The Canning Diva has a slogan, “Food is Art. Canning is my way of Preserving Art.” And boy, does she ever! Diane Devereaux the Canning Diva, may use a mason jar, but her idea of canning goes way beyond your grandmama’s jams and jellies.

Diane is a Michigan native who developed a love for gardening and canning in her early teens. The Canning Diva website is stylish and vibrant, providing all the information on food preservation you could ever want, plus, recipes, ideas for meal stretching and, if you live in the Michigan area, you can see Diane in person where she frequently hosts classes and provides live demonstrations. We asked her to tell us about her blog and she eagerly obliged.

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The new Mad Men premieres this Sunday. Do you have your party planned yet?

If not, don’t fret. We’ve got you covered with a spread of six healthy recipes that will dazzle your guests from start to finish and send them straight back to the era when cigarettes, cocktails and male chauvinism reigned supreme.

For starters, make your party 60s-themed, wardrobe and all. Think high-waisted skirts, fancy blouses, over-the-top updos, and classic jewelry for the ladies. And all-out ritz for the guys: suits, collared shirts, shiny shoes – the works. If your guests dress theme-appropriate, it will help set the mood all the more. Some props might also be fun. Think clutch purses and long gloves for ladies, hats for the guys, and fake cigarettes to smoke, since we obviously don’t condone actual smoking.

And now for the menu. This spread takes classics and gives them a healthy twist, starting with appetizers and a cocktail. How very Mad Men appropriate.
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Reports from a study conducted at the University of Granada in Spain revealed two important correlations pertaining to childhood obesity: Children who eat meals at home prepared by their mother have a better nutritional outlook. And children with sedentary lifestyles are much likelier to have an unhealthy BMI.

Using standard measurement methods, researchers assessed the BMI of 718 children between the ages of 9 and 17 from various schools in Granada, and also determined the consumption frequency of specific foods and daily exercise habits. Their research showed that there is a noticeable relationship between sedentary leisure habits and high BMIs. And that it is “extremely important” for healthy habits to be promoted and encouraged within the family.

This only further confirms what experts have taught us all along: Daily exercise is crucial to overall health. Meals prepared at home are are likelier to be made with healthier, fresher ingredients and served in the proper portions. And it’s crucial that healthy habits be modeled in the home.

So how do we apply this research if we struggle in this area? Consider the following problem areas and tackle them head on.
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We’ve all been there: Kid #1 has a soccer game in one part of the town, kid #2 has a lacrosse match two cities over at the same time, and somehow, you’ve got to get everyone fed a quick, nutritious meal to fuel them right.

Sure, you could hit a fast food drive thru – if you want a meal full of fat, calories and goodness knows what else. It’s a great idea to have a few tried and true meals that are easy on the wallet and high in both taste and nutrition in your rotation.

Here are some of our favorites here at DietsInReview:

• Brandi Koskie, Director of Publishing, loves to make a Pulled Pork BBQ. Place a pork tenderloin – one of the best cuts of pork, as it’s low in fat – in a crock pot for several hours. When it’s finished cooking, shred it, mix in some BBQ sauce and serve on a whole wheat bun. Served with cut up veggies and fruit, this is a meal that can be on the table literally in minutes.

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With the cold weather rolling in, there’s no better time for a hearty bowl of soup. While some cream-based soups can be calorie traps, making your own soup at home is fast, economical and healthy, because you can control what ingredients and how much of them you put into the soup.

To shake up your soup routine, try some of our favorite techniques, including adding new vegetables to your favorite chowders, skipping the meat in your favorite chili and cutting down on the cream. You’ll still have that satisfying bowl of soup that will help take away the chill right up until spring.

Creamy Broccoli Soup: If the cold weather leaves you craving creamy, comforting soups, you can skip the cream, flour and butter that give most cream soups their velvety textures.  Use white bean puree to add depth and consistency to a lightened-up cream of broccoli soup that delivers fiber and nutrients along with taste.
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