I too shop at walmart and they are much cheaper than other area grocery stores in Northern Virginia. There meat is excellent and I am very picky. I don't understand the issue someone mentioned before about their "values". That's a little too deep for me. Grocery shopping with great value and prices beats anything moral. I have four kids to feed.
I drink splenda with my coffee every morning. I am still here and no side effects!!!!! Again, too deep. We're talking about sugar here that is served and sold everywhere. Come on...
My best kept secret is to give yourself time and sketch out your cake. CC is a great resource for tips and designs but you can also google cakes and see a vast amount of talented bakers out there. Add almond flavoring to icing and vanilla cake. It gives it a professional taste.
my best kept secret is duck eggs.... I use them in all my cake recepies,and they make the cakes rise a bit more.....and they make the cakes richer.
A woman who runs a duck rescue near where I live happened apon my website(cakesbykhris.com) and emailed me asking if I would be interested in buying any eggs from her; she really had no use for 12 dozen eggs every 2 to 3 weeks. I tried them,and now I swear by them.
Peanut2 had a question a few pages ago I was gonna answer but now I forgot what it was...so did I just create a secret? 
Bakerboi, That duck egg thing is fascinating.
And 4littlewops " Grocery shopping with great value and prices beats anything moral." while I am bandwagon free on the issue I like your style--this user friendly logic cracked me up--so true. I use Splenda but I can't draw and I still can't remember what Peanut 2 wanted to know...maybe 'it's the Splenda?
Hey I'm just teasing and being light hearted --don't mind me--trying for smiles.
Oh wait, my for really best kept secret is that I'm scared of the cupcake thread. Prolly never find my way out.
Just a note... the studies on aspartame are being called into question again because the labs that performed the studies are too closely related to the companies that hired them to perform them. Also, the human body is MUCH more sensitive to the affects of Aspartame than rats, so the results are misleading. The human body can only digest so much of it, after a while it starts to build up, and your body starts to convert it to formaldehyde. There are many side affects from formaldehyde, including symptoms of RLS... as well as Brain tumors, Arthritis, Multiple sclerosis, Epilepsy, Chronic faigue syndrome, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, Mental retardation, Lymphoma, Birth defects, Fibromyalgia, Diabetes, Thyroid Problems...
I could go into the topic of Sucralose too, but won't... here is an excerpt of an article on Sucralose instead...
While it is unlikely that sucralose is as toxic as the poisoning people are experiencing from Monsanato's aspartame, it is clear from the hazards seen in pre-approval research and from its chemical structure that years or decades of use may contribute to serious chronic immunological or neurological disorders.
Sorry for the rant, I just think people are not well informed and they should be 
I personally didn't know about any of this until recently, my Aunt is a certified nutritionist, and I will be going into business with her to make allergy friendly baked goods for her clients, so I've started doing lots of research on all sorts of ingredients 
I use Great Value Apple jelly 1$ from Wal-mart.
Most cake books I have read use Apricot jelly.
I put clear jelly because the jelly needs to be without fruit or any other "floaty"things for lack of a better word.
Kinda funny....I did have a student one time use apple butter to glaze a cake.
Doesn't work.
Anyway with a clear apple or apricot jelly heated in the microwave with 1 tsp of water per 1/2 cup of jelly for @55 sec then brushed onto still warm cake will seal crumbs onto cake preventing them from mixing with your frosting. This eliminates the step of crumb coating with a thin layer of icing.
This also seals the moisture into your cake.
I have never had anyone mention an apple taste in the cake.
Hey, just thought I'd add....
if you read the whole thread about best kept secret then someone put that to level a cake flip the cake onto ? I used wax paper and a pizza stone right after coming out of the oven. So, I prayed my cake wouldn't fall apart and followed the advice for a 10 inch and a 6 inch cake and worked perfectly. Thank-you for posting that "secret".
Icing plug link:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-38404.html
Just thought I'd add about the icing plug....I took a class at Cookies by Design. (a cookie bouquet company that is national) and they used icing plugs too.
My Course one students love them especially since most of them only have 2 decorator icing bags to work with.
Tamara
My best kept secret is my honey cookie recipe; and it will stay that way!!!!!!
My other secret is that almost every sculpted cake needs to be reviewed by my DH before it is covered to make sure that the proportions are right. After 7 year, I still don't trust myself.
haha... Mine too... I have depth perception... proportion perception problems... I tend to think the cake is too small and over cake.
Need I say more?
Kim
Another of our secrets (and I know not everyone has this option):
Personnel specialization
Khris-who is a great baker, wonderful artist, and can apply his skills to decorate beautiful cakes, but doesn't know a balance sheet from a general ledger.
Ron-who knows how to manage a business and is an excellent cook (plus an okay baker...he HATES having to measure ingredients), but couldn't decorate himself out of a piping bag.
Ron (& Khris)
Regarding a request of one of my secrets:
Here is the copy of the forum statement I made regarding my vanilla extract recipe: (I purchase my beans from A*M*A*Z*O*N)
At our local grocery stores, I can buy 2 oz of vanilla for $4.99... imagine how much I am saving when I am spending $36.00 for 1.75 liters of bourbon (which is almost 60 ounces) plus $25.50 for the beans and s/h which comes to a total of $61.50. ... so, 30 times $4.99 equals $149.70 minus the $61.50 I paid for the vanilla beans equals a savings of $88.20. I will take that savings any day!!!!
In one 1.75 liter bottle of bourbon or vodka, place 15 to 20 beans (I use even more, but I like really strong vanilla). Shake it periodically. Keep in cool, dark place.
....plus, you can use your vanilla within 6 weeks after you start it. I prefer to wait and now I just keep myself 6 months ahead. By the way, it makes really great gifts!
Regarding a request of one of my secrets:
Here is the copy of the forum statement I made regarding my vanilla extract recipe: (I purchase my beans from A*M*A*Z*O*N)
At our local grocery stores, I can buy 2 oz of vanilla for $4.99... imagine how much I am saving when I am spending $36.00 for 1.75 liters of bourbon (which is almost 60 ounces) plus $25.50 for the beans and s/h which comes to a total of $61.50. ... so, 30 times $4.99 equals $149.70 minus the $61.50 I paid for the vanilla beans equals a savings of $88.20. I will take that savings any day!!!!
In one 1.75 liter bottle of bourbon or vodka, place 15 to 20 beans (I use even more, but I like really strong vanilla). Shake it periodically. Keep in cool, dark place.
....plus, you can use your vanilla within 6 weeks after you start it. I prefer to wait and now I just keep myself 6 months ahead. By the way, it makes really great gifts!
I go through to much bourbon as it is now. i certainly don't need any more around LOLOLOL 
Mike
Your husband calls cc cake porn. roflmbo. now that is funny. I am addicted to this place If my intrenet is down I'm like I dont know what do do. I even saved my recipes in my files so I can get to them in case I cant get on line. I need a back up. Now I may save this thread so I have that too.
hmmm...my best kept secrets...share them...i don't know...
...just kidding!
don't have a lace mold...place any piece of lace with your gumpaste or fondant through the pasta machine...voila!
i never refrigerate a fondant covered cake...condensation can occur when you defrost or bring the cake to room temperature and can destroy the finish of the fondant.
when i take a cake out of the freezer, i put it in a cardboard box (not a cake box) while it is coming to room temperature. The cardboard collects the moisture.
i whip cream when it's cold and in a stainless steel bowl set in a larger bowl filled with ice and a little water.
i whip egg whites with 1 tsp water over heat...gets it started quicker and makes it more stable.
i add a pinch of salt to my chocolates...makes the flavor stand out more.
i put my vanilla bean in the sugar and let it sit for days. i use it in all my recipes.
o.k...i'm not sharing anymore... 
!! I'll have to save my recipes and things on a different file so I can feel a little more secure 
nefcook21 - I had no idea what an icing plug was either!
I don't have any secrets yet, I'm still learning yours!
My DH cracks me up, he calls CC "cake porn" because I'm up late at night reading and looking at pictures!!
LMBO!!!!! My DH calls it "cake crack"!!! He says that all it took for me was one hit and I was hooked!!! LOL!! He's pretty much right too!! I with all of ya'll that CC is my best kept secret!!! LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
wow these "secrets" are great...isn't that how we all learn so much here? sharing is caring
Wish I had more to share, but my secret to level cakes it that before putting the pan in the oven, I take my off-set spatula and 1 quick swipe around the pan to make the batter level. It makes the cakes come out so much smoother and level.
All of my other secrets I learned here....
To answer your questions about Walmart, there was an e-mail going around quite some time ago that really nailed Walmart for a whole host of reasons. A couple that stand out in my mind is that they will build in a new location and when they first open they undercut their prices, selling items for less than the market value, which drives any local business that cannot compete out of business. Of course you shop there because the prices are so low. They can do that because they are so huge! Then when there's no more competition and you're completely hooked, prices level out and they move on the the next city. Also there's been talk of some labor issues as well. Women and minorities being paid less or something. I'm not saying any of this is or is not true, I'm just trying to answer the questions that have been posed about Walmarts "values".
Most of my best "secrets" were found here on CC!
A few of my favorite tips:
When making a lot of fondant that is one color, tint the liquid before you put the powdered sugar in it. SOOOOO much easier than all that kneading!
Put a square of styofoam in the bottom of cake delivery boxes and then insert bamboo skewers into the styro, all around the cake board (tilted slightly away from the cake) to hold the board perfectly still during transport.
Making your own fondant molds out ot gumpaste. Example: I wanted a small car in a very specific shape. Bought the Matchbox toy version, pressed it into some soft gumpaste in a small plastic container, waited for gumpaste to harden (yes, it takes a long time), and then dusted with cornstarch and used it to mold my fondant car. Worked great!
Only use Magic Line pans. Edges are never over-baked! I'll never go back to other pans.
Since I am from KY, I love to support my commonwealth's products in my cooking and baking.... thus, I love Maker's Mark Bourbon for making my vanilla or the cheaper bourbons (such as W. L. Weller Bourbon made in Frankfort, KY). A loyal Kentuckian!
Actually, any bourbon or vodka (I use the cheaper Smirnoff or Absolut) will do.
What is really funny is that I do not drink and hard liquor is not available for purchase in my county... so I ask my son to pick it up for me when he is in Lexington or Louisville (he is a SB minister... so it is pretty funny to all of us for him to go into a liquor store for his mother's "cooking liquor")
What is even funnier is that I use this vanilla in all of my baking for the church (if they only knew!)
About the sweet & low/Equal and splenda.....all that is that bad for you? Because we are drinking sugar free fruit punches like crazy in this house and my girls put splenda on their Cheerios instead of real sugar. What am I going to do? I have 3 girls, all built like me ( read: big belly
) and am trying to impart healthier eating habits. I realize fresh fruits and vegetables are better choices but what are we supposed to drink? My kids can't drink just water (it gets boring, even for me) and fresh juice is pricey, soda is cr*p, milk isn't very refreshing in 100 degree weather......HELP!
Homemade smoothies are best. You can use frozen strawberries and lots of banana, blend them with very less water or no water add some lemon juice, store it in fridge for a week. Want juice, add some water with ice and little bit sugar and use it. Want smoothie, add milk, mix and add ice (don't even need sugar here).
Lemonade or limeade can be made very easily too. You can use bottled juice if you don't have time to squeeze by yourself. Add water, sugar just so that it is drinkable, not too much. And a tsp of cardamom powder. Heavenly. Keep it in fridge for a week and use.
I don't know if you and your girls will like it, but I make buttermilk at home. With homemade yogurt. Add water, blend it in blender little bit of salt. This can be kept for 5 -7 days in refrigerator. Very refreshing if you like the taste of it and not fattening too. (Yogurt is made using 2% milk)
Another one is famous indian Lassi. (I am an indian) Blend the yogurt without adding water and add a tsp of salt (to taste) and a tbsp of sugar. Add lots of ice cubes and drink. You can make variations to this by adding mango puree (you can get these in can in asian grocery stores) . You don't have to add sugar here since the puree has sugar in it.
HTH
Wow Valli_War!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! The Lassi sounds wonderful! I will have to give it a try! Thanks again!
don't have a lace mold...place any piece of lace with your gumpaste or fondant through the pasta machine...voila!
Thanks for the tip! I just bought a pasta machine and am amazed at all the cool things I can do with it.
As for Wal-mart, don't even get me started. I refuse to shop there anymore b/c I always get treated like dirt. I would rather pay a few pennies more and get treated with respect and like a human being. Besides, between Meijers, Target, Giant Eagle, and Krogers and awesome fuel perks at GE I end up paying no more than at Walmart for better customer quality.
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