Releasing new Spring seasonal flavor!

 Welcome back lovlies!

I hope you all are as ready for spring as I am! To celebrate I am going to discuss our new spring season cupcake! I’ve been ready for this cupcake, and I know you all have been ready also! Introducing...our new spring seasonal flavor...orange dreamsicle!!!

One of my favorite cupcakes is our lemon cupcake strictly because of the nice citrus flavor. We already sell lemon and lime margarita so it was only fitting that the next citrus cupcake be a childhood favorite of orange dreamsicle! This cupcake is orange flavored cake, (with fresh orange juice instead of orange extract!) orange and vanilla flavored swirled buttercream, and topped with orange sanding sugar! I knew the cake and frosting had to have natural orange juice and zest for the flavor. I try to avoid artificial extracts as much as possible. If they are not used right then they can be way over powering and give almost a burning sensation down your throat...nobody needs or wants that! The cake is so nice and fluffy with the subtle hint of orange, while the buttercream is silky smooth and light with that subtle and natural orange flavor! For the frosting I knew I wanted to swirl vanilla and orange because that is what makes an orange dreamsicle! The vanilla adds that creamy flavor into the orange. I made sure to ever so lightly color the orange buttercream with orange food coloring that way you got a nice swirl of the white and orange to look more like the classic treat! The sanding sugar is just that nice subtle decor to top it all off! I always buy fresh fruit and juice them myself for any fruity cupcake! I make and buy everything fresh by order, because I want you to have the best and nothing less! 

I needed these to be a spring seasonal cupcake for the fact of how bright and cheery that these cupcakes look (and taste!) I wanted this to get everyone in the spring mood and looking forward to the warming weather! I like to also try and keep my fruity cupcakes more in the season of the fruit since I do use fresh fruit. That is why my chocolate strawberry cupcake is a seasonal one as well. I still wanted you all to have access to fruity cupcakes all year so I did put the lemon and strawberry on our regular menu! These orange dreamsicle cupcakes will be available all of spring and I allow you guys to start ordering the next season a month before the new season starts...so no worries you can get your seasonal cupcakes a little early ;) They run the same price as the gourmet cupcakes, so &25/dozen! I can always do a variety dozen of 6 in one flavor and 6 in another, but that does cost a little extra. 

My taste testers absolutely loved these cupcakes! They gave me the approval of releasing it all to you! I have so many more test kitchen recipes to try and release! All the way from new seasonal ones, to new regular ones, new gourmet, and even the holiday ones! If you guys ever have any suggestions as well, then I am all ears to hear them out! I love thinking of new flavors for you and testing them out in the test kitchen! I hope you all enjoy the new flavor and childhood classic combined into a cupcake! I can’t wait to release the next new seasonal one coming in summer! (hint: pineapple... ) I hope you all have a wonderful day and if you are going on vacation soon then I hope you have a wonderful time and stay safe! Talk to you next blog!

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Dog care services!

Welcome back lovelies!

I hope you all are having a good 2021 so far! We are one month down! In this blog I want to kind of discuss my dog care services!

Along with making yummy cupcakes for humans (and now pups!),  I also offer services to help with your fur baby! I am currently in the process of becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician. For those who don't quite know what an RVT is, it is basically equivalent to a Register Nurse in the human medical field but for animals! I knew for Cupcakes & Canines I wanted to offer as many services for your pup as I could. My ultimate goal was to be able to help you and your pet, and I know for some it can be hard to get to the vet.

I know for some it can be difficult to get your pet to the vet especially if they don't like going. For others it could be that their pup just does really good and taking to the vet, paying the office fee, then paying for the basic care service for them to be there only for 10 minutes, then drive all the way back home can be aggravating for some. That's why I offer the services I do! I wanted to be able to come to the pets environment and help the owners/pet where they are comfortable. I've noticed in my past that some pets just honestly do better in their own environment where I let them get comfortable with me instead of taking them somewhere where they are not used to causing them to panic more. I have had some pets where they do better away from their owners but majority I have worked with feel way more comfortable with their owners staying by their side. 

I work along with the pet, that meaning if the pet gets stressed then we take a break, I'm on their schedule when it comes to this. I try to look at it from their point of view, if I was them I wouldn't want a stranger grabbing my paw and trimming my nails, they don't know that it won't hurt them, we can not tell them that and they understand what we just told them. I schedule my dog care appointments a certain way to where I don't have a time limit. If I have to do one paw then take a 15 minute break, then that's what we do! I also offer my services to come back a couple days later if they get too stressed and we can't finish all in one visit. My ultimate goal is not over stressing the pet. I want them to associate this as a friendly and non scary thing. If they are getting worked up and I continue then it could just push them to be scared and defensive, and I don't blame them if we are looking from their point of view. I have had a couple pets where I just could not trim their nails. It wasn't that the pet was bad or hostile, they were just scared and I am not going to push them over the edge. Some dogs just do better in a veterinary clinic where they have all the extra hands to help. 

I always give a disclaimer when I first arrive to the owners about how dogs have blood vessels and nerves that run through their nails, called their "kwiks," I give a heads up that it is possible that I could cut too far and it does clip them where their kwik is. It's just like when we trim our nails and we might trim a little too far. I always try my absolute best not too but sometimes it happens. It could happen if the dog moves or pulls their paw away, and even if they have black nails where you can't tell where the kiwk is. In that case, I always trim a little longer and slowly work my way back. It is a situation that I explain always looks worse than it actually is. Since the dog is nervous their blood pressure spikes causing them to bleed faster, so what was just a real quick clip, can bleed a lot more than what the trauma really is. I always carry with me "kwik-stop" which is a styptic powder that when it comes in contact with the blood, hardens and creates a seal over the nail to stop the bleeding. With puppies or dogs who are new to the nail trim I tend to leave their nails a little longer because I don't want to risk clipping them at all. Since it is new to them I don't want them to get hurt and then no longer tolerate nail trims. I want them to see it as a routine maintenance that does not hurt. 

I always ask before hand also when owners are making the appointment if they feel comfortable helping hold if need be. I've had some pets that just sit there and let me trim theirs nails quick and do really good, but most of the time nail trimming is a two to three person job. I've found it helps if the owners holds because they will be more calm since they know the person, while the owner holds I sweep in and trim the nails real quick. I do always carry muzzles with me of all sizes. I don't use them as a form of punishment, but more of a distractions. I have found that some dogs when you put it they just stop moving and become almost "paralyzed" till we take it off. I also have them so if the pet does not care for the nail trim I want to keep the owner, the pet, and me safe. It is not at all to punish the dog just to keep everyone safe, and like I stated before I understand if the dog is aggressive about it, they don't know what is going on and are scared. I have multiple tools to try and help with the nail trims. I carry peanut butter with me, all natural calming treats, calming spray, and etc. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but I have them just in case. 

Nail trims are definitely my most requested dog care service, but I do offer others such as ear cleaning, anal gland expression, dog sitting, and any medical help. I have just basic ear cleaner to help clean your dogs ear to help prevent any possible ear infection. If you notice them shaking their head a lot or scratching at their ears then this could help clean them to help rid the issue. If the shaking and scratching continue (or they begin to smell) then it is probably best to follow up with your veterinarian! If you notice your dog scooting or chewing at their butt a lot then this could be a sign up full anal glands. I offer the service to help empty them because leaving them unattended can lead to anal gland abbesses and will rack up a hefty vet bill and not to mention cause your pup a lot of pain. Normally they should express on their own when they poop, this is what leaves their scent, but sometimes they just get backed up and need a little help. If they aren't expressing on their own either then it could be a sign of infection, which would need further treatment. When I help with anal glands I always check to make sure it is normal material and not a possible infection starting. For the medical help that could be anything from helping give pills, at home IV fluids, at home injections, and etc. I've had vets in the past send owners home with all of this and the owners have no clue how to do it. That's where this service comes in and I can help if you don't understand the vet's instructions, don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, or just don't know where to start. I know for some clinics they offer you doing it at home yourself because it can be cheaper. You don't have to pay an administration fee if you do it at home. My grandma used to do that for her old dog and just have me come over and administer everything since that is what I was doing when I worked at a veterinary clinic anyway.

My dog sitting has a couple options I offer. I offer to either do multiple check ins through out the day or I can stay overnight at the house with them. Some owners just need me to check on their pet a few times throughout the day and they do fine by themselves overnight. For the check ins that could include feeding. pottying, playing, cuddling, and medical need, and etc. I usually do 3-5 check ins (depending on what the owner wants) and I always a stay a minimum of an hour (usually more.) That way the pup gets quality time. My biggest pet peeve is when dog sitter come over, let them out, then leave ;/ No they need the time to play, get energy out, have some attention. For the ones where I stay overnight, that is pretty much the exact same thing as the check ins but I stay there also during the whole night. It all just depends on what the owner wants and the pet needs. The check ins also work for even if you aren't necessarily need a sitter the whole day but just need the pet taken care of while you're at work or out of town for a few hours. I would just pop by, check on them, do any care they need, and it's an hour long as well. That offer is just paid by the hour rather than the sitting which is paid by the day. 

My services can also be extended to some other pets also! I can help with nail trims for cats, guinea pigs, reptiles, and etc! I just want to be able to give your pet the maintenance care they need while also helping you out by making it easier to accomplish that. I absolutely LOVE meeting all the pets when I do my service appointments. It's like making new friends each time! I look forward to it each and every time! I always tell owners never to feel bad if their dog tackles me because I absolutely love it!! If I get taken out by a 120 pound great dane then that is how I go :) My dog sitting schedule has been filling up fast so if you are needing a dog sitter coming up then message me ASAP! Message me also for any upcoming dog care services and I can get you all scheduled. I hope you guys enjoyed and I can't wait to talk to you in the next blog! Stay safe and I hope I get to meet you and your pet in the future!

xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Introducing...Pupcakes!!!

 Welcome back lovelies!

 

I want to start off the blog by thanking you all because without you guys and all your support I wouldn’t be able to expand my menu like I am! Thank you and I want you all to remember how amazing you are! Today’s blog is about our new pupcakes!!!! I’m so excited to officially release them, so let’s dive in!

To start off I released these on a very special day to me, January 25th, 2021 is my little pups 11th birthday! It was just yesterday I was bringing her home and she was the size of my hand! I wanted to release them on this day so it could be in honor of her...and so I would have to make and bring her some to enjoy ;)

I knew exactly what I wanted these pupcakes to be. I wanted them to be all wholesome ingredients that are healthy for dogs, no added sugars or sodium, smaller than normal cupcakes so little pups can enjoy them and it not be too much for them (and so you can give them more if you want!), and human safe so if little ones happen to get into them. Since working in the veterinary field and all the veterinary training in college, nutrition for dogs is important to me! Our pupcakes all contain base ingredients of whole wheat flour, egg, olive oil, plain greek yogurt, and baking soda for the rising agent. Whole wheat is a great source of wholesome fiber, egg for healthy fat and protein, olive oil for healthy fats, and greek yogurt for protein and healthy gut probiotics. The rest of the ingredients just depend on the pupcake flavor chosen. We offer a variety of flavors from peanut butter, pumpkin, apple, blueberry, and etc! From there the pupcakes get their sweetness from those ingredients and their natural sugars. The “frosting” is simply 2 ingredients; peanut butter and greek yogurt. Whip the two together and it looks and pipes like normal buttercream! To top each pupcake off I use a little tiny Milk-Bone treat, a fan favorite in my doggie household ;)

Testing these pupcakes was so fun! It was something so new to me, yet still recognizable. I made the first batch in all different sizes because I haven’t made mini cupcakes in forever that I forgot how full to fill up the liners. I messed around with how much frosting to put on to fit in the container and still look nice. The most important part of the recipe testing was obviously the flavor and taste...not for me of course! I took the test batch to the best taste tester I could think of...my two pups. My little one, Dixi, can be picky on her treats so I knew I wanted to test the flavor on her to see how well she would enjoy it. I also wanted to test the size of pupcake for her little-self. It ended up being a good size for her, big enough to be equivalent to a dog cookie to a larger dog, and she loved it! Fastest I have ever seen her inhale a treat. For my other medium dog, Reggie, I knew he was just going to engulf the pupcake without even savoring it! He likes to maybe chew a treat twice then swallow it whole, where dixi normally takes her time and enjoys it. Needless to say he went nuts for them and started drooling uncontrollably when he knew they were out. These were a good size where if I wanted to give him something light one was perfect or if I wanted to spoil him then two were perfect. I got the two paws up from the both of them and left them wanting more once they realized we were out. 

I wanted these pupcakes to be reasonably priced also and easily storable. I’ve been to a few dog bakeries where it is ridiculously priced for one cookie. I made it to where you can get a dozen mini pupcakes to last you a lot longer than one or two cookies for the price of $15/dozen! As far as storring goes, they can stay out at room temp for the day, but just pop in the fridge till intended use since the frosting is made out of yogurt. 

That’s it for this blog! I hope you and your pups love the new pupcakes! Orders have been racking up and I appreciate it so much!!!! I have been so ready to release them to you all, and from the questions/comments I have received, you guys have been ready for them! Thank you all again for your support in this small business letting me be able to branch out my menu. You guys mean the world to me! Continue having a wonderful day and I’ll talk to you next blog!

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Local Cupcake Wars experience!

 Welcome back lovelies!

I hope you all are having an amazing day and are staying safe! In this blog I am going to share my cupcake wars experience at my mom’s work! I did it for 3 years, lost the first two but made my comeback on the third. Let’s get started!

Now I am going to be honest, I don’t quite remember what three years this consisted of. I am going to take a rough guess and say 2011-2014ish, give or take a year. I remember my mom coming home and telling me that her work was going to put on cupcake wars. I was ecstatic!! I was always a good kid in school, always went, maintained good grades, and just obeyed all the rules, so when I found out the event was going to be on a school day during school time I got a little worried I wouldn’t be able to participate anymore. My parents made a deal with me, I could miss this one day for the event if I continue to keep doing good. They described it as not skipping school but as a reward for always going to school. I was so happy that they were going to let me do this! I knew I wanted to come up with an awesome idea. 

This was the first year they had cupcake wars so the rules were kind of confusing. This was more of the trial and error period. We were getting graded on our display of the cupcakes but little me wasn’t sure if that meant the display to showcase your cupcakes or turn your cupcakes into a display. I took it as turning my cupcakes into a display. Since it was being held at the Hospital I decided to make their logo out of cupcakes. I dyed the frosting different colors to match and lined them up in the shape of the logo. I went with a new cupcake recipe that I had never tried before...rookie mistake. It came down to the day before the competition and that is when I decided to test the new recipe. I went with a flavor my sister suggested to me previously, cookie dough. I looked up recipes for it and it simply said to let the cupcakes halfway bake then put a ball of raw cookie dough in the center then let the cupcakes continue to bake. Well since I waited till the last minute, it was too late to do any other ideas once I realized my original plan was not working out. I kept with it and just had my fingers crossed. 

The day of the competition arrived and I, along with the other competitors, showed up early to set up. That was where I realized that the display situation was to set up a display to show off your cupcakes. I continued to set up my cupcakes and made them into the shape of the logo. For it being the wrong type of display, it turned out pretty nice. I wish I had a picture of it but unfortunately I can not find one. The competition was pretty straight forward, we had a handful of judges, they went around and tasted each cupcake, then got together and graded all of them. They were grading on taste, creativity, and display. I was for sure the youngest one there. Most of the others were employees at the hospital or frequent visitors that were older and had WAY more experience in baking than I. I didn’t win the first year, but that was ok because I was for sure going to have a better understanding for next year. The one thing I really wanted to win for was the mixer and you get to be a judge in the next year competition.

Next year I stepped up my game a little. I decided to make non-alcoholic margarita cupcakes. It was a lime cupcake, lime buttercream, I rimmed the frosting in green sanding sugar to represent “salt”, and placed them in a margarita glass with a gummy lime on the rim of the glass. It was definitely a case of “looked better in the moment.” When I go back and look at it now, there are so many changes I would have done, and made it look a lot cleaner. It was pretty sloppy I will admit, but it was pretty good for a self-taught 13 year old baker. I’ve added it onto my current menu, but that is because I’ve fixed all the little issues. I didn’t win the second year either, but I was READY for the third year. I already knew what I wanted to do!

When the third year finally came, I already had my plan. I laid in bed one night and wanted to come up with something really gourmet and decadent. I thought of the flavor s’mores. I knew there were a ton of different ways I could play with those flavors and they were flavors that all went so nicely with each other. I came up with a graham cracker crust, chocolate cake, marshmallow filling, toasted marshmallow buttercream, chocolate drizzle, and topped with a graham cracker piece. The flavor became such a hit that I for sure added it to my current menu. I’ve adjusted it a little since then but it’s still the same idea. I’ve cleaned it up and made it look more fancy. I knew for my display I wanted it to look like a campfire. I gathered stones, twigs, and leaves (don’t worry I disinfected all of them.) I took a brown pillowcase to represent dirt, set my stones up in a circle to represent the fire pit, put my red/yellow leaves in the center to look like fire, and put marshmallows on the twigs to look like I was toasting marshmallows. It was really cute!

I felt really confident this year! My parents, grandparents, and sister all showed up to support me. I had to leave the room while they were testing everyone's flavors, but my mom came and got me when the results were being released. I was so nervous and just kept staring at the person announcing the winner. While she was speaking she looked at me and nodded. Right then and there I felt a huge amount of happiness and relief come over me! I started crying and hugging my family. They were so proud of me and I was so happy to have their support on this exciting day. Totally worth missing a day of school and having to play catch up the next! I got to get a picture next to my new mixer and shake all the judges hands! One of the judges was the mayor at the time but I can’t remember his name. I think it was Kevin something ;) That whole day was just surreal! I almost forgot to mention that after the competition they would sell the remaining cupcakes and the money would go to charity. The winners cupcakes would be sold for a dollar more. They were gone once they went on sale! I was so happy they were a hit. Not only to make me feel like a good baker but because it was helping the chosen charity at the time. We stayed till all the cupcakes were done selling and then headed home with that fancy new mixer!

It’s a good thing I won the third year because little did I know it was the last one for the Hospital cupcake wars. I was so disappointed I didn’t get to be a judge, but I was just happy to compete and finally win one! I still use that mixer to this day and it’s been through so much with me and has grown with me. Numerous birthdays, baby showers, a wedding, holidays, and experimenting new flavors! It will be by my side till the day it gives out, you can believe that! I am so happy to have that experience because it has shown me new techniques, challenges, ideas, and that I want to pursue baking as a living! 10/10 would recommend and would do it again! I hope you all enjoyed the story of me growing as a baker and the ups and downs! I love sharing my experiences with you guys! As always I hope you all continue having a wonderful day and I will talk to you next blog!

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Beehive cupcakes ordered from Google!

 Welcome back lovelies!

It’s another wonderful day, and I hope you all are staying safe! This blog experience was a fun one for me. It kind of went out of my comfort zone and challenged my inner artist. It’s also a double bonus because this was also my first official Google order! Up until then, all my customers have been by person, phone, friends, and etc. 

Let me just start off by saying these cupcakes were SO much fun to make! The best part of making cupcakes, besides making customers happy, is watching your vision come true. 

Let’s begin with the unknown phone call for this order. I’m actually pretty embarrassed when I think back on it because I was thrown so off guard. It was one of the moments where you think you’re ready till it actually happens then you’re lost a little. I was in the middle of helping my grandma when my phone rang. Now up until then all unknown calls I have received were robocalls. I would still answer my phone just in case, but I would just answer with a quick “Hello?” When I saw my phone ringing this time I again went completely into it thinking it was just going to be another robocall. I did a quick, “Hello?” and that’s when she asked if this was Cupcakes & Canines! I quickly changed my tone and got very excited! She was calling to inquire about ordering two dozen cupcakes for a gender reveal party. She told me that the theme for the party was like bumble bees and beehives. Already sounding so like a cute idea! To make it even cuter, she wanted the cupcakes to look like beehives with little edible bees on top and chocolate honeycomb pieces! I told her I could absolutely do that because I already had the picture of them in my head. I’ve seen bee themed cupcakes on Pinterest before so I already had a general idea of what she was describing. She wanted to know if I had any honey themed cupcakes, sadly I had to tell her no we don’t at the moment, but I could make a honey flavored buttercream on top of our other cake flavors! She decided on a dozen lemon cake and a dozen vanilla cake, and all with the honey buttercream. I love to do special orders and not only make my vision come true but the customers as well! I told her that my phone number is a cell number so she could feel free to text me with any inspirational pictures, questions, or concerns. The order was needed for November 20th, and she was going to pick them up. I let her know that I am a home baker so pick up is at my house. All she has to do is text or call me when she is in the driveway and I will bring them out and do contactless pickup by placing them in the car. She was completely ok with that, and I finished getting the final bit of information for the order. I asked her if she found us on Google and she said yes! I was so happy because this was my first order from someone searching bakeries on Google! That means I’m getting noticed! Once we hung up she texted me some inspirational pictures of what she is looking for, and it was exactly as I was picturing as well! Now I have to go buy my tools to make this cupcake perfect! Oh, and I now only answer unknown numbers with, “Thank you for calling Cupcakes and Canines! How may I help you?” regardless if it is a robocall or not. 

I originally thought of topping the cupcake with a fondant bee so everything would stay edible. I’ve dabbled with fondant in the past but it’s not the easiest thing to work with. You need a large space and it can get messy with it sticking or putting powdered sugar down so it doesn’t stick. I was googling more inspirational photos of the design idea and I was that Wilton (a baking brand) makes these little edible bees meant to top on cupcakes. I just thought they were so cute, so I decided to go that route rather than make them from fondant. I’m sure they will be much tastier than fondant and look cleaner. I made sure to purchase those in advance so I would have them in time. 

To make the honeycomb chocolate piece, you need clean bubble wrap and the chocolate of your choice. I went with yellow melting chocolate because it will look more like honeycomb and that’s what the inspirational picture had too. I’ve never made this before, but I had watched a ton of video tutorials on it in the past. I always make sure to test something days prior to actually needing it so I know if it is going to work or not. I bought bubble wrap and made sure to wash and dry it very good before using it. I melted a handful of normal chocolate chips and spreaded it on the piece of bubble wrap. I was mainly testing to see how easy I would be able to get the chocolate off or if I would need to spray it with nonstick spray. After sitting in the fridge for about 15 minutes, I was able to peel off the chocolate super easy! The coolest part was it worked! It had a honeycomb design and was super easy to do. Now I was getting even more excited to put it all together. My excitement had to wait a week until the day before pick up to actually make the cupcakes. I always make them a day before (or if it is a later in the day pickup then the morning of) pickup that way they will be fresh. 

Jump forward and it is November 19th, the day I get to make them! I start off by always disinfecting my work surfaces and my utensils. Once that is done I start on the cake. I wanted to start with the lemon cake because it has more steps than the vanilla. Funny thing is I had to make the lemon batter twice. I pulled a rookie mistake on the first attempt. First thing I do on baking days is pull out all my refrigerated ingredients so they can start coming to room temp, and that morning I had forgotten. I can bring butter to room temp pretty quickly, but eggs and milk on the other hand are tricky. I had my butter mixture ready, I added my milk and eggs, and they were so cold from the fridge that it solidified by butter again. I mean that is an ammature move for me! I could tell right away the batter was not going to be smooth and I can’t give that to a customer. I will not sell someone cupcakes unless they are fully up to standards, because I would not want a messed up cupcake that I was paying for. So I scrapped the batter. Luckily I always buy extra in case something happens, so I had enough ingredients to make it again. I pulled the second round of refrigerated goods out and made sure they all came to room temperature. Once they were good, I re-made the lemon batter. It turned out WAY better this time and how it is normally supposed to. I got those in the oven to bake and started on my vanilla batter. Vanilla went very smooth since I remembered to let things get to room temperature. Once the lemon came out of the oven, I threw in the vanilla. Trust me, I’m not going to let myself live down that mistake lol!

The cupcakes were finally all done baking and in the fridge to cool down. It was time to make my honey buttercream. Now I have never personally made honey buttercream, but everything I have ever read or seen just says to add honey to your normal buttercream recipe. I always start off with adding a little because you can always add more if need be. I make my normal batch of buttercream first then add the honey (or other flavorings) at the end. Once I got it to the taste and consistency I wanted, I added yellow food coloring to make it look more like a beehive! I pulled my cupcakes out of the fridge (being very careful to remember which flavor is which,) and put them in their containers to start piping. I always pipe the cupcakes in their containers, that way I don’t risk messing them up by placing them in the containers. I filled up my huge piping bag and used a big round tip so I would get smooth rings of frosting. I did a nice little swirl to really make it look like a beehive. One some of the cupcakes I topped them with two of the edible bees, but on the ones that only receive a single bee, I put a little piece of my honeycomb chocolate piece. I made my honeycomb piece after I had piped all the cupcakes and put bees on them. It wasn’t going to take long to set up. I just melted my yellow chocolate, spread it on clean bubble wrap, and then off to the freezer for about 5 minutes. It peeled off the bubble wrap very easily and I just started breaking it into pieces and placing them in the frosting. They are done!! It was so exciting placing that last piece of honeycomb and seeing the vision come together and hard work pay off!!! AHHH I just loved it. It was so much fun and got me to try new things! I packaged up the cupcakes and labeled on the container which flavor was which. They went into the fridge where they would stay till the customer came to pick up.

The next day was pick up day and I was both excited and nervous. I was excited for her to finally see them in person, but nervous because this is my first Google customer and I want it to go great! I texted her the day before a picture of the finished product and she loved them! I was just hoping she was going to love them just as much in person. I do my pick up protocol right now where you text me when you’re in my driveway (since I am a home baker) and I put them in your car. It’s our contactless pick up system. She came to pick them up around 11:00am. She let me know she was here and I took them out to her. She said she just absolutely loved them! She especially loved the little bees on top! I can not stress this enough when I say I was in cloud nine!!! It was everything I have ever wanted and dreamt of for my baking career. I remember being 12 and imaging giving cupcakes to my customers, and it finally happened! I told her that I loved making them and I hope the party is a hit! I also sent her home with a couple business cards ;) You got to use that free advertisement! Overall it went perfect and I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better. 

This goes down as one the best moments of my life! I am so happy that the business is getting noticed and is growing! I love you all and I’m so happy to have you as part of the Cupcakes & Canines family! I mean it, you guys mean the world to me and I can’t wait to give you all exciting new items/cupcakes! Thank you! 

That is going to wrap up this blog. I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to new ones in the future! After this experience, I was back in the kitchen baking more cupcakes! I couldn’t have had it any other way! I love you guys and hope you all continue to have an amazing day because you deserve it! Contact me for any of your cupcake needs or doggie needs!

Xoxo. Cupcakes & Canines

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Backstory of my dogs growing up!

Welcome back lovelies!

I hope you guys are feeling great and having a wonderful day! For this blog I’m going to be talking to you guys about my love for animals and how I got on the path to becoming an RVT. Let’s get started!

Starting off when I was just a little girl, I have always loved dogs. I loved every kind of dog out there. If I saw one walking at the park, then you best believe I was trying my best to pet it. Their faces are just so kissable!! I would fight an army to get to the dog just to be able to say, “Hi!” My parents taught me from a young age not to run up to a dog, always ask before just petting them, don’t right off the back make eye contact. and show the back of your hand first and let them sniff you. This is a good habit to have for young kids. Startling a dog who does not know you can always go south real fast. As a kid I always hated all those steps because I immediately just wanted to run up and hug them. I was also a VERY shy kid so asking if I could pet your dog was a struggle. There would be sometimes where I would just sacrifice the pet because I was too scared to ask. I’m still like that sometimes, although my shyness is not nearly as bad. When it came to seeing my own dogs, well then I was all over them.

Growing up I had a siamese cat named Sheba, a black lab mix named Zoey, and when I was about 3 we got a dachshund name Gidget. I was so young when we got Gidget that I don’t remember the time before we had her, so I consider my childhood dog. I don’t remember much about Sheba, mainly that he would eat our house plants and throw up. We had to put him down when I was still a fairly young age. I mainly just remember him being there, but not so much any memories of him. 

My parents got Zoey as a stray, this was their first pet together. They had her for 3 years before I was born. She was my baby. I was just a short tiny kid so whenever I hugged her it would be around the neck. Zoey tolerated that for approximately around 10 seconds then it was time to growl to warn me to let go. I remember Zoey a little better than Sheba because Zoey was around till I was about 9. Although I have some memories not all are very clear anymore. I mostly just remember her last year or so. One memory I do have of her is when it was bath time for her. Zoey hated, and I mean HATED, bath time. There was absolutely no way we were getting her in the tub. My dad came up with the idea that he was going to hold her on a leash while I take the hose and spray her down. It worked relatively well, she still tried to fight the water, but we got her at least semi-clean. Mission accomplished I’d say! In 2010 we had to put Zoey down. It was a very sad time, but she had such bad arthritis and hip dysplasia that she couldn’t get up to use the bathroom. She will always be my baby girl, and I keep a picture of her to this day in my room. 

The first memory I have a Gidget is the night my mom brought her home. I was 3 at the time and my dad and I were upstairs in their room watching TV. I heard mom come home, I ran to the top of the stairs to see her carrying a puppy up the stairs. I freaked out and yelled, “Mommy got a puppy!” Gidget had the biggest ears for a puppy, almost like a basset hound with their long ears. When my mom got her they said she was supposed to be a miniature dachshund, we later learned as she grew up that was not the case. I’m not sure if she was just a huge miniature dachshund or was just a normal dachshund, but she was not tiny. We enjoyed spoiling her with treats so she put on a few pounds, but still adorable! When Gidget was still young she blew a disc in her back from jumping up and down (common for dachshunds due to their long back.) She wasn’t able to walk or move due to the pain and nerve damage. The vet performed surgery to repair the damage. That surgery went great! She got her motor skills all the way back to 100%! The goal afterwards is to keep her from jumping, and if you would have met her then you would know she is STUBBORN. I can not exaggerate enough on the stubborn part. There was no keeping her from doing anything she didn’t want to do. Whenever we would try to lift her up and down off the furniture, or carry her up and down the stairs, she would beat us to it and go by herself anyways. She did not even care that she hurt her back and can’t do that. Since she was so stubborn, the injury happened again. She was back to not being able to walk or move. We couldn’t afford the second surgery so all we could was keep her in a crate to keep from moving for about 6 weeks. The vet told us that however she was walking wise now is how she is going to be without the surgery. We felt awful and started to look up “doggie wheelchairs.” due to being paralyzed. Now you remember me telling you how stubborn she was...yeah well she was determined she was going to walk and miraculously gained control over her back legs again. She was wobblier now, but she could walk. Whenever she would run she would put both her back legs together and hop like a rabbit. She no longer could jump up on anything, but she would still jump down at any chance she could get. Luckily she didn’t hurt her back anymore after that. I absolutely loved her stubborn butt. Unfortunately after that, she couldn’t control her bowels anymore on her own. If she had to go, then she was going. I’d take that if it meant she was able to walk again. 

When Gidget came home, Zoey and her did not really know what to do with each other. After a few weeks of Zoey realizing that Gidget was not leaving then they eventually became friends. When they used to get into “fights” it was mainly little Gidget nipping at Zoey from underneath her. They were silly. A few months after we had Zoey put down I got my first dog for my birthday! It was every little girl's dream. My birthday was coming up, Gidget was lonely, and one of my mom’s coworkers was giving puppies away. All the pieces kind of fell into play (plus I was nonstop asking for a puppy!) This is when we meet Dixi! She is a dachshund yorkie mix...a dorkie! Dixi was born on January 25th and we were able to get her when she was 8 weeks old. I got to go over to the coworker’s house and pick out a puppy. Dixi and I just gravitate to each other. She came up to me and hasn’t left my side since. Now in the beginning Gidget wanted absolutely nothing to do with Dixi, that was until we had to leave them together to go on vacations. We had a cruise coming up and this was the first time they were going to be stuck together. We left with Gidget snapping at Dixi everytime she went near her, and came back to them being inseparable! I have no idea what happened during that week we were gone but they made a strong bond. All the way up to when Gidget was put down they stayed by each other's side. 

Once Dixi was about 5, Gidget was about 12, and I was about 15, we introduced our third dog named Reggie. You’re probably going to hear and see a lot of Reggie and Dixi. Reggie is australian shepherd and black lab mix. Mom was an australian shepherd and dad was a black lab. We received reggie from the same person we got Dixi from. She was giving away the puppies because it was not a planned breeding, so we got him for free. This was our first boy dog too. Before Reggie it was only my dad in a house of all girls. Reggie was going to be my dad’s dog. My mom had Gidget, I had Dixi, and dad was going to have Reggie. When we went to get Reggie I did not know we were bringing him home. My mom just asked me if I wanted to go play with the puppy and of course I said yes. When we got there I immediately fell in love with him. He was a little monster and I loved every aspect of that. I wanted a dog I could hug tightly and “wrestle” with. All I knew was that we were going to look at him. I took him out into their living room and played with him, next thing I know mom is saying that we are bringing him home! While I was distracted playing with him, mom was texting dad pictures of him and dad gave the big old thumbs up to bring him home. I was so surprised and ecstatic! I thought to myself, “I need to stop asking for things more often because we are getting to bring him home!” Little did I know my mom had planned this to go look at him because her and my dad were discussing about bringing him home previously. All I cared about was we were getting to take this little man home! We brought him home when he was around 8 weeks as well. My dad gave me the honor of naming him so I did what any logical kid would do and name him…”Sir Reginald Beef Wellington Hanshew the Turd,” but we like to call him Reggie for short. He only gets his full name when he is being silly. 

The same went for him when we brought him home. Gidget wanted nothing to do with him, and since Gidget and Dixi were BFF’s now, she wanted nothing to do with him as well. I’d like to say they all eventually bonded but it was really a hit or miss on most days. Some days Gidget and Dixi would snap at him if he got near, and others they wouldn’t and would play. So there it was, the three of them, and it stayed like that for another 5 years. Sadly since then we have had Gidget put down due to old age. She lived till she was 17 years old, and was stubborn still. Dixi was a little lost at first because she never left Gidget’s side. Now her and Reggie tolerate each other better. Reggie in fact most of the time doesn’t even act like she is there and runs over her, but Dixi does not snap as much. 

When Reggie was still less than a year old he got hit by a car. My family owns a plot of land that we have turned into our “campground.” We all keep our campers on there and stay there on the weekends during the warmer seasons. One weekend we were staying there and my dad decided to let Reggie come outside without his leash. Up till then he has been doing amazing at staying right next to my dad and if he started to stray away then my dad could just make him come back. Across the street from the campground is a park with trails. Right as my dad and Reggie were going outside, Reggie saw and heard another dog at the park. Reggie bolted towards the dog and across the busy street. My dad called for him and he was not listening. Right as he ran out in the street a car clipped his hind end and flipped him around. He managed to stumble his way back onto the campground property. I was inside our camper when all this happened. I remember hearing a yelp and when I looked outside my dad was with Reggie next to the street. I have never ran faster in my life than that day trying to get to him. Reggie was overall ok, but couldn’t walk since his hindlegs were hit. He wouldn’t let anyone pick him up without letting out screams. I felt so bad and just did not know what to do. I felt so helpless watching him cry out in pain. We got a doggie life jacket on him to use the handle and carry him in the car. We were finally able to load him in the back of the car and I just sat back there with him while we drove to the emergency vet. Once we arrived at the vet my senses were all heightened. I was watching and observing everything. I was watching the techs and how they worked with him(at the time I did not know what a vet tech was) and I watched the doctor with what he was doing. I was in full adrenaline mode with wanting to know everything they were doing and why. They took x-rays of his hips and lucky for him and us he had no breaks or fractures. They vet actually made fun of him saying that he was just being weak and had some minor bruising. I didn’t care for that vet because it doesn’t matter if it is just bruising, it still probably hurts like hell and he has a right to be whining from it. They kept Reggie overnight to monitor for any changes, but we were able to take him home the next day. They sent us home with pain meds and told us to basically make sure he doesn’t favor that leg for too long to where he gets used to not using it and then gets muscle atrophy (the wearing down of muscle from lack of use.) We were instructed to get his leg moving so he will use it. I watched and cared over him like a hawk in his recovery. I had to make sure he was going to be ok. I would work with him each day and move his leg while he was laying down. He did not like it one bit but it was his daily physical therapy the vet recommended. That’s when I had my first thought and made me curious in becoming a “doggie nurse” and started my path of becoming a vet tech. I enjoyed taking care of him, knowing that we can be the voice they don’t have so they get the care they need. He eventually healed and used the leg fully. He tried to favor it occasionally but I just kept it moving. 

That was basically the backstory of my growth with dogs and where I first became curious in dog care. I’ve had other pets as well like rats, guinea pigs, birds, hamsters, and cats. In fact one year for Christmas my sister and I got a kitten together from PetSmart. My sister’s cat was named MooMoo Kitty and mine was named Fiona. They were from the same litter, and to this day we still have Fiona. MooMoo unfortunately got sick and was put down at the beginning of 2020. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE all animals (again maybe not sharks...it depends…) but I have always been drawn to dogs more. I will be posted a blog in the past sort of picking up right around here in my sophomore year of highschool. There I discussed my road and journey to now and becoming an RVT. 

I hope you guys enjoyed the backstory of little Madi and the stories of all my pups growing up. I absolutely love talking about dogs and sharing any stories. If you or someone you know needs any help with their pup feel free to text, call, or email me! I am available for dog/house sitting, daily check ins, walks, helping with medications, and more. If you are curious as well about any help, then message me as well and I will see what I can do. Alright, I hope you guys continue on with another wonderful day. 

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Passing my VTNE!

 Welcome back lovelies!

I hope you all are having a wonderful day, and preparing for the Holiday season! In today's blog I am going to talk about passing my VTNE!! This is so exciting and so nerve racking at the same time. For those that do not know, the VTNE stands for Veterinary Technician National Exam. This is the national board to become a Registered Veterinary Technician! It is a 170 question test that is 3 hours long. Let's dive in!

I applied to take my test back in August of 2020. I knew I wanted to have plenty of time to study so I set my exam date for early December. I bought this study subscription that we used in college to help us. It wasn’t cheap but was totally worth the money. I bought a 6 month subscription for around $260 and the VTNE cost around $350. I knew I wanted to pay for all this with my own money. I couldn’t live with myself if my parents paid for my subscription and test and I failed so now they are out of all that money. I also knew it was going to feel more of an accomplishment knowing I paid for it all to happen. It was a big girl purchase ;) 

My plan was to originally take the test right after college, but COVID hit and completely destroyed that. They still had it available but everything was just so uncertain at the time that I wanted to wait till things got figured out more. I set my new goal to get a job, save money for the subscription and test, pay for it myself, and then take it by the end of the year. Needless to say I was determined with that goal. I strayed away from it for a little while working, but after I took my leave of absence, I saw no better time than now. I studied everyday for an hour all the way up until the day of my test. I was BRAIN FRIED by the time November and December hit. I will say I took a break towards the end of November just because I was becoming resentful of it and I knew that wouldn’t help me retain any information. I still studied everyday, but some days might have only been for 15 minutes. I really started cramming for the test when I only had a week left. I’ve always done that. Even in college I did my best studying where I studied a little bit before then crammed the night before. That’s the best way I’ve learned that I personally retain the information. 

As the days grew closer I grew more and more anxiety ridden. A lot of other students from college that were in the classes below me were taking them too. They were all passing and so it made me feel a little better knowing I haven’t seen anyone fail yet. I talked to a couple of them to see how it was but we aren’t allowed to talk about the test afterwards. That was completely understandable! They did give me advice saying the subscription I was using helps a lot, and to just breathe and have faith in yourself. It made me feel much better!

It finally came to the day before my test and I was NERVOUS. I was off the walls not being able to think, breathe, or just calm down. My parents and I rented a hotel room up in Fort Wayne for the night because I was taking my test at the Ivy Tech in Fort Wayne. It was a super nice  hotel, and it was fun just getting to stay somewhere else. I tried to study some, and I was doing good at answering, but I was so frantic that my parents told me to take a break and enjoy the night with them. I was to the point either I knew the material or I didn’t and stressing myself more was not going to help or change anything. My parents and I ended up just enjoying each other's company and watching family feuds on the hotel cable. They ended going to bed around 11:00pm, me on the other hand, did not sleep at all. I don’t know what happened. I was so tired, and by that point not worried at all, but no matter how I layed or how long I kept my eyes closed I just could not fall asleep. I was up all the way till my alarm went off to wake up and start getting ready. My parents woke up and was surprised to see me sitting up in the bed awake too. Surprisingly by that point I was wide awake and didn’t feel tired anymore. That was probably because my nerves were starting to come back knowing my test is nearing closer. I was scheduled to take my test at 9:00am and so I wanted to be there by 8:30am. We left the hotel early to make sure we got to the right place. My parents didn’t have to check out till noon so they were just going to go back to the room until I was finished. 

We got to the testing center and by then I was practically shaking. My parents walked with me to make sure I found the right room then they left back for the hotel. I signed in and put all my belongings into a locker. The proctor then led me to my computer station and this was it, no turning back. Well I guess I could have, but then I would be out $350 and have failed the test anyway. I sat down, took a deep breath, and just said, “I got this.” I can only do to the best of my ability. Everyone before my test was wishing me good luck and had no doubt I would do fine. My biggest fear was having to walk out of that room and tell everyone I didn’t pass after they had all this faith in me. It was almost more pressure being told that they know I will do fine then just saying good luck. I told my parents before they left that I was not going to trick them when I let them know. Whatever I tell them is the true outcome, and I was only going to tell them in person when they come and get me. 

I started the test and finished it in 30 minutes. I’ve always been a quick test taker and it always makes me second guess when I am the first one done. I knew with this I HAD to trust my gut and not second guess myself. I spent another 20 minutes just going back and reviewing my answers. I knew there was nothing else I could do, I just had to submit it and accept my fate. My dad told me there was no doubt that I know the material, it’s just a matter of not second guessing myself. Best advice I could have received. I clicked submit then met the proctor back up at the front desk to get my printed results. That whole time I was standing up there I was praying that I passed. The proctor scared me at one point because he shook his head when he grabbed the results from the printer. He laid the paper down in front of me and the first thing I saw was, “Congratulations!” I shot down to the floor and started crying. I was so happy and so relieved. I grabbed the paper and my belongings. I texted my dad that I was done and he could come and get me. While I was waiting for them I let my two best friends know that I passed. They were UNBELIEVABLY happy for me! I love them so much! I let everyone else know that I had previously wished me good luck. My parents finally pulled up to the front of the building, I walked down the steps, then shot up and gave them a huge thumbs up! I did it! I really did it! I saw and heard my mom scream from in the car. She ran out and gave me the biggest hug! I looked at my dad still in the car and told him to come out and hug me. I could see he was crying. My dad doesn’t cry often, so it melted my heart knowing this brought tears of joy to him. They said they were both gripping their seats at wanting to know. We all had a final big group hug then my mom took my picture in front of the building. It was then posted all over social media on all my business pages and her page. You could see the genuine happiness in my face in that picture! We all got back in the car and went and got celebratory lunch! 

After lunch we started on our way back home. It still didn’t feel real, and to this day it still doesn’t. I want to thank everyone who had faith in me and wished me good luck! You all mean everything to me! I love and appreciate all of the support. Everyone continued to congratulate me on social media and it just all felt surreal. The best was seeing my teachers from college be so proud! I couldn’t have done it without the awesome teachers I had to teach me everything. Now I am just waiting for my results to be submitted to the state, then all I have to do is take an at home state test over the laws, and then I’m golden! This is a dream come true and I’m so happy to be reaching it. I’M GOING TO BE AN RVT?!?!?! I’M MEAN WHAT, HOW COOL IS THAT??? Hard work definitely paid off! Here is the start to another chapter!

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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