Trifle Bowl

The Trifle Bowl is very practical and makes a lovely trifle or can be a beautiful centerpiece.  There are many ideas as to how it can be used.  Some ideas for centerpieces include:  candle holder, flower vase, gift of garden things, snack bowl, etc.  

The stand that it sits on can be stored inside it, which is helpful when saving space in your cabinets.

Be sure to check it out on my website:  www.pamperedchef.biz/jenharms

Salad Choppers

I recently purchased the salad choppers and have been very pleased.  Not only are they good for chopping lettuce, but they also do a great job chopping cooked chicken.

Some of our recipes call for cooking whole chicken breasts in the Deep Covered Baker and then chopping them into pieces with the salad choppers.  When I tried this, it worked very well.  I am so happy to have my time in the kitchen be productive and not take hours getting food on the table. 

Having the right tools for the right job makes all the difference.  Just as men need tools to do certain tasks around the home, we women need the right tools to make our kitchen tasks easier.

Mix 'N Chop

A tool that I have had many guests rave about is the Mix 'N Chop.  It is so easy to use to break up any ground meat for recipes, and it distributes seasonings better to make the meat more flavorful.  It can be used to scramble eggs and break up cooked potatoes, too.

The nylon material is safe for nonstick cookware and it is heat resistant to 428 degrees Fahrenheit.

Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan

Have you ever thought that a muffin pan could give you tarts, mini-cupcakes, and mini quiches.  I have made many things in our deluxe mini-muffin pan and I have enjoyed them all. 

For the holidays, make mini cupcakes and frost them with green icing.  Place them on a platter in the shape of a Christmas tree.  It's fun, easy, and adorable!

Our deluxe mini-muffin pan has a non-stick surface for easy clean-up.

Batter Bowls

The Batter Bowls are a great addition to any kitchen. They are made of glass and show cup markings on the edge. I like to use them for general mixing purposes. It is good to be able to hold them with the handle. It makes it easy to control the bowl. Some people use them to make dome-shaped cakes. They are dishwasher, microwave, oven, and freezer safe.

Mix-All Measuring Cup

Did you ever think that a measuring cup could do more than measure?  I've found that the mix-all cup can do something more. 

When making friendship bread, you must pour one cup of batter into one of 4 plastic bags.  It can be messy to do this with a one cup measuring cup.  I took my mix-all measuring cup and put a plastic bag inside it to help hold the bag.  Then, using the batter bowl, I poured one cup of batter into the bag.  So much less mess that way and so much more helpful. 

The mix-all measuring cup measures both dry and liquid ingredients, but now I know that it can help hold a plastic bag when I need it to!

Turkey Carving Tips

Oops! I'm a day late with my Tuesday Tip this week. The busyness of Thanksgiving week already has me running behind. I had the great opportunity to use my Tuesday to help serve Thanksgiving dinner at a local community center that our church supports. It's so rewarding to be able to help and to get my two kids involved at a young age with helping others, too.

With Thanksgiving upon us, here's a great video that explains how to carve a turkey.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Cutting Board

Have you heard that glass cutting boards can dull your knives?  When I learned this, I stopped using mine.  The Pampered Chef cutting boards are made of a durable material that won't dull knives.

The Pampered Chef cutting boards come in three sizes. They are made with rubber edges so that they grip the counter top and don't slip or slide around while you are cutting. On one side of the rubber edges, there are standard and metric markings so that you can cut uniform pieces. All of the cutting boards are usable on both sides, and they are dishwasher safe.

Large Bar Pan

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to use one pan for every meal? 

The Large Bar Pan from Pampered Chef is perfect for all kinds of things. I love to cook bacon on it because it is so easy to clean. You can cook a whole package of bacon and then eat it now or save it for sandwiches later.

For lunch, you can put 6 grilled cheese sandwiches on it and they cook in 15 minutes. The great part is that you don't have to flip them!

For dinner, you can roast vegetables or cook chicken breasts on it. For dessert, cookies or brownies.

What a great tool to help make your work as a cook easier!  The clean up is simple, too.  All you need is hot water and a nylon scraper!

Pork Tenderloin in 15 minutes?

Yes, it's true. One of my favorite dishes to prepare at cooking shows is a juicy pork tenderloin - done in 15 minutes in the microwave.

Before I get into the details, I have to tell you that the secret is something we've dubbed "The Magic Pot." Officially, it's the Deep Covered Baker, but whatever you want to call it, it's the best investment I've made in my kitchen in years.

The Deep Covered Baker is made of stoneware. Like our other stoneware pieces, it can be used in the oven, microwave and freezer. And it's easy to clean.
So back to the tenderloin. Prepare it by brushing it with oil and a rub of your choice, garnish with onions and potatoes or leave it by itself, put it in the microwave on high for 10-12 minutes, take it out and let it sit for 10 minutes - the amazing thing is the meat continues to cook once it's been removed from the microwave.

Voila! A tasty, healthy meal with meat and veggies in less than half an hour.

That's one great recipe with the Deep Covered Baker. I've got dozens more I'll share with you in upcoming posts.