Wowwwwwwweee y’all Lent was wild. I was nervous if people would still want pączki like 5 weeks in a row but y’all sold us out before 1 almost every Friday! I have to give a HUGE shout out to my girl @polskalaskapgh for letting me be her pączki provider and for selling them for me. I’m sorry y’all didn’t get to talk to me sleep deprived, I know that’s at least 20% of why you guys come.
ALSO, thank you to @leonasllc ( my favorite ice cream in pgh!!) for hosting another ice cream sammie day!!
I couldn’t ask for better friends in this industry. It’s coming up on a year in Pittsburgh for me and I just feel incredibly lucky to be working with so many amazing women here who welcomed me with open arms into this community. Women are sick, and they rock.
Okay anyways I’m gonna take a little break for a month or so for some family time and some rest time, but I’ll be back soon for YEAR ROUND PĄCZKI!!!!!
2 years of makin pączki for my community, in 2 states, at least 4 different cities, many friends helping along the way. I tried to keep track of how many pop ups I’ve done but gave up, if I have to guesstimate I’d say I’ve made around 10,000 pączki. I’m still learning. I still try to be better each time. I still don’t think I can pull it off and that no one will show up most of the time at the start of each pop up. I hope that feeling goes away one day, but also maybe that’s what keeps me improving? Is imposter syndrome good? Anyways, I have a lot of sentimental things to say but I’ll just say this: I could never have seen myself having any amount of the success I’ve had over the last two years with out the relentless support of my friends staying up all night with me and all the strangers who are somehow willing to line up early, regardless of weather, every single time. The feeling of meeting everyone and hearing how or why getting this specific treat today is meaningful to you truly makes all the work it takes worth it. I know most people wouldn’t believe me but I would (and actually do most of the time) do this for free if I could.
Included in this extra large photo dump are pictures of our very first pop up in Austin at @fleetcoffeeco where we somehow sold out of 300 pączki in under 2 hours despite no one knowing about us and most people not even knowing what a “pączek” was. After the first one, we used the pop ups to help us organize for mutual aids. Most of us would work all day at our full time jobs and stay up all night baking, sell out in the morning by 11am and then go back to work, for absolutely no money for ourselves, but it always felt worth it. The only thing that’s changed today besides being in a completely different state is that now I bake alone. I know it sounds kinda sad but I still feel like it’s worth it, just maybe less fun without having delusional convos with friends at 3 am.
Last few pics are from this Fat Tuesday at @polskalaskapgh and the money we were able to raise for immigrant rights. Fuck ICE and free Palestine forever.
Ok see ya at the next one ❤️
Hiiiii Pittsburgh!
Are you ready for Pączki day!? I am NOT but I plan to be! Im gonna try to make this short and sweet since I’ve been getting a lot of questions in my DMs about where you can find me for the next few months during lent.
First of all, FAT TUESDAY (2/17) is not only considered official pączki day but also… ITS MY 2nd BIRTHDAY OF CUSTARD PRISON!! I started this thing with my best friends in Austin in February of 2024 while I was recovering from a craniotomy and trying to ease my way back into working (by doing 24 shifts lmao) and time has flown by. Let’s celebrate togetherness and sweetness!!
Here’s the deets:
Tuesday Feb 17th I’ll be at @polskalaskapgh and starting at 9am I’ll be selling as many pączki as I can possibly make for first come first serve. Limit of 6 per person! Venmo or cash only, and just like last time I’ll be donating $1 per pączek to @casasanjosepgh plus I’ll have a jar if you’d like to donate more!
Thennnnn…. @polskalaskapgh will be getting a limited amount every Friday of lent starting on the 27th of February! Trying to make my treats a little more accessible, but I am simply one person with two jobs (not including this one) and limited space.
Things are really bad in the world but it feels good to be around community and do what we can to keep it all together. Fuck ICE. Free Palestine. Be a good person and neighbor or you DON’T GET A TREAT. Bye Love you guys, I can’t wait to hang out!!
Ok here’s the deal: we are open early celebrating Ice Cream For Breakfast Day. We are collaborating with @custardprison with insane paczki both in the ice cream and for the ice cream to go into! Here some of the options…but choose your own adventure 😘
⭐️ MYO ice cream sandwich: any scoop + paczki +topping (limited amount)
⭐️ Scoop of any flavor you want including our two featured flavors:
-Paczki & Strawberry Rosehip Jam
-Maple Syrup & Blueberry Pancakes 🥞
⭐️ All grab and go is available!
📍Leona’s
5119 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
#scoopshop #cones #scoops
#leonasicecream #leonasforeverybelly icecreamsandwish handheldhappiness
local pittsburgh lactosefree
Yallllllll, PITTSBURGH.
I can’t thank you all enough for coming out to get these treats and help me raise some cash for @casasanjosepgh . We raised $320! And HUGE thank you to @polskalaskapgh for letting me take over and run my pretend pączki shop. I can’t wait to do more events like this. If you know of any other organizations that help our community and you’d like to see me work with them, please comment them below or DM me! I seriously feel so much better after being surrounded by people who care and getting to connect with you guys. It was getting pretty dark there doom scrolling alone most days. A good reminder that we’re not helpless and all we need to do is to stick together and gather as much as possible to fight back however we can.
ANYWAYS, I love you, fuck ICE, and see you guys soon ❤️
📸The nice pics by my friend Shijree
Hi
I could probably talk for hours about how fucked things are right now, but I fear that will be boring so instead here’s this:
Fuck ICE
Pop up this Saturday January 17th, 10am at the lovely @polskalaskapgh
$1 per paczki will go to @casasanjosepgh
A tip jar will be there if you want to add more
Venmo or cash only please thank you ok
See you there 💋
@custardprison and Polska Laska at long last! Yes it’s happening—we are having a pązcki pop up on small business Saturday with the fabulous delicious and talented Sarah—aka @custardprison . Think burnt almond torte, wuzetka, and rosehip jelly. Official flavors will be announced eventually. Sarah is an incredible baker hailing from Austin—and now she’s hanging out at PL and giving us a taste of what she’s got. I love using the word litty. And this is going to be LITTY. 11/29 9-11am before Polska Laska opens. If there are any left when we open at 11( I’m thinking no) we will continue to sell them thru service. Next Saturday! 9am! At Polska Laska. It’s Polska Prison!
Hiiiiiii lol
I’m just here to say that I really really miss staying up all night and being so tired I can’t see but also getting to hand y’all Paczki and y’all being like wow that was good food thank you.
I feel like since moving to Pittsburgh, I’ve been really nervous about being accepted. To be actually honest and not joking what I really think is like, what if folks here see my Paczki and don’t think it compares to their memories of them? I moved here partly because of the large polish community, something I’ve never gotten to be around or really grown up with. At the same time, it feels like wayyy more pressure to show someone something they’re more used to and have an expectation for already. I’ve been told to just call them donuts if I’m that nervous, but I do want to believe they are special and they are true Paczki, regardless of my STRONG inferiority complex shouting to me that they’re not because I didn’t get to grow up around them or I’m not Polish enough. I don’t have my team here or a support system yet, so it’s been tough to start back up again with all this in my head.
The good news is, I will get over my fear of yinzers coming at me with pitchforks and torches and I WILL make Paczki again whether they like it or not. Also, not just for Fat Tuesday either, WHENEVER THE hell I WANT. They’ll also have to deal with me donating their money to a free Palestine and other mutual aids, as usual.
There are two wolves inside of me, one will cry if someone talks shit about me and the other will tell you to eat my ass (and maybe I’ll cry later)
Anywayysssss Ok love you bye for now
Some piccys from our final Austin pop up by @tybeethompson ❤️
I can’t thank you all enough for coming out and showing up for me like you did. I’ve literally never seen a line like that for anything in my life, and I cant believe it was for us. For these little donuts. I miss each one of you so much already, but I can’t wait to meet everyone in Pittsburgh once I settle in and can get my shit together enough to do a pop up here. Moving sucks and is hard, I don’t know if y’all knew that.
Anyways, I just wanted to check in and say hi and I’m still going to be here doing stuff and things and that I love ya ok bye 👋
🍩Austin’s paczki queen @custardprison is rollin’ out one last round before moving to Pittsburgh and we’re all very emotional about it! 💔
This Saturday @ 10AM @fleetcoffeeco x @thelonggoodbyeatx on Manor Rd, Sarah pops up one last time *for a hot minute* with her iconic paczki drop.
✨Show up early and wish her all the best, the line will be wild, but that’s part of the fun!
(Swipe to see some of the deliciousness from the @custardprison pop up during SXSW at @mercadosinnombre )
#CustardPrison #austinevents #austinblogger #austinite #austinlife #exploreaustin #iloveaustin #austintexasthings #austinstyle #whattodoaustin #atxnightlife #austintx #austinmusic #atxevents
Alright y’all, the time has come. This week will be our *last* austin pop up, for now. Come by and give me a big hug and don’t judge me if I’m crying, okay? Drop your favorite flavors I’ve done in the past in the comments and maybe I’ll choose some for the last batch 💘
Details for the big day:
4/12 at @fleetcoffeeco with @thelonggoodbyeatx on manor rd at 10 am!
I have so many emotions ahhh!!
