DOPE MUSIC selected by: ComputerFAM & Mr. Wu (Rhythm Rhino)…(Sponsored by SPUN Academy)

….and free spirits courtesy of Integrity Spirits (The NW’s first distillery to make ABSINTHE).

***Now of course, you’ll need to be 21 and over to partake in tasting, but the doors will be open to ALL AGES! $5 entry, priceless fun!!!

5pm-12am

4943 NE MLK Jr. BLVD – Portland, Or 97211 (next to Sweet Thing Bakehouse on the corner of MLK & Alberta)

For those of you who have not spent much time in NE PDX, the fabled NE Alberta neighborhood is one you may never forget! We just so happen to hold down the major intersection of MLK and Alberta. So, Sweet Thing, is in storied territory! Hopefully we can live up to the hype!

That said, there are neat little spots on every block. As you traverse east from Sweet Thing, it is as though each successive block is striving to outdo the next….. It starts out kinda slow and sparse, but by the time you’ve hit 14th/15th, you’ve discovered that eccentricity sells, no one in Portland seems to have to work during the day, and breakfast, in this town, is KING!!!! From Tin Shed to Helser’s, Petite Provance to Francis, Fuel Cafe to Vita Cafe, there are a litany of options for the meal of all meals, BREAKFAST! Interspersed among said breakfast options are an array of coffee/tea joints, from the Black Cat to Townshend’s, Random Order to Concordia Coffeehouse. Nary a Starbuck’s in sight! That, my friends, is why you have to love this part of town!

And that too, my friends, is why we are embarking down the Avenida del Alberta in search of those great little drink/nosh/sit/chill spots that would be just that much better if a Sweet Thing sweet were added to their menu del dia! (OK, I’ll stop….Cinco de Mayo was a couple of days ago….).

Here’s to a day full of Sweet sales!!!

In other news:
1) We are working on getting menus up on the website (official, current ones….=)). In the meantime, if you would like to get one, please let us know and we can e-mail them to you.
2) I mentioned a “Dawn” above. Said “Dawn” (Dawn A. Dall), is a new team member and one who has already paid for herself in encouragement, idea generation and last, but certainly NOT least, keeping me from going crrraaazzzzeeee! If you get the chance to say hello, please do so, and thank her…=)
3) Kindra is now the Shop Manager and is doing a great job! She has a great staff: Ethan, Amanda and Byren! Amanda has been with us from day one, and bless her little soul, has put up with us since then too! We are better for her! Ethan, is new to the team! Three weeks down! He brings a positive upbeat style to the morning coffee drinker! Say “Hey!” next time you’re in! Byren, is an intern with Sweet Thing, for the next couple of months! He comes in on Mondays and Tuesdays, when we’re closed, to help prep for the week! He gets to work with both Kindra and I, so for that, if you see him, give him a hug!
4) Props to Jose Jiminez, our final team member! Jose does all of the tasks the rest of us hate doing: cleaning, cleaning and cleaning! Oh, and did I mention he does it with aplomb, a sense of humor and style!
5) I’m sure I forgot something important, but I’ll pick it up next time!

Cheers to a great day of Sweet selling! Catch ya’ll soon! – S

We made it through winter….(phew?)….. Not quite sure how much we’ll have to shell out for counseling because of it, but we are still here, breathing…..most of the time.

Kindra has become a demi-god(dess) on the espresso machine and is making GF chocolate cake that will take your breath away!!!! (In a good way, of course!) I’ve been known to hold my own too….so….its a friendly competition to see who can produce the best of the best…. Good for all of you!!!

NEW to Sweet Thing: We now have three kinds of croissants….made in house….! Brie and Apricot, Ham, Swiss and Herbed Cream Cheese, and Butter. We are interested in finding out what other kinds of croissants our loyal fans would be interested in. So, don’t be shy…..! Let us know!

The basement of our space now has….wait for it……WALLS!!! And a door! We have spent some time the last week getting our clean on, along with our good friends, Shajahan Sharif and Dawn Dall. It is now available for renting, by the hour. Until the renovation is completed, we are most interested in renting out for band/music rehearsal space. Great accoustics and no neighbors makes it a fab location for making noise late into the night. If anyone is interested, or knows of folks who are, they can contact me at 503-888-2436 to arrange to view and rent the space. It is available after 5 pm every night…..until ???? The rate is $50/hour, with monthly rates available.

We now have MALASADAS!!!! If anyone has been to Hawaii….ya’ll know what I’m talking about when I say MALASADAS….!!! If you haven’t, I am so sorry, but you’ll just have to come on down, on Saturday or Sunday morning, and try out the delish concoction those Hawaiians have been loving on for years! If you’re still not convinced, here’s the breakdown: Pillow-shaped (Portugese-descent) Donut….covered in cinnamon/sugar….. We have a couple of fillings available right now…..Chocolate Cream or Banana Cream….. PLEASE NOTE: We are only making these bad boys on Saturday and Sunday morning, between 8 am and 10 am…..so come early, and come often!!! Reason: They ROCK when they are fresh!!!!! ALSO PLEASE NOTE: These will not be found on ANYONE’S diet, but we will wave our magic want over then to take away as many calories and fat grams as is magically possible.

OK….clearly I’m all over the place with this blog post! Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Here’s to getting a post out sometime in the next couple of weeks….as opposed to 6 months!!!

Have a great day all! 

This picture isn’t the most amazing—it was taken on a cell phone—but it shows the overall idea.

Today, though a gloomy, wet, northwest day, has been a good day. It has been busy and the contrast of the outdoor gloominess accents the comfortable feeling the bakery was designed to emit. Who doesn’t love to enjoy a dreary day with a hot drink, hot soup, and a comforting pastry?

We have also had a good deal of cake and catering requests. Shawna has done an amazing job on the cakes — not only do they look amazing, but exuberant responses have assured they also taste amazing. We’ve also had mass cookie orders and pastry orders in the last couple days. People appear to enjoy our creations. That was even our intent!

Everyone should come witness the bakery if they haven’t yet. Come say hi and enjoy comfort foods and drinks. Or order a bunch of stuff … it’s all amazing.

PRESENTS

Gluten-Free Cooking Classes!

Celebrate the season with sweets that are in good taste and good health!

Fall is upon us and Sweet Thing would love to share our passion for all things sweet with you!  Sweets that are gluten-free (GF) are sometimes difficult to locate and seldom worth the effort.  Doing our part to alter that reality, we propose a venue in which we can share our knowledge of baking for a GF lifestyle with you, so that you can enjoy GF baked goods anytime and anywhere!

Learn a new recipe per week and take home your creations to share, or enjoy on your own!

• De-mystify GF baking – Simple ways to understand the nuances of GF baking
• Socialize with others interested in GF baking – meet neighbors and friends
• Leave with a fabulous GF product you can recreate to share with family and friends

Classes: Monday and Wednesday evenings during November and December

Class Duration: 2 hours, 5 – 7:00 pm

Location: Kitchen, Sweet Thing Bakehouse & Coffee Bar

4943 NE ML King Jr. Blvd, Ste 101, Portland, OR  97211

Class size: 10 spaces per evening

Cost: $20/class, $60 for 4-class package, or $100/month (unlimited)

Reservations:      To reserve your spot, please call Shawna, 503-888-2436

Parking: Parking is available in parking lot off NE Garfield, directly behind the bakery.