Here’s an update for all of you Facebookers out there…
As I had mentioned before, Secret Ingredients had joined the popular age of networking and created a Facebook group which I encouraged you all to join. Well, with a little more work and investigating, we’ve moved on up and now we have our own page that you can become a fan of:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TheSecretIngredientscom/29409952571?ref=share

Same great stuff, plus more, and a cooler look! Check us out, and become a FAN!

That’s it for me, until next time…
Ashley

Get started early on your Holiday shopping and save some bucks! It’s time for our Early Bird Special on Keepsake Cookbooks. Here are the magic codes:

* $5 off your order of 10+ Keepsakes: Use promo code HighFive.
* $15 off your order of 15+ Keepsakes: Use promo code Snowflake.
* $25 off your order of 20+ Keepsakes: Use promo code HolidayCheer.

All of the above coupons expire on October 31, 2008. Please email us if you have any questions. We’re glad to help!

Have a great day,
Kate

Secret Ingredients has joined the networking age… we’re on Facebook!

Not only do you all have our website and the Blog, but now you can reach us via Facebook too. For those of you that have Facebook accounts, click here and join our group (and tell your friends to join too).

The Secret Ingredients Facebook Group will be an extension of the blog and represent a foody community. You all will get to read the stuff we want to share with you like company updates, important information about our products and services, and other fun food stuff, plus you also get to comment and communicate with other group members.

That’s it for me, until next time…
Ashley

Thanks to Ashley for covering the blog this summer! Today is the first day of fall, and I’m back to blogging. Not to worry– Ashley will still be appearing on our blog regularly. After all, she’s the one with the recipes and fun stories!

There’s a lot happening at Secret Ingredients. We’ve worked diligently to get our Heirloom Cookbooks back up and running in time for Christmas. We’re getting closer each week and hope to reveal them in the next month. We appreciate your understanding and patience, as this overhaul has taken much longer than expected. We promise that it’s worth the wait!

For those of you who already have Heirloom accounts with us, you will receive an email as soon as we’re up and running. We’ve changed the process to make things much better for you. Our team will be ready to help you if you have any questions about this new release. You can look forward to receiving a cookbook preview before your order goes to print. We’re also very excited to show you our new dividers. The divider themes are still the same, but your photographs will be printed directly on them!

Be sure to stay tuned to the blog in the upcoming weeks. We will be posting promo codes soon for our annual Early Bird Holiday Shoppers!

Have a great evening,
Kate

Today I had the great opportunity of joining Victoria Dunkle in the Craft Corner on WLOS ABC News 13  in Asheville, NC.  During the segment, I demonstrated how to make your own handmade wedding keepsakes.  Check it out!

To see the video and learn how to make your own recipe keepsakes, go to WLOS’ Craft Corner.  Click on “Handmade Wedding Keepsakes” on the Video List which is on the lefthand side of the page.

Handmade recipe keepsakes make wonderful wedding gifts and Mother’s Day gifts.  Of course, if you would like to make a larger keepsake, the Secret Ingredients team can help you!  Keepsake Cookbooks include a personalized Dedication page, one full color photograph, and as many recipes as you like!  Our new Wedding Keepsakes will launch at the beginning of April.

Last Friday I appeared on the KGUN (ABC-9) morning show in Tucson, Arizona. I shared my favorite holiday recipe, Rum Cakes, with the audience and the crew. They were a huge hit! Not only are these cakes the perfect size to give your favorite people as a holiday treat, but they are also incredibly yummy… and, well, a little addictive!

Secret Ingredients Rum Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 (18.5 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum Glaze:
1/4 pound butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup rum

Directions:

Grease and flour bundt pans. Sprinkle nuts over the bottom of the pans. MIx all cake ingredients. Pour batter over nuts. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Prepare glaze while cake is in the oven.

For the Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum. Cool cakes. Invert on serving plate. Prick top. Drizzle and smooth glaze over top and sides. Allow cakes to absorb glaze. Repeat until all glaze is used. Be sure to enter our contest for your chance to win one of ten FREE Secret Ingredients Heirloom Cookbooks!