Month: November 2015

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bites

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My mom is THE pecan pie lady.  At any family gathering, church function or holiday meal you better believe she will be baking a pecan pie from scratch and there won’t be a crumb left to take home.  With all the corn syrup, brown sugar, pecans and butter-each slice comes in at a hot 500 calories or more.  WOAH.  Most individuals can’t afford to consume that many calories on dessert alone, especially after a holiday meal where we all tend to overindulge a bit….or a lot. Guilty as charged! Mama just might have a little competition this year.  I made these mini pumpkin pecan pie bites for a cooking demo and they were a hit! The filling is made with real pumpkin puree mixed with almond butter and cinnamon then placed in mini phyllo dessert shells, which you can find in the frozen section at most grocery stores.  Tip: I piped the filling into the mini shells from a sealable sandwich baggie where I had snipped off the corner with scissors.  Cleanup is a dream! Then I topped the shells with pecans, maple syrup, local …

Farm to Table love

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Disclosure: I attended a sponsored farm to table tour. I was not compensated for my time in writing this post. All opinions are my own. Helloooo November! The pumpkin spice craze has come and gone and holiday season is almost in full swing.  I’m finally settling into my position with a new company after literally hitting the ground running since August.  I recently had a moment where my love of foodie field trips and passion for educating audiences on healthy eating completely collided. During the annual October Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo that took place here in Nashville, I attended a Farm to Fork tour sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA). We visited the Hatcher Family Dairy farm located in College Grove, several miles south of Nashville.  There we were treated to a full breakfast utilizing farm fresh and locally sourced ingredients, followed by a tour of the farm led by the Hatcher family themselves.  In a recent educational session focused on shopping smart and buying locally sourced foods, I was able …