For some of us, the 4th of July is a day to BBQ and watch fireworks with our friends and family. The meaning of the 4th of July gets lost in translation with the frenzy of daily life. I like to be reminded why I am celebrating holidays when they come around - not just for the commercialization of the holiday. I usually Google the holiday and get reminded of the story behind the occasion. Recently I Googled "History of Independence Day" and found a site that tells a great story. It is short, sweet, and to the point. If you have a minute, check it out:
http://www.holidays.net/independence/story.htm.
Meanwhile, if you are celebrating with friends and family today, we hope that you have a wonderful holiday spending it with the ones you care about the most. After all, that's why our forefather's fought for our Independence. And if you happen to catch a fireworks show tonight - savor the moment and reflect on the meaning of the day!
Personally, I am taking my son to California to visit my Mom who we
haven't seen in a while. We'll spend the day together then head off to Huntington Beach to watch the fireworks show they put on every year by the ocean. I look forward to spending the holiday with family, and talking to my son about the meaning of the holiday. If you get the chance, tell us how you are celebrating your Independence Day! We'd love to hear from you. ~ Hilary
It looks like there will be plenty of celebrating this weekend in honor of the 4Th of July. Thank you for sharing with Fairytale Brownies how you will be spending your holiday.
Instead of choosing one winner, we chose two: Lucy Roberts and Nancy Wells. Each will receive a Patriotic Morsel 24 brownie gift.
Lucy wrote: First, we will put out Old Glory and place flags around the yard. I'll begin preparing an old-fashioned BBQ, with homemade lemonade, Mom's potato salad recipe, hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon and some wonderful brownies from Fairytale Brownies (since it is too hot to turn on the oven). We will have some ice cream sundaes as we walk to the park to watch the fireworks show with all of our neighbors and give thanks for our freedom.
Including Fairytale Brownies at your party, Lucy, is a great idea. We approve!
Nancy wrote: Actually, I am planning to scatter my son's ashes. He was a Navy guy who died last year. I'll be someplace by Lake Michigan camping in a beautiful wooded area, with a few family members and friends.
What an appropriate weekend to celebrate your Navy son's life, Nancy.
Again, thank you to those who participated in our contest. We love hearing from you.
Have a Fairytale Fourth!
- Your friends at Fairytale Brownies
Friends of mine are dropping their son off to the Naval Academy this week. They are proud of his achievement and military goal, even though his mom and sister are a little reluctant to see him go so far away. He, on the other hand, can't wait to begin his new adventure!
As the July 4 holiday approaches, I think about the people who served and continue to serve our country in and out of wars and I thank them for making that choice. My family and I are free to live the way we do because of their efforts. A big
FAIRYTALE THANK YOU, Mr. and Ms. Man and Woman in Uniform, for protecting our freedom.
Of course we will be celebrating this freedom with typical American fare - hot dogs, burgers, chips, dips, salads, beverages, etc. But don't forget to serve brownies - Fairytale Brownies' fudgy chocolate brownies. It's not too late to expedite delivery of your gourmet brownies for Saturday's big bash, but if you live in Arizona or Southern California, you don't have to have them shipped. Fairytale Brownies sells individual brownies and 1 lb. brownie trays at all AJ's Fine Foods in Arizona, and 17 of the 18 Gelson's Markets in California. Visit their bakery departments and be sure to buy extras. People will want seconds and thirds of dessert, so it's better to be prepared.
My children (three boys) have requested Chocolate Chip brownies be included in our weekend festivities. They want to top the brownies with cookie dough ice cream, chocolate sauce and a bunch of cherries. They'll skip the whipped cream though. They like to squirt it directly from the can into their mouths. (I'm sort of kidding on this one. I don't allow can/mouth contact, but sometimes it happens when I'm not looking.) And because there are always at least 3 extra boys visiting my house at any given time, I'll bring home extra brownies... Like I said before, it's better to be prepared.
Happy Independence Day!
- Alyssa
Tell us how you are spending your 4th of July holiday. The most patriotic celebration wins a Patriotic Morsel 24 from Fairytale Brownies.
Comment on this post with your holiday plans by Wednesday, July 1st 12:00 AZ time. We'll choose a winner and ship you your prize to have in time for your celebration!
Not in the mood to celebrate a birthday with cake? How about fudgy chocolate brownies from
Fairytale Brownies?
Let us do the work for you. We'll use all natural ingredients including fresh eggs, real butter and imported Callebaut dark Belgian chocolate to create the best brownies you and your friends have ever tasted. You can serve the brownies by themselves, or add ice cream and chocolate or caramel topping for a brownie sundae. You could put ice cream between two brownies for an ice cream sandwich!
I know you're inspired, so call 800.FAIRYTALE or order your birthday brownies on line at
www.brownies.com.Speaking of birthdays, he probably would prefer a REAL box of delicious Fairytale Brownies, but Gene Wilder (also known as Willy Wonka in 1971) will have to settle for birthday WISHES instead. Happy 76th birthday, Mr. Wilder!
The actor has performed in many movies, but I still love "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory." One of my favorite lines from "Wonka" goes something like this - A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
I love NONSENSE. I must be very wise!
Good Afternoon,
Here is a comment that was recently left of Tanika's blog. Tanika is in customer service and posts regularly on brownie service!
"I must comment on probably the best example of customer service I have received in years. After some issues of trying to get some brownies delivered to my wife for her birthday AND our anniversary, I was called back by Tanicka. After explaining the situation, she volunteered not only to ensure my order was delivered the same day, but she actually went out and delivered them herself. That was something that was totally unexpected but greatly appreciated. I was so floored by her willingness to go above and beyond to ensure that I was a happy, satisified customer, I had no problem in placing an order with her and probably would do so again in the future. She is the perfect example of what customer service is supposed to be, so to her I say, Thank you! - Ben"
That's awesome Ben! Thank you so much for sharing. We make customer service one of our first priorities and are glad to hear you had a quick and thorough solution to your dilemma.
Fairytale Brownies is sponsoring a contest held by
Celebrations.com. They are looking for the most unique and creative children's birthday party theme ideas! A theme makes a party so much more fun! When it comes to kid's birthday parties, choosing a theme is as key as the decorations, menu and party games will then just fall into place.
The three top ideas will win a special prize from
Fairytale Brownies, perfect for service at your next celebration.
Click this link for complete contest details and to submit an entry! Good luck!
http://www.celebrations.com/contests/Unique-Kids-Birthday-Party-Themes
I was recently invited to be a brownie judge by my friend Barbara Fenzl. She is a renowned cooking school owner and cookbook author. Her husband is assistant to Arizona AG Terry Goddard. Last week, Barbara, Terry Goddard, broadcaster Pat McMahon and myself judged 23 brownierecipes baked by AG office employees. Was lots of fun!
We decided on 3 category winners - fudgiest chocolate brownie, layer bar brownie and most creative recipe and presentation. Check 'em out!
The AG Bag I am holding is an "imitation Ladmo Bag." For native Pheonicians, this bag holds many memories from the "Wallace and Ladmo Show." This bag went to raffle prize winners, not everyone wanted to bake.
Judge Pat McMahon was multiple characters on that show - Gerald, Captain Super and Maude. I watched every morning growing up here in Phoenix. The AG Bags had some Fairytale Brownies inside. So, of course I'm hoping they will taste, enjoy, then go to brownies.com and send some brownies - you know we ship worldwide!
Good Afternoon! I wanted to share this heart-warming customer rave that we received today. We love reading these comments - so send us your feedback today!
"I am so pleased with my order! It was the perfect gift and there was much enthusiasm and excitement. The birthday girl loved the brownies and thought the Birthday Surprise was the coolest gift ever!! I am so happy I thought of your brownies, which by the way, and the best brownies I have ever had, bar none! I had choices and I apparently made a great one, thanks again and best of luck in this trying economy. With tightening out belts, I was very pleased that there was still something out there that was affordable and served it's purpose well. Best Wishes and God Bless!
- Jerry B."
Erin (our graphic desiger) and I just returned from our annual catalog photo shoot, and I just wanted to share what those photos of our gourmet brownie gifts look like from behind the scenes. We always have a good time with our photographer Rick, food stylist Kim, and their assistants Ken and Jill. Check it out, and keep your eyes open for the actual photos in your upcoming Fairytale Brownies catalogs!
Here's a refrigerator full of our delicious Belgian chocolate brownies:
Kim on set, arranging brownies for a new Valentine's Day brownie gift coming in 2010 (you can see Erin's sketch to Kim's right):
A sneak peek at our updated Custom Fairytale Dozen, coming this fall:
Sneak peek of our new flavor of Fairytale Truffles (dark chocolate-covered Fairytale Brownies) debuting for Christmas:
And finally,
Kim heating up the Truffles right before Rick shoots the photo to give them a little shine:
Hope you enjoyed your look at a Fairytale Brownies photo shoot!
~Kari
Happy Anniversary, Jen! Our custom box specialist Jen has spent 10 Fairytale Years with us! We had a surprise celebration this week to commemorate the special event. It is truly a blessing to work here at Fairytale Brownies. David and Eileen (shown), Fairytale's owners have a true passion for making this company a great place to work. No wonder we stick around for so long! We just recently celebrated another anniversary for Kim, our Operations Team Leader last month - she's been here for 15 Fairytale years!
As we all know Mother's Day is on Sunday and Memorial Day is on the 25th. I thought it would be fun to look up some wacky holidays in May.
May is National BBQ Month! I like how that sounds! Fire up the grill and enjoy an evening outside. With delicious brownies for dessert, of course!
May is also National Military Appreciation Month. As we have posted in other blogs before, Fairytale Brownies supports our troops! We have free shipping on all APO/FPO addresses. So show your appreciation with mail order brownies!
May 6th-12th is National Nurses Week. If you have a Dr.'s appointment this week make sure to tell the nurses how much you appreciate them! They will know you do if you take them a brownie! I think the nurses at my Dr. like it when I get sick because they know they'll be getting brownies!
May 17th-23rd is National New Friends and Old Friends Week. Yay for friends old and new, I know I'd be lost with out mine! Sometimes I wonder if they are only my friends though because I give them brownies. :)
May 6th (Today) is No Diet Day! Now, this is a day to be celebrated! I think I need to have a brownie with lunch today!
May 18th is Visit your Relatives Day! Drop in and say hi to your relatives, don't forget the Fairytale Brownies!
May 25th is Cookie Monsters Birthday! Me love BBRRROWWWNNIIIEEE! Do you think Cookie Monster likes brownies? I do!
What are you getting your Mom for Mother's Day? How about a delicious assortment of gourmet brownies from Fairytale Brownies? My Mom loves the Toffee Crunch Sprites. They're just the right size, not too much, not too small.
For her 75th birthday, we had custom logo gift favors for everyone who attended. What a hit! Everyone said they were the best brownies they had ever tasted. The secret is the brownie recipe, created by co-founder David Kravetz's Mom.
Treat your Mom to a fantastic gourmet chocolate gift of Fairytale Brownies. Ordering is so easy. Just go to
www.brownies.com or call us at 800.324.7982.
Whenever we have a catalog photoshoot planned, it takes a lot of hard work and organization behind the scenes to make it successful. We are getting ready for an upcoming photoshoot, which will take place in just a few weeks. From an Operational perspective, we work closely with the Catalog Team to make sure all the products and packaging materials needed are ready to shoot. Any new products or recipes scheduled for introduction must be finalized - we typically work on these at least a year in advance, sometimes more depending on the product being developed. We have a brownie test kitchen on site where we work our fairytale magic to create new flavors and brownie products, just like the brownie truffles we introduced last year. We are just now finalizing an all natural peppermint (candy cane) truffle for the coming holiday season - delicious!
Growing up, I remember getting up ridiculously early on Easter Sunday for the sunrise service at church. But my favorite memories of Easter weekend involve food. Brunch, candy, finger foods, and of course a big dinner. In our house it was always ham, twice-baked potatoes, and corn casserole. Yum!
Now that I am an adult and work here at
Fairytale Brownies, Easter (and every other holiday or family event) includes delicious Belgian chocolate gourmet brownies! I love that I can send brownies to my family back east if we're not getting together, or ship a brownie gift in advance so I don't have to carry it on the plane when we travel home.
So that's my story, and here's a response we got on Twitter this weekend:
@chefgwen: Easter egg hunt in sand dunes followed by cold fried chicken and cantaloupe picnic. Childhood memories.
Sounds like fun Gwen, thanks for sharing. Now readers, what is your favorite Easter, Passover, or Spring tradition? Please comment below.
~Kari
The Rockwern Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, recently celebrated Purim with Fairytale Brownies. Rachel Frankel and Judy Jennings with Rockwern's PTO wrote us a letter:
Rockwern Academy is the only Community Jewish Day School in the Tri-State (the region where Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky meet) area, and is a vibrant educational facility for children from Preschool through 8th grade. Every year the PTO has a major fundraiser called "Mishloach Manot," which translated from Hebrew means "the giving of gifts." This is a tradition during the Jewish Holiday of Purim.
According to Jewish law, one should give food and other small gifts to at least one friend in celebration of the holiday. Each year every family within the Rockwern Community receives a basket of fine items to show our friendship. Furthermore, each family recognizes their friends during this event by giving a donation to the PTO. It is truly a wonderful way to show appreciation for staff and friends while also raising money for a wonderful cause.
The photos show the gift bags and happy recipients!
These happy recipients also have Fairytale Magic Morsels in their hands.
Fairytale Brownies are baked with all natural ingredients, no preservatives, are trans fat free, and certified kosher dairy. They make great birthday gifts, corporate gifts, holiday gifts and any time gifts. Order gourmet brownies at www.brownies.com.
Recently, more than ever for some reason, when I tell people where I work they ask me, what do people buy brownies for? Each time I answer that question I come up with another reason to send someone the best brownies in the world. I don't just say the typical reasons (birthday, anniversary, new baby, holiday, etc.). I usually try to come up with something they wouldn't usually think of. So I thought I would list a couple of them!
- Road trip snack (Magic Morsels are perfect for that!)
- Housewarming
- Soldier care packages
- First day of school or last day of school
- Trying to earn "brownie" points (I recently sent brownies to a love interest and I think my brownie points went through the roof!)
- Day before starting a diet treat :)
- T.G.I.F.
- First day of baseball season (or football, basketball, hockey, whatever!)
If you have any to add or want to share why you have sent brownies, please do!
My name is Kim Silva, Operations Team Leader for Fairytale Brownies. I oversee the Operations for the organization, which includes Production, Fulfillment, Human Resources and Customer Service.
We're coming to the end of a big week of Easter shipping and just around the corner is Mother's Day, another big holiday for brownie gifts! Before we know it the Winter holiday season will be upon us, so we'll actually begin our pre-season preparations right after Father's Day. This may seem a little odd, beginning Winter holiday season preparations in July, but for mail order companies such as Fairytale Brownies it's quite the norm. We'll keep you updated as season rolls in with a look behind the scenes at the operations of the Best Brownie Company in the world!
If you've placed a large holiday or corporate gifts order with us in the past, chances are you will be hearing from us in the near future. We have officially started our Early Order Discounts! It seems so early to be thinking about the holidays but the sooner you place your deposit, the more you can save! I have started calling my clients and one of them said, "everyone I send to would be so disappointed if they don't get Fairytale Brownies, it's the best holiday gift we could possibly send!" With gourmet chocolate gifts in every price range I'm sure we can find something to fit your budget! Talk to you soon!
