local business - Janel Has Wings

Louisville’s Unique Holiday Gift Guide 2020 Edition

by janelhaswings | Dec 17, 2020 | Bourbon Tales, local, local business, Uncategorized

With one week left before Christmas and we are right in the middle of Hanukkah, I know my fellow last-minute shoppers are probably searching high and low for the perfect gift for their loved ones. 2020 has been a challenging year for us all, especially small business owners. I’ve always supported small and local businesses because the people who run them are just like you and me. The best way to support my favorite local businesses was to do another Unique Holiday Gift Guide with all of my favorite spots that keep Louisville weird and make us all Kentucky proud.

The following are all local businesses and people within the Louisville and Lexington area where I shop and personally know the owners. They are in no particular order, and each of them holds a special place in my heart because they are owned and run by amazing people. Check out what their shops are all about and some of the lovely faces behind them.

1. Poetic Moon

If you are looking for handmade jewelry, bath soaks, oils, candles, etc., all made with intention, then look no further than Poetic Moon. Bridget Case owns it, and everything in her store is handcrafted by her. She puts her heart and soul into what she does, and since discovering her place, I cannot deny that it is my go-to shop for any and everything self-care. If you want to take a long relaxing bath after a tough day, week, or even year (AKA 2020), then I highly suggest buying her Goddess Bath Soak. It smells fantastic, and you can feel the stress lift right out of your body. Other items that I recommend are her oils and handmade candles. They both smell so wonderful, and each item has a specific use. You can stop in her shop located at 109 S Bayly Ave, Louisville, KY 40206, right off of Frankfort Avenue, or you can browse her products on her Instagram page or shop from her website. https://www.instagram.com/poeticmoon.boutique/

2. Produce from Faul Family Riverside Farm

Andre is a local farmer who raises organic poultry, beef, pork, and shrimp. He uses a farming style that ensures that the animals are always moving around the farm and that they have plenty of space. I featured him and the farm on my blog last year and discussed his farm’s fantastic job of delivering an organic, fresh, and delicious product. They currently have a meat subscription box where you can get fresh meat delivered to you monthly. It’s the perfect gift for any meat-lover or anyone who wants to know that their product is ethically farmed and produced. https://faulriversideky.com/

3. By Any Means Fitness

2020 is the year that reaffirmed that our health is our wealth. With gyms either being partially closed or at limited capacity, it doesn’t change the fact that they are a vital tool to maintain ourselves as healthy as possible. My favorite locally owned gym in Louisville just so happens to be owned by two of my close friends, Jordan and Djuan Means. They are both personal trainers themselves, and Jordan also handles nutrition/meal plans for their clients. When the gym was unable to remain open during the pandemic restrictions, Jordan created an online program so that everyone could workout and stay healthy at home. I immediately signed up for their program, and since I started it, I have lost 15 lbs. I swear by their meal plans and workouts because I have gone to their gym for years and followed their nutritional guidance, and to be honest, no one can get me into shape as good as they can. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one, then give them the gift of health. Djuan and Jordan have several different programs and options to work with them. You can check out what they have to offer on their website. https://www.byanymeansfitness.com/

4. Camila’s hot cocoa bombs

Camila is my friend’s daughter turned entrepreneur. Thanks to being stuck at home, Camila decided she wanted something to do that was productive that she enjoyed and could make some extra money for Christmas. About that same time, the mad craze over hot cocoa bombs began. She asked her mom if she could bake hot chocolate bombs and sell them because she loves to bake. Her mom said that she could do it, thinking she may sell one or two. Flash forward, and Camila’s hot chocolate bombs have been so popular that she has been filled with orders for the past month. Camila’s parents, Palmira and Chaz, quickly realized their daughter couldn’t do it independently and that she needed help to continue making her Christmas money. They promptly set up shop. Now it is a family affair where both Palmira and Chaz help Camila make the hot cocoa bombs and deliver the orders. It’s the winter version of a lemonade stand, but instead of lemonade, it’s hot chocolate, which is way better, in my opinion. Camila sells her hot cocoa bombs at $5 each or 4 for $15. She has both white chocolate and milk chocolate options. They are adorably decorated, filled with hot cocoa and marshmallows on the inside and delicious chocolate on the outside. They taste amazing. Camila has decided that she will only be making the hot chocolate bombs during the winter, so get yours while you can. To place your orders, you can contact either Palmira Jefferson via Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/palmira.sarmiento.5

5. Norwalk Furniture

The team at Norwalk offers custom upholstery, window treatments, new and antique rugs, custom bedding, and gifts, as well as a range of home design consulting and services. They are a one-stop-shop for everything interior design and decorating. Owned by my personal friends and husband duo Bryant Stanley and Justin Morris and their best friends Tawana Palmer and Kellie Clarke, these fabulous four make their customers’ homes an actual statement piece. They work with all ranges of budgets, and there is something for everyone in their store. There is not another group of people in the Kentucky area that I would trust with designing or decorating my home. Since so many people bought a new home in 2020, what’s a better way to show it off than having fabulous décor and design. Bryant is also a real estate agent, so if you are looking for a home in the Lexington area, not only can he help you find the perfect place, but they can help you design the perfect home! They are located at 2200 War Admiral Way Lexington, KY 40509. If Lexington is too far from Louisville, then no worries, they travel! You can check them out on their Facebook page or website. http://norwalklexington.com/

6. Goldheart stones and such

If you follow me on Instagram, then there is a good chance that you have noticed that I’m a stoner. Yes, a stoner. Not the illegal type of stoner but the one who collects crystals, rocks, and stones, that type. My favorite place in Louisville to go get “stoned” is by far Goldheart stones and such. Casey Goldheart is the owner, and he has one of the most impressive collections of crystals that I have ever seen. He carries everything from your classic rose quartz hearts to your fossils and highly sought out crystal flames (I now own four thanks to Goldheart and my crazy crystal addiction.) Due to the pandemic, his store has not been opened to the public since March, but to keep the business going during these strange times, he runs Facebook Live sales with a different collection of crystals each day. His live sales usually take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. You can place a purchase and have them shipped to you, or you can schedule a time to stop by the shop and pick them up. You can pick up your purchases at 980 Barret Ave, Louisville, KY 40204, and I’m sure once this is all over, the doors will reopen, and you can experience the glory that is Goldheart stones and such in person. https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=goldheart%3A%20stones%20and%20such

7. Greater Art Soulutions

The old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” in today’s world, not only is a picture worth a thousand words, but it can also be worth thousands of dollars for your business or brand. Society is currently driven by digital marketing and image. To have a successful online business or online presence, you must-have photos. Whether it be of your company, product, or yourself, a high-quality picture can make a world of difference when trying to market yourself in the digital world. Since most everyone has gone digital this year, then it is now more critical than ever. Choosing the right photographer to not only portray your product or company but, more importantly, yourself is one of the hardest parts. Guillermo Sollano is the owner and head photographer of Greater Art Soulutions, and he is who did my photos for my tutoring business website. I explained what I had in mind and let his creativity take over. It was more than evident that Guillermo’s heart and soul go into his photography during my photoshoot. I’ve never experienced a photography session where the photographer wanted to get to know me personally and not just take photos to have enough selection. If you are looking to update your photos, then look no further than Greater Art Solutions. You can check out more of Guillermo’s work by visiting his website. https://greaterartsoulutions.com/

8. Play with Clay

My favorite local painter has been and probably will always be Clay Mata. Not only is she a personal friend of mine, but she is also extremely talented. She does custom design pieces of art. You can request any and everything. Her newest item is a mini canvas that she uses to paint different singers, actors, influential people, comic characters, etc., on them. You can have a mini painting of your favorite singer on your desk, or if your friend or significant other is obsessed with baby Yoda, you can gift them a mini-canvas painting of baby Yoda for their home office. Not only does she do canvas paintings, but she also paints jackets and shoes. Everything is custom made, and no two pieces are alike. Last year, I purchased handpainted holiday mugs from her, and my Grinch mug is now my everyday mug during December. If you are looking for a truly unique gift, then look no further than Play with Clay. To check out more of her work and to place an order. https://www.instagram.com/playwithclay/

9. Serena’s Soaps and Salves

Mother/daughter duo Lora and Serena sell homemade goat milk soaps, lotions, and healing salves for a variety of skin conditions. They use all organic products to make the soaps and salves, and I can vouch that they smell and feel amazing. Serena, has Down Syndrome, and they created the business because they wanted her to prove to herself and others that her condition will not keep her from accomplishing anything. Every product is packaged and labeled by Serena herself, and she is very involved in the business. Hearing her story instantly inspired me, and when I checked out their products, I fell in love. Not only are their products incredible, but the fact that they are local and Serena’s story makes supporting them that much better. During the winter our skin tends to get dry and crack, give someone the gift of smooth, healthy skin by gifting them a soap or lotion from Serena’s Soaps and Salves. Check out their variety of products on their website. https://www.serenassoaps.com/

10. ALAS Language Tutoring

Yes, I am shamelessly plugging my own business on this post. For those who don’t know, I am a language teacher/tutor. I tutor and teach both English and Spanish, and this year I decided to offer my tutoring services to the world by creating my own tutoring business, ALAS Language Tutoring. My number one passion has always been and will always be travel, but languages and teaching are other big passions of mine. I teach and tutor all ages and create customized lesson plans that tailor to each student’s needs. For those who have been wanting to learn another language or brush up on Spanish but feel like they need a more personalized experience, that is exactly what I offer. My lessons cater to each individual’s needs with the target language. Right now, I only offer English or Spanish, but I will be offering one of the other languages that I speak in the future. ALAS Language Tutoring isn’t just a tutoring business; it’s a passion project. ALAS means wings in Spanish, and I truly believe that by learning another language, we are able to expand our “wings” in a multitude of ways. If you are interested in learning Spanish, need a tutor for your child’s Spanish classes, or just want to pick back up where you left on, then check out my website and my different tutoring packages and options. https://www.alaslanguagetutoring.com/

Happy Holidays and remember when shopping for your special someone, your family, or yourself, shop small! These are some of the many faces that you will be supporting by shopping small and local. To quote Djuan Means, “If we don’t support us, who will?”

With love,

Janel

A Dessert That Tastes like a Dream

by janelhaswings | Dec 19, 2019 | Bourbon Tales, local, local business, Uncategorized

Louisville just got a little tastier thanks to Pastelitos by Annia. For those who do not know what pastelitos are, they are a delicious Cuban puff pastry that can put a smile even on the grumpiest face. Annia Garces, a local baker originally from Cuba, has taken the traditional Cuban pastry and put her own spin on them by not just offering the conventional fillings such as guava (guayaba) guava with cheese (guayaba con queso) and coconut (coco) but also adding her own unique flair by making Nutella and dulce de leche (caramel) pastelitos as well.

I saw that Annia had posted some photos on her social media of her pastelitos for sale, so I reached out to her and told her I was interested in trying some, especially the guava with cheese because those are my favorite. Annia invited me to her home to try her pastelitos fresh out of the oven.

Once I arrived at her home, we began to discuss what made her start selling the classic Cuban pastry. Annia explained that ever since she was young, she always wanted to be a baker and have her own bakery. It isn’t weird that being a baker was a dream for her because each generation in her family has at least one baker. She has a great aunt in Cuba who was a baker and an aunt in California who owns her own bakery, so the baking talent is in her genes. She also says that she remembers that when she was around 15 years old, she met a lawyer who not only practiced law but also owned her own bakery, and she thought, “I want to be like her someday.”

Flash forward to 2019, Annia was working in a law firm, but something was still missing. She said that one day she decided to go ahead and bake some traditional Cuban pastries and see what people thought of them. One of the first things she made were pastelitos, and when she decided to make them, she chose a recipe that uses butter instead of lard like most pastelito recipes. She says that the fact that she uses butter is one major thing that sets her pastelitos apart from the rest.

After having friends and family try her pastelitos and confirm that Annia was on to something, she decided it was time to put them out into the world or at least Louisville for that matter. She began announcing that she was making pastelitos via Facebook and giving people notice before when she would be taking orders or how they could place orders. She was surprised at the amount of response that she got because seeing how not everyone in the Louisville community knows what a pastelito is, there was still a lot of interest in trying them. By the time she was finished discussing how many great reviews she has received from people about the taste of the pastelitos, I was ready to get my hands on one.

First, let me say that I am a huge pastelito fan, and I have been since I was a kid, so when I saw Annia post her pastelitos for the first time, I knew I had to get my hands on one. Seeing how I’m a bit of a pastelito connoisseur, my favorite flavor has always been the guava and cheese. I know most people may have a question mark pop up in their head when they read guava with cheese, but trust me, this combination is absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious. I told Annia that I specifically wanted to try the guava and cheese first because those are my favorites, and it would give me some indication of whether I would like the others or not.

One of the first things that I noticed about Annia’s pastelitos is that some of the pastelito fillings overflow on the top of the pastelito, which isn’t typical for the pastry puff but trust me, I’m wasn’t complaining. I don’t know about the rest of the world, but there is nothing worse than biting into a pastry and just tasting the dough and no filling. It’s one of my least favorite things about pastry puffs because they tend not to have enough filling for my liking. Just by looking at the pastelitos that Annia placed in front of me, I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed.

The amazing pastelitos featured are coconut in the front, second row is guava with cheese, third row is Nutella and the fourth row is dulce de leche.

All it took was one bite to confirm my suspicions. The flavor of the guava and the taste of the dough were on point. The pastelito isn’t too sweet nor too savory. It’s truly the perfect combination of both. The flakiness was precisely the way it should be (in my opinion), and the fact that I didn’t have to take two bites to get the full flavor taste was beyond my initial expectations. Honestly, it was love at first bite.

After inhaling my first pastelito, because let’s be honest, I don’t play games when it comes to food. I asked Annia which pastelito flavor is her most popular/bestseller, and she said surprisingly it is the dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is the Latino version of caramel. It isn’t quite caramel, but it is incredibly close. Dulce de leche is extremely popular throughout Latin America, especially in South America. For example, if you go to Argentina and don’t try dulce de leche then you haven’t truly lived an Argentine experience because that is how popular it is. I’m very familiar with dulce de leche, and to be honest, sometimes it’s even too sweet for me, so I was a little skeptical about trying it. Still, once I put my skepticism to the side and bit into the dulce de leche, I was officially sold.

Annia’s flavor palette for her pastelitos is perfect for people who crave something sweet but do not want to have a toothache after they eat. A friend of mine accompanied me to Annia’s house, and he is not a fan of any sweets, he refuses to eat chocolate when someone tries to give him a piece. He tried the coconut flavor and said that he liked it because it wasn’t extremely sweet and overpowering. We both agreed that Annia’s pastelitos hit the spot, but don’t make you feel like you are on a sugar high afterward.

It is safe to say that I was highly impressed by Annia’s pastelitos that, in fact, I even took two boxes home with me to save some for later and give to some of my friends to have a taste. The feedback that I got from everyone who tried them is that they loved them, and when I told them that they only cost $1 a piece, they were shocked. That’s right; 1 pastelito costs $1. So if you are looking to take a treat to one of your upcoming holiday parties or think that your office needs a pick me up, you can get a dozen delicious pastelitos for $12. They are great alongside a fresh cup of coffee or just as a mid-day snack or dessert for your events.

In order to get your hands on some delicious Pastelitos by Annia, you must order either through her Facebook page, which I have linked at the end, via email, garces.annia@gmail.com and you can call or text her orders by phone at 502-744-1528. Annia allows customers to mix up the different flavors that they want to buy, and you can order any amount that you choose. She also works with people who have specific food allergies as long as they let her know when ordering. The only thing that Annia said that she cannot accommodate is for people who are following specific diet trends and want a ‘healthier’ version because let’s be honest, in these pastelitos, butter is queen.

Besides pastelitos, Annia has also created cakes, pies, and other pastries for customers. If you aren’t interested in pastelitos but want to try one of her many delicious pastries, then feel free to contact her directly and let her know what you are looking for. Annia is currently dedicating herself solely to her baking business and is no longer with the law firm that she previously worked for. She has decided to take a leap of faith and pursue what most of us consider the American dream, which is to become successful. There is no doubt in my mind that the pastelitos, cakes, and pies are just the beginning of what will be a very successful local Louisville baker.