This Mama Cooks! Reviews

Keeping trim with Skinny Cow ice cream treats

Oprah’s trainer and fitness guru, Bob Greene has a website called TheBestLife.com. On it he has a list of of Best Life approved foods. You’ve probably seen the Best Life logo on some of your favorite food products, like Flatout Flatbreads or Barilla pasta sauces.

One of my favorite on his list is Skinny Cow ice cream treats. Skinny Cow basically has three types of products:

• ice cream sandwiches, my kids’ usual favorite, which come in sugar free and low fat
• bars, which I love, and
• cones

With the two product coupons that Skinny Cow sent me, the kids and I tried the Chocolate Truffle Bars and the Fudge Bars.

I think the kids really, really loved them, because they disappeared in about a day. I did get the last Chocolate Truffle Bar, which I ate for breakfast knowing it would be gone by lunch time.

Not only did it taste like a decadent treat, but it was guilt free since the bar only had 2 Weight Watchers POINTS. (Click here for a PDF listing Skinny Cow product POINTS values.)

If you’re not sure if your local grocery store carries Skinny Cow or the flavors you crave, check out their Flavor Finder.

And sign up for their enewsletter to get coupons, healthy eating advice, and even scrapbooking tips.

It's summer! Get out of the kitchen with MakingLifeBetter.com

Who wants to be in the kitchen this summer when there are fun things to do like go to the pool or beach? Heck, even moms who work outside the home want to make dinner quick, then go for a bike ride or a walk with the family before it gets dark. With MakingLifeBetter.com, you can plan do just that – make fast, delicious recipes that free up time for summer fun.

The MakingLifeBetter.com food section features budget recipes that are broken down into cost per recipe and cost per serving based on average retail prices at national supermarkets. There are also roundup recipes like Slow-Cooker Recipes or Simple Summer Fare, Summer Savings, and Fun on the Fourth. There’s even a Father's Day Cookout recipe plan. The secret to MakingLifeBetter.com recipes is using convenience foods, like Ragu Pasta Sauce or Lipton Tea to cut corners on time but not on taste.

By becoming a member of MakingLifeBetter.com, you can save recipes to your favorites to view or print out later. Sign up for their e-newsletter to get news about money-saving coupons, promotions and sweepstakes, along with recipes, quick tips and articles on everything from health and beauty to fitness and parenting.

Also check out the Making Life Better YouTube channel for videos and tips from Jennifer Bushman, The Cooking Coach.

Working out at 24 Hour Fitness: personal training and yoga class

Along with my 30 day unlimited use pass to the Broomfield, Colorado 24 Hour Fitness club, I received three 50 minute sessions with a personal trainer. I also had unlimited access to their Group X classes and a chance to use their Kids’ Club. Here’s my review.

Personal training sessions

When I had called in to make my first appointment with a personal trainer, the club manager, Dave, scheduled me with Britini for the following Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Upon meeting her, I immediately liked Britini since she was friendly but professional. She lead me over to the trainers’ office area and had me fill out a physical activity and medical questionnaire.  Then we discussed my current physical activity, my diet and my goals. I explained that I was trying out 24 Hour Fitness with a complimentary 30-day pass* for a blog review and that I was interested in learning some workout routines that I could do at home, on the road or at another fitness club.

She was glad to hear that I was on Weight Watchers, but recommended that I have an animal based protein (lean meat, eggs or yogurt) at every meal since I was trying to build muscle. She felt that nut or soy based proteins wouldn’t do the trick. Interesting.

Then we went over to a small room so Britini could take my weight, skin fold measurements, and body measurements. She estimated my body fat (in the unhealthy range still, crap!) and gave me a 6 week goal and a 16 week goal:

	Start	6 weeks goal	16 weeks (lifetime goal)
Body Fat	35.5% “unhealthy”	31% “acceptable”	23% ”fit”
Weight	153.7	148	135
Fat/Muscle Weight	55/99	46/102	31/104

Working out at 24 Hour Fitness: online sign up and club facilities review

In the week since my last post, Getting motivated to exercise with 24 Hour Fitness, I’ve met with my personal trainer twice, exercised at the club by myself once and took one yoga class. That’s a lot to review in one post, so I’m going to break it into two. The first will be my review of 24 Hour Fitness online sign up process and the club facilities. Next week, I’ll post a review of my personal training sessions and the classes.

Online sign up

I joined 24 Hour Fitness online, which was fairly easy since I was told which package to get. (I was given a free 30-day unlimited pass and three 50-minute sessions with a personal trainer as part of the review process.)

There are  many packages and pay plans to choose from depending on your needs. If you travel or have a long work commute, you’ll want the option of an “all-club access” plan. If you want to only work out at your local gym, you can go with a “one club access” plan. (The all-club membership isn’t much more than a one club plan. It’s worth it for the flexibility to exercise by your work place, home or to even have access to different class schedules.) There is also a corporate rate.

You can prepay in advance or pay on a monthly basis. Pricing also depends on where you live and what club you use. There’s even a 30 or 90 day option, which you’d want to consider if you’ll be spending time in another part of the country for work, school, or vacations.

Also, you can add personal training sessions on to your membership. A starter pack of three 50-minute sessions was $129 in my area. Consider it a great way to start your membership if you’re not an expert in using the machines and the facility. It’s also a great way to change up your routine or to get some advice.

After signing up, you should receive a call from the club manager within two to three business days. I didn’t get one, so I called and spoke to Dave. He scheduled my first appointment with a personal trainer and asked a few questions like if I wanted a female or male trainer. Dave also called me “darling” several times. It was a bit odd, but since he had an accent (British, I think) he could get away with such familiarity.

This Mama Cooks! with the Frigidaire Appliance Test Drive

My home is falling apart. The house is now 10 years old and we’ve lived here for almost nine years. Having two kids who put holes in walls, and a husband who wears his motorcycle boots in the house means it’s time to give the old girl a facelift, so this spring starts off the Year of Remodeling. We’re going to:

• redo the master bathroom (tile the floor and install a bigger shower)
• paint and carpet the entire interior, except for the kids’ rooms
• put in new baseboard and trim
• tile the other bathrooms and the back hall
• have the wood floors in the kitchen refinished

That’s all our budget covers for now, which is too bad because we could use new kitchen appliances, too. We have the cheapo range and the crummy dishwasher the builders put in. Our refrigerator is fine, but it’s getting a bit worn out, too.

Well, Mom Central and Electrolux must have read my mind, because they’re giving me a chance to be part of the Frigidaire Appliance Test Drive. I’m one of the lucky moms who is getting Frigidaire kitchen appliances – a Frigidaire Gallery Over-the-Range Microwave and a Frigidaire Gallery Freestanding Range. Other moms are getting dishwashers, refrigerators, or washer/dryers. It’s all to test Frigidaire’s brilliant new collection of more than 250 kitchen and laundry appliances, released just in time for Mother’s Day! They designed these high-performance products with easy-to-use, time-saving features to give moms more free time away from the kitchen and laundry room.