So the New Year is here…

and I have been enjoying my holiday food and especially all of the wonderful recipes from The Pioneer Woman.  She makes delicious food, but unfortunately, neither my husband nor I expend the calories that a cattle rancher does. So I’ve spent today trying to figure out where I can come up with some delicious recipes for the new year that are delicious and healthy and not so chock full of butter and cream.

I remembered a show at one time on The Food Network featuring a chef named Ellie Krieger but she’s no longer on their network. She’s now on the The Cooking Channel.  So I navigated over there and then accidentally found “Not My Momma’s Meals” featuring Bobby Dean. His show is all about lightening up Paula Deen’s recipes. I love her recipes (another butter and cream lady), so I’ve set it to DVR regularly and started watching the first one now.

He made over Paula’s Fried Apple Pies with a baked apple pie featuring a whole wheat pie crust with flaxseed meal and pecans.  I’ll be trying it right away.  I’ve been trying to find a whole wheat crust recipe for a while.  I’ll post pics as soon as I’ve tried it.

Here’s the recipe in case you want to try it with me.  Bobby Dean’s Whole Wheat Pie Crust

How are you changing your cooking strategies for the new year?

Blackberry Cobbler

This week my local grocery store had half-pints of blackberries on sale for $1 each if you bought 10, so I did.  I froze half of them and then I decided to make blackberry cobbler with the other half.

They were gorgeous, big, juicy blackberries!  Here’s a look at them.

So, I looked up my favorite chef’s blog to see if she had any blackberry cobbler recipes and of course she did. Here’s a link:

The Pioneer Woman’s Blackberry Cobbler – I added some cinnamon to it, because I happen to like blackberries and cinnamon together.

I tripled the recipe because I had a big pan and lots of berries.  While I was making it, I noticed it called for self-rising flour and of course I didn’t have any.  Google to the rescue!!  Did you know that self-rising flour is just flour, baking powder and salt?  Here’s the recipe for it.  You can make up a bunch at a time and keep it on hand in your pantry, but don’t go out and buy it when it’s this easy. I liked this recipe because you can scale it to the total quantity you want to make.

Self-Rising Flour Recipe

So here’s the blackberry cobbler before it went into the oven:

And here’s the finished product.

We’re having a New Year’s party tonight and this is my main contribution… I’ll let you know if we liked it!

In the meantime, get yourself to Dierberg’s this week if you live in St. Louis and pick up some of these yummy berries!!

What’s your favorite recipe for blackberries?

Holiday Meal Planning

Here’s my plan (along with recipes) for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Can’t wait!

Christmas Eve Dinner

• Fajitas (Our traditional Christmas Eve Fare) 
• Nachos
• Soda
• Pumpkin Pie (Brian’s Request)

Christmas Morning

• Peach Almond French Toast (recipe from Emeals – sorry can’t link it)
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Coffee

Christmas Dinner

• Prime Rib with Rosemary Salt Crust (from The Pioneer Woman)
• Roasted New Potatoes
• Burgundy Mushrooms (from The Pioneer Woman)
• Whisky Cream Sauce (from The Pioneer Woman)
• Chocolate Espresso Torte with Raspberry Sauce (recipe from Sunset Magazine)

 

 

 

Natalie’s Rich & Creamy Hot Cocoa

I’m having so much fun trying new recipes and making them my own, so I decided to create a category on my blog so that I could keep them all in one place.  (Also because I need a website address to post my pics on pinterest.)

So here’s the first one!  I debated when posting this whether or not I should rename it Natalie’s Decadent Hot Cocoa, but I didn’t want to scare you off!! Ha!

Natalie’s Earthy Sauteed Veggies

Now this one is an original!