WATCH OUT.......KARMAs ABOUT

What happens when KARMA mistakes you for someone else & tries to tip you over the edge.

As with every New Year, we start with a positive attitude. "THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR"    

Well that didn't last very long..

Someone, in their infinite wisdom decided that we needed to be pushed to the limits, test our reserve, see how strong we really are.....

We put our all into our business and this year we're getting ready for huge growth. 

Lots to be done, but home was running smoothly, for once, so it was all looking good. 

Yea right.

It started small.

Hubby had some unexpected changes to his job. It wasn't going to be easy but as always he stepped up to the mark and soldiered on. 

That rocked the boat for a while but we figured we could handle it. 

We had a little car trouble, fixable but expensive. But we got it sorted and moved forward. 

We made it to St Patrick's day, kids off for over 2 weeks and plans were made. 

It started with a cough, then a headache and before I knew it ...........

Doctor

4 sick kids

2 with Flu

Quick trip to the supermarket on way back from the doctor, groceries packed and my bank card died.

3 machines later and there was nothing for it but a trip to the bank, with 4 sick kids, new card would take 8 days due to Easter.

HOME

Easter Saturday washing machine DIED

Easter Sunday my car DIED

FORWARD 1 WEEK

8yr old locks herself in her room, door handle had to be drilled off

Can it get worse

Yes it can

Wednesday my American Fridge was found DEAD

AND

Saturday my tumble drier gave up the ghost.

At this point we just laughed....

So my questions

WHO IS KARMA?

WHAT DID I DO TO P**S HER OFF?

and when will i win the lotto

When is a Cookie NOT a Cookie?

Answer...... when it's a Crumble Mix, a Brookie, a Cinnamon Cookie Swirl, a Muffin/Cake Bake, a Date Bar, and many more things yet undiscovered. 

So whats the big deal....
Well these are my cookie mixes

Follow the instructions on the reverse and you get delicious cookies everytime.

But what if you fancied something different well look no further.  Here are just some of the ideas that I've been working on.

Firstly, lets make #glutenfree, #DairyFree and #eggfree cookies

I used GlutenFree Oatmeal & Chocolate cookie mix. Although the pack calls for 1 egg, I used the equivalent of 2eggs when using the egg replacement. And I used 100g of Dairyfree butter.

How about Cookie Crust Crumble

You can use any Cookie mix. I prefere Triple Choc, Oatmeal & Raisin or GF Oatmeal & Chocolate. Don't add the egg, just rub the 100g of butter into the mix with your fingers then sprinkle onto your Apple.

Next up, make up your cookie dough, chill and then role out. Sprinkle with soft brown sugar and cinnamon. Role, cut and bake to create Cinnamon Cookie Swirls.

Lets keep going, so how about a Cake Bake. 

Firstly melt 200g of Butter in a wide bottom pot. Remove from the heat and mix in 1 bag of cookie mix then fold in 4 whisked eggs. Place mixture in a 8in square tin. And this is what you get

And I'm not done yet. Fancy a Date Bar. Well look no further.

Place 250ml of water and 200g of chopped Dates in a pot, heat and simmer for 5-10 mins till they resemble a paste.

Mix 1 bag of Cookie mix with 100g of butter. Place half the mix in the bottom of a 8in square tray. Place the Date mix on top then put the remaining cookie mix on top of the Dates and press down. Bake for 30 mins.

And last but not least The Brookie

Make up your favorite Cookie dough. Press into a 8in tray.

In a large bottom pot melt 90g of butter & 180g of caster sugar. Remove from the heat then stir in 56g of dark chocolate, 44g of plain flour, 22g of cocoa powder and 2 eggs. Pour the mixture onto the cookie dough and bake for 40mins.  The result is half cookie half brownie and its delicious.  

This is my Brookie

I hope you enjoy my receipes.

If you feel like experimenting with your mix then why not share your ideas.

Me.. I'm away to eat.

Well someones got to do it.

Kookee x

Working from home ........ the NO FRILLS TRUTH

How to work from home efficiently.
How to separate home life and work when both are in the same place.
How to switch off when working from home.......

And many more BLOG titles that make you think... 'Hey, I could do that'.

Firstly I am not demeaning the worth of any of these blogs as I have read each and everyone of them. And this time next year my daily diary will be as follows;

1. Alarm will gently wake me from my sleep at 7am and I have a shower with no one trying to break into the bathroom.
2. 7.10am my Nanny arrives, wakes the children, dresses them, feeds them and drops them to school, not before they gently kiss me on the cheek.
3. Mr Kookee struts into the kitchen, gives me a morning kiss followed by freshly ground coffee.
4. Just before I begin work the doorbell rings again and my cleaner arrives. Hooray.
5. I work, continuously, efficiently and happily until I take a short but well deserved lunch break.
6. I go back to work, yes you read that correctly, I said I GO BACK TO WORK.
7. The nanny collects the kids, helps them with there homework, gives them their tea.
8. I finish work for the day, eat my tea, sit down, put kids to bed, and smile.
9. I GET PAID
10. We have a family holiday every year,  not just those with the number 9 in it.

When you find the perfect BLOG please let me know - until then here is some light reading

This will happen.  But for now this is more like the TRUTH.

HOW SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE WILL DEPEND ON YOUR DEFINITION OF - SUCCESS

So what are we looking at.
Well I have 4 kids, 3 school age, 1 at creche part time.  A husband who is the most over enthusiastic entrepreneur I have ever met, but has not figured out the cloning process yet, and did I mention he 'thinks he's BATMAN. I am a carer, I run a food business,  I don't get a wage (as yet), household income doesn't quite match household outgoings, in 15yrs of marriage, and excluding our honeymoon we have had 1 family holiday for 5days to Legoland Windsor. 

Q:   How do you run a food business from home successfully?

A:    Well this is how I do it.

(Rules of Food - No Kids or Animals present when producing - Full prep and clean down completed before each production - All records maintained correctly - Follow a comprehensive HACCP plan)

Animals - I don't have any........sorted

Kids - As soon as they are at school I start immediately doing my cleaning prep. I don't eat, drink, sit down or stare into space for 1 second.

I produce for 3 hours solid.

I don't cut corners or jeopardise the finished product. I only produce the volume that my current machinery allows. I try to build up a reasonable amount of stock to meet demand.

I never over commit on delivers, if I don't have stock I am honest with the customer and give them a definite delivery date.

12.30pm - I collect the youngest from creche.

Then it's clean down time.  This I can do with the baby at home.

I use this time from 12.30 to 2.30 to clean down, check emails, start dinner, put on a wash, tidy round, have lunch etc.. this lets me get ahead.

2.30pm - I collect the 3 other kids (although this changes in Sept as the eldest who is Autistic is heading to secondary so it will be 2 kids at 2.30pm and 1 at 3.30pm ish). This is a huge deal for our family this year, there will be tears no doubt.

Homework

Dinner

5.30pm - Respond to any emails that I received, and place orders if needed.

7.30pm - Bed for kids

My evenings involve

• Social media updates
• Completing the days paperwork
• Household chores
• Prep for the next morning, i.e lunches

The days I don't produce my 3hrs are spent doing deliveries, phoning or calling into customers.

I stock take every 3mths, this way I always know what ingredients, packaging and finished goods I have in stock. This information is priceless, as I can work out product trends, sales forecast, ingredients volumes and do a gap analysis.  

If I have a meeting or event that runs over I have the option of leaving the youngest in creche longer.. this costs money so this decision is based on need only.

All of the above works brilliant - but that's on a good day.

So here's the last 4wks:

Creche closed for 2 weeks holidays.

Decided to take the opportunity to potty train 2yr old.

Kept him off an extra week to ensure this was complete.

He didn't make it back to creche as he has Mumps.

So no production has happened in 4wks. (thankfully I had stock, but this is about to run out)

Can't take him anywhere so uniforms, shoes, bags, books still need to be bought.

I spent most of the 4wks being a taxi for the other 3 while they go to summer camps.

So I took the 'opportunity' and completed my business plan, HACCP plan, Grant forms, stock takes, new ordering process, deep clean of the prep area and set myself some goals starting next week.

Lets be honest......

I want the Nanny

I want the Cleaner

I want to get my teeth stuck into each and every project

But ................... well there is no BUT

It will happen.....

Kids will grow up

I will have more time

I will get a wage, turn a profit and have the help I need

It will take time, hard work and persistence.  

One thing I learned was that keeping the family away from your work because they are too young to understand or you don't have the time to explain doesn't work. Find away to involve them, trust me it will make all the difference.

My kids know everything about the business, they help with stock takes and know when to give me space to take a call or answer an urgent message.

To sum up, so far I have.............

• Started a business
• Maintained a business
• Grown a business
• Kept my sanity
• Stayed Married
• Turned 40 and have minimal grey hair

THIS IS SUCCESS IN MY EYES

Kookee

x

REALITY BITES .............. OUCH

Reality does bite.. and believe me it has a full set of teeth

This post was started a few times but due to lack of time and there only being 1 of me.. I couldn't seem to get it finished

So since we last spoke life has been a little hectic.

I finally found a Lab that could test my products and have results back in a reasonable amount of time so I set to work getting my samples ready.  Now doesn't that sound simple.... you'd think so.... but NO it wasn't.

Lets be realistic about this.

I have rugrats so that is always a stumbling block..

Working from home was never going to be a walk in the park.

Initial Cleandown done.

All set up and ready to go.

Kids distracted - tv and computer games.

AND OFF WE GO.

Baby does a Poo...........................

Everything has to stop.    

Don't be under any illusions.. I'm not here to dress up the 'working from home scenario'.

How wonderful it is, I can spend time with my kids AND ever so slowly build a multi-million business.

It should only take 420 years Approx.

Anyway.. I got the samples done and thank you to the wonderful people at CLS labs for taking on the arduous task that is Kookee.

But then the real work started.

Somehow I managed to write 

A 34 page HACCP.

20 recipes finally written up per kg and saved (for future generations)

Business Plan finally complete thanks to www.smallbusinesscan.com

Project plan all highlighted and looking pretty (wonderful feeling ticking things off)

Still have to complete my New Customer Forms and my Priming Grant Form

So not time for a holiday as yet.

Meanwhile..............................back at the ranch

House is upside down.. really need a cleaner

Clothes Mountain is slowly taking over

And 1 week into the summer holidays and both boys have broken their tablets.  What a great summer it's going to be.  

 (bearing in mind this is the 3rd item of technology that the ASPI one has broken)

So I had a brainwave.... what if I take part in undercover boss in my own company

Give myself a pay rise

A new home

A new Car

And clear all my bills

WHAT DO YOU THINK -------------WOULD IT WORK

That's enough from me.  Have to keep the momentum going or I'll fall over. 

Think I might bake something...............

DID I MENTION I LOVE TO COOK 

X

X

Motivation can come from the strangest of places

MOTIVATION

Where does it come from

Some say it comes from the GREAT of our time 

Some say it comes from their parents or kids or dog or cat or goldfish

Well this is my Dad - 81 on Tues and 1 of my many sister.........does that inspire or motivate you?????? In case I offend my sis check out her FB page Darling Buds

This year my motivation came from 1 place only.

4 YES 4 Kids and 8wks Holidays......................That would motivate anyone

So 5 days on and what have I done

• 34 Page HACCP complete and proof read.  As you can imagine this was tough so when I read it, you could easily see the nights were I worked late. One line read as follow 

'' Ensure the exterior of the premises is clean so as to avoid taking dirt in to the premises on your shoes or BOATS'' 

How many of you have a BOAT?????

• All 20 recipes have been finally set in stone and documented officially. I have been using these recipes for some time, but never gave them an official Revision Number. Now its finally done.

•  All arrangements are now in place to have my Nutritional, Shelf Life and Gluten Free Testing completed.   If anyone has a spare €5000 floating about please feel free to send it my way...... Testing is expensive.

Along with this we had speech therapy for a 6yr old (going on 15)

12yr old leaving primary.. and had to give gifts to Principal, Teacher, Resource Teacher, All 3 SNA's who helped him over the years..........  Needless to say I'm broke.

3 School reports to go through.

Copious amounts of used copies and books, which you are obliged to look through each and every page.

And 2 kids at the Doctor.

The House has been a little neglected... so today I will be mostly washing and cleaning and drinking lots of coffee, lots and lots of coffee.

Better get back to the work.... 5wks and 2 days to go till BIG LAUNCH. 

Will keep you all posted on progress. 

Wanna Be Entrepreneur - Mum - Carer - & Wife (occasionally)

Slowly Slowly - Catchy Monkey

You know that saying.... well it doesn't work.

Slowly Slowly gets nothing done sometimes.

Well 6mths into the year and not too much has been achieved.

BUT

I have been busy.

Most of it was spent filling in endless forms and ringing copias amounts of people to ensure my eldest gets his SNA next year when he moves to secondary school.

As his carer (He's Autistic) that is my priority...... But the plan has always been that I would start to set up a business and when the time was right and his care needs diminished I would have some form of career ahead of me... Hence the WANNA BE ENTREPRENEUR

SNA - SORTED

PRIMARY SCHOOL - AS OF TOMORROW HE IS FINISHED 

But that does mean that all my kids are finished and I am trying to run a business from home.

Summer holidays should be fun...................

But there are changes a foot

Recently I par-took in a Food Academy Course with Bord Bia  supervalu  Monaghan and Louth Enterprise Board and Musgrave in Cork

We successfully pitched and if all goes to PLAN we will be selling our products in 6 Supervalu stores from Aug 4th for 12wks.

So over the next 6 wks I will let you follow my journey.

Hopefully we achieve all the goals set and make the launch.

I don't expect it to be easy.................

Cinnamon Cookie Swirls.

5 Simple steps to create this delicious cookies.

Pick the cookie mix of your choice.  I choose Triple Chocolate Chip. But any of our flavours would work.

Make up as per instructions, chill it, then role it out flat and sprinkle with cinnamon and then with brown sugar. 

Role the dough up lenght way

Then slice the dough in approx 1/2in thick slices

Place on baking sheet as per photo

Bake for about 18mins at 180 (that is if you can wait that long)

Now sit back and enjoy repeatedly.  They are truely devine