I just got back from Pampered Chef Show; Ask me anything!

[Ilsa]

I ordered a couple of items, like a covered batter bowl. They have all of this decorating stuff that I'd never use. They also use alot of pre-made foods in their "cooking".

[Coventina]

1. I have a close friend who's a Pampered Chef rep

I love her dearly, but I hate being pressured to host a show all the time!!

[Ilsa]

2. Yeah, I got stared at like I had grown a tail or something

for not wanting to host a show.

I couldn't eat the dessert. It was a pound cake "crust" with a mixture of cool whip, sour cream, and cream cheese instant pudding mix with a strawberry glaze. The pound cake was fine, but the cream cheese pudding was disgusting. I swear, I could taste petroleum in it.

[marigold20]

3. I love the batter bowl but

the packaged foods are really terrible. I keep getting invited to Pampered Chef parties and I'm running out of stuff to buy. I have the large and small batter bowls, a pizza cutter, etc. I've been reduced to buying the food so I don't offend the hostess by not buying anything. I've just got to grow a spine!!

[Ilsa]

4. I checked the box to ask about the gift certificates

because I know a few people that have gotten married lately, and they might want some of this stuff. The items are fine. It's the recipes that are awful, IMO.

But I understand. I don't need any more PC stuff either. And why do they keep inviting more of us to become presenters and reps? Aren't there enough of them? Why would a rep want more competition?

[eyesroll]

5. Did you go willingly or get strong-armed into it?

I'm thus far resisting the candle people at work...(Pampered Chef does at least carry stuff I'll use, but it's usually too expensive. I have no need for more decorative candles; I get enough at Christmas from people who feel obligated but don't know what to get me.)

[Ilsa]

7. My next-door neighbor was the hostess.

They are really sweet people, and I know they are struggling financially, so I went and bought something to help her be able to get what she wanted.

She has garage sales every six months (what the city allows) to earn a little money. She probably would have agreed with the concept behind Cheney's E-Bay comment the other day.

[eyesroll]

8. Fair enough.

I'd probably do the same. For a nice neighbor, anyway. Not the candle people, though. They just annoy me. ;-)

[Chovexani]

6. What's that?

Do they have a website? I love kitchen gadgets even though I can't cook to save my life (I'm learning though!).

My kitchen was just remodeled so we're kinda losing it with the gadgetry. :)

[Ilsa]

9. Yeah, they have a site. Just google

Pampered Chef.

The gadgets are excellent, but expensive. I would advise you to leave the recipe books alone. If you follow those recipes, you're likely to end up consuming 4,000 calories a day, plus a ton of preservatives.

Buying pre-made food is not the best way to learn to cook, IMO. I would work more on the basics, not how to take shortcuts just to make something pretty.