Stunning, isn’t it?
I made this beautiful cake for my sons 9th {sigh}Birthday.

Usually he gets a themed cake, like the soccer cake  or the Sponge Bob cake, but I just was too busy this year to get all fancy for a more in-depth cake, so this is what he got.
He thought it was cool, and that’s all that matters.

I posted a photo of it on Instagram (follow me at Hungryhousewife) and Facebook and everyone loved it. I got emails requesting a tutorial and y’all know I aim to please.
Pretty sure I got all the tutorial bases covered, a video, on the cake and just icing. I hope you all find it useful!

And if you are short on time and don’t feel like watching the video, here is a photo tutorial.
What you will need

• Crumb Coated Cake
• Pastry Bag
• #12 Tip
• Icing, your choice of color
• Off-set spatula or small spoon

A messily crumb coated cake

For the Ombre effect, take graduating color frosting with a #12 tip.

Pipe a vertical line of icing dots. If doing the Ombre effect, start with the lightest icing first.

Place the off-set spatula in the middle of the dot, press down and drag.

Continue around the cake

****I forgot to show how to “end” the cake. When you get to the end, just pipe the final vertical line of dots and don’t swipe. This will be the back of your cake. It really is not even that noticeable.*****

And if you want to see it off the cake..I got that for you too (not the ombre effect)!

[Source: Daily Savings from All You]

Ohhhhh, Bar Keepers Friend, How I love thee!
Growing up, my parents kept Soft Scrub underneath the sink. It’s all I knew.
Then after high school I got a job at Chili’s and the ultra cool bartenders used Bar Keepers Friend to clean everything.
So I made the switch and have never looked back.
I love the stuff, you can clean a million things with it….below is one example of how I use it.
I am not sure if y’all know, but I am REALLY REALLY cheap. I hate spending money.
I have a few sets of plates, all seem to be white. I suppose you can call me cheap and boring.

The problem with white plates is that they start looking yucky and all scratched up with use.
So me being the Mrs. Cheapy-Cheaperson that I am, I refuse to buy new plates.

Bar Keepers Friend to the rescue!

To de-scratch a plate, all you need is your plate, a wet paper towel and Bar Keepers Friend.

Sprinkle some Bar Keepers Friend on your ugly plate and scrub with the wet paper towel until the scratches disappear. Wash the plate.

See look how purrrrty!!!  Now I don’t have to spend money on new plates!!!!

***Remember- Favorite Things Thursday are NOT sponsored posts. Just things I LOVE***

Smucker’s Giveaway Winner is

Congrats Erika. Please email me with your contact inforamtion.

August 28, 2011

When life gives you lemons(or oranges or limes), freshen your garbage disposal!
Anytime I am cooking with lemons, I save the lemons, slice them up and throw them in the garbage disposal. It is a natural way to freshen your yucky disposal.
Also, feel that your garbage disposal blades are getting dull? Throw some ice down there and let er’ rip!
That’s my two cents for today.

Cookie sheets get lined with parchment paper, brownie pans get lines with parchment paper and certainly cake pans.
I DARE not bake a cake without it being lined with the magic paper. No more cakes sticking to the bottom of the cake pan. It is glorious stuff I tell you.  Oh, you know what? It makes for easy clean up, since my husbands cleans the dishes, he loves to see the parchment paper out.

I am going to show you a faster and easier way to line your cake pans with parchment paper. I might save you 30 seconds or so. Instead of tracing out your cake pan and then cutting out an entire circle, try it this way……..

You need- your pan, parchment paper, a pencil and scissors

Tear out enough parchment paper to cover the bottom of the pan

Trace the pan onto the paper with a pencil

Perfect Circle

Line up the pencil marks by holding the paper up to the light

Fold the paper in half

Fold the paper in half again, again by lining up the pencil marks

Cut the paper about 1/8-1/4" from the pencil mark

Done

Unfold

Place the parchment paper in the pan

So my sister, the perpetual yard sale person, had a yard sale, sold ALL of her baby items. Then 3 days later, she found out she was pregnant!!! No drugs, no hormones..just naturally pregnant! God works in funny ways!

I wanted her shower to be perfect, something out of a magazine. I had a specific vision of how I wanted everything to look. Lots of little details everywhere.  I pulled the colors and the “building theme” from the babies bedding.

My home was turned into a beautiful shower setting. I would love to plan parties for a living. It would be so fun to spend other peoples money!!!!!

I will give y’all the recipes for all of my fabulous food in a later post.

Enjoy the photos, maybe you can pull some party decorating ideas from them. The beautiful photography  and all the “signage” is by the ever so talented Kelly Noel Photography!

My sis and I

The Dessert Table

Black frame from Ikea. Painted a wooden letter P. Hung them a a door we hung on the wall covered in grey fabric. That is a 6" cake that I covered in fondant buildings.

Handmade chocolate Mustaches with a flag with the babies name on it. Spray painted a piece of foam teal

The Mustache Molds can be purchased here. And the Merckens Chocolate can be purchased here.

Creamsicle Jello

Coconut Ice

Vanilla Cupcakes with grey buttercream and "P's" that I cut out of fondant.

Tissue Paper Pom-Poms my momma contributed

Guess the number of beer bottle caps. Yes beer bottle caps, my sister loves her beer.

Hand painted onesies, again to match the theme. Thanks Faith!

Homemade Vanilla Sugar in Mason Jars for the favors.

Vanilla Sugar.

Baby Shower food on tiered trays for each table.

Scrapbook paper served as the "placemats" Mason jars to drink from.

Simple center piece. Tin flower pot from Ikea filled with marigolds.

The tables. The ugly brown chairs drive me crazy. The white ones were too pricy to rent.

Playing the baby shower games

The girls munching on desserts

My beautiful sister! Love you Air!

Do you have a messy kitchen gadget drawer that houses your measuring spoons? Well, get them out of there and hung em up!

Go to the store and get some Command Hooks, hang them on the inside of one of your kitchen cabinets..and there you have it..a little less messy drawer!