I know there’s probably only two people I haven’t told but I’ve been engaged for two weeks now! I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. Although it’s a bit early, I have already started planning quite a bit. We won’t be getting married for a year but there is so much to do. I have to admit I’m enjoying every minute of it! I can’t wait to try on dresses; I have already found one that I think might be “the one”. I have signed up on about three websites to use all the neat tools available…you never know what to sign up for because of all the scams out there.

I am defenitely going to register with Simplicity Brides for my china. I’m going to my first bridal show as an actual bride next weekend and I’m sooo excited! I’ll get to see all the vendors and get information and ideas. The best thing that I have found with going to bridal shows with other people is that they give away a lot of free stuff. I will try and keep everybody updated as much as possible and if anybody has any tips on planning a wedding, PLEASE, share them with me.

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I made the yummiest breakfast Saturday morning and I want to share a little tip that put it over the top and was so simple! I was watching The Barefoot Contessa and she made a special breakfast brunch with maple glazed bacon. One of the things I loved was that I didn’t have to stand over the stove and watch and flip the bacon. My husband loved, loved, loved the maple bacon. As you read the recipe below note that I didn’t use thick cut bacon and I turned my oven on 350 degrees. You have to try this! It was fantastic and of course we dined outside on our deck, my favorite place to eat. It was a beautiful morning!

So…did you know that once a month, the local Nashville, TN office has a FREE cooking class for all current Simplicity Gourmet customers?!? Each month, we all gather and our resident expert waterless cooking gurus (Erica, Stella, Phillip, Bobby, or me) cook through 5-6 meals in about 2 hours. Pretty fancy, huh? J

In all seriousness, we have an incredible time together each month. We review care and cleaning tips, introduce new products, and always have a class special to get you wish list items at an amazing price. Each participant gets a full recipe packet to take home and gets to sample all the tasty foods prepared.

For me, personally, what I have gained most from cooking schools is just the opportunity to really sew into the lives of my customer’s and visa-versa. I sincerely look forward to seeing them each and every month and miss them when one of our regulars has to be absent. Many of our customer’s have become much more than that to me; I am honored to call them my friends as well. Recently, we’ve all started emailing and calling about waterless cooking ideas and experimenting together to create something new…company and customer working together to get the most out of a lifetime product. Even after all these years, many of us veterans are still learning new and interested tricks of the cookware. For example, Erica and I recently learned how to boil an egg without using any water which, in turn, we demonstrated at our last cooking school.

So, if you’ve discovered some handy waterless cooking tricks or yummy unique recipes, tell us! We would love to get the word out – and of course give you all the credit! J If you are in the Nashville, TN area,  we would love to have you join us! We have four classes left for the rest of year for 2008: July 19, August 23, September 20, and November 8. Contact us at info@simplicitygourmet.com to get more information and to confirm your seats. See you soon!

Hugs! ~ Miss K

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Pink Apron Preview, hosted by Simplicity Brides, received a warm thank you from an attendee recently; I just wanted to share…

From: marshell sartor [mailto:bubblesthe1unv@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2008 4:36 PM
To: Info
Subject: his and hers aprons

Hello,

My name is Marshell Sartor.  I wanted to send this email to thank simplicity gourmet for the inviting me to the show and for the vacation package and also the free his and her aprons.  So here it goes: Thank you very much!

from Marshell

Life is hectic! Therefore, I try to simplify my life as much as I can.  The only way that I know how to do this is with organization.  I realized one day how much time I can save everyday if I just became organized.  In my kitchen, everything has a home.  I use plastic drawer organizers and plastic totes to keep my cabinets and drawers tidy.  In my pantry, I put like items together (this helps with overspending at the supermarket as well).  I used to spend so much time searching for things.  Now, I can spend that extra time with my family.  Simplicity at its best is my steam mop.  I never realized what a task mopping was until I found this mop.  All I have to do is plug it in, add distilled water, and mop.  When I am finished I throw the detachable cloth in my washing machine and I’m finished.  The best thing is that I was able to eliminate my bucket and floor cleaner, therefore leaving me a little more space and a little less clutter.    

Get organized today and have more time to do the things that you really want to tomorrow.  Start organizing one room at a time.  Take fifteen minute breaks to organize a drawer or two and that daunting task becomes extremely manageable. Before you know it, it’s all over and your life is much less hectic!

During the summer months, the heat gets the best of everything.  It gets hot outside, inside, and sometimes you just can’t escape it.  Unfortunately the heat can make smells worse than ever.  I am such a clean freak that smells just drive me crazy and sometimes our kitchen sinks just STINK! So, I am always looking for those effective cleaning tips to bring simplicity into my life.  So LADIES, here is a little secret of mine to help clean those stinky kitchen sinks:

Pour down several quarts of boiling water to flush out grease. Do double-duty by adding 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain; then sprinkle more baking soda in the sink to scrub clean.

The best part about this cleaning tip is the products you use are cheap and most everyone has them already on hand.  So, here’s to keeping the kitchen sink clean and to bringing that word I love “Simplicity” back into our lives!

After a Iong day at work, all I wanted to do was enjoy a wonderful home-cooked meal outside on my back deck. I love to dine outside!! So, I looked in my pantry to see what I could cook quickly and then spend the evening outside. I settled on making Angelino’s Gourmet cheese and bacon stuffed ravioli using my 3 qt sauce pan. To get started, I filled the pot ¾ full with water and let it boil on medium high heat. I simply dumped in my pasta, put the lid on (whistle closed), turned the burner off, and let it stand for 12 mins. It was perfect al dente finished.

While the pasta was cooking, I made my sauce. I poured 1 jar of Ragu into my 2 quart saucepan, half a container of Buitoni Pesto Basil paste, and 1 cup grated parmesan cheese. I let that warm on medium low, stirring occasionally, while the pasta cooked. This dish is so yummy if you grate the parmesan cheese fresh but you can use canned if you like. Also, you can use any sauce you want because you enhance the flavor with your additions. To top the meal off, I made a salad with fresh mixed greens, fresh raspberries, and a sprinkle of pine nuts with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  To drink, I decided some fresh lemonade to wash it all down would be the perfect addition. And…Viola! I had a fast, easy, and fabulous dinner that allowed me to get outside quickly and enjoy some special quality time and great conversation with my oh so cute hubby!

So….everyone has felt the need to give you their yummy 4th of July fare, so I feel obliged to as well! Having been in the gourmet cooking industry for over four years now, I must inform you my palette has not quite caught up with the sophistication of my knowledge of food. There is still nothing more that I enjoy that a plump, juicy hot dog…I just can’t help myself! I don’t know if I was deprived of hot dogs as a wee little one or that I simply have just never grown out of my love for them (I’m banking on the latter suggestion). To accompany my love of hot dogs is a definite love for all things “cheesy”; there is not a better compliment in the world to hot dogs than creamy, homemade mac & cheese. To top off the patriotic holiday, I feel the need to share my favorite red, white, and blue dessert that also incorporates all of my favorite Southern Summertime fruits. I hope you enjoy your time with your family and friends and take time out to enjoy some good food and fireworks too. So, with no further ado…

BEER DOGS

UTENSILS: 3 qt Saucepan & 3 qt Colander (use the 6 qt and Large Colander for more than 8 hot dogs), Griddle

INGREDIENTS:

2 bottles of beer, any kind

2 pkgs All Beef Hot Dogs 

(1 Bottle of Beer per 1 pkg of hot Dogs)

Olive Oil Butter

Hot Dog Buns

INSTRUCTIONS:

Butter the inside of each side of the hot dog buns. Heat the griddle on Medium heat. Meanwhile, pour the beer into the saucepan and place the colander inside the pan. Put the hot dogs into the colander and cover with a whistle lid. Set the burner to medium heat. When the whistle sounds, close the whistle and turn the burner to low. Allow to steam for approximately 10-12 minutes. While the hot dogs are cooking, toast the buns on the griddle. Serve with all of your favorite fixings and enjoy!

MAC & CHEESE

UTENSILS: 8 qt Dutch Oven, 2 qt saucepan, 2 qt double boiler, 7″ Santoku Chef Knife

INGREDIENTS:

2 pkgs Egg Noodles

3 Cups (24 oz) of Velveeta Cheese, Cubed

1 Pint of Heavy Whipping Cream (may sub half and half)

1/2 Cup Olive Oil Butter

Darn Good Seasoning

Salt & Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Using the Chef Knife, cube the cheese and set aside. Fill the Dutch Oven 3/4 full with water; sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil on Medium-High heat (it’s important to boil your water first when working with egg noodles - they’ll turn to mush if you put them in cold water). Fill the 2 qt with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil on Medium-High Heat. When the water boils on the 2 qt, reduce to Medium Low and pop in the double boiler. Add the cheese, cream, & butter to the double boiler. When the water boils in the Dutch Oven, add the noodles, stir, cover, and turn the burner off. Allow to stand covered until the cheese sauce is prepared. Continue to cook the cheese sauce on Medium Low heat until all of the cheese is melted. Sprinkle in salt, pepper, & Darn Good to your taste. Drain the noodles and add them back to the Dutch Oven. Pour in the Cheese Sauce to coat the noodles well. Serve and enjoy.

WILD BERRY CRUMBLE

Utensils:

Large Skillet

Ingredients:

4 Cups Fresh Mixed Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries,

Raspberries)

2 TBSP Brown Sugar

2 TBSP White Sugar

2 TBSP Corn Starch Slurry (dissolved in 1/8 cup warm water)

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix

1 can whipped topping

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the berries and sugars. Toss until well coated. Pour the berry mixture into a cold large skillet and cover. Cook on medium heat until the whistle sounds. Uncover and whisk in the cornstarch slurry until well blended and the mixture thickens. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top of the berries evenly and recover, whistle closed. Reduce the temperature to Medium Low and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to low and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes longer. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping.  Use a spring of mint, a slice of strawberry and a blueberry for garnish for your red, white, & blue treat! 

I ran across these recipes and I thought I should share them with everyone. I’m sure there will be a lot of cooking this weekend. I’m going to spend most of the 4th in the car on my way back from Oklahoma…it’s a small price to pay though because I get to go watch one of my friends marry the man of her dreams! Because the 4th of July isn’t really the time for gourmet food here are some simple recipes:

American Casserole

Utensils: Electric Skillet, Master Kut

Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts                      

                   16 oz. fresh or frozen broccoli, chopped

                   6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

                   2,10 oz. cans broccoli cheese soup

                   1 large potato, shredded on the #1 cone (or 1 pkg broccoli-cheese Lipton rice sides)

Preheat the skillet on medium-high for 3 minutes. Cut the chicken into 1-inch strips. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until brown; the chicken will stick to the skillet at first, but will release juices and loosen as it cooks. Add the soup, broccoli and potato (or rice packet) and mix well. Cook over medium heat until water beads around the edge (whistle sounds on the Large Skillet). Reduce the temperature to Simmer (Close the whistle and reduce heat to low if using the large Skillet). Cook for 5 minutes longer. Unplug the skillet (remove from heat if using the large skillet) and sprinkle with the cheese, using the #1 cone to shred. Cover and let stand for 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve as a casserole or in flour tortillas.

Bread Pudding

Utensils:  Electric Skillet

Ingredients:  2 ripe bananas                           1 cup raw sugar

                     3 egg whites                              1 cup evaporated milk

                     1 tbsp. Canola Oil                      1 cup chopped walnuts

                     1 tsp. vanilla extract

                     8 slices of whole wheat, or white bread (coarsely chopped)

Prepare the ingredients ready for use. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except the egg white. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Set the electric skillet to 225 degrees and spray with cooking spray. Pour batter into the skillet evenly and cover. Cook for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle of the pudding comes out clean.

The summer is one of the most fun times to entertain throughout the year. Whether it is in the backyard for a grill out, a gathering at the beach, relaxing on the deck or a picnic in the park with friends, it is just fun to spend time enjoying good company and conversation during the long days of summer. Summertime lends itself to a more casual relaxed type of dining and entertaining.  I enjoy the fun beverages of summer.  There are so many to choose from and with most having at least 2 variations. I have discovered the fun and thirst quenching mixture of lime and mint, better known as the Mojito.  I have played around with the ingredients and come up with what I think is a great refreshing non-alcoholic version of the Mojito.  The flavors alone are big, but mixed together, are worthy of any summer get together.  

I start with Rose’s Mojito cocktail mix 21 fl. Oz, 1 liter of club soda, ¼ cup of sweetened lime juice cocktail mix, 1 cup hot water, ¼ cup plus 2tbl of sugar, and 1tsp. fresh mint.  First, take your fresh mint and mince it very fine and add to 1/4 cup of sugar and set it aside.  Second, mix Mojito cocktail mix, club soda and sweetened lime juice in a pitcher and set aside.  Third, mix hot water and the remaining sugar. Make sure all your sugar is dissolved and pour into Mojito mix. Lastly, wet the top rim of your glasses with a lime or water then dip your glasses into the sugar and mint mixture.  Add ice to your glasses and pour in a light and cool summertime beverage!  These are so good and refreshing!