It feels great to have life back to normal after the holidays.  Many of us make resolutions, and while I do not make any specific resolutions, I do try to include a few healthy thoughts during this time of the year.  For me, I want to eat more fruits and vegetables to up my intake of fiber.  Doing so becomes easier and more affordable if you buy what is in season.  Take a look at the Seasonal Winter Produce Calendar to see what produce is available during our Phoenix winters.  Remember that buying seasonal produce is a great way to save money.

Keep in mind that some produce is healthier for us than others.  Some absorb lots of pesticides when they are being grown while others do not.  While we have talked about this before, it is always nice to have a reminder.  See the toxic twelve and the terrific twelve for information on produce that should be purchased organically whenever possible and where to save your money. 

Our first quarter 2010 classes are on our website and we are working on the second quarter which will be posted soon.  Let me know if you have class requests so we can include them for you. 

Upcoming classes for January:  -- Click January to see class details:

• Saturday 1/23 Healthy Salmon ($63)
• Thursday 1/28 & Saturday 1/30 Crunchy Stuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu ($63)

Upcoming classes for February:  -- Click February to see class details:

• Tuesday 2/2 & Saturday 2/6 Super Bowl Entertaining ($63)
• Thursday 2/11 Chinese New Year  ($63)
• Saturday 2/13 Couples Cooking for Valentines Day ($63 or $126 per couple)
• Tuesday 2/16 & Saturday 2/20  Comfort Food ($63)
• Thursday 2/25 & Saturday 2/27 Casseroles ($63)

Special Offers for January – Our specials for the month of January are below.  Also, watch for our Twitter discounts as they are tweeted.  Our Twitter name is SimplyImprssve.  One discount per person, please.

Sign up for 2 classes in January and receive $10 off a class in February or March.

Sign up a friend who has never taken a class here before, and you will receive $10 off your next class with their paid enrollment.

In the Media – We will be appearing on Valley Dish, Channel 12’s new lifestyle show with Tram Mai.  The show will premiere on January 19 at 4:30 p.m. weekdays.  Our first appearance will be Wednesday January 27.  We will be preparing full meals live on the air.  For our first show, we will be making ‘Aunt Judy’s Pork Chops” with garlic smashed potatoes.  Can you guess who named this recipe?  They will post the recipes on their website and I will also make them available to you.

Don’t Forget -- If you haven’t checked out our Mesa Food Examiner articles, take a few minutes to stop by.  We have informational and local food articles, along with recipes, kitchen equipment and so much more.  Subscribe to the Mesa Food Examiner so you will automatically see what we are posting.  It’s free.  Just click where you see ‘subscribe’ to get them automatically. That way you can read what you want, and ignore the others