Wow what a difference great olive oil makes in taste! I tried our certified organic olive oil  and balsamic vineger this week on salad and as a dip for bread. I was very surprised at the quality and taste difference. The purity of the product enhanced all my foods and did so with a healthy fat.

I’m still up about 5-7 pounds, even after eating better so this week, so I am going to try the Grapefruit Apple Cider Vineger Diet to help me out. I need to get rid of my sweet cravings! After the holidays and eating so many treats I’m still craving with that sweet tooth all the time.

I’m also thinking of doing a cleanse. I have done them in the past and found it kick starts my metabolism.

I did have to make birthday cake this week for my daughter but, luckily, one of her ultimate favourites is Angle Food Cake and 7-minute frosting. All lower in fat. So I cheated and made the cake from a box but the frosting is just egg whites, sugar water and corn syrup. It tastes amazing and looks so great. (See my quick recipe below).

I have to say I also needed to get myself in gear and back to working out. I’m watching Denises tips and following her lead. Thanks Denise!

I’m still trying new lunch ideas. This week I tried rolling up tortilas and making wraps for the kids. They seemed to like them and I could put different stuff in each kids. You can also heat them up and make breakfast buritos with them (my friend Darlene sent me a recipe).

Here is my 7-minute frosting recipe:

- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/3 cup water

Mix on a double boiler for about 7 minutes (I wasn’t kidding!) It will be white and fluffy when done. Add vanilla or lemon for extra flavour. Yummy.

Keep those recipe & cooking ideas coming! Click on the Comments link below.

 
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Sometimes there is an implication that being greener costs more money. While this may be true for some specialty items, I am discovering that, in the long run, being greener costs less!

I am on a budget and am always looking for good quality and value. As a fairly new home owner, I was overwhelmed with the costs of a running small urban household. My hydro bill amazed me. Why was this bill so high?

After taking a good look at the situation I discovered that simple household chores such as doing laundry (something that I am an expert in with two very busy young boys!) can be really expensive at certain times. I do laundry every day, but I am now only doing one load in the evening or on weekends. The cost difference is huge. Yes I have to do a little more planning, but the savings are worth it.

On another green note, I have stopped using any type of fabric softner or dryer sheets. I am also careful about my use of hot water - warm and cold works well too! I have also changed my attitude towards using my dryer as I find most of my clothes are in better shape if I lay them flat to dry. This was something I witnessed over 15 years ago when I was in Finland: the Finns (even in their cold winter) air dry alot of items!

I now also only put my dishwasher on at night before I go to bed and I make certain that it is totally full before I run it.

Turning the heat down at night not only makes for a better sleep but really cuts down on energy consumption as well as cost. There is also something wonderful about that burst of cozy warm air in the morning when you turn the heat up!

These are just a few simple things that I am doing.

Let me know what you are doing! I would love some more suggestions … simply click on the Comments link below.

Tanya

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I have to say I’m actually enjoying my daily work outs! Earlier this month, I bought Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer and I love it. It’s a great addition to the cardio I already do on my bike and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.

I had a couple of shows with Rosalie Brown last week which was awesome because she continually motivates me and gives me great advice. I always keep her mantra in mind - strength training, core training and cardio combined, a little each day.

What does your daily exercise routine consist of? Leave a Comment below and let me know. I’m always looking for new and fun ways to stay motivated.

Denise

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First I want to thank Joyce Ball from Midland, Ontario for the yummy chicken stew with dumplings recipe. The kids loved it. I also have had the smoothie Michael suggested for breakfast a few times. It is great to take in the car on route with me. So much better than skipping a meal!

I decided to make some things for lunches ahead of time this week. I made up a huge potato salad we had as a side dish one night for dinner and then the kids loved it so much they took it for lunch two days this week. I also did up a tomato, cucumber & red pepper salad with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and feta cheese. That was also good for lunches. I’m trying to make sure my kids are getting at least a serving of fruit and veggies with their lunches every day.

I have been experimenting with some of our great cookware to make different breakfast foods. Toad in a hole was a hit. To help out I taught my two oldest kids a meal they can prepare each. My 9 year old is very proud that she can make pancakes from a mix and we have fun with what we put in them — different fruit on weekdays and I let them do chocolate chips as a treat on weekends.

My 12 year old has mastered the grill cheese sandwich. All supervised of course. Orlena gave me a starter for Amish bread and my 6 year old made that with me and we added some yummy dried fruit. I also made homemade soup twice in the last two weeks. Every time I roast a chicken I use the leftovers to prepare a stock so I don’t have to buy it.

Here is the potato salad recipe I never share but is always a hit. Keep it to yourself.

1) Using a pressure cooker I steam the potatoes:
- 1 bag mini white
- 1 bag mini red
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed large size pieces

2) In a bowl I mix the cooked potatoes with 1 jar of Renee’s Gourmet Light Caesar Salad Dressing. I grate parmesan cheese and add crumbled bacon. It can be served hot or cold.

It is not necessarily “low fat” but it is lightened up and the addition of the sweet potatoes makes for a healthy lunch that I know my kids will eat.

Please suggest more tips and recipes. I love trying new things! Click on the Comments link below.

 
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You wouldn’t think that fitness expert & personal trainer Rosalie Brown would have any resolutions to make. Eat better? Hardly! Workout more? Not for this woman! But Rosalie is striving to do something different - and encouraging her clients to do the same.

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Like our TV Host Tanya Yanaky, our fine jewellery expert Lesley Young is also seeing green in the new year.

Have your own tips for being more enviornmentally friendly? Tanya wants to hear from you! Leave your comment on any of her blog posts.

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After putting on a few pounds over the holidays, and everyone eating way too many treats, it is time to put healthy back on the table. Being a single mom & working full time makes it extra challenging to ensure everyone gets to their activities on time with healthy food in their bodies. I’m attempting to do just that.
 
My goal is to cook healthy, quick meals at home and this week I started using my pressure cooker. Wow, you can make the best ribs ever this way and side potatoes cook so fast as well. Denise bought me a great cook book with recipes for quick & easy chicken and I’ll be trying some recipes from there as well.

Also, I am now completly cutting out bread from my diet, which instantly drops me 5 pounds. Bread is not my friend! I know I need the carbs, but not through bread.

Please send any recipes you have for using a pressure cooker! In the meantime, here is my quick rib recipe:
 
Ingredients: 
-2 cups of water
-1 package onion soup mix (quick way to add lots of flavour)
-2 racks of ribs

Put all ingredients into your pressure cooker and cook under meat setting. After they are cooked, I place them on the BBQ for 5 minutes with my favorite sauce for added flavour. Yummy! The most tender ribs you will ever have.
 
Happy New Year
Renee

 
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 We caught up with a few of The Shopping Channel’s TV Guests to ask them what, if any, resolutions they were making for 2009. The irreverant Ms. Joan Rivers shows why she has nothing to change about her one-of-a-kind persona (even when given the cue by David Dangle).

I was cleaning up the other night - sorting out the garbage, recycling and green bin items. Looking at the amount of recycled products that my family of four generates in a two week period is — quite honestly — embarrassing!  My husband Greg and I are now trying to buy items with less packaging.  For instance, I love the plastic boxed baby greens for salads but I am now buying different salad greens (radicchio, arugula, etc..) in a bunches and making it myself.
 
I really dislike throwing things in the garbage - where does it all go?  My goal is to cut our garbage in half.  This can be accomplished by composting, using the green bin and recycling as much as possible  - but at the same time consuming items that use only recyclable materials.
 
I sometimes get frustrated with all the little plastic toys that my boys (age 3 & 6) have acquired.  When they break they are simply thrown into the garbage.  My babysitter Dana told me about a friend of hers that made a large wreath and hot glued all her kids odd and damaged plastic toys onto it.  What a great idea!
 
Hope the New Year brings you much health and happiness!
Tanya
XO
 

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It’s January!  I woke up this morning went downstairs and got on that bike. The thing about riding a bike inside is it can get pretty boring; all you’re thinking about is when is this going to be over.  So to amuse myself during my ride, I put on my stepson’s favorite movie Stepbrothers (extremely funny). 

I rode for about 45 mins, did some stretching and then free weights.  It felt really good to accomplish my workout first thing in the morning.  You feel alive, strong and ready to take on what ever challenges the day brings.

Denise

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