Month: October 2019

What To Buy At Costco?

Costco has to be one of my favorite stores, HANDS DOWN!! But, what do you buy at Costco? And why should you shop there? I get these questions a lot and people often tell me they do not need to buy in bulk. Well, my friends, toilet paper is not going out of style and we can all buy that in bulk!!

Even if you don’t need to buy in bulk they have great deals on just about everything! I always leave Costco with more than I intended to buy, but I really enjoyed making the extra purchases LOL! As you can see my kids also love Costco, but they are getting a little too big for the cart!

The quality of products at Costco is great. I have not seen a brand at Costco yet that has poor quality, even their private label brand, Kirkland! Your saving money by not purchasing a “name brand” but not sacrificing quality.

Now, I know I cannot get everything at Costco, but what do I buy at Costco and why?

1. Simple/Easy Choices

Often I go to the grocery store and feel overwhelmed because there are TOO many choices. How can I choose between 15 different types of toothpaste? Is there really a difference? At Costco, there is usually one choice and it’s in bulk! I have found that I trust Costco enough on the decision to go with a particular brand. I’m saving time (because I don’t have to buy this item for a long time) and money (because it’s a great deal!)! It’s a win-win.

2. Meat Prices

Costco has THE BEST MEAT at the best prices. Ground beef, chicken, fresh Lobster; you name it and it is great! We buy their ground beef in bulk, and freeze 1 lb per ziplock. It always comes in handy and we don’t have to remember to buy it every week at the grocery store. I just spend $19.36 on 6.7 lbs of ground beef at Costco. That is $2.89 per lb. At my local grocery store, the same ground beef is $4.49 per lb. If I purchased 6.7 lbs of ground beef at the grocery store that would have cost me $30.08. I saved $10.72 at Costco just on ground beef!! That is not the only thing considerably cheaper, their Rotisserie chickens are much larger than the local grocery stores and they are between $4-$5! I haven’t seen another store with that price.

The same is true for other meats as well. My husband likes to smoke brisket, ribs, and chicken, and we always buy our meat at Costco. You can get a 2-pack of whole chickens for around $10-$12 depending on the weight! Not only that, they sell the prime brisket (~$4 per lb) at a cheaper price than the choice brisket (~$5 per lb)! Why go anywhere else?!

3. Snacks!!

If you have children who eat non-stop like mine, Costco snacks are where its at! We buy the individual bags of Chips, popcorn, Pirates Booty, Belvita, and Goldfish to name a few. Honestly, buying these snacks at Costco is such a money saver! You get a lot more for your money than buying the regular pack at the grocery store.

4. Seasonal Items

Costco seasonal items are like my Achilles heel. Cute Christmas Moose holding a lantern? I think I need that! Six Foot LED Musical Nutcracker? I definitely need that! I usually have to talk myself out of a few things, but honestly they have items that you most likely won’t see anywhere else, especially for the prices. If your shopping for something like Christmas lights, they have a few choices and I would put my money on it that the quality is going to be fantastic. Your choice is simple, because you don’t have too many options to choose from.

Here are the seasonal items I won’t buy anywhere else:
  • Scotch tape
  • Wrapping paper (it’s thick and doesn’t rip when wrapping)
  • Tissue paper
  • Wreaths
  • Christmas Lights
  • Batteries (BEST PRICE IN TOWN!)

During the summer months they always have great deals on pool supplies, including the chemicals, pool toys, rafts – especially huge ones for the lake! They also have bikes, helmets, golf clubs and camping supplies just to name a few! You need to check it out for yourself!!

5. Costco Photo Center

I always order my photos through Costco. They make it so easy! You go to https://www.costcophotocenter.com/ create an account and upload the photos you want. You then place your order and you don’t have to pay until you pick up! They have great quality – way better than any drug store I’ve tried! You can get any size you want, and they do photo gifts as well – including canvas and metal prints! Did you know they do home video transfers too? They really do it all!

6. Household Items

If your not buying toilet paper and paper towel at Costco you are wasting your money! Those items are never going out of style and are so worth buying in bulk. We only buy these items at Costco and only have to purchase them a handful of times a year. Other household items we stock up on:

  • Laundry Detergent
  • Dryer Sheets
  • Ziplock Bags
  • Dishwasher Pods
  • Kleenex

7. Costco Gas

I’m sure you have heard about Costco Gas by now. It is usually the cheapest in town. I always fill up when I am near Costco, even if I don’t need to. It’s saving me money in the long run. I will say I do not drive out of my way just to get gas at Costco to save a couple of bucks, but I fill up when I can!

8. Electronics

Costco has the best selection of electronics. They always have some of the latest and greatest models, and name brands at a great price. From TV’s, to headphones, to cameras! We have purchased several TV’s from Costco. I know I can always trust that the choices they have in store are some of the best in the market.

9. Appliances

About a year ago, we remodeled our kitchen. We needed every kitchen appliance. I shopped around and did a comparison of every store and pretty much every brand. We ended up going with the 4 piece GE Appliance package from Costco, it was the best price we could fine and comparably it had the more expensive models in the package. The delivery and installation was seamless and I highly recommend!

$60 is all it costs for a Gold Star Membership!

I hope you have enjoyed my reasons for loving Costco and if you aren’t already a member, maybe you’ll be one soon?!

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Money Saving Tips – For A Busy Family!

If your anything like me, I am always trying to find ways to cut costs and save money. Having kids is expensive, and we all want to be able to enjoy the fun things in life. Most of which cost money – vacations, parties, kids activities etc. With the below money saving tips, you will be able to manage and track your finances, cut costs and save more. These are all things that I have tried throughout the years and have found great success with!

1. SET A BUDGET

I use Mint.com (I am not an affiliate) to track my spending and set a budget. This is a great way to see all of your accounts in one place from your checking/savings account to credit cards, loans and mortgages. Once you have configured all of your accounts to Mint.com they will automatically update every time you log in and you can see everything in one place!! You are also able to set a budget for yourself with the budget tool, and they offer a bunch of different reports to track your spending and income! Additionally, they provide you with your credit score and ways to save money. The best part about it is it’s FREE! I have been using Mint.com for seven years now and I am obsessed. In addition, I haven’t had any major issues, (just a few connectivity issues here and there with a few accounts) nothing they cannot fix. Without a doubt, I highly recommend using Mint.com! You may be wondering, how is this a money saving tip? Well, it will definitely shed light on what you are spending your money on and can help you manage you money better!

Here are a few examples of graphs from Mint.com

2. CREATE A MENU FOR THE WEEK OR MONTH

I am going to be the first to admit, I have tried meal prepping and it’s not for me. I searched and searched for ways to save money on groceries and everyone raves about meal prepping. Let me tell you, I do not enjoy cooking, and having to take a majority of my weekend to shop and prep for the week was NOT for me. So I discovered that if I take 30 minutes Sunday morning to plan the meals on a calendar for the week, I can save $$$. I was constantly throwing away food that we never touched, week after week. I would go to the grocery store without knowing what we were having for dinners, without knowing what was in our fridge or pantry and would buy way too much or not what we needed. We would end up having the same dinners all the time, because I didn’t give it much thought. Ultimately, I have been saving $50-$100 each week by creating a menu. So whether you shop for the week, two weeks or even the whole month, creating a calendar of meals is easy and helps reduce costs!!

3. COSTCO / SAM’S CLUB

I love to shop at Costco and Sam’s Club. Yes, there is a membership fee, but it is worth it. If you shop at Costco enough you will get money back on the purchases you make and sometimes it will cover the cost of your membership. I usually go to Costco or Sam’s Club once a month and stock up on things we use and eat all the time (listed below). undoubtedly, I also find great seasonal products and lot’s of stuff I don’t need there…It’s hard to pass up their prices!

I’ve done the pricing comparisons and you get a lot for your money compared to the grocery store. It works out great!!! By stocking up at Costco you are paying a lot up front to stock up, but you are saving time and money in the long run. In most cases the amount you get at Costco is triple the amount of the size at the grocery store, but the price is only double or less!

Items we buy in bulk

  • Ground Beef
  • Frozen Chicken
  • Ziplock Bags
  • Toilet Paper
  • Paper Towel
  • Batteries
  • Bread
  • Individual bags of Skinny Pop
  • Individual bags of Chips
  • Belvita
  • Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars
  • Individual Bags of Goldfish Crackers

Click here if you want to read my blog about Why I love Costco!

4. GETTING THE MOST OUT OF HOW YOU PAY

I am always looking to get rewarded when I shop, so why would I just use my debit card all the time if I don’t get any cash back or frequent flier miles?! I am not an extreme coupon-er either, it takes too much time for me, and sometimes if I have a coupon I end up buying items I never needed in the first place!! Here are the ways I make my purchases and get rewarded

  • My default is to use my American Express Delta Card (I am not an affiliate). I love to travel and getting miles for every purchase is a win win for me! We have gotten so many miles from our purchases, which equals free flights!!! Now that is worth it! We pay for gas, groceries, child care, kids activities, vacations, and just about everything! They have a great app where they have a pay it now feature for each transaction or you can do payment plans. I try to pay off my purchases each week so it doesn’t get away from me. American Express isn’t accepted everywhere so sometimes I have to use my boring debit card and not get rewarded…
  • The other form of payment I use a lot is my Target Red Card™ (I am not an affiliate). You save 5% every time you shop at Target, which for me is all the time. Target will also send you special coupons for being a Red Card holder and a once a year you get an additional 5% off your total purchase when you use your card! I have been a Target Red Card™ holder since 2012, and this year alone I have saved $287.78!

5. Target Circle ®

If you shop at Target and don’t use Target Circle® (formerly known as Cartwheel) (I am not an affiliate), you are throwing your money out the window! It’s a mobile app and you can scan items as you shop and it will let you know if there is a coupon and if there is it will add it to your account. When you check out, you just have the cashier scan your barcode on the app and Voila! your discounts are applied. The app will also show you additional coupons that are available and you can search items beforehand and add them to your account as well. I became a Cartwheel/Target Circle® member (I am not an affiliate) in 2013 and have saved $745.52 to date. This is one of the easiest ways to saving money, especially if you shop at Target as much as I do!

6. I DO MY OWN TAXES

I know this sounds daunting and you may be thinking, “this is not for me”. Here me out…If I can do it, you can do it! I use Turbotax® (I am not an affiliate) They have made it so easy, you just follow the step-by-step instructions. We used to pay someone to do our taxes and we would go back and forth answering questions, and we paid a lot for the service. To me didn’t seem worth it. So I tried doing it myself and have been doing it for the past four years…It’s less costly and super easy and we definitely are saving money on this one!

The beauty of doing them yourself is you can get them done when you want. You don’t have to wait for someone else, because Accountants get real busy during tax season! The best part is you can do a little one day and some more another day, until you finish. Turbotax® offers a Free service, but the most popular plan costs only $59.99! If your taxes are a little more complex they have higher payment options for that. Give it a try, you will see what I am talking about!!

7. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR DONATIONS

By the end of the year when I am ready to do my taxes, I often think, hmmmmmm where did that receipt go? Most of the time I find it crinkled in my glove box, or have to sort through hundreds of emails to find it. I donate a lot during the year, to the kids schools, fundraisers for charities and clothing/household items to Goodwill or Salvation Army. It’s hard to keep track of it all! I found an app called Turbotax ® It’sDeductible (I am not an affiliate) that helps you keep track of your donations, at the time you make the donation. This helps you remember what you donated and when. It keeps the guesswork out of it at the end of the year, and you won’t forget about any donations you make! When donating items it you can itemize them and it tells you right then and there how much those items are worth!! When you are ready to do your taxes you can just import the data, easy as that! Genius!

8. SELL USED ITEMS ON FACEBOOK

This is a big one! My kids, like all kids, go through a lot of clothes since they are always growing. We get tons of clothes, from birthdays and holidays and back to school shopping. I decided one year to try selling through Facebook. WOW! I was surprised at how much I sold, making hundreds of dollars in one weekend. Just by selling kids clothes through Mom 2 Mom groups and through the Facebook Marketplace.

I usually ask for $1-$2 per shirt or pair of pants. $3-$5 on sweatshirts and jackets. Thankfully there are moms (and dads) on there who will buy the whole lot of what you are selling. It’s so easy. If you advertise PPU or (porch pickup) you just put the items on your front porch and the buyer will pick it up and leave the money under the mat or in the mailbox. If there are items I cannot sell, I donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Either way I am making money, either in cash or a tax deduction. Win-Win!

I hope you have enjoyed these money saving tips. Please follow me on Pinterest or subscribe to my website to see what I have cookin’ next!

Spooky Spiderweb Cake with Spider Cupcakes

Halloween is in the air! I love making treats for any holiday, especially kid oriented treats. Who wouldn’t want a spiderweb on their cake? Well, in any normal circumstance, me, but we’re talking about Halloween here so I will let it slide…

I have two boys, ages 5 and 7. They torment me with anything and everything SPIDER related. I can’t stand it! They love fake spiders, bugs and snakes. Anything creepy crawly (they love the real ones too). They will put fake spiders under my covers, so when I go to pull the covers back to go to bed I will see it. I ALWAYS scream! My heart pounds, my palms get sweaty and after that I’m too wound up to go to bed. They will put the fake spiders on the floor behind me and walk away. They then call my name so I turn around, I scream every time. My husbands doesn’t understand why I have to scream each time, I don’t either!! My body just does it!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh!!! However, when it comes to real spiders in the house, my boys always come to my rescue, they get that tissue or shoe and do what needs to be done. So in honor of their love for spiders I am making this dessert for them to celebrate HALLOWEEN.

What You Need

This dessert is sooooooo easy to make! Any busy parent can tackle this treat, and your kids will surely appreciate it.

Directions

  • In your stand mixer (Mine happens to be Kitchenaid – the best!) Make the cake per the directions on the box
  • Split the batter between the cake pan and the cupcake tin
  • Let the cake cool completely before frosting! You don’t want the frosting to melt!!
  • Frost the cake with the chocolate frosting using a spatula
  • Frost the cupcakes with the chocolate frosting using a piping bag and tip #1M
  • Put the 10 marshmallows in a bowl and microwave for 15 seconds
  • Using your hands, grab the marshmallow mixture and pull on it so it gets stringy. Lay over the cake. (make sure the frosting is somewhat dry. The marshmallow is so sticky it may pull up some of the frosting when you are laying it down) There is your spiderweb!!

I hope you have fun making this Spooky Spiderweb Cake! Be sure to check out my Halloween Cookie Cake!!

Frozen Birthday Cake

Featuring Elsa and Olaf!!!!

With Frozen 2 coming out soon, everywhere you go there is Frozen toys, clothes, and accessories – you name it! I cannot wait to see the new movie, because the first one was AMAZING!!! I love everything Frozen, especially the ride at Epcot – it is so fun (but only if you have a fastpass!)

My friends niece is having a Frozen themed birthday party, so naturally I said yes to making her cake…that’s what friends are for!!! See below for everything you need to know to make this cake. Pack a little bit of patience, because it’s a little detailed. You can always pick images that are easier to recreate than others. Tailor to your skill level and get decorating!!!

Cake Ingredients

  • 3 Boxes of Cake Mix (althought you only need 2.5 boxes/ Make 12 cupcakes with the rest) – I used Betty Crocker Funfetti – it’s Soy Free!
  • 9 Eggs
  • 3 Cups of Water
  • 1 1/2 Cups Oil – I use Canola – it’s Soy Free!
  • Butter and Flour to grease the pan. I cannot use the baking spray because it has soy lecithin in it – You can if it’s easier for you, but make sure it says “baking spray”. The difference being it has some flour in it and it makes cakes come out of the pan easier. I have tried using regular cooking spray before and the whole cake stuck to the pan…Learn from my mistake!
  • 4 Cans of Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Vanilla Frosting
  • Pre-made Black Frosting (I really don’t like to dye black. It always seems to look gray)
  • Wilton 12×18 Sheet Pan

Tools Needed To Decorate

Cake Instructions

  • In a stand mixer, (I LOVE my
  • Grease the pan with butter and then put flour in the pan and shake around until fully covered. Or use baking spray!
  • Since you only need 2.5 boxes I fill 12 cupcakes (since that’s half a box) first and then pour the rest into the pan. Having cupcakes is great because when the cake comes out my kids always want to stick their fingers in it, so I just hand them a cupcake instead! You can also taste it to make sure it’s delicious!!
  • Bake the Cake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Make sure you check the cake with a toothpick and that it comes out clean.
  • After the cake comes out of the oven I put the cupcakes in for 15 minutes
  • Let the Cake cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then put on a cooling rack. It needs to completely cool before you can frost!
  • Once cooled transfer to a cake board
  • TIP – Every oven seems to bake differently. I always put the timer on for 5-10 minutes before the recipe tells me, because I fear it will over cook…My oven cooks super fast and 35 minutes is enough.
  • TIP – If your cake breaks when coming out of the pan (because it happens to the best of us) DON’T PANIC. You can piece it together and carefully cover with frosting. Do your best and keep going. Who’s going to know?!

Frosting / Decorating Instructions

  • Find a picture online or in a coloring book of what you want to put on the cake. I chose a picture of Elsa and Olaf (and I printed multiple – just in case) Cut them out.
  • Dye all of the frosting. Estimate how much you will need for each color. I use 2.5-3 cans to spread over the cake.
  • Put the dyed frosting being used for the details into piping bags, which is everything except what you are going to frost the entire cake with
  • Frost the entire cake – Let that dry a bit before you start tracing the characters.
  • This is when the fun starts! Outline your characters with black icing (in piping bag) I used tip #1
  • After you have outlined them you can cut off some of the paper to trace around more detail. Keep doing that as needed. See my video below!! Fill in the characters with the colors of your choosing.

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Who doesn’t love a warm Cinnamon Cake? It has one of those irresistible smells, like the smell when you walk past Mrs. Fields cookies or Cinnabon! This cake is great for dessert, breakfast/brunch or even a snack. I mean what cake isn’t!!!!!

I love a simple dessert, because I am a mom on the go and I don’t have a lot of time on my hands. With two wild boys, who are always on the go I am constantly running around. Everyone has a good intention to make dessert from scratch, but it doesn’t hurt to get a little help from a box mix. There is no shame with that. With seven simple ingredients this cake is fast, fun and oh so delicious!

Ingredients

For The Cake

  • 1 Box of Yellow Cake mix. (I used Duncan Hines – Soy Free!)
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/3 Cup Oil ( I use Canola – again Soy Free)
  • 1 Cup Water

For the Cinnamon Mixture

  • 1/3 Cup melted butter
  • 1/3 Cup light brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Icing

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Grease 9×13 glass dish with butter and flour (you can use baking spray but I avoid that because it has soy). You can also use a metal dish as well. I like to use glass to see how the bottom is baked
  • Follow the instructions on the box of cake to make the cake
  • Pour into dish
  • Melt butter (30 seconds or so)
  • Mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon – Stir it up nice and good!
  • Drizzle over the cake and swirl it around with a knife. See my video below!
  • Bake for 20-24 Minutes
  • Let cool completely
  • I put half a can of Vanilla frosting in a piping bag and used Wilton tip #22
  • The rest of the frosting I put in the microwave for 15 seconds to drizzle on top. Yum! You can be as liberal with the frosting as you want
  • I hope you enjoy this recipe. Come back for more deliciousness!!

Halloween Cookie Cake

I am so excited for Halloween this year! The weather is cool, but not too cold and the leaves are starting to turn. My house is fully decorated and ready to go for Halloween. I absolutely love this time of year; being in the kitchen baking, with a scented candle. It just feels like fall.

Sometimes I get in the mood for a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie and I can’t get it out of my mind! So I decided I am going to make a HUGE chocolate chip cookie, and then make it look like a Jack-o-lantern!! My kids loved the idea and it was so simple and easy to make.

Allergy Friendly

I have a soy, peanut and tree nut allergy. It stinks, right? I am pretty used to it by now and can get around it most of the time without being frustrated with it. You kind of just learn to deal with it. The good news is, there is an increased awareness of food allergies these days and companies are getting more allergy friendly as well. I always use Enjoy Life chocolate chips when baking. People can never tell the difference when I give them baked goods. The ingredients are Cane Sugar, Unsweetened chocolate and Cocoa Butter. They are free from:

  • Gluten
  • Wheat
  • Peanuts
  • Tree Nuts
  • Dairy
  • Casein
  • Soy
  • Egg
  • Sesame
  • and a few others

Ingredients

  • 12 Tablespoons (1.5 sticks) of Salted Butter at room temperature
  • 1 Cup white Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup light brown sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla (I always buy my Vanilla at Costco. For a big bottle it’s the best deal in town, since the cost of Vanilla went way up)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/12 Cups Chocolate Chips ( I use “>Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting
  • 1 Can of “>Wilton Orange Gel Food coloring

Tools Needed

Instructions

  • Cream together the butter and the sugars
  • add in the Eggs and vanilla, mix well but don’t over-beat
  • Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt in a different bowl and then slowly incorporate them into the other mixture
  • Add in the chocolate chips until mixed in
  • Put the dough in the greased pan and press down with spatula and/or spoon to get it evenly spread throughout the pan (see video below)
  • Bake for 18-20 Minutes
  • Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack
  • Let completely cool before you frost

Now For The Frosting…

  • Fill the

Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s Pumpkin Season!

I absolutely love pumpkin desserts! Unfortunately for my husband, he does not. I don’t get it, I literally can’t even get him to try a piece! That is not going to stop me from making them though. Clearly, there are plenty of people that will help me eat these. I took this cake to work and everyone LOVED it!! It didn’t last long!!

Usually, I look for desserts that are EASY to make, and don’t have a lot of ingredients. Once I see a long laundry list of ingredients and directions, I shut down and move on. I turn to box cake mix for a lot of desserts, for a few reasons…it’s quick, it’s easy and did I mention it’s quick and easy?! Additionally, there are so many different flavors you can add to a box of yellow cake mix, and pumpkin is one! This dessert tastes as good as it looks and you can definitely taste all of the flavors. I love how this cake is super moist (thanks to the pumpkin) and the cream cheese frosting gives it an extra creamy texture. I can’t wait for you to try it!

With only 15 minutes of prep time and 25 minutes of baking time, this cake is a real winner in my book!

  • 15 Minute Prep Time
  • 20-25 Minutes Bake Time

Ingredients

  • 1 box Yellow Cake Mix (Use Duncan Hines Yellow Cake for Soy Free!)
  • 1 15-ounce can of Pumpkin
  • 2 Eggs
  • 5 Tablespoons salted butter (softened)
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Teaspoon cinnamon + extra to sprinkle on top!
  • 1 Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1-2 Cans of cream cheese frosting

Directions

  • Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F
  • Grease a 13×9 inch pan (I used butter and Flour, but you can use a baking spray)
  • Mix together butter, cake mix, and eggs
  • Add the pumpin, vanilla and the spices
  • Mix until well incorporated
  • Pour into the dish
  • Bake for 20-25 Minutes
  • Let the cake cool before frosting
  • Decorate with Cream Cheese frosting and sprinkle with cinnamon

How To Decorate The Top

  • #22 Wilton Decorating Tip (my favorite!)
  • Fill a 12″ or 16″ piping bag with the cream cheese frosting
  • I used 1.5 cans to do the top because I was generous with the frosting. If you only want to spread it out with a spatula, 1 can will do.
  • Start at one end of the cake and do a row of swirls, followed by a row of star dots and repeat until the cake is completely frosted
  • Sprinkle with Cinnamon
  • Enjoy!

Fall Is Here!! Let’s make a Cake

Yesterday was the first day that has really felt cold in Michigan. I love fall and have been waiting patiently for sweater weather!! So, I wanted to celebrate what felt like the first day of fall with a fall cake!! 🍂 I sort of winged this cake and I wish I was a little more calculated on what I was doing, but nonetheless it’s still pretty and will get eaten for sure! In my video below I am going to show you how to make a simple, but cute Fall Cake! I used Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake this time, which I LOVE, and Betty Crocker Creamy Vanilla frosting and Chocolate (for the tree). Why would I ever want to dye something brown when you can use Chocolate!!! Yum! With some fall colors this cake surely gives me all the fall feels.

Decorating Cakes can be frustrating, however if you stick to it and have fun with it that is all that matters. I find the initial frosting of the whole cake is the hardest part! Watch the video below to see how this cake came to be!

What I used

Directions

  • Start by first frosting your entire cake with white frosting
  • Pipe on your sunflowers petals, and stems
  • Outline your pumpkin and fill it in!
  • Make your tree trunk and branches then top with leaves
  • Do the border of the cake, and your finished. Easy peasy!

Tips and Tricks

  • If you have any cookie cutters at home, they are great for creating an outline on a cake! If you don’t have any you can always trace around a shape printed on a piece of paper.
  • It always helps to color your frosting at once and have your bags ready to go!
  • #18 Star tip is my FAVORITE decorating tip. It’s easy to control and always looks great!