RaniMaria : things I love

Anyone who has ever frosted a cake knows there are times when the icing will pull apart the top of the cake and cake crumbs get will into the frosting. To stop this from occurring, you should start with a crumb coat. This is the same icing that you are using to frost the cake, but it has been thinned down a bit. That way you will cover any part of the cake that might crumb with a thin layer of icing, and it will give you a base over which you will put a regular coat of icing. Take care that you do not make the icing too thin. It should be thinned down just enough to cover the cake without tearing it and picking up crumbs.

After you apply the crumb coat to the cake, you need to let it set about 2 hours or more before you apply the rest of the icing. In fact it should rest in the refrigerator, and can be kept there overnight before you need to add more icing. It is okay if you see crumbs in the crumb coat, they will be stuck in this first layer of icing and will not effect the next layer of icing. The cold will set the icing and it will be a cinch to ice after that.

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I remember my mother making fruit cake, she would use candied cherries that she would buy them in little air tight containers. They came in two colors, red and green, but they did not have the best taste. The candied fruit available now is much more beautiful and tastier than it was then. Trust me it isn’t just for fruitcakes anymore.

Making your own candied fruit to use as a garnish for dishes, in cookies, as a snack, and in cake decorating. Making candied fruit is a simple process. You infuse fruits and citrus peelings in a sugar syrup. You can candy orange wedges, orange peel, lemon peel, grapefruit peel, pineapple and fresh cherries. You can also candy fruits, such as carrots for carrot cake decorating.

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When you begin cake decorating, you can get by with a heavy duty mixer, icing tips, icing bags, cake pans, ready made or recipes for homemade royal icing, mixing bowls, spatulas, and metal icing spatulas. Later on you will want to spread your wings and expand your cake decorating and baking inventory. Below are some of the items you may want to purchase.

1. Rolled Fondant Icing White Vanilla, 2 pounds - $8.88. Rolled Fondant cake icing is a premium quality, non-stick, icing that is pliable and can be rolled out for cake decorating with a rolling pin or mechanical sheeter. This Fondant produces a satiny smooth and elegant finish to any cake. This product can also be used as a modeling paste to create decorative flat or 3-D pieces for your cake decoration.

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After you have baked the cake, and it has cooled, the next step is decorating the cake. While this can be a fun and pleasurable task, this is also the step that takes a bit of skill and patience. I hope, these tips will allow you to have more fun decorating your cake.

Let’s begin with the basics. The cake decorating tips that are essential and things that you need to know before you. You will need a workplace that will afford enough room to be able to decorate your cake without being cramped. You also need to be away from disturbances and you will not need to move away from because you will be in the way of others. The first thing to know about cake decorating, is the fact that the cake must be completely cooled before you make any attempt to decorate. If the cake is still warm, you will run into many problems.

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There is a magic about a beautifully decorated cake at a gathering. Whether it is a birthday cake or a 4 tier wedding cake. A work of art in confection is the centerpiece of any special occasion. While it is a long haul from spreading canned frosting on a sheet cake, to creating a work of art that will stop the show, it is a fun and rewarding experience to travel the road.

There are mentors that can help you to discover the beauty of buttercream, since the new resurgence of interest in cake decorating. There are several cake decorating clubs. One of the oldest cake decorating clubs, The Fremont Frosters, to one of the newest , The Contra Costa Cake and Sugar Society.

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Baby showers are usually a light hearted and fun way to congratulate the soon-to-be mom and give a gift to the baby. The cake should make a statement about the baby and what you wish for the family.

There are several different types of icing to use on this type of cake.

Quick Buttercream

1 pound sweet unsalted butter
1 pound icing fondant
1/2 tsp vanilla
Yields
2 pounds 3 cups

Use a flat beater or mixer to cream the butter. Add fondant gradually while beating.
Time - about 12 minutes

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When it comes to choosing a diamond for your next piece of fine jewelry, there are four factors to consider when shopping for this stone. Think of them as the four “C’s”; color, cut, carat, and clarity. This article will primarily deal with diamond clarity, in terms of how to evaluate this feature to get the best stone for your next ring or pendant. There are many variations of diamonds, and the variations will affect the look and the value of the stone.

Diamond clarity is important because it will determine whether your stone will sparkle brilliantly or remain dull and lifeless in your jewelry piece. Some jewelers will even attest to the fact that diamond clarity is the most important factor in selecting your diamond. Clarity can affect the brilliance of your stone, but usually only when the flaws are obvious in nature. It is also important to note that diamond clarity is only significant when it is seen in relation to the other factors that affect the quality of your gem.

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How good is this?  I’ve just come across a website called www.freebiesource.com that is dedicated to bringing you the drum on Free Stuff.  And not just any free stuff, I tell you.  The kind of free stuff that you want!  Sure, a free purple bean bag picked up from the side of the road on trash night might be nice if you’re a college student, but what about free diet kit samples or free brand name health products.  These are pretty good Student Freebies! Check out this site and sign up for the free (there’s that word again) newsletter or RSS feed.

Basically, the way it works is that anyone who has a web based free offer can upload it to the site and make it available to you and I.  Some of the Freebies available at the moment are a free duffle bag when signing up for the In Our Town mailing list, free samples of Coffeemate, free installation of a Satellite Dish, Napster and Blockbuster tree trials, Pandora Internet Radio free trials and more.

There are free coupons, free samples and loads of trial offers.  When I clicked on the Top Freebie link, the top freebie was a ‘frog’ pacifier lol!  I also saw free monitor wipes (I hate it when people poke my screen with their grubby fingers ew) and a free baby care kit.

This site is totally worth check out and signing up to – money is tight for everyone at the moment, so it’s worth spending a bit of time online to find ways to stretch your budget further.

I remember when I was a kid and all the women wore beautiful diamond engagement rings and standard gold wedding bands maybe with a design on them. All the guys wore just plain gold wedding bands usually with the date of his wedding inscribed on the inside of it. It never even occurred to me that you could put diamonds in the gold bands and, obviously, it didn’t occur to anyone else either as diamond wedding bands used to be almost impossible to find.

Fast forward to my adult years and now I see diamond wedding bands all over the place. Nearly every wedding I have been in as an adult has seen the bride with a beautiful diamond engagement ring and then, as part of a matching set, a beautiful diamond wedding band. I am not sure if this is something new to the rest of the world but it certainly was something new to me. I really liked the look of diamonds set into a woman’s wedding band and I think the notion of a wedding ring set really adds a look of continuity and beauty to a woman’s wedding ring ensemble. Then I was introduced to a man’s diamond wedding band.

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Diamond watches are the epitome of luxury and class. They are high end pieces of jewelry which combine a classic watch with a specially crafted diamond and gold design on the bezel of the case. There is a subtle air of elegance in most of them which hints at understated wealth.

Not all diamond watches are so mute in their styles. On the contrary, sometimes the less expensive ones are more obvious in their showiness. The number of diamond in a watch also varies. Some may be studded around the dial, whereas others may have small diamonds instead of numerals. Some may go further to have both and on the strap!

Diamond watches can be specific for men or women or unisex in style. Many top end and mid range watch brands have dress watches for special occasions. The prices can vary from five hundred dollar to twenty five thousand or more.

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