white bread with real mayo and our sweetie cheeseball spread. It's an awesome treat for your taste buds... come in a try one soon!

Every year just about this time - when the days are getting longer and the spring thaw has begun - is when folks all over Michigan start collecting maple sap and making maple syrup. The maple sugaring season is about 4-6 weeks long here in Michigan. Did you know that maple trees must be at least 35 years old in order to tap them? Did you know that one maple tree can produce between 9 -13 gallons of sap per year?  Did you know that it takes 40-50 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup?! 

This year Sweetie-licious is celebrating the Michigan Maple Syrup Season by featuring some new sweet and savory "Maple-licious" treats - including tasty maple oatmeal scones, tempting  pumpkin maple nut muffins, rich maple praline buttercream brownies, amazing new chocolate maple cream pie, and our yummy new maple bacon and three cheese sandwich.  Of course, we'll also have our  awesome maple oatmeal cookies for you to enjoy...

If you're looking for an awesome breakfast treat or dessert, be sure to click on our recipe for Merry Maple Dumplings

We'll be featuring some of our favorite cherry recipes for the rest of the month. Be sure to stop back often to find a new one you can try!

We've been collecting vintage valentines that have a pie theme. We've been able to find quite a few... some you might even remember receiving or sending... We thought we'd share these with you this Valentine's Day! 

Love from all of us at Sweetie-licious

From Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining (1959)

"The hostess who thinks of her party as a gift to her friends can't go wrong - a gift of people with whom they''ll have fun, a gift of food they will enjoy - a gift of herself by having food ready to serve without confusion - and a gift of confidence by letting them know what kind of a party is planned and how to dress for it."

 Cheese Crispies

2 C. flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 C. butter
10 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
2 C. Rice Crispies
¼ C. toasted sesame seeds 

Combine dry ingredients and cut in slightly softened butter. Add cheese, rice cereal, sesame seeds and mix well. Place tablespoon size balls on a cookie sheet and press them flat. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Very yummy!

Please join us at the shop, and on Facebook and our Website, on Tuesday February 7th as we celebrate a pioneer local food personality - Martha Dixon. “Martha Dixon Day” will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm. Ms. Dixon hosted a popular cooking television program during the 1950's-60's, “The Copper Kettle” on WJIM, TV 6, in Lansing, Michigan. She was our local, Julia Child. Her show was a must-see every week for homemakers in the area. On that day we will be serving up some of Martha's wonderful dishes!

In addition WLNS (Channel 6) will be broadcasting from the shop between 6-7 am that day!  Please stop into the shop if you'd like to share your memories of Martha live on television. Otherwise, please stop in to try some of Martha's wonderful food that we'll be cooking, to write down your memories of her in our book, and to join the celebration for a very special woman many of us fondly remember!

Linda's trip to the Big Apple was a huge success! Not only was her speech at the National Retail Federtion's National Conference attended by over 300 folks, but everyone loved the lemon cherry bomb cookies she gave everyone after her talk. After the conference Linda and her best friend Kim went on a tour of local NYC bakeries... lots of great looking cupcakes and cheesecakes, but alas no great pie!  After that Linda met with her literary agent who will be working to get Linda's cookbook published... and to top it off Linda and Kim got tickets to the Letterman show.... Sounds like a successful and fun trip on lots of levels!!

Speaking at the National Retail Federation National Conference 

Linda's presentation visuals 

Excited to be in New York City!! 

Checking out NYC bakeries

 Linda loves New York cheesecake!

Linda and best friend Kim in Times Square

Linda meeting her literary agent in a French bistro

We got tickets to Letterman!! Yea!!

What pie is made with "pie-plant?" Pie plant is an old fashioned name for rhubarb, as it was the only way pioneers could make use of the stalks.

Back in in the colonial days, in the best dining rooms, the cook looked to the height and beauty of her pie's "upper crust." As time passed that term went on to mean a high social status. 

More than 1/3 of all Americans have admitted eating pie in bed. 

In the 19th century pie was a common breakfast food. 

Most Americans claim apple pie to be their favorite.

This coming Monday we'll be celebrating National Pie Day at the shop. We'll have free samples of our award-winning pies available, plus we'll be giving customers who order sandwiches a free slice of pie... What yummy deals... don't forget to stop into the shop!

On Monday Linda will also be appearing on WZZM's "Take 5 & Company" morning show (from 9-10 am) to share her pie baking tips with viewers in the Grand Rapids area.

Linda is speaking at the National Federation of Retailers Annual Convention in New York City this coming week. Her workshop is titled "How to be an Expert in Your Field". This is one of the biggest conventions out there... with businesses large and small all across the country attending. President Clinton is the keynote speaker.  Good luck Linda... and have a super time!

I wrote the blog that is posted just below for my daddy's birthday picnic last September. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful memory. We all enjoyed so many family celebrations together throughout the years, with plenty of his beloved pie! Daddy passed on to heaven a few days ago and I felt I had to share with all of you my tribute to Ben McComb; as his love for people and pie was passed on to me, inspiring me to create the cutest little pie shop in the whole wide world. 

Starting with the Winter 2012 issue, our adorable newsletter (each containing a yummy recipe) will be available in both paper format and also in email format. If you would like to have "Sweetie News" sent to your email address all you have to do is go to this website's homepage and scroll down to the "Newsletter Signup" section, then type in your email address, and click on the "Submit" box. It's that easy!!

City Pulse Newspaper is once again doing its "Top of the Town" awards - looking for the best places in the area. You can vote for Sweeties in 3 categories 1) Best Dining - Bread/Bakery 2) Best Dining - Dessert (choose the 'write in' option and type in "Sweetielicious" 3) Best Shopping - Place for Sweets.

Wonderful friends....please take time to vote for Sweeties, just click on the link below!!

http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/best-of-18-top-of-the-town-awards-2012.html

Santa is leaving this morning to head back home. Here he is, along with Elfie, getting ready to drive to Lansing International Airport to catch Polar Air flight #1225 back to Mrs. Claus and all the other elves.

Santa is getting ready to head back to the North Pole, but before he does, he took a break to enjoy a piece of yummy pie.

Uh oh! We stopped into the shop early this morning and we found Santa asleep on the table surrounded by half-filled bottles of lemon, peppermint, and cherry extract. He and Elfie must have had a good time New Years Eve!

Saturday, December 31st -  8:00 am - Noon
Sunday, January 1st - Closed
Monday, January 2nd - Closed
Tuesday, January 3rd - 6:30 am - 6:00 pm

Happy New Year!!

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wisemen. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desired with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

We are no longer taking pie orders for Christmas. We will, however, be baking extra pies. If you stop into the shop after 11 am Thursday, Friday, or Saturday there will be some available for purchase. Sorry we can't hold pies over the telephone. We are still accepting pie orders for New Years...

On Thursday we'll be only serving take-out lunches. On Friday and Saturday, because of the large number of pies we are baking, we won't be able to serve any breakfast or lunch fare. We'll resume serving breakfast/lunch on Tuesday Dec. 27th.

Santa has been a wonderful help at the shop this year. Here he is handing a pie to a happy customer!

Mail orders received after Monday December 19th at 3:00 pm cannot be guaranteed for Christmas delivery.

Santa must have taken Chief Larry's advice to heart and has turned into a "Good Santa". Here he is all decked out in an adorable apron, his Sweetie pearls, and hair ribbon - ready to greet and help customers who come in the shop. Atta boy Santa!!

December 24th - 8:00 am - Noon
December 25th - Closed
December 26th - Closed
Dec 27th - 30th - 6:30 am - 6:00 pm
December 31st - 8:00 am - Noon
January 1st - Closed

Chief Larry received noise complaints from citizens that there was a guy in a red suit up on our roof "shouting at the top of his lungs something about comets and vixens". Here he is just about to cuff Santa, but Linda promised that she'd keep him quiet, and inside the shop, for the rest of the holiday season. 

We recently had our roof repaired and Santa, hearing the noise up on the roof, was reminded of the sound of reindeer hoofs, so he climbed up onto the roof to see if he could spot any of his reindeer. Here he is on the look-out for them... good luck Santa!

Every Friday Music Mike stops into the shop during lunch time to sing and play for customers. This last Friday Santa decided to make it a duet. One word of advice to Santa... don't quit your day job... please! 

Santa has definitely recovered from his squeeze down our shop exhaust hood. We are sure he's feeling better because he's gotten his sweet tooth back. Here is hungrily admiring one of our fresh-baked Holiday pies!

Linda recently spoke about being a female entrepreneur at the Country Club of Lansing and shared the vision she had for owning and operating the best little pie shop in Michigan! Pictured is Linda with the Country Clubs Marketing Director, Cathy Lazar. Everyone loved her pie demo and talk, especially the Key Lime Raspberry pie served for dessert!

Once Santa recovered from getting stuck in our exhaust hood, he positioned himself right near the front door to welcome everyone who comes into the shop. Here is is holding a sign, just in case anyone wonders who he is... (Maybe he's not as recovered as we thought he was...)

Today was the first snowfall in DeWitt. We got over 10" of it. It was amazingly beautiful.

The Snowman
Our snowman, our snowman. We've built him up in haste;
We knew not when the frost might break. We had no time to waste;
So first we gathered up the snow and piled in a heap;
For melons, ice and snowmen are things that will not keep.

Coconut Snowballs

1/2 gallon of good peppermint stick ice cream (Haagen Daz Peppermint Bark)
1 14 oz. package of shredded coconut
edible glitter - clear or white

Make ice cream balls with mini scoop or large scoop and roll in shredded coconut. Spinkle with edible glitter. Place in mini muffins wrappers. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and freeze.

Unfortunately the old guy thought the exhaust hood over our oven was a chimney and he tried to come down it. He got stuck and Linda had to help get him unstuck. From time to time we'll be posting other photos of Santa as he helps us get ready for Christmas.

While Dad carves the turkey and spoons out the fragrant stuffing, Mother serves buttery mashes potatoes, passes giblet gravy, and cranberry sauce. Harvest vegetables, crisp fruit salad, and pumpkin pie are trimmings... 

Pretty trimmings of the season – Remove cores from stem end of spiced apples, poke on ends of turkey drumsticks...or fluffy yellow chrysanthemums make the turkey drumsticks festive -snip some from your living room bouquet! 

Herb Stuffing (modified by Sweetie-licious)

• 3 quarts slightly dry bread cubed
• 4 ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 ½ tsp. salt (or to taste)
• Pepper to taste
• 1/3 C. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 C. onion chopped very fine
• 1/3 C. butter
• 1 C. chicken stock 

Melt butter in small pan on medium heat. Add onion until cooked through. Add stock. Combine bread, seasonings, parsley. Toss lightly with butter onion stock mixture. Makes 8 cups, or enough stuffing to stuff a ten-pound turkey (or place in buttered, covered casserole dish and warm in oven.)  

Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cookbook – 1961 

We opened for business on Saturday, November 19, 2005. We want to thank all our family members, friends, and employees (past and present) for helping make Sweetie-licious what it is today. We especially want to thank you, our wonderful customers, for all your support and encouragement!

It's the holiday season and we're now making Ginger Folks, complete with raisin eyes, cinnamon candy buttons, and a drizzle of our special glaze. If you remember your mom or grandma baking them, be sure to try ours... they are delicious!

 "Pick a Place for Pinsonnault", a feature aired on WLNS TV, has nominated three sweets places for Evan to visit this coming week. Please click on the link below to go to the webpage that contains the online poll ... and vote for Evan to visit Sweetiei-licious!!! Please share this information (and link) with your friends!   http://www.wlns.com/category/223192/pick

One of our newest muffin creations. It's perfect for autumn and the coming holidays. We start with yummy gingerbread muffin batter, add bittersweet chocolate, and in the middle of the muffin we put a glob of our amazing cream cheese filling. We top it with cinnamon crumble, mini chocolate chips and drizzle it with our Sweetie glaze. A super treat... perfect with your morning cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk!

These muffins feature the best tastes of autumn. We make them using our homemade buttermilk muffin batter mixed together with our fresh apple pie filling that contains lots of yummy spices. After baking them, we top them with our homemade caramel sauce mixed together with our Sweetie cream cheese glaze. We think that they're pretty close to being the perfect fall breakfast treat

We are taking pie orders for Thanksgiving. Call soon... (517) 669-9300.

Here is a list of the pies we'll be baking - Pumpkin, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake Praline, Sweet Potato, Tom's Cherry Cherry Berry, Cherry Berry Berry, Cherry Rhubarb, Cherry Raspberry, Cherry Apple, Holiday, Apple, Apple Cranberry, Caramel Apple, Apple Mince, Sticky Toffee Caramel Apple, Pecan, Sweetie-licious, Caramel Cashew Toffee, and Blackberry Raspberry. (Sorry, we can't take any cream pie orders - due to a lack of enough refrigerator space at the shop.)

We can also take orders for Gingerbread Boys and Sugar Cookies (both by the dozen), our Yummy Cheeseballs, and Carrot Bundt Cakes.

We are sure that you'll love this pie! We start out by adding creamy cheesecake filling onto the bottom pie crust. We top that with our yummy homemade pumpkin pie filling and then we sprinkle the top with pralined pecans. After it is baked we top the pie with daubs of our freshly whipped cream and then sprinkle on more pralined pecans. (This pie was voted best pumpkin pie in the Lansing area by LSJ's Noise magazine.)

You can order this pie for Thanksgiving... just call the shop at (517) 669-9300.

"You never forget a beautiful thing you have made.  Even after you eat it, it stays with you - always." -- Chef Bugnard  (Julia's beloved cooking instructor). 
Julia Child  My Life in France. (2006)

This book is absolutely charming and you will fall in love with everything about it, I promise. You will fall in love with Julia and Paul and their sweet and tender marriage. You will fall in love with Europe, especially France and its culture, sights and all the interesting people they happen upon. But mostly, you will fall in love with food, but just not any food – Julia’s food. The food she learns about, and talks about; the food she eats and is served; and of course the food she makes.  You will certainly want to be eating with her, cooking with her, and sometimes, you might even want to BE her by the end of the book.

Clearly, we love our Julia. We will always be enchanted by her unique persona, and passionate legacy for food and life!

Eat pie, love life,  xoxoxlinda

Laura's pie won the Crisco 100th Anniversary Innovation Award at the 2011 National Pie Championships. It starts out with dense sticky toffee pudding mixed with pralined pecans on top of the bottom crust. On top of that goes a layer of our homemade apple pie filling that is mixed with our homemade caramel. On top of that we put our yummy crumb topping, and then when the pie comes out of the oven we drizzle the top with more homemade caramel and more pralined pecans. A truely amazing pie!!

We are saddened to announce that the Baking Away the Blues Charity Event for Depression to be held at the Wharton Center on October 26th. has been postponed, due to lack of funding. We look forward to having a similar event next year, with hopefully many sponsors, to help fight this paralyzing illness. Thank you to Sparrow's Women Working Wonders, Wharton Center and Sweetie-licious for all your support and hard work.

If you (or your organization) are interested in being a sponsor for such an important cause, please contact Women Working Wonders at the Sparrow Foundation or Linda Hundt at Sweetie-licious.

With Gratitude - Linda Hundt
 

Now that the days are getting shorter and cooler and the trees are shedding their leaves, lots of folks tastebuds begin to crave treats made from pumpkin. We at the shop are no exception. We've put together a yummy assortment of pumpkin treats to tempt you. Pies - Pumpkin and Pumpkin Cheesecake Praline. Muffins - Pumpkin Blueberry. Cupcakes - Our Perky Pumpkin Cupcakes... and of course our amazing Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

Moist homemade little pumpkin cakes formed into pretty pillows, filled with nutmeg Sweetie buttercream frosting, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. (They taste a bit like pumpkin roll.... but are way better!)

Sparrow Foundation's Women Working Wonders and the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
present
"Baking Away the Blues" with Linda Hundt on October 26th.

Please join us as nationally award-winning and baker extraordinaire Linda Hundt, owner of Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe' in DeWitt, presents "The Six Slices of the Pie for Baking Away the Blues" to recognize National Depression Awareness Monthand talk about her own struggle with this serious medical condition.

WLNS' own Jane Aldrich will serve as emcee for the evening.

And don't miss the opportunity, immediately afterward to enjoy pastries, and learn more about resources that are available to help you - or a loved one.  Discover your own best way to "bake away the blues" from the experts at Sparrow Hospital and other mid-Michigan organizations.

Wednesday, October 26th 7:00 PM 
Wharton Center's Pasant Theatre, MSU,  East Lansing, MI

Tickets $25.00

To order tickets call 1-800-Wharton or (517) 432-2000
http://whartoncenter.com/boxoffice/performance.aspx?pid=1210

"It seems to me that our three basic needs for food, security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and the warmth and the love of it, and the hunger for it...and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied...and it is all one."

M.F.K. Fisher - The Gastronomical Me (1943)

I love to read about MFK's life experiences, and the food that weaves through her writings. The paragraph above made me teary when I first read it, because it is so true for every single person that walks this earth. Because she lived through both the World Wars, her life experiences made these words not merely a metaphor, but the literal truth as well.

I have this book on my nightstand, with this particular page turned down, so I read it often to inspire me, inspire me, inspire me to keep my love for everyone warm and rich with every piece of pie that goes out my door! 

xoxolinda

We now have two exclusive, handmade aprons made especially for us by Theresa Hundt. We designed their sweet and adorable style to fit our retro theme, but with a modern flair.

The first apron style is "The Classic Hostess" - This half-apron's retro style is indeed, classic. Its exclusive wrap-around sash and bow is stunning and oh so flattering. We have them at the shop - they are $29.99 each and come in variety of wonderful fabrics 

Our second apron style is "The Home-Keeper". It's full coverage style is flattering for all body types as it emphasizes a woman's beautiful upper body. The apron's retro style charming, yet sweetly functional. You can imagine June Cleaver wearing one while busy in her kitchen. They are so sweet. They are also available at the shop - only $19.99 each and they come in a variety of wonderful retro fabrics and colors.

Our moist and dense oatmeal cake topped with a mixture of toasted coconut, pralined pecans in a gooey brown sugar base. The perfect fall treat... and a feast for your taste buds!

Our moist homemade pumpkin cake frosted with rich Sweetie buttercream frosting and topped with a cute pumpkin gum drop. The perfect treat to bring to a tailgate party or fall family gathering.

Linda and Ellie will be part of the next episode of this popular local show which is broadcast on WLNS (CBS - Lansing). They will be demonstrating how to make a perfect pie crust. The episode will be broadcast next Monday (October 3rd) at 7 p.m. We hope you'll be able to tune in to watch!  (To see some photos taken during the taping of the show, visit our Facebook page.)

We start with a bed of red leaf lettuce, then add red onions, walnuts, raisins, fresh Michigan apple slices and top it with white cheddar crumbles and dried apricots. Served with our amazing mustard viniagrette and a slice of French bread with our homemade cheeseball. It's sooo delicious!

"Few things are more rewarding to a woman than that happy feeling she has when she knows that the food she has prepared with love and interest brings pleasure to her family, served in a setting more important than any glamorous restaurant, dinner at home!"

Margaret Rudkin - The Pepperidge Farm Cookbook (1963)

We make our super-moist lemon fridgie cakes by combining our homemade lemon sponge cake and scratch lemon pie filling. We then spoon them into mini-Bundt cake pans and stick them in the fridge to chill overnight. The next day we drizzle them with our special citrus glaze, then top them with real whipped cream, a sprinkle of white chocolate shavings, and a lemon drop. A truly toothsome treat for lemon fans!

Tomorrow  (Sept. 15th.) we'll start making our delicious homemade soups (a sure sign that autumn is here...) We'll be including the soup-of-the-day in our daily menu posts on Facebook. If you haven't tasted our soups yet, you've got a treat waiting for you! If you've tasted them, then you know why they merit a special announcement on our website. YUM!

We are now baking apple pies, caramel apple pies, apple cranberry pies, cherry apple pies, and Laura's Sticky Toffee Pudding Caramel Apple Pies (our 100th anniversary Crisco Innovation Award-winner) - all made with fresh Michigan apples.  Please call the shop (517) 669-9300 to order one.

Today (Sept. 6th.) is the last day we'll be making peach pies and muffins...until next summer. Don't despair though, we'll soon be getting tart and juicy Michigan apples and will start making apple pies, including Laura's Sticky Toffee Pudding Caramel Apple Pie (our Crisco 100th anniversary award winning pie!) We'll announce on Facebook and here on the website, when we are baking apple pies...

Starting Tuesday, Sept. 6th  we are closing at 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. We are still open at 6:30 a.m. Monday-Friday though (and 8-3 on Saturday). As always we're closed on Sunday.

The following little poem is on the title page of The Holiday Inn Cook Book and Travel Guide (1962). Inside you'll find recipes from Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Saginaw. This weeks recipe for Black Bottom pie (see the recipe section of this website) is from Kalamazoo. As you travel this holiday weekend, remember that there's great recipes to be found just about everywhere!  

A book to guide you from coast to coast
To Holiday Inns the nation's host
Recipes from North, East, South and West
The most "asked for" by many a guest
Places to see when on vacation
What to do near each Inn's location
Every day will be a holiday
With cooking the Holiday Inn way

Every year on Labor Day weekend we have lots of two-wheeled visitors from all over Michigan and around the country. This year is the 41st year that the DALMAC has been held. Bike riders travel from Lansing up to Mackinac Island and lots of them ride right through DeWitt and right by the shop. Each year lots of folks stop to get coffee, breakfast, and sweet treats "for the road".  For many folks we've become a must-stop along the way. Each year we also try to take pics of many of our visitors.

If you click on the link below you'll be able to see more pics of some of the nice folks who've stopped at the shop this year!
http://www.sweetie-licious.com/Photos/tabid/73/AlbumID/437-26/Default.aspx

[Read More...]

What a surprise we had a couple of weeks ago when one of our pink kitchen doors decided to jump off it's hinges and land on the floor, resulting in a "window" in the door that wasn't supposed to be there. We tried many times to put it back together with no success... so next time you're in the shop, check out our new kitchen doors that now match the color of our floor!

For as long as we've been in business Sweetie-licious has been a welcoming place for Mormon missionaries to stop and take a break after long days of knocking on doors in our area. This summer we've gotten to know two wonderful young Elders. They stop in and chat and have somethng to eat, they help us put together pink pie boxes, and last week, after being inspired to try their hand at baking, they even brought us a bag of chocolate chip cookies that they baked themselves!  They are a blessing to us!  We will miss them when they leave DeWitt this fall to return to their families, but we look forward to welcoming another pair of Elders with sweet treats and warm smiles.

...there they stood, a cluster of of seven or eight in a sort of clearing on the hilltop under a effulgent sky, and they were heavily drooping with knobby, long. glistening mulberrries, some pale green, some ruby, some jet....while we gathered a whole pailful of the berries, Aunt Elsa told me with darting eyes how often she had visited the mulberry grove with her mother, who had spread a worn white sheet on the grass beneath the trees, then had gently shaken the branches while both had stood together watching the fat, juicy berries plop down.   "And wait til you taste the pie." she said as we walked back to the car...

The Wonderful World of Cooking -- Edward Heth (1956)

Cheryl Kellogg, who has been a "Sweetie staffer" longer than anyone, except for Linda, is leaving us to help start a family-based business. Today is her last day and we held a breakfast celebration in her honor at the store. Linda presented her with her own pie - Cheryl's Raspberry Pie - complete with a pie story about how much she has meant to us all. We will miss you Cheryl...

At the end of each summer, just before our graduating seniors go off to college, we hold a celebration/cooking class for them. This year Katie Coon (who is going to Ferris State U.) and Betsie Hundt (who is going to Central Michigan U.) were the guests of honor. They each received a copy of The Betty Crocker Cookbook.

On Tuesday (August 9th) we will begin making lots of peachy treats using sweet Michigan peaches. We'll be making Peach pies, Blueberry Peach pies, Cherry Peach pies, Raspberry Peach pies, Peach Rhubarb pies, and Peaches & Cream pies. We'll also be making Peaches and Cream Muffins, and Peach Melba Muffins. To make sure you get the pie you want, please call the shop (517-669-9300) to place your order. Peach season is very short... so don't wait too long!!

"Rhubarb was one of my father's favorite pies. Clean saucers were produced for the pie, and as the knife slide through the tender crust and loosed the juice which ran like liquid rose quartz, our lips involuntarily moistened with the dew of expectancy and our eyes narrowed to the charm of color and form. For, after all, what more pleasurable shape or pattern can meet the eye than that of a generous wedge of luscious, ambrosial pie?"

Della Lutes, The Country Kitchen (Little, Brown, 1938)
 

It's fresh blueberry season and in addition to making sweet blueberry treats, we're also making our savory summer blueberry salad. We start with a bed of red leaf lettuce and add red onions, mandarin oranges, chopped walnuts, grated white cheddar cheese and top it with a drizzle our homemade balsamic vinegrette dressing. Grilled french bread with our homemade cheese ball accompanies the salad. YUM!

Friends (and bloggers) Angie, Joelle, and Marsha visited the store recently and took lots of pictures of the shop, our yummy treats, and then went back to Ohio and wrote about their visit on Angie's blog. You can see the pictures and read their comments... all you have to do is click on the link below!

www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com/

Linda and Sweetie-licious have won Modern Baking magazine's 2011 Leadership Award for Merchandising. We haven't yet seen actual magazine yet, but the story was just posted on Modern Baking's website. To read the article, simply click on the link below... Congrats Linda!!!

modern-baking.com/retail_baking/bakeries-back-warm-0720/

Barbara Jean Hanson created, and gave us, this lovely piece of art entitled "Cherry Pie Slice". It is made with tempera, pastels, and markers. We thoroughly enjoy having it hanging in the shop. Thanks so much Barbara!!

Our newest summer pie is filled with our homemade vanilla bean cream filling and topped with fresh Grand Haven blueberries in a glaze that has been infused with basil fresh from our own gardens. It's the ultimate treat for both cream pie and blueberry lovers! YUM!!  Please call the shop (517-669-9300) if you want one... they sell as fast as we can make them!!

Our brand new early-summer sandwich (which will be available every day) is chock full of maple bacon, red leaf lettuce, pink heirloom tomatoes (from Giving Tree Farms) and mayo on grilled white Great Harvest bread… but that's not all... it also contains fresh avocado chunks, carmelized onions, and our special cream cheese spread. Our yummy Sweetie-licious variation on this classic summer sandwich will be sure to make you smile!

It's finally blueberry season and we're making lots of yummy blueberry treats. We have blueberry raspberry pies, blueberries and cream pies, just plain blueberry pies, fresh blueberry muffins, our wonderful blueberry salad, and lots of other 'blueberry-licious" treats!  Please stop in, or call the shop - 517-669-9300 - to make sure we have your favorite on hand...

This truely awesome miniature was created by Mary I. White of Lewiston, MI. The details are so perfect!  Everyone who's seen it so far has been amazed.  It was a gift from Sue Vlahakis and her family, our dear DeWitt friends. Thank you guys for such a sweet and thoughtful gift!!!

Vera Fox is our "Sandwich Queen" She runs the show when it comes to the lunch menu. We rely on "V" for much of the day-to-day functioning of the shop. When no one knows how to change the handsoap, we ask V. When no one knows where to find something, we ask V. Questions about the cash register, ask V. She is extremely competent at her responsibilities. V's strong work ethic is evident in the pride and ownership she takes in her work. We couldn't ask for more. With her sweet, quiet demeanor V is a pleasure to work with. But don't be fooled, she has the cutest sense of humor and it contributes to the fun atmosphere we strive to create at the shop. If you saw us wearing tiaras for the royal wedding (see pic. below) it was all due to V, it was her idea!
 
Vera, thank you for being a constant and reliable core person at the shop every day. We definitely couldn't do it without you -- We Adore You!!!

"Man, as a rule, is an impatient creature, especially when returning home after a day of work and worry. If the meal is not quite ready, don’t make excuses, but commence immediately to set the table, leaving the impression that the meal is nearly ready…In the meantime, hand him a newspaper…his attention being diverted, the meal will be forgotten…this, of course, is a little deception, but it will work nine times out of ten, if shrewdly managed…a husband properly “cooked” is really delicious."
The Standard Domestic Science Cookbook  (1908) 

Vintage cookbooks often contain sage pieces of advice and words of wisdom. Above is a humorous sample taken from Linda's treasured library of cookbooks.

Five local businesses were honored on June 16th for their contributions to building a "new economy" and adding to the quality of life in southern Clinton County. Linda and Sweetie-licious received the "Excellence Award" in recognition of Linda's vision and inspiration to the development of our community.

"So don't let inexperience, shyness or a tiny kitchen stop you. Pick a party and start planning it...."
-- Betty Crocker's Hostess Cookbook (1967)

Vintage cookbooks often contain sage pieces of advice and words of wisdom. Above is sample taken from Linda's treasured library of cookbooks.  

While on vacation take a picture of yourself or family and one (or two) of our pink pie boxes. Let us know where your Sweetie-licious Pie has traveled and what kind of response it received. Email a pic and/or text to webmaster@sweetie-licious .com or post them on our Facebook page!

Every year we have to say goodbye to some of our young staff members as they graduate and head off to school or to jobs elsewhere. This year we have three graduates - Betsie Hundt, Adrienne Motz, and Katie Coon. We wish each one of them the best!
 

Betsie Hundt graduated from DeWitt High School and is headed to Central Michigan University next fall where she’ll major in Elementary Education and Speech Pathology. Betsie has been working at Sweetie-licious for the last 4 years, but has helped her mom Linda make pies ever since she could hold a spoon.

Adrienne Motz graduated from Clinton County RESA on June 9^th. Her plans now include employment and volunteering at Sweetie-licious (where she’s worked almost 5 years), Gold Standard, Hazel I. Finley, and Sparrow-Clinton, as well as involvement with Transitions of Clinton County. Congratulations to the “Sweetest Smile” at Sweeties! 

Katie Coon graduated from DeWitt High School and is headed to Ferris State University in the fall where she’ll major in Nursing. Katie has been accepted into the Honors College and received two local scholarships. She’s been working at Sweetie-licious for the last four years.

 

This Sunday is Father's Day. We're making lots of pies, cookies, cupcakes, and muffins that dad will be sure to love. We're open on Friday till 7 pm and we'll be open on Saturday from 8 am - 3 pm. (And don't forget to give your dad a big hug - real or virtual - on Sunday as well...)

We are now staying open until 7 pm Monday through Friday  so that you can enjoy a delicious dinner here at the shop.

Tuesday evenings you can also enjoy the Dewitt Farmers Market which is set up right out in front of the store. To find out more about the market, click this link

We just picked up our first boxes of newly-picked Felske strawberries today. That means that tomorrow (Friday, June 10th) we'll start making our delicious Strawberry Rhubarb pie and our super yummy Strawberries and Cream pie.

We'll also be making Strawberry muffins and cupcakes. And... starting Monday (June 13th) we'll start serving our amazing Strawberry Salad. If you're a strawberry fan, be sure to stop in for some goodies (or call the shop to order a particular pie). Strawberry season is short... don't miss out on the juicy sweet goodness of our strawberry treats

It's June and graduation open houses are in full swing. If you are hosting one this year, or are just bringing along some wonderful goodie to share with all the folks in attendance, don't forget that we make amazing cupcakes, cookies, pies, and brownies that are always welcome. Call us, or stop by the shop, and find out how we can make your grads big day extra special!

If you live on the east side of Lansing, you can now purchase our yummy pies, muffins, and cookies each Saturday at the Meridian Farmers' Market, located at 5151 Marsh Road in Okemos. Come early... we have been selling out our pies, etc. If you haven't yet tried our yummy baked goods, here's your chance!  Hope to see you all every Saturday morning.  For more information on the Meridiaan Farmer's Market, click on this link

Memorial Day Weekend is always a fun weekend filled with picnics, parades, beaches and plenty of All- American pie! Unfortunately; throughout the years, I believe we have forgotten its purpose. It was first officially observed in 1868 as the day given to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for the preservation of our country. Please remember all of the fallen soldiers throughout our nation’s history, and those fighting overseas this day by putting American flags in our yards, flowers at our cemeteries, and thankful prayers in our hearts. Let us all make this Memorial Day a day of remembrance, gratitude, and merriment! 

We cherish too, the poppy red,
That grows on fields that valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies,
That blood of heroes never dies.
      -- Moina Michael  (1915)

This poem inspired poppies to be worn and sold on Memorial Day to support Veteran efforts.

Linda took part in the campaign to support the Capital Area District Library - the campaign is called "Geek the Library" and ads are running of her picture, and pictures of lots of others, in local newspapers.

Great news for asparagus fans!  We're now making both our amazing roasted asparagus sandwich and our super yummy roasted asparagus salad. If you've never tried them, be sure to stop in for a taste. If you've been waiting all year to taste them again, hurry on in - asparagus season is short!!

Equally great news... it's also rhubarb season and we are celebrating by starting to make fresh rhubarb pies - Cherry Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb Custard, and "Bluebarb" (blueberry rhubarb) as well as our yummy Honey Rhubarb Muffins. Be sure to get some before the end of fresh rhubarb season!

Hi everyone, super news! One of our recipes (Mommy's Pumpkin Pie) is featured in the new Pure Michigan Cookbook. The book, which was created by the culinary experts at Midwest Living magazine, consists of super recipes from all around the state. We are honored to be in such a worthy and lovely cookbook which showcases Michigan's delicious food. To learn more, just click here

We are once again, over the moon and back for our many wins at the 2011 American Pie Council Crisco National Pie Championships in Orlando, Florida! Our biggie  win was Best in Show in the “Crisco 100 Year Anniversary Innovation Category” for Laura’s Sticky Toffee Pudding Caramel Apple Pie! 

The Crisco Innovation award is such an honor to win! We won a great gift basket and trophy, $2000.00, and the coveted opportunity to have our recipe and a picture of the pie on the Crisco can! The award was given to the pie that best displayed fusing the classic and the new elements of pie baking in one delicious and innovative pie! It is something we do every day at the shop, so it was a good fit for what we do best! We are thrilled! 

Included are two pictures of Laura's pie that the folks at Crisco took. One of them will hopefully be included with the recipe on Crisco cans all across the country.

For those of you who don't know the story behind Laura's pie, we've included it below...

Laura’s Sticky Toffee Pudding Caramel Apple Pie

My twin sister, Laura spent several years in British Hong Kong as her family was there for an overseas job opportunity. She had a wonderful experience with the mixed culture and foods of the myriad of people from across the world. Like everyone in our family, my sister was especially fond of the delicious and diverse food exposure. Fortunately, my sister had sticky toffee pudding for dessert one night with some new, English friends. She was enamored by its caramel moist cake and creamy sauce and had to have the recipe that evening! My dear sister is a wonderful baker and has delighted us with this delicious English dessert for over a decade now that she is home. After tasting this dessert, I decided a delicious fusion of this British cake with the All American Caramel Apple Pie would be yummy, and most appropriate given our past when England was our motherland. This innovative English-American apple, toffee cake -pie combination is indeed, unforgettable. Eat pie, and appreciate old and new traditions!

Last Saturday (April 30th.) Linda was in Detroit being interviewed (and taped) for a Mother's Day segment that will be broadcast this coming Sunday (May 8th.) between 8 - 9:30 a.m. on WXYZ TV (ABC affiliate) in the Detroit area.

Linda will be on TV Saturday (May 7th.) live demonstrating how to make Laura's Sticky Toffee Puddling pie (her Crisco 100th Anniversary award winner). It will be broadcast at 7:30 am on WZZM (ABC affiliate) in Grand Rapids.

Linda will be featured in next week’s premiere of “ONE PERSON, ONE IDEA: The New Michigan Entrepreneur.” on May 12th. at 9 pm on CMU Public Broadcasting.

We are now taking orders for Mother's Day - May 8th. Call us at (517) 669-9300 as soon as possible to make sure you get the pie you want...

Our Mother's Day fruit pies are -- Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Ber...ry, Cherry Raspberry, Cherry Berry Berry, Blueberry, Blueberry Raspberry, Cherry Rhubarb, and Pecan.

Our Mother's Day cream pies are -- Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream, Key Lime, Key Lime Raspberry, Coconut Cream, Lemon Meringue, Raspberry Cream, and Raspberry Coconut Cream.

We had a wonderful Easter here at the shop. So many of you ordered pies that we had to close orders early, however we baked a whole bunch of extra fruit pies so folks who stopped into the shop could still purchase one. We hope you all had a blessed holiday with family and friends!

The latest episode of "Under the Radar Michigan", which features a spot on Sweetie-licious, will air in the Lansing area (on WKAR) on Easter Sunday at 6:30 pm. Mark your calendars or program your DVRs or TIVOs!

Linda  won Best of Show in the new "Innovative" category with Laura's Sticky Toffee Pudding Caramel Apple Pie! Not only did she get another large size check (for $2,000) to hang up in the shop, a trophy and a cool ribbon, but the recipe for this pie will appear on Crisco cans across the country this coming year!

Linda also took first place in the pumpkin category for Grandma's and Mommy's Pumpkin Caramel Apple Pie. She also got a second place ribbon for The Farmette's Beautiful Blueberry, Basil & Lime pie (in the open pie category)

The whole crew down in Florida is over the moon about their sucess at this year's competition. One first place in Small Commericial Bakery, one first place and one second place in the Professional Competition, and one "Best of Show" (and $2,000) in the Professional Division... AMAZING!!

"They like me, they really like me!!!!!!! I am so excited to bring home more blue ribbons for all of you! I am crying writing this to you, because I feel like the most blessed pie baker ever! Please let it be known, that I do not do this alone! Thank you to my lovely family, all of my amazing staff and all of you! Thank you for loving us and our pies!"   xxoxoxxoxoo   Linda

Late breaking news!!   Linda and Stephanie received a first place ribbon in the Small Commercial Bakery Competition with Mommy's Blackberry Raspberry Pie! 

If you are interested in the latest news from the National Pie Chamionships.... please visit our Facebook page. We are posting news and pics (and so is Linda and her crew in FL). Find stuff out as soon as it happens!!!

This week Linda headed down to Florida to compete in the National Pie Championships, which will be held in Orlando.  She has created a bunch of yummy new pies for the competition. Traveling with her will be Stephanie Haynie, our bakery manager, who will compete in the small bakery division, and Melinda Hundt, Linda's sister-in-law, who will help with the baking, dishwashing, and apron ironing. 

We will be posting all the latest news from Florida on our Facebook page, so check there often later next week for updates. Best of Luck Linda!!!

We are now taking orders for Easter pies. Call us (517) 669-9300  as soon as you can. We'd hate for you to wait too long and miss out!

Our Easter fruit pies are -- Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry, Cherry Raspberry, Cherry Berry Berry, Blueberry, Blueberry Raspberry, Cherry Rhubarb, and Pecan. 

Our Easter cream pies are -- Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream, Key Lime, Key Lime Raspberry, Coconut Cream, Lemon Meringue, Raspberry Cream, and Raspberry Coconut Cream.

Every year just about this time - when the days are getting longer and the spring thaw has begun - is when folks all over Michigan start collecting maple sap and making maple syrup. The maple sugaring season is about 4-6 weeks long here in Michigan. Did you know that maple trees must be at least 35 years old in order to tap them? Did you know that one maple tree can produce between 9 -13 gallons of sap per year?  Did you know that it takes 40-50 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup?! 

This year Sweetie-licious is celebrating the Michigan Maple Syrup Season by featuring some new sweet and savory "Maple-licious" treats - including tasty maple oatmeal scones, tempting  pumpkin maple nut muffins, rich maple praline buttercream brownies, amazing new chocolate maple cream pie, and our yummy new maple bacon and three cheese sandwich.  Of course, we'll also have our  awesome maple oatmeal cookies for you to enjoy...

If you're looking for an awesome breakfast treat or dessert, be sure to click on our recipe for Merry Maple Dumplings

Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter,
lullabies, dreams, and love ever after.

Poems and songs with pipes and drums,
a thousand welcomes when anyone comes...

That's the Irish for you.

-- Old Irish saying

We are so proud and humbled that the host and crew of the popular Public Television program "Under the Radar" visited the cutest pie shop in the whole wide world! They were at the shop taping a segment for an upcoming episode of the show on Thursday, March 3rd from 11 a.m to 1:00 p.m. Tons of folks stopped by to say hello, be part of the fun...and be part of the show!  Everyone who came in during the taping received one of our fabulous cookies to enjoy! UTR is viewed by over 6 million folks and airs at different times in 13 different locations around Michigan... in the Lansing area it airs on WKAR at 7:30 pm every Tuesday. To find out when UTR airs in your area, and to find out more about the show, click on this link http://www.utrmichigan.com/schedule.html  We will be sure to let you all know when the episode that features us will air!

Each month we'll be acknowledging one of our staff members. This month it is Patty Blackmond.

We are so thankful to have Patty Blackmond as one of our bakers at Sweetie-licious! She came to work with us several years ago, bringing with her a love for baking and cooking. Patty is an integral part of the baking staff! Her work ethic is vital to production and her dedication shows everyday. She is always contributing ideas to improve the shop. From new recipes, production methods and marketing ideas, she works to help us move forward in all that we do. 

Patty is also the “fix-it girl!” She is the one we go to if something isn’t working. Thanks for keeping the vacuum running well past its lifecycle.

Thank you Patty for all your efforts! We love you and consider you a valuable component of our Sweetie-licious family. Your hard work and ability to keep positive in work and life is admirable.

(In case you're wondering - Patty is holding a package of lobster, which she loves. It, and the case of Coca Cola, were her special treat.)

In honor of Linda's favorite President, Abe Lincoln, we've created a pie especially for President's Day and we'll be giving out free samples of it on Monday February 21st. So, be sure to stop into the shop to give it a try!  As you know, all our pies have an accompanying 'pie story'. Below is the story for "Sweet Abe's Cherry Apple Pie". 

"Abraham Lincoln and I share a birthday. I have felt honored all of my life that such a beloved man had anything in common with oh, so commonly me. I am always boasting about my Abe, as I have always thought of him as being my dear grandfather. He was one of our most beloved presidents for many reasons; however, he possessed two virtues that were paramount above all others; the capacity to dream and to be selfless. People that live their lives selflessly understand their purpose. Abraham understood that standing up for all that is good and just, loving all living beings equally, and living your life doing good for others is the secret to life. Abraham Lincoln started off no different then you and me. He was neither a King nor God. He was merely an ordinary Midwestern man that did extraordinary things because he was a courageous, selfless dreamer. He made a difference in our world because he realized his cause was bigger than himself and dreamed that he could make it better. Thank God for selfless dreamers!"

                                                                                                             

Today - Saturday February 12th - is Linda's birthday. It's a special day here at the shop because Linda is so loved by everyone. We all wish her the very best not only today but everyday. We hope you'll join us by wishing her a "happy birthday" next time you stop into the shop.

If you're looking for a special sweet for your sweetie this Valentine's Day, check out our special chocolate treats. We are making chocolate cream pies, truffle brownies, triple chocolate cupcakes, and chocolate fridgey cakes - just to name a few. Be sure to order early!

To celebrate National Pie Day, FOX 17, Grand Rapids is coming to the shop on Thursday January 20th from 7am-9am. They will be broadcasting live to all western Michigan! Come into the shop for some free pie samples, coffee and tell your story what our pie has meant to you!

Created by the American Pie Council, National Pie Day, Sunday, January 23rd., is the official day to celebrate pie. The day was created to honor the American tradition of simply eating, enjoying and sharing delicious pies with others. 

Linda Hundt, owner of Sweetie-licious Bakery Café, wants to make it easy for everyone to enjoy National Pie Day. Her bakery will be stocked with pies for all to enjoy on Saturday, January 22nd.  To lead up to the big day, they will be giving samples daily of each of their 13 1st-place award winning pies. “This is such a fun day for everyone who adores pie. I encourage one and all to either bake or buy a pie to share and celebrate one our most time-honored desserts.” 

Sweetie-licious will also be celebrating their five-year anniversary in business on National Pie Day. “I am elated that our sweet little pie shop has been able to accomplish all that it has, and made so many people feel loved and happy these last five years.’ Linda explains.

Linda and Sweetie-licious have won 13 first place ribbons at the Crisco National Pie Championships in the last four years as well as winning the coveted Best of Show Food Network Amazing Pie Challenge in 2009. She and/or her recipes have appeared in numerous national magazines including Country Living, Midwest Living, Amercian Profile, and Parade.
 

We recently received this wonderful letter from Matt Remus who lives in DeWitt and wanted to share it with all of you.

"On December 4, 2010 I left my house in rural Dewitt for an early morning run. I often never know where my runs will take me and after the first mile I had fleshed out a route in my head. There is a small bakery in downtown Dewitt that bakes pies in the pre-dawn hours. I simply wanted to smell the pies baking. I’ve never even tasted one of these masterpieces, but they have won national awards and I have heard epic tales of their lusciousness. I fear that one bite would spawn a chaotic downward spiral of sugary bliss and rapid weight gain for me. I’m content just smelling them bake."

 "As I approached downtown from the North I eagerly awaited what was in store for me; those beautiful, glorious smells. The streets were completely void of human life. The air was still; completely without wind. I could see the bakery lights from a block or so away and expected to smell the wonderful goodness. I was now right up on the bakery, able to see people stirring inside, but still no smell. I turned the corner and headed east on Main Street past the coffee shop, thinking, if nothing else I would smell fresh brewed coffee. The shop was dark…nothing." 

"As the police station came into view I saw an officer’s cruiser parked outside, still running, the exhaust plume slowly rising in the shape of an upside-down funnel. I headed south down a walking path and crossed the Looking Glass River on a snow covered footbridge. The walking path splits beyond the bridge and I opted to head west along the river. Under the veil of darkness the river water looked like oil. Shards of light danced off the surface as the water slowly plodded along. The sections of pavement were snow free making for quiet and tranquil moments. The sections of boardwalk, covered in snow, made a certain crunching under foot bringing awareness to my relaxed pace."

"Heading north on Bridge Street I crossed the river one more time and as I looked down I could see a million ice crystals along the banks shimmering in the artificial light. Heading up the hill I thought I would at least smell bacon frying at the local diner…still nothing. I stayed on the sidewalk to allow myself to pass as close as possible to the bakery. As I approached, I got what I came for, the overwhelming smell of pies baking in an oven; cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice…the crusts browning. Just to be sure, I circled around through the alley for another dose of olfactory overload. Satisfied, I continued on toward the dark rural roads and found my way towards home."

"It ended up being a 13-mile run, but the payoff was worth every bit of the effort." 

Gosh, what a great time of the year for us all! The 2011 New Year is shiny and bright with endless opportunities! I know so many dreams are bound to come true for many of you this year. All of your hard work, faith and many blessings will come to fruition. For some, it may not be this year, but your year will come, believe this to be true. 

I think the best part of celebrating the newest year ahead is anticipating all we are going to accomplish! It matters not at this point whether we actually accomplish all we hope to; rather, it is the thrill of the anticipation of all the positive things that will certainly happen this year that we must focus on! 

I think that we ALL have so much to be grateful for, so much to contribute to and most importantly, so much love to extend, that the year is never enough time to get it all done. That is the beautiful part of this yearly mission; as it carries over year after year! :) We at Sweetie-licious wish all of you a very, very happy, hopeful, purposeful and love filled New Year! 

Xoxo Eat Pie, Love Life, Linda

Santa is still at Sweetie-licious for a few more days. On New Years Day we stopped into the shop and guess who we found there! Santa and Elfie must have had a great time on New Years Eve!

Christmas Pie Selections --

If you're a business person looking for unique and welcome gifts for your customers, or if you're just looking for a super gift for that hard-to-buy-for person on your gift list, look no further than a gift from Sweetie-licious!  We have muffin, cookie, and of course, pie packages for less than $20.00. We have a wide range of package prices including our deluxe cookie, muffin, cupcake, or pie-of-the-month gifts. To view our gift flyer, just click on this LINK or call the shop (517) 669-9300 to find out about them!

Happy Holidays from all of us a Sweetie-licious!

Every year just after Thanksgiving, Sweetie-licious get decorated for Christmas. Every year Linda brings out her huge collection of vintage decorations to turn the shop into a "winter wonderland" To see a whole bunch of pictures of the shop decked out for the holidays, click here or on the "About Us" link at the top of this page. To view additional pictures, click on your web browser's 'refresh' button.

"I Awoke This Morning with Devout Thanksgiving For My Friends."
 - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  These are my simple, yet sincere sentiments for such a perfect holiday and state of mind – our Thanksgiving! I am so humbled, blessed and rewarded by all of your encouraging words, purchases, support and friendship throughout the years. All of you, whether you are a Sweetie-licious fan or one of my beloved co-workers, are so lovingly appreciated.   

I am such a believer in sweet gratitude as it truly can be life-changing!  Please take note of all of your blessings on this lovely holiday for love and peace are sure to fill your heart! Remember that Thanksgiving is a way of life, not just a lovely holiday dinner.   It is “our” Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving !!!!! xoxolinda

"With the help of God, of which we must all feel daily conscious, we shall continue steadfast in faith and duty till our task is done."

 -Winston Churchill, 1941. 

All of our love and gratitude to all of our beloved Veterans today, tomorrow and yesterday...

Thanks to American Profile magazine for the new, lovely article on Sweetie-licious! We are in the October 31^st Sunday newspaper that goes out to 9 million homes in the Midwest! Wow. I must say, the cover shot doesn’t look too much like me, but the inside picture is awesome of all of us at the shop and the article is dead on in what Sweetie-licious is all about. Thanks to all involved in keeping the pie crust rolling at changing the world one pie at a time! 

www.AmericanProfile.com

 We at Sweetie-licious truly believe that we can change the world one pie at a time, and we'd like all our customers, friends, and fans to help us make that happen. "Changing the World One Pie at a Time" is a Sweetie-licious project that's designed to reward great people doing great things, with great pie. It's simple really. There are so many folks who understand the importance of loving one another and who willingly help friends and strangers. We want to reward these folks, and their wonderful acts of kindness, with great pie! So what we're proposing is this... if you know of a kind-hearted soul who's gone out of their way to make your (or someone else's) day or who did something extraordinary to help you, we want to hear about them. 

Too often good news is ignored and the good guy finishes last... but not any more! We at Sweetie-licious want to gift these folks with a piece of our award-winning pie. Eating pie is the perfect way to celebrate and most folks enjoy pie like no other dessert. (In fact all other desserts pale in comparison.)

Our hope is that those folks who selflessly give of themselves, will, after being gifted with pie, do the same for another person... one gift leading to yet another gift, and then another... So, let's get started by spreading the word and getting these kind folks nominated.  You can do it two ways. You can stop into the store and fill out a nomination form (and deposit it into the special pie box we've created for just that purpose) or you can email us.(Please include your name, the person's name, both your and their contact information, and description of the wonderful thing they did.) We'll review all nominations and gift as many people as we financially can. 

For those not  of you in the Sweetie-licious delivery area, our project's goal is that all great people doing great deeds, regardless of location, should be rewarded with great pie. We ask that you either make your own delicious pies or find and purchase the best pies in your area to give as "pies of thanks". For pie is simply the best food form of gratitude there is.

So people... start nominating sweet folks who've done thoughtful things. Let's make "Changing the World One Pie at a Time" a national movement!

Every year, just before Labor Day weekend about 2,000 cyclists pass through DeWitt as part of the DALMAC bike tour (headed up to the Mackinaw Island bridge). Each year we bake lots of extra goodies because each year lots of riders stop at the shop for breakfast or a "goody" for the road. This year was no exception. Check out the DALMAC photos posts on our Facebook page!

 "Changing the World One Pie at a Time" is a Sweetie-licious project designed to recognize folks whose selfless acts of kindness, make our community that much richer... Too often good news is ignored and the good guy finishes last... but not any more! We at Sweetie-licious want to gift these special folks with a piece of our award-winning pie to say “thank you”. For all of us at Sweeties, it’s unanimous as to who the first recipient should be. This person will not want this recognition, which is why he should receive it… 

Junior is a true friend to all of us. He goes above and beyond every day to make our little shop run  smoothly. He is our first customer every day, and our biggest cheerleader. He arrives every morning at 6:30 a.m. to shovel our walk, or carry our tables and chairs outside. Many times he even sets up our coffee for early customers. He's always available to run an errand, carry heavy loads, change those darned florescent bulbs way up on the ceiling, move a 600 lb freezer so we can paint, or even run to the store to pick up a dozen eggs when we run out. He makes us smile every day and is genuinely interested in each of us. 

One of Junior’s most recent acts of kindness was his genuine concern for my upcoming move. I had over 25 years worth of family treasures to move to a much smaller house. Each morning Junior asked how the packing was going and to be sure to call him when I was ready to move. On moving day Junior showed up with several friends to load a 20’ moving truck and worked all day carrying the “heavy stuff”. He refused to let me pay him saying “a cold beer at the end of the day” would do. Later that week, I needed to rent an 18’ dumpster and he again he was willing to work all day to finish the dirty job. He kept my family laughing and motivated to get the job done. I couldn't have done this move without him and I don't think he knows how much we all appreciated him. (by Patty B.)

Junior (Allen) Alward thank you so much from all of us at Sweetie’s!

We're now getting fresh local rhubarb and are making lots of amazing rhubarb pies - including rhubarb custard, cherry rhubarb, bluebarb (blueberry rhubarb) and straight up plain rhubarb. If you haven't tried one of them, be sure to stop in and have a slice (or better yet, take home a whole pie for the holiday weekend!)

 Two of Linda's pies took first place in the Small Commercial Bakery Competition which was held on Friday April 23rd. The winning entries were her Banana Cream and Cherry Rhubarb pies. On Sunday, April 25th Linda competed in the Professional Division and won with two more of her amazing pies. She took first place for Ellie's Cherry Blackberry Peach pie and second place for her County Fair Candy Apple pie. We are so pleased and excited!!

 Those of you who live in/near Lansing will now find us outside on the plaza in back of the Lansing City Market (on the river side) every Saturday this summer. We'll have our delicious pies, yummy muffins, and awesome cookies for sale. Come visit us at the market soon!

 Great news for strawberry fans. We're now getting red, ripe berries from our local producer. That means that we're starting to make a whole bunch of yummy treats - including Strawberry Rhubarb pie, Strawberries and Cream pie, Strawberry Key Lime pie... oh my, my... Strawberry Lemon Muffins, and our lovely Splendid Strawberry Salad. Don't wait too long, strawberry season is only a couple of weeks long!

We've started our summer hours. We'll be open Monday-Friday till 7 pm and Saturday till 3 pm.