Simplicity Gourmet would like to congratulate John Laage and Jessica Starkey of Stoutsville, Ohio for being the winner of the 5 day/4 night honeymoon giveaway to Couples Resorts in Jamaica, drawn LIVE Saturday from Couples Resorts! Simplicity Gourmet’s travel division, Honeymoons by Bella, has exclusive offers and discounts for Couples Resorts and Hawaiian Hotels. To get a quote or to find out more about how a travel agent can assist you with your vacation dreams visit www.pinkapronpreview.com/honeymoonsbybella.php.

Our next Couples Resorts Drawing will be August 29^th at 10:30 am CST. Visit a Pink Apron Preview to enter.

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We are hosting our annual VIP trip at Swept Away by Couples in Jamaica for our top performers. WOW… what a place! From the moment I stepped off the bus onto the property, I have been blown away by the people at Couples Resort. I have never been greeted with such warm enthusiasm and friendly smiles…best of all, it’s completely genuine! If I could sum up Swept Away with a single word, it would be just that, I would describe it as genuine. The people, the accommodations, the food, the atmosphere, even the guests.

I have had the fortunate experience to travel to many places and have stayed in some very upscale resorts. To me, a room is a room, a pool is a pool. However, at Swept Away, even though they have very nice amenities, it’s the atmosphere that stands out and captures your attention.  For example, this hotel is completely sold out, however, I have yet to wait in a single line for any meal, there are more beach chairs than guests, and the staff never seems to be behind:  I am amazed!

If you are looking for a place to have some seclusion to rekindle some romance with your sweetheart, yet have all the amenities of an extravagant all-inclusive, this is the place.  This is a Honeymooner’s paradise.   Hammocks on the over sized lanais, lots of places on the beach to snuggle up in a hammock under some trees – it’s everything one could ask for in a Honeymoon.  I have been married 10 years and I gotta tell ya, it’s like our Honeymoon all over again!  I will definitely be back – for sure!

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Hi Adam,

I was just going to let you know that we received our cookware yesterday and of course we had to try it out. We did a few small steaks in the electric skillet and they were awesome just like you said and I was amazed at how easy the mess was to wash out. We also tried the pineapple upside down cake (which was the first time I had ever even made one) and it was really good as well. Just wanted to say thanks for introducing us to the cookware and something that is going to make a big change in the way we cook and eat.

Thanks again,

Brooke Troup and Will Burnett

Lawrenceburg, Tennessee

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The honeymoon…fun, relaxing, romantic nights, playful, restful, leisurely days… just the two of you…the new Mr. & Mrs. But…where to go is the biggest question!

What do you and your fiancé like to do? Do you enjoy a great gourmet dining experience? Are evening entertainment options important? Beautiful beaches, gorgeous sunsets, friendly service staff just waiting to accommodate your every whim…amazing rooms,  handy swim up bar, top shelf liquor and outstanding beach club services? Does this sound like you?

Well…then, a first class, all inclusive resort is a must on your honeymoon agenda: Couples Resorts! A place where you can leave your wallet at home…really! What would be better than going to such a place for your honeymoon? How about winning a honeymoon to this #1 all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean! Can you hear the Calypso Reggae band singing you and your sweetie’s names? Can you feel the warm sea breezes brushing your face and the warm white sand squishing between your toes?

Simplicity Gourmet is heading down to Couples Resorts on the beautiful island of Jamaica on the 21st of April to give away their next honeymoon trip. We will be giving it away live on April 25th  from the newly renovated  Couples Tower Isle. We will be broadcasting live daily to give you a bird’s eye view of the four beautiful Couples Resort’s.  We will explore and reveal EVERY romantic inch of all the properties; we will review all the restaurants and fill you in on our favs and craves. We will bring you pictures daily of everything that can be photographed: sunsets, snorkeling, the beaches, rooms, pools, the spas and any other indulgence we experience first hand this coming week!

As we blog the week of the 21st, let us know if there is anything you would like to know or have us take a picture of, we will be delighted to do so! Simplicity Gourmet is delighted to have the opportunity to be working with Couples Resorts…and to be giving one lucky couple the honeymoon trip of a lifetime!

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It’s that time again — Cooking School! I’m on top of things this week and have all the recipes ready to share!

Tune in to our cooking school live at our Pink Apron TV to join in – even chat with us live during the school! Cooking Cast starts at 11:00 CST and ends around 1:00 CST. I sure hope you can join us!

Happy Cooking!
Katie Snyder

Raspberry Glazed Rosemary Chicken with Orange Almond Basmati Rice

UTENSILS: Large Skillet, Small Mixing Bowl

INGREDIENTS:
1 TBSP Crushed Rosemary
1 tsp Rubbed Sage
½ tsp Dried Oregano
4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
¼ Cup Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 Cup Raspberry Preserves
½ tsp Honey Mustard
1 tsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the skillet on medium heat. In the mixing bowl, stir together the crushed rosemary, sage, and oregano. Rub the mixture into one side of the chicken breasts.
When the pan is heated, place the chicken in the pan (herb side up) and cover, whistle open.

Rinse the mixing bowl out and mix together the chicken broth, raspberry preserves, honey mustard and rosemary. When the chicken whistles, flip and add the preserve mixture to the top. Cover, whistle closed, and cook on low heat for 12-15 minutes longer or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with Orange Almond Basmati Rice and a green veggie of your choice for a fast, healthy meal.

Orange Almond Basmati Rice

UTENSILS: 2 qt or 3 qt Saucepan
INGREDIENTS:
Zest and Juice from 1 large orange
1 cup of Basmati or Jasmati Rice
2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tsp Roasted Minced Garlic
¼ Cup Almonds
Pepper
Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
On medium heat, saute the dry rice and almonds until aromatic.

Add the chicken broth, garlic, orange zest and juice. Season with salt & pepper to your taste.

Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, close the whistle and turn the burner to off. Let stand, covered, for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.

Lemon Pepper Dill Fish with Sesame Broccoli and Vanilla Brown Rice

UTENSILS: Large Skillet
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Haddock or Tilapia Fillets
Dried dill weed to taste
Lemon Pepper to taste
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
1 lemon, sliced
Molly McButter

INSTRUCTIONS:
Layer the sliced lemon in the bottom of a cold large skillet. Place the fish on top of the lemon slices and pour the lemon juice over the top of the fish. Sprinkle with dill,
Lemon zest, lemon pepper, and molly mcbutter. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, close it and turn the burner to low. Allow to cook for 12-15 minutes longer.

Serve with Sesame Broccoli & Vanilla Rice for a fast, healthy meal!

Sesame Broccoli
UTENSILS: 8” Saute Pan, 2 or 3 qt Saucepan
INGREDIENTS:
2 TBSP Sesame Seeds, toasted
Broccoli Florets
1-2 TBSP melted Coconut Oil for drizzling

INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the broccoli with 2 TBSP water in a cold saucepan. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When it whistles, close the whistle and turn the burner off. Allow to stand covered for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the sesame seeds in the saute pan on medium heat until they are golden brown and aromatic. Remove from the pan and add the coconut oil to the pan. All the pan to sit on the burner to melt the oil, but turn the burner off. When the broccoli is cooked through, toss with the toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with the melted coconut oil.

Vanilla Rice

UTENSILS: 3 qt saucepan
INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup of Brown Rice
¼ Cup Wild Rice
2 ½ Cups of Water
1 TBSP of Vanilla (more if you prefer)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Add all ingredients to the sauce pan. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, close the vent, and turn the burner off. Allow to cook 12-15 minutes longer.

**For longer cooking rice, when the whistle sounds, turn the knob to “V” for vent, and reduce the temperature to low. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.**

Black Bean Veggie Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips

UTENSILS: Large Skillet, Medium Mixing bowl, Masher, Master Kut, Square Griddle
INGREDIENTS:
1, 16 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
½ Green Bell Pepper, #1 Cone
½ Onion, #1 cone
3 Garlic Cloves (minced in a garlic press)
1 egg
1 TBSP Chili Powder
1 TBSP Cumin
1 tsp Thai Chili sauce or hot sauce
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium bowl, mash black beans until thick and pasty. Cut the onion and pepper using the #1 cone on the master kut; press the garlic cloves through a garlic press. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic to the black beans.

In a small bowl, stir together the egg, chili powder, cumin, & chili sauce. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in the bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together.

Divide the mixture into four patties. Spray the cold large skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Add the patties. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, close it and turn the burner to low. Allow to cook for 7-10 minutes longer.

Sweet Potato

UTENSILS: Electric Skillet, Master Kut w/ Waffle Cone
INGREDIENTS:
3 Large Sweet Potatoes
Coconut Oil
Honey

INSRUCTIONS:
Heat the oil in the skillet on Medium heat (350). When heated through, add the sweet potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes and remove to a serving plate. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Braised Balsamic Chicken with Spring Veggie Blend & Sun Dried Tomato Linguine
UTENSILS: Large Skillet
INGREDIENTS:
4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 ½ tsp Garlic Salt
1 Onion, thinly sliced
¾ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
20 oz Diced Tomatoes
1 ½ tsp Dried Basil
1 ½ tsp Dried Rosemary
¾ tsp Dried Thyme
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Brown the onion on medium heat in the skillet. Season the chicken with Ground Black Pepper and Garlic Salt. Add the seasoned chicken on top of the onions. Cover, whistle open and cook on medium heat. Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme until well blended. When the whistle sounds, uncover and flip the chicken. Add the sauce over the top of the chicken and recover, whistle closed. Reduce to low and continue to cook for 12-15 minutes longer.

Spring Veggie Blend
UTENSILS: 2 or 3 qt Saucepan
INGREDIENTS:
1 Small Bag Baby Carrots
2-3 Yellow Squash, sliced
1 Zucchini, sliced
½ – ¼ Sweet Yellow Onion, thinly Sliced (optional)
Garlic Powder (could use 1-2 tsp Roasted Garlic)
Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Pepper
2-3 TBSP Chicken Broth

INSTRUCTIONS
Add all ingredients to a cold sauce pan. Season to your taste with garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, close it, and turn the burner off. Allow to sit covered for 7-9 minutes.

Sun-dried Tomato Linguine
UTENSILS: 6 QT Roaster, Large Colander, Paring Knife
INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces linguine
12 marinated sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 TBSP of the oil from the marinated tomatoes
½ Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese, #1 Cone
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2-3 Chopped Scallions (optional)
Pinch of sea salt & Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Fill the six-quart pot 3/4 full with water, cover with the whistle open and heat on medium-high heat until you hear the whistle. Remove the cover.  The water should be at a boil when you add the pasta. Recover, whistle closed and reduce temperature to low. Cook for 11-12 minutes. Drain the pasta through the large Colander and return to the 6 qt.  Mix the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, oils and basil with the pasta and season with a pinch of sea salt.

Chocolate Surprise Cake

UTENSILS: Large Skillet, Master Kut, Small Mixing Bowl
INGREDIENTS:
1 Egg
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Carrot, #1 Cone
¼ Zucchini, #1 Cone
1 Can Cherry Pie Filling
INSTRUCTIONS
To Bake
Shred the Carrot and Zucchini on the #1 Cone. Combine 1 egg, 1 box of cake mix and shredded veggies in the small mixing bowl (mixture should be thick and gooey – the thinner it is, the longer it will take to bake). Set mixture aside. Pour the cherry pie mixture into the bottom of a cold pan. Pour the cake batter on top of the cherry pie filling. Cover, whistle turned to “C” for closed, and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Do not uncover, and reduce temperature to low. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes longer or until the center of the cake is done.

To Serve
Uncover the pan and place a serving plate over the top of the pan. Flip the pan over, placing the plate on the counter and lift up on the pan. The cake will be on the plate and the cherries will spill out over the top. Serve and enjoy.

Basil Shrimp Pasta with Asparagus
UTENSILS: 6 qt Roaster, Griddle, Large Skillet
INGREDIENTS:
8-12 oz Angel Hair Pasta
3 tsp chopped Garlic
2-3 lbs large Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
(5-6) 28 oz cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 ½ Cup Dry White Wine (could sub chicken stock or do ½ and ½ )
¾ Cup chopped parsley
9 TBSP Chopped Fresh Basil plus more to sprinkle later
9 TBSP Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt. Add the pasta and reduce the temperature to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Heat the griddle on medium heat. Saute the garlic for about a minute or until tender.

Add the shrimp and saute for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the tomatoes, wine, parsley, and basil to the large skillet. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and allow to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 8 -12 minutes. In the 6 qt, combine the sauce and the pasta until coated evenly. Plate the pasta and add the several shrimp on top. Sprinkle with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Asparagus
UTENSILS: 2 or 3 qt Saucepan
INGREDIENTS:
About 1 lb of Fresh Asparagus
3-4 TBSP Olive Oil
Sea Salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut off the bottom 2-3 inches of the asparagus stalk and add that to a cold saucepan. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP of water and cover, whistle open. Cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, uncover and drizzle with olive oil sprinkle with sea salt.

**for more tender asparagus, after the whistle sounds, close it and turn the burner off. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes longer covered.**

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At Simplicity Gourmet, there is nothing we love more than providing tools that really do change lives. Our mission is for families to cook simple healthy meals at home and to sit around the dinner table to connect with each other. I have the awesome privilege here at Simplicity Gourmet to serve customers who bought yesterday and to those who bought fifty years ago. I love the mornings I come in and have a glowing testimony from customers wiggling out of the woodwork from long ago or from a young girl who just cooked for the first time and her sweetie raved about it – it reminds me that what we do matters to people – what we do changes lives and families – and I’m so proud!

This week, I’ve had three very impactful testimonies come my way that I just feel the need to share. Two were sent directly to me and one came from a Emily, a long time Simplicity Gourmet representative, who ran into a seasoned waterless cookware customer.

“In 1962 I purchased a set of cookware through the
Cookmaster Dinner Program.  We were a young married couple with a child and so
this was a very major purchase to us at the time.  Over the past 47 years, I
have patted myself on the back quite a few times for our foresight in buying
this cookware.  While our friends are on their 6th or 7th set, we are still
using our original stainless steel waterless cookware.” ~ Judith F., Charleston, WV

“My Aunt bought her set of waterless cookware about 37 years ago. At the time, I was very young , about 21 or 22, and she was (to me) old but was probably 45 or older. It seemed to me that she used her waterless cookware forever; she was a very heavy set lady at the time she bought her set and she lost the weight so fast that I was envious and so were many of our family members! Her doctor was amazed at her weight loss and asked how she had lost it. her other sister looked good also for her age and my Aunt always said, “It’s those darn pots that cost a fortune!’ – her words exactly! She and my Aunt Nettie both lived to be about 98-100.” ~ Mary D, Nashville, TN

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Cabinets continue to be built. We have to decide on countertops… Corian… Granite… laminate… Silestone… Tile? Well, we have several women in the office and, of course we all have an opinion about why we think we should or shouldn’t use this material or that material. Granite is heat resistant and the hottest trend in show kitchens…. Corian, you can sand out light stains and burns, but holds bacteria…. Laminate isn’t deserving of our test kitchen and is sooo boring (snore, snore) but comes in boat loads of colors…. Silestone is limited and doesn’t have a good color to go with our kitchen and it can’t be repaired if you break it but it is very heat resistance…. Good gracious girls let’s just decide!

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We are so excited here at Simplicity Gourmet!!! This week started the building of our gourmet test kitchen (FINALLY!!!) and let me tell ya, it will rival any gourmet kitchen out there. This has been a longtime goal of SGI and to see it come to pass has the entire staff so excited!!! We all feel as if we are getting a giant Christmas present.

We had an extremely small kitchen before that was not designed for show at all. We taught cooking classes once a month. We were very limited in space. Our new kitchen will provide us the opportunity to develop new recipes and a whole slew of new classes that will range from beginner to advanced and we will be able to hold several a month.

We thought it would be fun for you to see the step by step progress and walk down this path with us. So, each day, we will give you a play by play of how we are progressing and our bloopers. Enjoy the process and check back often to see the test kitchen unfold

Day 1:

All the cabinets arrived and had to be built. We used IKEA for our cabinets and Nashville Cabinet Company to build and install them. W LOVE Andy the owner of Nashville Cabinet! He has had several ideas that have made the IKEA cabinets stronger and through installation sturdier.

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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

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