Name and Family and all you want to share

My name is Traci and I’ve been married to Bill Gates (yes, that’s really his name!) for 40 years. We have been blessed with two wonderful children…Adrienne who is a special education teacher and Nathan who is an EMS/firefighter.

Your favorite Sweetie-licious Pie and/or Baked Goods and Why

Although I enjoy sampling and serving the many items prepared in the bakery, my personal favorite is the Cinna-Muffin. Having one of these yummy muffins warm with my morning coffee just says have a “cinna-rific day” no matter what you do!

Favorite Sweetie-licious Memory

When I was a little girl, my Aunt Vera worked in a small bakery in Pinconning, MI and I wanted to have a job just like hers when I grew up. It took awhile…and I had to retire from my day job…but I finally got my wish in October of 2009. Having nearly completed my first year with Sweetie-licious, my favorite memory is the week of Thanksgiving when the bakery was wall-to-wall with pink pie boxes. It was so much fun sending all these pies out the door with happy customers who were either enjoying their pies with friends and family in their own home or taking them on their travels to share elsewhere. It was really heartwarming to think about all the people who were having a slice of Sweetie-licious pie with their family Thanksgiving dinners.

Favorite Cooking/Baking Memory

When our children were little, we spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking treats to enjoy ourselves and share with friends. We had an occasional egg hit the floor on the way to the mixing bowl and turning on the Kitchen-Aid mixer too soon and too fast meant there was flour flying in all directions! By the time our sugar cookies were done, there usually were “frosted faces” along with frosted cookies. Making sugar cookies with little ones, you just can’t decorate with too much frosting or too many sprinkles.

Favorite recipe to share and history of recipe

One of our favorite family recipes is for Chicken Tortellini Soup. This recipe was given to me by one of our elementary school secretaries. Ruth was one of the original “multi-taskers” who was able to meet the needs of the children and their parents…with humor and a twinkle in her eye. Over the years, we’ve shared kettles of this soup with friends and neighbors for many reasons…from welcoming a new baby to helping care for an ailing family member. A bowl of chicken soup can do wonders to brighten your day and just make you feel good.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

• ½ to ¾ pound cooked chicken breast – chopped/finely shredded
• 1 large can Swanson Chicken Broth (49 oz.)
• I always need to add more chicken broth to this as the tortellini soak up a lot of the broth.
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion diced – approximately ½ cup
• Diced Celery – 1½cups
• Diced carrots – ½ cup
• ½ - 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• Garlic powder to taste
• Salt to taste

1 package of tortellini – flavor of your choice

In your soup kettle, sauté onions, celery and carrots in olive oil. Add chicken, broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-30 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer for 15-20 minutes more.

Enjoy with a tossed salad and crusty rolls.