No New Year's Opening

 We hope everyone has been enjoying their holiday celebrations in spite of the weather woes.

Bill and I were supposed to spend the day with family in Toronto yesterday. Unfortunately, like many, the weather and uncertainy about the road conditions put the kibosh on our holiday plans. 

We stayed put.

We checked the weather this morning and, yet again, (or should I say still) there is a winter weather travel advisory in effect. Our boxing day plans include a shovel and snow blower.

Looking ahead... we wish we hadn't because there's rain coming. Rain on top of all this snow with temperatures rising above zero - not much above zero - but enough to create a whole new kind of mess.

And so... this has been my long winded way of getting to the point of this post. We have made another tough decision and we apologize to anyone who is disappointed by this but we will not be opening New Year's eve this year.

We should be prepping today. Instead we'll be moving  snow away from the house before the snow melts, the rain comes and both find their way into this old house. The weather is just too uncertain this year. We're so sorry to dissapoint.

Thank you so much to you folks who made your way here Christmas eve. It was so nice to see you before the long winter break.

If you're travelling over the holidays please be safe so we can see you again in the spring. ❤️

(About the picture... our very supportive neighbour June Krisco is a talented photographer. June came by Christmas eve and gifted us one of her beautiful 2023 calendars. The black and white images are beautiful - December is my favourite - and we want to give her a shout-out and wish her all the best in her art career.) 

Christmas Eve Opening

We are open today!

If you are venturing out, please be safe.

 

Special Weather Satement for This Weekend

 'kayso... it seems Winter is about to have a major temper tantrum - possibly a complete meltdown before giving us the cold shoulder. This could put a kink in our weekend plans. We are keeping an eye on the weather as we continue to prep.

If this storm hits and it's as bad as they're saying it could jeopardize our Christmas eve opening. We don't want anyone risking their safety by venturing out and we can't bake all these treats and have no one come. 

We're hoping it's either much much much milder than predicted or it blows past us.

If we haven't made a firm decision by Friday evening please please please check Saturday morning before making the trek out here. We will post it early early.

Here's hoping we'll be seeing you soon! Stay safe. ❤️

Winter Holiday Opening!

It's beginning to look a lot like... April???

It has been less than uneventful here this past while. Unless you care to hear about the garage clean-up, autumn closet purge and the trailor renovation happening out back? 

Didn't think so.

Maybe you'd like to hear about what happens when an out of shape baker takes on a "low impact" (low impact my sore fanny) high cardio workout? If I'm standing I don't want to try to sit down and if I'm sitting down I don't want to try to stand up. For the past three days anything I have dropped on the floor is still on the floor. Seriously, it feels like I tried to crack a bowling ball between my thighs. Ya, it's hilarious. Laugh it up chuckles.

But let's get to the good stuff! It's the first Saturday of December and we're counting down the days to our winter holiday opening! Last year we tried something a little different by opening Christmas eve and New Year's eve and it was wonderfully successful so we're going to do that again this year.

It's a fun tradition we've created because it gives us a chance to reconnect with you fine folks before the long winter break. 

So don't let the weather get you down. The way we see it, we don't have to shovel rain which I'm fine and dandy with right now and for at least the next few days. But of course we'd like to see a little snow for the holiday season and more than that we we hope we'll be seeing you. So... if you happen to be in, around or nearby the Haliburton Highlands over the holidays we hope you'll pop by even if it's just to say hello. 

We'd love to see you. 

Until then, be well and be happy and avoid anything that says "low impact". Seriously... it's a big fat lie! 

 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

It's hard to believe it's already three weeks into our off season.

We've been getting winter ready; wood splitting, lugging, stacking, yard cleaning (after splitting, lugging, stacking), etc., etc., etc..

We've been fortunate to have good weather. Summer finally arrived! It's raining today. Not so good for the kiddies tonight. I do recall, all those many, many, many (wait a minute - take away one many) years ago groaning about having to wear a coat or rain jacket over my costume. But, to quote Rush who quoted somebody else (I'm not Googling that)  "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." (Okay, I Googled it - 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr). But let's face it, Rush said it best!

At the end of every year we have some leftover perishables that need to be used up so just when I think I'm out of the kitchen, I get pulled back in. (Hey, that's a great line! Someone should use that in a movie.) This year we had some apples left from our tree and some cream cheese. Now, we could have just eaten the apples and put the cream cheese on bagels but where's the fun in that?

The buns are home made as well from my own recipe. People often ask if we make bread. There's nothing like fresh baked bread and buns but they are so time consuming, unfortunately, it's not possible for the store.

So apple pie made sense and those are carrot cakes. Yep! That's where the cream cheese is going. Nothing but good old fashioned healthy baking here! Anyone know of a good cardiologist? (Just kidding - not really.)

Anyhoo, I just wanted to pop in, say hi, see how y'all are doing. We hope you're well and that you have a fabulous Halloween!

Until next time, be careful out there (Wow! Another great line! Someoene should use that in a television show! I am on a roll.) ❤️

A Long-Winded 2022 Wind-Up

I haven 't been very vocal lately. This year I have been keeping the baking making moving and shaking in the kitchen while Bill works out front and so I haven't had the chance to connect with you the way I have in previous years. Today I'm feeling nostalgic for a long-winded season round-up. Get comfy!

To Bill and I The Little Tart has always been more than a business. We operate out of our home and so when you visit we want you to feel welcome - like you're dropping in on friends. Many of you have been with us from day one (some before that!). We have had the pleasure of getting to know so many of you and you have taken your time to get to know us. You have become a part of our The Little Tart family. We're so happy to see you come through the door and always look forward to your next visit. When we don't see you for stretches of time we wonder if you're okay. 

(That means you too, David - would it kill you to check in when you're going to be away for so long!)

When covid struck in 2020 we were topsy-turvied and suddenly that personal attachment we had become accustomed to disappeared behind mask mandates and social distancing. We were introduced to a cold reality; we are a business and the fate of The Little Tart was in jeopardy.

We became hyper focused and did what we had to do, what we thought was necessary and whatever it took to keep you coming back. We know not everyone agreed with our choices and we understand. But everything we have done since 2020 has been - as it has always been - with the best of intentions for our visitors and for the longevity of The Little Tart.

Here we are, it's the end of our fall season, we're thinking ahead to our winter holiday opening and what's more, we're already planning for 2023.  Bill and I want to get back to that "welcome home" feel we have always strived for. So many of our new visitors haven't had the full The Little Tart experience. Smiles have been hidden behind masks and conversations are curt and pertain mostly to ordering. That's fine if you're a business only concerned with the bottom line. 

That's not us.

And so, we hope you'll join us in making that happen. In the meantime, I'm going to make more of an effort to be more present here online. You've been warned!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Two small words that can never, ever fully express our deepest, heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for making The Little Tart a part of your spring, summer and fall celebrations. For helping us to keep this tiny business alive. It has been our pleasure and our priviledge to bake for you this year. We hope you'll join us when we repeat our two day winter opening and if you can't join us then, we hope you'll visit us next year.

Please take care, please be safe, and please come back to see us again! 

We love you! ❤️

Thanksgiving Weekend

It certainly does not feel like autumn today but Nature is doing her best artwork. The landscape is stunning. 

We never grow tired of watching her work. 

We hope you're having a tripindicular Tuesday and the rest of the week is - like - fer sher totally rad.

 

Thanksgiving - Fully Booked

'kayso... this just happened. We are fully booked. We're sorry if you missed out this year. 

We will be adding Friday for Thanksgiving weekend and as always will be stocking the store. 

Prep is already underway! 

Summer Finale

And that concludes our summer season.

First I have to say we are fully booked for pumpkin pies on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. We still have room on Friday and Sunday.

Now the mushy gushy stuff. I'll be brief.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, deeply and sincerely. It has been a wild ride these past few years and we can never thank you enough for seeing us through. We open every year not knowing if there will be another and never has this been more true than these past three. The summer season is everything - make or break. 

We are so happy to say we are already looking ahead to next year!

This year, once again, we made it and we are ever so grateful for your support, your kindness, your understanding and your patience as we continue to navigate through a very stressful time. We wouldn't be here without you - a truth we never take for granted.

And now it's time to slow down. But we're not done - not yet! As always we will continue to operate on Saturdays and Sundays through to Thanksgiving weekend (when we'll add the Friday).

We hope you have had a spectacular summer and that you are having a fantabulous Labour Day long weekend! Thank you so much for making The Little Tart a part of your summer experience and for being such an important part of ours.

We love you. ❤️

Labour Day Long Weekend 2022

Well, it's the last weekend of our summer season. The leaves are beginning to change colour and today autumn feels like it's trying to push its way through. At least the sun is shining!

While you're here or near, you may want to consider visiting Blackbird Pottery's Schoolhouse Fine Craft and Vintage pop-up market (September 2&3 10am-5pm) at 5843 Gelert Road here in Donald. April Gates is a very talented  pottery artist as well as a wonderful neighbour and has been amazingly supportive. In short - we think she's pretty awesome!

We hope you have a fabulous long weekend and if your celebrating the labour day long weekend in, around or nearby the Haliburton Highlands we hope you'll pay us a visit!

July and August Hours

'kayso... we're  making more baking for the taking! For reals!!!

Open Canada Day!!!

 We hope you're having a wonderful week and that the long weekend ahead is absolutely tart- tastic!!!

(Just a quick note: we'll be adding Thursdays next week. I'll post a reminder.)

Have a good one!

Happy Father's Day!!!

 

June Hours

It's the last day of May, 

June is on the way,

We're adding another day,

(uh)... yay!

(All those years of writing have finally payed off!)

We hope you're having a superific, fantabulous week! 

 

A Long Weekend Thank You

Our first long weekend has been and gone. Thank you to everyone who came by. We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation. It was an absolutely wonderful weekend. The next long weekend will be the official kick-off to summer! In the meantime, we have one more weekend of Saturday and Sunday and then we'll add the Friday.

Some good news, we're seeing dragonflies! So hopefully they're hungry and the itty-bitty-buggy-boos are on their way out. 

Have a wonderful week!

 

Victoria Day Long Weekend

We're on the other side of that spring heat wave but it gave us a sneak peek of summer, didn't it? I tell ya, it was hotter than fresh baked tarts on a sweltering summer morning - and if you're wondering how hot that is... it's (tssss) scorching hot! (BTW the baker in the bandana ain't so bad either - wink wink).

The Victoria Day long weekend is approaching and we are getting ready! Prep began yesterday and we'll be making baking from Friday through Monday! It's the first long weekend of our season and we sure hope if you're in, around or nearby the Haliburton Highlands you'll pay us a visit! 

Have a wonderful afternoon and evening and we hope you have a fantabulous week!

 

Mother's Day Weekend

 

Good morning!

On the bright side, the sun is shining and looks like we have some sweet weather this weekend. Unfortunately, the itty-bitty-bitey-buggy-boos are back. They don't seem to be biting yet but... they will.

It's Mother's Day weekend! Like the seguey? No mother issues here! twitch) 

We've been making baking and look... we're OPEN!

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Hours

The sun was shining today and it feels like the perfect time to say the countdown to opening is on! The store and kitchen have been scrub-a-dubbed squeaky clean and we are going into prep mode! It's back into the kitchen for Bill and I and we're looking forward to welcoming you all back. It was a long winter and we have missed you.

Unfortunately I have to address the elephant in the room... how are we going to operate this year? As always Bill and I keep a close watch on recent events and it would seem the "powers that be" have left it to us business owners to make our own decisions with regard to covid mandates.

I will start by saying we realize the Ontario government has dropped mask mandates for retail businesses, however, we have never subscribed to the politics of covid. We take our cues from the scientists and the medical professionals and have done whatever we feel will keep you and ourselves safe. Having said this, we are going to run the store the same way we have the past two seasons and we will require a well-fitted mask that covers from nose to chin be worn in the store( little plastic mouth coverings or visors are not acceptable). We do this for our many customers who are elderly and/or immuno-compromised. We do this for your safety as well as our own. If Bill or I get sick our businesses shuts down, something we can't afford. It's as simple as that.

Now, we recognize that this decision may be unpopular with many and we know people can be very passionate about their opinions. Please, please, please do not make our little business a platform for debate. We want to see an end to masks and covid as much as everyone else. We're trying to do what we believe is right for us, our business, our customers while trying against all odds to prevent becoming another business casualty.

On a positive note we are about to begin our fourteenth season! As always we will do our very best to offer the quality, fresh baking and friendly service you deserve. 

We sure hope you'll come visit!

Have a fabulous week! 

Opening April 30th!

Spring has arrived whimpering and whining and afraid of its own shadow. Winter has been relentless. I can sum up our winter in two words; shovelling and wood lugging ( ‘Kayso that’s three words… what-the-ev) It was a hard one and I believe that’s true no matter where you were this winter. But I’m not here to be a downer, dude. Nah, brah. It’s all good because I have - what Bill and I hope - comes as good news.

But… before I get to that I do want to apologize for my lack of activity online. I know it has been sporadic for the past couple of years and I’ve been MIA this past winter. I’d spent the better part of twelve years promoting The Little Tart online across multiple social media platforms and our blog. Google and the social media gods insist on a constant stream of content to keep its “creators” in their good graces. SEO optimization, algorithms and constantly coming up with new content ideas to satisfy the perpetually hungry beast can be daunting. 

Quite simply… I’m burnt out. I started to notice a couple of years ago (coincidently when covid struck). This past fall and winter I’d reached maximum interweb burnout. I have spent little to no time online this winter and it has helped considerably.

I will continue to maintain The Little Tart online and keep you up to date with what’s new, hip and happening here. I don’t want to disappear altogether. Who is going to listen to my bad jokes and ramblings?

And with that I am happy to say that The Little Tart will begin our fourteenth season on Saturday April 30th! We are already in “getting ready” mode and looking forward to getting back to baking. It’s been a long winter and we’re excited to welcome everyone back!

I’ll be back with details!

Bill and I hope you are well, and healthy and happy and look forward to seeing you again soon!