As I sit here writing this newsletter, the temperatures are tickling the 100’s.  They sure did come fast, didn’t they.  I still love summer and don’t mind the heat too much.  We’re watching the pool for the steam so I know it’s warm enough for these tootsies to go in.  While I’m waiting, I’ll just have to make ice cream!

With the onset of summer, we’ve been looking at making lots of hot weather foods.  You will notice our calendar is jam packed with summer foods, including an ice cream class. 

If you are planning on enrolling your kids in any of our summer programs, be sure to do so quickly.  Classes are filling up and prices go up May 15^th.

We opened up a 3^rd class for Italian Night in April and still could not satisfy the demand.  I have a waiting list for that class.  If you were interested in attending Italian Night but were unable to attend, let me know.  I am considering adding another class session in May.

See instructions on how to create fantastic roasted red peppers later in this newsletter.  We had a private class the other day and one of the students went wild over how wonderful fresh roasted red peppers taste, so I thought I’d share them with you. 

May Classes – May classes prepare us for a variety of meals from Salads to BBQ and lots in between.  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 quick classes are from 10:00 a.m. Noon and regular Thursday classes are from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.  See our class calendar at May Class Calendar to see all the class details.

On 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.

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.

Just added -- On Saturday 5/10 we are again offering 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; but so will the ladies!  This is the perfect anniversary or early Father’s day gift.  Cost is $63 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.  See our menu at Make Ahead BBQ Chicken.  Cost is $63 per person. 

Upcoming ADULT Classes for June – June will bring not only our adult classes, but two weeks of kids and teen boot camp classes.   We have both 3 hour and the new ‘quick’ 2 hour classes for adults in June.

On Thursday 6/19 we will have our Healthy and Hearty Salads.  This is a brand new class featuring salads that are light yet filling and perfect for the hot summer days.  Cost is $63/person

Thursday 6/26 is another quick class.  This time we will be out at the grill doing some grilling in our Grilled Salmon class..  We will use cedar planks for our salmon which is a fantastic way to impart flavor and assure your fish is moist and tender.  Cost for this class is $49 per person.

Kids Classes – We have two full weeks of kid’s 8-12 boot camps.  These boot camps are from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The first week is scheduled for June 2 thru June 6.  The second session is for the week of July 14 thru July 18.  Our boot camp menus are complete now and we have five daily themes.  We will have different menus for each session so your child may want to attend both.  Please see our website at http://www.simplyimpressive.com/Tab_June.htm and click on the week your are interested in to see the class themes.  Each week is $200 until May 15 and $240 after that date. 

Our teen boot camp is scheduled for the week of June 9 thru June 13.  Class is from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  The cost for this is $215 until May 15 and $255 after that date.

We know that your teens are busy to and cannot always take a week out of their busy schedules to attend classes, so to accommodate them, we added single session classes for teens only.  The individual classes are scheduled on Tues 6/24-Pizza;  Mon 6/30-Pasta; Wed 7/9-Mexican; Fri 7/11-Desserts and Thurs 7/24-Pasta with Chicken.  Each class is $47 per person.

Special Offers – Here are our specials for the month of May.  Please note that these specials are only applicable to our adult classes. 

Bring a new friend to any adult class through July, and get $15 off YOUR next class. 

Sign your child up for a week of boot camp and get $6 off an adult class for YOU.

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 – Have you tried out our online brochure feature yet?  It’s easy to get a copy of the current brochure on demand.  To get one now, see Online Brochure Feature and click on ‘print brochure’.  Of course, we can always send one to you if you prefer. 

We are still working to add all the recipes that we have published over the last 3 years in one easy-to-find spot.  We will also include helpful information such as our discussions on salt, high fructose corn syrup, and other informative pieces.  Keep watching!!

Methods of Payment – Remember that payment is due up front for classes.  While we prefer checks, we started taking PayPal as an alternative payment method.  If you absolutely must pay with credit cards, let us know so that we can send you a PayPal invoice via e-mail. 

In the Media -- Watch for us on AZ TV Cox Channel 13 for Pat McMahon’s show on Wed, 4/30 at 9:00 a.m.  We will be talking about kitchen gadgets as well as how to use cooking as a teaching opportunity for your kids.

We will be on AZ TV Cox Channel 13 on the Tanya and Lou Show on Friday, May 23 at 10:00 a.m.  We will be having fun with ice cream.  We will show you a few fun things you can do with ice cream.  Perfect timing for this segment, don’t you think!!!

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.  This segment featuring pantry enchiladas will be shown on Tuesday May 13, 9:00 a.m. on Channel 15.

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.  This segment will run on Tuesday, May 27 at 9:00 a.m. on ABC Channel 15. 

Gift Certificates – Reminder – there are still some of you with gift certificates that have not been redeemed.  If you received one for the holidays, their expiration date is coming up soon.   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. 

Roasted Red Peppers

Those of you who have been to classes with Simply Impressive lately know that I must avoid preservatives in my food.  We buy so many off-the-shelf products that contain preservatives when some of them do not take more than a minute or two to actually prepare ourselves.  This month, I’d like to share how to roast a red pepper.  We use them in many things….from soups to salads, appetizers, pizzas….you name it and roasted red peppers are a wonderful addition.  Making them yourself is simple and lets you avoid the chemicals and preservatives of prepared bottled peppers.

Roasted Red Peppers

1          Red Pepper

Wash pepper.  Cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. 

If making in the oven, place pepper halves cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet.  If the pepper has very large ‘high spots’, press the pepper down so that it will roast evenly.  Broil on high for about 10 minutes or until the skin is bubbly and brown. 

If making on the grill, place over medium-high direct heat for about 10 minutes.  Grill until the skin is bubbly and brown. 

Once browned, carefully place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  When cool enough to touch, peel skin off red pepper.  If skin does not come off easily, run under running water. 

These can be stored in the refrigerator for several days and in the freezer for several months.

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