April is here and along with it comes some of the best weather we get here in Phoenix.  March flew this year and I am happy to say that our anniversary classes were a great success.  We had our favorite meals, recipes and even an anniversary gift for 2 lucky people.  Kimberly Easley and Shelia Vergari were the lucky winners of their choice of my favorite kitchen gadgets.  Congratulations, ladies. 

With Easter only a faint memory, the next holiday to look forward to is Memorial Day so let’s have some fun while we wait for another long weekend.  Being outdoors sure builds up an appetite and our upcoming classes will help you fill the void. 

This month, we are sharing our recipe for Teriyaki Chicken Wings that was from a holiday appetizer class.  Several people mentioned that when they made the wings at home, they weren’t sticky and brown like they were in class.  Lo and behold, when I verified the recipe, I found that 4 little words were missing….’bake another 30 minutes’.  So rather than have a recipe out there with a mistake, I thought I would share it with all of you.  So, if you have taken a class with Teriyaki Chicken Wings in it, please replace the recipe from this newsletter.  If you haven’t tried these wings yet…they’re really good (especially when baked that additional 30 minutes).  They are perfect for entertaining or just for munching with your family.  The recipe can be found at the end of the newsletter.

April Classes – April classes prepare us for a variety of meals from Salads to Pasta and lots in between.  Our Tuesday classes are held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., our Saturday and Sunday classes are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Our Thursday quick classes are from 10:00 a.m. Noon. 

On Saturday 4/5 we are celebrating the arrival of spring with our Grilling Basics class.  In this class you will learn how to use your grill properly so that food is always cooked perfectly.  We will make several main and side dishes as well as a dessert.  Guys—if you weren’t born with the ‘grilling gene’, this is the perfect class for you.  Ladies, you will also enjoy this class!  Cost is $63 per person.

On Tuesday 4/8 and Saturday 4/12 and (just added) Sunday 4/13 we are holding Italian Night class.  See the menu at Italian Night Menu.  This is one of my favorite classes of all time.  Cost is $63/person.  There are still a few spots left so call early to reserve your spot.  The tiramisu is worth the price of the class alone!

On Tuesday 4/15 and Saturday 4/19 we will hold our Pizza class.  We will make a simple dough, several sauces and toppings as well as learn various methods to prepare pizza, including oven methods, pizza stone and grilled pizzas.  $63/person.

On Thursday 4/17 we will be holding our first quick class.  It is our Healthy Asian Pork Tenderloin class.  — Make pork tenderloin along with cool side dish and cookies.  The class will be ‘quick’ on time and small on price, but certainly not on food or fun.  Thursday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.  $49/person

On Tuesday 4/22 and Saturday 4/26 we will hold our Pasta 3 Ways class.  Menu can be found at Pasta 3 Ways.  The recipes are simple and delicious and are ‘kid friendly’, too.  Cost is $63 per person. 

On Tuesday 4/29 and Saturday 5/3 we will be offering our Mexican Fiesta class.  We will prepare a Mexican meal that is sure to please.  Not too hot!  Not too spicy!  See our menu at Mexican Fiesta Menu $63/person.

Upcoming Classes for May – May has several classes requested by Simply Impressive friends.  We have both 3 hour and the new ‘quick’ 2 hour classes

On Saturday 5/3 we offer our Mexican Fiesta class.  See details above.

On Tuesday 5/6 we will have our Hearty Dinner Salads II class.  See the menu at Hearty Dinner Salads II.  This has some great salads that are perfect for the hot summer days that will be here soon.  Cost is $63/person

Thursday 5/8 is another quick class.  This time we will be out at the grill doing some Simple Grilling.  We will focus on grill set-up, food placement, etc.  Cost for this class is $49 per person.

On Tuesday 5/13 and Saturday 5/17 we will hold our Cooking With Herbs class.  If you have ever wondered how to work with herbs; when to use fresh; when to use dried…this class is for you.  $63/person.

On Tuesday 5/20 and Thursday 5/22 we will hold our Make Ahead BBQ class.  We will prepare a great meal on the grill that is perfect for holiday entertaining or a family dinner.  Cost is $63 per person. 

Other Kids Classes – Our boot camp classes are scheduled for June and July.  We have two weeks of boot camp classes for 8-12 year olds.  The first is for the week of June 2 thru June 6.  The second (newly added) is for the week of July 14 thru July 18.  They will be different menus for each session so your child may want to attend both.

Our teen boot camp is scheduled for the week of June 9 thru June 13.  We also plan on scheduling individual day classes for teens, too, but are still working on the details for that.  Watch the website for additional teen dates.

We are feverishly working to complete our menus for our kid’s boot camps.  We have quite a few kids registered already so if you want to register….do so quickly.  Current prices will hold until May 15 at which time they will increase. 

Special Offers – Here are our specials for the month of April. 

Kids’ Classes – sign up and pay for your child’s boot camp classes at our special price of $200 per week for 8-12 year olds and $215 per week for teens.  Offer is valid until May 15, 2008.  Remember, prices go up after that date.

Please note that these specials are only applicable to our adult classes. 

Sign up for any class in April, and get $5 off of a quick class. 

In April, if you schedule and pay for a private group class during April (you can hold the class in any month thru June), you will receive $5 off of each person attending. 

If you received coupons in the mail, don’t forget to redeem them.  The expiration date is coming up soon.

Private Groups – If you want to schedule a private class for your group, we can hold classes at your place or ours.  For private groups we can customize a menu perfectly suited for your group.  We have had great feedback on our private group parties held previously, and we would love to hold one for you, too.  

Our website – Refer to our website often at www.simplyimpressive.com for the latest in class information.  Our calendar is now available through mid-July 2008 and will be updated through 3^rd Quarter 2008 soon.  Also note that we will be adding additional adult classes throughout the summer soon.

Our brochure – Have you tried our new website feature yet?  You can print your own brochure.  Just click on ‘Online Brochure” to print your own.  Of course, we can always send one to you if you prefer. 

Methods of Payment – In December we started taking PayPal as an alternative payment method.  While we prefer checks, occasionally you must pay with credit cards.  PayPal allows you to use credit and debit cards without giving your card information to us.  If you absolutely must, let us know, and we’ll send you a PayPal invoice. 

In the Media – Did you catch our ABC15 Smart Shopper segment?  We talked about how to use our Easter Leftovers.  To see the video click on Easter Leftover Video.  If you’d like the recipes we used, they are posted at Easter Leftover Recipes.  If you don’t have your favorite au gratin potato recipe, you can use the one we included in our newsletter last month.

We have two segments coming up soon for Sonoran Living.  The first is from our Pantry Meals in Minutes class where we pick items from our pantry to create great meals.  It’s for those days when you come home and remember you forgot to defrost something for dinner.  We also filmed a segment for dealing with allergies.  We made a cheesecake with crust that is perfect for people dealing with wheat allergies or celiac disease.  We are still waiting for the dates these segments will air so you will just have to watch Sonoran Living to see them.  Or check www.sonoranliving.com for details on when they will air. 

Gift Certificates -- A lot of you have received gift certificates for the holidays this year.  While most of them have been redeemed, others are still out there.  Don’t forget to book your favorite classes so that you will not be disappointed. 

I would like to thank for your continued support of Simply Impressive Cooking School and I hope to see you in a class soon. 

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Makes about 40 wings

4 lbs	Chicken wings (tips removed)
2 tbsp	Sesame seeds
1 cup	Teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp	Honey
2 tsp	Ground ginger
2 tsp	Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375°. 

Combine teriyaki sauce, honey, ginger and garlic powder ingredients in a bowl or Ziploc bag.  Stir in chicken wings until coated.  Marinade for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

To bake, arrange the wings in a single layer of a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Baste, turn and baste again.  Bake another 30 minutes.  Sprinkle sesame seeds onto wings and bake another 20 minutes more.  Serve warm.

This recipe can easily be halved.  If you want to double it, make sure to put it into 2 baking sheets.

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