July... hard to believe the month is almost gone!

I have just returned from the Pampered Chef national conference.  What a fun time in Chicago!  You'll notice the new logo above?  It's our new updated logo.  The spoon is the heart of every meal.  

There are so many great things coming for fall!  I can't wait to share them.  Check back in next month when I reveal all!  Some amazing new products!  One to be released in August!

Here's a recipe to try... what do you think?

Summer!

Can you believe summer is here already?  Where did May go?

The kids are out of school, the days are warm (and rainy?).  Time to relax and do some backyard entertaining!

The Cool 'n Serve is great for taking to BBQ's, tailgating parties, etc.  Keeps your food cold for 4-6 hours!  And if you purchase the carrier, easy to transport!  Two sizes and new inserts for both!

BBQ tools - Great gifts for Dad for Father's Day (June 21st)

And for the Dad on the go, here's a few other ideas!

June is also great for other gift ideas!  Help us raise money for Feeding America by purchasing the trivets $5 each.  Many children don't get lunch during the summer, and this program helps!

Spicy Rum sauce is great!  Delicious on vanilla ice cream, top a brick of cream cheese and serve with crackers for a quick appetizer, glaze meat off the grill!  YUM!

New Classic stoneware is functional and beautiful!  And if you purchase all 3 pieces, $10 off.

Spend $70 or more and choose one gift free.  What's not to like?

www.pamperedchef.biz/gingerestes

Easter

Here's a few ideas for your Easter celebration.  I just love all the flowers that are starting to show their sunny faces and fresh leaves that are starting to show.  Spring has sprung!

Using the Drink Rimmer Set, dip the tops of stemware in colored sugar. Then stir up a batch of your favorite fruit punch or cocktail. Pour your beverage into each glass, add a marshmallow bunny for a garnish, and … clink! Cheers!

Dress up Easter brunch with this new take on deviled eggs and still use Grandma’s famous recipe. Use the V-Shaped Cutter on cool hard-cooked eggs and gently remove the yolk. Make your favorite deviled egg filling and pipe into the bottom egg white with the Easy Accent® Decorator. Cap with the egg-white tops. Make chickadee eyes and beaks out of black olive and carrot pieces.

Baa, Baa Truffle Sheep
You’ll keep coming baaack for more of these cute little sheep truffles. Break 15 vanilla sandwich cookies in half and process in theManual Food Processor. Add 2 oz softened cream cheese and process again to make dough. Scoop out Small Scoop-sized amounts of the mixture and roll into balls. Microwave 4 oz vanilla almond bark in a Coating Tray until melted. Then use the Rotary Grater to make white chocolate shavings and place in a second Coating Tray. Dip the truffle balls into the melted bark, then into the shavings. Place on a Medium Sheet Pan lined with parchment paper, attach a white Jordan almond head with a dollop of melted bark, and then make a face and ears with frosting and sprinkles. Makes about 1½ dozen truffles.

Funny Bunny
No ifs, ands or butts about it, this is one adorable Easter treat! Mix 1 package of store-bought sugar cookie dough with ⅓ cup of flour in the Classic Batter Bowl and refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) for 30 minutes before rolling out with theBaker’s Roller®. Cut out the body with a 2½" Biscuit Cutter, the feet with a 1½" Biscuit Cutter(shape into ovals) and the tail with The Corer™. You’ll be able to make about 10 bunnies per package of dough. Bake per package directions and allow to cool. Frost and decorate as shown (use pink-tinted frosting in the Decorator Bottlewith writing tip for the feet detail, and sprinkle coconut flakes on the tail), then assemble.

Spring Chickens
These baby chick cookies look like they came from a pricy bakery, but they’re so cheep to make! (Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves.) Just bake store-bought sugar cookie dough according to package directions. Once cool enough to handle, cut out several flowers using the Fruit & Cheese Cutter then cut each flower in half to make wing shapes. Top all the cookie pieces with yellow-tinted frosting; assemble as shown and decorate by sprinkling with yellow sugar, adding orange gumdrop sections for feet and a beak, and mini chocolate morsels for eyes.

Elegant Vegetables

Line the Trifle Bowl with fresh, colorful vegetables for a spring party or wedding shower display. Play around with purple and green leaf lettuce, curly kale, asparagus or carrots. Add bright spring flowers and wrap it with a fun ribbon if you want! Remember, if you opt to use fresh produce, it should only be on display for one special day.

Tip: We used a short, cylindrical glass container inside the Trifle Bowl to secure veggies and hold the flowers in water.

Table Trifle

The Trifle Bowl works as an elegant centerpiece for just about every occasion, and Easter is no exception. Fill the Trifle Bowl with your favorite springtime flowers (we like tulips and daffodils), then fill with Easter marshmallows, jelly beans or your favorite candy.

Tip: Use a short, cylindrical glass container inside the Trifle Bowl to secure the Easter candy and hold the flowers in water

If you need any products or need a new recipe, please contact me or go to my website.

303-808-1941

www.pamperedchef.biz/gingerestes.

Spring has sprung!

Can you believe it's March already?  Where did February go?  With March brings a new catalog for The Pampered Chef.  Lots of great new stoneware pieces... glazed and unglazed.  New shapes and styles.

Here's one of my favorite new pieces!  What do you think?

Contemporary Classics™ Small Baker

Contemporary Classics™ Small BakerItem Number 1392$47.00

NEW!

Your go-to piece for smaller main dishes, side dishes, cornbread, coffee cakes and cobblers. Interior: 8" x 8" x 2¼", 8 cups. Exterior: 13" x 9½" x 3½". In Midnight Blue.

There are 3 other pieces in this collection, including a glazed round pizza stone in white shown below.

Speaking of stoneware, here's a list of do's and don'ts on cleaning stoneware.  Once you start with a piece of stoneware, metal and glass just won't give you the results that stoneware can.

If you'd like a mini catalog, please let me know and I will send one to you soon.  If you can't wait, please visit my website.  www.pamperedchef.biz/gingerestes

Plenty of time to host your own show... interested?  Let's party!  Can't do a cooking show?  How about a catalog show?  Contact me today.

Pre-Valentine's Day

Do you love Valentine's Day?  Got a special someone you need a sweet treat for?  I've got a couple of ideas for you!

First off, let's start with a game!  Guess how many conversation hearts are in the Batter Bowl!  Comment on this post, and the person closest to the correct amount will win a prize!

Ok, onto the Valentine treats!

Make Heart shaped  pops!  Make a tray of rice krispie treats, tinted pink if you like.  Using heart shaped cutter from Creative Cutter set (#1095 $12.50).  Insert lollipop stick (find them in Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Walmart or your favorite party/cake decorating store).  Dip in melted chocolate or candy melts.  Decorate with sprinkles or more candy melts.  Let harden.

Cute little treats for your loved ones!

Valentine Brownies:

You could also fill with chocolate mouse and top with a strawberry!  Yum!

Have fun creating all these great treats! 

If you need anything, I'm happy to help you out.  Check out my website:

www.pamperedchef.biz/gingerestes

Super Bowl Sunday...

It's only a couple of hours before the big game.  Want to make something easy and delicious without running out to the store?  You probably have all these ingredients in the house already. Substitute your favorite cheese if you don't have swiss!

Cheesy bacon and tomato cups
4 slices bacon
12 slices sandwich bread
2 green onions
3-4 firm ripe plum tomatoes
4 oz swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 c light mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400°.  Cook bacon until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Roll up towel and squeeze to crumble.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, remove crusts from bread.  Press 1 bread square into each well of Brownie pan.

Thinly slice green onions, set aside green tops for garnish.  Place remaining onions in batter bowl.  Cut 2 of the tomatoes in half lengthwise; remove seeds.  Diced tomatoes, add to batter bowl and set aside.

Slice remaining tomatoes into 12 slices.  Grate cheese.

Add 1/2 cup of cheese, bacon and mayonnaise to batter bowl; mix well.  Using medium scoop, fill each toast cup evenly with tomato mixture.  Top each with 1 tomato sliced.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.

Bake 7-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Garnish with green onion tops.  Serve.

Recipe from of The Pampered Chef Season's Best  Fall/Winter 2014

Ready, Set, GO!

Here goes!  I'm finally starting my Pampered Chef blog.  I've been thinking about this for some time, but now it's official!  Welcome!  Please comment and let's make this very interactive.  If you have questions or comments, please do.

As you may or may not know, I've been selling Pampered Chef for 10 years now.  I originally started so I could earn the Cranberry stoneware.  It was just introduced, and there was a chance to earn it all for free!  I decided what the heck, I'll try.  Nothing ventured, nothing earned, right?  Well, I earned that stoneware, made some money and had fun!  I never looked back.  The great thing about Pampered Chef is you can do as much or as little as you like. 

Let's talk about products!  What are some of your favorites?  I'll tell you about some of mine. 

Stoneware... the Large Bar Pan (#1445 $36.50) is awesome for almost everything!  You can use it for pancakes, cookies, chicken nuggets, fries, grilled cheese, bacon, fish, you name it!

Cutlery... knives are awesome!  And all of ours are great... so if you can afford the forged stainless, it's the best!  If your pocketbook says no, the Green color coated knives are awesome too!  The Santoku knife (#1059 $18.00) and Tomato knife (#1064 $15.50) are my favorites!

Cookware... I'm a non-stick fan.  Our Executive Cookware has a lifetime warranty.  You can't beat that!  And it can go into the oven up to 400°.  Easy clean and non-stick.  What's not to like?

Tools... who doesn't love tools?  We have so many it's hard to have a favorite, but here are a few of mine.  Garlic press (#2576 $17.50)... don't peel your garlic, let the press do it for you!  Easy peasey!  Citrus press (#2595 $19.50) ... get more juice out of your limes and lemons!  Mix 'n Chop (#2583 $11.50) ... hands down the easiest way to cook ground meats!  Smooth-edge can opener (#2759 $21.50)... never have to fish out the can lid from the can!  Stays clean and can lid can be replaced if you don't need the whole can. Small Mix 'n Scraper (#1659 $13.50) ... best scraper around... get all the batter out of the bowl, and with the curved shape, acts as a spoon while stiring. 

I could go on and on, but you get the idea!  I'll be sharing tips and tricks with these and more in the future.

Check out my website at:
www.pamperedchef.biz/gingerestes