Pass over that seven layer dip and strawberry shortcake! Anyone want seconds on the pie? Southern recipes are ahhhhhh-mazingly yummy. But some of these recipes contain just a tad more fat and calories than desired. Not anymore.
Introducing the MUST-HAVE cookbook, Lighten Up Y’all by Virginia Willis. She is a major authority on Southern cooking, but ALSO a French-trained chef! When Virgina decided to drop a few pounds, the most important thing for her cooking in this new, lighter lifestyle was that all the food had to taste amazingly fabulous. We all know how diet foods can taste…well… very diet. She was not about to have that.
Amazing Author Virginia Willis:
Virginia Willis is the author of Bon Appétit, Y’all, which was nominated for the IACP Best American Cookbook award and voted the Comfort Food Book of the Year by the Chicago Tribune. She has been featured in Cooking with Paula Deen, House Beautiful, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, and San Francisco Chronicle, among other publications. Willis has appeared on Real Simple Television, Martha Stewart Living, Paula Deen’s Best Dishes, and numerous local television shows across the country.
A graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne, Willis has served as a television producer for Turner South and Shirley Corriher, was the kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living Television, and the executive producer of The Discovery Channel’s Epicurious. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at www.virginiawillis.com.
Lighten Up, Y’all, is Virginia’s personal collection of her favorite recipes – lightened up.
My favorites?
Southern Style Shepherd’s Pie with Grits, Broccoli Mac and Cheese and Buttermilk Pie!!! Just last night I made the beer battered shrimp. oh…em….gee…. wow.
I cant wait to test out even MORE recipes! They do NOT taste low-cal at all… so this cookbook has taken first place in the kitchen! You should pick up a copy!
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review but all opinions are my own.
Omg yes. I need this in my life. All about the southern comfort foods. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Victoria
There are SO many good (and super yummy) recipes in this book… you definitely need it! 🙂
WOW, this sounds amazing! I love good ole’ southern cooking but don’t love the calories so this sounds like the perfect solution! Thanks for sharing!
How funny!! I got the same book from Blogging for Books and I’m doing a review on it next week!! I’m planning to make something from it this weekend (most likely the mac & cheese). Everything in there looks amazing!! lol Glad to hear you like the recipe you tried!
OH EM GEE is so right! I need to make that mac and cheese with broccoli. Sounds so heavenly. Thank you for sharing this book!
xoxo
Brenda
http://www.alaplagestyle.com
Sounds really good! I don’t eat southern food to much so I would be excited to try it!