GREAT WEEK FOR SKELETON MAKE-UP & ORGANIC VEGGIES

Celebrate Festival of Skeletons this Friday night in the Village of the Arts

It's that time of year again when nights get cooler; apple & pumpkin flavors are featured; Palma Sola Sunday Farmers Market reopens; Mexico celebrates its Dia de los Muertes and Village of the Arts November ArtWalk celebrates Festival of the Skeletons. Put on your cumbia music, optional costume and join us as we remember Frida Kahlo at the community shrine at 12th St W/11th Ave W. Then walk around & see the shrines at  individual galleries, including the one I'm doing at BONNI BAKES GALLERY (930 12th St W) to honor people & pets I've loved, who are gone. It's so big that I had to bring it inside! We'll also have the limited edition FESTIVAL OF THE SKELETONS T-SHIRTS for sale.

Maria is back this year with an extended menu of her real Mexican food. I hope to find the time to bake something special in the Mexican holiday tradition. 

Maria & I are regular vendors at the Palma Sola Farmers Market, reopening Sunday from 11-3. It's located in NW Bradenton at Geraldson's Community Farm, our local organic CSA. You'll also find goat yogurt, cheese & milk from Yokers Wilde Hatchery and Dairy Goats (plus baby goats jumping about); Dave's local honey; fish from Island Fresh Market AMI; hot pepper products from Sawyer Jalapenos, and lots of delicious fresh organic produce. More information at their Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/palmasolafarmersmarket

Once there click on their address to get a map & directions. 
With so much going on, I don't have enough time to bake loaves of bread this week. Hold that thought until next week.

Here's what I am baking this week:

Jewish Apple Cake

Jewish Apple Cake   $3/slice

An honest old fashioned cake, loaded with fresh apples slices enrobed with cinnamon/sugar. Not overly sweet, just like Grandma used to bake. At home 
with a steaming cup of coffee or a glass of tea Russian style.

Cinnamon Sugar Snickerdoodle Cookie

Big Cookies   $1.50/each

Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors:

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Belgium Dark Chocolate Walnut, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate, (NEW) Classic Snickerdoodle     

The answer to a chocoholic's prayers

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies   $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds & chocolate chips. Available in a plain brown bag if you don't intend to share with others.

All Breadstix are mixed and shaped by hand

A Mixed Bag of Breadstix   $4/pkg

Sometimes it's hard to decide which flavor of Breadstix you love the most. Now you don't have to choose, you can have them all! Rosemary Parmigiana, Kalamata Feta, and Roast Garlic Blue Cheese. Great on their own or the perfect partner to soup, salad or dip.

Pumpkin Date Nut Muffin   $2

A toothsome rich muffin with the background flavors of pumpkin & warm spices studded with plump dates, raisins and roasted walnuts. A great way to welcome the season!

You'll know why they're OUTRAGEOUS as soon as you take a bite

Outrageous Walnut Brownies  $2.50

The moist deep chocolate interior is a nice counterpoint to the shiny thin crust that holds in the cake and  toasted walnuts. If you like cake brownies, these are NOT for you.

Ten unique flavors to choose from

Homemade Jam & Chutney   $4/8 oz jar

Peach Mango Brandy, Mango Strawberry Cardamom, Blueberry Lime, Mango Chutney, Mango Meyer Lemon Lime, Pineapple Mango Rum, Peach Melba, Mixed Berry, Blueberry Lemon, Ginger Pear Chutney.

          Everything always hand-made in small batches with the best ingredients & locally       sourced when possible. No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fake stuff EVER!!

ORDER BY 5pm WED.  PICK-UP EITHER
FRIDAY or SATURDAY 11-4 in Village of the Arts  OR
SUNDAY 11-3 at Palma Sola Farmers Mkt

all items in limited supply...first come, first served

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

call me at (941) 746-6647 

  or email  bonnibakes@gmail.com  

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK 

MADE OUT TO BONNI BROWN  

PICK UP YOUR ORDER

in The Village of the Arts  

at BONNI BAKES Gallery 

930 12 St W (just south of MLK)

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

J's Tree continues to grow and thrive

The Tacoma tree out front is bursting at the seams with more blossoms than I've ever seen. It's hard to walk past the cascade of happy yellow flowers without smiling, as it should be. This is "J's Tree", planted as a memorial for a very special baby, with very special parents.

Cheering us on at the Finish Line

Saturday, tons of people walked in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. It was very emotional walking that 5K remembering all of the people I've known & loved...and lost to cancer over the years. But when I saw the sea of pink t-shirts walking behind me, and the very strong women in the "Survivors Tent" welcoming me, I knew I was in good company. Please don't neglect to have your yearly mammogram...it's what saved my life!

My Pecan Cinnamon Kringle 

This past week I was commissioned to bake a Kringle. Up until now the only Kringle I knew about was Kris. Hey, I'm from New York City not Racine, WI. But I love a challenge, especially if it involves baking. After some research, I learned the classic one was a laminated dough filled with toasted pecans, cinnamon sugar & butter. What could be bad? If there's something you have a longing for, and it's baked, let's talk.

My adventurous son is currently in Sri Lanka, directing two tv shows. But before he left, he told me to sign up for Viber iOS. It lets me make free calls & send free text, photo and video messages to anyone else who has Viber. It took less than a minute to register my phone number, allowing me to talk or text for free as much as I want. You don't even have to import "contacts" because it automatically lists which of your contacts also have Viber. We spoke a few days later (10,000 miles apart) and it sounded as if he was right next to me. You can get more info at viber.com

I'm happy to be back on my regular schedule and look forward to seeing you soon.

Here's what I'm baking this week:

Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate cookie

Big Cookies   $1.50/each

Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors:

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Belgium Dark Chocolate Walnut, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate, (NEW) Classic Snickerdoodle     

The cookies with a delicious following

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies   $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds & chocolate chips. Available in a plain brown bag if you don't intend to share with others.

Rosemary Parmigiano Breadstix   $4/pkg

Crisp, hand-made sticks bursting with flavor. Delicious paired with an appetizer, soup, salad or cocktail. Fabulous with thin prosciutto wrapped around it. 

Just out of the oven, onion perfumes the air

New York's Classic Onion Roll   $2.75/pkg

A large round roll with toasted onions inside & poppy seed outside. The soft crumb makes it the perfect sandwich vehicle. Rarely found outside of old NYC bakeries, but I'll have a limited quantity available this week.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin   $2

A moist over-sized muffin made with fresh ripe bananas and filled with loads of chocolate chips. Is it a muffin or cake? Who cares, it's delicious!

Marilyn...a Stacked Blondie Bar  $2.50

A voluptuous classic, from her over-the-top filling of nuts and white chocolate, to the oh so satisfying caramel body. Not recommended if you blush easily.

Homemade Jam & Chutney   $4/8 oz jar

Peach Mango Brandy, Mango Strawberry Cardamom, Blueberry Lime, Mango Chutney, Mango Meyer Lemon Lime, Pineapple Mango Rum, Peach Melba, Mixed Berry, Blueberry Lemon, Ginger Pear Chutney.

Always hand-made in small batches with the best ingredients & locally sourced when possible. No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fake stuff EVER!!

Order by 5pm Wed for pick-up Friday or Saturday 11-4

all items in limited supply...first come, first served

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

call me at (941) 746-6647 

  or email  bonnibakes@gmail.com  

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK 

MADE OUT TO BONNI BROWN  

PICK UP YOUR ORDER

in The Village of the Arts  

at BONNI BAKES Gallery 

930 12 St W (just south of MLK)

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

As Grandpa Selig (or Zelig according to Woody Allen) used to say, "da buds are budzing"

Things are beginning to sprout in my garden. They may just be babies, but each one looks unique to me. Because I wanted to grow specific varieties that weren't available locally, Mike & I started them from seed. A precarious plan at best. Some were destroyed by hungry insects and others couldn't swim through the sudden down pours. But a few survivors made it. Can you ID the lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers? Hopefully it will be easier when they're loaded with fruit (she said with fingers crossed) ;-)

Talking about survivors, this Saturday morning is the annual Making Strides to End Breast Cancer Walk at 9am at the Polo Grounds in Lakewood Ranch. That means that I won't be baking Saturday. So just for this week, all pick-ups must be on Friday from 11-4pm or beyond. Just let me know what time works best for you.

My breast cancer was discovered during a routine mammogram. I had mammos for years and they had always been "normal". Although this cancer was aggressive, it was detected before spreading throughout my body.  My life was suddenly turned upside down, having to deal with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation & years of hormonal treatment. I lost every hair on my body. Because of my incredibly loving family I became strong, positive & proactive. And lucky, because all of the treatments worked. As a grateful & proud 16 year breast cancer survivor, I will be walking this Saturday with Sharon Carlson's team "Oinking For A Cure".  oink, oink

While I temporarily inhabit the building that housed my former BONNI BAKES BAKERY/CAFE at 930 12th St West, to sell my personal collections & possessions, I'm ready to start seriously looking for a new tenant. Because of my 14 year history in the Village of the Arts as the first full-time new business (Sept 1999) and only new home construction (TreeHouse 2006), I prefer to rent the building to someone who will join our creative community by establishing a studio, gallery or food related business. Since 1999 this charming 1910 building has conformed to Dept of Agriculture standards as a "bakery/cafe", but could also be home to a resident artist. I'm considering many options including separately renting the 2 main rooms w/private locked entrances and keeping the commercial kitchen for myself. If you know anyone who is interested, please have them call me at (941) 746-6647.  Availability sometime in December.

Along these same lines, there will be a free informational meeting Monday Oct 21 from 6-7pm for people interested in owning a business and/or living in the Village of the Arts. Contact Carrie Whaley at 941-747-9397 for more info.

For those of you interested in YUMMY STUFF, check out this week's menu below. Everything is hand-made in small batches with the best ingredients & locally sourced when possible. No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fake stuff EVER!!

Big Cookies   $1.50/each

Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors:

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Dark Chocolate Walnut, 

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Pecan Coconut Milk Chocolate, (NEW) Classic Snickerdoodle     

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies   $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds & chocolate chips. Available in a plain brown bag if you don't intend to share with others.

Rosemary Parmigiano Breadstix   $4/pkg

Crisp, hand-made sticks bursting with flavor. Delicious paired with an appetizer, soup, salad or cocktail. Fabulous with thin prosciutto wrapped around. 

Cranberry Orange Muffin   $2

A moist over-sized muffin made with fresh plump (not dried) cranberries and juicy oranges. One of my most requested items.

Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bar  $3

Multiple layers of yum...shortbread cookie, cheesecake, fresh apples & spices, with a crumb topping.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread  $5/loaf

Half a pound of raisins in each loaf!  Divine toasted or used to make French Toast.

Assorted Homemade Jam & Chutney   $4/8 oz jar

Peach Mango Brandy, Mango Strawberry Cardamom, Blueberry Lime, Mango Chutney, Mango Meyer Lemon Lime, Pineapple Mango Rum, Peach Melba, Mixed Berry, Blueberry Lemon, Ginger Pear Chutney.

Order by 5pm Wed for pick-up Friday ONLY this week

all items in limited supply...first come, first served

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

call me at (941) 746-6647 

  or email  bonnibakes@gmail.com  

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK MADE OUT TO BONNI BROWN  

PICK UP YOUR ORDER

in The Village of the Arts  

at BONNI BAKES Gallery 

930 12 St W (just south of MLK)

FRIDAY ONLY from 11 - 4 or later if you need to this week only

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

Finally, I'm back in the kitchen playing with flour

Jeremiah's Animal King

This is an example of what you missed, if you weren't here Friday night for the Opening Reception of "When I grow up I want to be..."

Joseph's Pirate

The delightful paintings and commentary from the 4 & 5 year old student artists of The Children's Academy of SF Florida will be on display Fridays & Saturdays 11-4 during October at my BONNI BAKES Gallery 930 12th St W, Bradenton.

Adam's Teacher

Packages of note cards, with the children's paintings on the front, are available for just $10/package. Doesn't get cuter than this.

Now that the calendar says summer is over, it would be nice if Mother Nature concurred and dropped the temperatures a bit. In a few weeks the Palma Sola Farmers Market will reopen on Sunday Nov 3rd from 11-4 and I'm one of the vendors.

Palma Sola always has just picked veggies from the farm

It's part of Geraldson Community Farm, an organic CSA farm where you purchase a seasonal share, then receive delicious produce weekly from Nov-May. This Saturday they're having an OPEN HOUSE from 11-3 where you can tour the farm, share in a potluck, learn about various types of shares & sign-up if you like. Details & directions are at www.geraldsoncommunityfarm.org

I'll be harvesting my organic Haas avocados very soon. This has been a productive year and their creamy fruit has never tasted better, or been better for you. I sent samples up to my NYC quality assurance taste testers.

Abby & Rainer gave them two thumbs up, as soon as they licked the guacamole off their fingers. Thanks guys!!

Now that the TreeHouse is almost back to normal after months of assorted construction, I'm so  happy to be back baking in my kitchen. I've been dreaming about some fun things to make & can't wait to share them with you in the coming weeks. I've canned a bunch of jam so far this season, including some new fun flavor combos. Can't wait for the local strawberries!

Minorcan Multi-Grain Loaf

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Big Cookies   $1.50/each

Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors:

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Dark Chocolate Walnut, 

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Pecan Coconut Milk Chocolate, (NEW) Classic Snickerdoodle     

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies   $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds & chocolate chips. Available in a plain brown bag if you don't intend to share them with others.

Rosemary Parmigiano Breadstix   $4/pkg

Crisp, hand-made sticks bursting with flavor. Delicious paired with an appetizer, soup, salad or cocktail. Fabulous with thin prosciutto wrapped around. 

Bacon Cheddar Scallion Corn Muffin $2

A hand-held meal on the run, or enjoyed slowly sitting down with a cup of coffee or tea

Outrageous Brownies w/Chocolate Chips

Outrageous Brownie w/Chocolate Chips   (NO NUTS)  $2/each

A chocoholic's delight...fudgy and intensely chocolate, studded with chocolate chips  

Minorcan Multi-Grain Bread $4.50/loaf

Hard crust, soft crumb containing many grains & seeds. Fabulous toasted!!  (VEGAN)

Assorted Homemade Jam & Chutney   $4/8 oz jar

Peach Mango Brandy, Mango Strawberry Cardamom, Blueberry Lime, Mango Chutney, Mango Meyer Lemon Lime, Pineapple Mango Rum, Peach Melba, Mixed Berry, Blueberry Lemon, Ginger Pear Chutney.

Order by 5pm Wed for pick-up Fri or Sat

all items in limited supply...first come, first served

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

call me at (941) 746-6647 

  or email  bonnibakes@gmail.com  

Pay by cash or local check made out to Bonni Brown

PICK UP YOUR ORDER

in The Village of the Arts  

at BONNI BAKES Gallery 

930 12 St W (just south of MLK)

FRIDAY or SATURDAY from 11 - 4  

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni