Journey to Jager: Fitness & Pfeffernuse

When you write a blog called Bethie Crocker and your New Year resolutions include baking a new pie recipe every month, you can imagine what the holidays are like. It's one giant excuse to consume all confections in sight. Now try and imagine this sugar fiend attempting to come out of the holiday season unscathed in order to fit into her newly altered wedding dress.

Yep, insert maniacal laughter here.

I am 42 days and 42 cookies deep already, no thanks to the annual cookie party I attended on Tuesday. I told myself I would only take a nibble of each. Ha! Mary was the first one to present her cookies, which she called a "crack cookie." My restraint cracked.

All of the fun, festive holiday gatherings and my bright shiny new kitchen gear doesn't seem to help my waistline. But I can't resist! Matt and I love the holidays so much and many of the traditions we enjoy the most center around the kitchen. Last weekend we made a giant pot of albondigas to share with Monica, Nathan, and little Jambo.

[Chef Jager]

The next day we pulled out our cookie press and whipped up a batch of Snowflake Cookies, another Jager Family favorite. These cookies are impossible not to eat. Little flaky pieces of heaven.

On Tuesday, amid my cookie party coma, I put on my beautiful vintage apron from Momma Heather and dove in to some pie dough to make a festive holiday treat for my holiday knitting party. On the menu: Pfeffernuse! I have become pretty obsessed with the German spiced cookie thanks to Trader Joe's (if you haven't tried them, you must). So much so that I decided to try and recreate them in a pie tin. The flavors are not unlike gingerbread so used many of the same spices for the base of this dish. I used a cinnamon graham crust and dusted the thing off with a good helping of powdered sugar to give it the classic Pfeffernuse dressing. I am extremely proud of the way it came out: a nice top crust with an ooey gooey middle, just like the cookie.

In order to combat some of my naughtiness, I have continued with a few of my health and fitness routines. The midweek masquerade is going swimmingly.

[The many masks of Beth]

I am maintaining my barre routine and will be taking a yoga class with Kaitlin this weekend. I have also started a food log in an attempt to keep myself accountable. It didn't help that I started the log right before the slew of holiday parties, BUT! I am officially over the hump of holiday party madness and can try and focus on other aspects of the holidays now that don't necessarily involve the eating. (Oh who am I kidding.... ) Tis the season!