Gourmet Gathering

It was a hankering for beer bread that got Hank Beauparlant interested in selling gourmet food. -

Beauparlant of Avon Park first tasted the bread in 2004 after he and his wife, Denise, evacuated during the hurricanes that year. They wound up parked next to a motorhome in Tennessee, and became acquainted with the owners.

The Beauparlants were invited to dinner, where the bread was served. Hank's reaction: "Wow!

"It was just an outstanding meal," said Hank, recalling that he thought the hostess had a bread maker in the motorhome.

He learned the bread came from a mix, specifically the Bountiful Beer Bread Mix made by Tastefully Simple Inc.

After returning to Florida, Beauparlant was hungry for the bread.

He called a Tastefully Simple representative in the Tampa area to find about the company and was told it didn't have anybody selling its products in Highlands County. The retired fire department captain received information about the company and decided he wanted to work for them as a part-time job.

According to the company's catalogue, Tastefully Simple was founded in Alexandria, Minn., in 1995 and is the "original national home taste-testing company featuring over 50 simple and delicious gourmet foods."

Beauparlant and Stephanie Wortinger of Sebring are independent consultants. They are among a small group of people working for Tastefully Simple in Highlands County.

Wortinger talked about the products at a taste-testing party for the Alpha Delta Kappa honorary teaching sorority at Woodlawn Elementary School in Sebring.

Kind of like a Tupperware party with lots of food, the 15 women who attended sat in a circle. Wortinger passed a plate around with a sample of 20 to 30 products for the women to taste.

"Afterwards you can devour what ever is left," she said.

Hostess Peggy Taylor wanted to do something different for the meeting. She said she had never been to that type of party.

"The dishes were easy to prepare," Taylor said. "They are very simple to do."

Attendees can place orders. The products are shipped to the customer's home, business or post office box.

There are some men selling the products. When Hank Beauparlant tells guys they are being invited to try Nana's Apple Cake Mix and Gingersnappy Bread Mix, their reaction: "You've got to be kidding."

But Beauparlant said they enjoy the food and by the end of the party are telling him "make sure my wife orders ..."

Hank and Denise do about three or four couples parties a month.

"It's a way to meet people," Beauparlant said. "I made a few bucks; it didn't put us in a new tax bracket."

Wortinger, who is a stay-at-home mother with two young children, said she was looking for a way make some money. She heard about the company from Martha Lewis, who is the mother-in-law of Wortinger's sister.

Wortinger has been working for Tastefully Simple since February of this year.

"This food is so easy because it only requires one or two ingredients - water, eggs, butter," she said. "It is so simple. You just mix. If you are making a dip, you mix the sour cream and mayonnaise, pour one or two tablespoons in, mix it, let it sit, bam!, you've got a dip."

Wortinger said people can be creative with the products.

"You'd be surprised as to how many recipes are on the Web site of people that just start throwing things together," she said. "They just start playing, and they've got a recipe. It's pretty cool."

For the health-conscious, low-fat sour cream and low-fat cream cheese can be used for dips or frosting. Wortinger said there are all-natural products available as well some kosher items. She noted that she brings nutrition information with her to the parties.

Doing parties is not required. Wortinger said she has heard of people working for the company who have been successful selling on their own.

The Tastefully Simple catalogue said consultants can earn up to 36 percent commission on retail sales. Wortinger said they can take home 20 percent from sales.