Do you have a fabulous recipe using Bumble Bee Tuna? Send it to me for the chance to win a $250 cash grand prize. 3 finalists will receive $25 Bumblebee gift cards, too. All finalists will tell me about their recipe and then sing the Yum Yum Buble Bee Tuna jingle on air. Better start practicing in case I call you! I’ll announce the winner on Amy’s Table on Q102 Sunday March 7th at 9:50 am.

BUMBLE BEE JINGLE

Yum Yum Bumble Bee

Bumble Bee Tuna

I love Bumble Bee

Bumble Bee Tuna.

Yum Yum Bumble Bee

Bumble Bee Tuna

I love a meal that’s made with Bumble Bee.

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Looking for ways to be healthier without crash diets and unrealistic resolutions? Well-known nutritionist and author of the new book, The O2 Diet, Keri Glassman has easy and helpful tips on how to load up on foods with antioxidants that fortify your health and satisfy your hunger. Keri is a nutrition contributor to the CBS Early Show, an expert on WebMD, and writer for Women’s Health. To learn more about Keri, visit her site

Keri suggests these easy tips to add antioxidants to your diet every day:

· Spice up veggies with basil, oregano, garlic and mustard to add kick and health benefits

· Add lemon slices to water for added antioxidants

· Choose one new daily nutrition goal, such as swapping soda for water, or chips for nuts

·Top morning oatmeal with pistachios for more vitamin B-6

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Even when families aren’t feeling the pinch, saving money is a good idea. Deborah Way , Senior Editor of Disney FamilyFun joined me  to share her readers best tips and strategies for getting the most fun at the lowest cost:

·        See how it’s made: Take behind-the-scenes tours of local businesses. They are almost always free, and they’re educational (don’t tell the kids!) Possible businesses to tour: candy factory, working farm, grocery store, fire station, recycling plant.

·        Become park explorers: Explore public parks.  Each park will have a different mix of playground equipment to try out – discover parks you haven’t been to before in your town or city.

·        Take a frugal challenge: See what you can do with a set amount – “Let’s see what we can do with a ten-dollar bill.”  One good idea that comes under budget: visit a farm where you can feed the animals, enjoy snacks, and maybe even have change left over!

·        Make staying in special: Have a mock take-out dinner and movie night.  Preparing a fast-food type of dish at home keeps it healthier, and you can cut costs by buying DVDs rather than buying movie tickets for the whole family.

·        Track hidden treasure with geocachers: They use GPS devices to find hidden boxes containing logbooks and, occasionally, small treasures.  You’ll find places right near home you didn’t even know existed. For more information, click here [Read more →]

February is Heart Health Month and I care about yours so I want to encourage you to eat the superfoods that help protect your heart. Studiies have shown that superfoods for your heart contain fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, magnesium, vitamin C and plenty of antioxidants. How do these nutrients work? High fiber foods help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Folate decreases an amino acid which can lead to artery damage. Potassium helps maintain normal blood pressure levels and antioxidants can help prevent “bad” cholesterol. Put all these nutrients into one food and you can see it deserves the title super food. And when those food taste great, too, well now we’re talking! Eating foods that contain several of these nutrients is a great thing to do for your heart- and your palate.

A handful of fresh raspberries and some sliced almonds sprinkled over a bowl of crisp Dole Hearts of Romaine tastes great and feels great, too, because you know you’re protecting your heart. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for not just for heart health month but year round. You can find lots more information on superfoods and plenty of salad inspiration at Dole.com

I love to cook stir fries. They taste great, they’re quick and easy and stir frying is a technique that lends itself to versatility. You can add whatever vegetables look best at the market or experiment with exotic seasonings.

One of my favorites is a quick Ginger Thai Stir Fry. I start with a cut of beef that’s versatile, juicy and delicious, like a Certified Angus Beef Brand sirloin steak. Sirloin is a family-sized steak that offers lean, flavorful, moderately tender beef at an affordable every day price. It’s a great value with no bones and little fat. Slice the beef into very thin strips so that it will cook quickly. If you stir fry a lot, make sure to slice extra and freeze it into meal sized packages. Before you start cooking, don’t forget to season the beef with salt and pepper.

For the best stir frys heat your pan over medium high heat and once it’s hot, add a thin layer of oil to the pan. It should be so hot it’s nearly smoking before you add the seasoned beef. Flavor it with fresh ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon grass, Finish it with a squeeze of lime. Your Ginger Thai Stir Fry will be ready to serve in only a couple of minutes.

You can find more great stir fry recipes and tips for selecting cuts of beef at CertifiedAngusBeef.com

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You may know Annie Korzen as the actress who played Doris Klompus on Seinfeld or as John Turturro’s mother in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen . But what you might not know is that she’s a lifelong frugalista with a passion for living large whiles spending little. In fact, Annie has managed to dress well, vacation in Italy, collect art, and eat out as often as possible without breaking the ban. She joined me today to share tips from her book BARGAIN JUNKIE: Living the Good Life on the Cheap.

For Annie’s tips and videos, visit her blog,  www.TheBargainJunkie.com

You say potato I say potah-to and there are a lot of potatoes out there. What’s the right potato for the job?

Russet or Idaho potatoes are the ones with rough brown skin and lots of eyes. They’re a low moisture high starch potato and that makes them great for baking and frying. You’ll also see round white or round red potatoes. Aside from the color of their skin, they’re nearly identical. They have waxy flesh and a lower starch content so they’re great for boiling or in dishes where you want the potato to hold its shape, like potato salad or scalloped potatoes. And then there’s Yukon Gold which has a moist texture and makes a great mashed potato. New potatoes are just that – new. I love to cook them whole, either boiled or pan-roasted.
Whichever one you choose, select potatoes that are firm and unblemished. Steer clear of potatoes that are shriveled, with sprouts or cracks. Sometimes you’ll see a green tinge just under the skin of the potato- it’s bitter and you should peel that away with a vegetable peeler. Potatoes should be stored in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks. I’ve got some great potato recipes to share, like Baked Potato Wedges, Quick and Easy Hash Browns, Twice Baked Potato Casserole and Corn and Potato Soup. You can find these recipes and more at Crisco.com

Baked Potato Wedges

Quick and Easy Hash Browns

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Corn and Potato Soup

Listen to the interview.

Attorney, mediator and television personality Laurie Puhn regularly shares relationship insights and advice on dating, marriage, family and divorce issues, along with reports on the lastest relationship research. She’s also the author of the best-selling book “Instant Persuasion: How to Change Your Words to Change Your Life” and I found out about her through her article in Real Simple magazine. Here’s Laurie’s list of 10 go-to phrases to defuse potentially volatile conversations and help you get through the coming years — in harmony.

10 things to say to keep the peace:
1. “Thank you for your opinion. I’ll think about it.” When you receive unsolicited advice at a family gathering, such as Aunt Sylvia’s suggestion that you change your hairstyle, just smile and respond with this casual conversation terminator. Real Simple: Table manners refresher course. If you’re rudely asked a question like “Are you still single?” don’t reply with a lengthy excuse. Say, “Yes, and I’ll let you know if anything changes.” The goal is to be polite and end the conversation. There is no need to be defensive or rude.

2. “Is this a good time for you?” Whenever I want my husband’s full attention for a conversation and I don’t want to compete with [Read more →]

Jean Strasser wants our EQ students to “learn and understand that cooking does not have to be a chore; it’s such an easy way to enhance your quality of life and commune with friends and family.” In our Smart Food series, Jean showed that great food can make great sense (or should we say “cents”) even on a budget! Each meal serves 4 and rings in under $10!

Thai Beef with Chiles
Wine Pairing: Martin Codax Tempranillo Ergo Rioja Spain $9.99 Aisle 9B
Serves 4
Prep: 30 minutes

8 ounces beef sirloin
4 cups torn romaine or any salad greens
1 cup torn fresh mint leaves or thai basil
¼ cup minced red onion
1 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and diced
1 or 2 thai chiles, very thinly sliced
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
Heat the grill or broiler. Season the sirloin well with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the beef until medium rare, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Let cool on a plate.

In a large bowl toss the salad greens with the mint, onion, cucumbers and chiles. In a small bowl, combine the juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water. Toss the greens with the dressing. Remove greens to a platter, reserving dressing remaining at the bottom of the bowl.

Slice the beef thinly, reserving its juice. Combine juice with the leftover dressing. Lay slices of beef over salad, drizzle dressing all over, and serve.

Coconut Rice
Serves 4
Prep: 25 minutes

1 14 ounce can coconut milk
1 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 ½ cups short or long grain rice
pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, water and ginger with the rice and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t stick.

Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring, until the rice is tender and creamy, about 15 minutes. If the liquid evaporates before the rice is done, add water a ½ cup at a time.

Roasted Sesame Broccoli
Serves 4
Prep: 20 minutes

1 large head of broccoli, about 1 pound, trimmed into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

Preheat the oven to 450. On a large cookie sheet, toss the broccoli with the sesame oil, soy sauce and pepper. Roast until broccoli is slightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Top with sesame seeds and serve.

I decided that I will no longer be participating in this Winter thing. I’ve moved on to Spring. To help with the Spring vibe, I snuck into Lowers and grabbed a handful of small potted plants and tucked them into a basket. It looks fresh and lush -and feels like Spring! Winter? What Winter?