I posted just a week ago about the quietness I was experiencing on the home baking front for customers and I was putting it down to everything else going on in the UK right now. I wasn’t moaning or anything and I still plan on muddling on through and coming out the other side but then the end of the week hit and the orders came in starting with two Lemon Drizzle Sandwich Cakes which were ordered for a birthday. Then I received larger orders which caught me off guard – so to speak – as I had to make a mad dash to the supermarket and add a few ingredients to my Asda delivery just to ensure I had everything available for Monday morning.
Well Monday has been and gone and the orders have been baked and posted so fingers crossed they arrive in good time as there are Royal Mail strikes this week. This is the first postal orders I have had using the Track 24 option on the webshop so I am interested in when the customers receive them and if it truly makes a difference. After speaking to my local Post Office I think the parcels will be okay but I wait with baited breath to see the results. I haven’t changed to a different delivery service yet as I feel that they may be too expensive and not offer as good a service as the Royal Mail offers – that is my personal opinion anyway so I am sticking with what works for myself – most of the time! I have been watching what other small business owners are doing to keep their business running and it is proving difficult but I will get there somehow.
Tuesday morning and I have been in the kitchen again baking more orders for postal delivery and collection. So much for everything being quiet – I’m not complaining – but I can see this week flying by and my jobs list just getting longer and longer. I think I will try and have a late night to catch up with everything before the weekend arrives as I have plans 🙂
I’m only part way through the week and I have already baked Empire Biscuits, Sweet Mincemeat Pies, Lemon Drizzle Cakes, Millionaire’s Shortbread, Melting Moments and Sprinkles Cakes. Thank you to all my customers for the orders as I have loved baking everything. Quite a varied selection don’t you think? Needless to say my brain has been in overdrive working through everything in order to finish the baking and fit in the school runs and I could really do with a good night’s sleep to recuperate and be ready for another day.
My plans for Wednesday are to crack on with the chocolate work for the Christmas Eve Treat Boxes and I have an order for a Chocolate Bauble which I may make a start on as these chocolate treats keep well and have a long shelf life. I am trying to keep Friday free as we are having a new fridge freezer delivered to replace my old faithful which had died the death after 21 years (we got our money’s worth out of it) – the door of the fridge is not shutting and sealing so we have resorted to child locks to keep the fridge door shut. Although the locks are working it is not a long term fix and my children are rather excited for the new piece of equipment to arrive. After all, they have only ever known one fridge/freezer in their lifetime. I wonder how long the new one will last?
I’m thinking if I am stuck in the house on Friday I may get the wrapping of presents started even though we haven’t bought much yet for the children as their Christmas lists were a bit sparse and I feel like we are having to think about what they would like and need rather than the children sharing their ideas with us. Don’t like to make it easy for us do they?
Anyway back to tonight as I am waiting for customers to collect their orders and thinking what we can have for dinner out of the freezer as we really need to empty it ready for Friday. Are you still supposed to leave a new fridge/freezer to settle for 24 hours before putting anything in it?