Now that we have all run out of turkey sandwiches, it's okay to start talking Christmas. :) Abilicious will be providing you will all sorts of special scrumptious treats for whatever you celebrate over the holiday season!
Gingerbread Men - gluten-free, vegan, nut-free
Tasty, gingery, and full of cheer! These gentlemen will come decorated and are $13 per dozen. (Have some chilluns that want to decorate their own? Get a dozen undecorated for just $11.)
Rum Balls - gluten-free
Just what you've been craving - thick, chocolaty and deliciously spiced with rum. $6 per dozen.
Sugar Cookies - gluten-free, vegan, nut-free
Bursting with amazing vanilla, these cookies will carry wintry images to get us in the mood for hot chocolate and stockings by the fire, dusted with festive colored sugar. $6 per dozen
Pie Crusts
Traditional (gluten-free, vegan, nut-free) - flaky and with a more neutral flavor, this rolled crust is perfect for sweet potato pie, apple pie, chocolate chess pie....
Cookie Crumb (gluten-free) - made out of chocolate chip cookie crumbs, this rich crust will be a hit with the whole family! (We made Nutty Buddy pies in them - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/nutty-buddy-pies - unbelievably good, and easy for kids to make!)
Pie crusts are $2.75 each on preorder, and $3 at the market. They will come in an aluminum pie plate with simple baking instructions including.
Gift Baskets
Have a loved one that would love some Abilicious goodies? (They might let you snitch one or two!) There are several options for presentable baskets. Product amounts differ due to the varying prices of goods, so just let me know what you prefer and I'll fit as much in as I can! Don't know their favorites? You can either give me a genre (cookies, bread, granola) or a specific item (gingersnaps, flax loaf, ginger explosion).
Two to three items - $20 - (example: one loaf of bread and a bag of granola; or two bags of snickerdoodles
and a pack of banana nut muffins)
Four to five items - $32 - (ex: two bags of cookies, one loaf bread, half dozen sweet potato brownies; or
one bag gingersnaps, two bags other cookies, one bag granola, half-loaf of the flax)
Six to seven items - $45 - (you get the idea :)
Baskets will actually be in a basket, dressed up nicely for the holidays. A note can be included if you wish. Mailing is available for the set price plus cost of shipping. Deliveries to the Pittsboro/Chapel Hill/Durham area are possible with an added fuel surcharge.
All holiday items - including gift baskets - will be available by special order only. Email or call me (919 548 4431) to place your order. Pickup will be on either December 15th or 22nd at the Thursday Winter Market, between 5:30 and 8 pm. Hopefully the earlier date can accommodate early celebrations and those leaving town, while still providing the opportunity for fresh goodies on Christmas eve. Pick whichever date is better for you!
For your orders, I'll need your name and phone number, what you'd like and how much of it, and which date you'll be picking it up on. Also let me know if there are any other allergies besides gluten. (For example, dairy, nuts, or coconut.)
If you have any questions or aren't sure what to do, just ask me! We can figure it out together.
Also, I will not be at the Thursday market this coming week, December 8th. Catch me the following week!
There have been many developments in my personal life, and after consideration I've decided it is best that I sell the bakery.
This will be effective December 31. I am currently looking for someone to pick up where I leave off, and would love your help in finding the right person! Perhaps YOU have even dreamed of owning your own business, or know someone whose passion for baking just needs the right opportunity to get going.
As many of you know, Abilicious has been up and running for just under a year, and has already gathered a loyal following of individuals and businesses in the surrounding area. We were voted the Slow Money Favorite Business of the year (thanks to you!), and have been featured in several area newspapers. The gluten-free market is a surprisingly empty niche in this region, and for someone with a vision the potential for growth is immense!
I am willing to negotiate a full or partial sale. A full sale would include the well-known name, 40+ original recipes, mailing list and wholesale contacts, a like-new double-stack convection oven, 30-quart Hobart mixer, website and social media, full ingredients inventory, all necessary pans and equipment, and more. I'll also facilitate a transition period so the new owner can get comfortable with the hardware and soft skills necessary in running a bakery. And so you, the customers, will still receive the same tasty goodies!
If you or someone you know is interested, please get in contact with me. Email at abi@abiliciousbakery.com, or call me at (919) 548-4431. After meeting all of you and seeing how fresh-baked goods have transformed your lives, it is very important to me to pass this legacy on. They could come in as "Abilicious" with essentially no start-up, or could grab the equipment and set up a name for themselves.
The space at the Center for Natural Medicine will still be available, and I can help transition the business even after December 31 to ensure a successful, easy shift in ownership.
For me, this change is a positive one - I'm getting married! Who knows where I'll be this time next year? I would love to leave the business in capable hands so that my beloved customers will not have to give up the goodness.
Please feel free to pass this on to any who might be interested. You have accompanied me on an amazing journey, and I sincerely thank you for your support and friendships. I look forward to seeing you at the markets and around town during the upcoming holiday season!
As we near the end of the produce season, the farmers markets will be experiencing some changes. Here's the update so you can still come grab your tasties!
The Chatham Mills Market has its last Saturday market on November 19. BUT! We will be holding a special Thanksgiving market on Wednesday, November 23rd so you can be even more thankful for your farm-fresh veggies and baked goods. (Time yet to be set.)
The Pittsboro Farmers Market has changed its time due to a more rapidly descending evening. The market will run from 3:30 to 5:30 beginning November 3rd. We will be holding our last market on November 17th. This is also our customer appreciation day, so vendors will have small (usually edible) gifts as a thank you for supporting your local foodshed. Come and help us close out the season in style!
If you're worried about getting your non-seasonal goodies over the winter, never fear! The winter market is here! This market will occur every Thursday from 5 to 7 in front of Angelina's Kitchen, 23 Rectory St, Pittsboro - starting the week after Thanksgiving and running until markets begin again in April. Lilly Den Farm, Joan Thompson, Screech Owl, Celebrity Dairy, and more are likely vendors.
Fall is all about pies - pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, any kind of pie... With Thanksgiving coming up, Abilicious has perfected the pie crust so that you won't have to go without! We have two options: the traditional flaky crust, or a cookie crumb crust.
The traditional crust is vegan and nut-free, and comes pre-rolled in a disposable aluminum pie plate. If you'd rather use your own plate, just let me know and it will simply be pre-rolled. Simple cooking instructions are included. Perfect for pumpkin or fruit pies, or anything else really!
The cookie crumb crust is made from our chocolate chip cookies, and so contains butter, nuts, and eggs. (Can be made without nuts) This will also come in a disposable aluminum pie plate, and is a perfect match for anything that could use a little chocolate. (Wait, couldn't everything use a little chocolate? ;)
The crusts are $2.50 each. Pick-up will be at the special Thanksgiving market on Wednesday, November 23 at Chatham Mills. (Other pickup times can be arranged.) The pie crusts will be available for special order all the way through Christmas!
Of course, I had to test out the crust! Here's the scrumptious pie that resulted.
This moment has been long-awaited by this particular sandwich-lover. As for many people, the Tap is one of my dad's favorite places to go have a beer, run into fellow Pittsborians, and relax with live music and an open sky. Unfortunately, I always have to get the hummus platter while he chows down on one of their aromatic sandwiches. No more though, since Steve has decided to carry Abilicious bread! They also have bottled gluten-free beer available if that's your thing, and live music on the weekends. Hope to see you there!
Those who doubted Donna Bianco's prowess in the kitchen, come and see what she's done now! Using a fine Italian gluten-free flour, she has crafted very satisfying pizza crust and pasta which she makes fresh in house (like the rest of her products). I was a professional taste tester for this endeavor, and can atest to how successful she is! The crust is buttery, crisp on the outside but chewy on the inside. And the pasta? Just like my memories. Much better than the rice or quinoa pasta you get in boxes. Donna uses fresh ingredients - many of them local - and makes all of her doughs and pastas in house with the best ingredients. If you haven't stopped by yet, I suggest you do so!
A disclaimer: while Bella Donna's does have specific bowls and utensils for making and baking the gluten-free products, they are made in the same kitchen as her glutenous pizzas. If you are extremely sensitive, this may not be for you.
Bull City Burger and Brewery has got the right idea - locally sourced ingredients made into tasty meals, and every step of it in house. They even grind their hormone, antibiotic-free beef in house! And now, you can get the tastiness on an Abilicious bun. What could be better? As Abilicious Bakery's debut into Durham, we couldn't be happier!
This weekend marks the introduction of the Carolina Brewery's fall menu, meaning whole new flavors, new beers, and new opportunities! Stop by either the Pittsboro location (near Lowe's) or the Chapel Hill location (the west end of Franklin) for your chance to finally have a hamburger with a bun included! Haven't had an Abilicious bun yet? We carry sandwich rolls each week at our farmers markets, and they are certainly a tasty pairing with fresh burgers, or portobellos, or hummus and tomato, or turkey and cheese, or...
Show the Carolina Brewery how important it is for you to have gluten-free options. Take your friends and family out this weekend for burgers! (For the herbivores out there, they have a wicked yummy bean burger!)
Time to celebrate, you granola addicts! You know who you are. Now you need never go a day without that tasty crunch - just head over to the Chatham Marketplace and pick up a bag. You can find them in the left-most aisle, next to the (unfortunately glutenous) Red Wagon granola. We're starting with just a couple of flavors, so if there's one you'd really like to see on the shelves, be sure to let me know!
Here's one more thing to get excited about - the first NC Hops and Roots Fest! The fiesta will take place at the Shakori Hill Community Arts Center (where many of us have danced 'til the stars faded, or lazed in sunshine listening to local bluegrass) and is bound to be a day to remember! The Fest gathers local musicians, brewers, farmers, restaurants, and craftspeople and puts them all in one place. Gates open at noon, music starts at 1:00 and goes until about midnight. Camping is free and encouraged! Abilicious will be there, so come out and shake your booty, then get refueled with some Abilicious treats. Hope to see you there!
Wow, so long without any updates! This is a good way to get back into it. The National Slow Money organization is having a competition by popular vote - and they're sending the favorite Slow Money business to the national conference in California! Vote for Abilicious Bakery, and give us the opportunity to tell everyone how amazing our community is. You can even vote for us three times! Here's the link: Slow Money Competition
Growing up in the Wilson house, a majority of our summertime dinners got cooked up on the grill. So for Abilicious, getting ready for summer has meant making the perfect hamburger bun. After seven tries (and several things that didn't look remotely bun-like), we would like to present to you: gluten-free buns! Come and grab some at the market this weekend, just in time for Fourth of July celebrations and days out at the lake.
Join Abilicious on Tuesday, June 28 for a Slow Money gathering. We be celebrating Slow Money NC's first birthday with an Abilicious cake and refreshments from other participants, and also hearing from people with new proposals. After finding some very generous lenders in the community, Slow Money NC has about $30,000 to lend out to interested parties. Know someone who wants to start or improve a farm or food-related business? Slow Money is the way to go! Without this incredible program (born out of the Abundance Foundation), Abilicious would not exist.
You might be wondering what Slow Money is. In general, it is a way to slow our money down - keeping it more localized and focused on the investments that can happen in your own community. At the national Slow Money website, their goals are stated as: to enhance food security, food safety and food access; improve nutrition and health; promote cultural, ecological and economic diversity; and accelerate the transition from an economy based on extraction and consumption to an economy based on preservation and restoration. It is an endeavor to make our money less of an abstract while also improving our foodshed and bringing our focus back to the quality we deserve.
Come out and celebrate the ways we can change our world!
That's right, this baker is taking a vacation! We will be at markets as usual for the first weekend in July, but will miss the Pittsboro Market on the 7th as well as the Chatham Mills and Saxapahaw Markets on the 9th. In addition there will be no special orders accepted between July 1 and July 10. Bread will still be delivered to the Chatham Marketplace, and granola to Angelina's Kitchen. We apologize for any inconvenience.
If you do need gluten-free goodies during that week, contact Abi before June 27th. Phil Lyons, baker's assistant extraordinaire, will be around and something might be worked out.
If you haven't discovered the small community of Saxapahaw, resting on the banks of the Haw, then find a Saturday afternoon to wander down and soak up some goodness. This old mill town is being renovated into an incredible cultural space - the new Ballroom opened up last week, providing a beautiful venue for bands to play. Right above that is the Eddy, a classy and comfortable bar with a patio looking over Saxapahaw and the river. The Saxapahaw General Store has been providing local gourmet food at affordable prices and with casual atmosphere for a couple of years now.
The Saxapahaw Farmers Market - now seven or eight years old - brings together Saxapahaw's love for great music, fantastic people, and delicious local food! Their summer music series is in full swing with many promising acts to come. Head out to get some dinner at the General Store or numerous food vendors, grab some produce or baked goodies, sip some kombucha, and get your groove on! Abilicious will be there, dancing, singing, and getting you all the yummy gluten-free and vegan goodies you desire!
The market runs from 5 to 8 pm in downtown Saxapahaw, with music from 6 to 8 pm. There's a slip 'n' slide for the kids. Bring a blanket to relax on!
Beginning tomorrow (Monday), the local Pittsboro Co-op will be carrying Abilicious breads! Hooray! Now you can find what you need any day of the week. The bread will be delivered fresh on Monday and Friday mornings, so you know it is always ready to be enjoyed. Head all the way to the back and you'll see the loaves to the left of the beer, cozying up to the Sami's loaves. Now you can support two local businesses while keeping it all convenient for you! Feedback about what products you'd like to see on the Marketplace's shelves is more than welcome, as I hope to add more in the future. Don't forget the Farmers Market in the Chatham Marketplace parking lot on Saturdays from 8 to 12 - a great way to buy directly from the producer (that's me!). That means a better relationship between you and the baker (meaning more of what YOU want) as well as savings for the customer. Hope to see you soon!
Mark Hewitt has been making pottery from North Carolina clays for longer than I've been around. Galleries, museums, and individuals around the world have clamored to get their hands on some of his beautiful pots, planters, bowls, and more. Abilicious will be providing goodies for their first-night Kiln Opening Preview this Friday, May 6, from 4 to 8 pm. Slow Money, a program started through the Abundance Foundation which strives to bring investors and entrepreneurs into a closer relationship with their community, will have a table set up. Abilicious Bakery was started off of Slow Money funds, and would not have been possible otherwise! Come by and have some goodies while checking out some seriously amazing pots. The Kiln Opening runs all weekend.
Have you noticed the new coffeshop on Main St in Pittsboro? Vibrant art covers the equally vibrant walls, a book exchange beckons from the front, and of course - the smell of amazing, fair-trade coffee wafts out to the street. Now when you stop by for your morning (or afternoon!) pick-me-up, you can also grab some Abilicious treats. Cookies, muffins, brownies, scones... the selection will vary week to week, but it will be fresh and delicious. Stop by, take a break, and support local businesses!
The Abilicious CSB is starting up again! With a new more flexible structure, the CSB strives to match your baked good needs. Each session is one month long, and you can choose between several tiers based on the type and quantity of goods you desire. This community supported bakery allows the baker to know exactly what and how much to bake, meaning less waste at the end of the day. For the consumer, it means receiving exactly the products you want at a reliable time and place each week. For more information, head over to the CSB page, pick up a brochure at locations around town (Angelina's Kitchen, the Center for Natural Medicine, the Chatham Marketplace, farmers markets, the General Store Cafe, Dr. Wilson's office, more), or send Abi an email.
Oh man, my favorite time of year! To make sure we gluten-free folks can still immerse ourselves in the warm reminisces of sunshine and stained lips, Abilicious will now offer pound cake at the farmers market table. Come by and grab some!
Whenever spring rolls around, I can't wait for the Shakori Hills Festival! With incredible music from around the world and around the corner, many kids activities, tasty food vendors, lots of camping, and a down-home feel, the event is truly spectacular. Make sure to stop by the Coffee Barn, where Abilicious Bakery goods are waiting to be devoured! They'll have sweet potato brownies, banana nut muffins (which are vegan), snickerdoodles (also vegan), and chocolate chip cookies. A treat to sustain you while dancing 'til dawn!
Good news for those of you in or near Raleigh! Can't make it as far east as Pittsboro? NoFo Cafe will now carry a selection of Abilicious loaves. In addition to their grocery products, Nofo also offers a cafe, boutique area, and new farmers market. They are very gluten-friendly, with a knowledgable staff ready to show you your gluten-free options! Stop by and show them your support of local, healthy, and gluten-free goods.