Minden resident Turia Seiger-Todd named her new cookie business, Grace & Ida's Custom Cookies, after her two grandmothers.
"I feel like both my grandmothers are melded in me," Seiger-Todd said. "One loved to bake, and the other was a business person."
She said both grandmothers were self-employed. Ida, along with her grandfather, ran a deli.
"They were always behind the stove with their hands in dough, making pizza and subs," Seiger-Todd said.
Her other grandmother, Grace, ran a trophy business in California.
"She was a real prominent figure in Long Beach," she said. "She had the first gift shop ever in the Long Beach Airport, and she designed the first Miss Universe pageant trophy."
Seiger-Todd, who operated a small business in the quilting industry for 10 years, said she wanted her new namesake business to be independent of all middle men.
"I didn't want inventory, and I didn't want a middle man to make products for me," she said. "To purchase inventory and try to make it fit can be a killer. It's a constant in and out. I've learned from that. I want my business based on consumables, something people really enjoy having and are excited about."
Having baked most of her life, Seiger-Todd took the natural step of specializing in cookies.
"I am in the business of making custom cookies for any occasion," she said, "weddings, birthdays, baby or bridal showers, anniversaries, holidays, etc."
Seiger-Todd uses food coloring to print pictures and designs on edible, wafer-like paper that she then transfers to her cookies.
"I've sold cookies that people won't eat because they think they are too pretty or too cute," she said.
She said the cookies change with the season. For Valentine's Day, she's offering hearts and lips and other romantically-shaped sugar cookies. She's also offering what she calls "cookie jar cookies," snickerdoodle, oatmeal and chocolate chip varieties.
Seiger-Todd leases kitchen space from Minden-based Cookie Girl, but hopes to open a retail store with a business partner in the future.
"My product needs foot traffic," she said. "I'm looking forward to a storefront and people milling around. I plan to have cookie decorating parties available for children and adults alike."
Seiger-Todd said afterValentine's Day, she'll begin baking for St. Patrick's Day.
For more information, visit www.grace-idascookies.com or call 781-8212.
