For those of you who might be Pampered Chef virgins (I heard you do exist) here is a quick summary from their website:

For more than 20 years, The Pampered Chef® and its sales force of Independent Consultants have been helping to gather families around the table for quick, delicious meals that are as much fun to prepare as they are to eat. The business was launched in 1980 by company Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Doris Christopher — an educator, home economist and mother who saw the need for professional-quality kitchen tools in the everyday kitchen.

Capitalizing on her knowledge of food preparation techniques and her natural talent for teaching, Christopher amassed an inventory of what she considered to be the essential home kitchen tools, promoted them under The Pampered Chef® name and began showcasing them at in-home cooking demonstrations called Cooking Shows.

I hosted a Pampered Chef party in my home last week and it was at that party that I made the decision to join the team. I realized that 1) I love to cook 2) I love their products (seriously!) and 3) I love to party – why not get paid to do what I love? Out of the numerous network marketing and direct sales opportunities out there, Pampered Chef fit my lifestyle. Guess what? Everyone needs food – we all have to eat and most of us would love to be able to prepare delicious, nutricious meals at home – quickly and easily. I can show you how to do exactly that and with the proper tools.

So I’m busy researching, compiling recipes, and learning the business. And, of course, I have to do it my way. I’m creating some theme parties because seriously that is going to be such fun! I don’t want to have the same shtick each time – I’d rather come in wearing a big, garish sombrero with margaritas to celebrate cinco de mayo or something like that.

Have you ever been to a Pampered Chef party? Do you own any products? Are you looking for some extra income to pay off those credit cards, save for a new car or possibly quit slaving away at your day job? Look no further! I would be happy to introduce you to Pampered Chef – visit my Pampered Chef personal website for more information on products, hosting parties and joining my team!

My spaetzle are NOT made with a machine.  Rather they were (note the “were”) always made by scraping dough off a tablespoon into the boiling water.  This was the way my grandmother made them and it takes a long time to fill that bowl.

My family always wants plenty of spaetzle left over to fry up the next day for breakfast. So, can you picture me happily scraping dough, bit by bit, into the pot? Well, I did until I caught this video on YouTube and watched with wonder as this German oma spread some dough onto a board and scraped them into the pot.

They were still a little thin for me so I improvised.  I took my smooth, stone cutting board and I cut and flicked the dough with my pallet knife into the water.  Much faster, still thicker than these stringy specimens and I was a happy camper.  They are exquisite when smothered with goulash:

Maybe I will make them every week.  Or maybe I’ll just boil a pot of noodles and let the spaetzle continue to be special to my family

First, I defrosted them and the browned them in the skillet (coat liberally with non-stick spray because they tend to get pretty sticky).  Next, I added eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon bits.  You could throw in pretty much anything you have on hand – veggies too!  Once the eggs set, it was ready to go and, of course, my boys simply ate this right up.  What a delicious breakfast and full of protein too!

Here is a Yeast Conversion Chart if you need:

Yeast Conversions

• 1 tsp instant = 3.1 g
• 1 g instant = 1.25 g active dry = 2.5 g fresh
• 1 tsp instant = 1.3 tsp active dry = 0.4 cake fresh
• ——–
• 1 tsp active dry = 2.9 g
• 1 g active dry = 0.8 g instant = 2 g fresh

• 1 tsp active dry = 0.75 tsp instant = 0.3 cake fresh

• 1 g fresh = 0.5 g active dry = 0.4 g instant

• 1 cake fresh = 3 tsp active dry = 2.25 tsp instant