Hi, everyone.  January sure flew, didn’t it.  We had some cold and rainy weather and lots of time spent indoors.  For those of you in the Phoenix area, it was good to see all that rain.  Our reservoirs are full for a while and that’s always good news in the desert.  It is still cool enough to enjoy baking and making comfort food, but summer is not too far away, so enjoy this while it lasts.

We are finalizing our classes through July, including our kid’s boot camps.  Watch for the classes on our website shortly.  Also, we are finally ready to schedule our beginners cooking series that so many people have asked about.  The series will be scheduled on Thursday evenings in April.  They, too, will be added to our website shortly.  Make sure to let us know if you want to book your spot in this beginner series.  There will only be a few spots for this five-week program.

This month, we have classes that cover cool weather, holidays and everything in between. Remember that warm weather is just around the corner, so spend time in the kitchen now while it’s still fun.

Our recipe this month is Aunt Judy’s Pork Chops.  We created this recipe, along with garlic smashed potatoes on the Valley Dish show the other day and the entire meal, start to finish, was completed in 30 minutes.  Check out our recipe at the end of this newsletter. 

We’d love to see you in a class so give us a call to register.  Don’t forget to take advantage of our monthly specials.

Food of the Month - Garlic.  Garlic is one of those herbs/spices that we seem to use in many different ways.  To read about garlic, its uses, measurements and more, see everything you need to know about garlic.

Mesa Food Examiner - If you haven’t seen our Mesa Food Examiner articles, check them out.  We are still posting lots of articles, recipes and cooking ideas several times a month so you can stop by often to see what we’re writing about.  Or better yet, subscribe to the Mesa Food Examiner so you will automatically see what we are posting.  It’s free.  Just click where you see ‘subscribe’ to get articles automatically. That way you can read what you want, and not have to keep checking for new things.  

Do you twitter?  If so, you may have seen discounts we tweeted about.  If you did not, be sure to follow us.  Our Twitter name is SimplyImprssve.  We will be offering special deals thru Twitter again this month, so get ‘plugged in’ today.  

February 2010 Classes – February classes are all about celebrations and comfort.  We are offering classes on Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and our Saturday classes are from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  To see details, go to February Class Calendar and “mouse over” the class name.

On Tue 2/2 and Sat 2/6 we will feature our Super Bowl 2010 class where we will prepare a fabulous ‘football’ meal.  We have also included recipes to honor the two teams playing, along with some other great recipes.  Cost $63 per person.

Just in time, our Chinese New Year class is being offered Thurs 2/11.  Celebrate Chinese New Year with a great meal that is perfect for the occasion.  $63 per person.

On Saturday 2/13 we are offering our Couples Cooking for Valentines class.  This is for couples only and you will make a wonderful meal that is perfect for any cooking skill level.  Cost is $126 per couple.

On Tue 2/16 and Sat 2/20 we will be holding our Comfort Foods class.  Sometimes we just need a little comfort food to get us through the day.  This class will bring you back to simpler times with a family friendly meal.  Cost $63 per person.

On Thurs 2/25 and Sat 2/27 we will be holding our Casseroles class.  We will prepare simple and tasty casseroles that will help you get dinner on the table quickly.  $63 per person.

Upcoming Classes for March 2010 – We are offering classes on Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and our Saturday classes are from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  To see details, go to March Class Calendar and “mouse over” the class name.

On Tuesday 3/9 and Saturday 3/13 come to our St. Patty’s Day Meal class.  We will make an Irish-inspired meal that even the leprechauns will enjoy, including corned beef and Irish soda bread.  $63 per person

If you love our International foods classes, you will love our Brazilian class scheduled for Thurs 3/18 and Sat 3/20.  We will make an authentic Brazilian dinner.  If you have never tried Brazilian food, you’re going to love it.   $63 per person

Do you love ribs?  So do I.  Let’s make BBQ Ribs on Tue 3/23.  If you think ribs are only for the summer, think again.  Get ready for the perfect grilling weather in Arizona and prepare our favorite BBQ meal featuring ribs.  $63 per person

On Thu 3/25 and Sat 3/27 come to our last session for Polish Pierogi.  You do not have to be Polish to enjoy this classic Polish filled dumplings in this Easter holiday class.  $63 per person

On Tue 3/30 and Sat 4/3 you can attend our Easter Dinner class where we will prepare a simple yet elegant meal for Easter or any Sunday dinner.  Cost is $63 per person.

Special Offers – Our specials for the month of February are below.  Also, watch for our Twitter discounts as they are tweeted.  Be sure to mention the discount when signing up.  One discount per class, please.

Sign up for any class in February and receive $8 off that class. 

For our second offer, you will save more the more you spend.  Sign up and pay for classes held in March or April and receive $8 off of each of the first 2 classes; $10 off of each for the 3^rd and 4^th class and $15 off each class thereafter.  If you plan to take several classes, this is a great way for you to save big.  (As an example, if you sign up for 5 classes you can save $51).  Payment must be received in full within 1 week of sign-up to receive this special.  Discounts not applicable to our upcoming beginners series as they are already discounted.

We still have our ongoing special which is -- Sign up a friend who has never taken a class here before, and you will receive $10 off your next class with their paid enrollment.

In the Media – We were on the new show Valley Dish last week.  It is a half hour show on Channel 12 at 4:30 p.m.  We made a wonderful dinner for 4 in real time.  The pork chops we made are our featured recipe and if you want to watch part of the show, just see the pork chop recipe that follows and you can view the segment. 

We will also be on Sonoran Living on Monday, February 15, which is President’s Day.  We will be making something very presidential, so be sure to watch the show.  It is on ABC15 at 9:00 a.m. 

Recipe of the Month – The weather is still chilly and we seem to enjoy heartier, more filling dishes.  If you watched Valley Dish you saw us prepare Aunt Judy’s Pork Chops with Garlic Smashed Potatoes for dinner.  It is simple to make, and very delicious.  If you do not have Penzey’s Pork Chop Seasoning, just use a little onion powder and your favorite herbs.  We serve this over smashed potatoes.  Find our recipe at Aunt Judy's Pork Chops.  There’s a funny story about this recipe.  Make sure to ask me when you see me