Shopper Blog: 'Bunny' has cookies down to a science − and a secret recipe
POWELL
'Bunny' has cookies down to a science − and a secret recipe
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Whether it’s a wedding or a 5-year-old’s birthday party, Jayma Jeffers-Branam is going to fret over the quality of her work.
It’s just what she does.
What the 1986 Powell High School graduate does is juggle a full-time job with her passion for baking and decorating cookies that will knock the socks off her clients.
“I feel angst for every order,” said Jeffers-Branam. “Wedding designs may be more intricate, but I want all my clients to be happy. Time is short. All the events are important to the people who are celebrating them.”
An administrator for a direct autism therapy office in Knoxville by day, Jeffers-Branam spends her nights and weekends filling orders for her BunnyCakes & Cookies business that she has run for the last five years.
“Some people come home and watch TV for an outlet,” she said. “I’ve always loved baking and loved arts and crafts. I’ve been able to combine the two. That’s how I relax.”
Don't touch the dough
Jeffers-Branam said cookiers, as they call themselves, don’t sleep. The cookie-making and decorating process is something that can’t be interrupted. Organizational skills are imperative.
She said the order starts when she discusses the client’s vision for what the cookies should look like. From there, she will scour social media to find the proper cookie cutters.
“If I can’t find what I’m looking for, there are people with 3D printers that can come up with anything,” she said. “It’s easier than if I tried to make them.”
Once everything gets final approval from the client, the baking schedule − which usually covers three days − begins.
Jeffers-Branam has her own secret recipe for the cookies. She keeps her specific flour and flavorings to herself. Also, how many times the dough is touched during the process will impact the consistency and texture of the dough.
“I try not to touch it at all,” she said. “I roll it out through layers of parchment. I love the science of baking.”
Once the cookies are cooled and dried a bit, she uses royal icing − made from meringue powder and powdered sugar. It forms a sturdy coating.
Cupcakes & cookies − no cakes
A cookie decorating video that Jeffers-Branam saw five years ago was the inspiration that launched her into this venture.
“I started doing it just for fun,” she said. “I never dreamed it’d be a business. I’m fortunate to have met a lot of great people in the last five years.”
BunnyCakes & Cookies pays homage to the nickname “Bunny” Jeffers-Branam has from her grandchildren. The “Cakes” part of it refers to the cupcakes, which were trendier five years ago. If she’s asked to bake a regular cake, she will politely defer to others.
“I don’t like to bake cakes,” she said. “There are so many others who do it so much better than me, I’ll pass on it.”
She has had her hands full with the cookies.
“I never dreamed that baking cookies would involve so much time and practice,” Jeffers-Branam said. “Having been self-taught, there is a lot of thought involved.”
To contact Jeffers-Branam, go to BunnyCakes & Cookies on social media, or www.bunnycakesandcookies.com.
FARRAGUT
Local veterinarian hikes all the Smokies
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
For Ashley Walker, 40, a veterinarian who lives just outside Karns, hiking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is a challenge she just can’t resist.
Walker has completed every finished trail in the GSMNP and was welcomed into the 900 Miler Club. That’s actually about 1,200 miles. There were times when Walker had to hike extra miles just to reach a new trail.
She joins about 820 others who have completed 900 miles or more by hiking every trail in the GSMNP.
Walker began her journey years ago when a friend said the 900 Miler Club is unattainable.
“My friend said I couldn’t do it, so of course I had to do it,” said Walker.
It wasn’t easy for Walker. She had to endure long solo hikes over rough terrain. She completed each trail, save one, in day hikes; but she completed in winter, when most people reach 900 Miler Club standards during spring and summer.
Walker set a goal to join the 900 Miler Club before her 40th birthday on Feb. 27, 2024. She finished Feb. 17.
Walker said she began hiking with her dad as a kid and hiked during high school having joined the Outdoor Club.
She didn’t get to hike much during veterinary school at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville but recommitted after having her two boys.
“Hiking brings me peace,” she said. “Being out in nature quiets my soul, and I’ve met some really wonderful friends on the trails.
“I started doing solo hikes in 2021 and I met three ladies on the trail. We met at a campsite on Porters Creek Trail and just hit it off. They had completed their 900 Miler map, so they hiked with me and helped me get all the trails done.
“They also helped arrange shuttles. It’s a big-time commitment to having to drop cars off two hours away in North Carolina for some of these trails. It’s all about logistics and it’s a big-time commitment, so special thanks goes to Britney Beasley, Tammy Brown, and Becs McLaws.”
Getting time to hike is her biggest challenge, she said. Her life as a mother to two small boys and as a full-time traveling veterinarian is a very stressful. Getting time away to hike can be a real challenge.
Walker said her favorite trail is Sugarland Mountain Trail near the Chimney Tops. “It’s got a nice ridge walk on top with great views. You start out in the hardwoods, then you get to the alpine area with rocky outcrop, then back into the woods. It’s really very stunning.”
Walker’s short-term goal is to help other aspiring 900 Miler Club hikers complete their map while training for the Tour De LeConte challenge this year. She has to summit all five trails leading up to Mount LeConte in 24 hours, hiking about 45 miles.
Her long-term goal is to complete a South Beyond 6,000 Challenge, which is summiting all the mountains in the Southern Appalachians above 6,000 feet elevation.
Info: https://www.smhclub.org/900-Miler-Club.
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HALLS
Stained glass shop spreads the joy of lasting beauty
Al Lesar, Shopper News
It might have taken a pandemic for folks to realize that working in the medium of stained glass can be a rewarding experience.
“It’s not a dying art, like some people think,” said Gracie Jones, owner (with her husband, Don) of Fountain City Stained Glass (1324 Buchanan Ave.). “It’s coming back strong. People want to learn to make something that is beautiful.
“When the colors reflect the sunlight and it shines down into your house, you can really appreciate the beauty.”
When the pandemic first hit, Jones designated Fountain City Stained Glass an essential business. While she was open, she was constantly supplying people with everything they needed to work with the craft.
“People needed an outlet,” Jones said. “When they needed tools or materials, I would leave them on the porch and they’d be picked up.
“That really was the busiest time we’ve had (in the nine years they have owned the shop),” Jones said. “To this day, that busy period hasn’t slowed down.”
A warm atmosphere
Jones, a crafty person most of her life, took her first stained glass class in Clinton in 2006.
“It was a God-led thing,” Jones said.
Over time, she got to know Vicki Jarmon. Jones got to the point where she was working in the store.
“If you knew Vicki, she was your best friend,” Jones said.
She finally began working for Jarmon. Vicki died in 2013. By 2015, Jones and her husband bought the store from Vicki’s son.
“Our goal has been to run the store with the same warmth and atmosphere that Vicki had done over the years,” Jones said.
Besides having a wide variety of stained glass options on hand, Jones said classes are available to share the craft with anyone who is interested.
“If you like to put together a puzzle, you would like to work with stained glass,” Jones said. “It’s really not that difficult. You just have to want to stay with it.”
People love to create
Jones said beginner classes − capped at about five students − usually run two hours a session for five weeks.
“By the end of those five weeks, you will have built and completed an 8 x 10 piece,” Jones said. “There are (templates for about) 30 possibilities you could create, so it’s not like everyone will be working on the same piece.
“Once you get through the class, you should be ready to go home and build one yourself.”
Precise cutting is the primary problem that stained glass rookies have to deal with.
Jones and Chantel Denman, as well as Libby, the store dog, are there for the classes to help get the best result possible.
“People love to create,” Jones said. “It warms my heart when someone makes something beautiful that will be passed on within their family for years.
“It’s such a stress reliever. How rewarding and how humbling it is when people are able to create something beautiful.”
In coming months, Jones is hoping to have one- or two-day classes for those advanced in stained glass.
For more information, go to: www.knoxvillestainedglass.com.
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Groups organize to spruce up public school grounds
Jack Coker, Shopper News
On April 6, more than 30 volunteers joined forces to kickstart a program at Beaumont Magnet Academy. Keep Knoxville Beautiful (KKB) launched an initiative, SchoolScapes, aimed at enhancing the landscapes of public schools throughout Knox County.
SchoolScapes aims to transform school environments into vibrant, welcoming spaces that foster a sense of pride and community ownership. By partnering with schools, volunteers and local organizations, KKB seeks to create beautiful outdoor spaces that inspire learning, play, and environmental stewardship.
Jessica Rodocker, KKB director of Partnerships and Special Projects, said “This is a program I dreamed up years ago. So many of these schools have all these busted up landscapes. Traveling around I’ve noticed that this is a need. Knox County Schools don’t have a budget for anything like this.”
The kickoff event at Beaumont Magnet Academy saw an impressive turnout, with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds coming together to lend their time, expertise and hard work to the cause. Tasks ranged from pulling weeds to planting shrubs to mulching and watering, all with the goal of revitalizing the school's outdoor landscape.
KKB partnered with the school’s PTO and with the Community Schools program with the United Way, which helps area schools partner with outside agencies and nonprofits to bring resources into the school.
Beaumont principal Cindy Sanford shared her excitement about the SchoolScapes program, saying, "It is a fresh start and makes the outside of our school look cleaner and beautiful! The fact that volunteers, who were both connected to our school and have no ties to our school, all came out and wanted to make our building beautiful makes my heart happy. And I know it impacts our students' pride in their school."
Rodocker emphasized the broader community impact of SchoolScapes, saying, "SchoolScapes hopes to bring people together to beautify public school landscapes not only for the benefit of the students, school staff, and parents, but for the entire community. This is our first SchoolScapes project, but we hope to work with lots more schools to complete many more of these throughout Knox County."
The success of the SchoolScapes kickoff at Beaumont Magnet Academy serves as a testament to the power of community collaboration and grassroots efforts in creating positive change.
KKB is in need of volunteers from community members, businesses, and organizations, and especially financial donations. The beautification efforts at Beaumont alone cost $2,500 for plants and other supplies.
The next SchoolScapes Project will be held at Belle Morris Elementary, named after beloved education pioneer Belle Karns Morris, who died while preparing flowers to be planted at her namesake school.
To sign up for or donate to the SchoolScapes project, visit keepknoxvillebeautiful.org.
POWELL
Certified practitioner treats hair loss, other issues
Al Lesar, Shopper News
This time, the “Fulton Flunkie” isn’t about to fail.
While Kelly Smith was attending Fulton High School, life’s circumstances got in the way. Her parents had divorced when she was young. During her junior year, there came a need for her to be at home. She was forced to leave school.
“I’d see this girl I went to school with every so often,” Smith said. “Whenever I saw her, she would call me the ‘Fulton Flunkie.’ She thought it was funny. It really did sting, but I never told her. She didn’t know my story. I was never one to hold grudges. I just prayed about it.”
Smith was involved in cosmetology during high school. As she was out on her own, while a single mother, she turned to cutting hair while earning her GED in 2002.
Focus on scalp health
About 25 years ago, when Smith was 21, she found out she had psoriasis on her scalp. The condition in which skin cells build up and form scales and itchy, dry patches confounded Smith. Here she was, a professional who worked on hair, who was reluctant to have her own scalp examined because of the way it appeared.
“Going through that made me think that there are others going through the same thing,” Smith said. “Between that and hair loss, there are so many things going on with the scalp. Nobody really is focusing on scalp health.”
That’s why, four years ago, Smith took the proper accreditation courses and continues to update her education while owning Salon Ceallach (113 E. Emory Road) in Powell.
Smith said she is certified by the U.S. Trichology Institute as well as the American Medical Association for scalp health.
She said it is a relatively new field and there are few head spas. Smith said she has had clients come from New York, Florida, Alabama and other long distances for her services.
“The head spa originated in Japan,” she said. “I wanted to put my own twist on it.”
Battling hair loss
When Smith does a treatment, it’s a very private session. There is a second chair in case clients want to come in a tandem, but there won’t be any strangers having treatments at the same time.
Besides her personal experience with psoriasis, Smith also faced hair loss when she experienced a reaction from a new chemical she was trying.
“I try everything before I use it on a client,” she said.
Smith said all her treatments for hair loss for men and women and other scalp conditions are topical, but she doesn’t underestimate the role nutrition plays in the restoration process.
“I’m a certified hair loss practitioner,” Smith said. “I take a more natural approach. I study the condition of the scalp and figure what can be done.”
She is continually looking for new and effective ways to help her clients.
“I remember those words ‘Fulton Flunkie’ and I use them for motivation,” said Smith, who added that the girl who coined that phrase is now a client. “It keeps me working so that I’ll never fail at anything again.”
Salon Ceallach is open Mondays by appointment only, Tuesdays through Fridays 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and Saturdays 8-4. For an appointment, text the information to: 865-385-5957.
OPINION
Everyone needs a guardrail friend
Leslie Snow, Shopper News
There’s a pattern in my friendship with Cheri, a recurring cycle that we both acknowledge. She calls me on the phone to invite me to an event, and I politely decline. That’s our pattern.
Occasionally, when she gets back from a gallery opening or a downtown matinee, I regret declining. I chastise myself for being too comfortable in my own backyard and remind myself I need to be more open to new things. But that’s the exception. Most days, I’m glad I decided to stay home.
But while Cheri happily bounces from breweries to concert halls, every once in a while, she lands on a dud. And on those days, when she tries something new that turns out to be terrible, she turns to me and says, “You’re so wise. How did you know it would be so awful?”
And I always reply, “Because it sounded awful when you asked me if I wanted to go. That’s why I said ‘no.’”
Then we both laugh.
We understand the different roles we play in each other’s lives. She is lighthearted, when I’m cynical. She is flighty when I’m serious. She’s open when I’m closed. And when it comes to attending a Monday night panel discussion on ancient religious philosophies, she’s the blind optimist and I’m her wise seer. I know when to say, “No, thank you.” I know Monday night is made for wearing comfy clothes and recovering from the start of the workweek, even if Cheri doesn’t.
I’m her guardrail friend. I’m the one she turns to when she knows she should say “no” to some off-the-wall adventure she’s scheming up. But until now, I’ve never had a guardrail friend myself. I’ve never had a wise Yoda in my life who scowls when I say, “I’m thinking about getting a puppy.”
But now I have Rena. She rolls her eyes at every bad idea I throw out. With her lips pursed and her eyebrows arched, she tells me what I really need to hear: “You have enough on your plate. I feel certain you will come to regret that decision later on.”
And after I get that knowing look, after I hear the sarcastic but loving edge in her voice, I relent. Because I know she’s right. Now is not the time to volunteer at an animal shelter. I don’t need to try my hand at landscaping or paint my office. It’s not the right time for taking on big projects. I just need to be. I need to let the dust of my busy life settle around me.
It’s good to have a friend like Rena. I hear her voice in my head when I feel the urge to become a Great Dane breeder or to host a big family reunion. I picture her arched brows when I consider taking a carpentry class or trying to repair my garage door by myself. Now, when those ideas pop into my head, I think, “W.W.R.D.” or “What would Rena do?”
And most of the time the answer is a deafening, “What’s wrong with you? Say no for God’s sake.” So that’s what I do.
I never expected I would need someone else’s words or wisdom to help me say “no.” That was always my job. I was the wise oracle. I played the part of Yoda, reminding Cheri “Miserable you will be at the lecture Monday night.” But now I have a Yoda of my own, one with a sharp tongue and sassy southern accent. And it turns out, she’s just what I needed.
Leslie Snow may be reached at snow column@aol.com
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