BBQ and Dalmatians

It's that time of year, and especially with our unseasonably warm weather, the Thrill of the GRILL is on my mind. My company sells a lot of grilling products from brushes to BBQ pizza pans to an old favorite called the BAR-B-Boss. "The Boss" always got a few giggles when described, with it's beer bottle opener built in.  I wonder why they changed the name! HA!

So last year, Pizza on the Grill was all the rage - and on a gorgeous but hot day in the middle of the summer I planned with my hosts an outdoor show. I arrived that July day, at the home of twin ladies that own three large dalmatian dogs. When I have done shows in the past, they gated off an area so that the dogs were not part of the demonstration. They are quite exuberant dogs!   But this time, we had to keep going through their gated area to get to the porch. The dogs attacked me as I walked to the porch, with my bags and the food, and for everything I kept forgetting in the kitchen, again, and again. And as the guests each arrived one by one they too, had to fight the pack to get outside, each being attacked, jumped on and licked. (Keep in mind these dogs are human-sized)... And at one point the dogs escaped outside to the porch and started to eat the food off the guests plates as they snacked before the demonstration and I guarded with my life the main ingredients for the demo! I believe one of the guests was actually knocked off her chair in the struggle for the snack plate! We finally got them locked back inside, and I made it to the grill with everything and was ready to begin.  As I began the demonstration, and started to talk about the recipes, and hand out the catalogs, I turned to light the grill and the grill was out of gas. Ug.

The show did go on, and the host ran and got some more gas... and we had a lovely party and everyone loved the pizzas. But wow, I needed a nap and a mojito or two when I got home. Now if you would like to recreate the scene at your house (sans the dogs- or not!)  And you don't own a grill pizza pan - here is an easy recipe that I like. And then following that is a new recipe for a delicious easy Grilled BBQ Chicken pizza with the fantastic pan...

ENJOY! I'm thinking that fan of the week this week is going to get one of our delicious Rubs, perfect for the grill! So if you haven't done so yet, Like Confessions of a Direct Seller on Facebook - and be sure to make a comment or LIKE something on the page to get in on FAN of the WEEK. 

ENJOY! 

Grilled Pizza

Ingredients

Assortment of vegetables

Pizza Dough - or Mini- partially baked pizza crusts (found near pita breads)

Pre-cooked meat of your choice

Olive oil

1 garlic clove

½ cup pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Grill spray (I used Pam for grilling)

Directions

1. Clean cool grill and spray with non-stick spray. Pre-heat grill.

2. Cut up the vegetables for topping

3. Coat a large piece of aluminum foil with olive oil and put vegetables in middle of foil.

Fold up the four sides to make a foil packet.  OR Saute vegetables in sauté pan.

4. If cooking vegetables on grill – cook for 5-10 minutes or until your liking.

5. Roll out dough onto wax paper or parchment paper. Put on a large round stone. The pizza stone does not go on the grill, it is used to carry the pizza and then to put it back on when done. 

6. Brush top of crust with olive oil and press on a clove of garlic.

7. Put oil side down onto grill for 1-2 minutes over indirect heat. Watch it carefully so that it does not burn. Bush top with oil immediately upon removing parchment.

8. Turn crust over and spread on pizza sauce and top with veggies meat and cheese, close lid.

9. Open after 2-3 minutes and take off of grill after cheese is melted. & ENJOY

For EASIEST way - use a dough that has been partially cooked, like a Boboli, or a pocketless pita bread for an individual size. 

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1	small red onion
2	garlic cloves, peeled
2	cups (500 mL) shredded cooked rotisserie chicken
1	cup (250 mL) Beer Barbecue Sauce, divided
2	tsp (10 mL) finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2	tsp (10 mL) coarsely ground black pepper
	Cornmeal for dusting
1	lb (450 g) frozen prepared pizza dough, thawed (see Cook's Tip)
6	oz (175 g) marbled cheddar cheese (see Cook's Tip), grated
	Additional fresh oregano leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare grill for indirect cooking over medium-high heat. Slice onion crosswise usingSimple Slicer on #3 setting. Separate onion slices into rings. Slice garlic using Garlic Slicer. Combine chicken, 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the sauce, oregano and black pepper inSmall Batter Bowl; toss to coat.
2. Generously sprinkle Pastry Mat with cornmeal; place dough onto center of mat. UsingBaker's Roller®, roll to a 12-in. (30-cm) circle. Place dough onto BBQ Pizza Pan, gently stretching to cover bottom.
3. Spread remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) sauce evenly over crust to within 1/2 in. (1 cm) of edge. Top with chicken mixture, garlic and onion; sprinkle with cheese.
4. Place pizza pan on grid of grill. Grill, covered, 18-22 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown, carefully rotating pan occasionally using Silicone Oven Mitt. Remove pizza pan from grill. Sprinkle pizza evenly with additional oregano, if desired. Remove pizza from pan; cut pizza into 12 slices.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: (2 slices): Calories 430, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Sodium 730 mg, Carbohydrate 50 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 24 g

Cook's Tips: Regular barbecue sauce can be substituted for the Beer Barbecue Sauce, if desired.

Marbled cheddar cheese is a block of white and yellow cheddar cheeses. Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend can be substituted for the marbled cheddar, if desired.

For easier rolling, let pizza dough stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling it out.

Triple Citrus Mojitos

I was just flipping through the news feed when I saw a picture of a Mojito and it reminded me of a funny story. I was doing a cooking show in Chicago a few years back.  I can trace this show to my first year in the business, when my X-boyfriend's sister (My beloved friend Kristi) hosted. A couple of gentlemen were guests at the party,  they loved all the products, and decided to host their own show. A month or so later, I'm doing a final check in call a couple days before, and my Host says, "I made a terrible mistake, I put on all the invitations that the party was tomorrow instead of Sunday! Any chance you can come then? I have about 20 gay couples coming to the party!"  Luckily, it worked out that I was able to do the show. I had never had an all-male straight show, let alone an all-male gay show, so I wasn't sure what to expect. 


To my delight, it was probably the nicest show I have ever had. Lawyers, Doctors, Realtors, a Dentist and a variety of Professional, extremely handsome, helpful and attentive guests. Triple Citrus Mojitos were on the menu, and we made some mini bbq sandwiches and I think they even applauded when I finished the show. I will never think of Mojitos in the same way.   Now if you happen to love Mojitos but do not want to make them, I have a wonderful Cucumber Mint Mojito mix that serves 16 - send me a message on FB. 
ENJOY this wonderful weather! 

Triple-Citrus Mojitos
Ingredients:
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

Directions:
1.  Combine sugar and water in Small Batter Bowl. Tear six mint leaves in half and place into Quick-Stir(R) 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.

2.  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.

3.  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

Tornadoes, Life Lessons and Pistachio crusted chicken

As 95 tornadoes touched down in the Eastern Midwest on March 2nd, I was en route to a fabulous Leadership retreat for my company in the Smoky Mountains in Eastern Tennessee. Of the 225 leaders there, 10% were at the highest levels of the company. I couldn't help but wonder how easily our company could have been crippled by Mother Nature. It flashed me back to that devastating 9-11 day, where some had their entire NY office wiped out. I had never before related that moment to how someone might feel who lives in a town wiped out by a tornado.  A freaky moment, reinforced on the drive home through the ravaged towns in Kentucky and Indiana, that I had driven through 48 hours before. I think how funny it is that in life, we periodically get reminders of our gifts and blessings.  Sometimes that reminder happens after a funeral, an injury or even a crime. This time, for me it was 95 tornadoes.



After Near-Death Friday, we emerged from the basement and a day later how different life was! Fantastic training, amazing food, a couple cocktails, a hot tub and some quality time with some great friends. Life can be so hard. (Heehee). I want to share three of the many things that I took away from this training,  besides a new energy and enthusiasm for my business, and my life... 


#1 I learned that I need to hear things repeated again and again for them to soak in and that I enjoy a good reminder of a great perspective. I remembered a training at a conference where I  learned about the difference between working for someone else, and working for yourself. An Entrepreneur by definition, "is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative." Thanks Wikipedia!   Often times we are tempted to count every hour spent, and have remorse over every call not returned or product not sold. But when you have the true entrepreneurial spirit you know that experiences that sometimes are called "failures" are small stones on your path to success. 


#2 As one of our speakers, Darla Oelmann, reminded us, in life we need to constantly be improving ourselves. I will have to paraphrase her great talk, but basically... school is never out! If you want to be better in life, love and business you should be constantly looking for things you can "sponge up".   "Leadership is not built in a day - it's built daily." 


#3 And the third thing I learned that I really thought you would appreciate is that I really love Pistachio Crusted Chicken. I'm not sure if this is the exact recipe I tasted, but it sounds darn good. So enjoy your day and let me know if you have any great ideas for me on how I'm going to improve myself today!


Kathy

Pistachio Crusted Chicken - Allrecipes.com

Rated: Submitted By: Julie Photo By: Hot Chilli Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 4

"Kids will love these quick pistachio chicken strips; adults will too! This recipe is very easy, and elegant. Anyone can make it, and everyone will enjoy it!"

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chopped pistachios 1/2 cup bread crumbs 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey salt and pepper to taste 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch strips

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2.	Mix together pistachios and bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together Dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper until smooth. Dip chicken into Dijon mixture to coat, then coat with bread crumbs. Place onto prepared baking sheet.
3.	Place into preheated oven and turn the oven down to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake until the chicken is no longer pink and the pistachio coating is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Lent: It's not just about fish!

Now that my favorite re-runs of Quantum Leap are over, I lay here in my bed, trying to recuperate from my voice-eating illness. And I was thinking about today, being Ash Wednesday and that means to "my people" a day of fasting, self-sacrifice, no-meat eating, and some ash-wearing too. None of these things too difficult when laying ill in your bed!


Thinking of Lenten rituals, I remember back when I was in college and gave up french fries for Lent. My roommate, Kim, busted me eating a bag of McD's frys around 1am,  one post-party evening.  She said, "Stop! You gave those up!!" and I remember shouting back, "Well, i'm glad you are not GOD because HE will forgive me!" (Don't argue with anyone holding a loaded bag of fries at 1am. Or for that matter, don't argue with anyone loaded with a bag of fries at any time! Badumbum.)  In hindsight, maybe I should have given up drinking instead of the fries! HA! Sorry Kimmie Jo! 


Lent reminds me of St. Patrick's day, a good fish fry and self-sacrifice.  Last year, I gave up Diet Coke. WOW, hardest thing ever, next to childbirth and gallbladder problems. Some of my friends are giving up Pop, TV, Facebook (yikes!), and even sweets! Very impressive. But one thing you don't have to give up is eating a nutritious meal during lent this year. So if you are religious, vegetarian, or both, here are a few of my Lenten Favorites for your enjoyment: 


Panini (or a grilled cheese)
Always a crowd-pleaser. Dress it up with some slices of tomatoes and pair it with a cup of soup, delicious! But what makes a grilled cheese into a Panini? The press, and a crusty loaf of bread. No Wonder bread here please, unless you enjoy your sandwich 1/2 inch thick. Apparently a pressed and toasted sandwich is much fancier than your regular-old Grilled Cheese.  See below for a delicious and hearty recipe. 


Gnocchi 
A potato dumpling. I have a homemade recipe that is wonderful and inexpensive. But truth be told, I found gnocchi ready made at the grocery store. So if you want to just toss it in the sage brown butter recipe below... you have one fabulous and FAST Lenten meal. 

Pasta
Always an easy Lenten meal. Toss it with marinara or alfredo sauce. Serve it with a salad and a crusty loaf of garlic bread. Yum. But meatless pasta sometimes needs a little boost. See below for an awesome Italian Pasta Stir Fry recipe that is delicious. Fresh parmesan cheese and a glass of red wine and you may forget you were sacrificing anything. 




Fish & Fries
I know I said it is not just about fish, but some of us do love a good fish fry. And it is an easy one. You can always go out for this, but if you check in your grocers frozen section there are some tasty battered fillets. Pop on a baking stone and heat up in your oven with some quick fries and you have a meal fit for a toddler! HA. Really, I love a fish-stick once in a while. And when you bake your fries in the oven instead of going for the fast food fries - you save half the fat and half the calories. One better than that even is make your own fries. Slice, lightly coat in olive oil and sea salt and roast in your bar pan. Delicious!


Tired of the fries? sub some Italian Roasted Vegetables. See Recipe below. 




Recipes: 


Grilled Vegetable Panini
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 garlic cloves, pressed
8 slices (1/2-3/4 inch thick) sourdough bread
1 medium red bell pepper
1 small red onion
1 medium eggplant
1 medium yellow summer squash
1 medium zucchini
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 slices (1 ounce each) Provolone cheese

Directions:
1.  Melt butter in microwave on HIGH 20-25 seconds or until melted; add garlic. Brush one side of each slice of bread with butter mixture; set aside.

2.  Slice bell pepper crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rings. Slice onion crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices.

3.  Heat Grill Pan over medium-high heat. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Place bell pepper and onion into pan. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from pan; set aside and keep warm. Spray pan again with vegetable oil. Cook eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini 3-4 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan; set aside and keep warm.

4.  To assemble sandwiches, arrange four pieces of bread buttered side down; top each with 1 slice cheese, 2 slices each eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini and bell pepper rings, and 1 slice red onion. Top with remaining cheese and remaining bread, buttered side up.

5.  Heat pan over medium heat. Cook sandwiches 1-2 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted and grill marks appear on surface of bread, turning once with Nylon Turner. Serve immediately.

Yield:  4 sandwiches

Nutrients per serving:  Calories 490, Total Fat 30 g, Saturated Fat 15 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 21 g, Sodium 960 mg, Fiber 5 g

(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2012

http://www.pamperedchef.com




Italian Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 pound unpeeled red potatoes (3-4 medium)
2 large carrots
1 large yellow summer squash
1 large zucchini
8 ounces fresh large mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise using Crinkle Cutter; cut each half lengthwise into 1-inch-wide wedges. cut carrots diagonally into 2-inch lengths. Cut summer squash and zucchini into 2-inch pieces. Cut mushrooms in half.

2.  Place vegetables in large bowl; toss with oil. Press garlic over vegetables using Garlic Press. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper; toss to coat evenly.

3.  Spread vegetables in single layer on Stoneware Bar Pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp-tender, stirring after 20 minutes.

Yield:  6 servings

Nutrients per serving:  Calories 170, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 210 mg, Fiber 3 g
Fiber 4 g


Homemade Gnocchi
Ingredients:
1 1/2  cups prepared instant mashed potatoes, cooled
1  egg
1/4  teaspoon salt
1 1/2-2  cups all-purpose flour
1  cup marinara pasta sauce, warmed

Directions:
1.  In (8-qt.) Stockpot, bring water to a boil. Combine mashed potatoes, egg and salt using Small Mix 'N Scraper(R); mix well. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and mix until dough begins to form into a ball. Turn dough out onto smooth side of lightly floured Large Grooved Cutting Board; knead lightly until smooth. Sprinkle additional flour over surface as needed to form a dough that is not sticky or dry.

2.  Divide dough into six equal portions; roll each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick log across full length of cutting board (below, left).

3.  Using Pizza Cutter, cut each log into 3/4-inch pieces, forming pillow-shaped gnocchi (below, right).

4.  Carefully drop gnocchi into boiling water. Once gnocchi rise to the surface, cook 2 minutes (about 4 minutes total). Drain in large Colander. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrients per serving: Light: Calories 370, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 4.5 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Carbohydrate 60 g, Protein 11 g, Sodium 640 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tip: For a heartier main dish, add 2 cups diced cooked chicken or 1/2 pound cooked and crumbled Italian sausage to gnocchi, if desired.



To make homemade mashed potatoes in Rice Cooker Plus, combine 3 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in rice cooker. Microwave on HIGH 7-8 minutes or until tender. Mash until smooth using Nylon Masher.


Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter
Ingredients:
1  recipe Homemade Gnocchi
1  tablespoon  Pantry Basil Oil or olive oil
1  tablespoon  butter (do not substitute margarine)
3  tablespoons snipped fresh sage leaves
1/4  cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Romano cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper
Additional sage leaves (optional)


Directions:
1.  Prepare gnocchi as recipe directs, omitting marinara sauce. Heat oil and butter over medium heat in (12-in.) Skillet. Add sage and cook 1 minute or until butter just begins to brown. Add cooked gnocchi. Cook without stirring 4-5 minutes or until gnocchi are golden brown on one side.

2.  Remove from skillet; spoon onto serving plates. Grate cheese over gnocchi using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Top with coarsely ground black pepper; garnish with additional sage, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 410, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 80 mg, Carbohydrate 55 g, Protein 11 g, Sodium 540 mg, Fiber 2 g

Italian Pasta Stir-Fry          Ingredients: 8 ounces linguine, uncooked 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 large garlic cloves, pressed 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese   Directions: 1. Cook pasta according to package directions; keep warm. Slice zucchini with Ultimate Slice & Grate. Chop onion and tomatoes using Food Chopper. Snip parsley using Kitchen Shears. 2. Heat oil in Stir-Fry Skillet. Press garlic with Garlic Press into Skillet; stir-fry 15 seconds. Add zucchini and onion; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes, parsley and seasonings. Heat 1-2 minutes, stirring gently until heated through. 3. Remove from heat. Stir in warm pasta; grate Parmesan cheese over pasta using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Toss lightly and serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings Pampered Chef

Like me on Facebook - Let's Get Cooking! Tales, Sales & Recipes by Kathy Gilmore 

My BEST ideas for Valentine's Day

Candy, flowers, jewels, movies and dinner out - are things I like for Valentine's Day. Yep, all of them. But there are a few flaws in the old-standby.  While I always enjoy eating out, I don't ever enjoy a crowded restaurant or a crowded movie theater.  And there is something unsettling when a month later, you go and pay the credit card bill and find all your gifts on there.   My husband knows me so well. He was at the Jewel buying me some flowers for Valentine's Day and he ran into a couple we know. The man jokingly said, "you are so busted, my wife is totally going to tell your wife that you bought those at the Jewel." and Matt calmly said, "Go ahead, she would be ticked off if I bought them any other place!" He is so right. 


Yes, it's true, I'm extremely driven by thrift. I think it's a curse sometimes. But I also enjoy doing something for my kids or my sweetheart that is a little more creative too. So with a few Valentine's shows for my business under my belt, I offer you a few ideas that you might enjoy. And if you are the fan of the week on Facebook (Like me at Confessions of a Direct Seller)... I have a special Heart-shaped prize this week! 


My best small treat: 
Left-over candy canes, dipped in white chocolate (or almond bark) See picture. So easy. So inexpensive. The shelf life of a candy cane is well over a year, so they are almost always still good well through Valentine's Day! If you don't have any left, and the clearance sections at Wal-mart are out too... just Chocolate Dip SOMETHING. It's always good. 


My best idea to pack in a lunch box: 
With the help of a large heart shaped cookie cutter, make any sandwich into a heart-shaped sandwich - 
Or if you have PChef Creative Cutters - cut out a heart in the middle of one of the slices of bread, and it will show a bit of what is inside through. (Maybe not good for a lunch box PB & J, but lunch meat will be safe. Cookies are also always a nice treat- pick up some break-and-bake if you are short on time, add a couple tablespoons of flour to the sugar cookie dough and roll out. 


My Valentine's Best Meal: 
This one is tricky. You know your Valentine best. Does he or she love Mexican? Go for Enchiladas... Does he love Italian? Go lasagna. Does she love heart-healthy? Go grilled chicken and a fabulous salad with nuts and berries. *Message me for recipes. But this post is about MY Valentine... and he loves a good SHISH Kabob. And the best part about this one, is that if I get it ready to go, he will cook it! If it is too cold to grill, then go for the broiler. Dont' want to broil? Go skewer-less and use the grill pan on your stovetop.  The key is in the marinade. Add on some rice and some rolls and you have an awesome meal. 


Steak and Mushroom Skewers
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) dried thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 lb (450 g) boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 in./2.5 cm thick
1 package (8 oz or 228 g) mushrooms

Directions:
1.  In large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, thyme, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, salt and black pepper; set aside. Cut bell pepper and steak into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Place bell pepper, steak, mushrooms and marinade into large resealable plastic food storage bag. Seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 1-3 hours.

2.  When ready to grill, prepare grill for direct cooking over medium coals. Alternately thread steak and vegetables onto Skewers. Lightly grease grid of grill. Place Skewers on grid of grill. Grill, uncovered, 8-10 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness or until meat is evenly browned and vegetables are crisp-tender, turning occasionally.

Yield:  4 servings

Nutrients per serving:  Calories 290, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 27 g, Sodium 350 mg, Fiber 2 g  (C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2012 Pampered Chef


My best Valentine's Dessert
Nothing says love like cherries and chocolate. And nothing is easier than a trifle (see the blog post about trifles)...   You can buy the brownies if you aren't a big baker. Sam's club sells a nice sheet of them for a few bucks. But seriously baking a 9x13 pan of brownies is pretty easy, people. The rest is a piece of cake. (I mean trifle). 


Black Forest Trifle
Ingredients:
1 pkg (18-21 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate candy, divided
3 cups cherry pie filling
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup cranberry-cherry juice
2 cups cold 2% milk
2 pkg (3.3 oz each) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies; spread batter over bottom of Large Bar Pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

2.  Loosen brownie from sides of bar pan and invert onto flat side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Cut brownie into 1-in. cubes; set aside. Chop 1 1/2 of the chocolate bars using Food Chopper. Reserve remaining chocolate for garnish.

3.  Combine pie filling and almond extract in Small Batter Bowl; set aside 1/2 cup for garnish. Stir juice into batter bowl.

4.  Pour milk into Classic Batter Bowl; add pudding mix and whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped topping.

5.  To assemble trifle, place half of the brownie cubes into bottom of Trifle Bowl. Layer with half of the pie filling mixture. Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate; top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layer one time.

6.  Make chocolate curls with reserved chocolate using Vegetable Peeler (see Cook's Tip). Garnish top of trifle with reserved pie filling mixture and chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yield:  16 servings

Nutrients per serving:  Calories 380, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 59 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 300 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tips:  To make chocolate curls, hold the Vegetable Peeler across the short side of the chocolate bar. Using even pressure, push the blade away from you to create curls.

This trifle can be assembled several hours before serving, or even the night before.  
(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2012 http://www.pamperedchef.com



Happy Valentine's Day to my beloved friends!  Enjoy creating SOME element of your Valentine's Day - and get your RED BOX movie the day before to make sure it will be there!
Kathy

Thrifty travel tips for the value-minded...

There are two theories on vacationing and travel that are completely contrary. The first is that "if you don't GOT IT, don't go!"  The idea behind this is that if you don't have the money to live it up, then you should just stay home. And if that is YOUR opinion, go ahead, and leave the blog now. I am willing to bet that by paragraph two your eyes will be rolling way back. Now, if you are like me, on the other hand, and tend to side with the opposite view, "GO GO GO no matter what, and just be thrifty!" then read on!

Thrifty has everything to do with preservation or STRETCHING of funds... in other words, paying the bills AND going on the trip!  In my direct selling career I have had two decades of conferences and incentive trips   that didn't always happen during times of  prosperity. In order to go, WE (my non-coupon-loving-husband I'm sure is rolling HIS eyes...) had to pinch a penny or two.

A few tips that I have learned might help you stretch your dollars... which means maybe being able to take an EXTRA trip, and I'm all for MORE fun! So here goes: 

Take some public transportation. Investigate ahead if you can get public transportation for at least a leg, arm or elbow of the trip. Whether it is from the airport to your hotel, or just when you are heading out sight seeing, or shopping. A lot of hotels offer a shuttle to get around town, or have info about the bus system.  But be careful. I was so proud of myself when I paid $2 for a  rail pass in Atlanta. I got all the way from the airport to the Mall across the street from my hotel. The problem was that my hotel was on a busy highway. Walking to my hotel with my suitcase through the grass felt a little ridiculous. My favorite tip is to call the hotel directly and ask them if there is public transportation to get from airport to the hotel. Or sometimes I say, "what is the most economical way to get to the hotel from the airport." Airport websites, local tourism and visitor bureaus, and the city's website - are all great resources.

Try a discount travel site. I haven't done airfare on this, but I do hotels all the time. If you have some flexibility, do a NAME YOUR PRICE feature.  You can go to Priceline.com for example and put in the dates and region of where you want to stay and then make an offer. But I will tell you, if you go for a 4STAR rating on these hotels, you may have a fabulous hotel, but you will most definitely NOT have a free breakfast, free wi-fi and free parking. And if you add up all that, you didn't save much. So to maximize your savings, go for 3 STARS for the rating and you will find that many of those hotels offer all the extras that really add up. Now if you don't need to be THAT thrifty, and really want to stay at a nice place- go 4 star all the way! I have gotten so many 4 star hotels for $50+ taxes, and I have never stayed at a BAD 4 star hotel. If they don't accept your $50 bid, just add a few bucks each time. It may take you a few days if you are not willing to change your region. But 4 star hotels always have a restaurant affiliated with the hotel, which means Room Service! Warning: this is not a thrifty tip at all... fyi - thrifty people should not order room service. (It is really fun though sometimes and seems easily justified when you got the room for $50!)

Bring some of your own food. My friend Michele was recently mocking me for bringing my small crockpot on our trip to the Bahamas. But when you spend $50 on a pizza for the children on the first night, or $60 on virgin-slushy drinks at the pool.. you will feel pretty good about the mac-n-cheese in the crock pot on day 3!  When traveling with kids, a shoe box fits a loaf of bread or sleeves of crackers. A jar of peanut butter is always awesome to have for snacks or lunch. Crystal-lite in those little stick-like slim packages added to water makes a fantastic addition to your water-bottle full of vodka. (Just don't mix up those water bottles! yikes).  And whatever you do, get a fridge for the room. Sometimes they charge a fee for it, but if you can put your left-overs in there, then you can have them for a lunch or two. (And you can heat up the leftovers in the crock pot!) Stop at the local grocery for milk, juice and a 12 pack of Diet Coke to help you save as well. And as Michele taught me, most hotels will give you a free fridge if it is for medicinal purposes.

Feel free to comment if you have some more value-minded tips ... I may have a couple decades of experience in being cheap... but I'm sure I have more to learn!