gadget time: pampered chef stuff

Have you heard of The Pampered Chef, if not let me introduce you!  A friend of my, Jennifer, is a consultant for them here in Southern California and after I bought my first house, I purchased a ton of things from her and got even more stuff for free for hosting parties!  I'm not kidding, like three full shipping boxes of stuff for about $100.  It was amazing!  

Here are some of my favorites:

Pampered Chef Small Scoop This thing is heaven sent for things like jams, jellies, and especially for peanut butter!  It’s a great tool to make sure you’re getting one single tablespoon of something, no less, no more.  Plus, it’s a whole lot less messy than trying to use a normal measuring spoon!  

1-cup Prep Bowl Set I know they say prep bowls, but these are so much more useful!  They are microwave, dishwasher, and oven safe.  They are great for storing and freezing any pre-portioned items that you might want to cook ahead of time to make your weight loss easier, but I especially love them for storing my zero Points Plus® soups and servings of yogurt that I eat for breakfast.  I’ve also used them for oatmeal, salads, sauces, fruits, snacks, and tons more!  

2-cup Prep Bowl Set Same deal as above, but great if you’re going to make several servings of pasta with marinara sauce, rice with stir fry or butter chicken, or noodles with beef stroganoff.  The one cup line on the side tells you when to stop adding your carb, then you simply throw the topping on top and toss it into the fridge or freezer!  

3-cup Prep Bowl Set I’ve started using these to store fresh salsa (love it!) or an extra three or four servings of my zero Points Plus® soups in the freezer.  It’s always great to make extra and have some on hand in case of a bad week when you can’t cook.  

Easy Read Measuring Cups Because we always need a reminder of how much a cup actually is!  Plus you can set these on the counter and pour, while you read the lines on the top.  Believe me, I deal with volumetric flasks all day at work, the last thing I want to do at home is fill something and then hold it up at eye level to make sure I’ve done it correctly.  

Mini Muffin Pan Do yourself a favor, buy one of these.  Make a batch of mini brownies in it.  Better yet, make the no fat brownie mix from Trader Joe’s in it.  It is 2 Points Plus for one brownie bite, or 3 Points Plus for two brownie bites.  Instead of guessing how big of a brownie you should cut out from the tray sitting on the counter, you can grab a small and delightful little brownie!  By the way, if you eat too many little brownies at a time, try freezing them and only removing one at a time to thaw on the countertop or in the microwave.  

There you have it, some of my favorite gadgets!  I can't wait to show you more!