Friday, January 21, 2011

It's a party!!

So I had my first party Thursday night. I know a little slow getting started, I'm not a great salesman and not pushy at all! So This is my first party, and overall I would say it went well. My hostess cooked the host pack of Garlic Lemon Chicken, Taco Soup Dip, and Mini Pecan Pie Muffins. I didn't taste anything, but I heard rave reviews. I try and not taste something unless I know we have more than enough to go around I would rather the guest get to taste it than me. Plus I am fairly confident a guest won't ask if I have had something if it was on the menu that night! I can always refer to the hostess for questions on cooking those items too.
Are you familiar with a Homemade gourmet home show? If not let me do a run down! (If you are skip this paragraph!) The host is in charge of making the food for the party. This gives the host a chance to sample cooking the products and know how easy it is to do! This also saves me from being the only one who has cooked anything HG. The show itself can or does have 2 components if you so choose i can do 4 meals in 4 minutes for the hostess. I provide a shopping list and then at the party I do the prep for 4 meals in about 4 minutes. Since I am talking through this it might be a little longer, but you get the idea of how quick and easy these meals are to make! The other part of the party is typical of most home parties where someone is trying to sell you something, we talk and talk and talk about the product, my job and how you can learn more and get more! Then we end. My order form is super simple so anyone can fill it out! You list your product (by name please) and then how many and the price then add it all up add 10% for shipping and you are done! NO TAX!! No odd numbers to add up, I love it!!
So my first party hostess earned 2 meals (it was a January special) the leftovers from her party (which I don't believe she had any because she had a large group), 10% of her sales which at this time is a little over $40. A chance to purchase our host special dishes, and a chance to get 35% off this month's HG Preferred dinner meals, and since her sales are over $400 another item at 35% off! I would say she did a great job for one night and all she had to do was cook a couple things and clean her house! I even lent her my steam mop! (She wanted to try it out).
Are you interested in hosting a show if so let me know I live just south of Houston but will go anywhere in about a one hour radius!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tacos!

Tacos are a staple in our house. Over the years I have done various things to season them. I have used different packets, my mom just uses Chili Powder. Mostly I bought the individual packets or when I find it a large container of the seasoning. Last night I was at a loss on what to cook, so I decided tacos, it had been awhile, and although it was 30 minutes from dinner and no meat was defrosted I decided I could do this. I have a packet of seasoning, but since I was looking through my recipe cards I decided to try the Taco Soup Seasoned Meat for our tacos. Once my meat thawed I cooked the meet with the seasoning, unlike packets where you drown the meat in water and seasoning at the end. The taste is not that bold taco flavor, so personally it was just okay. My husband also liked it as a good change of pace. My daughter (super picky eater who it takes much encouragement to eat a taco) ate her taco in a quarter of her usual time. She didn't even freak out when the shell broke (that usually ads 5 minutes to the taco eating time!) So another win for Homemade Gourmet! Bonus if you order now Taco Soup Seasoning is on sale!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Soup's On!

This month the soups are 15% off so I decided that we would try a few. I asked my husband to pick some out and he picked the Chicken and Rice Creme Soup, Bonnie's Blue Ribbon Chili, and I picked the Taco Soup Staple (it was actually cheaper since the staple was on sale to get the refill and buy the container and the recipe cards separate).
Dinner tonight I decided I would try out the Chicken and Rice Creme Soup. I didn't have any meat thawed or precooked, so around 3:30 I put 4-5 frozen chicken breast along with a can of Chicken Broth in a pot on the stove. I let these cook for about an hour and then used the Pampered Chef Mix n Chop to cut up the chicken. I then poured it into a strainer saving the broth for my soup. The recipe calls for 6 cups of water, but like I have said before when you can substitute broth for water go ahead it usually turns out in your favor. The recipe for the Chicken and Rice Creme soup is the mix, 6 cups of water and 12oz canned chicken or 1 cup chicken. I ended up with 2 cups of the broth so I did 2 cups of broth with the mix and 1 cup of chicken. I put all the ingredients back in the same pot I had just cooked the chicken in (I took the other 2 cups of chicken and put them in the fridge for my next recipe). Then whisked as stated on the directions to combine, and then brought to a boil and simmered 20 minutes.
The verdict: I liked it, although it was a bit salty, probably from the broth, might go ahead with a lower sodium broth next time. Hubby liked it and got a second helping. My daughter did not want soup and so she opted for an Easy Mac. I did make her try one bite, she was already convinced she would not like it, so she did not like it (or so she says, she did not spit it out!).
In all I would say it was a total success! Dinner in 20 minutes if I had the chicken pre-prepared, which I do for next time. We also have 2 servings left for another day.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Another Opportunity...

I have a friend who sells Creative Memories, and since I LOVE to scrapbook and Creative Memories is my preferred product I try and go to her events. I have been to one scrapbooking day with her and remember their being some snacks there, which is great while scrapbooking. She had another event coming up this past Saturday so I asked her if she and the other CM consultants would be interested in my providing the snacks. It could save them time and money. It was agreed that I could provide for them. So I decided on some BLT dip (my favorite and I have a pantry staple!), Mock Spinach (it sounded good and I wanted to try it), Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar (a friend had bought it and decided it was too spicy so traded for something of equal value something you can do with any HG product you don't like, burn or whatever) and Roasted tomato Salsa (I had a few on hand so I knew I could make one and possibly sell the others). For dessert I had a Cinnamon Sopapilla dessert and Apple Crisp.
The prep was super easy as always. The dips were all mix and chill. The Salsa was a can of Rotel and a can of tomatoes and the mix put in blender and blend for a little bit then chill and serve. I decided to go ahead and make the cinnamon sopaillas ahead and serve chilled. The apple crisp I did that morning and actually melted a part of my new rolling cooler (oops!).
In all I think it went well. The CM consultants were glad not to have to think of that portion of the prep and doings for the day, and I was glad to get my products out there!
If you don't already know the soups are on sale this month! I bought for myself the Chicken and Rice Creme, Taco Soup mix and Blue Ribbon Chili! I can't wait for it to come in later this week! I will let you know how those turn out!!