Beth Wilson

For sampling we cut up our chocolates into pieces too. I also got a very sample size small round mould that I sometimes just offer samples of the milk, dark or white to curious customers. The most popular sampling we do is usually cutting stuff we tend to not sell in our boxes like barks. Most people just want to figure out if the product you are selling is of good quality products and if they will like it. Sometimes a taste of one thing will lead to selling of others. I also found I had the discussion with customers on what is the "better deal" and lets face it, I am not competing with the prices of a drugstore, cornerstore or the big department stores. I explain to the customers that I have to incorporate the cost of packaging into the boxes and offer the best price I can everyday. Most times customers accept my frankness and once in a blue moon someone will look around and end up not getting anything and I am fine with that. I stand by the quality of my product and have learned that samples become "free lunch" so I offer samples of products that I can easily product larger amounts and leave the truffles and confections that are made in smaller batches for my boxes. Sampling does sell the products and once you have them trying stuff they come back to try something new next time! Oh,sometimes if I am experimenting with flavours I will sample with the request for feedback on a product that I am developing. I will put out pieces of the "try" in Milk, Dark and/or white and will chat up the customers for opinions. I have made some great relationships with some customers doing this and it has either pushed a product into production or re-inforced the "needs more work" idea.

Just found out the other cake they have someone making will be a lemon mousse regular cake so I am thinking the chocolate or vanilla will be the way to go. I am partial to any kind of cake as long as it is flavourful and moist. I will try finding some of the special flours at our local grocer, and make my attempts at some of these cakes this weekend. You sure need a lot of flours to bake this way. Thanks for the help on this, I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of glueten free recipes out there. Who knew! Beth

Flourless Cake! Duh! I have never made one before but have wanted to try it out, because they always look so decadent! I am guilty of expecting the gluten free mixes to be like a regular cake so I guess I will have to get my mind around something I am not embarrassed to say I made it. I will try the gullet recipe & a flourless cake and get some opinions from the neighbours. Thanks for the suggestions

I have been volunteered to make a cake for someone who is Gluten intolerant. Ok, it is the Inlaws and it is for their 50th anniversary party. (No pressure on me at all! Yeah, right!) This is new to me and I tried a mix from the local health food store (bought the last one!) and made it. It was ok, after I added vanilla and a better cocoa to it to bump up the flavour but I wasn't wowed about the mix. Is there anyone who can offer advice, recommend a mix or suggest a good cookbook? I checked a few sights on gluten free stuff but it seems that the ones that seemed most promising require subscriptions in order to see more of their recipes & techniques and since this is for an anniversary I am not prepared to subscribe. Any suggestions would be appreciated as I would like to impress the in-laws and the other members of the family that seem to have developed this problem. The pressure is on, as the date is September 19th!

I worked in an office for a few months on contract and was invited to the February Blues Pot Luck (hey it's Canada! gotta do something in Feb!) I decided to take a huge bowl of homemade carmel corn because I wasn't sure what kind of food they liked. No one touched the stuff, it was like coming in last in some event. I took it back to my department and around 3 the stuff flew out of the bowl as people finally tried it. I felt redeemed in the end, that I knew I had a great dish but no one would even try it at first, only once afternoon snack cravings hit! I would have gone for your dishes in a second... As many egulleters would have!

I have found it really interesting to watch the product testing that they usually try out and they often give some tidbits of information that I find really helpful. Funny that they always seem to pick recipes that they have never made or eaten sometimes. Makes it interesting to see them struggle to put something together that they have no idea what it is supposed to look like. The Thai cookbook episode had a few of these and the chef was impressed with some of their dishes. You gotta feel for the chefs trying these ghastly dishes that they declare "disgusting". I have to agree with the many others on this forum, FN has had some pretty uninspired stuff lately, it seems that the shows really revolve around the personality host and not the food. This show revolves around the recipes from the cookbook, the hosts and guest chefs just give some input. So far they have done different recipe books every time so I haven't got bored of it yet. It is a refreshing change.

I just love this show I love the comparisons & testing of products or utensils they do during the show. I like the fact that they aren't professional chefs and that they are testing out the recipes like anyone who just bought the book off the shelf. . like me. I enjoy watching the successful recipes almost as much as I love the disasters! They are pretty honest on the prep of the recipes and the final results. The chefs have been even more honest and interesting. It's try before you buy with imagination!

Oh well, my hopes have been dashed. May just plant the mint for the aromatherapy of it but I am disappointed that it's amazing ability to spread does not affect the poison ivy. Why am I not too surprised!

How invasive is mint? Across the road from me I have a big patch of poison ivy that dwindles with round up treatments but seems to rally back every year. It is across the road but I worry about it jumping to my yard. I have been thinking of following up the spring treatment of roundup with a planting of an invasive "non toxic" substitute like mint. Would I still worry about the mint jumping the road? It's a bit of a slope across the road and it is township property so no one cares about the ivy other than me. Will mint choke out the Ivy? Will it jump the road to take over my lawn? Will it choke out the wild flowers I have been encouraging to grow there too? I am tempted to trade the toxic for the non-toxic invasive plant but worry I am just creating a whole new problem?

What great suggestions! Now I have decided to take two different salads - Thanks to everyone's suggestions - and will leave the regular salad up to someone else to do. Such simple ideas and great flavours! I think I may be eating alot more salads this summer!

I re-used a corn syrup squeeze bottle. Filled up the 500ml bottle with a funnel and silicone spatula. When I need small amounts like 2 oz or a couple of tbsp I just grab the squeeze bottle from the cupboard. For larger amounts I prefer using my silicone spatulas.

Just got back from the grocery store, happy to see that mango's are now available here. Seems the local grocery store is getting adventurous with the selection on the fruit isle. Will have to try that recipe out then! Beth

Lots of good ideas guys! I now have lots to try before the potluck. I like the idea of melon on skewers. Pretty and dessert! Thanks! B

That looks good. If green papayas aren't available do you have a substitution idea? I am not sure I have ever seen a green papaya here in Northern Ontario. But I have lots of time to look. B

Our community is having an outdoor potluck in late July and I always like to attend the community events so, I plan to go. My concern is it will be outside under a covered pavilion and I usually bring salads that contain mayo or creamy dressings in them. With the heat of the day I think anything dairy or meat is not a good idea. Anything else I should avoid? I was thinking of taking 2 salads with me and I need some inspirations. The first one will be your basic tossed salad with local lettuce, tomatoes and whatever else I can come up with at the time but I am not coming up with anything for the second dish. I have lots of time so I thought I would ask for some inspiring ideas. Any suggestions? Beth

I noticed Vesey's has a Red Indian Mustard in their stir fry collection of seeds. Don't know it that is the same thing but you could check it out. b

If you are covering an apple with Caramel and Chocolate, is it best to use a tart apple? Any apples better for this purpose than others? I have never done this myself and I think it is time to try it out! b

I was thinking of putting a pot of herbs into the cast iron pot. Perhaps put some small stones on the bottom so the pot is not sitting in water and place another pot (with a drainage hole already) within. I wonder if you drill into the cast iron if you will spider or crack the pot even more? Since it is broken already, it is up to you!

Since spring is here I think you should just put a nice plant of herbs for the kitchen in the pot! That way you can still enjoy it in your kitchen and it still provides some usefulness! Sorry about the loss of your favourite pot, but now you have a justified expense to go shopping!! Time to check out yard sales too!

If it is in early or mid April I can probably get away but May is a bit trickier. If I can I would love to go.... Sounds like it is already turning into a great class! b

Did you like how the scones cooked in the pan? I have never seen such a pan but like the idea! The reason I was making scones in the first place was for a breakfast item to eat on my way to work. I gotta walk a couple of blocks to work and thought grabbing a scone would be nice. I usually cook up muffins but wanted to switch things up. I love the idea of the pan so tell us, did you like it? Where can you get such a pan? b

I was trying to sell my sister on a induction cooker so I purchased a single element induction cooker and we tried the boiling water test. It took 90 seconds to boil water on the induction cooker and about 20 seconds more for the propane stove. I convinced her that the induction cooker could find a place in our kitchen and I got a bit of propane stove envy when I went home that night to my mediocre electric stove.

We use propane for our commercial kitchen and I would love to convert my home from electric to propane now. Natural gas is not an option here so we only have propane as a gas option. I find it plenty hot enough and much faster than the electric we used to have. We purchased a regular gas stove and ordered the propane conversion kit with it. Our local gas installer converted the stove and got it going in no time.

Would you eliminate the baking powder for the self rising flour?

Thanks guys! Gfron - I always wondered about the batter as it does seem a bit dry when I mix it and a bit of unmixed flour is always left behind in the bowl. Will play with that a bit more. I think I will try them in the food processor next time too before mixing by hand. Thanks for the tips. andiesenji - That will be the next scone recipe to try! It seems like it would make a bit more than my recipe and I was thinking of keeping these on hand as a quick breakfast item or afternoon tea. Thanks for the suggestion of the grated butter. Will try that next time I do it by hand. I was trying to not play with the mixing too much so I was worried that I wasn't doing it enough but I think it will be a trial and error process. Colder butter and add a bit more liquid. I have lots of new ones to try now! Thanks everyone! b