Anyone who has been following me and my business probably thinks that Eat Your Heart Out Edibles (EYHOE) all started with some pie selling at Thanksgiving time. Now that it is Valentine’s Day, I started to reminisce back to my childhood days, when I used to have an annual neighborhood Valentine’s cake and cupcake sale. Just last night it hit me, EYHOE did not start with me selling pies in my early twenties, it really started with me selling heart-shaped, boxed cakes in my adolescent and early teenage years! I should have known that I was destined to be a cook one day; I mean, I have been baking and selling since I was 8 years old!
My gosh, it really does seem like it was just yesterday that the weekend prior to V-day I would go door to door, with my sign-up sheet in hand, hair in two long brunette pig-tail braids on each side of my head, offering cupcakes and heart-shaped cakes to all our local neighbors. Right now, I can remember the excitement and anticipation I would get pondering just how many orders I would receive! Thinking about it, I am realizing that I was one smart cookie (no pun intended LOL). You see, at the beginning of February my Mom would take me to all the local grocery stores to price out the cost of eggs, oil, butter, and boxed cake mixes (don’t judge, I was only 8 years old when I started this!). Other than the transportation from store to store from my Mom, it was left totally up to me to figure out which store had the best prices, therefore providing me the best profit!
As the years progressed, I even kept “yearly sales reports” (not that I knew that’s what they were!). I would keep a notebook and record how much all the ingredients cost, how much profit I made, how much time it took me, and I would even record my most popular sold item each year! I am cracking up right now at myself, what 8 YEAR OLD willingly, hell, LOVINGLY, does this?!
I would offer vanilla and chocolate heart-shaped cakes, or vanilla or chocolate cupcakes (by the dozen) with heart-shaped sprinkles on top – fancy stuff LOL. Geez, if I only knew how to make cookie bouquets back then! I would deliver the baked goods on sturdy paper plates (insert sarcasm). I don’t even think I covered the cakes/cupcakes with foil or plastic wrap, for fear of messing up my delicate icing/decorating skills…i.e. a thick layer of icing spread with a butter knife! I do not remember how much I charged, I want to say $10-$12. But what I do know is that there were some neighbors who would hand me a $20 bill and tell me to keep the change. KEEP.THE.CHANGE! I was rich!
My mom just reminded me that when I finally got too old to be knocking on the neighbors’ doors selling baked goods (for the record, I was NOT happy that I was outgrowing this stage, I always hated getting older), my younger sister, Christina, was eager to take over my tradition. I was kind enough to provide my notebook to her, told her which grocery stores had the best deals, and which neighbors’ orders to slather on some extra icing (hey, I knew a tip was coming 🙂 ). Even with all the knowledge I provided her, Christina lasted only through the selling part – and left my Mom to handle all the baking orders! She simply did not feel like completing the tasks. Sadly, that is how my Valentine’s Day baking legacy went down…oh little sisters! 🙁
In hindsight, I was learning some really great business skills, especially for an 8 year old! I sold V-day desserts from age 8 to 13, a solid five years of baking and business ownership experience – all by the time I was a teenager! I am so thankful my parents let me pursue all the creative ventures that I wanted…did I mention that I also started a house cleaning business, a baby sitting business, a baked goods for dogs and cats business, and sold gift baskets for Mother’s day at local craft fairs?! Thank God I was homeschooled, as I definitely would have been made fun of if I had been in public school, haha. I truly believe I was born with an entrepreneurial thirst, and if not being homeschooled, and loved by two of the greatest parents ever, then I truly believe that my “hunger” to create, cook, bake and sell, would have never been “fed” and that you all would not be “eating hearty without the headache!” today.
I am now off to dig out those old heart shaped cake pans, and whip up a box of Betty Crocker vanilla cake – I think I will make the butter cream from scratch this year! 🙂
OH and P.S. – to date, with all the cooking and baking knowledge that I have now, my hands down FAVORITE dessert is a junky boxed mix vanilla cake, with loads of vanilla butter cream frosting with sprinkles. And, I lick the icing off, just a like my pig-tail braided, school-girl self would.
Happy Valentine’s Day! 
