Pampering the chef

Advantages: You get lunch - and I don't cook it
Disadvantages: Its Party Plan

...Pampering the chef? Well to my mind any idea of pampering the chef, well me is basically taking me out for dinner with plenty of wine and I don?t have to do the washing up, but we all know its not like that very often. The Pampered Chef is an American company that sells kitchen goods through a party plan system. Now I have never been much for party plan type parties, where you are invited along get a few nibbles and a glass of wine then feel obliged to buy something you will never use (and for all those of you remembering your last Ann Summers party, take that smirk off your face!) so when I was invited to a Pampered Chef party I accepted only because it was a very good friend of mine. The company itself has been going since 1980 and was started by a lady called Doris Christopher. It has been operational in the UK now since 1999...

MHam 29.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of The pampered chef -party plan

Guilty Pleasures

Advantages: Very cheap, sturdy, ergonomically magnificent
Disadvantages: Could be lethal in the wrong hands

...After many years of domestic bliss, I?ve just been seduced by a goodlooking bit of rough. I?m in love with a Johnny come lately. The object of my desires feels great too but I?m a little bit guilty about it. Here?s what happened. I first spotted the Japanese Chef in Allders. There it was hanging up beside all the other Cooks & Co knives, its gleaming broad eight inch blade inviting me to take a closer look. Who could resist? I already have a good set of Sabatier knives ? expensive, dependable, and perhaps rather dull. I?ve been tempted before to have the odd dalliance. My filleting knife, for example, would make Rambo look good, with its flexible retractable blade. The attraction paled a little after I almost lost a couple of fingers, but I?ve learned a bit more respect now and we get along fine. The trust has been lost...

stravaig 14.03.2001 (21.08.2007) · Read review
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Review of Cook & Co Japanese Chef Knife

Little Chef .....do they actually have a Chef?

Advantages: ermmmmm... none!
Disadvantages: bad service and inedible food

...I am not a fan of Little Chef restaurants due to a couple of bad experiences which I will tell you about here. The first was when visiting Little Chef at Doncaster when myself and my partner were staying overnight at the adjacent Travelodge. We were hungry and thought we'd give the Little Chef a try. It was early evening when we visited and apart from a couple of customers was virtually empty. We ordered two meals and drinks from the menu which arrived not long after. The meals themselves weren't too bad, although the chips were a bit bland and cardboard-like. However, as we began eating, one of the staff appeared and began hoovering around the tables, even asking us to lift our feet etc! I was a bit irritated by this - surely they should hoover etc after closing? Also eating a meal with a noisy hoover droaning away was hardly...

JEFFJEN 06.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Little Chef - Little Chef

THIS CRAZY CHEF LOVES CRAZY CHEFS

Advantages: Educational, Engaging
Disadvantages: None of note

...One of the many joys of being an Uncle rather than a Parent is that I get to hand back my Nephew at the end of the day, without having to deal with the tantrums and crisis?s that inevitably go hand in hand with a four year old boy. Of course while he is in my control I have to make sure I fulfil my role as doting Uncle by entertaining, educating and amazing in equal measure, and while I try my hardest to rely on my wits for this purpose I do occasionally need outside help. Being a Chef I wanted to find a game or toy in a similar vein, to show my Nephew what it was I did for a living, and to interest him and maybe even get him to follow in his Uncles footsteps! After a little searching I found a game called Crazy Chefs made by Orchard Toys, since they were a company I?d heard good things of and because the game was described as...

tractor-boy 24.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Orchard Toys Crazy Chefs

Not the Naked Chef - just the Pampered Chef!

Advantages: fun evenings
Disadvantages: expensive products

...It seems that just lately all my friends seem to be having parties where you go along and view products. In the past few weeks I have been to Virgin Vie, Phoenix cards, an aromatherapy evening as well as a party for children's books. All of these are fun as really they are an excuse for a social gathering and a couple of glasses of wine. I'm usually quite happy to buy the odd product or two as well, although I have to admit I don't like feeling that I have to. Out of all the parties I have been to though, the ones that are probably my favourites are Pampered Chef evenings. Pampered Chef is an american company which produces and sells high quality cookware and tableware. They have over 140 items in their range and over eighty per cent of these are exclusive to the Pampered Chef. More about these later... First let me tell you about...

kingfisher111 02.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of The pampered chef -party plan

Diet Chef Danger!

Advantages: Good food, easy to cook
Disadvantages: Dangerously low calorie intake, doesn't work!

...How I came to going on this diet I put on weight a few years ago- I found that my usual ways of losing weight by cutting down on what I ate- didn't work, I tried several diets- nothing worked- I went on Atkins- lost a stone in 6 weeks & then for health reasons- began weight watchers diet- I ended up losing 2 ½ stone in total. A while later- I put half of it back on, and tired the weight watchers diet again- but wasn't losing anything- I then saw the 'Diet Chef' diet- recommended in the daily mail, it sounded so easy & reasonable I thought I would try it. The way it works & What you get for your money You can order online or over the phone- either a week's worth of food- or a month's worth. They advertise a full instant money back guarantee if you are not happy, so I thought it was worth a try? I ordered online- I opted...

kat74_uk 18.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Diet Chef Hamper

Littel Chef, Large Rip Offs

Advantages: Location
Disadvantages: Food, rip off prices, surly staff

...Feeling hungry & on a long journey in a strange area, you have little option but to put your faith in a motorway service station or a Little Chef. I stayed at a Travelodge at Washington services in the north east of England just south of Newcastle on a number of occasions & had the choice an overpriced Moto restaurant or an overpriced Little Chef; I chose the latter on a number of occasions for evening meals & breakfast. I have also used Little Chefs in Dumfries, Cramlington & Bristol. The menus looks good, prices are high but if the food is good I don't mind paying the extra. When you enter the restaurant they always insist sitting you where you don't want to sit & are always reluctant in letting you choose your seat. Service is usually reasonably good & your order is taken quickly. One occasion after ordering a meal I was informed...

ScottishWestie 03.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Little Chef - Little Chef

Diet Chef? You will lose weight as the food goes straight in bin!

Advantages: You don't really have any cooking to do
Disadvantages: Everything, horrid food, expensive

...Diet Chef Hamper I seen the diet chef website online and thought i'd give it a go. I've been trying to lose weight for about a year now since i had my daughter Sky and thought it would be a good way to try and get the weight off. I was wrong! What is Diet Chef? Diet Chef is an online service that prepares all your healthy weight loss meals for you and sends them to you via courier. You are then meant to heat the food up in a microwave or pot on the stove. The pack consists of a breakfast, porridge or granola, soup or a shake for lunch and then a meal for dinner. They also provide you with one healthy snack a day if you 'should feel peckish'. How to order your hamper www.dietchef.co.uk is their website which you order your hamper from. The website is quite easy to use and there are lots of reviews...

paulathomson89 28.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Diet Chef Hamper

Saved by the Chef

Advantages: No other services between South London and Chelmsford
Disadvantages: No other services between South London and Chelmsford

...Once through the Dartford Tunnel it is a straight haul up the A12, to drive from London to East Anglia. However, there are no roadside cafes virtually from the moment you leave Catford all the way to Colchester. It was only when we reached the other side of the ancient roman and military town, two hours after leaving London, that we found anywhere to eat. Indeed, there are about 4 Little Chefs within 20 minutes drive of each other (that's East Anglian logic for you!) Last weekend we stopped at the nearest, although in the past we have sampled the second adn third in line respectively. Apart from a few minor changes in layout, they are all pretty similar. ~~ Appearance ~~ An easy to spot plastic sign with logo of a white-hatted chef on a red background. The facilties here are all on one level, so there are no stairs...

aspebbles 10.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of Little Chef - Little Chef

The sharpest knife in the draw

Advantages: cuts very thinly and evenly
Disadvantages: carving style takes a while to get used to

...I like my roast meat and poultry sliced very thin and always have a problem keeping my carving knives sharp enough so this is the reason I thought I would try an electric carving knife. Initially the problem I had was the change in slicing style. With an electric carving knife, instead or sliding the knife back and forth through the meat gradually working your way down, you place the knife in position and exert a gentle steady downwards pressure until the knife slices off the piece. The knife itself creates the back and forth motion with its blade. This is the most difficult transition as the tendency to move the knife in a traditional manner remains. The Breville EK2 isn?t my first electric carving knife; it?s a replacement for an old Russell Hobbs that had to be retired due to safety reasons. It was getting on in years...

Miskah 08.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Breville EK2 Carving Knife