New August Cake Classes coming up next week..... State Fair entry deadline is Sept 1, 2014.

Hello Everyone,

My apologies for being away so long,  as many of you know I had to cut my Course schedule for summer due to my treatment schedule. Kim A. at Michaels was kind enough to take some of my classes in the interim. I do have two classes starting next week and I am hoping some of you will join me at Michaels :

Course 1 Decorating Basics - will start Saturday August 16 from 10 am - 12 pm . Tuition is on sale for this class so the price is $22.50.

Course 2 Flowers and Cake Design starts Tuesday August 12 from 10 am - 12 pm . Tuition is also at the sale price of $22.50.

For more information on my classes go to the schedule tab on my blog at : http://www.sweetcakesandsparklythings.blogspot.com/p/class-schedule.html

Email  at sweetcakes@sc.rr.com or call me at 803 319-7217 if you have any questions!

Also State Fair is almost here, if you would like to enter your cakes you should do so now, the last day for entries is September 1! You can go to www.scstatefair.org and then go to the Competitive

exhibits tab to enter your items.


 See you in class,

Tara

Cheap Thrill - Saturday morning restoration project.

Ever since I got my 1950's appliances, I have wanted a Vintage Cosco kitchen cart. Problem is Cosco carts from the 1950's in good shape are rare and expensive. I tried for months to find one and just could not find one I could afford that fit in my kitchen.

A couple weeks ago, I finally found one on EBay that is the shape I wanted. It was only $38.99 plus shipping versus the $200.00 they normally sell for in good condition. Of course, it had a good bit of rust and wear. Structurally it was in good shape.

I spent Saturday morning before class sanding and refinishing the enamel. The paint was only $3.50 since I used Michael's coupons to purchase it.

Check out the results! It felt so good to do something artistic....


 

1950's Cosco cart after, with all my 1950's kitchen goodies........



1950's Cosco cart before....




































 

Some wonderful cakes from Orangeburg Technical College...

Hello Everyone,

I thought I would share some of the lovely cakes they are making in cake class at Orangeburg Tech. in St. Matthews. I used to teach this class and my student, Henrietta W. took over the teaching duties when I was unable to teach any more due to cancer. I am so proud of her and her students, they are doing amazing work!!!

Cheap Thrill- The best pie crust recipe I have ever tried....

OK so this is only a minor cheap thrill, you save about .30 cents making this at home instead of buying those premade pie crusts. The thrill here really is that this is the best pie crust I have ever tried. I just whipped this up in my food processor ( Ninja Blender) and refrigerated it and rolled it. My husband even noticed that the pie crust was really good when I made my tomato pie last week!

Here is the link to Food52 that featured the recipe last month:
http://food52.com/blog/8953-cook-s-illustrated-s-foolproof-pie-crust?utm_source=FOOD52+Subscribers+List&utm_campaign=03d6acf9fa-Midweek_Edit_Prov_11_13_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_191568346e-03d6acf9fa-19027429

You can print right from their site.

Great Recipes are available at Wilton.com for free!

You all know I love a cheap thrill and baking from scratch is not only cheaper, it is so much fun!!! Wilton has great recipes on their site that are simple and free. Plus they are tested so you know they work! Here is one they shared recently on Face book:

http://www.wilton.com/recipe/White-Chocolate-Cake-with-Raspberry?cmp=fb2014&icid=0307whitechocolatecake

Wilton Quick Twist Coupler - my favorite of all the new Wilton Tools.

I saw this on the Wilton feed and thought I would share it here. I don't know what I ever did without this tool. And oddly enough I don't love it for the quick twist feature they demonstrate ( although it is neat). I love it because it comes with a secure snap on lid so I can store my whole bag in the freezer with a bag tie on it and it stays air tight and perfect!!!

Check it out:

http://www.wilton.com/blog/index.php/twist-quick-coupler-a-new-twist-on-a-decorator-favorite/?cmp=fb2014&icid=0228twistquickblog

Win a Wilton Cake Carrier today only.....

Hey Everybody,

If you do not get the Wilton Face Book feed you may want to go to their page at :


https://www.facebook.com/#!/wilton.cake.decorating

Scroll down an bit and you can read about and sign up for today's contest to win a free Trim and Turn Cake Carrier!

A little humor , and maybe a little reason to try a Cake Class at Michael's.......

Just a little photo of a sample pin from Pinterest and the somewhat imperfect results........ you can see more of these at the link below.  This would not have happened if you had joined us in cake class....

http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/photos/20-people-who-tried-things-pinterest-and-totally-nailed-it#nailed-it1

Here is a cute new Gum Paste Rose to try from the Wilton Web site ....

Go to this link:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/wilton.cake.decorating

If you sign up for their facebook page they send out new ideas several times a week.

Wilton Cake Class update for March 2014.

Hello Everyone -

Please be aware that due to the snow, I had to move two of March's scheduled classes back one week:

Course 4 on Thursday from 10-12 will now start on March 13
Course 3 on Sundays from 1-3 pm will now start on March 16

Of course, you can always get my schedule by going to my web site at:

http://sweetcakesandsparklythings.blogspot.com/p/class-schedule.html

See you in class-

Tara

This is a cake done by the talented Becky R., who took all 4 courses at Michael's!

Cheap Thrill - A simple easy way to download FREE books to your Kindle reader...

As many of you know, Amazon has a wonderful website that will allow you to find all sorts of freebies for your Kindle. I love their site but, often I do not have time to wade through all the stuff on the site to find free or low cost books in the categories I read. So I found a free service to do it for me: www.bookgorilla.com.

This site sends you free daily email alerts that let you know what books in the categories you read or by authors you love are really cheap on Amazon.

For those of you that love to cook and bake like I do, this is a great way to try new cookbooks without having to invest a bunch of money. If the cook book is great, I invest in the hardback version later, if it is a dud I just delete it from my Kindle.

This shelving is just a little inspiration, I would like to do this in my kitchen soon!

Cheap Thrill - Learn to cook or bake at McCutchen House......

Hello Everyone-

Students are always asking me for more classes at Michael's. As many of you know, that is a bit hard for me to do right now. If you have taken all of my classes, you may want to consider my favorite place in Columbia for classes The McCutchen House at USC. The offer the best cooking and beverage classes in town. They look a little pricey but, each class comes with a lesson on how to make the item, a full meal, and all the beverages too.

If you are interested check out their website:

 https://www.hrsm.sc.edu/McCutchen-house/Classes.html

For those of you that don't know during the school year McCutchen house is also one of the best places in town to dine. Their lunches are usually $10.00 per person and you get several courses plus a dessert. The dining room itself is pretty neat too!

My favorite Southern treat- Tomato pie!

I am back... A cheap thrill with a baker's twist...

Finally, I am back blogging. The holidays were a bit overwhelming this year and I am sorry to say that my blogs got lost in the shuffle. As of today, I am back with "cheap thrills" for those of you that coupon, and baking tips for those of you who love to make cakes.

Todays tip is a two for one( baking and cheap thrill).

Did you know there is a wonderful way to get free coupons, and free tested recipes all at one time? All you have to do is sign up as a preferred email customer at your favorite baking products web sites. You will never have to look for coupons for your favorite products again. If they offer a coupon you will know first! Plus this is a great way to get free cookbooks and special offers. Here are a few sites to try:

Crisco
http://www.crisco.com/?utm_source=CRI&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CRI_NL_Feb2014

Betty Crocker

 http://www.bettycrocker.com/coupons-promotions/coupons/default?nicam2=Email&nichn2=Lifecycle&niseg2=BC&nicreatID2=BC_02_07_2014_DollarDays

Duncan Hines
http://www.duncanhines.com/

** for those of you taking Wilton classes , this is the reccomended cake mix.



Keep in mind this tip works for all food products. If you are worried about getting to much email, set up a seperate email box for coupon offers.

Cheap Thrill for the day- Home made laundry detergent, costs pennies a load and is organic...

Here is the cheap thrill of the day. Laundry soap is up to 6-7 dollars a bottle for the 32 load size pre coupon and I cannot stand to pay for a bunch of water anyway. Since chemotherapy I also have issues with allergies and my soap recipe is all natural as long as you use all natural clear glycerin soap base to make your soap with.

This recipe will save you a bunch of money and is good for the environment too.

Just follow this link:

Laundry Soap:
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B94IQZTfDATzUTJFMU9mRzJQdFU/edit?usp=sharing


 

Clear glycerin soap, borax, washing soda, orange oil

Course 3- Wilton Gum Paste and Fondant starts this Saturday at 10:00 am

If you are planning on attending the Course 3 class for November, please let me know by email at sweetcakes@sc.rr.com or sign up online or in store at Michael's. Saturday's class will run from 10 am - 12 pm  and we will be skipping the Saturday following Thanksgiving so that it will not interfere with holiday travel plans.

Below are some photos of cakes done by graduates of Course 3 for the 2013 SC. State Fair:

Cake by Olivia N.- Amateur Cakes Sweepstakes winner.

Wedding Cake by Becky R.- this was a 2nd place winner! Check out the hand sculpted deer!

Course 2 on November 3, 2013 at 1:00 pm has been cancelled...

Hello Everyone-

I have had to cancel  the Course 2  class starting on November 3 ( Sunday) from 1-3 pm. Please contact me for other options. You are welcome to take the classes out of order, I do still have a Course 3 open for the month that you could join starting on November 9 at 10:00 am.

Tara

November Cake Classes at Michael's start tomorrow.

Hi Everyone-

New Wilton Cake Classes start at Michael's on Harbison tomorrow. There are both weekend and daytime classes available. Remember if you cannot get over to Michael's to sign up, you can contact me or sign up online at Michael's website.

The schedule is available on my blog at :

http://sweetcakesandsparklythings.blogspot.com/p/class-schedule.html


Cake by Heather G. in her final lesson of Course 4 this past Tuesday.

Cheap Thrill- Light Bulb Exchage for Columbia SC residents on October 29, 2013.

Hello Everyone-

Did you know that Richland County Public Library, Saint Andrews Branch is having a light bulb exchange? You can take in your old, cheap energy hogging bulbs and trade them for up to 8 CFL bulbs at no charge. All you have to do is go to the St Andrews Branch at 2916 Broad River Road on October 29th, 2013 between 4-7 pm and they will trade your old bulbs for new ones. If you have questions you can call 929-6000.

What a green cheap thrill!!!

Cheap Thrill- " All You" Magazine great for coupons and recipes!!!

Just thought I would share one of my favorite money saving magazines. This one is called, " All You" it is put out by Wal -Mart and comes loaded with coupons and money saving tips. It is really a couponer's bible. The coupons and tips don't just work at Wal-Mart, they work any where. Plus the magazine comes loaded with recipes that help you maximize your grocery spending. For those of you that do cake classes with me, there are always several dessert recipes featured each month.

You can pick up issues at your local newsstand or Wal-Mart but, it is even cheaper if you subscribe by following this link:

https://subscription.allyou.com/storefront/subscribe-to-all-you/site/ay-sem12for1992ho.html?pkw=PSAYGLTX032011SNND1972&link=1002579

Use one coupon a month from this magazine and it will pay for itself!

Scary Cupcakes Class Coming Soon!!! Sign up now for class October 27th from 3:30-5:30 Pm at Michaels on Harbison

Hello Everyone-

As many of you know I have not been teaching project classes at all lately due to my treatment schedule. I have been directing you all to Kim A's wonderful project classes. This month, I am going to try to do a bit more. I was out demonstrating "Scary Cupcakes" last week and had no less than 10 different past students come by and ask me to teach the cupcakes this Halloween!

So I scheduled a 2 hour class with Michael's. The class will be on Sunday, October 27, 2013 from 3:30 to 5:30 Pm at Michael's on Harbison. Tuition is $15.00 for the 2 hours. I will be emailing everyone who signs up a syllabus prior to class. Basically, you will be bringing your Course 1 and Course 3 tools, a dozen cupcakes, 2 batches of icing, Milano Cookies, and 1 box or batch of rolled fondant.

We will be making Mummy cupcakes, Tombstones, and my take on " The Wicked Witch of the West". If we have time we may do a Spider or a Ghost cupcake as well.

Witches and Tombstones from this week's cupcake demo.  The spider cake is a large version of the cup cake we can do in class. ( He looks better in real life than in the photo!)