Well, we made it through January.  They said it was going to be a dry winter, but we fooled them.  I sort of enjoy the rain.  It makes me want to stay in and bake.  If you smell cookies or pizza when you go outside, look no further than my house.  Let’s just hope the rain stops soon, or I’ll be borrowing freezer room from you

Super Bowl is here in Phoenix and the buzz is deafening.  I’m not a big football fan, but I’ve caught the ‘football bug’ this year, too.  So may your favorite team win the trophy and may your super bowl party offer wonderful goodies to enjoy. 

With February bringing us Valentines Day, I thought I’d give you a little information on chocolate.  Check out the article on chocolate at the end of the newsletter

Time sure does fly and I’m proud to say that in March, Simply Impressive will be celebrating our 3^rd anniversary.  Watch March’s newsletter for our special celebrations to commemorate our anniversary.  We are also going to be introducing classes on additional dates so that you have more choices on when to attend.

February Classes – Our Tuesday classes are held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., our Saturday classes are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Our Thursday classes are from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Our Kids classes are on Friday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

There is still room in our Super Bowl Entertaining class on Thursday 1/31 at 6:30 p.m.  It’s not too late to plan the party with our great menu. 

On Tuesday 2/5 and Thursday 2/7 we are offering Chinese New Year  dinner.  We will make a meal that fits right in with the festivities.  Cost is $63 per person.

We will make a great Valentines Day Dinner  in our classes on Saturday 2/9.  Make a simple, yet elegant meal to impress your valentine.  Cost is $63 per person. 

Friday 2/15 will be our first Kids class of the year.  We will be making a meal featuring Pasta.  Cost is $45 per person and children must be between 8 and 12 years old to attend.  This is a great way for your child to see how much they will enjoy our kids boot camp sessions later this summer.

To keep you warm on our cold winter nights, we are offering our Chili 3 Ways  class on Tuesday 2/19 and Saturday 2/23.  The menu is found at Chili 3 Ways.  We will make a beef, chicken and vegetarian chili.  The cornbread is to die for, too.  Price per person is $63.

On Tuesday 2/26 and Saturday 3/1 we are offering our Eastern European class.  If you love the food you used to eat before you moved to Phoenix, this class is for you.  We will be making, among other things, stuffed cabbage and apple strudel.  Price is $63 per person.

Upcoming Classes for March – March brings us a great variety of classes with several holiday and ‘ethnic’ classes.  It will also bring our special, super-secret anniversary class, but you’ll have to wait for details on that one.

On Tuesday 3/4 and Saturday 3/8 we are celebrating the arrival of spring with our Spring Foods class.  Our menu will feature all the wonderful foods Spring has to offer.  You all know what a fan of strawberries I am so you can bet that we will feature strawberries somewhere on the menu.  Cost is $63 per person.

On Tuesday 3/11 and Thursday 3/13 we are offering one class that everyone should take.  Have you ever come home and realized that your refrigerator was empty.  Sure you have.  Then you will want to attend our Pantry Meals In Minutes class.  We will talk about basic staples to keep in your pantry so you always have something to make for dinner.  You will save time and money by eating at home even when there is ‘nothing to eat in the fridge’.  Cost is $63 per person.

On Saturday 3/15 we will offer our Polish Pierogi class.  This is always a popular class.  We will make the dough and 3 different fillings.  You won’t have to buy those freezer pierogi anymore.  Yours will be so much better.

Sign up for our Easter Brunch class on Tuesday 3/18 or Thursday 3/20.  We are celebrating again, but this time it is Easter.  We will make a simple, yet delicious meal to help in the celebration.  Cost is $63 per person. 

On Tuesday 3/25 and Saturday 3/29 we will be offering our Afternoon Tea class.  We will make tea sandwiches and scones that are perfect for a lazy afternoon.  $63/person.

Other Kids Classes – As you can see from above, our kids classes are back.  Please pass this information on to other parents so that we can continue holding these great classes for kids.  Also note that our boot camps in June are scheduled and we will be adding a few sessions in July, too. 

Special Offers – For the month of February we have another great special.  Recommend Simply Impressive to a friend and when they book and pay for their class, you will get $15 off your next class.  (Only one discount can be applied per class.)

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-June 2008 and will be updated through 3^rd Quarter 2008 soon. 

Our Brochure -- Many of you have requested our brochure via e-mail.  We are now able to e-mail our brochure and soon you will be able to print one off of our website.  Watch our announcements for details. 

Methods of Payment – In December, 2007 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 the TV segments we had in January?  It was hard to miss them.  It seemed like every time we turned on the TV, I was staring back at myself.

February is a little quieter (thank goodness).  We will be on AZ TV up in Prescott on February 6.  We will be making a Valentines Day Breakfast in Bed.  So if you want to surprise your valentine with something nice, this is the show for you.  AZ TV is on Channel 13 on Cox cable and we will be on at 10:00 am.  Check local listings for other station information.

Gift Certificates -- A lot of you have received gift certificates for the holidays this year.  If you are new to Simply Impressive, welcome to our group.  If you’ve been here before, we look forward to seeing you again.  In either case, don’t forget to book your favorite classes so that you will not be disappointed. 

Chocolate

When it comes to Valentines Day, many people first think about their Valentine, then about chocolate.  While you’re on your own for preparing for your sweetie, we can help you with the chocolate part.  Let’s learn a little about chocolate itself.

There are several types of chocolate; unsweetened, bittersweet, semi-sweet, milk chocolate and white chocolate.

Unsweetened (or baking) chocolate is just that – chocolate without any sugar added.  It is not good for eating, but is often used in baking. 

Bittersweet chocolate is sweeter than baking chocolate which makes it edible and enjoyable but slightly bitter.  It contains chocolate liquor, extra cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla.  Often when something is called "dark chocolate," bittersweet is the type used.

Semi-sweet chocolate is just like bittersweet chocolate with a little more sugar.  It is the most common flavor used when we make chocolate chip cookies.  Most chocolate recipes use semi-sweet chocolate.

Milk chocolate has a sweet, creamy taste comes from adding milk solids to the bittersweet blend.  Personally, I find it too sweet, but it is very popular with many people.

White chocolate is not really chocolate since it contains no chocolate liquor.  But I really do love it…especially Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. 

If you are going to use chocolate to melt and dip, there are some important tips to remember.  Do not heat the chocolate above 130° since chocolate, especially milk chocolate, is very sensitive to heat and will scorch or seize easily.  And please, please, please, be sure no liquid gets into the chocolate as this will cause clumping or seizing.

So enjoy your favorite chocolate and remember that the latest medical reports have been pointing to the potential that eating chocolate can lead to better health.  Who cares if the reports have not been proven yet!  After all, it is chocolate.  So you no longer have an excuse to turn away chocolate.  Enjoy!

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