I have been gathering research on beautiful Wedding Cakes for our new Simplicity Brides Squidoo Lens! Here are some helpful things to know about choosing your cake icing.

Buttercream: This is a favorite of many brides. Its great flavor comes from the creamy mixture of butter, sugar, and egg whites. Different fruits and liqueurs can be added to buttercream to add extra panache. Buttercream can be used for frosting as well as filling. This frosting is best suited for indoor weddings. Buttercream breaks down and melts in heat and humidity.

Fondant: Rolled: Is either made by the cake artist or is ready made. The icing is dough like and is rolled with a smooth clay like appearance and is chewy to taste. The great asset to fondant is that it can be used successfully for outdoor weddings, because it can stand up to the heat.

Sugar Paste or Gum Paste: A stiffest type of fondant, it is a sweet sugar dough that is moldable. It is used to make those beautiful flowers and fruit that adorn cakes. A wonderful benefit of using sugar paste is that you will be able to save some of those beautiful flower creations from your cake and put them in a glass keepsake case you can enjoy for a lifetime.

Chocopan: This frosting is chocolate! It comes in milk, dark and white! This is another good choice for outdoor weddings.

Ganache: This rich, yummy frosting is created by combining chocolate with heavy cream. Be sure not to use this frosting at an outdoor wedding - it will not stand up to heat.

Royal Icing: Can be used for an indoor or outdoor wedding. Royal icing is a combination of sugar and egg whites. This is often used for lace and latticework.

I am not a big cooker. I work a full-time 8-5 job and am a children and wedding photographer, so cooking a big dinner every night is pretty low on my priority list. I am always on the lookout for recipes with 6 ingredients or less, 30 minutes or less to cook and it still taste good. That is why I love Simplicity Gourmet cookware. I can cook a steak and fresh vegetables in 20 minutes tops! Everything tastes so good and I feel better knowing it is healthy for my family. I tell friends all the time about it and I know I sound like an infomercial, but when you find something that you love and are genuinely excited about, you just have to share it.

Again, on behalf of the Simplicity Brides bloggers, we would like to congratulate Kasie Bryant for being one of our winners of the “Name our Girl” contest. Kasie sent her submission for the name “Bella” on June 10, 2008. The marketing team at Simplicity Brides, narrowed the submissions down to the top 5 names and, at our National Conference in June, our teammates and partners voted for the most fitting name for our new brand icon. We agreed that the name meaning “Beautiful” best described the girl who wants to be healthy both on the inside and out. She wants to create a healthy home that lasts a lifetime. Ms. Bella Gourmet is the name! Kasie will receive a $50 American Express Gift Card.

Here is Kasie’s entry:

“No matter what persona we try to show, women are naturally sensitive and delicate. This “new girl” image is the perfect picture of our inner delicacy. Inside, there is beauty in all of us just waiting to be discovered and released. I think her name should be “Bella” which means beautiful. We can be beautiful brides, beautiful wives, beautiful mothers, beautiful lovers, beautiful teachers…… There are endless possibilities to what we can do as women. And the most beautiful part is that this is true and unique for each one of us!”

We would like to thank everyone who submitted their ideas.

On behalf of the Simplicity Brides bloggers, we would like to congratulate Sabrina Rodriguez for being one of our winners of the “Name our Girl” contest. Sabrina sent her submission for the name “Bella” on June 3, 2008. The marketing team at Simplicity Brides, narrowed the list to the top 5 submissions and at our National Conference in June our teammates and partners voted for the most fitting name for our new brand icon. We agreed that the name meaning “Beautiful” best described the girl who wants to be healthy both on the inside and out. She wants to create a healthy home that lasts a lifetime. Ms. Bella Gourmet is the name! Sabrina will receive a $50 American Express Gift Card. We would like to thank everyone who submitted their ideas.

I’m not sure if I’m alone on this but personally, I get confused in grocery stores. Even with the clearly marked aisles, I still have spent many trips aimlessly searching for an item that just doesn’t seem to be where, in my mind, makes the most since. I tended to do most shopping spur of the moment, so, when I would go grocery shopping, I tended to be wearing my work clothes and uncomfortable heels that seem to add more frustration to my searching. I just wasn’t a planner.

I decided to change my ways. In fact, planning ahead has made the entire grocery shopping experience more fun and efficient. Planning is two-fold. First, I know you have heard it before, but making a list helps me prevent forgetting something that I really need and that I would have to return for later. Something else that has been key to my new grocery shopping outlook is mapping. I have mapped my local Kroger. I recently sketched a picture of the aisles and what is found down each one. I used the signs as help but I also indicated those items that I frequently need that seem to be in an unusual spot. This way, when I take time making my list, I simply group the items by where they are found. I make my shopping list section-by section and get through the aisles much quicker without having to back track for items that I forgot.

It may sound simple but, hey… sometimes it takes me a while to catch on.

Everyone loves quesadillas, but do you ever get tired of eating the same old thing the same old way?  If you would like an easy way to kick the flavor in your quesadillas up a notch you should try Darn Good seasoning.  It works like a charm.  To make these quesadillas, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Tortillas (flour, wheat, or your favorite flavor)

Shredded mexican cheese

Butter (substitue Brummel and Brown for fewer calories)

Darn Good Seasoning (all purpose seasoning available at Simplicity Gourmet)

Optional: Chopped chicken or steak -seasoned with Darn Good

Directions:

Mix 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 teaspoons of darn good.  Spread evenly on one side of tortilla.  Place buttered side down into a preheated skillet (med heat).  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Once cheese melts add chopped meat of your choice - steak and chicken work great.  Fold tortilla in half once ingredients are in.  Cook until golden brown.    

These are very easy to make and my children love them.  You can also use Darn Good to spice up your grilled cheese.  Garnish them with sour cream, pico, and or guacamole.  This is an easy dinner, if you had to work late.  It is a great lunch.  You can make them and eat them within 20 minutes.  So if you are eating at home on your lunch break, this works great.  Enjoy!