I have to admit I skip over recipes if it calls for addition of either of these two since I love to make things from scratch and I am not familiar with either of their tastes or consistencies ....so...what recipes do you use to substitute these with?

Ok..maybe my question should ask for "just let me know what are the consistencies" and I will compare it to what I currently have. Does FP crust? Is Bettercreme similiar to a cream horn pastry cream filling?

Bettercreme and PP are frozen liquid nondairy whipped toppings that are stable at room temp once they've been whipped. They have the consistency of a thick whipped cream, since that's what they are meant to replace. Much like Cool Whip, but Cool Whip must stay refrigerated.

I prefer homemade treats with natural ingredients, but I must admit, Bettercreme tastes good and is so convenient when you aren't sure how the cake will be stored. Pastry Pride, IMO, has a weird, chemically aftertaste and leaves a film in my mouth, so I won't use it.

I can't recall if people were tossing around ideas for homemade Bettercreme in the Bettercreme Fun thread http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-601193.html so you may have to skim through all 8 million pages of that thread . People are often looking for a way to replicate it at home because it can be hard to find, yet they need a light, whipped icing that can sit out for hours or even days at a time.