Just in time for Xmas

Welcome to Crystal’s Recipe of the Month Club for December!

Thank-you to all my customers and hostesses for a fantastic 2007! I would like to personally thank-you by offering 5% off any orders placed from now until December 31st, 2007.
Find attached information on our Dip Special, our January Hostess Special and my favorite recipes, on CHOCOLATE!!! Enjoy!!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Crystal :)

Dip Special!!!
December 15 - 31, 2007

As our 10TH Anniversary year comes to a close,
we’ve rolled back the prices one last time!!
Purchase VE Dip Mixes (excluding Fruit or Dessert dips) for Epicure Selections’® original price of $5.95!
Pre-orders sent prior to December 15th (through Crystal Maffenbeier), I will personally pay your shipping!! (Don't forget the 5% off!)
The cost will be exactly $5.65!! Regular cost is $7.95.
I will be placing the first order on December 15th at 11pm so it MAY be in, in time for Christmas!!

Too busy in December? Host a party in January!!!
January 1st - 31st, 2008
Host a Tasting Party
between January 1 and January 31, 2008
with a minimum of $400 in retail party sales
and as a Hostess, receive 20% of the retail party purchases
in FREE VE products of your choice instead of the regular 10% Hostess Entitlement!
Plus, book now, and receive an extra $15.00!!
Call now for details!!


Check Out Dawn's New Website!
http://www.epicureselections.com/browsing/browse-products.aspx?culture=en-CA&id=Dawn_Dawson
View the new food and cookware items online!
This is ONLY available on her website, you will NOT see the entire catalogue on Epicure's main website.

See our hostess benefits:
http://www.epicureselections.com/hosting/host-promotions.aspx?culture=en-CA


Fundraisers!
A pleasant departure from the usual chocolates and wrapping paper, Triple Dip
fundraisers include a full colour recipe booklet, three dip mixes in our seasoning sized jars and a reusable bag.
Triple Dip fundraisers can be ordered in quantities of 12, increasing flexibility for you,
the organization to purchase and distribute.
Call now for details!
For a group of 20, if each person sells 5 collections,
your group will make: $500.00!!!


Product Spotlight - Chocolate!!!
Did you know that 5.4 kg of chocolate is consumed
per person each year in Canada?

Chocolate boasts a rich supply of phenyl ethylamine,
a naturally-occurring substance in the body, believed
by some researchers to fight the “blues".

When a recipe calls for a dusting of flour, use VE Pure
Cocoa for an extra dash of chocolate taste.


TIPS FOR BELGIAN CHOCOLATE SAUCE
􀂂 Recipe is found on the VE Dark Belgian Chocolate container
And Try this Recipe:
Chocolate Fondue,
½ cup butter
½ cup Epicure Cocoa
¾ cup sugar
½ cup Evaporated Milk
1 teaspoon Epicure Vanilla
½ cup Epicure Belgian Chocolate (I like to use white)
Melt butter over low heat, remove from heat. Stir in cocoa and mix well.
Add sugar, vanilla, evaporated milk and return to heat. Cook until sugar is melted.
Add Belgian chocolate, stir until melted. Freezes great!

􀂂 Perfect for chocolate fondue – dip fruit, pieces of pound cake or toasted cubes
of angel food cake
􀂂 Serve warm over ice cream
􀂂 Drizzle over fresh fruit and berries
􀂂 Sauce thickens when chilled, making a decadent icing for cakes, brownies and
cupcakes


TIPS FOR MAKING
CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU CUPS
If you prepare extra Chocolate Tiramisu Cups at the Tasting Party, take them home
to use at your next chocolate theme party.
􀂂 Slowly tip cups when spooning in melted chocolate. You may need to use the back
of a spoon to help with coating. Tip cups and pour excess chocolate into mixing
bowl. Repeat until all cups are coated, ensuring edges of the silicone cups
are clean.
􀂂 Carefully remove cups from moulds. This can be a little tricky.
If they break, simply re-melt chocolate and pour back in.


Other Tempting Chocolate Dessert Recipes featured
on our VE Chocolate Product containers:
Belgian Chocolate Sauce - VE Dark Belgian Chocolate
Fudge Brownies - VE Pure Cocoa
Maple Whiskey Dipping Sauce -
VE Canadian Maple Chocolate
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies -
VE Milk Belgian Chocolate


Successfully Melting Chocolate
VE Belgian Chocolate is simply the best! Th e chip form is easy to measure,
and the small size and high cocoa butter content allows for quick, effi cient melting.
Discover how easy it is to create chocolate dipped strawberries–the thin layer of
coating gives a beautiful glossy finish. The most important thing to remember
when melting premium chocolate is not to use excessive heat. Keep water or
steam completely away from chocolate. Moisture is the enemy!


INSTRUCTIONS FOR MELTING CHOCOLATE
Place VE Belgian Chocolate in a dry bowl and set aside.
Bring 2 cups (500 ml) water to a boil in a multi-purpose pot. Turn off heat.
Remove multi-purpose pot from stove top. Set bowl of chocolate on
top of pot. Stir frequently to promote faster melting.
Once chocolate is melted, dry off outside of bowl with a kitchen towel.
Proceed to make chocolate cups, fruit and almond bark, or use to dip
strawberries or crystallized ginger. For best results, melted chocolate
should be warm, not hot.

Chocolate Tiramisu Cups
Makes 6
A rich and delicious dessert treat!
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (140 ml)
VE Dark Belgian Chocolate, melted
6 Tbsp (90 ml)
frozen raspberries (thawed)
1 recipe prepared
VE Tiramisu Dessert Dip
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml)
VE Mexicoco Coff ee Topper
6 VE Mocha Beans
Spoon melted VE Dark Belgian Chocolate into silicone baking cup.
Using the back of a spoon, spread inside cup. Pour out excess.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat, making a total of 6 cups, and chill
in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Carefully remove chocolate cups from moulds.
Place chocolate cups on individual dessert plates.
Divide raspberries among prepared chocolate cups.
Top with prepared VE Tiramisu Dessert Dip.
Sprinkle lightly with VE Mexicoco Coffee Topper and top with a VE Mocha
Bean.
Hot Mocha Mix Makes 3 cups
2 cups (500ml) white sugar
1 cup (250ml) VE Pure Cocoa
3/4 cup (180ml) instant coffee granules
1 tsp (5ml) VE Poudre Douce
Whisk ingredients together.
1 tbsp mix to 1/2cup milk, ½ cup coffee


Spicy Hot Chocolate with CinnamonServes 4
4 cups (1 L) milk Pinch VE Crushed Chilies1 VE Cinnamon Stick 1/2 cup (125 ml) VE Dark Belgian Chocolate
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until milk begins to steam. Remove from heat, cover and let mixture steep for 10 minutes.2. Place VE Dark Belgian Chocolate in mixing bowl. Strain milk mixture through a stainless steel strainer over the chocolate to remove VE Cinnamon Stick and VE Crushed Chilies.3. Return mixture to saucepan, Using a wooden spoon, stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted.4. Pour into heated mugs. Sprinkle with your choice of VE Coffee Toppers and serve with VE Cinnamon Sticks



Enjoy!

Take care everyone and remember, if you need any help with
Epicure on your shelves, call or email me at any time!

Your Epicure Consultant,
Crystal Maffenbeier
306-483-2996
Oxbow, SK
crystalhawker@hotmail.com

Can someone please stop the clock?

I have been finding that, ever since I started work, time is just flying! I honestly cannot believe it is almost the end of November! Christmas is just around the corner, and I haven't done a lick of shopping for it! I don't even have any ideas! I hope to get the majority of the kids gifts bought this weekend while in Minot. And everyone else's gifts I think will mostly come from Vegas.

House work is driving me mad. I have two other adults living here that are fully capable of helping, but don't, so I think that makes me most mad. I still love them to pieces, but about ready to strangle them both!

The kids have started going to Jayden's now. Which is nice b/c at least with them out of the house while I am working, the house sort of stays the way I leave it. I'm not even going to ellaborate on this house bit, b/c it is making me bawl it frustrates me so much. The kids seem to like going to Jayden's. Paige cries when I drop them off, but she always cries...she's a mommy suck. Dominic was a little upset the first day, but got over it quickly when he found out she had TOYS (of all things! haha)

My kids love getting into Baby Powder....
Sometimes I wonder how I have any hair left at the end of a day, haha.

Jared has been working lots (I don't think that ever changes). He always works, which is nice for the bank account, not so nice for the family aspect. We rarely see him, especially the kids. Most nights they are in bed before he gets home, and he is gone to work before they get up.

The good ol' COLD has made it's way into our house. I am still having coughing fits (hopefully it doesn't progress into something, as it always has in the past), Paige has a VERY runny nose and coughing fits, Jared is just getting over his, and Dominic has yet to be bothered by all our germs.

I have a busy busy week this week. And though it is going to kill me, I have decided not to be present for dad's surgery tomorrow. I will never forgive myself if something goes wrong..I just have such a full plate this week, and nowhere to stay in Regina I just couldn't do it. Friday I work the day at C & N, the night at the bow. Then I have to wake up the next morning..drive to Gainsborough and finalize everything from my Epicure party..then drive to Minot to shop and then for my C & N Christmas party. Then Sunday is the Grey Cup, and Monday I have to drive to Regina to get dad! So you can see, why I opted out of lugging two kids to Regina for a rushed, tension filled trip to Regina, to sit in a hospital majority of the day! The Christmas Party is KID FREE, so I am excited..However Jared can't come , b/c his toolpush already has the days off. Which is SSOO annoying, not that his toolpush already has the days off, just that he can't come to the party. B/c Precision doesn't do a single thing for their employees for Christmas. No bonus, no supper, no nothing..Oh wait..he usually gets a piece of paper saying "Thanks For Being a Part of Our Team". So generous.

And in 2 1/2 weeks, we will be kid-free for a week!!! While we go to Vegas with some friends. I am pretty sure my sister is stressing out, but it will be good for her. If nothing else, it will be a GREAT birth control!!

Birthdays are popping up too. My mom's is this Saturday, and Mallory's is next Friday. Then Lance's is on the 8th. Like I said earlier..time is going MUCH to fast!

I had my first Epicure party last night and it was a success!! She had over $500 in sales, and therefore is going to get TONS of free stuff including :
Free Tote Bag
Free Cook book or set of teatowels
$50 in free merchandise
a Hostess only special
the Spice Duo for only $8
a free dip duo
and any one item at half price!

If you are interested in holding a taste-testing party, or a silent book party..Let me know!

Our life update

Hello again, fello bloggers!!

Less than a month until we depart on our Vegas trip! I am fretting about leaving the kids for a whole week. I am sure they will be just fine, but I still worry.

This past weekend Jared had off, which was nice. We still didn't accomplish much around this house of ours though! Sunday we headed up to Regina for the football game and my grandma kept the kids, however I think that will be the last time she does. It was overnight and it is just getting too hard for her, it tires her out.. The football game, however, was great and I was glad Jared was able to come to it!! Next Sunday we are going to have a little party to watch the Eastern and Western finals (Jared cheers for the Bombers--East, and I cheer for the Riders--West), so we have a full day of watching football. The kids may not like it, but they'll be excited for all the food we will have on the go that day, haha.

The kids are doing great, Dominic is already getting excited for Santa and snow. I am a little different. I am excited for Christmas, but not for snow and cold. Paige still doesn't quite understand it all, but I am sure she will be when Santa brings her presents. I am worse than the kids, I want to start setting up Christmas decorations but, thankfully, I have Jared telling me NOT YET!! haha.

My job is going great. I pretty much work 2 days a week right now, which is a nice way to ease into the job. My friend, Jayden, is going to start keeping the kids for me, which will be nice. It means I have to get up earlier to take them to her place, but it also means that when we leave the house clean in the morning, it stays that way haha. She also has a little boy a couple months younger than Paige, so they will have a playmate. Daycare is so hard to find in this town. Is it this hard other places, I wonder?

End of the month is Mallory's birthday and we're hoping to go out to Lethbridge. I told her a long time ago we would..but now we'll have to see, with work and finding someone to keep the kids. We'll see what happens there.

Oh and my latest news, I almost forgot!!! I cut off all my hair!!!!! Excuse the terrible picture, it's taken with the webcam and is all I have at the moment! I was so sick of my old hair, and always wearing it in a ponytail, now I have a fun style.

Well I must go figure out what to make for supper now. And well..something for tomorrow too!