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Modern Buttercream with Craftsy

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This post brought to you by Craftsty // I LOVE learning new skills and one of my go to places for that is… Craftsy. Have you discovered Craftsy yet? Craftsy is your premiere online learning resource for anything creative. They have sewing, knitting, jewelry making, cooking and cake decorating to name just a few. They have gathered top experts in their field to create high quality classes for you to enjoy and learn from right in your home and on your own time schedule. The other day I took one of their free classes that they have available, Modern Buttercream…

Now, I'm no stranger to cake making, but… I am no expert. I am self taught, I have been dying to learn how to make my cakes look a little more professional. I knew it was time to take a class, but who has time to take a class? I sure don't. That's why Craftsy is perfect! I logged onto my class while sitting on my couch in my PJ's with Gage (my three year old tag along) hanging out with me. It was perfect, I didn't have to find a babysitter or even get dressed. I was able to learn the finer points of creating a buttercream cake from Joshua John Russell. He is an amazing cake artist who I've been watching for several years on the Food Network. He is super talented and a fabulous teacher…

I am blown away every time a take a class through Craftsy. They are indepth and create a class that you can really learn from. I learned a ton from Joshua. Like how to carve a cake so that it not only looks good, but tastes even better too.

I have always used a "buttercream" that is simple to make, but it's not a real buttercream. In this class Joshua teaches how to make a traditional Swiss Buttercream and then how to frost your cake so that it looks like a professional decorated it. Another tip I learned, drizzle a simple syrup on your cake before you assemble. this way your cake stays nice and moist…

I was able to watch right along with Joshua on my iPad while I worked right along with him…

Craftsy even has their very own app so it's even easier to watch your classes on your mobile device. 

I was able to practice my carving skills (which I still need more practice.) 

Then I practiced my crumb coating skills. Do you know why you use a crumb coat? You'll have to come take the class to find out.

Then I did my final coat and a simple decoration and a rustic finish for my first  buttercream cake…

It turned out pretty good, but I'm ready for some more practice so I can make a cake just like Joshua. The nice thing… it tasted amazing! I did add a little more sugar to his buttercream recipe because I like my buttercream a little sweeter, but overall this class was excellent. I am going to work on another autumn themed cake this weekend to practice my skills. I'll let you know how it turns out next week. In the mean time… You should head over to Craftsy and take one of their free classes to see how amazing the platform is. They have this Modern Buttercream class and Fondant and Hand Painted Cake classes… You'll be amazed!! 

Come back next week for my second cake, I have a few more secret tips that I will be sharing!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Craftsy. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Turkey, Pear & Brie Sandwich with Hidden Valley™ Ranch Oven Roasted Garlic Sandwich Spread

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A few years ago my family and I traveled to Europe and spent several weeks traveling in Germany and France. While we were there I fell head over heels in LOVE with their rustic style sandwiches. They are always simple with layers of flavor created by using the finest ingredients. They always start with a nice crusty bread and then, the magic is up to you. You pick the scrumptious fresh veggies or even fruit in this case. Find some fine cuts of meat and your favorite cheese and then tie the whole sandwich together with a lovely spread.  When the folks at Hidden Valley™ asked me to create a sandwich using one of their new line of Hidden Valley™ Ranch Sandwich Spreads, I knew right off the bat exactly what I was going to make. A rustic turkey, pear & Brie sandwich on a crusty French loaf with a spread of their new Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan spread to tie it all together.

This sandwich is so simple and yet full of complex flavors. First, I sliced a nice crusty loaf of French bread length wise and spread some of the tasty Hidden Valley™ Ranch Oven Roasted Garlic Sandwich Spread on the bread…

Made with cream cheese and white beans, the Hidden Valley™ Sandwich Spreads & Dips are low fat with one-third the calories of mayonnaise and only two grams of fat per serving. You can't go wrong with that AT ALL!! Next, I layered the turkey, pear, brie & some parmesan shavings onto the bread…

Then all you need to do top off the sandwich with the bread, slice and serve. This is a perfect sandwich to share with a group of friends. Slice it on the bias and your have a beautiful presentation showing off all the lovely layers of this rustic treat…

Serve with a bowl of olives and some bagel chips along side a bowl with some extra sandwich spread. It's a perfect dip as well!!

Hidden Valley’s line of new Sandwich Spreads & Dips will take your boring sandwich routine to another level. With new flavors like Spicy Chipotle Pepper and Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan, your mouth will be thanking you and you’ll be on your way to delivering sandwich-envy.
 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hidden Valley Ranch. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Back to School Shopping with Gordmans // Enter to win $1000

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This post brought to you by Gordmans // I think my kids rank back to school shopping right below Christmas. It's one of their favorites times of the year. Quite frankly it's one of mine too. I always loved going back to school shopping as a kid too. As the Mom it's a little more stressful. It's so fun to help your kiddos come up with some fun new outfits for the first few days of school, however watching the dollar signs add up, can put a little pinch into the fun. This week I had the fun opportunity to learn about a "new to me" store… Gordmans.

Hales a.k.a. Lil'Whip and I headed over to Gordmans armed with $25 to see what we could find. When we first walked in we were greeted with a fun, bright store full of thousands of outfit options. The whole store is packed with current trends at a fraction of the price of department stores. Gordmans prides themselves on delighting the shopper with a BIG selection and even BIGGER discounts in a fun and friendly environment. They have a cute section called Gormans Giggles where the kiddos can have fun while you are shopping in a colorful children's theater. They even have the Grandstand in the men's section where dad can watch sports while you are shopping. That just means so much more time for you to shop!!

It didn't take long before Hales found two shirts that she totally fell in love with. 

Both of these shirts were $16.99 a steal of deal if you ask me! The best part… Gordmans has a fabulous new rewards program called gRewards and we racked up points with this purchase for our next shopping trip. For ever dollar spent we earned 1 point once we reach 200 points we earn a $10 reward. 

Looking for even better deals at Gormans? You can join their mailing list and learn about all of their fabulous deals and in-store events. They have a whole bunch of fun Back to School events coming up that you won't want to miss!! 

Here's how our shopping trip turned out… Hales now has two great tops for the start of school and she is THRILLED!!

Do your kiddos like back to school shopping or is it a dreaded task? Come share for a chance to win $1000 from Gordmans!

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Gordmans. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Gordmans.  The opinions and text are all mine.