Sweet Show of Support

As Valentine's Day approaches Rich Delights is preparing some very special sweet treats that are not normally on the order menu. They must be custom ordered but we are happy to offer Smores on a Stick and Candy Hearts which are available in decorative containers and packaging. It is a way to add something extra to our already scrumptious cookies and breads. We look forward to a busy holiday.

In the midst of time limited menu ideas and shopping for holiday themed items there has been plenty going on in the name of animals. On a personal note my family has grown with the addition of a fourth and final furry member. If we are going to go out and advocate for adopting then we need to continue to walk the walk in our personal lives. All of our dogs are rescues and they are all spayed and neutered. We will not be doing any fostering now but we will continue travelling around and working with different rescue groups at their adoption events. It is usually myself, my daughter and as many teens as we can fit into our vehicle and they come to represent KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY a group founded by child actor Lou Wegner.

A couple of weeks ago we went out with the amazing Royce Bordes as she represented Angels N Paws with another group called Fur Babies. We have volunteered with her since in front of PETCO in Mira Loma where she and her pit rescues from Angels n Paws as well as Diamonds in the Ruff will be every Saturday and Sunday from 11-3. In any case, the event was called Pizza and Pits and there was a television crew filming for the show Pit Boss. We worked with our own group of pit bulls and also met many wonderful rescues.One of my favorites is Angel City Pits which we have gotten to know through the talented and beautiful Stephanie Draven. Stephanie and her husband AJ Draven had two of their foster pit bulls with them. Both were rescued and had horrible cases of mange which they treated and now these dogs are healthy and happy and ready for forever homes. The day went well and we look forward to watching the event as part of the Pit Boss show when it airs.

The following day we drove back to Los Angeles to volunteer with Stephanie Levy the founder of Animal Advocates Alliance. I have mentioned them on many occasions because we are with them the most and love everyone who comes out to work with them. There is a wonderful core group of dedicated people who come out week after week to support them and the animals they bring in from the Baldwin Park Shelter. These are animals coming from a high kill shelter and they are driven to Pan Pacific Park where adults and teens do what they can to showcase these animals in hopes of them becoming someones life long friend. It is always so rewarding to see an animal walk away on a leash with its new guardian or family.

I suppose it seems like we are doing the same things we have been talking about for months and that's because we are. RICH DELIGHTS will continue to offer Traditional and Vegan treats in hopes of building a business that is about to celebrate its second birthday at the end of March. As far as the animal business goes I guess we will continue doing what we are doing until people begin to understand the severity of the overpopulation epidemic and do something about it. When breeders and pet stores stop their selfish selling and people spay and neuter their pets then maybe our work load will lessen. However, until there is a cease in animal abuse, the killing in shelters stops and all the shelter cages are empty we will continue the fight accompanied by an ongoing donation of a percentage of sales to KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY while still enjoying ....... baking4you.



Dog Gone Magical

November and December are busy months for Rich Delights and my daughter and I did not get to volunteer as much as we like to. We celebrate Chanukah in our home and the holiday was very early this year. Chanukah lasts for 8 nights and our tradition has changed over the past couple of years. Money we have that might have been used for exchanging gifts now goes to charities we feel passionate about. The donations we make may not be enough to evoke any major worldly changes but we still feel good knowing that we made a choice to give. Each night we pick a different cause.Whether we celebrate Christmas or Chanukah or any other holiday during these winter months there is always an opportunity to reflect on our blessings and give what we can.

One of my most cherished donations this year will be given on behalf of Rich Delights and KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY. A percentage of sales ranging from 10% to 20% has been collected recently and will be going to a security guard at one of the studio lots. Lou Wegner, founder of KAAC, was so touched by the love and courage of this man whose dog took a bullet for him and saved his life. Later it was learned that the dog was very ill and it is expensive to sustain his regimen. After the holidays I will give a money order to Lou which he can present as a small token of letting someone else know that people care. Rich Delights Paying It Forward with KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY. If each of us found someone or something to partner with just think of all the good we could create!

Speaking of good, I want to end this with a success story of hope and determination. In September  at an Animal Advocates Alliance adoption at Pan Pacific Park we drove to Los Angeles with the expected temperatures to go well into the 100's. I had my daughter and two of her friends with me.Turned out to be 105 degrees and the volunteers and the dogs shared a long hot day together. Nobody complained about the heat itself so much. The complaints were about the fact that the high temperatures were keeping people inside their nice air conditioned homes and not at the park where we were. This meant few adoptions and at the end of the day a very sweet Pit Bull we named Penelope and three other Pits went back on the animal control truck to the shelter. My daughter fell in love with Penelope and we both cried when we had to lift her on to the truck. The good news was the promise that she was given a few extra days of life.

I guess you could say I became obsessed with networking this dog. A child's love for something makes a parent work that much harder to see it materialize. In the long run I was not the person who found the rescue for this dog nor was I the person who fostered the dog. Those honors go to Sondra Arrache and Stephanie Draven. However, I have since gotten to know these amazing ladies and they have inspired me to push myself even more especially for the Pit Bull which is a breed most discriminated against these days.Penelope took a long trip from Los Angeles to Oregon and after a few weeks Sondra found this dog now called Ona a wonderful family.

Yesterday Ona and her "brother" Tommy a Jack Russel Terrier were in Chula Vista visiting their California family. My daughter pretty much begged me to travel the 100 miles to see Ona now in her new life. When we arrived I actually got a little choked up as her Mom Karama had her on a leash to greet us as we got out of the car....People wonder why we do what we do for these discarded animals. If I had any doubts at all they all disappeared when Ona jumped up on us and gave us huge doggie kisses....She was not in Oregon but she was HOME! It felt Magical!

May all who read this and even those who don't be blessed in the upcoming year 2011 with giving of themselves in a way that will have a positive impact on all living things. I believe that each day we are fortunate enough to wake up is equivalent to celebrating a New Year. We don't have to wait for the calendar to tell us it is time for a change. I look forward to a sweet successful year with Rich Delights and donating a percentage of sales to KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY. While I continue working to make a difference I will still be...... baking4you!

Dog Gone Productive

This past month has been filled with good things. Business has been picking up as the weather has been cooling off. People are looking to sit down with some of our cookies and breads to accompany their cocoa and coffee and it has also been the start of the holiday season. It is always a blessing when there are orders to fill as without business there is no funding for much of anything. The alliance with KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY has presented opportunities to Pay It Forward not only with physically helping through volunteering but also with the donations Rich Delights is giving from the proceeds of every order. The money has gone to buy blankets, sweaters and toys for shelter dogs and has also helped to chip in on vet bills. Goals have been put into perspective with our joint venture. Participating in the materializing is a gift  for those involved and for those without a voice.

KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY is not just a facebook page or a group of children in Los Angeles. Although we spend time driving to Los Angeles to help them the idea is to spread actions and words across the globe. At the end of October there was an annual adoption event in Riverside,California called DOGTOBER FEST. It has become a joint effort between a local group started by Jennifer Dabney called DEATH ROW DOGZ and the Riverside Animal Services. It is graciously hosted at Skip Fordyce Harley Davidson which is owned by Jennifer and her husband Jay.We were fortunate to be a part of that day and watched many dogs go to forever homes.

The following week end we went to volunteer at the BEST FRIENDS PET SUPER ADOPTION run by the amazing Robin Harmon at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. We were there with  ANIMAL ADVOCATES ALLIANCE run by the incredible Stephanie Levy. There were hundreds of pets looking for homes from rescues and shelters.It was mind boggling how many animals were there and realizing that this was just a tiny percentage of the many discarded pets from all around the area. This was the poster day for why spaying and neutering is so imperative and why the puppy mills and the breeders must stop adding to the problem.

On the 16th of November I had the honor of being interviewed for THE LET'S DINE OUT SHOW with Allan Borgen and his co host. I arrived at the radio station 590KTIE with samples of traditional and vegan cookies and breads and they taste tested while we were on air. I was a little nervous at first being that Allan has been doing this for so many years and worried that he might not be as impressed with Rich Delights as I had hoped he would be but both men enjoyed their treats. The interview was aired on November 20th and the pod cast is now available on their web site. Not too bad considering it was my first radio interview.

The final event we participated in this month was the LOVING ALL ANIMALS 2010 Super Pet Adoption Round Up held in Indio, California. We went with Royce Bordes and DIAMONDS IN THE RUFF. The event was held at the beautiful Jackalope Ranch with rescue groups and shelters showcasing their animals for two days. There was a reporter from Channel 2 news there and my daughter even made it into an article in the online version of a local newspaper as she sat in a cage full of adorable puppies. It was another productive day in which we got to participate in saving lives and watching a lot of happy tail wagging going on accompanied by smiling faces of adults and children alike.
There is always something we can do to make this world a better place for the animals, the environment and the people residing in it. While the search for solutions continues just know that I will be baking4you!

Dog Gone Goodness

 I have known for a couple of months that I needed to find a way to tie my business into giving back somewhere and it was decided that animal advocacy is a passion I have the ability to work with. I have mentioned Lou Wegner and his group KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY which drew my daughter and I from Riverside to Los Angeles. I have also mentioned ANIMAL ADVOCATES ALLIANCE which is the group we went to volunteer with.

At first we thought it might be a one time volunteer day but when we got there we were so impressed by the dedication of all the people who were giving up their Sundays to try and save the lives of the animals coming from the high kill Baldwin Park shelter. Over the past few months Lou and his mom Diana have become like family to us and we have spent quite a bit of time together at and away from Pan Pacific Park where the adoptions are held. Saving animals has introduced us to so many people we never would have had the opportunity to know and care for. One of the things the Wegner's and I have agreed upon is that Rich Delights is going to support KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY from this day forward.

We will continue volunteering and networking the dogs society has tossed away like trash but more than that we are collaborating as a team. A percentage of sales will give something to KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY so that a donation can be made to help where needed. This month there was a small donation of blankets and crate liners given to the Baldwin Park shelter because it is getting colder and so many of the animals there could benefit from the comforrt. The kids group is not yet a non profit so there is no direct financial support but I will tell them what they earned from Rich Delights profits each month and then it will be decided what is to be done with the money. Sometimes it may go to help pay a vet bill or to help rescue an animal. No telling where it will go as of now but one thing is for sure...we have begun paying it forward together!
The more Rich Delights earns the more funds there will be to work with....This is the beginning of something that is going to turn into something amazing. I can feel just feel it and I know the feeling is shared with some close friends. When there are good people supporting us there is nothing we cannot accomplish!... I will continue being an Animal Rights Knight and I will also keep baking4you!

Dog Gone Necessary

I totally understand the fact that I need to devote time to my business if it is to become a money making entity but when I do not have orders to fill I am consumed with thoughts of the thousands of animals that get euthanized daily because people do not spay or neuter their pets or because they discard their pets like yesterday's trash. Don't get me started on the hoarders and the filth that put dogs together to fight with each other.With the overpopulation of these animals the rescuers have their hands full as do the shelters. There are only so many people and so much room able to accomodate animals with nowhere to go. My teen daughter is very passionate about all of the pets that need forever homes and the two of us have teamed together along with others who care. We know we may barely make a dent in this problem but any life we can help save is worth every moment we try to assist in that outcome.

 At the end of August we went back to Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles to team up with KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY, ANIMAL ADVOCATES ALLIANCE and the Baldwin Park Shelter in an effort to assure that none of the animals would be sent back to the high kill shelter that day. One of the things that interested me was that some people were actually nasty to my daughter and the other teens holding up signs at the passing cars. One of the comments was that these kids, and everyone else there, shouldn't care about the stupid animals but should care about people in need...Well guess what??! People who care about animals and try to help them also work hard for humanity. It isn't about one or the other it is about doing what you can when you can for anyone and anything that needs the help. My daughter was a bit horrified by the coldness of anyone who made nasty remarks about all of the many volunteers donating their time to Pay It Forward.

With the Fall season approaching quickly I know business will soon pick up for Rich Delights. I am grateful and look forward to being busy baking and filling orders and hopefully being able to start donating some of the profits to help where it is needed. I understand the importance of making my business a success and we do need the money but I am continually drawn to the volunteer efforts that kicked in big time this summer. My daughter began volunteering at the local animal shelter a couple of years ago and she will continue supporting them but when we found out about the numbers living short lives in the high kill shelters we both knew we needed to concentrate in those areas even if it means driving 75 miles to Los Angeles and not being able to help as often as we would like to.

The last two times we went to volunteer I brought Rich Delights for the volunteers and my next venture will be to work with Diana Wegner, the lovely mother of Lou Wegner, to have bake sales that will benefit the groups that do so much for the animals who have no other voice to speak out for them. I am very excited about the fact that the love my daughter and I have for our own animals has spilled into the adoption and rescue arena and that we get to be a part of something so meaningful....There is a quote from the Talmud that basiclly says: Whoever saves a single life is as if they saved the entire world...We may not be able to save them all but it matters to each and every one we do...I will continue the fight for those who cannot fight for themselves whether they are human or animal and while I am doing that I will continue baking4you!

Dog Gone Sweet

It's been quite some time since I updated this blog. Most of my time away has been due to changes in family member's lives and schedules. However I have also been "distracted" in a good way and am very proud and happy to be involved in giving more time to animal adoptions and rescue efforts. My daughter is a huge animal advocate which makes me more eager to help. It is also great to watch a teen care so much about issues outside of themselves. Rich Delights is still working on adding inspirational items which can be sold as gifts to accompany our treats.

 One of my main goals is to donate a portion of each order to a charity. It seems as if the answer has presented itself. This past week end we met up in Los Angeles with a wonderful child actor named Lou Wegner. He and some friends have a group called KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY and they were getting together to help with adoptions with the ANIMAL ADVOCATE ALLIANCE for the Baldwin Park shelter. Because I bake I decided to bring treats for the volunteers. While watching how much the treats were enjoyed it occured to me that Rich Delights should support the true heroes who save animals on the door step of being euthanized.That very day there was a dog that was physically removed from a table where it was to meet it's death. Instead it got another chance to live. So my new goal is to have my buisness be a part of this blessing by giving both time and dollars in support. This is just one more reason for me to want my business to grow and thrive. Thank you to all the people who open our eyes and dare us to turn away from these animals who have no hope without us. A special shout out to Diana Wegner who guided us through our first adoption in Los Angeles. I want to acknowledge Wendon Swift who opened my eyes from the first day I started reading her posts, Stephanie Levy who fuels the Animal Advocate Alliance with her dedication, someone I have not met but who I read great thing about all the time and that is Milan Radovic of TOP DOG RESORT and to all the rest of the places filled with volunteers who give so much of themselves so an animal can find the life it deserves.....My life is starting a new chapter with animals but I will still be...baking4you!

Sweet and Sentimental

During the past month I have been looking at ways to make my business a little sweeter. In the beginning it had to do with new recipes. That is still in process but something else came to mind.When one thinks of something sweet it normally has to do with sugar. We all know that sugar is not a healthy part of our diets or our lifestyles but we do like to use it as a way to reward ourselves. The "congratulations" often come in the form of a treat that satisfies a craving. I understand the importance of healthy living and I also understand there is no health value in sugary treats. However, as a society we enjoy them and in moderation I believe they are an acceptable part of our lives. That being said, part of the reason I started including  inspirational messages with each order was to add a little balance. My order menu is not any healthier but I feel good sending a package which might engage someone's mind while they are enjoying something a little decadent. People seem to enjoy receiving the inspirational post cards and that got me to wondering about expanding. I always imagined having a store front to sell Rich Delights baked goods but what if I made it more than that? What if  my business took the word "sweet" and expanded it further to incorporate my wiritng and my value system? I participated in a local rally for the 'Day of Silence' and I wrote a slogan. It was well received and I had an idea  to make it stand out so it could be put on shirts,hats, bumper stickers and other items that could carry a message. I have a facebook friend named Jill Kemerer-Roberts. She is a local artist and I have seen some of the beautiful things she creates and decided to ask if I could hire her to help me with the creative aspect of what I wanted to convey. I sent her my vision and she sent me some ideas. The final decision has not been made but once it has I will have my first graphic to procede with this "sweet adventure". When I mentioned to someone that I felt I was drifting away from my business with these new ideas I was told it was simply expanding my business. I will have a business that truly represents me. Once again I am excited about not placing limitations on what I can do and I am congratulating myself by moving forward.....As I find new ways to make Rich Delights a little sweeter just remember that I will still be baking4you!

Sweet Search for Balance

Balance is a necessary component in everything we do. It determines everything we are and everything we will become. Being multi faceted we are the sum of our past experiences. If used wisely we take our mistakes and turn them into lessons. Life is one big learning experience and if we are wise we ensure that balance is the initial present goal when working to reach the more distant goals.

 Whenever I look at altering a recipe I have to consider that the final product must be a balance of many things. It begins with flavor because if what I sell doesn't taste good there will be no future business. However there are many things that have to be considered to offer something of quality.The appearance is also detrimental because if it doesn't look good people are less likely to try it. If it is something for an event people will not want to showcase it. We all know that appearance is not a reliable component to taste but we still rely on a visual when trusting it is a good idea to take a bite. We are a society caught up in appearances and food does not escape that scrutinty. The texture is another important factor. I know what I want the texture to be and if the end result does not produce it then I have to go back and re-think the ingredient proportions. Reliable service is a vital element as well. People must be able to trust that they will have what they need when they need it. Without the benefit of a store front my contact begins with a call or an email which is often received by strangers. If I do not give the impression of offering good service then the quality alone is not enough to get their initial business or to earn a repeat customer. A returning customer is someone who finds a balance in all they want from their purchase....Business is just a mirror of our lives.The key to being successful hinges on how well we find that balance. After completing my first year in business I am able to look back and see areas where I faltered and why I need to distribute my focus in other directions. My financial success is yet to be what I desire but as long as I strive for a balance in all areas of my life then I am sure to reach my goals. While I learn and search I will continue...baking4you!

Treat Your Mind

AfterI wrote my last entry I had time to think about the best way to present my one line inspirational quotes with each order. I had thought about doing them on little slips of paper like fortunes in a fortune cookie but I think they will get lost in the gift bags as well as the shipping boxes. I also thought about putting them on labels with some cute artwork and sticking them on the inside of the bags and the inside flaps of the boxes. Last week I put together some gift bags for a friend's out of town guests. They were staying at the Marriott and I made some post card "welcome" notes for each bag. The messages I normally include are not on post cards but this seemed to add a nice touch and I realized it would be a perfect vehicle for the quotes. Not only will they look nice when people open their bags and boxes but they will also be sturdy enough to put on a bulletin board, refrigerator or anywhere else people like to hang this type of thing. I can also change the borders so they have different flairs.I have written over 250 of these little quotes so far and that will give me a good start until I reach my goal of having enough to put them on an Inspirational Application for a phone or similar technology. I also look forward to the day when they are part of my actual packaging but that is further down the road. So,the next time you open a Rich Delights bag or box you will  find a treat for your mind as well as your sweet tooth. My job this week will be to begin the process of getting them printed but just know that as I am doing this I will still be............baking4you!

Recipe for Success

One of the things learned early on in baking is how important it is to follow the directions. There are ingredients that are vital to the way a recipe will look and taste when it is completed. A recipe comes with steps and it is important to follow those steps. Some mistakes can ruin what is being baked but other mistakes can create a new and better tasting treat. Mistakes seem to be a necessary part of growth no matter what we are doing.I have changed some of my recipes over the years but there are always certain things that cannot be changed for the desired results.If done properly there is something delicious and worth waiting for when all is done. In my business I have to follow a recipe for my baked goods but then there is also a recipe to follow if I am to make the business of selling a success. This is where I must place my focus in order to take things to another level.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking to a woman named Tera McHugh from the Association of Women Entrepreneurs http://www.associationofwe.com/ . I would like to publicly thank her.She opened my eyes to some new ideas and helped me understand the things I had already accomplished. We discussed at length what I might be able to do in order to make my business thrive. She asked me a question which I thought I had answered. The question was "What makes Rich Delights Different"? All the reasons I mentioned  did not seem as unique in words or on paper as they are in my mind. I still believe I have something special to offer but I must be able to articulate that in order to attract new customers. I have avoided talking a lot about myself because I thought it would detract from my business but she pointed out that we often buy from people we like or can relate to which means I need to figure out a way to share more of myself. Part of the reason I wanted a store front was so I could do that on a daily basis but until I am able to have one I need to seek out other ways....One of the things I am most looking forward to is putting the personal inspirations I write in every gift bag or package. I want to make my bags and boxes like opening a fortune cookie and finding a message inside. I have begun looking into doing that and believe it will make people look forward to reading and eating from Rich Delights ....The bottom line is that I will never build the business with or without a store front until I can sell the consumer on why my treats are especially worth their dollar and why it is a great idea to let me do the baking whether it is for gift bags, party favors or personal treats. My goal during the next few weeks will be to re-introduce myself and Rich Delights in a way that will make the idea of ordering one you don't want to ignore......Until then I will keep...baking4you!