After the Summer Hunt, I have been hyper busy between RL and setting up the Main Store, which I hope to open on 31.

Meanwhile, I had problems with my Group System. It’s unreliable, it’s not delivering adequately the messages. The identification of the origins of the message is a problem, because the name of the device is so big and it absolutely has to be there, a major annoyance; the items and messages aren’t delivered at the same time, another major annoyance; and the notecards and gift didn’t reach the members, what I find unforgivable.

So, as an incentive for my few members to resubscribe, I am offering our gift as a welcome gift for those who (re)join the group until tomorrow night (one day extended because my Kid asked me to wait one more day before I remove the gift.)

If anyone wishes to join in meantime, please do so as the gift won’t stay there forever, tomorrow it is gone. The gift of this month was a jar of some of my favorite candies, Jello Bears. I loved to much on them when I was a kid. (I still do…)

To join Cafe Gourmand and Gourmandise group has its advantages: group discounts on purchases, events, discounts in renting the place for private functions, pre-releases, prizes at random for a customer, and the occasional group gift and treats like the one in the photo above.

Obviously group gifts are a pleasure for me to make, but note, it’s a PLEASURE. In other words, I don’t have to, so I only deliver gifts once in a rare while. People that join for the gift only will be very disappointed to know that I take notes of those who join-and-leave and i rarely forget a name. On another tokken, those who truly appreciate and support Cafe Gourmand will find out I can be quite generous.

Carpe Diem! 

I have been very busy with the preparations of our Main Store. It’ll have a Fine Groceries shop and also a restaurant soon enough. And the place is looking wonderful.

Coming next however, there is the Summer Hunt. I created a very special cake for the occasion, very tropical, because I am from the south of the planet, and for us Southern ones, Summers are usually tropical.

(For those of us Southern people, don’t worry, a generous winter cake will ride your way pretty soon!)

Ah, attention hunters: Hunt is to HUNT. It’s not free distribution of prizes, we already do that at our shops. So, be ready to HUNT a little bit for your gifts. They aren’t hard to find, but don’t expect them placed as freebies right outside the door either. AND, I’ll move mine around, so bloggers can’t give out cheat notecards. Hunt is made for you to enjoy a good time, hunting for a nicer prize. If all you want is the free gift, seek over my counter.

This is an apple cupcake.

A lush cream of apple, some splinters of cinnamon, covered by confetti of apple and a bit of chantilly on top. It’s not sweet, because the apple is a bit of an accid fruit, but the chantilly softens the flavour, making this desert one to be savoured many times.

I would like to thank Gidge for posting this entry  on a blog about my opening. When I saw I almost didn’t believe!

This delicious breakfast is just a simple sample of a lot of other upcoming treats when I open the Main Shop.

Keep your eyes very open!

I am very proud to announce the opening of Cafe Gourmand. You can click the picture for a bigger view.

This is my first business in which the creations are all mine, but everyone can surely see the suave and aesthetic hand of Polaire in every place.

We did have a little "get together", but most people were at work this friday. After all, when we Europeans party, the Americans are working still, and when they party, we’re already sleeping. So, I had only five guests.

Yet I feel very accomplished and I hope to bring fun to everyone with the Cafe.

I would like to extend my thanks to all of those who helped me a lot to finally achieve this dream: My gorgeous husband Polaire Aeghin, owner of Prelude (je t’aime tellement toujours!), my friend Nineveth from Rara Avis; the friend Zaaz, Adriaen, Angel, Tete, Ambre, Fatima, my landlady Khea Karas; the scripters Matthias and Maverick; the animatos Sissy and Zalee, and the sculpters Es0 Torok and Maire Rhiano. And if I forgot someone, please poke me.

Ps: to know more about the Cafe’s history, why your food has a time to be eaten and other details, take a look at the "About Cafe Gourmand" static pages. They may come to be very useful in the future!

Cezare