3 minute read
IKnead Sugar-Jacqueline Ahasteen: Susan Clarke
I KNEAD SUGAR!
Oh My GOODNESS! Everything is sooooo yummy! I Knead Sugar is a bakery and a thriving small business started by Jacqueline Ahasteen and her partner Kevin Rodriguez, thankfully, right here in Gallup. You can get almost anything you want baked for holidays, parties, business meetings, weddings, birthdays, showers, graduations, anniversaries, retirements, sports teams, just any kind of celebration. You can order ahead or drop by to pick up cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, and muffins at the spur of the moment. Coffee, tea, smoothies, juices, and other drinks are also available. In addition, they offer a comfortable place to sit, sip, and enjoy a sweet treat.
Jackie grew up in Window Rock and graduated from Window Rock High in 1994. She acquired a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering and worked in an Information Technology field in Phoenix. One day, the Four Corners called her home. She brought her three children and a husband home and went to work at Tse’hootsooi’ at Ft. Defiance in IT. Her dreams kept whispering to her. She talked to Kevin about her dreams and he said, “I will back you babe 100%.” I Knead Sugar came together. Jackie and Kevin gutted what used to be the old Gurley Locksmith shop, and rebuilt it into a lovely bakery that looks good and smells delicious. it was the siren call that lead to I Knead Sugar.
Baking is an art in itself, so Jackie tries to make every ArtsCrawl. She also tries to incorporate local artists onto her cakes. Artists Leandra Yazzie, Jonathan Curley, and Antoinette Thompson have drawn directly on Jackie’s cakes for presentation. Jackie’s Dad, Jack Ahasteen, free hand drew horses on the birthday cake of an over 90 year old Navajo Hosteen. Jackie also attends other important events like the recent Native American Women’s Summit in Albuquerque.
I Knead Sugar offers classes usually just before holidays. Look for one right before Mother’s Day and right before Father’s Day; Christmas was the Gingerbread House; Easter was an Easter Basket. You can bring your child and build the holiday item with them. Check out the Facebook page: IKNEADSUGAR for posts or Instagram: IKNEADSUGARGALLUP for class times and announcements, or pop into the store for a treat and ask about the class. Look up the beautiful bakery items also at these sites!
There will be a one-year store-opening anniversary between May 19th and May 26th. Keep an eye out for the exact date! All sorts of treats will be offered!
Jackie taught herself to bake from the old Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook-Deluxe Edition. Its back cover is gone and it is obviously a well-used and a well-loved book. She was pregnant with her 24 year old when she began to learn to bake in earnest. Yes, this beloved book is still in use to this day. Everything in I Knead Sugar is baked from scratch and baked with butter. Luckily, for Gallup baking
If you need a Sugar Cookie Bouquet, a multi-tiered cake with matching cupcakes, cupcakes in individual boxes for a special edible thank you, cookies and/or cake and cupcakes for a table sale, instead of grocery store bought items, think of I Knead Sugar at 118 Boardman S. Drive, in Gallup. You can always phone ahead at (505) 488-2447. It will be well worth it!
CLAY FULTZ INSURANCE AGENCY
