Blogger Event: Cooking Matters Part 2

Read Part 1 - the first day of my Cooking Matters Bloggy Boot Camp experience last week

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On Thursday, we had a half day scheduled with the Cooking Matters program. Read the first part (link above) for more info on Cooking Matters in general. This was less informational and lecturing and more actual doing than the previous day.

Hunger 101 was our first activity. Each of us was assigned a new personality and details that are based on real people who have visited a specific food bank. Our goal was to take our circumstances and find a way to get food for ourselves through the money we have, using food stamps if necessary, shopping at the "store" provided, and visiting the food bank.

I became John Stevens, a 75 year old recent widower. My income has now declined to $1190 as I've lost my wife's social security benefits in addition to her companionship. We used to get by just fine, but now... not so much. I now also have to pay $125 per month towards her funeral expenses in addition to my mortgage, taxes, health insurance, and the like. Once I pay those expenses, I have a total of $57 per month for food.

$57 per month. (I've spent more than that on a meal for myself more than once. Talk about a reality check.)

Can you imagine what $57 per month looks like? That's just under $2 per day. My first step was to visit the food stamp office to pick up an application to see if I qualified - I was worried that I wouldn't since my income falls in the 130-185% of the poverty level. Wow, was that an experience. The employee was beyond not helpful - the point where I was given a Spanish application "by mistake." By the time I got back to the front of the line, all the English applications were gone.

Hoping that French translated to Spanish to come degree, I began filling out my massively huge over ten page application. In Spanish. It asked for everything from my name and personal information to account numbers for my electric utilities and how much I owed on my home. The level of complexity was stunning. I never did finish filling it out, and I can understand why so many states have such a low rate of people who would qualify actually receiving food stamps (38% in Texas, fortunately much higher at 83% in Illinois).

And food stamps? There have been studies showing that for each dollar put into food stamps, $1.30 goes back into the local economy because of grocery stores that need to employ workers and trickling down from there. And more people receiving food stamps means that more people who don't qualify for food stamps can receive food from food pantries and the like.

After giving up on my food stamp application, I headed to the food pantry, hoping that they might be able to help me out with the application. The volunteer there gave me a blank look when I asked if she could help with it; she wasn't an expert unfortunately, nor did she speak Spanish. I was one of the lucky ones, however. Because food banks are often funded by government entities, there can be strict regulations about where people live in order to receive benefits. I lived in the right town. And somehow, my income qualified me for food from the pantry. Miraculously. But how many people wouldn't have tried, thinking they didn't qualify? The food bank gave me tons of food from eggs to jam to tuna and more.

With that, I headed to the store to spend my $2 to round out my eating. I was able to purchase a loaf of bread, which left me with $1. I had something to eat with my eggs and my tuna and my peanut butter and jam. The last dollar was tricky. As with many stores in areas with a high concentration of poverty, there wasn't a ton of choices and many items were simply sold out. I finally ended up with 2 candy bars for that $1 figuring that they were calories that I could split up over the course of the week and do ok.

I was a lucky one. I ended up with food to eat - thanks primarily to the food pantry. Most of the rest of the people in Hunger 101 weren't so lucky. Getting a sense of how much a struggle it is and how quickly it can become a struggle for people - one lesson we learned from the North Texas Food Bank is that many of their clients are employed and professional workers who just can't make ends meet anymore through a variety of circumstances.

Seeing how challenging the forms are for food stamps and seeing how easy it is to get frustrated, one thing I am going to look into over the next couple weeks is seeing if and how I can lend my services as an advocate. It's always easier to have someone around who isn't as emotionally invested to help make sense of things. And wow do I see now how much it's needed.

From there, we went to our own simplified Cooking Matters tour at a local grocery store. We went through the tour where we learned that all milk has the same level of calcium - except chocolate that has somewhat less. We saw how to recreate a Hamburger Helper meal with our own ingredients for far less money. We talked a little about how know when produce is ripe and which to buy. All these skills and more are shared as the students learn to choose foods and fit them into their budget - something that will serve them for years to come.

We then headed back to the North Texas Food Bank where we participated in an abbreviated Cooking Matters class. Chef Ellen (who rocks of course) demonstrated each of the skills we'd need to prepare the meal from cutting the stem from the collard greens to julienning the carrots to slicing the onion. Then it was our turn. Each of us had to prepare portions of the meal - and in the full class each person would do each part of the meal to ensure that the skills transfer.

It's amazing what those simple skills can accomplish. Suddenly a healthy meal with low cost ingredients is doable. It's something that can be recreated by people who aren't comfortable in the kitchen, and what could possibly be better than that? At the end of the six week class, Chef Ellen explained that her goal is to have a clean cutting board because the students do all the work themselves and she has nothing to demonstrate.

And at the end of the classes, the students have a great cache of recipes to draw from. They go home with a mini cook book that I am actually going to be using myself. There are some neat recipes in there, and I can't wait to incorporate them into my family's meals.

I left for my flight before our meal was complete and ready to cook, but I heard great things about it. And leaving early doesn't mean that I'm done with Cooking Matters. Back in Chicago, I will be contacting the agency that hosts Cooking Matters to observe a class and learn more. I will be contacting the food bank closest to me to see what their needs are and how I can help out - knowing that I can't make a huge time commitment at this point in my life but also knowing that I have hours here and there and that this is something I care about.

Some statistics to think about:
17.2% of people in Illinois faced food hardship in 2009
34.2 for every 100 children in NSLP participate in school breakfast - ranking us 51st in the nation
There were just under 600,000 children in poverty in Illinois alone in 2009
Cooking Matters reached 11,600 families across the country in 2010
Over 1,500 volunteers helped make Cooking Matters happen
99% of participants would recommend Cooking Matters to a friend

What could you do to impact some of these statistics? Will you go sign the pledge to help end childhood hunger by 2015? Again, minimal info from you (email and zip), and you'll be shown so many ways you can make an impact.

In the interest of full disclosure, ConAgra Foods Foundation paid for my travel and accomodations for the bloggy boot camp. I also received compensation for attending the event, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Blogger Event: Cooking Matters Part 1

This past Wednesday and Thursday, I was in Dallas for a Cooking Matters Blogger Boot Camp. It was eye opening for me. I know that hunger is a problem, especially childhood hunger. There was a very high proportion of children at the preschol the wee ones attended in poverty and who ate nothing until they walked in the doors of the school and little if anything after they left. But the scope of it? And some of the solutions that are out there? I had no idea.

We are lucky. We are food secure. I never worry about where our next meal is coming from. Even if we had significantly less money for food than what we do now, we'd still be ok. Not only do I have the funds to buy what I want (my husband brought home sushi for lunch), but I budget for my food and know how to stretch my dollar. I can and do buy mostly whole foods and cook from scratch and am very comfortable with it.

I'm realizing more and more that I'm in the minority with this.

While at the boot camp with other bloggers from around the country, we learned about many of the statistics and some of the solutions. ConAgra Foods Foundation has partnered with Share Our Strength in the goal of ending childhood hunger with Cooking Matters as one solution.

Cooking Matters is a national program operated through food banks in 22 states and DC that teaches families at risk of hunger how to prepare healthy and affordable meals. The classes are generally offered for six weeks for two hours per session where students are taught how to cook in a hands on setting. Everyone has to cook, from cutting an onion to cleaning up to checking the pasta to see if it's done. The recipes are all very accessible and focus on available foods that are relatively inexpensive from banana quesadillas for breakfast to salmon pasta bake (canned salmon) to pumpkin muffins.

Once the cooking is done, participants eat their meals and then are sent home with the ingredients to recreate it in their own kitchens. Something I'd never thought about before? The participants don't have the money to purchase the ingredients for foods that their families may not eat, so unless they are given the ingredients or money for the ingredients they are unlikely to try the recipes again because they can't afford for food to go to waste. Let's just say that was eye opening for me.

In addition to teaching about cooking, the Cooking Matters classes also has a trek to a local grocery store. There students are taught how to read labels to find the most healthful foods (cottage cheese is out - high in sodium and low in calcium, especially compared to yogurt!). There is also a focus on understanding unit pricing, how to tell when fruits and veggies are ripe, and how to find foods that are both inexpensive and healthful in general. Surprises to me? Grated cheese is actually cheaper than a block of cheese. Go fig!

We participated in these activities, as well, and it was - as always - amazing for me to see the difference in price for purchasing whole foods (such as whole carrots v baby carrots, bagged rice v microwaveable, ground beef v premade patties, 32 oz of yogurt v kid flavored yogurt). When the Cooking Matters experts put together two identical carts - less the whole foods v convenience foods difference - the whole foods cart cost $24.26, while the convenience cart cost $43.54 for the same amount of food.

If you don't know how to cook or are comfortable putting together meals, think about what that means for your budget. Amazing. That's one of the reasons that I really love this program. This isn't a Band-Aid being placed on the problem of hunger. This is a longer term solution that also teaches a life skill - one that will hopefully also bring families closer together as they help each other cook and shop. And the goal of Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign? Ending childhood hunger by 2015. That's a huge goal.

As part of our education, we also toured the North Texas Food Pantry and learned so much about what they do. The NTFB supplies food for food pantries within its region that come on set schedules to pick up food for their pantries. That's in addition to the people they serve. Food banks used to just have salvaged food - dented cans, food near its expiration date, and the like. Now, the food bank receives about 30% of its budget from the federal government, as well as from food and monetary donations from individuals and organizations.

Interestingly, food banks can do way more with your money than with the cans and boxes you provide. Due to their huge bulk buying power, they can actually purchase food for three meals for a single dollar. It used to be four or more meals, but with the increasing complexity of their programs (and inflation in food costs), that has shrunk a little.

And the new programs? They are things like sending home backpacks for the weekends and during the summer for children shows effects of hunger in schools. Like those children in the wee ones' preschool, these kids eat little or nothing at home. Once identified, these students receive a bag filled with shelf stable, relatively nutritious food that will tide them over when they aren't receiving breakfast and lunch via the free and reduced lunch programs. Each of those bags costs $1.10.

Surprisingly, the food bank in Texas - and all food banks and pantries - rely on volunteers to accomplish their goals. The NTFB has 22,000 volunteers each year to sort food, get things packed, and the like. I can't even imagine, but it makes sense since now the food pantry is more than just basic canned food. They now provide produce, meats, refrigerated items, and more. It's a much more well-rounded foods that are provided, which is another great benefit provided by monetary donations.

Share Our Strength and Cooking Matters doesn't just teach adults. If kids never learn about food, it's hard to break the cycle of not cooking and not knowing about nutrition (or being comfortable eating different foods). We participated in a service project at a local after school program where we helped the kids cook vegetable and bean filled quesadillas!

Much like the adult class, the kids do all the work with the cooking, but they also have activities to do like games about nutrition (identifying various fruits and vegetables and categorizing them) having to do with the foods they just cooked and ate. This time, there was also a word find for all sorts of foods - one of the wee ones' favorite activities. The kids were amazing and so sweet. We had Angel helping us at the flipping station, and he was so proud of his prowess with making the quesadillas.

After our adventure learning about Cooking Matters and participating in the service project, we headed out to Stephen Pyles, a fantastic restaurant in Dallas. The chef/owner is a huge supporter of the program, and we were treated to an amazing meal beginning with the fact that a paneled window opened to show us the chef and kitchen. So cool.

The food was divine. I was almost full after my crab tart appetizer (which I didn't finish), but I managed to eat about half my poblano asiago soup but only a little of my halibut and "risotto" - the food was all so rich! For dessert, I had the most gorgeous take on coffee and donuts, but of course I could barely eat a bite. The food was excellent, and while there, we discovered that $1,000 had been donated to each of our local food banks by the ConAgra Foods Foundation and $10,000 to the North Texas Food Bank. Awesomeness all around!

(No the Caesar Salad wasn't mine, but the presentation was too gorgeous to not share!)

More to come on Thursday's lessons... I need to head to bed, and there's so much yet to share and process. But for you? Go - get involved. You can make a difference, and so many people need the little we can give!

At the very least, join almost 22,000 people and go sign the pledge to help end childhood hunger by 2015. Just provide your email and zip - no big signups or sharing of information. From there, you'll see all sorts of different actions you can take from getting involved in your community to advocating in government to taking action online and more.

In the interest of full disclosure, ConAgra Foods Foundation paid for my travel and accomodations for the bloggy boot camp. I also received compensation for attending the event, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Winners!

It is contest ending time around here again, which of course means that I have more to put up soon - and I will, although I am about to head out to Blissdom next week, so I'm trying to catch up on a ton of things at home so my family has everything they need while I'm gone for five days. Keep watching!

The Avatar Blu-Ray copies - I had two to give away - were won by Michelle (great name, no?) and Cherl F from The Lucky Ladybug. They both have 48 hours to get back to me with their contact information before I select a new winner.

And more locally, I had tickets to give for Disney on Ice's Toy Story 3 that starts this coming Wednesday January 26 at the Allstate Arena. I am so excited to see the show when it moves to the UC on Wednesday February 2. And I hope that Tiaras & Tantrums is looking forward to seeing it with her family four pack of tickets as much as I am! Congrats to her for winning the tickets.

If you didn't, you can still go see Disney on Ice in the next couple weeks - and for a discount, too! Simply go to Ticketmaster and enter MOM in the “MC Promotions Box” or mention the code when purchasing tickets at the Allstate Arena or United Center Box Offices or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Note that this is not valid on Front Row or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges and handling fees may apply. Discount not valid on Front Row or VIP seats.

That will get you a family four pack of tickets for $44* Monday-Thursday or to a Friday Matinee, excluding holidays, simply by using the coupon code MOM. If you're going Friday night or on the weekend, you can still save $4 using the same coupon code.

The show dates are:
Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL
January 26-30, 2011
Wed, Jan 26 7:00PM
Thu, Jan 27 7:00PM
Fri, Jan 28 10:30AM,7:00PM
Sat, Jan 29 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM
Sun, Jan 30 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM (Spanish language show)

United Center in Chicago, IL
February 2-13, 2010
Wed, Feb 2 7:00PM
Thu, Feb 3 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Fri, Feb 4 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Sat, Feb 5 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM
Sun, Feb 6 11:30AM, 3:00PM (Spanish language show)
Wed, Feb 9 7:00PM
Thu, Feb 10 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Fri, Feb 11 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Sat, Feb 12 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM
Sat, Feb 13 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM

As for the Monster Jam tickets - and oh is Mister Man excited about this one, although I have to admit to being a little nervous about the noise! He can't wait to see all the crashing and smashing and jumping and action of Monster Jam. Brandie from A Journey of 1000 Stitches Begins With Just One... will enjoy the show with her family, as well.

Again, all is not lost if you didn't win. The show will run Friday February 11 at 7:30, Saturday February 12 at 2 and 7:30, and Sunday February 13 at 2 and 7:30.

There are ticket discounts for this show, as well. Use the promo code MOM to save 33% on adult tickets Saturday and Sunday. Children's tickets (I love shows that charge less for children!) are $10 all weekend, and adult tickets are already $10 on Friday night. For the discounted tickets, use promotional code MOM when purchasing tickets at the Allstate Arena box office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Enter Code in the “MC Promotions Box” on Ticketmaster. Offer only valid on $20 mid-level seats. Not valid the day of the show. Service charges and handling fees may apply. No double discounts.

Congrats to all the winners!

Family Event: Chicago Wolves

A week ago Saturday, the wee ones went to their first hockey game ever. Now, I love my hockey. I adore hockey. I can even tell you what icing is, including when it's called and when it isn't. And why. At least until they change the rule on icing, which they're talking about doing (again).

So our first game came with the wee ones at ages 5 and 7. It wasn't an NHL game, however, as those are a little pricey to justify attending with the wee ones. It's a little hard to justify attending just with myself these days. Nope, we went to a Chicago Wolves game, an AHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers.

I've been to Wolves games before, and they never disappoint. They are super family friendly, and I've sat literally on the glass for $30 (ticket prices are a little higher now, but not the $425 the Blackhawks are asking - and no that is not an exaggeration). The play of hockey is just a touch below the NHL, and it's great.

I love that before games there is a party in the Skyline Room on Saturday nights where you can get your face painted, dance, play fun little games, try on equipment, and more. The wee ones adored it, too - although a couple of the songs were of a bit of a questionable nature for the family atmosphere. Fortunately the wee ones are young enough that it went over their heads. And yes, we did get their faces painted. They had a blast.

Granted, the "glasses" Little Miss won for tossing the Lego in the Bozo Bucket-like game creeped me out, but ... she enjoyed them.

The wee ones thought it was hilarious to pretend to be hockey players. They need to be a little older to really pull it off, but ... they had fun. And it's still cute, right?

The face painting - FREE, mind you - was incredible. Absolutely incredible. Little Miss had the mascot Skates painted, while Mister Man chose a flaming hockey puck. I was sad when we had to wash them off.

We headed over to the arena in time for the pregame fireworks. It's a fun little show, nothing huge, but it's a great introduction of players before the game. I was a little nervous that the noise would be too much for the wee ones, but they dealt with it. Little Miss didn't like all the noise, but she wasn't crying or begging to leave - which would have happened with at least Mister Man had we come a year or two earlier.

Mister Man got really into the hockey and loved cheering on the Wolves. He was interested in figuring out how the game worked, and after a few minutes I am proud to report that he was able to find and track the puck for the remainder of the game.

I like that hockey is a fairly fast paced game - they are generally over in about two and a half hours, so it isn't sitting still too long for the wee ones at this age. Mister Man was sorely disappointed when the Wolves lost (and badly), but he had a great time anyway.

To stretch our legs between the first and second period, I brought the wee ones into the entryway where the Wolves were sponsoring a Dog Adoption night. They do this frequently throughout the season where dogs from local shelters are brought in for hockey fans to visit with and potentially adopt. Most of the dogs brought to the game were adopted before it was over, and I have to admit that there were a few that tugged at my heartstrings.

The Wolves do a ton of things that are community minded like hosting the dog adoption events. There are players who go to libraries as part of the Read to Succeed program that provides incentives for children who reach reading goals. And yes, if you have a high school French class, teachers can arrange for a visit from a French speaking player - talk about an incentive to prepare for class! There is more from fundraising nights where jerseys are raffled or auctioned off to dinners with players and more. And yes, the wee ones schools every year get donated tickets from the Wolves to support their fundraisers.

In fact, this year, we will actually have a fundraiser for the school at a Wolves game. Discounted tickets, a hat, pennant, hot dog, and pop for $30 with $8 going to our school for each ticket sold. You can bet that we'll be there! (And hey, if you're interested in joining us, it's open to anyone, and I'm happy to sell you a ticket!)

Needless to say, this may have been the wee ones' first hockey game, but it certainly won't be their last at this family friendly venue. Even the mascot is extra fun - Mister Man was fascintated with his claws!

In the interest of full disclosure, the wee ones and I were provided with complimentary tickets, hats, and a cookie. I was not compensated, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Cinch!

It's the new year, and with that, focus for so many turns to dieting and losing weight. Cynthia Sass, who was a co-author of The Flat Belly Diet, has a brand new book called Cinch! that is less a diet and more a way of changing how you look at food.

There is a lot to like about the book. It focuses on whole foods, which I love. There is a great set of over 100 recipes in the book that you can mix and match to form your meals for the day. She also preaches eating three meals a day with a snack and ensuring that you eat every three to five hours.

A lot of it is common sense but laid out in a way that helps it really sink in. There are lots of facts and side notes with science behind what she's saying. As someone who tends to be a bit of a skeptic and who likes to know the "why" behind everything, this was perfect for me.

My favorite part is the focus on fruits and vegetables. As much as I actually like fruits and vegetables, I know I don't normally get my fair share on a daily basis. This eating plan has you eating fruit at breakfast, lunch and snack, and veggies at breakfast and dinner. That said, you end up with more than the recommended amount, which is awesome. Not only that, but by following the recipes, you've got the fruits and veggies laid out for you so you have no excuse to "forget" to eat them. That alone is worth the cost of the book to me.

In the beginning, the book offers a "Fast Forward" program for five days that promises to help you shed up to seven pounds (on my unedited proof copy - eight pounds on the final version). Once you finish the Fast Forward, you then move to the Cinch eating plan. For the Fast Forward stage, you simply follow the prescribed meals for a five day period - all a variation on spinach, eggs, yogurt, almonds, and raspberries. Hey, I'm game!

I tried the Fast Forward. In fact, I completed it. I lost a total of 3.1 pounds in four days (and given the rate, I probably lost a total of around 4 pounds). That's nowhere near what's promised on the book, but then again, I only need to lose 10-12 pounds, and I am now a good portion of the way there.

That doesn't mean I'm completely sold on the book and it's eating plan, however. I run three times a week between two and three miles a go. I also do strength training and other workouts during the week. In reading her book, the only allowance for increasing what you are eating is by answering yes to seven or more of twelve questions she poses. I answered yes to six that included: I am over 5'4", I am under 40 years old, I work out 5 or more times a week for 30 plus minutes a time, I strength train more than twice a week, I get 8 or more hours of sleep a night, etc. And I still don't qualify for a single extra anything as part of this plan.

By Day 5 of the Fast Forward plan, I was shot physically. My run that morning was near impossible. Wednesday's had been harder than Monday's but still doable. Friday's... I completed it but only barely. So of course I suspected the only thing that had changed - my diet. I used a food calculator to figure out what I was eating during that five day period. Per the calculator, it was 1063 calories per day. Total. Every nutrition book I've ever read or seen talks about staying at or above 1,200 calories to avoid putting your body into starvation mode and upping calories to account for strenuous physical exercise. My body simply had nothing left to give by Friday for my workout.

That said, I was happy - and surprised - to report that I wasn't hungry each day. When I've ahhh worked to reduce my weight in the past, it had taken me a few days for my body to get used to a lesser amount of food. The foods that Cynthia Sass has chosen for this plan, she chose well. If I weren't working out the way I am, I wouldn't have as much a problem with the calorie restrictions.

The other lack of accommodation for strenuous exercise was liquids. She preaches drinking 16 oz of water with each meal - for a total of 8 to 10 cups per day. You are not to exceed 10 8oz cups per day. Well, honestly that's less water than I drink already! (I do wonder if it's because very very little sodium in her recipes - necessary to keep people from diluting their bodies' sodium levels too far) If you exercise, you don't get more water. There's no expectation that you will replenish the fluids you lose through exercise.

Staying on the beverage path, I was also confused about how much to drink. You can drink 8-10 cups of water. You can also drink up to 5 cups of coffee and/or tea. But is that in addition to the water? If it is, why can't I just drink more water? If it isn't, why not? Ditto with a special Cinnamon Berry Tea, a recipe she provides. That - among other things in the book - brought more questions to my mind than it answered.

My only other issue with the book was her preaching about no fat dairy. I was very happy to see that she was firm about not substituting low fat other foods - keep the standard versions due to the unhealthy additions manufacturers put in to lose the fat - but I keep reading articles about how removing the fat from dairy also removes our ability to access the calcium contained in it and how removing fat changes the hormone balance in milk, neither of which are appealing options to me. While I absolutely agree with her concerns about the level of saturated fat in dairy and other meats (particularly red meat, which is not a part of her eating plan), I will respectfully continue eating my fat containing dairy and just being mindful of the amount of fat I'm consuming as a part of my daily allowance.

I do wish she had included one last chapter in the book - one that discusses how to transition from the lower calories in the eating plan for 30 days to how your "standard" meal would look like when you're ready to maintain your weight. Do you increase the whole grain (her allowance for those who answered yes to seven or more of the twelve questions I discussed above) by one per meal? Do you have 1.25 portions of protein or veggies or fruit? I would love for this to become a lifetime eating plan, but at some point weight loss is accomplished or no longer the goal and one needs to return to "normal" life, hopefully still following along with the tenets of this book. It would have been a perfect ending to share how to do this in detail rather than leaving it to the reader to experiment later.

That said, I do like a lot of the common sense notions in the book. I really appreciate the extra tidbits and whys and hows that she discusses in her asides, as it makes the topics much more accessible. I think her idea about thinking of your daily meals as fitting puzzle pieces together - with her providing the general shape of each piece with you to fit them together as works for you - is a brilliant way to make this less overwhelming to so many people.

I am not following the thirty day plan to the letter at this point. There are plenty of meals that look appealing to me, but I need to also ensure that I have sufficient fuel for my body to work out as I do, and while I haven't calculated the nutritional content of a sample post Fast Forward day, I am guessing it is still below what I would need as I look at what's included in them. Instead I will stick with the eating every 3-5 hours. I will drink as much water as I can (more than the 10 cups she allows), and I will attempt to eat at least one or two of the meals as part of this plan each day - especially the single square (about 54 calories for my chosen bar) of 72% dark chocolate that is encouraged - no, required! - each day.

There is a lot to like about this book, and it's a great manual - especially for people who don't tend to cook from scratch (and feel intimidated trying - these recipes are S.I.M.P.L.E.) or aren't the healthiest eaters right now. Is it perfect for me? No, but there are definitely bits and pieces of it that I'll incorporate into what I do - and hopefully it will make a difference in my body, as well.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of Cinch! by Cynthia Sass from One to One Network for review purposes only. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Monster Jam (Chicago)

Mister Man first learned about Monster Trucks last year. He has a stuffed "animal" of Gravedigger - one of the more popular trucks in the program. He sleeps with it nightly. He also has a keychain with a truck that "really moves, Mom. It really does!" that he loves racing across the floors and climbing over all number of objects.

Has he ever seen Monster Truck Jam? Does he really know what it is? No, but he will soon! Monster Truck Jam is coming to Chicago at Allstate Arena next month, and we will be there.

The show will run Friday February 11 at 7:30, Saturday February 12 at 2 and 7:30, and Sunday February 13 at 2 and 7:30. That's plenty of chances to get yourself acquainted with all the old and new stars of the show. It's a new season, and there are new trucks, new drivers, and new combinations to cheer for.

Even better, you can get discounted tickets. Use the promo code MOM to save 33% on adult tickets Saturday and Sunday. Children's tickets (I love shows that charge less for children!) are $10 all weekend, and adult tickets are already $10 on Friday night. For the discounted tickets, use promotional code MOM when purchasing tickets at the Allstate Arena box office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Enter Code in the “MC Promotions Box” on Ticketmaster. Offer only valid on $20 mid-level seats. Not valid the day of the show. Service charges and handling fees may apply. No double discounts.

I can't believe that these giant trucks can go up to 70mph. Fortunately, there are tons of safety policies in place for both the drivers and the audience. There is a 50+ point safety inspection before each show. And if somehow something ever were to happen, each truck is equipped with a Remote Ignition Interrupter (RII) that allows track officials to shut a truck off at any time. Plus, there is an onboard fire extinguisher system. Drivers all also wear a fire resistant suit, shoes, gloves, and racing helmet. Phew!

So you don't know what happens at a Monster Truck Jam? I didn't etiher. Fortunately, I'm learning quickly. There are two different competitions at the Monster Truck Jam - and they are totally different. Side-by-side racing is the traditional bracket racing, where the first truck, with the least amount of penalties, to cross the finish line is declared the winner. The one that surprised me was the Freestyle competition where drivers get a limited amount of time on the open floor to show off their skills. In this category, the fans serve as the judges. I can't wait for that part!

Are you excited to go yet? I know Mister Man is absolutely stoked! But you could win a family four pack of tickets to the opening night performance at the Allstate Arena at 7pm on Friday February 11. How?

First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Thursday January 20 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What was your first car - or truck, as the case may be!

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Get ready to lose your eardrums - in a good way! Family 4 pack to Monster Jam in Chicago from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/eIzl2t" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received tickets to attend Monster Jam with Mister Man for review purposes only, and there was no additional compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Toy Story 3 On Ice (Chicago)

Three (ha!) guesses what the most popular thing in our house is right now. Toy Story is ruling our lives. We have the Action Links Stunt Set (or at least part of it), and Little Miss has her Buzz Lightyear Build-A-Bear. We've seen the movie untold times. The only toy Little Miss wanted from Disney over Christmas was a Lotso bear who has replaced Snowy as her favorite stuffed animal. The little figures are the ones that come out to play even more than Legos now.

All of that is why I'm not telling the wee ones that Toy Story 3 is coming to Chicago via Disney on Ice. At least not yet. I don't think I could handle the level of pandemonium that would errupt. We've been to several Disney on Ice shows from Feld Entertainment, and we've loved every one of them. I know this one won't be any different. Really, they could just have Buzz and Woody skate out and around the ice once, and the wee ones would be thrilled.

Knowing Feld, the show will go far above and beyond that, however!

In fact, I think Feld described the show better than I ever could: The summer’s biggest hit movie, Toy Story 3, and memorable moments from Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are hitting the ice in this sensational live production coming to your hometown! Catch all the heroic action when Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the Toy Story gang escape from the rambunctious tots of Sunnyside Daycare and race for home, in their most daring adventure ever! A few new faces join the fun, including Barbie’s groovy bachelor Ken and Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear. It’s the biggest Toy Story experience on ice, jam-packed with fast-paced adventure such as Buzz’s galactic battle with Emperor Zurg and a hoe-down at Woody’s Roundup. Rediscover the humor, friendship and charm of Toy Story when Disney On Ice presents Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3 takes family fun to infinity and beyond!

And it's coming to Chicago. Soon, in fact! Once again, it will start at the Allstate Arena and then move to the United Center. The shows are:

Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL
January 26-30, 2011
Wed, Jan 26 7:00PM
Thu, Jan 27 7:00PM
Fri, Jan 28 10:30AM,7:00PM
Sat, Jan 29 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM
Sun, Jan 30 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM (Spanish language show)

United Center in Chicago, IL
February 2-13, 2010
Wed, Feb 2 7:00PM
Thu, Feb 3 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Fri, Feb 4 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Sat, Feb 5 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM
Sun, Feb 6 11:30AM, 3:00PM (Spanish language show)
Wed, Feb 9 7:00PM
Thu, Feb 10 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Fri, Feb 11 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Sat, Feb 12 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM
Sat, Feb 13 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM

And once again, you do not need to pay full price to go see the show. If you are looking to go Monday-Thursday or to a Friday Matinee, excluding holidays, you can get a family four pack of tickets for $44* by using the coupon code MOM. If you're going Friday night or on the weekend, you can still save $4 using the same coupon code.

How? Simply go to Ticketmaster and enter MOM in the “MC Promotions Box” or mention the code when purchasing tickets at the Allstate Arena or United Center Box Offices or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Note that this is not valid on Front Row or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges and handling fees may apply. Discount not valid on Front Row or VIP seats.

Are you excited to go yet? I know I can't wait to go! But you could win a family four pack of tickets to the opening night performance at the Allstate Arena at 7pm on Wednesday January 26. How?

First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Monday January 17 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me who your favorite Toy Story character is.

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Do you love Toy Story 3? Win a family 4 pack to Disney on Ice in Chicago from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/hh0uDt" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received tickets to attend Disney on Ice's Toy Story 3 performance for review purposes only, and there was no additional compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Avatar Blu-Ray

Last year at this time, all the talk in theaters was about Avatar - how cool it was, how unique and ground-breaking, how much it drew people in. And for me, the talk was about where it stopped. Shhhh but I never got around to seeing it. It wasn't that I didn't want to - it was on the top of my list of movies to see - but just that I never made it to the theater. With two small children and a husband who regularly has work events at night, movies in the theater unfortunately don't happen as often as I'd like.

On the plus side, movies come out on DVD and often have all sorts of bonuses that you don't get at the theater. Avatar is no exception, and I was lucky enough to receive a copy on the new Blu-Ray last week. In keeping with the cool vibe of the movie, the Blu-Ray has three discs (yep, THREE) full of stuff.

Not only do you get the original theater version, but there is also a re-release and a 3 hour extended cut with sixteen additional minutes that doesn't include a bonus feature with 45 minutes of deleted scenes. Watching the movie for the first time, I was blown away. It wasn't in 3-D like most of my friends saw it in the theater, but the movie doesn't need that special effect to make it a great movie.

One of my favorite parts was the soundtrack behind it. The music was so moving, and - lucky me - the Blu-Ray also includes the audio track with all the ahhh bad words taken out. I can even listen it with the wee ones (who also love the sound track btw).

As blown away as I was by the movie, I made sure to explore some of the features included for the Blu-Ray. One of the most enlightening was Capturing Avatar that went through the making of Avatar. I had no idea this was a sixteen year oddessey. Wow. It includes interviews with James Cameron, Jon Landau, and various other members of the crew and cast who discuss Cameron’s vision and inspiration behind the film.

With Pandora's Box, I learned even more about the movie's making. It went through three stages of production (and yes, I saw parts from all three in this feature) - Performance Capture, Template (where the film looks more like a video game than a movie!), and the end product. This feature also has interviews with Cameron and the other filmmakers and can be viewed as sort of a “master class” on the creation of “Avatar”.

I won't say too much about the movie itself because well... most of you have probably already seen it, right? And for those of who you haven't, I don't want to ruin it. I will say that it has an intriguing storyline that kept me interested enough that I sat through the three hour version of the movie without wondering once when it would be over or looking at my watch. That alone is a feat.

And lucky you (or two yous, as the case may be!), I have two copies of the Avatar Blu-Ray to give away to lucky readers. So what do you have to do to win one of these Blu-Ray copies? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Tuesday January 18 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me - did you see Avatar in theaters? What did you like best, or why didn't you?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Avatar is now out on DVD with lots of extras. Win one from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/guDudd" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of Avatar from Fox for review purposes only and no compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Winners!

Ok, so I'm a little behind in getting winners out - my apologies. The holidays came and ate up all my time. Fortunately, I'm back on track now and will be posting additional reviews and giveaways starting tomorrow! Come back and check often.

The Baby Einstein Discovery Kit went to One Petal At A Time.

The Jewel cookware had two winners. Shanna from Mommy of One won her first choice, and Bani from Bani's Puzzle Pieces won the other piece.

Lucky girl Bani from Bani's Puzzle Pieces won a copy of The Dolphin DVD, as well. The other copy of The Dolphin goes to Sherrie from Granny Loves Gift Baskets Reviews & Giveaways.

All winners have 48 hours to get back to me with their contact information before I draw a new winner. Congrats to all the winners - and keep an eye out for new giveaways soon!