My personal Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Ok everyone- This recipe is my California take on a Red Velvet cake. Hope you like it!

Just click on the link and you can print it:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B94IQZTfDATzMlJ5WXl1YkxCTnc/edit?usp=sharing

Cheap Thrill- The tiny garden is coming alive.

Asparagus!!!


One of the most frugal and fun things I do for our house hold is keep a  garden. We live in a suburban house, so space is at a premium. I have always been amazed at how much you can grow in  a few patio containers and a few raised beds. Yesterday, we were greeted by our first asparagus- yummy! They have been in the ground for 3 years and despite being slightly neglected last year when I was recovering from cancer, we still should have a nice yield this year. I paid $7.99  3 years ago for 6 Asparagus crowns and we have been eating fresh Asparagus from our garden ever since. Talk about a cheap thrill, it beats the heck out of the stuff from the store.

Cheap Thrill - Dishwasher detergent recipe and it is all organic too...

As you all know I love a bargain, and I love organics that don't mess with the allergies chemo has given me. This recipe for dish soap fits both categories.

Tara's Dish Soap Recipe
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
2-5 drops of orange essential oil.

Just put these ingredients in a Tupperware container with a secure lid and give them a good shake to mix everything up. I use a Bosch dishwasher so, for my machine I need 1 tablespoon of Dish Soap per load.

*** If I am doing a ton of glass ware and it has to be spotless I will use a regular dish soap or add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to my homemade dish soap otherwise I stick with the organic stuff I make at home.

This recipe will last in my home for a month and it costs pennies to make.

Wilton's whipped icing

Here is the recipe for Wilton's extra special whipped icing. If you print pages two and three there is also a high humidity icing and a crusting cream cheese icing. Please do not bring these to Decorating Basics class- try them out after you have completed course 1. Just click the link below, and as always you can also find these on the recipe tab on my blog.


Wilton's Extra Special Whipped Icing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B94IQZTfDATzNnRpOFZCNUJNN2M/edit?usp=sharing

Rolled Fondant Recipe from Wilton

This is an excellent fondant recipe. Two tips for you before you click on the link and try this:

1. You can substitute any Wilton flavor for the vanilla or any flavor extract.

2.  When completed the fondant works better if you rest it for 24 hours prior to using it, please follow the storage guidelines for fondant in your Course 3 book.

Rolled Fondant from Wilton

 https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B94IQZTfDATzRTNxc3hGbmp2Zmc/edit?usp=sharing

The cakes were made by past students in Course 3, imagine what you could do!

Katina's cake

Aimee's cake

Cheap Thrill - Laundry Detergent you can make at home for pennies per load.

As many of you know  I  not only teach cake decorating, I also teach couponing and frugal living classes. This means that I love a good deal, if the product is effective and easy to use. I have been making my own laundry detergent for years now. Initially I started doing it because I was allergic to everything and making my own soap was a way to combat being itchy all day.  This recipe takes minutes to make and will last you several weeks. This is my personal recipe, I tested many and this is the combination  I came up with. If you have a super stinky load of laundry you can add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the load along with this detergent. This soap can also be used in combination with bleach for whites if you want to. The coolest part of all of this is that  the ingredients are organic and easy on the environment

As I tried out soap recipes,  I realized that making detergent is a huge money saver too. The ingredients are easily found on the Internet. Our local Publix on Kennerly Road carries both the washing soda and the borax. The all glycerin soap can be purchased in small bricks or by the bucket at your local craft store. Of course, I get mine at Michael's in the super size bucket. I just wait until a week when they are offering a 50 percent off coupon to purchase it. The orange essential oil I purchase on eBay in a 3 oz. bottle which lasts me a couple years if I store it properly. I saved an super size laundry detergent bottle with the nice spout on it from Sam's club and I just pour my home made soap into it for storage.

This recipe can be made on the stove top in a big stock pan. If you do not have a pan big enough just divide the recipe in half and make smaller batches.

Tara's Laundry Soap
1 1/2 gallons water ( just use a milk jug to measure this out)
3 ounces ( 1 bar) pure glycerin soap
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup washing soda
5-10 drops orange essential oil ( as many as you think smells right)

Start by putting your water in a stock pan on the stove top, set the burner to medium heat and bring the water to a simmer. As the water simmers, add the glycerin, Borax, and washing soda. Stir occasionally until everything dissolves. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm. When the mixture is lukewarm  you can stir in a few drops of the orange oil until it has a pleasant smell. Use a funnel and pour the lukewarm mixture in to your storage container. When it cools it will look like any other detergent.

** If it looks slimy or really thick when it cools that just means you simmered it too much, you can reheat it and add a bit more water or just use it as is.. it won't hurt anything.

Everything you need to make soap for months!!!!!

Pound Cake Recipe

This is one of my favorite easy Pound Cake recipes it is from an old Better Homes and Gardens 1980's cook book.  Simply click on the link below:

Pound Cake

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B94IQZTfDATzWkhNWlJDTFVkUVE/edit?usp=sharing