Top 10 Resons Not to Sell PC

TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO SELL PC~

1) I find it easy to ask my boss for a raise I deserve.

2) Being laid off is a great way to catch up on sleep and to organize those photo albums.

3) I really do love wearing pantyhose and high heels to work every day.

4) I enjoy getting the kids up and dressed early and giving half my
paycheck to a day care provider.

5) After a ten hour day, it's relaxing to prepare dinner, catch up on
laundry, and drive the kids to their activities.

6) Living on one income is very easy to do these days - I don't know what I would do with any extra money.

7) Why would I want to earn free trips or any other incentive gifts?

8) I love working sixty hour weeks - it makes me enjoy my weekends that much more.

9) I really don't want or need any more tax breaks.

10) I think working for someone else is a great way to become richer.

Why Party?

As I have mentioned before, I own a direct sales company that sells high quality kitchen tools through in-home cooking shows. It's not for everyone, but I do have a great customer base - and even people who host 2-3 shows a year on a regular basis.

I am sad today because I received a call from a potential host. She is 7 months pregnant, was a referral from her Aunt and was going to have a PC Baby Shower. It is called Stork the Freezer. Basically, her guests help to put together freezer meals (usually 10-15) for when the baby comes. Simple meals that are thaw and reheat as well as ones that take a few more ingredients to finish - items that don't freeze well. Basically, it is Power Cooking plus. She was so excited to not only have a PC Baby Shower and to have help making the meals, but that she would get free products (January hosts can get an extra $50-100 in free products) to fill her kitchen. She was making a list of people she wanted to invite and even had a few ideas to add to the party. I am sad for her, not for the lost party.

I was supposed to go to her house this morning and go over the host kit, pick out the recipes and set a date. She called me one hour before the meeting and cancelled the whole show. She kept saying "sorry for the inconvenience", but there was none. We hadn't set a date and I hadn't wasted gas or time by going there. I probed a bit just to find out why she didn't want to have it after all. She said it wasn't something she wanted to do right now (um, not true), that it was too much work (she wanted to hand deliver the invites, normally I send them and make the reminder calls the night before, I would have even offered to pick up the groceries and have her reimburse me since she would be close to giving birth and has a 1 yr old), and finally settled in on the fact that her mother in law wanted to give her a baby shower. So, you can only have one baby shower? You can't let the MIL know that this is an option and to work with me IF she wanted to go that way? I provide the entertainment, so no stupid "how big do you think the mother's belly is in yarn" games? And, her guests would be providing a service to her. The probably would feel like they needed to bring meals (money out of their pockets and a hassle to get the dishes washed and back to their owners) after the baby was born. I don't get it.

Basically, she lied to me. Someone made fun of the idea and she cowered out of it. That not only sucks that she bended to their ideas, but that they would take this opportunity away from her. Why do people do it?

So, here is a list of 10 reasons to have an in-home cooking show:

10. You’re on a first-name basis with the Domino’s delivery guy.

9. Your family is tired of eating Hamburger Helper.

8. It takes two hours to make dinner, two minutes to consume it and two days
of soaking the pot to clean it.

7. Your knives have a hard time cutting through butter.

6. You received a PC gift and you have no idea what to do with it.

5. Your kitchen tools are older than your car.

4. Your family thinks that cookies are supposed to be burned on the bottom.

3. Veggies taste better when cut into cool shapes--just ask a kid!

2. Samples of quick, easy and delicious recipes (made before your eyes!)

1. You deserve a fun time out and I provide the entertainment!


With the economy not doing so well, and people totally freaking out about it, I provide a reason to get together (learn new recipes that cost around $2 a serving and take less than 30 minutes to prepare), you don't have to spend a lot of money because people are coming for a taste test and not a meal, and it is fun!

I am angry at the person who caused this potential host to miss out on a fun and useful party. Everyone eats, its not a fad and its not going to go away. Cooking shows provide a way for people to learn how to economically and quickly feed themselves and their family.

2008 Recipes of the Month

I love doing my Cooking Shows, but making more than one recipe each month can be challenging. By choosing one recipe each month, all I have to do is wash the dishes and repack. And, I get better at the recipe as the month goes on so it becomes second nature to me. I am able to "forget" about the recipe and focus on the monthly specials, recruiting, etc. Here are the recipes I chose for 2008 (hopefully I can remember each one!):

January - Truffle Brownie Cups

February - Smashed Potato Soup and Fluted Microwave Cake

March - Power Cooking - Ground Beef

April - Greek Cheese Torta

May - Strawberries and Cream Trifle

June - Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

July - Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

August - Express Shows - Salad Chopper Salsa

September - Creamy One Pot Pasta

October - Power Cooking - Chicken

November - Incredible 30 Minute Chicken and Pumpkin Trifle

December - Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip

There is a lot of thought that goes into these recipe choices. I do try to choose recipes that highlight the next month's host special (so the host can get bookings and get the host special again) as well as showing off the current month's guest special to be able to encourage more sales per person. I do also work with my hosts if they really want something else. Below are all the recipes:

January - Truffle Brownie Cups

The Pampered Chef ® Truffle Brownie Cups Recipe

Nonstick cooking spray with flour (see Cook's Tip) 1 2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided 2 tbsp butter (do not substitute margarine) 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream Assorted garnishes such as orange zest, maraschino cherries, toasted sliced almonds and whipped topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray wells of Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place 2/3 cup of the chocolate morsels and butter into Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 40-60 seconds or until smooth, stirring after each 20-second interval. Add sugar and egg to batter bowl; mix until blended using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Add flour; mix just until flour is incorporated. Using two teaspoons, divide batter evenly among wells, filling wells about two-thirds full. Using Mini-Tart Shaper, gently tap batter to create level tops. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are set. (Do not overbake.) Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool 2 minutes. Press tops of brownies with Mini-Tart Shaper to make indentations. Cool in pan 3 minutes. Carefully remove brownies from pan. Trim corner of bag using Utility Knife to allow ganache to flow through. Pipe ganache evenly into brownie cups. Garnish as desired.

Yield: 24 servings

Nutrients per serving: (1 brownie cup): Calories 120, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 15 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 10 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tip: It's best to use a nonstick cooking spray containing flour when baking these brownie cups. In a pinch, brush wells with melted butter, then sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa using the Flour/Sugar Shaker. Tap out excess cocoa.

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

February - Smashed Potato Soup and Fluted Microwave Cake
(Fluted Microwave Cake is just a normal cake mix "baked" in the Fluted Stone in the Microwave for about 12 minutes)

Smashed Potato Soup

(It's Good For You!...pg 59)

1 cup coarsely chopped carrot

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 (1 lb, 4 oz) pkg refrigerated mashed potatoes

1 (14 1/2 oz) can 99% fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 Tbls snipped fresh parsley

Optional toppings: sliced green onions, reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese and crisply cooked, crumbled turkey bacon

1. Coarsely chop carrot, onion, and celery using Food Chopper. Place mashed potatoes in Medium (3 qt) Saucepan. Gradually add broth and milk, whisking until mixture is smooth using Nylon Spiral Whisk. Stir in carrot, celery, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.

2. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and parsley. Ladle soup into bowls; top with desired toppings.

Makes 8 servings.

March - Power Cooking - Ground Beef
This will be discussed and recipes posted in another post.

April - Greek Cheese Torta

The Pampered Chef ® Greek Cheese Torta Recipe

1 loaf (16 oz) French baguette Garlic Oil or olive oil 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and pressed dry 2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened 2 tbsp Greek Rub 2 pkg (4 oz each) crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and patted dry 3 tbsp shelled pistachios

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut baguette into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on Large Round Stone with Handles. Spray with oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Bake 10-12 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool completely. Line small Colander with paper towels. Place spinach into Colander; wrap paper towels around spinach and press until almost dry. Place cream cheese into Classic Batter Bowl; microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or until softened. Stir in spinach and rub; mix well. Add feta cheese; stir until well blended. Finely dice sun-dried tomatoes using Color Coated Paring Knife. Line Small Batter Bowl with plastic wrap. Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture into bottom of batter bowl, spreading evenly. Top with tomatoes, forming an even layer. Spread remaining cheese mixture over tomatoes. To serve, invert torta onto serving platter. Remove plastic wrap. Coarsely chop pistachios using Food Chopper; press onto top of torta. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Yield: 32 servings

Nutrients per serving: (about 1 tbsp spread and 1 baguette slice): Calories 140, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 4.5 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 260 mg, Fiber 1 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, 1 jar (7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry, can be substituted for the sun-dried tomatoes. Toasted almonds can be substituted for the pistachios. Proceed as recipe directs. If desired, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves and 1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper can be substituted for the Greek Rub.

May - Strawberries and Cream Trifle

The Pampered Chef ® Strawberry Cream Trifle Recipe

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted 1 pkg (10.75 oz) frozen pound cake, thawed 1 qt. fresh strawberries 1 container (16 oz) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed 1 lemon 3 containers (8 oz each) blended strawberry yogurt 1 pkg (3.4 oz) cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided Powdered sugar

Coarsely chop almonds using Food Chopper. Cut pound cake into 1-in. cubes using Color Coated Bread Knife; set aside. Set aside one strawberry for garnish. Hull remaining strawberries and cut into quarters. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine fresh and frozen strawberries; mix well. Juice lemon using Juicer to measure 2 tbsp juice. In Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, whisk lemon juice, yogurt and pudding mix until smooth using Stainless Whisk; immediately fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping. To assemble trifle, place one-third of the pound cake cubes into bottom of Trifle Bowl. Top pound cake with one-third of the strawberry mixture. Top with half of the yogurt mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with one-third of the almonds. Repeat layers one time. Top with remaining pound cake cubes and remaining strawberry mixture. To garnish, spread remaining whipped topping over top of trifle, forming a flat surface using Small Spreader. Sprinkle remaining almonds over whipped topping. Sprinkle with powdered sugar using Flour/Sugar Shaker. Create strawberry fan with reserved strawberry; place into center of trifle.

Yield: 12 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 290, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Carbohydrate 44 g, Protein 5 g, Sodium 240 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tip: To toast almonds, place almonds into Small Micro-Cooker®; microwave on HIGH 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, stirring after each 30-second interval. Cool completely. Vanilla or white chocolate pudding and pie filling can be substituted for the cheesecake pudding, if desired. If using vanilla pudding, add 6-8 drops of red food coloring for a pinker color, if desired. To make a strawberry fan, open the Egg Slicer Plus® and place the strawberry stem end down; slice most of the way through it with wires. Remove the strawberry from the wires and gently fan out the slices.

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

June - Red, White and Blueberry Trifle
Red, White & Blueberry Trifle
Juicy berries and delicate angel food cake mingle in this impressive and patriotic summer dessert.

1 prepared angel food cake (13 oz)
1 qt. fresh strawberries
3 cups blueberries
1 container (16 oz) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
1 lemon
3 containers (8 oz each) blended strawberry yogurt
1 pkg (3.4 oz) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping, divided

Cut cake into 1-in. cubes using Color Coated Bread Knife; set aside. Hull fresh strawberries and cut into quarters. Set aside ½ cup of the strawberries and ½ cup of the blueberries for garnish. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine remaining fresh and frozen strawberries; mix well. Juice lemon using Juicer to measure 2 tbsp juice. In Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, whisk yogurt, pudding mix and lemon juice until smooth using Stainless Whisk; immediately fold in 1 cup of the
whipped topping.

To assemble trifle, place one-third of the cake cubes into Trifle Bowl. Top with one-third of the strawberry mixture and one-third of the blueberries, pressing down lightly. Top with one-third of the yogurt mixture, spreading evenly. Repeat layers two times, spreading last layer evenly using the Small Spreader to create a flat surface.

To garnish, fill Easy Accent® Decorator fitted with open-star tip with remaining whipped topping. Pipe whipped topping over top of trifle; garnish with reserved strawberries and blueberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 210, Total Fat 2.5 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrate 44 g, Protein 3 g, Sodium 280 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook’s Tip: Cheesecake pudding and pie filling or vanilla pudding and pie filling can be substituted for the white chocolate pudding, if desired. If using vanilla pudding, add 6-8 drops of red food coloring for a pinker color, if desired.
©The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2008

July - Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

The Pampered Chef ® Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad Recipe

4 sesame seed hamburger bun tops 1 small red onion, divided 2 plum tomatoes 3/4 lb 95% lean ground beef 1/2 cup finely diced dill pickles 3/4 cup ketchup 1 tbsp yellow mustard 8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice bun tops into 1/4-in. strips (if bun tops are very thick, slice bottoms off horizontally before slicing into strips). Arrange in a single layer on Large Bar Pan; bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool completely. Slice half of the onion crosswise into thin rings using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with thin slicing blade. Cut tomatoes into quarters lengthwise and slice crosswise using Utility Knife. Set onion and tomatoes aside. Cook ground beef in (8-in.) Sauté Pan over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles using Slotted Turner. Chop remaining onion half using Food Chopper. Finely dice pickles using Utility Knife. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine chopped onion, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Add cooked ground beef; mix well using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. To serve, arrange lettuce on large serving platter. Spoon beef mixture over lettuce. Top with cheese, tomatoes and sliced onion. Arrange hamburger bun croutons around edge of platter. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 250, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 20 g, Sodium 750 mg, Fiber 3 g

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

August - Express Shows - Salad Chopper Salsa and Triple Citrus Mojitos
For quick and easy salsa...
Place 1 small peeled red onion, 1 pressed garlic clove, 1 whole jalapeno pepper, stems removed, and 1/4 c cilantro leaves, and 4-6 Roma Tomatoes (cut in hald and jelly squeezed out) in Stainless Steel bowl. Coarsely chop using Salad Chopper. Add salt and pepper to taste; chop until vegetables are uniform in size. Zest lime into mixture using Microplane Grater, squeeze lime over salsa using Citrus Press; stir.

At a show I put all the ingredients in the bowl and pass around with the Salad Choppers. While the guests are chopping away, we make the Triple Citrus Mojitos. Whomever wants rum in theirs gets rum in their glass first. I make the mojitos virgin.

The Pampered Chef ® Triple-Citrus Mojitos Recipe

1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 pkg (.75 oz) fresh mint leaves (about 1 1/4 cups leaves), divided 1 orange 2 lemons, divided 2 limes, divided 1/2 cup white rum (optional) 5 cups chilled lemon-lime soda

Combine sugar and water in Small Batter Bowl. Tear six mint leaves in half and place into Quick-Stir® Pitcher; set aside. Finely chop remaining leaves with Chef's Knife and place into batter bowl. Zest orange, one of the lemons and one of the limes using Zester/Scorer; add zest to mint mixture. Microwave on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Slice orange, both of the lemons and both of the limes in half crosswise. Reserve half of one lemon and half of one lime for garnish. Juice remaining lemon and lime halves using Citrus Press; add juices to pitcher. Juice orange with Juicer; add juice to pitcher. Pour mint mixture through Strainer into pitcher; discard chopped mint. Add rum, if desired. Carefully add soda to avoid overflow. Slice reserved lemon and lime halves with Ultimate Mandoline fitted with v-shaped blade; place into pitcher. Place lid onto pitcher and plunge gently. Serve over ice.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Nutrients per serving (about 1 cup, excluding optional ingredient): Calories 130, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 33 g, Protein 0 g, Sodium 20 mg, Fiber less than 1 g

Cook's Tip: To garnish rims of glasses, zest an additional orange using Microplane® Adjustable Grater. Combine zest and 1/2 cup sugar in Prep Bowl. Place a small amount of sugar mixture onto Simple Additions® Appetizer Plate. Rub rim of glass with orange wedge to moisten. Dip rim of glass into sugar mixture.

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

September - Creamy One Pot Pasta

The Pampered Chef ® Creamy One-Pot Pasta Recipe

4 large garlic cloves, peeled 1 jar (7 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained 3 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth (5 1/4 cups) 1 lb uncooked penne pasta 1 head broccoli (2 cups small florets) 2 medium carrots, peeled 4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper Grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil (optional)

Thinly slice garlic using Paring Knife. Place garlic and 1 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes into (8-qt.) Stockpot. Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner; increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally using Mega Scraper. Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets; place into Classic Batter Bowl. Cut carrots in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise on a bias using Santoku Knife. Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with a paper towel. Slice tomatoes into thin strips. Add carrots and tomatoes to batter bowl. Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add vegetables, cream cheese, salt and black pepper to Stockpot. Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately in Simple Additions® Dots Large Round Bowl. If desired, top with grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Light: Calories 410, Total Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Carbohydrate 65 g, Protein 15 g, Sodium 1000 mg, Fiber 5 g

Cook's Tip: For an interesting flavor twist, omit salt, black pepper, Parmesan cheese and basil. Add 1 tbsp Moroccan Rub or Greek Rub. For a heartier version of this recipe, add grilled turkey Italian sausage or sliced grilled chicken breasts to pasta. If desired, 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes can be substituted for the sun-dried tomatoes.

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

October - Power Cooking - Chicken
This will be discussed and recipes posted in another post.

November - Incredible 30 Minute Chicken and Pumpkin Trifle
Incredible 30 Minute Chicken

3-4 lb. Whole Chicken, thawed
Pampered Chef Oil
Pampered Chef Seasoning (almost any will work)
Salt and Pepper to taste

For chicken, lightly spray Deep Covered Baker with oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken cavity. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat using Kitchen Shears, if necessary. Tie ends of legs together with cotton string. Lift wing tips up toward neck, then tuck under back of chicken. Place chicken onto Cutting Board; brush with oil using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Completely coat outside of chicken under skin with seasoning mixture. Place chicken, breast side up, into baker. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 25-30 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer registers 165°F in thickest part of breast and juices run clear. Remove from microwave. Cover with lid and let stand 10 minutes (temperature will rise to 170°F).

Yield: 4-6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 490, Total Fat 29 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 165 mg, Carbohydrate 2 g, Protein 52 g, Sodium 450 mg, Fiber 0 g

Variation: All-in-One Chicken Dinner: Prepare chicken as directed above and place into baker. Combine 1 cup each celery and carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces, and 3 cups red or russet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces, in Classic Batter Bowl. Toss with additional seasoning and oil, if desired. Arrange vegetables around chicken. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 35-40 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer registers 165°F in thickest part of breast and juices run clear. Remove from microwave. Cover with lid and let stand 10 minutes (temperature will rise to 170°F). Yield: 4 servings. Nutrients per serving: Calories 580, Total Fat 29 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 165 mg, Carbohydrate 23 g, Protein 54 g, Sodium 500 mg, Fiber 3 g

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

Pumpkin Trifle
PC Harvest Pumpkin Bread and ingredients to make the bread
1 - 16oz container of Cool Whip
1 Cup skim milk
1 small package of cheesecake pudding
2 cups chopped pecans
2 1/2 TBSP PC's Pantry Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle

In medium stainless steel mixing bowl, use small mix n' scraper to mix together bread mix and ingredients. Spread batter into parchment lined medium stoneware bar pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes cool completely.

Using whisk, mix together milk and pudding until it begins to thicken. Use small mix n' scraper to fold in cool whip into pudding mixture and add sprinkle.

Lift bread out of stone and place on cutting board. Cut pumpkin into bars and into small chunks using pizza cutter. Place chunks in trifle bowl to cover bottom. Top with 1/3 of pudding mixture then 1/3 of the nuts. repeat layers twice.

December - Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip

The Pampered Chef ® Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip Recipe

2 16-oz sourdough bread rounds (about 6 in. diameter), divided Vegetable oil 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup milk 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained 1 1.4-oz envelope or one 1.8-oz box (2 envelopes) vegetable soup mix 1 garlic clove, pressed 1 lemon 1 container (8 oz) sour cream Grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Using Color Coated Bread Knife, slice off top of one bread round to create a lid; set lid aside. Carefully remove center of bread round to form a 4 1/2-inch-wide and 2-inch-deep well for dip. Slice center of first and entire second bread round into 1-in. cubes. Place bread bowl on center of Large Round Stone with Handles. Arrange bread cubes around bowl; spray with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. In Classic Batter Bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth using Stainless Whisk. Add milk to cream cheese; whisk until smooth. Chop artichokes using Food Chopper. Add artichokes, soup mix and garlic pressed with Garlic Press to batter bowl; mix well using Small Mix 'N Scraper®. Microwave on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until hot (do not boil). Juice lemon using Juicer to measure 2 tbsp juice. Stir juice and sour cream into hot artichoke mixture; pour into bread bowl. If desired, grate Parmesan cheese over bread bowl and bread cubes using Rotary Grater. Lean lid against bread bowl. Bake 13-15 minutes or until bread cubes and top of dip are golden brown. Remove from oven; serve immediately.

Yield: 12 servings (about 2 cups dip)

Nutrients per serving: (about 2 tbsp dip and 4 bread cubes): Calories 220, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 4.5 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 29 g, Protein 7 g, Sodium 610 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tip: To soften cream cheese, microwave on HIGH 15-30 seconds or until very soft. Whisk until smooth.

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2001

Top 10 items to have in your pantry

10. Spaghetti Sauce and Spaghetti - you never know when you need to make a homey dinner fast!

9. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda - the basics of baking.

8. Beans - dry (if you know what to do with them) and canned.

7. Evaporated Milk. This may seem weird, but in a pinch, you can water it down and use it as milk in hot chocolate or even cereal. I like this better than powdered milk because it can still be used in baking.

6. A cookbook you trust. Whether it is something fast, something easy, or something you are used to, having a cookbook you trust will make it easy to whip up something or even ask someone to make something you know you will like.

5. Oils. I like different oils for different jobs, but you have to make sure you will use them within 3-6 months and that they can be stored in a dark and cool place. Peanut oil has a great high smoke point, olive oil for flavor and health, vegetable oil for baking.

4. Onions and potatoes. You can make so much with just onions and potatoes: hash browns, soup, mashed potatoes, french fries and onion rings (okay, a bit more skill is needed for these), etc.

3. Broth - chicken, vegetable, beef. I have all three for different reasons. I use beef broth the least because we tend to eat more chicken. I like having it in the boxes because I can sometimes taste the can.

2. Rice. Cheezy rice, need I say more? Okay, I will. Rice + cheese = yummy. I do also suggest you have a rice cooker. It may seem lazy, but I can't tell you how many times I have burnt rice. Ugh, the smell!

1. Canned meat/fish - sounds weird, but it isn't. We are all familiar with tuna. I prefer tuna from a can. I also like to have chicken on hand. Husband likes sardines and such, so I usually have something like that for him. You can get other seafood as well as turkey in cans. And, corned beef in a can is great for hash!

These may not be staples for you and your family, but it is important to have them. What happens if you have an extra bill and can't go grocery shopping this week? Having these on hand will make it so you can make simple food for a little while without spending too much money.

Hello!

Well, I should probably tell people who I am. My name is Chef Kate. There, enough? I'm not sure how much personal information I should put here, so it might take a little while to get to know me.

I live in Boise, ID and have for almost 10 years. The weather is awesome (just enough snow so it stays pretty and you don't get sick of it) and I love having four distinct seasons.

I grew up in Houston, TX and lived in the same house from age 3-18. My parents moved when I was 27, so it was a pretty stable household.

I love animals and have one cat right now. His name is Cat. We did have two cats until we had to put Kitten down on October 3, 2008. I am still raw from it because he was only 7 and he was my first cat. Cat is 10 and really belongs to Husband. He only likes me because I am warm and feed him. Okay, he does like me a bit more than that, but he likes Husband more.

We have been married for 10 years. We met online back in 1996 in a chat room on Valentine's Day. A bit cliche, no? We got engaged that summer and married in 1998. Not my idea...another idea for a post later.

We don't have kids, and I know that is something I want to blog about soon.

I am a consultant for a company that sells high quality kitchen tools. They really like to Pamper people who want to be Chefs. Unfortunately we are not supposed to name the company. They like to control the brand, which does make sense to me. But, it does make it hard to blog about. If you haven't figured out the company or you want to check out my website, email me.

How to Burn Water

So, I used to burn water. Basically, that's a funny way of saying I left a pot on to boil and let it boil dry. It is a great way to ruin your pots and get a funky smell in your house. I totally sucked at cooking. I thought homemade tacos consisted of a pound of hamburger meat in a skillet - no salt/pepper, onions or seasonings of any sort. I hated homemade tacos...until I met Husband back in 1996. Of course, it took a while before I stopped burning water and started making yummy food.

I do have to say, I'm not the best writer. I kind of write the way I talk, but I do try to go back and edit and make sure that what I say will make sense to people other than me. Sometimes I'm not so good at that, so please feel free to ask questions.