Open For Business....

Or at least it will be if it quits raining!!!

Last night we got a in a big shipment of flavors.  We had started out with 11 different ones and then last week I made a big order - 24 flavors at once.  Last night I mixed up about 20 of them.  We ran out of the bottle toppers so I had to quit (which didn't upset me too much).  I mixed flavors for almost 4 hours.  I really hope we learn how to streamline this because it takes forever and I manage to completely destroy my kitchen in the process.  In the world of ants our house would be considered party headquarters with all the sugar and syrupey goodness floating around on the countertops and floors.  I'm also going to use a lot of bleach because this stuff is like pouring Kool-Aid on your countertops.  I did learn one thing last night - a blender could be my new best friend.  Alven had mixed his directly in the bottle and I just can't seem to get that to work.  The sugar doesn't dissolve very well and I don't know what ratios to use because once you add the water and then start adding the sugar and flavoring it pours out the top of the bottle.  Then when you put in the topper more pours out and then when you shake it, it has a soda like effect when you take your fingers off of the holes in the stopper.  One night I sprayed myself and the cabinets several times.  That's just an additional sticky mess to clean up.  Then I started using clear glass bowls to mix it in.  I'd add the sugar to warm water and then stir briskly with a wisk...but that took several stirs and I would have to let it set inbetween stirring sessions to see how well the sugar was dissolving.  That took a lot of time and a lot of bowls.  Last night when I tried the blender method I think I finally found the thing that works for me.  I'm pretty sure I'm a lot closer to figuring out the streamlining of this operation....as long as my blender doesn't crap out on me.         

Here they are lined up in all their colorful beauty.

Here is The Icebox with one of it's signs. Jay took it to school Tuesday for the last day. We're planning on adding some more once the business gets up and running.  I'm also thinking about getting some Hawaiian decorations for it and I'd like to string some Christmas lights from it somehow.  Jay said we need to wait until at least day two for him to figure out the lights.

Our Official Grand Opening will be in Miller on Monday, May 24.

We are supppsed to be at a rodeo this weekend, and the weather looks great.  Last weeks rodeo was cancelled.  We are ready to get started with our new venture!!