Vermont Shortbread Company

My New Job: Corporate Communications and Dessert, Oh My!

Here's a photo of what I did at work on Wednesday.  No, I did not EAT these beauties, I made them! 

Yes, really.

Many people do not know that the National Life cafeteria is run by NECI (New England Culinary Institute).  If they do know about the NECI cafeteria, they often don't know that there's a whole lot of great learning going on in the huge, impeccable, beautiful kitchen below the cafeteria. 

I am writing a series of articles for the National Life newsletter focusing on food.  Let's face it, reading about insurance and financial services can be a tad ummmm...dry and dull.  Sprinkle in a few articles about the food employees eat every day, well, now it's fun! 

As part of my "research" I took a class. I participated as any student would, though my dessert artistry was not nearly as creative as some of the students who attend NECI. 

See why I love my new job?   Chocolate mousse cake, anyone? 

Where's Ann? Where's Vermont Shortbread Company Going?

Readers who know me well know what's going on over here at Vermont Shortbread Company, but occasional readers...forgive me for being remiss about this blog, my business, and for keeping you wondering what the heck is going on at Vermont Shortbread Company.   

I could write a book about the past year of my life (and I probably will) - going from full time corporate employee with part time entrepreneurial aspirations then back to full time corporate employee who realizes she does not want to be the CEO of anything.  Failure?  I think not.  Recognizing what one wants and doesn't want in work and life can never be called failure.  Yet, corporate America gets such a bad rap these days and working for oneself can seem so glorious.  And personally, I've had a pretty big chip on my shoulder about independence, not needing a man to support me, not needing a conventional job, not needing much of anything for a long time. 

The chip is dissolving.

If you read my blog even a year ago, I did nothing but winge and moan about big business and how much I wanted out of the IBM environment.  When I got laid off in 2007, I felt relieved, even blessed.  And now I'm back in corporate America.  Guess what, I feel relieved and blessed again. 

In March of this year I joined National Life Group in Montpelier, Vermont working in corporate communications.  I don't love my job; I adore it and I am passionate about the company I work for.  If I don't feel the love, I can't do a job well...I can't even fake it.  Now, I wake up every day excited to go to work, thrilled that I get paid to be who I am (a creative, marketing, writer-chick with just enough technical savvy to stay abreast of cutting edge communications) AND they pay me to be me.  Wow, that's a first.  All the benefits of my entrepreneurial life with the security of a regular paycheck...I would have never guessed this possible a year ago. 

Vermont Shortbread Company is still in business, although on a much smaller scale...for now.  I do intend to have it all, but I need to take a few steps back and figure out how to work smarter.  That's never been a strength of mine.  80 hour workweeks, single parenting, and juggling several jobs simultaneously left me burnt out, unhealthy and spiritually and financially empty.  For now, I'm focusing on one thing at a time (my new job) and I'm working on figuring out how to get Vermont Shortbread Company the help it needs to grow into a force for Walkers Shortbread to reckon with.  I don't know quite how to do that...yet.   

Right now, I just want to smell the roses.  Do one job well.  Take some vacations. Enjoy my daughter's last few years at home.  Write. Write. Write. 

A few years ago, I once determined that my mission in life was "to observe and record".  I know this is true because I feel it in every cell.  So, that's my focus for now.  It is what I was born for. 

Much of the recording will be here on this blog, so please come back. 

Mother's Day and...National Vermont Shortbread Day

If May wasn't full enough already...wait, there's more! 

If you were with us last year at this time, you'll remember that I pronounced May 16th (my birthday) National Vermont Shortbread Day.  Last year I hand delivered shortbread to lucky buyers all over Chittenden County (in the pouring rain, but hey, it was my 45th birthday and I was stoked!). 

This year, it's my 46th birthday and we're celebrating again.  Due to the rising price of gas and my environmental conscience, I cannot personally deliver this year.  However...all shortbread gift boxes shipped between May 12- May 16 will come with a free shortie (flavor of your choice as available).  That's an extra $3 gift from me to you as a thank you for nearly 12 years in business and 46 (and counting) years of experience, joy, trials, tribulations and just the smallest touch of arthritis (which of course, just makes me appreciate my good health and good fortune all the more).

Like middle age, Vermont Shortbread Company just keeps getting better!  Celebrate May 16th with me.  Order today.   Email (jsaz@gmavt.net) or phone call are best (802-264-4835).   

   

A Gourmet Mother's Day on a Shoestring Budget

Does the economy have you down?  Rising food and gas prices are affecting us all. 

Due to the incredible increase in the price of wheat flour, Vermont Shortbread Company is raising prices, but not until mid-June. 

In fact, for Mother's Day ONLY, we're dropping $2 off the price of our gift box shortbread, but that's only for orders we receive before Tuesday, May 6.  Regularly priced $17 gift boxes are $15 until May 6, only. Add shipping anywhere in the US via priority mail for $6.50, we pop in a handwritten note and you've got a tasty Mother's Day gift for just a little over $20.  Not too bad for a gourmet gift mothers love. 

Interested? 

Shoot us an email at jsaz@gmavt.net with "Mother's Day Special" in the subject line and we'll call you back within 24 hours to arrange shipment and payment.  Be sure to include your contact information so our operators can reach you.  You cannot place this order through our web site.  You must email us or call us at 802-264-4835. 

Drop us an email or phone call before Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard time and we'll throw in a 1.6 oz. bag of our chocolate drizzled shorthearts ($2 value) FREE.  Mom will receive two tasty shortbread products - one to share and one to keep for herself. 

C'mon...you know you haven't even thought about Mother's Day, yet.  Do it now and relax this weekend.  Mother's Day is May 11, 2008.  Our prices will go up in June!   (Offer applies to US customers only.)

Mother's Day Just Around the Corner

Send mom a shortbread gift box with a handwritten Mother's Day note.  Mother's Day is next week (May 11)! 

Because there's not much time left, call or email me directly to place your order and make payment arrangements.  We'll get your gift to Mom by May 11, but you have to let us know by May 4! 

Call 802-264-4835 us today. 

Really Good Shortbread...And I Didn't Make It!

Yes, you read the headline correctly.  Today I ate some fantastic shortbread and it didn't come out of the Vermont Shortbread Company oven (oh my!). 

I've tasted shortbread all over the country.  I've blindfolded my friends and I've conducted taste tests. Rarely does any shortbread come close to the thick, slightly chewy textured shortbread cooked golden brown, crisp with crunchy crumbs at the edge and soft toward the middle treat that I make. 

Until today. 

Everything at the NECI cafeteria at National Life is great. Did you know the kitchens below the cafeteria are classroom kitchens full of NECI students learning how to bake bread, make desserts, feed large groups of employees high quality locally grown and raised food?  Did you know that anyone can eat there, not just National Life employees? 

Someone at NECI's National Life location made shortbread today.  Made in a round pan, it was cut into petticoat tails very much like mine, but without the flower/heart design.  I bought a $1.15  wedge thinking I would make fun of it (as I usually do with other people's shortbread) and was surprised to find that I actually wanted to eat the whole thing as a mid afternoon snack.  Butter quality was excellent.  Texture was perfect, not too crumbly, not raw and doughy.  The shortbread was fresh and cooked with just the slightest bit of granulated sugar on top.  The color was perfect; a little darker gold toward the edges and pale gold toward the middle.  There seemed to be a saltier flavor than my shortbread (I use salted butter but no salt).  There was no weird, bad-breath shortbread aftertaste that I've noticed with many of my competitors' products. 

Not bad at all.  Of course I'd like you to buy our shortbread if you're in need of a unique Vermont gift.  But, if you find yourself in the National Life building in Montpelier, you have my blessings to buy a slice of good NECI shortbread.  Better yet, give me a call before you come.  I'll share one with you and spring for a cup of tea for both of us.   

Say Thank You to Your Tax Person

Tax day is an ominous cloud for many of us, but imagine how your accountant or tax professional feels at this time of year. 

I know because I go through it every year in December.  I work all day and all night just to get the shortbread holiday gift orders out.  All attempts at socializing and good health go out the door. 

I suspect it's the same for the H&R Block tax dude or the local CPA toiling away well-past midnight in March and April.  They love what they're doing, but no doubt about it, this kind of detailed work requires endurance, dedication and loooooong hours. 

Why not thank your tax person for his/her dedication this year?  Where would you be without him/her?  Say thank you with a shortbread gift box.  We'll ship it directly to your accountant at his or her place of work along with a handwritten note of gratitude.  Imagine the impression you'll make with the co-workers! 

Peruse our products, order conveniently online and send a tax season shortbread today. 

Just for Fun: What I Do When I'm Not Selling Shortbread

This commercial airs on local Vermont TV stations channels 3 and 5. I'm still on the fence about the recent trend toward the cartoonization of real people, but hey, what do I know about what sells? 

It was a lot of fun working with my friends at Henhouse Media.  This commercial doesn't even begin to illustrate the brilliance these guys are capable of...

Enjoy!  (I play the grumpy HR executive who yells a the hapless resume reviewer.)

The Flour Crisis

I've known it's coming for a long time, but I was still sticker shocked during my last trip to Costco where I buy 25 lb. bags of King Arthur flour. 

You've seen it in the TV news - the price of flour has risen...a lot.  My cost has doubled. 

Why the rise?  The growing worldwide demand for wheat, especially in developing countries, is making supply tight.  Also the value the American dollar is weakening and the supply is tight because we send much of our wheat supply overseas.  Lastly, the growth in ethanol production is pushing up the prices of commodities.

We are all going to see a rise in wheat-based flour products.  We are going to be limited to the number of bags we can buy at the grocery store (this is already happening - I've been trying to stockpile flour since I learned of the inevitable).  Bottom line?  I'm going to have to raise my prices soon.  I'm not sure how much yet, but somewhere in the neighborhood of a 10-15% hike will keep Vermont Shortbread Company profitable.  I'll let you know when I understand the situation better.  I know this seems a bit hefty, but I have not raised my prices in more than 5 years and in that time, the cost of butter has also risen substantially.   

In the meantime, BUY YOUR SHORTBREAD WHILE IT'S STILL AT THE OLD PRICES because they won't last much longer!  Shortbread freezes well for up to 6 months, so you can buy now for upcoming events.  Lock in the low prices now, buy placing a BULK order.  Buy 10 now and send them out at your convenience.   

Want to know more?  Want to place a bulk order?  Then visit our Vermont Shortbread Company web site  now, or call me at 802-264-4835.

In the meantime, be prepared to pay a lot more for your pizza, bread, and other baked goods at the grocery store.  Maybe we can all save some money this summer by growing big vegetable gardens and and preserving our harvest.  It won't help the flour situation, but it will save food costs elsewhere...and it tastes good. 

Your friend, the shortbread chick and eternal optimist   

A Social Plea Near to My Heart

I don't typically post this sort of thing here, but this topic is near to my heart.  I have become a member of ACFC (American Coalition for Fathers and Children), an organization "dedicated to the creation of a family law system, legislative system, and public awareness which promotes equal rights for ALL parties affected by divorce, and the breakup of a family or establishment of paternity."

I was lucky.  I had an easy divorce many years ago.  No money exchanges hands: no spousal support and we split our daughter's expenses 50/50.  I have always supported myself since my divorce.  We share custody.  I respect and think the world of my ex as a friend and as a father.  More often than not, divorce does not work that way.  While I recognize that the family court system is set up to protect children, I have watched far too many times as it is abused and manipulated by lawyers and exes who want a free ride.  Worse, I have witnessed, in my community, parental alienation syndrome (usually it's the father who is alienated), which I believe is a form of child abuse.  I do not believe the family court system is always fair and just and it is gravely flawed (at least in my state of Vermont - I can't speak for other states). 

If you, or someone you know and care about, is dealing with a pressing problem related to domestic relations, there are excellent resources available to you from ACFC.   

ACFC is generating a petition which will be presented to legislators to help faciliate changes in the family court system.  The signators with the following principles respecting our nation’s children and encourage America’s leadership to develop policies which both reflect and support these principles. 

"Children thrive with the active involvement of both parents.  Children and parents should be encouraged to spend substantial time with each other regardless of the parents’ present marital status.  The undersigned recognize that absent issues of abuse, neglect or abandonment, social and government policy must be structured in such a way as to promote and maximize the opportunity of all parents to contribute to the social, emotional, intellectual, physical, moral and spiritual development of their children."

I've signed this petition because I've watched what happens when the system is abused and it breaks my heart.  If you feel so moved, please feel free to click on the link below and sign it too.  I promise not to make any more social pleas, but this one is too important for me to ignore! 

Your friend,

The Shortbread Chick (we'll be back to our regularly scheduled content in a few days!)