A simple question deserves a simple answer so here it is:

Order a Prosperity Cake from a line of cake products called Full Spirited Flavours, owned and operated by a trio of self described “high spirited ladies.”

Sisters Kathy, Carole and Sue

Sisters Sue Katein (whose recipes rock), Kathy Lanyon and Carole Algier,  (the sister that designed the trademark prosperity tree), admittedly, “reinvented ourselves after the economy slowed” but really wanting to do something together, combined their love for baking with their love for one another and introduced their line of  “Prosperity Cakes.”

So if you  answered yes to the  “good cake” question then Full Circle Flavors, LLC, at www.fullcircleflavors.com is the place where this group of sisters  have taken good to the next level with the creation of sensational tasting cakes.

I’ve tasted and I’m convinced.  These cakes are pure indulgence of the best kind!   I met the sisters at a recent Let’s Eat Media event in NYC.  They had come  from the Philadelphia area  where they live and run their business in Phoenixville to introduce Prosperity Cakes to the New York market.

These three sisters, all admittedly in their 50’s, rallied together to start the business they’ve always dreamed they would start because of their love of cooking.  “We always said someday, but its interesting how the economy takes you forced through the door.”

The Prosperity Cake line includes the popular signature Amaretto Cake which is a buttery yellow cake made with Amaretto and  yummy chocolate chunks, then topped off with an Amaretto glaze.  I give this one an A+.

But if you prefer lemon, then you’ll want to try the Prosperity Limoncello Cake made with Limoncello liqueur, white chocolate chunks and the Limoncello glaze. (I give this one an A+ too)

Limoncello Cake

Making you hungry yet?

If you’re a chocolate lover, the sisters have added the scrumptious Prosperity Chocolate Razz Cake, made with imported raspberry liqueur and topped with white chocolate raspberry genache. (sounds good, but I didn’t try this one.  It gets an A+ just based on the other two)

The labor intense cakes, that the ladies are quick to point out are not pound cakes, are made by a chosen and trusted International Pastry Chef.  ” If we were 35 we’d be making them, because we’re in our late 50’s, in order to make this become something where it can grow, we have to take everything  we’ve learned through our careers and be smart business ladies.”

You can’t go wrong with these cakes.  Their unrefrigerated shelf life is 4  months or they can be easily frozen for later.  Asked how the cakes can stay fresh for so long the sisters offered, “It’s the liqueur.  It’s a fabulous preservative.”

You MUST purchase one of these deliciously moist cakes, take my word for it.  This time KathyDowDiscovers has hit  the jackpot with www.fullcircleflavors.com.

Prosperity Cakes

“When you’re in your 50’s, you’re not afraid,” said Carole referring to the new leap of faith that launched their cake business in 2009 and has seen Prosperity Cakes featured as the Snack of the Day on The Rachel Ray Show and in the Sundance Film Festival gift lounge, as well as their local television.

These best friend sisters have the full support of their best friend husbands whom they have tagged as the “J Team” because their names all begin with a J.  The hubby’s stand behind them in this second life, full circle endeavor. “We’re very fortunate, they’re behind us 150%.”

“Cooking was something we all did as children, our entire lives centered around cooking and catering,” Sue said.  The sisters call themselves the “Matriarchs” of their family and have two other sisters, two brothers, 3 kids and one cat between them.

A great gift giving idea, the cakes are packaged in matching polka dot boxes and shipped fresh to your door.  Carole is the expert on the packaging.  “We branded ourselves by matching the box color to the cake flavor color” she explained.

Cakes are available in two sizes, a $30 large size which yields 10-12 slices, or you can treat  yourself with the  small $10 cake.  A lot of sales come from corporate accounts. “We got a call from  a customer who received a cake from his client.  He called and ordered 4 more after receiving the gift.   He said it was the only gift  that stood out.”

Currently selling in seven locations throughout Pennsylvania  and with high internet orders, the company bakes about 400 cakes per month and have a new Mango Coconut Rum Cake slated to come out this summer.

Between  the sisters, owners and creators of Full Circle Flavors, LLC, they have a world of business experience.  Although there’s been one snag with the name of the company, (which they found out was already trademarked), these sisters are on the road to success.

Calling themselves “pay it forward girls” the trio looks forward to providing jobs and initiating a campaign to donate to local food shelters.  “You give back what you get,” Sue said adding that they only hire local help in an effort to help their economy.

If you’ve got cake on your mind, this is the one to try.  It’s Full Circle Flavors, LLC with a product line called Full Spirited Flavors.  Just remember it’s the circle of sisterly love, producing the spirited flavors of delicious cakes!

You’ll be pleasantly surprised that these sisters, who have come full circle in life now doing what they love to do, are really good at it.

Mama Says

Which cook are you? A new cook, a tired cook, or a cook that just wants a new idea?  The Mama Says “No more Frozen Pizza” recipe collection has tasty alternatives to take out.

Created by two Atlanta moms, Lynn Epstein and Iris Feinberg, the collection of two dozen budget friendly and easy to make dishes came right out of their own kitchens.  “It’s personal recipes from two families,” Epstein said.

Creators of Mama Says

Featuring main course recipes along with sides and salads, the laminated recipe cards come cleverly disguised in what else?  A pizza box! The picture of a completed dish on one side and the detailed instructions on the other are surefire roadmaps to a successful meal.

Recipe card with picture

Lynn says her son was always calling home asking, “what to cook and how to cook it”.  “The traditional recipe books I sent him were to complicated,” she says.  “He wanted easy to follow directions and needed to see what the dish was supposed to look like too.”

The Mama Says recipe collection evolved.  “We saw a need for a new kind of cookbook for a whole generation of recent college grads or students,” Lynn said.

The recipes are designed to encourage healthy eating and cooking.  For the beginner cook, stocking up on basic staples will get them through a lot of the dishes as the same ingredients are intentionally used.

“Sure it’s easy to order a pizza”, Lynn says, “but what’s better than recipes, tried and true that  come right out of our own kitchens?”

This is one box that really delivers and it makes a perfect gift for the new cook.  Available online at www.MamaSays.com and at a handful of retail stores, the collection is less than $20.

That’s a small tab for a great dinner!  Next time you want to reach for the pizza box, reach for the one that has recipes and not calories!

KathyDowDiscovers has a free giveaway of the Mama Says recipes.  Subscribe to Kathy’s List for a chance to win.

Mabel's Labels

School just started and the kids are leaving home with lunch bags, book bags, water bottles, gym clothes and other supplies.   Now is the time to use Mabel’s Labels to make sure that everything that goes to school, comes home from school.

In addition to the older kids and all their school gear, Mabel’s Labels are perfect for the toddler who goes to daycare or preschool. You can label the bottles, toys, shoes and  clothes with the super durable, indestructible labels and not have to worry about missing stuff  according to Tricia Mumby, one of the mom owners of the Canadian based company.

Labels, labels, labels

Mumby, whom I met in New York City at a new product event, says they worked on the labels for over two years before they launched the company making sure that the labels could withstand microwaves, dishwashers and  the laundry.

Not only are the iron on clothing labels perfect for school uniforms or gym clothes, but they also have sticky labels for shoes which are meant to fit on the insole and help a preschooler identify his shoes;  Bag Tags are metal tags used for labeling diaper bags, school bags or luggage and the Teeny Tags which are smaller copies of the bag tags can be used on a backpack or lunch bag.

Bag Tags

The labels I liked best and put to use myself are the Skinny Mini’s!
If you have cameras, tape recorders, a cell phone or anything else that could get lost in the shuffle, having a skinny mini is the assurance you need. Hey, even adults need to label sometimes!

Labels on camera, microphone

Kathy Dow mini's

All labels can be personalized with names up to 20 characters and in your choice of colors. For the kids a favorite sports icon or one of the other icons help make identifying their belongings easier.

The company also has what they’ve labeled a “Neat Freak Combo”  that include the Crafter Pack, Cord Control and Curbside labels. You can organize your entire household with this pack.

There’s only a few days left for the September Back to School Combo pack which includes tag mates, 40 skinny minis, 16 shoe labels and two teeny tags for only $39. Check out their website at www.Mabel.ca and place an order that will help you and your kids keep your things coming back home.

Imagine a scene of school kids grabbing at a pile of backpacks, book bags, shoes, water bottles….now imagine Mabel’s Labels.  It can make things a lot easier can’t it?

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The “STAIN MISTAKE” often spells doom for your nicest, most expensive piece of clothing.  And like me, you’ve probably spilled a drink, missed your mouth en route, been splashed, accidentally spilled upon or otherwise ruined what you were wearing at least once.  Right?

Then what do you do?

Well, people in the know, (and now you know) call upon New York City’s most trusted and respected fabric restoration service,  Madame Paulette.  Located at 1255 Second Avenue in NYC, the custom couture cleaners is the leader  in its field.

Famous Fashion Restoration Storefront

Celebrating  50th years in business, Madame Paulette’s flagship store owned by John Mahdessian handles the clothing of the rich and famous;  the restoration of pieces displayed in The Museum of Modern Art and will even hook up us “regular people”  when we have a stain crisis.

Giveaway of 5 stain kits.  See info below!

Trusted to maintain and restore the finest creations from world renowned fashion and interior designers, Mahdessian was a celebrity at his own two day celebration of the newly renovated flagship store earlier this month.  The Second Avenue store windows are displaying fashion pieces from throughout history that Madame Paulette has restored for prosperity.

Madame Paulette's Window Display

I stopped by the store on the first day of its celebration and asked John to describe Madame Paulette in 5 words or less.   Mahdessian said,  “We clean and restore the most expensive apparel and textiles”.  Then added,  “That was more than five words wasn’t it?”

There was a whirlwind of action getting ready to start that evening and John was the center of it all.  Smiling, shaking hands and giving last minute directions to the crew, it was easy to see how his personality could win over clients.

Madame Paulette’s started out in 1959 as a small Mom and Pop cleaners owned and operated by John’s great uncle and his French wife, Paulette.  When the uncle got sick, John’s father, who had planned to go into accounting, took over the store and he and his wife continued ownership until John took the reigns and helped propel the store into the landmark that it is today.

Over the  last 45 years  Madame Paulette has had customers such as American Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, legendary jazz musician Benny Goodman (who lived above the cleaners at one time), Editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour, who has been a client for over 10 years and had hundreds of pieces cleaned and restored, (remember, she’s is reported to have been the case study for Devil Wears Prada) and some of today’s recording artist superstars such as Beyonce, Alicia Keyes and Cameron Diaz (to name drop just a few).  Even former President Bill Clinton and Hillary have been customers.

So how did John attract all these high profile customers?  Traci Coulter, of MP said, “In earlier days John would be at a party and pull out his cleaning solutions whenever someone got a spill and that’s how he grew the business.  They used to call him Johnny on the Spot.”

Actually, Madame Paulette saved a jacket owned by journalist Barbara Walters after it had red wine spilled on it and more  recently Eva Longoria-Parker and Melania Trump have entrusted their wedding gowns to be cleaned, preserved and stored with Madame Paulette.  Longoria included Madame Paulette stain kits  in her wedding goody bags.  The small travel size kits are able to tackle any stain while traveling and are replicas of the same professional formulas used by Madame Paulette.  Mahdessian says, “They are guaranteed to provide excellent results!”

Giveaway of 5 stain kits.  See info below!

Madame Paulette restores donated pieces for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sotheby’s, The Smithsonian Institute; consults for insurance companies who have claims due to fire or flood, restores  damaged pieces that no longer have value to the owners and restores irreplaceable couture vintage collectibles.

As a part of the grand reopening the company has instituted new services that include Destination Valet, (Madame Paulette will clean your clothes, pack and ship your luggage so that it arrives at your destination ahead of time.  How cool is that?) Closet Concierge ( a Madame Paulette photographer  takes pictures of  your clothing  and creates your own personal catalog. They are stored  in Madame Paulette’s facilities and when you want or need something, call them up and request its delivery.  That’s cool, too), a 24-hour emergency service (get a stain, make a call) and new techniques for the restoration and care of leather, suede and fur.

There is also an ultimate Coffee Table book in the works and a documentary to be shot over the next two to three months which will be aired by HBO. The film will trace the beginnings of and the processes used at the company’s two facilities (there is a second site on Long Island City).    Mahdessian says that Madame Paulette uses no chemicals in its cleaning process and the restoration of discarded clothing is their way of being “green” by giving new life to clothing.

Window Display

Look for an upcoming online Fashion Donation auction with restored clothing once owned by the famous and donated to Madame Paulette.  After restoration the fashions will be auctioned to the highest bidder.  MP is currently collecting fashions and will take bids from around the world once the auction begins.  If you want a piece of fashion history the Fashion Donation will be your chance to associate with Madame Paulette even if you think you can’t afford their services.

Another fascinating touch at the Upper East Side store is the boutique dressing rooms which give clients a chance to see themselves in many  different lights.  Imagine trying on your clothes in a light spectrum of  daylight, fluorescent, evening and black light.  It’s a preview of how you’ll look no matter where or when.   MP is truly catering to the upscale client.

But don’t fret, the company will service the regular person too, all you have to do is call or stop by the store.  Confident of MP’s abilities, John asked,      “Do you want to test me, send me something to see if I can get the stain out?     You know what? One of these days, John, I might just do that.

Mahdessian generously provided 5 of his stain travel kits for my readers.  So if you ever need quick action after a spill, this wipe/rinse system is for you. The key, according to Mahdessian, is quick reaction time (hence the handy travel kit) and quick identification of the stain (the kit has formula’s for different types of stains).

It’s a must have for brides so the first bride to subscribe get’s a kit! Send me an email at Kathy@KathyDowDiscovers.com with wedding verification.

A random draw from the subscribers list will make 5 lucky subscriber’s stains disappear (if not, call John).  Winners will be notified by email and the stain removal kit sent by US postal mail service.

Thanks John and Madame Paulette.  The place where no stain remains!

Be sure and subscribe to Kathy’s List for a chance to win one of Madame Paulette’s famous stain removal travel kits.

There was a kinder, older gentleman at the Hoboken Street Fair who somehow reminded me of the Famous Amos cookie man. He was selling his self proclaimed “2005 Veal Oscar Award Winning” Jerk Sauce and BBQ Hot Sauce. I can tell you this: while I stood there listening to a great story he ws telling me about a life experience, we were interrupted at least twice by people coming to buy. Apparently he’s know around Hoboken because neither person had many question; just wanted to pick up a bottle like it was an old favorite.

I’m a die hard fan of spicy and love Jerk chicken so I grabbed a 16oz bottle to give it a try. Grandpa Eddie, as his flyer touts, is out of Somerset, NJ and you can check him and his sauces out at www.grandpaeddiesauce.com. Please tell him you discoverd him on KathyDowDiscovers! (I did hear him say his Jerk sauce is so good you can eat it right out of the jar; not as spicy as another “famous” brand we buy in the grocery store).