Welcome To Summer!
July 2023 Newsletter | Volume 3 Issue 7
AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP
Yes...There ARE Still Good/Kind People In This World
More than three years ago, in June of 2020 when Sheer Ambrosia was interviewed for the first time on National Public Radio‘s show Marketplace, that same day, I received a telephone call from a gentleman in California named Steve Crandall. He had heard my story on Marketplace and was so touched, he wanted to place an order. Steve was older and didn’t want to order online from my website, he wanted to place it over the telephone with me. I was swamped that day with orders, but there was something about this man that made me stop, take a breath and have a real meaningful conversation. It was such a refreshing talk that day. We discussed politics, religion, current affairs, the ways of the world…all the stuff polite people aren’t supposed to talk about with strangers. We ended up conversing for a couple of hours and Steve and I became instant but unlikely friends who spoke often. When something crazy happened in the world, I would call him or vice versa.
Steve was also one of my most devoted customers. He would look for opportunities to support my business. Once he had to have his entire plumbing system in his home redone and he bought baklava for all of the workers. He would buy baklava for himself, his neighbors and friends during the Christian holidays and also during some Persian holidays because back in the 1970s he and his wife lived in Iran and he still had Iranian friends he wanted to dote on. He was incredibly generous with those in his circle. He insisted that I keep his credit card on file so that he could order baklava at a whim, for whomever and not have to drag out the card. One time I received a pair of snuggly socks in the mail, and I was perplexed as to why someone would send me a pair of socks until I read the card which was from Steve and he said that my baklava was so good, it knocked his socks off! What a cool guy!! He single-handedly kept my moral up! He was always laughing. He was always in a good mood. He loved telling jokes and when I would banter back with him, he would always laugh at my jokes. He once told me that he adored me!
My father died back in 2016 and I miss him dearly. In 2020, Steve showed up to warm my dad's place in my heart…best substitute dad a girl could ever wish for. Steve would email me articles that he thought were important for me to read. While I was making baklava for hours on end, he would call and we would talk about everything. He told me about his childhood and his Ukrainian ancestry. He told me the story of how both of his parents’ families made their way to the United States from the Ukraine via Brazil and Canada. He has a brother that lives in New York who plays the bass. I can still hear his wife Sue’s voice in the background as we talked. She knew about me and didn’t mind her husband having a friendship with the baklava girl.
I might have the timeline a little off, but I want to say four or five months ago I called to check up on him, a usual weekly/biweekly call and he was in the hospital. He had fallen and broken his hip. He was in the hospital for a long time, and then he ended up going to, not one, but two different convalescent homes to help him recover. He was flat on his back for months, but that didn't stop him from still laughing, and joking every time we talked. What a positive and joyful spirit! He purchased a baklava cake for the nursing staff at the hospital, and he purchased baklava for the staff at the rehabilitation home where he was recovering. He was constantly thinking of how he could support me and how he could show gratitude to the people that were helping him regain his health.
Two weeks ago I called to check on him and he told me that the MRSA bacteria had gotten into his hip and he was going to have to have another surgery to re-open the wound to clean out the infection. I was more worried about that than he was, although I did detect a small sense of sadness in his voice when he was telling me about it…something I had never heard. He had made so many strides, and had even taken a trip back to the East Coast to celebrate his wife's birthday with family and friends after he came home from the hospital. We were both shocked and surprised that he was back in there and going to have to redo all of the rehabilitation. Not last Thursday, but the Thursday before, he had that surgery to deal with the MRSA bacteria infection and unfortunately he died this past Monday, July 3rd.
Steve Crandall was by far the best customer friend I have ever had in my 14.5 years in business. When I received a text message from his daughter a few hours after his death from his phone, my heart broke.
I never met Steve in person and I didn’t know what he looked like until last Monday when Lydia (his daughter) texted me a photo of him. But his voice is etched in my mind and his contagious giggle I will never forget. Steve was a man of the world, a global citizen who had empathy and compassion for people. He was passionate about current events and he loved to make people laugh. He had so many friends. He was 80 years old but he still loved to learn. On New Year’s Eve he told me that he was using his retirement as his time to study up on all the things he ever wanted that he didn’t have time to research during his busy career as an attorney. He had two children, a son and a daughter and a lovely wife named Sue. Steve Crandall, thank you for your friendship. May you rest in peace my dear friend. I am grateful to have gotten the absolute pleasure to know you. I hope to see you again one day.
Peace, Love, and Baklava Forever,
Rita Magalde
P.S. Steve, we talked about you coming to my ribbon cutting when I open my commercial kitchen in a few months. You said that you were going to come. Now I know for sure that you’ll be there.
Sheer Ambrosia Makes Its Debut At The Ogden's Farmers Market
As many of you know, I have wanted to go to Greece for a very long time and I was planning my trip for this summer. However, earlier in the year, I decided that I really wanted to do all I could to take my business to the next level…more about that later. I knew that if I were to do that, I would need to make as much money as humanly possible and I would need to spread the word, near and far that Sheer Ambrosia is here and we’ve got some amazing baklava!
I decided to forgo my plans to travel this summer and every Saturday head one hour north to the Farmers Market in Ogden, Utah. It’s a HUGE market and I was told by a new friend who’s been selling there for the past few years that I could make excellent money there with my baklava.
Of course, I wanted to make my debut in style, professionalism is an absolute must for Sheer Ambrosia, so I hired the best tent maker in Utah, Lee Brasher from Wasatch Prints. Lee’s son Josh and I sat down together and designed a beautiful tent with all the extras and the rest is history!
My team and I have been at it for 7 weeks now and it’s been GREAT for business! We are getting the word out and making wonderful sales. The first weekend, there were over 20,000 people in attendance and we ran out of samples. Since then, we have been preparing and handing out 960 samples every Saturday. This past weekend we SOLD OUT completely for the second time! The summer market goes until the second Saturday in September for a total of 16 weeks. I’m so happy that I decided to do this. Greece has been on my bucket list for a long time, it can wait one more year.
Latest Review: Jolene L. Has A Lot To Say About Sheer Ambrosia
5 STAR REVIEW *****
This past Saturday, I was driving home from the Farmers Market and I received a phone call from a gal wanting to know if I had any baklava for sale. I did, so I told her to meet me at my house in about an hour. We had a wonderful conversation and I gave her the baklava she wanted, expertly wrapped. The next day, Sunday, she sent me a link to this Yelp Review...
I was on the hunt for GOOD baklava. Having tried a few different places in Utah, my search was over when I found Sheer Ambrosia!
According to Yelp's list of "Best Baklava" in SLC, this place is on the list and truly is number ONE!
Don't let the address or hours fool you, just call. Rita is quick to respond 🙂
While her website encourages you to order online and she ships these delicious treats worldwide, it is VERY possible to pick up a fresh batch the same day, just call. You might even find her at the Ogden Farmers Market on Saturdays.
Her traditional honey walnut baklava is out of this world delicious! From the first bite, you know it was baked fresh because the layers of crisp phyllo make a pleasant "crunch" sound when you sink your teeth into it.
With your second bite, you immediately taste REAL honey. With your third bite, you feel the chopped walnuts and that texture is authentic. With your fourth bite, you'll finish with delicate notes of lemon, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Perfection!
But I did have to eat four delicious pieces to write this accurate description 😉
From her website, I learned that in her childhood, Rita grew up with fresh apples and berries which her grandma and mom both baked into pies. It's with that same love of fresh fruit that Rita creates incredible fruit and nut combinations into her fresh, made to order baklava.
With peach season in Utah, best believe we will be ordering that from Rita next!
I am honored to support this minority owned business for three main reasons:
1. Rita's baklava is perfect in taste and texture!
2. Rita's customer service is fast, friendly, and enjoyable!
3. Rita's journey, to get where she is today is so profound. AND she's an encouragement to others experiencing tough learning lessons in life.
A true blessing to have met Rita and tasted her delicious baklava!!
--Jolene L. YELP REVIEW
Sheer Ambrosia is Moving Into a Commercial Space!
After the dust settled and Christmas was a wrap, I had to have an honest conversation with myself…if I want to grow my business once and for all, I’m going to have to stop playing small. If I really want to double my revenue (at least) and grow Sheer Ambrosia’s reach, I’m going to have to stop being afraid. I am going to have to take more calculated risks. Up until this point in my life I can’t say I have never been afraid to take risks, but I can say I’ve never allowed that fear to stop me. Post-Covid however, I must say I have changed a little. For the past few years, I’ve been playing the wait and see game, working comfortably from home. Well, being complacent is not going to help me achieve my dreams…it’s time for me to face my future with a positive spirit. My kids are older and living on their own now, I have no reason not to move towards my goal to share my baklava with the world.
I’m tired of going to networking events and seeing the look in people’s eyes after they ask me where my bakery is located and when I say my home, they look at me as if I have a hobby and I’m pretending to be an entrepreneur. And Lord knows I’m equally exhausted with not being able to take FULL advantage of opportunities because some players in the industry will not work with home-based bakeries. The time has come!
We started looking for a commercial location in April. My trusted friend and realtor, Heidi Anderson, ended up finding it close to downtown Salt Lake, and the architectural plans are in with the City of Salt Lake now waiting for approval. The shop will be 95% commercial kitchen with a small space for will-call. We will have plenty of space to make our magic and grow our influence! I am so excited! I will keep you all in the loop with updates and pictures. Thank you for helping me (with your orders and support) make all of this possible. The future is BRIGHT for Sheer Ambrosia!
For a long time, work and kids were my life and I didn’t have a hobby. That changed when I turned 33 years old and my beautiful Columbian friend Gloria invited me to an Argentine tango dance. I was excited because I had seen a movie called THE TANGO LESSON years ago while on bed rest during my first pregnancy. I never forgot the movie because the dancing was the most magical thing I had ever seen. So, one Saturday night, I got dressed and went with Gloria to my first milonga (a tango dance event).
I was doe-eyed and overwhelmed with excitement, not just for the dancing but the music as well. I will never forget the night…it was October 21, 2006…the night I fell
in love with Mr. Tango. Within two months I was on a plane to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 10 days; and for the two years that followed I visited again and again to master the craft. I found my hobby! That was years ago, and while I do not dance as much as I would like to now, when I need an escape I head right to the amazing community of tango dancers that I know and love.
So, find something you enjoy doing just for you. It doesn’t need to cost a lot of money, but it does need to be something you are passionate about.
—Peace, Love, & Baklava Forever,
Rita
“Back in June, Rita Magalde of Draper, Utah, was shocked when her business’s Instagram suddenly started gaining dozens of followers. As people were protesting racial injustice across the country, many were also mobilizing to support Black-owned businesses. Magalde’s bakery Sheer Ambrosia, which specializes in baklava, was included in a list of Black-owned businesses in Utah.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Magalde went into “panic mode” as restaurants cancelled their orders and business dried up. She even got another job to make ends meet…”
Read or listen to the whole story HERE.
Our minds are like magic! Whatever you tell it becomes reality! Don’t believe me? Think back in your life when you told yourself that you excelled at something. I bet you WERE good at it! Whatever you think and say out loud is kind of like asking the genie in the bottle for a wish. Whatever you ask, he/she makes it so. I learned this powerful lesson during the years after my divorce. I used to tell anyone that would listen to me how I was the victim of my unfortunate divorce. Unfortunately, this thinking and behavior took away my physical and emotional power, not to mention it stifled any chance at happiness. Every time I told that story, I could physically feel my power escape from my body.
I finally got tired of that victimhood mentality, and I started to believe and tell myself a different story. I started to take back my power, and I had to do that in my mind first. I started to tell myself a different narrative, and when I did my life started to change for the better. My self-esteem came back with a vengeance. I reestablished my membership at the gym and made one positive life change after another.
One of my favorite scholars on the power of the mind is a man by the name of Earl Nightingale. He is a master teacher of this concept. Whenever I start to feel down for whatever reason, I reopen the YouTube videos that others have posted of Earl Nightingale. My favorite recording of his is called THE STRANGEST SECRET. It is worth a listen. There is not a week that goes by that I don’t listen to this man’s talks. He is a genius, and he re-energizes me. I promise you, when you are done listening, you will feel like you can conquer the world.
So, cultivate a positive mindset. As Mr. Nightingale so wisely admonishes, our minds are like a farmer’s field: Whatever you plant in it will surely grow. You can plant corn (positive thinking) or you can plant nightshade (a deadly poison/negativity)…it’s all up to you!
—Peace, Love, & Baklava Forever,
Rita
As most of you already know, I grew up in a small town in North Carolina called Statesville. It was a bit idyllic and way off the beaten path. Our modest home stood at the perimeter of the woods, down what was then a dirt road surrounded by large, oak trees with our more than an acre yard. Every autumn my sisters and I could count on a few things happening: 1) having to haul wood from trees my dad cut down in the forest for fire wood for the winter, 2) having to shuck large bushels of corn that my dad would either harvest from our garden or buy so my mom could can them, 3) weekends raking an endless amount of leaves that fell from all of those trees, and 4) going apple picking way up in the Harmony/Union Grove area.
We didn’t have a lot of extra money, so these outings counted as entertainment for us kids. We would pick strawberries in the spring, blackberries in the summer, and apples in the fall. The apples were my favorite because fall has forever been my number one, most loved season. After an extremely hot, muggy summer, the crisp, cool autumn air was a huge welcomed relief. The days were shorter and the afternoon sun always left us in the dark while we paid for what we picked. There were the usual red gala apples, the green granny smith and a few other varieties that I don’t recall; but my favorites back then were the golden delicious. The flesh was always so firm, juicy, and oh so sweet like candy. I’d be hard pressed to find apples that tasted as good as those apples these days. I loved going apple picking.
Fast-forward to what seems like a lifetime ago from those childhood memories, to when I first started sharing my baklava treats with my friends here in Utah. At first, I only had one flavor—my Traditional Honey Walnut. People would always ask me if there were apples in it. “No,” I would say, “but why do you ask?” always very curious why so many different folks thought they tasted apples. “Because it tastes like apple pie,” they would say.
It took me a few years (I can be a slow learner J), but finally I started to experiment with my original recipe by adding apples. It was a great idea! I can’t think of a better way to start the fall/holiday season, than with a box of Sheer Ambrosia Bakery Apple Pie Walnut baklava. You have all the decadent pleasure that comes with baklava: the flaky, buttery layers of fillo, the crunchy spice-infused nuts, and the sweetness of real honey. But you also have the true taste of fall apples!
And if it’s not too sweet for you, drizzle a bit of caramel on top…OOH LA LA! Thank you for your business and enjoy your baklava this month!
—Peace, Love, & Baklava Forever,
Rita
The first few years after my divorce, I was focused on all the things that I didn’t have—a husband, a second income, the father of my children in the house sharing responsibilities, etc. While it is normal to grieve after a loss, it wasn’t healthy for me to ruminate in my grief.
Gradually, however, I started to evolve and change. I knew I had to make adjustments, and I desperately wanted to be happy. So, I went to the drugstore, bought a big neon yellow posterboard, and I made a list of the Top 10 Things I Am Grateful For:
1) I am healthy.
2) My two children are healthy.
3) I live in picturesque, beautiful mountain country.
4) I have a family that loves me although they are far away.
5) I have friends who care deeply for me.
6) I was born in a country that allows women to have opportunities.
7) I have a successful business.
8) I know God loves me.
9) I have an education.
10) Nothing stays the same…time heals all wounds.
I hung the poster in my bathroom, and I read through all 10 statements every day. Gradually, my attitude started to change. It wasn’t magic; I didn’t instantly become this super content person overnight, but that poster marked the beginning of a new way of thinking for me. I realized that yes, there was much that I didn’t have, important things, but there was more that I DID have. Just having my physical health alone was a huge blessing and that was just the beginning. I made it a point to start focusing more on what I did have and cultivated a gratitude mentality. It’s amazing how that one tweak can move mountains.
So, focus on what you DO have instead of what you are lacking, and be grateful for those blessings and see what amazing things start to happen for you. The Universe is alive and well and just as a parent feels the overwhelming urge to want to give their child more when they show gratitude and appreciation for the gifts they have been already given, so too will The Universe act in accordance for YOU.
—Peace, Love, & Baklava Forever,
Rita