Deliciously delightful news from Kelly’s Kitchen for all my foodie friends who have always wondered if that special family recipe could be turned into a money maker…the answer is yes! Ann Kelly, starting to sort through my Mom’s recipe box to see if there’s something there to help me create a tasty new product, that you just can’t live without. The Florida Cottage Food Act became state law on the first of July, and it’s a great opportunity to sell your Grandma’s incredibly good peanut butter cookies, or that amazing cupcake that we here in Tampa Bay would indulge in – diet or no diet!  It’s your chance to start that at-home business you’ve always dreamed of. But how, and where, do you begin? Right here, with Lynn Schultz, Economic Development Director for Hillsborough County BOCC. For more information, please log on to www.hillsboroughcounty.org/sbic and check into the many workshops that are rapidly filling up for small business entrepreneurs! There are a lot of things to take into consideration when starting any new, at home business and you’ll make fewer mistakes when you take advantage of the workshops to have all the information you’ll need. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety can also help – reach them at 1-850-245-5520, and online at www.freshfromflorida.com to get started. I’d love to hear from some of you who are already taking advantage of this opportunity; tell me about your new business at 949comments@coxtampa.com, and we’ll share the news with the rest of Tampa Bay.

And since we all have intense love for ice cream, we're looking for photos of you and the kids enjoying your favorites, and sending along pictures. Next week, we'll choose five to post in Kelly's Kitchen and each will recieve a free half gallon of Blue Bell Ice Cream. And might I say, that new flavor, available for a limited time has to be my first choice. Dessert Trio takes ice cream to a whole new level with vanilla ice cream that is jammed packed with chocolate chip cookie pieces, chuncks of pecan brownies, along with chocolate coated cake pieces, all deliciously wound together with a swirl of rich, chocolate sauce. You can also send those photos directly to me at 949comments@coxtampa.com, or post them on my Facebook page. Thanks for sharing!

Words of Wisdom From Kelly’s Kitchen:  

The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love, for those you are cooking for. Sophia Loren