Cooking Light Magazine -- A review

Hey guys! I'm sorry to have been away so long. I've had the flu which has made me absolutely miserable for a few weeks now. During that time I was contacted by Miranda Lanzillotti who is a publicist for Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. She asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing their magazine, Cooking Light, and I told her that I'd love that! She sent me a copy of September's magazine which has a new design and I spent two days reading and rereading it. It's beautiful!

The recipes are easy to follow and have pictures with every single one! That's a huge plus to me. I like to see how the food is supposed to look when it's done. Plus they are healthy which is also very important. Here are some of the highlights from September's issue:

Restaurant Navigator (pg. 62) ? Pasta is all about the fixings?the carbs themselves are fine, but how are they sauced or stuffed? Fettuccine Alfredo can weigh in at 1,220 calories per serving, but swap Marinara for the cream sauce and the calories and fat plummet. Cooking Light analyzes six popular pasta dishes from real U.S. restaurants to help you make more healthful choices. Plus: Cooking Light offers simple strategies for dining out at Italian restaurants: avoid cream sauces, ask your server about half portions, and get grated cheese on the side.

Feed 4 for Less Than $10 (pg. 182) ? Looking for a healthy, easy-to-make meal to serve your family of 4 for under $10? Cooking Light has the answers and breaks down the cost per serving. Try pan-fried pork chops and homemade applesauce for just $2.43 per serving.


A Carb-Lover?s Guide to Nutrition (pg. 121) ? Use your noodle when it comes to eating carbs. Although demonized during the ?low carb? craze, they are our body?s main source of energy: they create the glucose that fuels our muscles and brains. Cooking Light offers that truth about noodles, potatoes, breads and whole grains and why we shouldn?t fear them.


Wine Pairings with American Classics (pg. 52) ? As summer winds down, we have just a few chances left (in most parts of the country) to enjoy a wonderful outdoor meal. What meal is complete without a great glass of wine? Cooking Light tells readers the best wines for classic dishes like mac n? cheese (or other pastas), seafood gumbo (or other fresh fish), grilled burgers or steaks, and chicken. Plus: wines in everyone?s price range, starting at just $7 for a great bottle.

Money Saving Ideas for Back-to-School Lunches (pg. 64 ) ? In a Cooking Light and CNNMoney.com poll, 73% of those surveyed felt that healthy food costs more. That is simply not the case. Cooking Light offers tips to save money when packing healthy, school lunches for your kids.

I was also impressed with the ads in the magazine. Usually I just skip ads but nearly every ad included a recipe or was food or health related. I thought that was awesome too.

All in all the newly redesigned Cooking Light is a great magazine that I will recommend to all my friends and family and of course to you! Get out there and get you a copy today...you'll be happy you did!