How’s your blood sugar? Here’s an assortment of Capitol Hill news items sure to jack it up.

• Two years to the month after opening its first shop on E Pike, Bluebird “microcreamery” has announced it is expanding to Fremont. Josh Reynolds has prided himself on keeping nearly everything about the ‘Bird handmade, local and organic even as he’s expanded his operations to provide ice cream to local businesses from small to large. The Fremont expansion will be Bluebird’s second store. Capitol Hill’s other ice cream provider Molly Moon’s has three shops following the debut of its mini-store in Madrona.
• Oddfellows has announced that slots are filling up quickly for its second annual Whoopie Pie Bake-off. Here’s a look at last year’s contest and a copy of one of the winning recipes if you need inspiration. Contest details:

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It’s that time again! Last year our Whoopie Pie Bake Off was a smack down between home and professional bakers. Winners were Heather Earnhardt of the Volunteer Park Café with her Red Velvet and Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pies, Chef Eliza (age 7) with her Sous Chef Robin had the best Classic Whoopie Pie, and Audrey McManus the babe from Babeland won the popular vote. Judges John Roderick, Molly Moon, Michael Wells, Christopher Frizzelle, Jen Graves, and Chelsea D. Lin consumed an inhuman amount of WhoopiePies in order to determine these champions. While there may have been a few stomachaches, it sure was worth it!

Oddfellows Café + Bar will be having it’s Second Annual Whoopie Pie Bake Off on July 12, 2011 at 2pm at the communal table. This year it will be even bigger and better than ever! Last year our poor judges were over burdened by the amount of (delicious) entries, thus, this year we will have 9 judges, 3 per category, who are to be announced on our facebook page (facebook.com/Oddfellowscafe). The entries will be broken up into the following categories: professional bakers, home bakers, and gluten-free/vegan bakers who may be a combination of both, as well as the peoples choice, which will be decided by public vote. Within each category there will be a winner for best classic Whoopie Pie as well as Non Traditional Whoopie Pie. Feel free to email or call me for more information regarding the event.

If you want to get your whoopie on, RSVP to [email protected] by July 9th — though, like we noted, slots are filling up fast so don’t dilly dally. Oh, and here’s the secret: shortening.

• Last June, we told you about Capitol Hill’s first (and likely only) online pie company, A la Mode Pies, based out of the kitchen at E Olive Way’s Knee High Stocking Co. Business has grown to the point that A la Mode is now ready for its first cafe and is moving its operations to Phinney Ridge:
  

  “Business has just grown and grown and grown,” [owner Chris Porter] said of the need for his own kitchen and to branch out from delivery only to a café. “We chose Phinney because, one, a large number of our customers are already in Phinney, and, two, it’s just such a charming neighborhood. The location itself is so sweet; it seemed like such an ideal place for our flagship store.”