Sun-Dried Tomato Palmiers

Impress your friends with this easy appetizer at any party! Being gourmet and hoity toity has never been so easy.

This recipe serves 10-12...you'll wanna make a double batch because they'll be gone in like 1 minute.

2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed (I like Pepperidge Farm)
6 tbs ricotta cheese
6 tbs sun-dried-tomato paste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 oz.)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Roll out one sheet of pastry into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. (should be about 8 inches by 11 inches)

3. Spread half the ricotta cheese on the rolled out pastry.

4. Spread half the sun-dried-tomato paste on top of the ricotta cheese.

5. Sprinkle half the Parmesan over the sun-dried-tomato paste.

6. Take one of the 11 inch sides (longer side) and roll it to the center of the rolled out pastry...then roll the other 11 inch side (from the opposite direction) to the center of the rolled out pastry.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 with the remaining ingredients.

8. Wrap each roll in a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. (You can also freeze them at this point and save for up to 1 month...just let stand for 10 minutes before using)

9. Slice rolls into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

10. Place each slice 2 inches apart on a non-stick baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet or MY FAVORITE a Pampered Chef Bar Pan.

11. Bake for 8-9 minutes...until puffed and lightly golden.

12. Turn slices over and bake 5-6 more minutes...until golden.

13. Let cool completely on a wire rack and serve.

Tips: This is a great appetizer for Thanksgiving and Christmas parties. You can make a ton of rolls ahead of time and just defrost them 10 minutes before you need to pop the next batch in the oven. As far as gadgets to use...I mentioned the Bar Pan because you will never have a problem with burning, and you don't have to wash or scrape the pan before the next batch goes in. I would also recommend the Pampered Chef mini scraper and the wire rack...they are the best! I use mine more than once a week.

Oh! I should mention this was a Martha Recipe...of course! I don't have the issue info because...bad me...I cut the recipe out.

My favorite pizza

My family rarely orders pizza for delivery. There is occasion when we'll have pizza out...when we visit New York of course, and if there's a place that offers something "special". As far as a weekly pizza night though, I always make homemade. It tastes so much better, everyone can have the toppings they want and it's about $3 - $5 to make a 12 piece pizza (I use a rectangular shaped stone bar pan). So, make whatever toppings you want...this is a great "you can't go wrong" method of making pizza. I'm going to share my favorite combo with you and maybe you'll try it one of these days.

1 lb. dough
1 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or more)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or more)
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 hot house tomato, sliced
20-30 baby spinach leaves
24 slices of pepperoni

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Lightly brush pizza stone with olive oil.

3. Roll out dough onto pizza stone.

4. Press garlic into a small prep bowl and add enough olive oil, so it's just coated. Brush the garlic oil over the dough.

5. Bake in oven for 7 minutes.

6. Slice zucchini and tomato into fairly thin slices.

7. Remove baked dough from oven after 7 minutes. Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on dough, then line up pepperoni slices evenly, then zucchini slices, then spinach leaves, then tomato slices and finally top with the remaining cheese.

8. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes more or less...keep an eye on it. The cheese on top is the best way to layer it, because it will be the best way to tell when it is done.

9. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve!

Tips: For the dough, I buy it at Winco for $1.00 per pound. If it's not on the shelf near the cheese at your grocery store just ask the bakery for a pound of dough for pizza...bread dough works. I keep several pounds frozen in my freezer, so I can make pizza anytime I want. I will take it out of the freezer in the morning and keep it wrapped in plastic and place it in a bowl with a towel over it. This way it rises just enough to make the perfect thickness of crust. The pizza stone I use is from Pampered Chef...I use it for more than just pizza and it is the best one I have ever used.

Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

One of my favorite Campbell's recipes is their Green Bean Casserole. It has saved me in a pinch on so many occasions. I'm almost always stuck with the vegetable dish at potlucks or family dinners, and with three kids to get ready it's virtually impossible to get out the door on time. Not only is this one of the easiest recipes ever, but I don't have to run out to buy special ingredients (it's all pantry and on hand items) and EVERYONE ALWAYS LOVES IT!

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.) Del Monte's® French Style Green Beans (strained...no liquid!)
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

1. Mix soup, milk, soy, black pepper in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.

2. Mix in green beans.

3. Mix in and 2/3 cups onions.

2. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until hot.

3. Stir and then Sprinkle with remaining onions.

4. Bake for 5 more minutes.

Tips: If I'm taking this dish somewhere and need to cook it when I arrive then I don't mix the onion's in until right before I toss it in the oven (otherwise the onions get too soggy...yuck!)

a nice close up of the crispy onions...when done right they wont be soggy on top!