Baking with lots of love: Local bakers gear up for Valentine’s Day

Sara VanFleet and Keillie Siebecker are just two of local bakers gearing up for Valentine’s Day, for which they will be baking up some delicious treats.

Sara VanFleet has worked in food service since she was 15, cooking and baking. Her first boss had previously owned a bakery and taught her lots of tricks. She started her business by making Christmas cookies for friends and family with her mom, Sue.

She started baking from home, but now works at a separate location in LaPlume. The location in LaPlume is not a storefront for walk-ins.

Cakes, cupcakes, sugar cookies, cake pops, cookies, mini desserts, pies, and chocolate-dipped items are things she bakes. She can bake for any occasion, including birthdays, showers, weddings, holidays, graduations, and just because. Cakes are her favorite thing to bake because they are all different. There are new themes and designs, and people come up with fun ideas.

“I love to bake and create interesting things. Honestl,y the best part is making people happy. Most of the time, when people are ordering something from me, it is for a special occasion. If I can add a little bit more happiness to their day, that is the best part for me. I do so many different things, and every order is at least a little bit different. I make all my cakes and cookies from scratch, including frosting, fillings, and most decorations. Quite a bit of time goes into every order with planning, baking, frosting, and decorating a cake,” she said.

“Sara is amazing to work with. I have had her make cakes and cookies for several events, including a sweet 16 and now my wedding. She is very talented and can do anything you ask. I also love that she delivers,” said Kimberely Dietz.

Cindy Grabowski has used VanFleet Sweets for all of life’s occasions, including birthdays, weddings, wedding showers, and retirements. She owns Valley Bowling Lanes in Carbondale and gets bowling-themed cakes for birthday parties at the bowling lane.

“Sara has no limits with what she makes. She is an artist. The cakes are magnificent, and delicious. My son had a birthday party at the Scranton Aquarium, and she made an aquarium cake, and she once made a wine bottle out of a nut roll. She is amazing,” she said.

“It is always exciting to try something new and learn a new technique. The same holds true for sugar cookies. They also can be very personalized, which is awesome. Cookies and spreads for parties or weddings, those orders are always the most exciting at the end especially setting them up and seeing how everything looks arranged together,” said Van Fleet.

To place an order, private message at her Facebook page Vanfleet Sweets, by texting or calling 570-575-0404 or email vfsweets@comcast.net

Pickups are available at the LaPlume location, or orders can be delivered for an extra charge.

Kellie Siebecker was in high school and could not afford Christmas gifts for everyone in her friend group. She decided to bake cupcakes for friends and teachers that year. After the holidays, she received praise for the cupcakes.

“That started my love for baking. A few years later, I enrolled in the Disney College program. Once I moved to Florida, I graduated with my pastry degree and started baking at Walt Disney World. Being at Disney only made my passion grow into something that I knew was the right fit for me.” She is a 2017 graduate from Valencia College in Orlando, Florida, with a degree in Baking and Pastry Management.

She has an extensive background in baking for different companies and groups of people. She can make just about anything. She makes cookies and cakes for birthdays and has also done over 100 weddings and showers. Everything is baked from scratch and served fresh.

“I have bought several cakes from Kellie and her customized royal icing cookies. Her baked goods are not only delicious but works of art. The time and talent that she dedicates to her baking is apparent in all creations. Her baked goods are truly wondrous, and they are not only delicious but beautiful. Kellie’s talent and love of baking shines though all her baked goods,” said Ellen Dempsey.

“My favorite thing about being in the kitchen is the creativity! I love throwing different flavors together to see how they connect, and I love to watch them grow into something unique. In addition to this, I love to see the joy that my desserts bring. Without that level of happiness from other people, I’d never be able to do what I love.”

“I have bought personalized cookies, cakes, pierogies, hot cocoa bombs and buckeyes. She also put together 2 decorate your own Christmas cookie trays this year. Kellie handled my daughter’s 11th birthday party favors and cake and they were amazing. The theme was 11 is a vibe and included peace signs, flowers, smiley faces etc. I would definitely recommend Kellie and already have to other friends. She uses quality ingredients and is beyond talented and super kind. She is my go-to baker for all our special needs,” said Amanda Sewatsky-Frederick,

“The craziest things coming out of the kitchen would be our pierogi. Not many people except to see pierogi from a baker but they are part of childhood. When I worked at Walt Disney World, I’d make so many different desserts. I worked on an African buffet for one year creating different kinds of bread puddings, tarts, macaroons and “Sebra domes.” I have also helped to create color block cakes and homemade Pop-Tarts.”

Dominic Vangarelli enjoys the homemade pierogi and ravioli.

“Let me start with her raviolis. They’re honestly the best I’ve tasted in decades. The meat filling is incredibly delicious, and the pasta texture is outstanding. I never thought I’d find raviolis like the ones my grandmother used to make but Kellie’s are remarkably similar. I’ve bought two kinds of pierogi from Kellie. The fantastic steak-and-cheese and the traditional potato-filled ones. The steak and cheese version is so good that I can’t get enough of them. I’ve shared them with my mom and friends, and everyone is eager to rave about how tasty they are.”

She accepts special orders, and all orders can be placed on her Facebook page, The Busy Mixer, or on Instagram.