Linda, you have now officially earned your place in heaven, attending one of those home parties. And that appitizer sounded, well, just nasty. Canned chicken? Those cannes are emergancy rations.

Nancy, if the house cathes fire, will the carpet "pop"? :)

Linda, your Amway invite is in the mail!

Duane

Linda, that food sounds disgusting, but that aside, I'm intrigued by a tomato seeder. I end up using a little spoon or knife and would love a little tool so that I can make my soup without killing the poor tomato!
I looked at their site and don't see such a tool advertised, can you get the "exact" name for me, so that I can see it online?
I've never had to go to a PC party, but one or two of the people at work has brought in a catalogue and I've purchased a couple of things that I really like. One is their microwave pot with a lid that vents and a pouring spout---perfect for melting butter neatly. And the covered batter bowl, I use that giant measuring cup quite a bit.

"...some special tomato seeder thing..." I have one. My right index finger. Scoops those little seed buggers right out of the 'mater. I do have a little tomato corer burst-shaped thingy that I sometimes remember to use and which cost a buck at the restaurant supply store.

I don't mind those parties but I usually feel that the products for sale, while sometimes useful and of decent quality, are terribly over-priced.

Like Compumom, I have and love the huge covered batter bowl.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato seeder. Did it look like this gizmo?

Good for you, Linda. Now you can cross that experience off your list...been there, done that!

My SIL used to sell Pampered Chef, and she was perfect for it. Her cooking style is very much "Semi-Homemade." She loved doing it. She's given us a few things over the years, and I've actually liked them, especially the pizza stone, but I'm with all of you that hate those kind of parties.

When I first moved to my neighborhood, I received an invitation to a "Tea" from one of my neighbors. I was thrilled that I had such nice neighbors, and was excited to attend. Well, imagine how disappointed I was when I arrived and found out it was a Tupperware party. They weren't interested in making friends with the new neighbor, they just wanted my money. If the invitation had just said it was a Tupperware party, I might not have minded, but I felt deceived. I never went to one of their parties again.

Sally

Linda, I'm so proud of you! I DON'T like home parties of any kind but go to support my friends, family, or neighbors who are hosting. I have become very good at leaving without ordering.

Hummmm, that tomato seeder looks interesting!

You've got it Barnmom....I think it's officially called a corer, I had one and it was supposedly for removing the stems from strawberries, and I tossed it into the trash....not even into the Goodwill box.
What blows my mind is people who think you actually NEED some of that stuff! Ever see any professional chef using all those gizmos? Ever see Jaime Oliver or Mario Batali whip out his handy tomato seeder or take an apple corer to a cucumber? How about a trusty little "adjust to fit" measuring spoon?

As to the can opener, it doesn't work any better than a good Swing-away and the last time I bought one of them it was about $10....but it also has disappeared from the church kitchen.
Linda C

Is Tupperware still around? I went to a lot of T-ware parties when I was younger. In fact, I still have some of it. I have cookie cutters and a thing to make your own popsicles. I even have some of the handles left although the kids generally lost them. Does anyone remember the spork? I won one playing a silly game.

Every time I got an invitation the hostess would stress that it wasn't necessary to buy anything. However, the salesperson would show off some item and say that the hostess would get it as a gift IF there were $xx in sales. Of course, I ended up buying.

For a tomato "seeder", try a small melon-baller.

I hate hate hate sales parties, won't go. Just won't go!

Linda do you have a "bucket list" and was attending a PC party on it?
All this about various ways to seed tomatoes, I like the seeds, good thing because it simplifies.

linda, did they demo the pitcher with the plunger-like thing in it. If they did, I would like your opinion as it would pertain to Aleksi making her own kool-aid, fruit yogurt, etc and cutting down on messes.

Does anyone else have this or know of it, if so, I'd like your thoughts, too?

Brenda, I have 3 of those pitchers. 2 regular size and 1 large.
I love them..they are great for the kids..They love them..Yes, my 8 year old can make the Koolaid..

That pitcher is pretty cool! I just jumped on the site to check it out. I guess next time someone is selling PC I'll order one.

Ack! A special pitcher for kids to make Kool-aid? Artificial coloring, artificial flavor and sugar? And you need a special pitcher?
Nope....don't know about that....
When my kids were young the kids all knew...."no Kool-aid nor pop at Mrs. C. house".
When my grandkids come....they know no Kool aid at Grandma Linda's, but in all honesty I do stock the drinks refrig with little cans of 7 up and root beer. It's a treat and they love that that and Chocolate milk is always in Grandma Linda's refrig.....
All those years of no Kool aid and no pop worked! The kids don't have it in their house....so when they come it's a special Grandma Linda treat!
Still don't condoen pop and garbage food....but sometimes Grandma's just have to indulge!
Linda C

I'm so proud of you Linda, you made it! :) I really really dislike sales parties. Candles, kitchen gadgets, tupperware or *ahem* products for newlyweds it's all bad.

My mom's best friend is a PC rep, so I end up getting random gadgets from her every once in a while. The one thing I use regularly is the citrus juicer. I got it back before everyone else in the world made them, so I thought it was cool. On the other hand, I have a grapefruit knife in the drawer still in it's little tube...

Bri

Well...at the one and only PC party I was invited to, I bought the bamboo toast remover thing - I love it and use it all the time. However, I did manage to avoid the Silpada silver party. And now I have an invite to a "Dove" chocolate party! Do you suppose they'll be selling Hersheys? That's a new one on me. BTW, they are all hosted by the same person...do you see a pattern here??

Helene

Blubird, is you name Helene? Cool, there are two of us!

Helene

I just opened an evite from a dear friend for her "Gold Party". I have heard of these lately but was hoping it wouldn't be making the rounds in my circle of friends since you don't "buy" you "sell" thus making it harder to attend the darn party and ignore the sales pitch.

I've never heard of a "Gold Party" so I did a Google search. Seems all the rage but are they possibly a scam? I'm safe, no extra gold trinkets gathering dust in my life.

I know everyone loathes these selling parties. I really don't mind them but I am also very rarely ever invited to any. I am also very resistant to anything I don't really, really need. Maybe I just figured out why I'm rarely invited!

Here is a link that might be useful: Gold party scam.

Now there's something to avoid! Cathy, send your regrets!

Do you believe it? Look what just turned up in the classifieds section of my hospital's weekly newsletter:

SALE: Anyone interested in Tupperware items or hosting a show contact jackieXXXXX@my2.tupperware.com. Many great items on sale and hosting a show has great benefits.

Aaaaaaah! Poke me with a spork.

What's a spork?

Linda thanks for this thread! It gave me a really good laugh. Barnmom, a spork is a half fork/half spoon.

Terri, thanks for your input on the pitchers. I think I'll order one along with Ellen.

Linda, I was asking about the pitcher...something fun for Aleksi to use. I think Aleksi will love being able to make her own drink, as there are several things she can make, yes, including kool-aid. How about a mojito...is that better? Goodness knows, I'd love a mojito even this morning, but 3600 mg of antibiotics a day...3,600....and warfarin doesn't mix.

And no, I don't sell PC. However, I am involved in another direct sales company and concentrate on the fundraiser side of it, which I enjoy alot. This provides extra income for DH's $$$$ medicine and allows me to be at home with him and Aleksi, plus pretty decent tax benefits.

Brenda

I can identify with the silliness of using 10 gadgets to make a meal! I remember seeing some of the PC recipes and they were almost a page long because instead of "chop the onion and mix with..." it was "cut onion with special super duper chopper on the special mat and combine in the super duper bowl using the extremely special spoon"!

BUT that said, I do have a couple of PC things that I love: Pizza stone, rectangular stone, stoneware muffin pan and a round shallow stoneware dish. I've had them for years and they are wonderful!

Better you than me, LindaC. I went to my boss's Party Lights thing because she's a good friend and I bought her Christmas present from her, LOL.

I've been to a PC party, I haven't been impressed with anything they have to the point I'd pay their prices for it, but I do have a gingerbread train mold that the girls loved and Amanda has their chopper and likes it.

I don't do parties. If friend invites me over for a cup of coffee and a chat, it's one thing. Inviting me over to sell me something is something else entirely, and it mostly offends me.

My next door neighbor just sent me an invitation to some kind of "spa" party. Nope, I'm not going, although I do like the neighbor.

Annie

Hate the parties too!
Love my PC baking stone.
Love my covered batter bowls (yep 3 of them, an 8 cup and two 4 cuppers). It's the lid mostly.

Loved the 2 quart plunger pitcher, but don't like the gallon size. It's awkward. The weight distribution is all wrong. Was a handy size when we had four teens at home, but just overkill now. Yes, it's still in my cupboard.

Some of you may remember a photo I posted awhile back where I forgot that I had some sourdough starter warming in the oven (just the light on), and mistakenly turned the oven ON?????? Pampered Chef DID provide great service and after seeing my sad photo, replaced my lid to the batter bowl for free!!

Did I already say "Hate the Parties"??? Blech, blech, blech.

Deanna

Those Gold Parties are for real and you could walk away with a lot of cash. They pay you right on the spot for all your old gold pieces. They have the equipment to see if it's real gold and they weigh it and pay you for it.

I did it. I turned in old earrings that I only had one of, broken chains, broken bracelets, pieces of bracelets I had removed to shorten them, I walked out with $315 just laying in the bottom of my jewlery box.

RE: Pampered Chef products - I love them all! Especially the chopping thingie.

Shaun, I'm sure they are for real but do you get "cheated" per the scam report? Or does it even matter if the stuff is just gathering dust anyway?

That I dont know. But to me it didnt matter because it was all laying in the bottom of my jewelry box. It was like found money I tell ya!

Have never been invited to a party like this...not sure if I would go if I was. Having said that, I have been gifted with some mixes of various venues. One I loved was a beer bread that I've never been able to duplicate. If I knew a source I would buy it again....loved that stuff. Any ideas or sources???

I still have a few tupperware items that I bought back in the early eighties. Remember that brown, orange, green, and yellow combo set they sold. Still in good shape after 24 years of use.

David

I have the thingie that cuts the sandwiches and seals them like a little pie or tart thingie thing. It was probably $18. LOL

Anyone ever been to a purse party? It is like Chinatown exploded in your living room and there is the added bonus of the merchandise being confiscated for copyright infrigement. Man, I used to hate in home parties but now that I have kids it's like a night out - LOL. I think I once spent like $300 at a Partylite one.

David, when you say green do you mean avocado? Goes great with the orange and brown. The old stuff is the best!

LOL, Linda!

I have a friend that used to sell "high end" or we could say "up scale" clothes like that! With "informal modeling"...which means you try on the clothes and your friends all go OOH! or ugh....and then you agree to put out $350 for that little jacket on the spot.....and the jacket comes 3 weeks later and you say "What WAS I thinking?"!
The best thing is finding Tupperware at a sale or at a thrift store....knowing that that "consultant" has already had her cut paid by someone else! LOL!

Lakeguy, maybe its Tastefully Simple? I received as a hostess gift a potato soup mix and a focaccia bread mix that called for a bottle of beer and it was pretty good, but I still haven't made the potato soup.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tastefully Simple

Thanks for the link Woodie! I remember one of them came from Crested Butte in CO. I took care of their dogs while they went on a ski trip. The mix came in a flower pot and you baked it in the pot. Just may check this one out just for the heck of it.

David

But don't you love the little brown plastic pan scrapers?

I want another PC bread knife. It's nice and thin and perfect for slicing biscotti. Mine is very old and now rather dull. I've looked for a thin one like that one but all I find are thick, sturdy bread knives.

I use my electric knife for cutting biscotti....and my favorite bread knife is a chicago cutlery bread knife...serrated and thin enough.
Linda C

I went shopping for an electric knife just for that purpose but failed in my quest. Granted, I only went to Target and they didn't have one I could find. Where do I get an electric knife?

Wal mart....the one I boughgt was $8.99....works fine!

Got it! Walmart's best! Actually their only one, a Black and Decker electric knife for about 10 smackers.

A Walmart Superstore opened down the street from here about a week ago, walking distance if I'm in the mood and have time. I walked today. It has a bit of everything but not a huge selection in many categories. A grocery store was badly needed in that area and they are understandably mobbed. That location has had a grocery store in the past and it was missed. The only option for that neighborhood was an expensive mom and pop convenience market.

I also purchased a battery for my car today. Alice left the dome light on overnight and the battery was stone dead for the umpteenth time. It was time to replace it, anyway.

I wish it weren't a Walmart but for me it will be too handy to pass up. It is the only grocery and sundries store between here and the barn where I travel too many times a week to count.

My son bought "Target" best....needed one to cut the foam for the new cushions for the kitchen chairs...but it too works for biscotti!
Linda C

So Target was hiding them from me? I looked in knives and in small kitchen appliances. Target is even closer at a mere two blocks from me.

Maybe they were sold out....he bought his about 2 years ago

I didn't see anyone answer barnmom's question about spork?

It's a spoon and fork in one....

Linda, I never thought I would see the day

And I'm off to the chirch to use a salad spinner on lettuce for 100....I may be there all day....
But at least some good knives came out of the deal.
Linda C

Put all that lettuce in a clean pillow case and swing it over your head in a big circle!

It will serve two functions: dry the lettuce; scare everyone around you into quiet obedience.

I call them Dream Merchants. Really they are not selling a product but a dream. Went to one Amway party and the poor presenter spent an hour "explaining" to me that it was not about selling dreams. Alas, the first page in the Amway sales book says you have to "sell the dream". Pretty certain I ruined his Amway career.

The scam is to sucker people into selling carp for you. You get them excited about being rich without having to actually work. Show a pyramid chart and talk about the hundred if not thousands of people that will soon be "working" for you. Stop to show some pictures of a tropical beach location. Continue by projecting huge wealth if thousands of people all sell this stuff for you everyday. End up by noting that some people deserve fabulous wealth and it can be theirs if only they cough up a hundred bucks to join your sales team. Not everyone wants to be wealthy so not everyone joins your team.... don't you want to be filthy stinking rich without working?

I got sucked in by AFLAC. Fresh out of college and looking for a job anywhere. Being an "Insurance Agent" seems almost like a real job. I actually sold a few dozen policies before the reality set in. Just because you establish a customer does not mean that you own that account. No, your Regional Sales Manager has the right take over your accounts because you fail to sell them more insurance every month. Last sales meeting I was threatening to turn the RSM upside down and bounce him on his head. Had to quit before I gave into violent temptations.

: )
lyra

LOLOLOL!

I had missed this on the first time around.... howeveer I am not surprised either by your experience either! LOL!

I am swearing off all "parties" that involve products too... except for Party Girls - that is one I won't miss even if it is jsut to see the reaction of others!

Alexa