BBQ, Tex Mex, Here I Come!

I'm headed to Austin in a couple of weeks and my friend has promised to show me the best BBQ and Tex Mex in town. I'm a Southern gurl, so I'd like to think that I've tasted some good BBQ in the XX years of living. Let's see if Texas proves me wrong.

But before I go, I wanted to get some recommendations from you all -- any special places I have to visit before I leave? Any great gastronomy that I would be remised not to try. . . Help me plan my trip!

xoxo,
Cooking with Soul

I can't afford fruits and veggies. . . .

I've never been one for fruits, but I sure do love my veggies. Even as prices climb, I can't say that I've cut back on them since the recession. However, an annual survey of moms, conducted by Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), found that although 60 percent of moms continue to believe that their families eat too few fruits and vegetables, they are including less of them in meals and snacks.


Reported fruit consumption has dropped 12 percent since a year ago and vegetable consumption is down 6 percent.

• 87 percent of moms still believe it’s important to include fruits and vegetables in their family’s diet. But, they say cost and different preferences amongst family is the reason they aren't buying them.

Has the recession hit your pocket so that you are now forgoing some foods? Share your thoughts. . .I want to hear!

Cooking a meat pie couldn't get any easier

I'd like to say that I've been on some exotic vacation, and so that's why I haven't had time to post. Or maybe that I've been working on new recipes. Yeah, that sounds like a good excuse. Let's go with that one. . .

Well, I found this great recipe that I couldn't keep to myself. It's an easy to make recipe for a tasty meat pie. I used the ingredients that Silvana Nardone of Everyday with Rachel Ray recommended, but I can't wait to play around with the ingredients for the filling sometime next week. Maybe I can put together a Latin-infused meat pie? Or a curry-chicken meat pie?

Until then, see the recipe below. . . .

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add chopped bell pepper and onion until softened.
3. Stir in ground beef, canned tomato sauce, minced garlic, a little Worchestershire sauce and salt and pepper.
4. Cut store bought pizza dough into quarters and stretch each piece into an 8-inch round.
5. Spoon the filling into the dough rounds on a baking sheet and top with cheese.
6. Fold over the dough to create a pocket, then pinch the seal to keep the meat inside the pocket. 7. Bake the pockets until golden (approximately 15-20 minutes)