BY JACQUELINE CUTLER
Chocolate. There must be chocolate in a dessert book and in her life, says “The Biggest Loser” cookbook author and chef Devin Alexander, who will be on the NBC show Tuesday, Nov. 8. Her latest book on desserts features chocolate, including a devil’s food layer cake. She uses vanilla almond milk, whole grain oat flour and fruit-juice sweetened vanilla yogurt in the recipe. Alexander is unabashed in her love of chocolate. Incidentally, she shed 55 pounds and has kept it off for 16 years. And yes, she eats chocolate every day.
SOLUTION S AM OMA R MOM I NA E RA DANA AMY J O J O H N S O N S O T OUR T YN E EAR L A O L RD I T R L MA A E MM A AM E N MS A RN S BR I AND I E T Z E N ABC ORA L AR E R E D N I A B EN S
Solution Tom Arnold
The secret is there is no secret. “I believe that my message is the secret of food,” Alexander says. “We spend so much time, particularly as women, on we can’t, we can’t, we can’t.” But Alexander says when she stopped obsessing over what she could not have and instead concentrated on what she could, her life started to change. She recalls the years of preparing for a diet on Monday and stuffing herself with everything she would not get once she was on the diet. “I would gain so much weight between diets getting ready for the diets,” she says. “I never am going to beat myself up again, and that is when I started losing weight.” Alexander says, “I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.” But instead of a bag, she has a mini. She also loves sponge cake, but if she goes to a party and the cake isn’t good, why bother? “I get that losing weight is hard,” Alexander says. “But it is also a lot easier than people think. I have never failed with somebody. It’s not because I am so not cool. I am shy. But the thing is I think so many people listen to so many rules and go to so many extremes that it trips them out. The turning point I heard if you cut just 100 calories from your diet a day, you will lose 10 pounds a year.”
•What did you have for dinner last night? “I actually had my raviosagna, from my book, ‘I Can’t Believe it’s Not Fattening.’ I normally eat less carbs at night. Whole wheat ravioli is really low in fat, with layers of light mozzarella, marinara sauce and fresh basil.” •What was the last trip you took? (where and why)? “I actually went to New Orleans for ‘Nightline’ to help a family get healthy at the end of August.” •What are you reading? “I haven’t been reading but writing like a crazy girl.” •What is your next project? “ ‘America Now’ with Leeza Gibbons. I am their food pro, and I am doing 32 episodes this year. I am one of ‘Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers.’ And next year, Devinly Delites. It’s my baked goods line. I am in the process of selling it. I am in negotiations.”
IN FOCUS “Vietnam,” www.history. com/videos/vietnam On Tuesday, History premieres “Vietnam in HD,” a sixhour docudrama, narrated by “Dexter” star Michael C. Hall, that blends historical footage - some of it not seen in a public form before - with firsthand and dramatized recollections from veterans. History also has lots more information on Vietnam in its archives. This page offers recollections, scenes from the war, related media (audio and video) from TV news of the time, and photos from other conflicts.
“Coast Guard Alaska,” www.weather.com/tv/tvshows/ coast-guard-alaska As if the weather in Alaska weren’t dramatic enough, on Wednesday, The Weather Channel launches a new documentary series focusing on a Coast Guard unit based in Kodiak. The home page offers background info on the show, biographies of the rescue teams, an airing schedule, a menu of social media links and heaps of dramatic video of death-defying rescues.
“The 45th Annual CMA Awards,” cmaawards.cmaworld.com ABC airs the annual country music honors - with hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood - on Wednesday, and the home page is just the place to get you ready to cheer on your favorites. There are full bios of the nominees, the awards themselves, the CMA Music Festival, a link for news and features, and a link to Web extras (such as downloadable banners for the awards and the artists).
WEB LINKS client fill
Airing Sunday, the USA movie “John Sandford’s Certain Prey” stars Mark Harmon of “NCIS.” Click on www.usanetwork. com/movies/certainprey/ theshow/news.html On Thursday, WE: Women’s Entertainment premieres a new season of the reality series “Braxton Family Values.” Meet the sisters by
clicking on www.wetv.com/ shows/braxton-family-values/about On Friday, “American Masters Bill T. Jones: A Good Man” profiles the choreographer. Get in step at www. pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/billt-jones-a-good-man/ about-the-documentaryfilm/1863/
Hallmark Channel airs the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards on Friday, honoring brave canines. Learn more about the recipients by clicking on www.herodogawards. org/ Airing Friday on Showtime, the documentary “The Last Play at Shea,” with music by Billy Joel, looks at the final
days of Shea Stadium before it was torn down. Click on www.thelastplayatshea. com/ Returning for a new season on Saturday, Animal Planet’s “Pit Bulls and Parolees” continues to profile dog rescuer Tia Torres and her family. Learn more at animal.discovery.com/tv/pitbulls-andparolees/
NOVEMBER 6 - 12, 2011 – BRAINERD, MN/DISPATCH – 11