VnC Cocktails was founded in 2007 and is the brain child of entrepreneur Shane McKillen. After finding himself stuck in the kitchen mixing cocktails at parties, McKillen created VnC Cocktails. Every bottle of VnC Cocktails is made with 100% natural fruit juice and no artificial preservatives, additives or colors. So you can feel good about serving them to your guests. All cocktail flavors include 14% New Zealand vodka or premium tequila. With a range of delicious flavors and weighing in at only 150 calories or less per serving, it’s as easy on the waistline as it is the taste buds. VnC Cocktails’ are conveniently packaged, lightweight, affordable and ready-to-pour. There’s no waste, no excess, no mistakes and no drama.

Fun flavors like the Vodka Mojito, Strawberry Daiquiri  and Pacific Mai Tai mean everyone is covered with their favorite cocktail without forcing a power surge from multiple blenders.
The 200ml servings come with their own cup, so, they are perfect for popping in your picnic basket or taking along to watch the fireworks. .

For an extra fun, adult-friendly treat, freeze your flavor choice in a popsicle mold.  Frozen cubes of VnC Cocktails are also a great way to keep your drink cold without watering it down.

Dr. Oz attempted to answer the question on a recent show dedicated to beach body foods. His advice was amazingly simple: eat right and exercise. But, haven’t we been doing that all year long (for the most part)? What about this plan is different? Dr. Oz suggests spicing things up. Literally. His first swimsuit down secret is to mix up a pre-meal cocktail made of tart grapefruit juice and apple cider vinegar. One cup of juice spiked with 2 tablespoons of vinegar, he says, will help you burn fat faster, especially during exercise.

His next tip is a no brainer: eat a salad! But not just any salad. This salad, made with dandelion greens, watermelon and fresh parsley, is practically no-calorie and will help to reduce body bloat. Plus, dandelion greens stimulate your body’s bile flow, which is vital for breaking down fats. As for dressing, top your lunch with olive oil and lemon juice instead of traditional low fat dressings. Lemon helps to detoxify your body while EVOO provides you with heart healthy fats that will also help you feel satisfied.

For a sweet treat, try his recipe for the Anti-Bloat Chocolate Berry Smoothie. Berries are full of fiber to stimulate digestion and the caffeine in the chocolate helps to stimulate your metabolism. Drink this instead of your usual 3PM coffee for a pick me up that’s healthy and delicious!

These diet tips, combined with an early morning workout of lunges and planks, will help you shed excess water weight and bloat in time for the first pool party of the season.

What’s Dr. Oz’s best piece of advice? The most important tip to look good in a bathing suit is to feel good!

Dr Oz’s Anti-Bloat Chocolate Berry Smoothie

• 1 C strawberries
• 1 C raspberries
• 2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 1 C almond milk
• 1 C of ice

Mix all ingredients in a blender until you reach the desired thickness. Drink and enjoy!

Stila My Mother, My Hero Beauty Set: Give Mom some glam with these four beautiful basics, all encased in a pretty gold linen clutch that she can use for a night out with Pops. The set includes Stila’s Baked Eye Shadow Trio, Bronze Illuminating Finishing Powder, Lip Color in Plum, and Lash Visor Waterproof Mascara. $39.95

Victoria’s Secret “Hello, Bombshell” Makeup Kit: Victoria’s Secret for your mom? Believe it. This makeup set comes with 55 must-haves for eyes, lips and face–all in one. $32.00

The Gay Gourmet!™ is celebrating his second annual National Cookie Week (NCW), Monday, April 30th to Sunday, May 6^th. He’s partnered with the likes of New York City’s finest bakers and bakeries, including: Amy’s Bread, Milk & Cookies, Billy’s Bakery, Make My Cake, Protein Bakery and The Fresh Fanatic Bakery; as well as Magnolia Manor Sweets in Sharpsburg, GA; Angel Food Bakery in Chicago and many more for what is going to be a week long Cookie Hoedown! From special cookie features, to new cookie recipes, to a cookies and cocktails event and maybe even a Cookies Night Out in NYC, this week is quickly snowballing into a celebration of all things cookie, which is not to be missed.

Following NCW tradition The Gay Gourmet!™ will also be baking a cookie a day and with last years hit creation of a bacon chocochip cookie, you won’t believe what he has in store this time around! So warn the cows, cancel your dentist appointments, don’t tell your trainer, bust out your elastic waisted pants and join him for The Second Annual National Cookie Week! (The week where broccoli doesn’t stand a chance!)

About The Gay Gourmet!™:

Born and raised in Brooklyn, musician, actor, and culinary enthusiast Michael Munoz‘s career has taken him from Westminster Choir College to Off-Broadway in Naked Boys Singing.  While he continues to perform, his recent passion and artistic adventure is in the culinary realm as The Gay Gourmet!™.  The Gay Gourmet!™ is the result of Michael’s dream to combine his passion for food with camp humor, resulting in a hilarious, informative blog www.hesthegaygourmet.com. Or as he would say, ”Fearless cookin’ with a side of saucy pizazz!”

Get your kids into the kitchen to make this Baked Chicken recipe.

Baked Chicken with New Potatoes, Carrots, and Caramelized Shallots Recipe

Serves four to six

Ingredients

• 8 pieces chicken (4 thighs and 4 drumsticks)
• 4 new potatoes, halved
• 4 young carrots
• 4 medium-large shallots, halved
• 2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Put chicken, potatoes, carrots, and shallots in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and soy sauce (if using); season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss everything in the baking dish and place in the oven.
4. After 20 minutes, turn the chicken pieces and scrape off the shallots clinging to the pan. Spoon juices and shallots over the chicken. Return dish to oven.
5. After another 20 minutes, check if chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Find more dinnertime inspiration check out kidswholovetocook.com.

Either way, introduce them to “Kids Who Love to Cook”– a webseries filled with cooking videos for kids. The website and cooking series takes you into the kitchen with seven real-life kids to show their love of food and to teach other kids the joys of cooking. The website features cooking videos, recipes, food adventures and contests for both the beginner cook and future chefs alike.

“Kids Who Love to Cook” embraces personal preferences and encourages kids aged 8 to 16 to prepare food from their family history, as well as new ideas and trends like gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. It  also teaches them important life lessons: planning, budgeting, measuring, cooking, and being creative and able to adapt when presented with challenges.

All dishes seen on “Kids Who Love to Cook” are easily prepared and enjoyed at home. The show does not use swap-outs – the dishes that are shown in the end are the actual dishes made by the kids.

Get your kids into the kitchen to make the Baked Chicken recipe that 13 year-old Abby made and your kids might become “Kids Who Love to Cook”. Check out www.KidsWhoLoveToCook.com.

More SingleMindedWomen.com Ideas for Kids

Teaching Your Child Organizational Skills

Preparing Your Child for Summer Camp

Free Summertime Staycation Ideas for Single Moms

Food Network Magazine‘s last book, Great Easy Meals, was a New York Times bestseller. And from what we have seen, this one will be, too.  The book is contains short and simple recipes for appetizers, snacks, breakfasts, main dishes, salads, sides, drinks and desserts.  Each recipe is written in once short paragraph — talk about easy. And the book is filled with photos so beautiful, you might even consider eating some of those!

And here is your chance to a free cookbook!

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Tell us your biggest cooking challenge in the comments section below. 

FIVE SingleMindedWomen.com readers will win FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE’s 1,000 EASY RECIPES: Super Fun Food for Every Day!

And if you can’t wait, you can buy FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE’s 1,000 EASY RECIPES: Super Fun Food for Every Day today!

Want to be a SMW Book Reviewer? Click here.

We all know that the food you choose is an important part of maintaining your pet’s optimal health. Science Diet has come out with Ideal Balance, a new food for cats formulated with the precise amount of natural ingredients in the exact proportions cats need. We’re impressed with their “meat-first, corn free” policy.  It’s even guaranteed to make a visible, healthy difference in just 30 days.

And here is your chance to try Hill’s^® Science Diet^® Ideal Balance™ for felines for free!

FREE GIVEAWAY!

Tell us why you love your cat in the comments section below.  Three SingleMindedWomen.com readers will win a free bag of cat food!

SingleMindedWomen.com Resources:

• Cat Nutrition Center
• Hill’s^® Science Diet^® Ideal Balance^™ cat food

Ideal Balance™ cat food

• Meat-first formula – chicken is the first ingredient
• Contains fruits and vegetables, including cranberries
• No corn or artificial colors
• Noticeable improvement in skin and coat in 30 days
• Not too much, not too little – just the right balance of nutrients for the best nutrition for your cat
• Formulated for easy digestion
• Available in kitten, adult, mature adult and grain-free varieties

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Skinnygirl has launched the White Peach Margarita.  Bethenny Ever After fans watched as the star taste tested her way through batches of new flavors for her signature company on a recent episode. White Peach Margarita was the winning flavor.  It’s very fruit forward and offers a light and refreshing taste with flavors of sweet and juicy peach complimented with notes of silver tequila, tropical tones and lime with a lingering finish of peach and lime.  At only 100 calories per 4 oz. serving, it’s a yummy way to spend your favorite Mexican holiday!

Skinnygirl Cocktail Recipes

Skinnygirl Sangria Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

• 8 peaches, sliced into wedges
• 4 white plums, sliced into wedges
• 1 pound of green grapes split in half
• 3 bottles of Prosecco
• 1 can of diet lemon lime soda
• 1 can of club soda

Combine all ingredients into a large pitcher and add ice. Chill for an hour to set or serve immediately.
*FOR RED sub the Prosecco for light to medium bodied red wine and apples, red grapes for all other fruit.

Skinnygirl Mojito Recipe

Mojitos made with mixes have a lot of sugar. Request the Skinnygirl version, or make your own at home. I created this for Daisy Fuentes in my column for Health Magazine. It won’t weigh you down or make you feel like you just drank your dessert.

Serves 1

• 1/2 Fresh line, cut into 6 wedges
• 2 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup of ice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of honey, gently warmed (microwave for 5 seconds)
• 2 ounces of clear rum
• 4 ounces of club soda
• Fresh mint sprig and lime wedge for garnish

In a martini shaker, muddle the lime and mint with a pestle or a long spoon until well bruised and fragrant. Add 1 cup of ice and the lime juice.
Combine the honey, rum and club soda in a glass or small bowl. Stir gently to dissolve the honey. Add this combination to the muddle mixture. Stir until the mixture is well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with the mint sprig and lime wedge.

Skinnygirl Cosmo Recipe

Cosmos are such a popular drink, but I think they are too sweet. This version tastes delicious and has just a fraction of the sugar and the calories. Indulge and still fit into your jeans the next day.

Serves 1

• 2 ounces of vodka
• 2 ounces club soda
• splash of cranberry juice
• Juice from 2 lime wedges plus 1 lime wedge to garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the garnish in a shaker full of ice. Stir and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Skinnygirl American “Virgin” Recipe

I created this drink for a Richard Branson Virgin America flight launch. You can make it a true virgin drink as is (no alcohol), or you can make it with peach vodka in place of the peach juice, for a less than virginal version.

Serves 1

• 2 ounces of peach juice
• 2 ounces of club soda
• splash of orange juice
• splash of lemonade
• lemon wedge for garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the garnish in a shaker full of ice and stir to blend. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with lemon wedge.

SingleMindedWomen.com Resources

• Skinnygirl Cocktails

More Cinco de Mayo Recipes from SingleMindedWomen.com

Cinco de Mayo Drinks

Cocktails to Shake Up Your Cinco de May Fiesta

Guy Fieri’s Mojito Chicken

According to Dr. Perricone, inflammation is responsible for everything. Aging, obesity, poor health. It is all due to inflammation. So, lose the inflammation, and lose the weight. His anti-inflammatory diet consists of antioxidants, omega-3 fats and protein that he claims will prevent or reverse inflammation. Perricone recommends eating wild Alaskan salmon at least five time a week and if you can stand it, twice a day. Organic egg whites and low fat dairy are also on the plan, as are nuts, green vegetables, some fruits and soy products. If you are straying from those foods, then choose those that score under 50 on the glycemic index. Diet no-no’s include anything from flour or sugar, starchy veggies liek potatoes and fruits high on the glycemic index.

So what’s in it for the good doctor? Supplements. He has created a line of supplements that are designed to be taken in conjunction with the diet for optimum results.

The Metabolic Diet Plan

Breakfast on The Metabolic Diet

Puree 1/3 cup of blueberries, raspberries or mixed berries of your choice in a blender or mix 1 teaspoon of non-Dutched processed cocoa with stevia and a little hot water. Blend thoroughly until smooth.
Add 1 teaspoon of organic virgin coconut oil to either the berries or the cocoa and blend until smooth.
Add 6-8 ounces of liquid egg white and stir. Do not blend, as this will make the drink too foamy.
Take one packet of the Metabolic Formula dietary supplement

Lunch on The Metabolic Diet

Puree 1/3 cup of blueberries, raspberries or mixed berries of your choice in a blender or mix 1 teaspoon of non-Dutched processed cocoa with stevia and a little hot water. Blend thoroughly until smooth.
Add 1 teaspoon of organic virgin coconut oil to either the berries or the cocoa and blend until smooth.
Add 6-8 ounces of liquid egg white and stir. Do not blend, as this will make the drink too foamy.
Take one packet of the Metabolic Formula dietary supplement.

Dinner on The Metabolic Diet

Prepare and eat the following:
Six ounces of grilled salmon
Two (2) ounces of cooked lentils
Watercress salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar
One (1) cup of steamed broccoli
Take one packet of the Metabolic Formula dietary supplement.

*Drink eight 8-ounces of fresh spring water throughout the day.

Snack

Allow yourself 3-4 ounce serving of the meal drink as a snack if you become hungry or feel low on energy.

Shopping List for the Metabolic Diet

Pure, organic, liquid, pasteurized and safety tested egg whites (Dr. Perricone recommends Eggology)
Blueberries, raspberries or mixed berries – fresh or frozen OR non-Dutched processed cocoa & stevia
Organic virgin coconut oil
Salmon
Watercress
Fresh Broccoli
Lemons or vinegar
Olive oil
Fresh spring water

SingleMindedWomen.com Resources

• Real Housewives of New Jersey
• Dr. Perricone’s Metabolic Miracle Diet
• Metabolic Formula dietary supplement program
• Read more at LiveStrong.com

More SingleMindedWomen.com Diet Articles

The HCG Diet Fad: Why It’s NOT For You!

The Yoga Diet

The 5 Most Common Diet Mistakes