Posts Written OnApril 2011

Easter Bunny Cake

This year I decided to make an Easter Bunny Cake for the first time. I searched around the internet to get some ideas and came across this video on decorating Easter cakes on AllRecipes.com. I thought the bunny idea was super cute and seemed pretty easy. But the “fur” was coconut. There aren’t a lot of coconut fans in my family, so what would I use instead? Nothing? That’s when I decided to use shavings of white chocolate. Then for the “grass” I bought green icing spray and sprayed the shavings before putting them around the cake and on the cupcakes. I wanted to put little carrots on the cupcakes, but I ran low on time. You can click on the picture for a larger view. I was very pleased on how it turned out and now I can’t wait to make and decorate more cakes!

Here’s how to make it:

-1 cake mix of your liking
-2 cans of vanilla/white frosting
-3 Large marshmallows (tail, ears, cheeks)
-2 Chocolate chips or brown M&Ms (eyes)
-1 pink jelly bean (nose)
-1 block of white chocolate (fur, grass)
-Green icing spray

Make the cake mix as directed. The bunny takes one layer of a cake. You can do two bunny cakes or, as I did, one layer of the cake and a dozen cupcakes. Let the cake cool completely before cutting it. It is easier to cut if you refrigerate it first. Cut the cake and ice the halves together standing up in the cut side making the body of the bunny. Cut a notch out in the front where the ears will go and the marshmallows will sit. Ice the cake completely. It took me a lot of icing to cover it good and evenly (that’s why I say 2 cans of icing). It doesn’t have to be perfect because the chocolate shavings will go over it.

Make shavings of the white chocolate. I used a vegetable peeler and it worked great. Take handfuls of the shavings and lightly pat all around your bunny giving him ‘fur’. Set the rest aside. Flatten a large marshmallow and cut it diagonally. Set them with the cut sides out creating the bunny ears. Cut the other marshmallow in half creating the two cheeks. Put the cut end on the cake. Add your eyes and nose. Use the last marshmallow as the tail.

Ice the cupcakes.

Put the rest of the shavings in a container and spray with the green icing spray. You will have to shake the container a few times and repeat to get a good coverage. Sprinkle them on the cupcakes and spread them out around the bunny.

I recommend refrigerating the cake if you are not going to use it immediately to insure the chocolate shavings don’t melt.

 **UPDATED POST: CLICK HERE FOR PICTURE TUTORIAL**

Free Admission to Public Gardens May 6th

National Public Garden Day

National Public Garden DayMay 6th is National Public Gardens Day.

To celebrate, you can get free admission into one of the many public gardens on the list. All you have to do is sign up for a Better Homes and Gardens newsletter, choose which garden (listed by state) you will be going to, how many will be going with you, and after you submit it, you can print your voucher.

STL Readers: Botanical Gardens is included!

NIFTY TIP:

Create a ‘junk’ email account that you use when you sign up for newsletters or websites for coupons. This way your personal email account doesn’t get overloaded.

 

 

Supporting our Troops – Projects in the Works

The last time i got some toothpaste for free at Walgreens and I was putting it away, I realized I am now up to 5 tubes of toothpaste. I know that it will get used eventually, but it got me thinking… What do I do if I keep getting free or close-to-free toothpaste? I don’t want my stockpile to look like the people that were on TLC’s Extreme Couponing that were borderline hoarders (in my opinion). Then, the gears starting turning…

My brother is currently in the Marines and he is in the middle of his second deployment in Afghanistan. What better way to help support him and the troops? I have started a box that I am going to fill with not only my stockpile overflow, but also free samples I get. When it fills, I will send it overseas. I am going to call this project, “Stockpiling for our Military“.

With this in mind, I somehow landed on a website that is dedicated sending expired coupons to military bases overseas for the military families to use.  I plan on “adopting” a base and sending monthly packages of all my expired coupons. I haven’t finished looking into everything yet, so this is still in its very early stage.

Both projects are still in the works, but I am extremely excited about getting them going. I will provide more information as it develops and please let me know if you are interested in contributing!

 

Easy Cheesy Beefy Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1lb ground beef
  • 1 packet of taco seasoning
  • 2 cups Mexican Style shredded cheese
  • 1 jar of thick & chucky salsa
  • 8 – 6″ flour tortillas

 

 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9″x13″ pan.

Brown ground beef; drain. In a large bowl mix beef, 1/2 the jar of salsa, 1 cup shredded cheese, and taco seasoning.

Spoon in the mixture into the tortillas. Roll them and lay them side-by-side in the pan.

Pour the remaining salsa over the top, then layer the rest of the cheese over the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.

NIFTY TIP:

I like to get as much as I can done when my boys are napping. So what I do is prepare the enchiladas in the afternoon, cover with foil, and refrigerate. Then when it is almost dinnertime, all I have to do is put them in the oven. It just takes about 10 more minutes to bake (so 30 minutes).