Looking to the New Year

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By Heather Jeffcoat

It’s a new year! For most people, that means it’s time to get things in order. That could be your finances, your health, your schedule, or your home. It seems like everyone tends to re-evaluate things come January 1—we look at things that worked the previous year and things that didn’t.

I don’t like to name what I make as resolutions; I call them goals. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t sound as hard. I set certain goals each year and work toward them. Some of these I succeed at. Some, well, let’s just say I am still working on. And that is just fine. Last year I challenged my busy family to begin eating more at home than eating out. We decided that we would try to sit down at the table as a family more, and we would cook more of our food. With some planning each week and dedication to sticking with the menu, we were able to reach that goal. There were weeks when we had to eat out a little more than usual because of hectic schedules, but then we jumped back to our original plan the next week. It felt really good. It still needs some tweaking, but we will continue that goal in 2013, too.

If you follow Paula, you know that she doesn’t like to make personal resolutions for the new year, but she and the team at Cooking with Paula Deen magazine are resolving to bring you a year’s worth of great new recipes, informative tips that will give you more confidence in the kitchen, and fun ways to bring your family and friends together.

If you grab the January/February issue, you’ll notice some of the columns that you love remained. Bobby and Jamie will both be working hard in 2013 to provide you with quick, easy, and tasty dishes and meals. We know you love Paula teaching you how to make the basics in “Cooking Paula’s Way,” so that will be even better this year. We aimed to revive the Sunday Dinner last year, and we are challenging you to make it part of your family’s weekend routine—which will be easy since we’ll provide a delicious menu in each issue that your family will love!

First up is a meal featuring Spinach and Fennel Salad with Creamy Goat Cheese Dressing, Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin Roast, Macaroni and Cheese, Mushroom-Bacon Green Beans, and a White Chocolate, Strawberry, and Ginger Trifle to finish the meal. Your family will be raving about this one for a while!
Click here to preview some of the recipes.

We are also introducing some great new sections, including “Seasonal Produce”, which highlights fresh fruits and veggies that are currently at their peak. We start out with Meyer lemons, and, wow, do they give our recipes a tangy and sweet kick! You’ll love the Meyer Lemon Bars with Vanilla Bean Crust. I made these twice recently (substituting regular lemons one time), and they were a hit at both events!

A quirky and interesting column called “Fun Food Facts” has been added—you’ll always be surprised at what we find for this section. Paula adores her talented design director, Brandon Branch, so she’s asked him to create tablescapes for different occasions. First up is a modern yet elegant bridal luncheon table setting.

We are excited about what this new year will bring, and our goal at Cooking with Paula Deen magazine is to give you more recipes and ideas to help you in your kitchen and home. As always, we want to hear from you. So let us know what you think about our magazine. We hope we can help you find happiness in creating delicious meals and joyful gatherings in your home!

Heather Martin Jeffcoat recalls an early love of being in the kitchen. It developed from the days of being beside her Grandmother Louise as she cooked for everyone who visited her small-town Alabama home as well as time spent baking with her mother, a Michigan native transplanted to the South after marriage. To this day her mother combines the best of Northern and Southern fare. Heather now spends every spare moment in the kitchen. It’s a way for her to relax and enjoy time with her husband, son, and daughter, who often participate in cooking meals at their home. A love of writing steered Heather into journalism school and then into publishing. After several years working in print and online media, she began freelancing for Cooking With Paula Deen magazine, and she was recently tapped to join the staff full time as the managing editor. She has come to realize that her childhood memories cooking in her grandmother’s and mother’s kitchens, full of love and hospitality, have given her the best education she could have asked for.

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Reader Comments:

This magazine has totally changed. There is almost NO "Paula" in it anymore, just one tiny front column. No pix of her, her house, her family, like it used to be. Magazine is smaller in size, more ads...could be (is) written by ANYONE. Completely generic. "Paula's" in name only. Sad.

By Mary on January 28, 2013

This is off subject but I haven't found a place to ask. Can I use my Paula Deen enamel coated cast iron roaster on top of a gas burner or is it for oven roasting only?

By Shelby on January 18, 2013

Pauladeen.com

Looking to the New Year

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