Are You Going on Vacation?

Traveling Pie Box Photos

If you're taking a trip to a special place this summer be sure to take one of our pink pie boxes along with you (full of our pie or flattened and stuck in your suitcase - the box, not the pie.) Take a picture of the box while on your trip and when you get home email us a copy of the pic. We'll post them in the "Pictures" section and on Facebook. (BTW - We just posted a lot of traveling pie box pics from Africa and Europe - check them out!)

Sweetie-licious in the News

Michigan's State Pie?

Kath Usitalo, in her blog "Great Lakes Gazette" wrote a super article about Linda and our pies and suggested that Tom's pie be made the state pie. To read her article click on this link

Linda in Learning Campaign TV
Spot

The "Keep Learning - Our Future Depends on It" campaign was created by a coalition of education, business, government and media partners committed to doubling the number of college graduates in Mid-Michigan to help our community, and individuals, thrive. She appears in the video which is running on local TV channels. To view the video, click on this link

Linda Appears on the Today Show

Linda appeared on the Today Show with Willard Scott Friday morning (April 23)  via a live remote from the A.P.C. Crisco National Pie Championships. Willard interviewed her and she fed him a bite of her $5000 2009 Best of Show pie - Tom’s Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry. Here is the video - just click on this link

Linda Interviewed at the
National Pie Championship

Today, Friday, Linda was interviewed by one of the staff of the American Pie Council. You can see the video of the interview by going to the "Videos" section (see the navbar to the left side of this screen)

Linda at the Governor's Entrepreneurship Roundtable

Linda was one of the featured speakers at Governor Granholm's  business roundtable in March. She spoke about how she was able successfully to start her own business. To view the video, click on the picture above or the "Videos" page (on the navbar to the left).

WILX Channel 10 Story on Starting a Business
Linda was featured in a news story about how she started her own business. To view the video click on the picture above or the "Videos" page (on the navbar to the left).

"Michigan Farm & Garden" TV Show

Linda was featured on the weekly program  which aired statewide on Saturday, Feb. 20th. at 7:00 a.m. (and was broadcast locally on Fox 47) She talked about Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry Pie, the nation's best pie, made with  Michigan tart and dried cherries.

Fox 17 TV Interview Videos

On Thurs. Jan. 21st  there was a crew from Fox TV (Grand Rapids) broadcasting live from the shop. They interviewed Linda and talked about the shop and her pies. We've posted three video segments... to view them, just click on the  picture or on the "Videos" link on the navbar.

WXYZ TV (Detroit) Morning Show Video

Linda demonstrated how to bake a pie, talked about the Michigan cherries, and talked about the shop on Sunday Morning Jan. 15th. All the folks at the television station raved about how wonderful our pies are. You can watch a video of the interview, just click on the picture or on the "Videos" link on the navbar.

Linda Interviewed on "In Her Shoes Radio" (Lansing)

On Saturday Jan 16th was interviewed about her victory at the National Pie Championships and what's been happening to her since.

Parade

The Nov. 15th issue of Parade magazine contained an article "Sweet Victories" which described Linda's victory at the National Pie Championships

Michigan Home Resource Guide

Linda wrote a feature article "Memories of Holiday Baking Bliss" for the Winter 2009 issue of Michigan Home Resource Guide.

Baking Buyer

The June 2009 issue of Baking Buyer magazine included a feature on Linda winning the National Pie Championship.


Country Living

Country Living magazine writes about our award-winning pies in their Nov. issue.



Midwest Living

Two of our pies, our Apple and our Cherry Berry Berry (and recipes) were featured in a pictorial and article in the Oct. Issue of Midwest Living magazine

Desserts Magazine

Issue # 10 featured a story about Linda and the National Pie Championships.



Linda on the WGN TV (Chicago) Midday News

On Oct. 9th. Linda was on the Midday News with Allison Payne. Linda talked about how to make
an apple pie using Michigan apples and let folks know about our store. For those of you who missed seeing her, you can view the video by clicking on the picture above.

Become a Sweetie-licious 'Fan'

We have a Facebook page where you can find out all the latest news, post comments, and look at our many photos. If you have a free Facebook logon & password, all you have to do to find our page is search for "Sweetie-licious". Then just add yourself as a 'fan'. (BTW - over 1,000 folks have already become fans.)

From our Customers...

Sweetie Pies

In the heartland of Michigan
There's a town called DeWitt
It is old, It is new
It is romance

At one time farmland
Surrounded the town
Today it is Capital City
Suburbanism

Among the shops and the
Quaint store fronts
stands a cafe'/bakery
with delicious food
From a day gone by

But, the cases of pies
That wafts in waves
Give the store its name
It's Sweetie Pie

The ambience when you go
Inside is a blend of old and new
Striped tables red and white
people eating with sheer delight

Every pie has history
Momma's black raspberry pie
Grandman Rosella's blueberry made with
Love
Grandma Ferrell's strawberry cream
Aunts and cousins, sister-in-laws
Even special friends

This special place called Sweetie Pies
Will draw you in as you pass by

You'll be glad you came inside
To savor their cuisine
You will not have
Just the food
You will look around and see
You have come into this
Place to make and share
A memory

Betty Luttrell - Riverview, FL

The Latest from the Shop...

Food Photo Shoot

How exciting! Sweetie-licious
did our first professional photo shoot for our new and fabulous website, cookbook, and mail order catalog last week! We were in Grand Rapids at a super cool studio with our darling food stylist Laura Goble, our charming food photographer Mark Thomas, and our vivacious consultant Terrie Lynema.    

It was so exciting to see our delicious food looking so BEAUTIFUL on the printed page! These folks have teamed up to photograph some very important clients, such as Meijer, Whirlpool, and Smuckers to name a few. However, clearly Sweetie-licious is now their favorite client :)

Taking a pretty picture of a pie is daunting for all, but they nailed it! The details that go into making our pies, baked goods, and jams look spectacular are crazy! One word – TEDIOUS! We thought you might like to look at a few shots that we took of them working their magic. Enjoy!  (To view them larger size, just click on the photos.)

Summertime in Michigan

In this month's blog, Linda writes about growing up and hot summer days when the garden hose and sprinkler were your best friends. To read more, just click on the "Linda's Blog" link on the navbar to the left side of this page.

Linda's Oprah Audition Video

Linda has created an audition video for Oprah's "Your Own Show" contest. Clicking on the pink graphic will take you directly to the video so you can watch it

We're Open Till 7 p.m. (and 3 p.m. on Saturday!)

We've started our summer hours. We'll be open Monday-Friday till 7 pm and Saturday till 3 pm.

We're at the Lansing City Market on Saturdays!

Those of you who live in/near Lansing will now find us outside on the plaza in back of the Lansing City Market (on the river side) every Saturday this summer. We'll have our delicious pies, yummy muffins, and awesome cookies for sale. Come visit us at the market soon!

It's Rhubarb Season at the Shop

We're now getting fresh local rhubarb and are making lots of amazing rhubarb pies - including rhubarb custard, cherry rhubarb, bluebarb (blueberry rhubarb) and straight up plain rhubarb. If you haven't tried one of them, be sure to stop in and have a slice (or better yet, take home a whole pie for the holiday weekend!)

Four of Our Pies Win at the National Pie Championships

Two of Linda's pies took first place in the Small Commercial Bakery Competition which was held on Friday April 23rd. The winning entries were her Banana Cream and Cherry Rhubarb pies. On Sunday, April 25th Linda competed in the Professional Division and won with two more of her amazing pies. She took first place for Ellie's Cherry Blackberry Peach pie and second place for her County Fair Candy Apple pie. We are so pleased and excited!!

Our First "Pie of Thanks" Recipient

"Changing the World One Pie at a Time" is a Sweetie-licious project designed to recognize folks whose selfless acts of kindness, make our community that much richer... Too often good news is ignored and the good guy finishes last... but not any more! We at Sweetie-licious want to gift these special folks with a piece of our award-winning pie to say “thank you”. For all of us at Sweeties, it’s unanimous as to who the first recipient should be. This person will not want this recognition, which is why he should receive it… 

Junior is a true friend to all of us. He goes above and beyond every day to make our little shop run  smoothly. He
is our first customer every day, and our biggest cheerleader. He arrives every morning at 6:30 a.m. to shovel our walk, or carry our tables and chairs outside. Many times he even sets up our coffee for early customers. He's always available to run an errand, carry heavy loads, change those darned florescent bulbs way up on the ceiling, move a 600 lb freezer so we can paint, or even run to the store to pick up a dozen eggs when we run out. He makes us smile every day and is genuinely interested in each of us.  

One of Junior’s most recent acts of kindness was his genuine concern for my upcoming move. I had over 25 years worth of family treasures to move to a much smaller house. Each morning Junior asked how the packing was going and to
be sure to call him when I was ready to move. On moving day Junior showed up with several friends to load a 20’ moving truck and worked all day carrying the “heavy stuff”. He refused to let me pay him saying “a cold beer at the end of the day” would do. Later that week, I needed to rent an 18’ dumpster and he again he was willing to work all day to finish the dirty job. He kept my family laughing and motivated to get the job done. I couldn't have done this move without him and I don't think he knows how much we all appreciated him. (by Patty B.)

Junior (Allen) Alward thank you so much from all of us at Sweetie’s!

"Changing the World One Pie at a Time"

A Special Sweetie-licious Project

We at Sweetie-licious truly believe that we can change the world one pie at a time, and we'd like all our customers, friends, and fans to help us make that happen. "Changing the World One Pie at a Time" is a Sweetie-licious project that's designed to reward great people doing great things, with great pie. It's simple really. There are so many folks who understand the importance of loving one another and who willingly help friends and strangers. We want to reward these folks, and their wonderful acts of kindness, with great pie! So what we're proposing is this... if you know of a kind-hearted soul who's gone out of their way to make your (or someone else's) day or who did something extraordinary to help you, we want to hear about them.

Too often good news is ignored and the good guy finishes last... but not any more! We at Sweetie-licious want to gift these folks with a piece of our award-winning pie. Eating pie is the perfect way to celebrate and most folks enjoy pie like no other dessert. (In fact all other desserts pale in comparison.)

Our hope is that those folks who selflessly give of themselves, will, after being gifted with pie, do the same for another person... one gift leading to yet another gift, and then another... So, let's get started by spreading the word and getting these kind folks nominated.  You can do it two ways. You can stop into the store and fill out a nomination form (and deposit it into the special pie box we've created for just that purpose) or you can email us. (Please include your name, the person's name, both your and their contact information, and description of the wonderful thing they did.) We'll review all nominations and gift as many people as we financially can.

For those not  of you in the Sweetie-licious delivery area, our project's goal is that all great people doing great deeds, regardless of location, should be rewarded with great pie. We ask that you either make your own delicious pies or find and purchase the best pies in your area to give as "pies of thanks".
For pie is simply the best food form of gratitude there is.

So people... start nominating sweet folks who've done thoughtful things. Let's make "Changing the World One Pie at a Time" a national movement!