Owner of West Bend Curves shares motivation

I, Mary Hill, am making women stronger by being a proud owner of a Curves franchise in West Bend that is staffed by amazing employees and attended by remarkable members. I started my Curves journey as a manager of my local Curves and loved it so much that I decided to buy my own Curves in my hometown, West Bend. This town has given to me since I was a child, so it was natural to give something back. I attended Decorah Elementary, Badger Middle, and West Bend East High School. I then went on to graduate from my father's almamater, UW-Whitewater, with a BSE. This is where I met my husband. We were married in 1995 and wanted to start a family right away. God's plan was a little different, after many years of doctors, hospitals, and miscarriages; we found out in 2006 that I have a medical issue. It would cost even more money then we have already spent on infertility treatments to have a baby, and then the economy took a down turn. I have struggled many years with depression and weight, but since 2006, I started to look at life a little differently. I may not be able to have my own child, but I am helping lots of other women live longer to take care of their own children. By having this mind set, doing for others, I know I will be with my children in heaven someday and living in eternity with them is much more important than being depressed now. When I am working out at Curves, I see it as my family, watching my employees and my members become stronger women; while making a stronger community and hopefully achieving a personal goal of making a difference in this world. Oh and by the way, I also lost 30 pounds to date. Thank you for letting me share, and lets all get “Stronger Together!!"
Curves is only a 30 minute workout specially designed for women. Curves is designed to help women who want to be healthy, lose weight, tone and firm or even for those who want to gain muscle. We also feature the most advanced technology in the world, Curves Smart. Curves Smart is a personal coaching system that will ensure you get the best workout every time you come in based on your specific fitness level. Curves has helped many women in this community lower their medication or even eliminate medication altogether. We have also helped women slow or even reverse osteoporosis. Members have been able to accomplish these things by working out a minimum of three times a week and checking in with their circuit coach once a month.
urves also offers a free weight management program that is simple to use. Our program teaches you how to change your lifestyle and stop the yo-yo dieting. The Curves weight management class is offered the second Saturday of the month. We offer three classes every month. The first one is our Start Up class, which teaches you how to get started with our weight management program. Class two is a Special Topic class. This class changes topics every month. March’s topic is on reading food labels. Then, the third class is on Phase III. Phase III is the part of our program that teaches us how to raise our metabolism safely without gaining weight back that we’ve lost. All three of these classes are FREE to members and non-members.
Our mission, at Curves, is to make the world one million women stronger in 2010. Every year, millions of women suffer from preventable diseases. If you take it upon yourself to make your own health a priority, you can live better. Live longer, healthier, and with more confidence. And if one woman can affect another . . . who can affect another . . . we can be a part of something huge. Together we can improve the lives of one million women. Visit our new Stronger Together website at www.curves.com/StrongerTogether. Here you can “join the chain” and find a lot of useful tools to keep your resolutions this year. Stop in to see what we are all about! You won’t regret it!  Curves is located at 1640 S. Main St.,  between Shopko and Kohl‘s, in the Paradise Pavilion. The phone number is 262-306-1965. The following recipes are from the Curves diet program – including the Smores!
Asian Shrimp Pilaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Number of Servings: 6 Special Notes: Substitute plain brown rice for rice pilaf to save 400 mg or more of sodium per serving.
Ingredients:
1 6-oz. pkg. rice pilaf mix
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 clove; consider cooking garlic for 30 seconds first if you don’t like raw garlic)
1/2 cup diced or shredded carrots (about 1 large
carrot or 8 baby carrots)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1/2 pepper)
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Directions:
1. Prepare rice per package directions, omitting the butter or oil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for shrimp.
2. In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, and garlic. Put carrots, bell pepper, scallions, and peanuts in a medium bowl. When rice is cooked, stir it into vegetables, and add soy sauce mixture.
3. Meanwhile, drop shrimp in the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it is pink and opaque. Drain well and add to the rice mixture.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 250; Fat: 6.0g; Saturated Fat: 1.0g; Protein: 20g; Carbohydrates: 29g; Fiber: 2g; Cholesterol: 55Mg; Sodium: 700Mg
Smores Bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serving Size: 1/16 of recipe
Number of Servings: 16 Ingredients:
8 whole graham crackers
6 Tbls. extra light olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
4-oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Directions:
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375° F. Use heavy-duty foil to line the bottom and long sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Spray pan bottom with vegetable cooking spray, then line with crackers, breaking as necessary to fit in the pan. Mix oil and sugar. Pour over graham crackers and spread evenly. Bake 7 minutes. Let cool until sugar hardens, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat chocolate and condensed milk in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat until chocolate has melted. Stir in vanilla extract. Spread chocolate mixture over the graham crackers; sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven; bake until marshmallows turn golden brown, about 7 minutes longer. Let cool, then lift bars from pan using foil lining. Cut into bars with a knife coated with vegetable cooking spray. Serve.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 220; Fat: 12.0g; Saturated Fat: 4.4g; Protein: 3g; Carbohydrates: 28g; Fiber: 1g; Cholesterol: 10Mg; Sodium: 75Mg

Grandma Pat’s Palate Pleasing Fish and Wild Game Recipes

“The first day of high school I saw Ron,” said Pat Holtslander, “and I said to myself, he’s the one who will be my husband.” Of course Pat was right, but I asked Ron if it took some time before he caught on, and they both laughed. I was visiting with the Holtslanders to learn more about a cookbook Pat had published last year, called Grandma Pat’s Palate Pleasing Fish and Wild Game Recipes. I did learn about it, but not without hearing some wonderful stories about their lives. This is because their marriage and family engendered the cook book.
Their high school was North Division, and the couple married young, settling in Milwaukee. Pat and Ron had three children before a disastrous event changed their lives. “I was going to visit a friend, and my babysitter cancelled at the last minute,” explained Pat. “My friend said to bring the children with me. We had put them all to bed before a neighbor called to say our house was burning.”
The house was completely destroyed, but the Holtslanders thank their lucky stars to this day that their children were not home with a sitter at the time of the fire. They subsequently decided that it was a good time to move away from the city, and landed in Grafton. Ron owned a cab company in Port Washington for a number of years, but when the power plant in Port was hiring, he applied there. Ron put in 29 years at the plant, and the couple moved to their Port Washington home in 1967.
Ron was already an avid hunter by the time Pat spotted him at school. He’d spent time living with cousins, who included them in their various hunting trips. In the early days of their marriage, Pat was faced with a choice: learn how to clean and cook wild game, or waste food. Ron would have time to shoot game birds before work, but no time to clean them. Pat chose not only to learn how to process fish and game, but to join Ron on his hunting sojourns. She learned how to fish and how to hunt deer, pheasant, grouse, ducks and geese. Ron says she’s a better pistol shot than he. When their children became old enough, Pat and Ron began taking them along on hunting trips. Before too long, the hunting trip became the annual family vacation, taken during the opening week of deer hunting (gun), before Thanksgiving. They rented a cottage near the Dells from a fellow who was reluctant to rent to hunters at first. He relented when he found out this was a family group. They returned to the same spot every year, and in 1973, Pat and Ron purchased the cottage from the owner. Their children (two girls and one boy), continued to participate in the family hunting vacation into their adulthood. When they married and had their own children, Pat began staying home to babysit her grandchildren, who in turn, joined the family hunt when they were old enough. Eventually, Pat and Ron bought their own hunting land close to the cottage, and now own 126 acres. In all the hunting seasons the family has participated in, they’ve only returned home empty-handed twice. The largest amount of deer taken in one year was 18.
So, Pat cooked. She tweaked recipes, invented recipes and perfected recipes. Of the voluminous recipes she assembled, perhaps 10 to 12 were given to her from friends or relatives. Her recipes, and therefore her cookbook, address just about any creature one can procure by catching or hunting in Wisconsin. Since her family’s diet included so much fish and wild game, Pat learned to be creative with its preparation and preservation. For example, salmon is Ron’s favorite, and he does not care for it after it’s frozen. So, Pat cans it instead. Recipes range from simple to elegant. However, even the more sophisticated-sounding recipes are not difficult to follow, or use a lot of hard-to-locate ingredients. The book has enough recipes to be useful to the cook who is only looking for new venison or fish recipes, but is really a find for those like the Holtslanders, who hunt all types of fowl and small game. I became curious about dishes with rabbit while reading Under the Tuscan Sun, so I was wowed by the 17 recipes for that pesky little flower eater. Snapping turtle? Moose steak? Quail with grapes? They’re in the book. It’s ironic that Pat says wild goose is the hardest game to cook, as it’s very tough, but it’s one of their favorite foods. Pat loves wild goose and sauerkraut, while Ron picks wild goose stroganoff.
How it came to be
Once Pat had grandchildren and great grandchildren, she began to think about leaving something behind for them. There were two things she thought emblematic of her family’s history. One was all the recipes, and the other was the family tablecloth. “When our children were growing up,” she explained, “I had the idea of having them sign their names, or make little drawings on a tablecloth. (This was a white bed sheet which she had trimmed and edged.) Over the years, they added more and longer bits, very often stories about our hunting trips. I embroidered over a lot of them, and some are still just in pen. Our grandchildren wrote on it too, and using the tablecloth has become a huge holiday tradition in our house. When I got the idea of putting a cookbook together, I also thought I could add things from the tablecloth.” Pat got a cousin to teach her how to use a computer, and put everything together. “But then I just left it sit for like six or eight years,” she said. In 2009, Pat and Ron would both be 75 years old for a month and a half, before Ron had another birthday. Their children decided to throw them a party. “I just thought it was a regular birthday party,” said Pat. “But an awful lot of people showed up. My granddaughter stepped forward to give me a gift, and inside the box was a very nice pen. I thought, well thanks for the nice pen dear.” Then one of Pat’s daughters stepped forward with a box. Inside was a hard cover copy of Pat’s cookbook. Her daughter had secretly copied all the files from Pat’s computer, and the children had the book published. Using her brand new pen, Pat signed and gave away the cookbooks from that first small printing at the party.
Fame and fortune
Ok, not really. But Pat’s life did change after the cookbook was published. She finds all the attention a little disconcerting, since overall; she’s a fairly private person. But word about the book spread. More friends and relatives began calling for copies of the book. The local paper heard about it and interviewed her, so another, larger printing of the book was necessary. Then, Pat and Ron’s daughter, who is on the chamber of commerce in Princeton, signed her mother up to have a booth at the Waukesha County Expo. “I thought it would be amazing if I sold a book or two,” she recalled, “but I sold ten!” The couple was signed up for two more shows when Ron broke his ankle, but they’re gearing up to try trade show sales again. They have a booth at the Waukesha gun show from March 5-7 and the Washington County Fair Park gun and hunting show from March 26-28. They are also open to selling the book via telephone, at 262-284-4780. (Hard cover $20/soft, $15.) Sharing their recipes is one way the Holtslanders feel they can give something back.
“I teach hunter education too,” said Ron. “So does my son. I had to learn a lot on my own and I feel these classes are so worthwhile. Every year since the gun safety programs have been offered, hunting accidents and fatalities have gone down in Wisconsin. This last season was the safest one on record.”
Here’s a nice hearty stew from the cookbook to help us get through another six weeks of winter.
Venison Barley Stew
4 1/2 lbs. venison, cut into
1” chunks
1 cup chopped onion
1 quart water (about)
1 can tomato soup
5 med. sized carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups green beans
2 cups frozen corn
3/4 cup barley
Brown venison pieces in extra virgin olive oil. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Add onions, water, soup, carrots, celery and spices. Cook on low for
4-5 hours. Add fresh beans, corn and barley. Cover and cook another 2-3 hours.

In Good Taste features guest editorial from Milwaukee Nari

Star of Top Chef and Iron Chef America will cook-up tasty dishes at  

the Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Show

“Put a Little Love In Your Home” is the theme of the 48th annual  

Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Show, Feb. 11-14 at State Fair Park.  

For foodies, that translates directly to the kitchen.

This year’s home show features many remodelers with ideas for  

updating the kitchen – from a total gut to a simple sprucing up. But  

for the cook who wants some instant gratification, the American TV  

Kennedy Hahn Appliance Cooking Demonstration Stage is the place to  

be, as area chefs and national cooking celebrities Colleen Cleek, the  

Classy Gourmet and Season 5 Hell’s Kitchen contestant, and Tre  

Wilcox, Season 3 Top Chef Contestant, Chantal Cookware spokesperson,  

and 2008 Iron Chef America team, will entertain visitors with recipes  

and a few tricks of the trade.

Wilcox, or Chef Tre, as he is known in Dallas, is the executive chef  

at that city’s trendy Loft 610 restaurant, and is a frequent guest  

cooking instructor at Dallas institutions Neiman Marcus, Sur la  

Table, and Central Market.

Chef Tre shares a recipe with

Sunday Post readers and chatted about his career, already stellar at  

the age 33.

He explained that as a youth, his interest tended more to the soccer  

field than the kitchen. But after getting a part-time job at a fast  

food restaurant, he found he not only had a knack for culinary, but a  

genuine passion.

“At 19, I realized that being a chef is what I wanted to do with my  

life,” he said. “I like the whole concept of creating food – from raw  

ingredients to a finished product.”

His experience led to a position at Eatzi’s, a gourmet takeout  

market, and for five years he worked as a corporate trainer and  

assisted in opening five new stores. That background proved to be an  

asset in a commercial kitchen.

“It’s very important for the chef to be able to manage and motivate  

his team,” he said. “You need people fully behind you because as a  

chef, you always want everything to be the best. I want my team to  

run into a brick wall for me, but I will be the first one to hit that  

wall. A chef leads by example.”

Before Chef Tre even considers hiring kitchen staff, they must  

demonstrate that they have passion for the job. “My number one rule  

is passion in the kitchen,” he said. “A successful restaurant is one  

that puts out food you always want to come back for, and you have to  

have passion to do that.”

Just in case anyone should forget, Chef Tre has a prominent tattoo on  

his forearm, “Gotta have passion.”

Chef Tre, who will be preparing seared sea scallops, glazed pork  

tenderloin, and cilantro marinated chicken during his cooking  

demonstrations, stressed that it was not so much what he prepared as  

how he prepared it.

“When I am doing a presentation, I think of it more as Tips, Tricks  

and Techniques – the three Ts,” he said. “It’s not just about a  

recipe. I want people to take away something that they can apply in  

their own kitchen. If it’s just a recipe then they haven’t learned  

anything of value. I want them to feel that they can master or learn  

from my demonstration.”

Already accomplished in his field, Chef Tre is not done yet. His next  

venture is a partnership with the owner of Loft 610, Brian Twomey, to  

start a new restaurant in Dallas. He also envisions cookbooks and a  

television show.

Despite his busy schedule – he’s in the restaurant at least 12 hours  

a day, and at the gym for daily workouts – he also is a proponent of  

the family time. “You need to have balance in your life,” he said.  

“My youngest daughter, 8, is already showing an interest in cooking.  

She wants to be involved in everything in the kitchen. I’ve always  

considered cooking at home is getting the whole family into it, from  

prep to sitting down and enjoying the meal together. Home cooks  

shouldn’t get all stressed out that other people are in the kitchen.  

Let everyone contribute and enjoy.”

Chef Tre will be at the Cooking Demonstration Stage 2 p.m. Saturday,  

Feb. 13, and 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14.

Area chef’s also participating include: John Gillespie, Host of  

“Water & Woods,” FSN Wisconsin, 1p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday; Jason Neu,  

Cocktail Consultants, 6:30 p.m. Thursday; Chef Dean Brazaitis, Palms  

Bistro & Bar, 1 p.m. Friday; Colleen Cleek, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday,  

and noon and 4:30 p.m. Saturday; Chef Sandy D’Amato, Sanford  

Restaurant, 5 p.m. Friday; and Chef Brian Bernier and Lisa Docter,  

Paramount Grille & Bakehouse, 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Hours for the Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Show are: Thurs., Feb.  

11, and Fri., Feb. 12, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 13, 10 a.m. – 9  

p.m.; and Sun., Feb. 14, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission is $6 in  

advance, $8 at the door on Thurs. and Fri., and $10 Sat. and Sun.

Tickets for seniors 60 and older are $5, with a special price of $4  

at the door on Thurs., Feb. 11, for Senior Day. Children 12 and  

younger are free and there is free childcare for ages 3 – 12.

For more information, visit www.milwaukeenari.org or call (414)  

771-4071.

Cilantro Marinated Chicken, Jicama Slaw, Chipotle Sauce

By Chef Tre Wilcox

Serving Size: 4

FOR THE CHICKEN

4 pieces boneless chicken breast

3/4 cup olive oil

2 jalapenos

15 garlic cloves – peeled

2 shallots – peeled

1-1/2 bunches cilantro leaves, whole

1 teaspoon cumin – ground

2 teaspoons lime juice – juiced

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

FOR THE CHIPOTLE SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves – peeled and chopped

1 shallot – peeled and chopped

1/3 cup chipotle chiles canned in adobo – chopped

2 Roma tomatoes – chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup chicken stock

3/4 pound unsalted butter

Salt and lime juice to taste

FOR THE JICAMA SLAW

1 small jicama –peeled and julienned

1/2 carrot – peeled and julienned

1 red bell pepper – julienned

1 tablespoon cilantro leaves

Olive oil

Lime juice

Salt to taste

FOR THE CHICKEN

Place chicken into plastic storage container.  Combine olive oil,  

garlic, shallots, cilantro, cumin, lime juice and pepper in a  

blender.  Blend on high till smooth.

Cover chicken with marinate and place into refrigerator.  Marinate  

chicken at least four hours.

When you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 350.   Remove chicken  

from marinade, season with salt.

Pan sear each chicken breast in grapeseed oil, place into oven and  

cook through.

FOR THE CHIPOTLE SAUCE

In a small saucepot, lightly sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil.   

Next add chipotle chiles, tomato, tomato paste,

Cream and chicken stock.

Simmer over medium heat for three to four minutes.  Place mixture  

into blender and blend carefully till smooth.

Pour liquid into saucepot, bring to a simmer and whisk in the butter.

When butter has dissolved season sauce with salt and lime juice.

Strain sauce and keep warm till time to serve.

FOR THE JICAMA SLAW

Combine jicama, carrot, bell pepper and cilantro in a mixing bowl.   

Toss with olive oil, lime juice and season with salt. Serve right away.

FOR THE PLATE UP

Place on small amount of the slaw in the center of serving plate.   

Lay one piece of chicken breast against slaw.

Drizzle chipotle sauce around.

Serve.