Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

This recipe is very tasty, and kids love these!! They are the perfect size for little hands to hold. And to top it off, kids will love to help you make these. Have them put the pepperoni on and help roll up the dough. After you make the cuts, they can place each one in the Muffin Pan. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pouch Pantry Pizza Crust & Roll Mix (or use a store made dough)
• 1 1/4 cups very warm water (120 degrees-130 degrees)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese, grated, divided (1 cup)
• 3 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
• 1 package (3.5 ounces) thinly sliced pepperoni
• 1 ounce fresh parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
• 1 can (8ounces) pizza sauce, warmed

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush Stoneware Muffin Pan with vegetable oil using Pastry Brush.
   
2. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine mix, yeast, water and oil. Mix dough according to package directions for pizza crust.
   
3. Generally flour flat side of Large Grooved Cutting Board using Flour/Sugar Shaker. Using lightly floured Baker's Roller, roll dough into a rectangle even with edges of Cutting Board.
   
4. Press Garlic using Garlic Press; spread evenly over dough using Skinny Scraper.
   
5. Grate half of the mozzarella cheese over dough using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Slice tomatoes using Ultimate Slice & Grate fitted with v-shaped blade; arrange in a single layer over cheese and sprinkle with Seasoning Mix.
   
6. Arrange pepperoni slices evenly over tomatoes. Grate remaining mozzarella cheese over pepperoni and tomato slices.
   
7. Starting at longest edge, roll dough up tightly; pinch seam to seal. Using Serrated Bread Knife, slice roll into 1 1/2 inch-thick slices. Place slices swirl side up, into cups of Muffin Pam.
8. Grate parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over rolls.
   
9. Bake 30-35 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove to Non-stick Cooling Rack, cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.
   
10. Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.
    

Yield: 12 servings.
from Season's Best Spring/Summer 2001

Tips: To save time, use pre-made pizza dough & skip step #2. Also, buy your cheeses already shredded. There was a time buying the block cheese was cheaper than shredded, but that isn't true so much anymore. Also, I replace the regular pepperoni for turkey pepperoni. The kids (and adults) can never tell!

Enjoy! Melissa

Recipe: TouchDown Taco Dip

This is my second all-time Fav Pampered Chef Recipe. A little more involved than many game time dips, but the taste is well worth the time invested! With Super Bowl right around the corner this weekend, I figured now would be the time to post this favorite!

Ingredients:

• 1 can (16 oz) refried beans
• 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
  
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, thinly sliced
• Tortilla Chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread refried beans over bottom of Deep Dish Baker using Classic Scraper. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning. Finely chop garlic, add to Batter Bowl and mix well.
   
2. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over beans. Grate Cheese over top using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Bake 15-18 minutes until hot.
   
3. To prepare toppings, slice olives using Egg Slicer Plus. Dice tomato and thinly slice onions. Thinly slice cilantro using Pizza Cutter. Sprinkle olives, tomato, onions, and cilantro over dip. Garnish with additional sour cream, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.
   

Yield: 16 servings

Tips: I found it helps to place the can of olives in the fridge for a few minutes before slicing with the Egg Slicer Plus. I also skip the cilantro and green onions, because I do not like either.

Recipe: Quick Apple Crisp

This is my all-time favorite Pampered Chef recipe. For one, it is SUPER DELICIOUS, two, it is amazingly easy and quick as the title says. This is one that will certainly impress your guests. It's ok, let them think you spent hours in the kitchen preparing and baking! ;) I won't tell!

Ingredients:

• 5 Granny Smith Apples (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 package (9 ounces) of yellow cake mix
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
• vanilla ice cream or thawed frozen whipped topping (optional)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core, and slice apples using Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer. Cut apples in half. Place apples in Deep dish baker.
• Place butter in Classic Batter Bowl; microwave on High 60 seconds or until melted. Chop nuts using Food Chopper. Add nuts, cake mix, sugar and cinnamon to batter bowl; mix until crumbly using Classic Scrapper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples.
• Bake 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream, or whipped topping.

Enjoy, Melissa
From The Pampered Chef Season's Best Fall/Winter 2001

My love for The Pampered Chef...

It probably started in 2001 sometime. I am not sure of the exact dates, but I know I moved into my house the September prior, and I know I had my first party soon after that, and having these parties is what helped me to build up my kitchen necessities. Actually, it did so much more than that... it cultivated a love for cooking and entertaining. But I am going to focus on the cooking part here....

I didn't have a lot of knowledge of cooking besides macaroni and cheese and frozen waffles. I remember when I was in college I called my mom to ask how to make hard boiled eggs. Sad, I know for a girl in her 20s not to know something so basic. I never had the responsibility to cook for my family, and the truth is, we were shooshed out of the kitchen while my Mom was cooking when we were kids. (Hey- she had a small kitchen, I get it now as I feel the same way while cooking.) But, I don't think I am that different than most any other girl in my generation, or ones before & after my generation for that matter.

So, here I am hosting my first show, and I honestly know NOTHING about cooking. Thank goodness that the consultant, who happens to be a good friend, does pretty much everything for me- or gave me very specific directions. I also remember watching her up there demonstrating, and thinking that I could/would NEVER sell Pampered Chef.

Honestly, hosting those shows helped me to get comfortable having people over, and the tools were really SOOO easy to use, it made cooking fun, and it made it easy, and the recipes are quick and easy, and I haven't made a recipe from Pampered Chef that I did not LOVE.

So fast forward to 2008, and you will find a completely different Me. I now LOVE to cook, and I actually experiment and make up my own recipes. I cook without having to follow the recipes word by word. And, I am going to become a Pampered Chef consultant...something I thought I would NEVER be. Funny how life does these things to you, isn't it?

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog.

I have been thinking of selling pampered chef since I thought of quitting my job (.3 seconds after I had my daughter) ha ha.

I currently didn't know anyone selling pampered chef, so that had me a bit worried. Who would I sign up under, and what if I went onto the website and found someone who I just did not mesh well with.

Then I remembered that my MIL had a show back in August, and I still had the catalog she gave me. I emailed the consultant on the back of the catalog and told her about my interest in selling. She emailed back right away. We had a conversation and I knew after 15 minutes of talking to her that she was the consultant I was looking for. Friendly and down-to-earth. Motivated, yet not pushy. Someone who I could most likely be friends with. I was already sold on the company, I just wanted to find a consultant that I was comfortable to work under. Her attitude sold me on signing up in general. I am feeling positive about this!

Please keep stopping by. This is a place where I will feature my favorite pampered chef products (I have ALOT of favorites) and I will post recipes and entertaining tips. Both from Pampered Chef and my own experiences.