Kacie "KC/DC" Mahlmann
It's funny how something as silly as pan of cinnamon rolls can offer a complete moment of clarity & change your life.
Atleast that's what happened to me.
I guess I should back up a bit, my name is Kacie and I am the owner/baker/artist of Gidget & Grace. I am an artist at heart, and have co-owned my own boutique-gallery for 11 years, and also operated and taught art classes for 2 years in my own studio. I have always had a love of the culinary arts and all things food related, and I have an insatiable sweet tooth which I inherited from my mom & Granny. They were the ones who taught me how to bake; Granny had her tried & true recipes which she followed to a T, whereas my mom baked according to her own tastes and what she had on hand. My style is definitely more like my mom's, I tend to throw in this & that and create my own recipes.
I have always dreamt of one day opening my own little bakery, but there was always something keeping me from doing so, the timing wasn't right, I didn't have the funds, I was too busy with other things, the location wasn't ideal, the possibility of crashing & burning, etc etc. It wasn't until I hit my rock bottom moment in life that I realized that those things didn't really matter. I still don't have the funds 99% of the time, I'm always busy, and I do crash & burn very often, but baking & creating makes me happy and that's what matters.
Back to those cinnamon rolls. November 2016 I had just undergone my third miscarriage. I was told to quit painting. I was put on bed rest for nearly a month. I gained a lot of weight. I cried all the time, and when I wasn't crying I was angry. I wasn't me. I was depressed. I wasn't able to take antidepressants. I just had to get through it somehow.
I remember so clearly one afternoon having this insane craving for homemade cinnamon rolls, and I could not rest until I had them. Not store bought, not from any other bakery, I didn't even want my mom or Granny to make them for me, I wanted my own. I've honestly never been crazy about cinnamon rolls, but this particular day it was a life or death situation for me. I had to have them.
So I made 3 pans of them. Maybe it was the sugar high after eating them, or maybe I inhaled too much cinnamon, whatever it was, I had my light at the end of the tunnel moment and in late January 2017 we transformed half of our boutique gallery into a bakery.
I've never been happier.
I took life's lemons & turned them into lemon cupcakes.
Not even a category 4 hurricane could knock me down again (looking at you Harvey!)
After closing our doors for a brief period to repair, clean up, and wait for electricity, I reopened the bakery on October 20, 2017. Rockport suffered greatly, and we are still recovering and will be for a long time. I realize baked goods are not quite on the 'high priority' list of needs for a devastated community, but I just remember at my lowest point -baking is what brought me joy again, so I hope our products will bring even just a little joy to our town again.
Creating new unique sweets to share with others is my greatest joy. I use the highest quality ingredients I can find, and am always working on new recipes & ideas. Baking & creating makes me happy, and I hope my products make you happy too.
About the name:
Gidget and Grace are two of my rescue dogs. Gidget is a shepherd mix, while Grace is a spunky catahoula mix.
My husband and I adopted Gidget in early 2013 from Rockport-Fulton Humane Society. Poor gal had been living on the streets and then in the shelter for several years. Before we adopted her, she had been going through doggie depression, as her 'best friend' from her life on the streets had been adopted while she had been left behind. Grace was adopted as a puppy in late 2013 from Gulf Coast Humane Society. She had been found on someone's lawn, quickly adopted and quickly returned due to typical puppy chewing & behaviors. How anyone could return this love bug is beyond me. Along with these two, we also have two male dogs Timmy & Marlin, and 4 cats Willie, Rocky, Milo & Blue. If you can't tell, I am a huge animal lover and a big supporter of our local no kill shelters.
I'd like to say thank you to all of my customers, to my community, and to all of my friends & family for always believing in me and supporting all of my wild ideas. It truly means the world to me.
Life's short, let's eat dessert.
