Wake up with Alison Leonard.
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Join Alison Leonard for the Easy Mix breakfast.
Email Breakfast
Find out more about Leanne Pratt and our Breakfast Contributors here.
For Ali's Recipes click here.
Ali meets GIN WIGMORE! She's is hot!
ClickHEREto hear Ali chat with Gin
Loved this one! Taggers caught in Whangarei were forced to dance by the people who caught them and then it was posted on you tube! FUNNY! great idea - shame those crims!LUCKY They have beeped out the naughty words!
A fabulous lifestyle diet ........The Mediterranean Diet!
The trouble with eating healthfully is that it just costs too much, right? Sorry; that excuse just bit the dust. The Mediterranean diet -- the world's healthiest way of eating -- isn't the world's easiest way to drain your wallet. That's a fact confirmed by a recent Public Health Nutrition study.
This diet , is full of ingredients, including seafood and olive oil, that you can spend quite a bit on if you choose to. But you can also slash the cost. And we mean at the supermarket, not just at the doctor's office, although the savings there are huge, too. That's because the Mediterranean diet's ample produce, whole grains, fish, and olive oil components are overflowing with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals as well as good-for-you monounsaturated and omega-3 fats. These nutrients can fight diabetes, depression, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and memory loss. And that's just the beginning. The Mediterranean diet can also slash your risk of heart disease by 29% and stroke by 13%. What's more, it can also cut the odds of prostate, endometrial, pancreatic, breast, and colon cancers by 10% to 25% and help you live younger and longer with less disability.
So how do you get the savings? Use these rules:
Don't always get fresh. In season, fresh fruits and veggies are a bargain. But out of season, it can seem cheaper to get a plane ticket and pick it yourself. Instead of bypassing off-season produce completely, hit the frozen-food aisle, where the prices are a whole lot easier to swallow. You won't sacrifice nutrition: Frozen fruits and vegetables are flash frozen right after they're harvested. So they're picked at the perfect point of ripeness and lose fewer nutrients than their fresh counterparts that sit in a truck for a couple of days (and then on store shelves for a few more). Another bonus: They don't spoil, so there's less waste (and less cleanup in your crisper drawer. Yes, we know what's in there, even if you don't).
Go fishing. You won't find your average Mediterranean chowing down on a double cheeseburger. When it comes to protein, our Mediterranean friends often favor fish, loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fats. If nothing's on sale at the fish counter, go to the canned aisle for tuna, salmon, and sardines. They're often the surplus of the fresh catch, packed with omega-3s that keep your arteries, joints, and brain in good shape for a fraction of the cost of fresh fish.
Load up on legumes. Fish isn't the only lean protein Mediterraneans favor. The other is beans. In fact, a diet rich in beans and vegetables may be responsible for the low rates of breast and prostate cancers in Mediterranean countries. While canned beans are a bargain, dried -- for as little as 15 cents a serving -- are a steal.
Be a sale sleuth. What do canned tomatoes, whole oats, quinoa, frozen veggies, and whole-grain pasta all have in common? Stores love to put them on sale. Scout your supermarket circular and stock up whenever those items are on special.
Don't forget the vino. One of the best parts of the Med diet is a little red wine every night. That's one daily glass for women and two for guys. Rich in health-promoting polyphenols, red wine keeps your heart healthy by zapping inflammation and also by thinning your blood, so it's less likely to clot. But that doesn't mean you can only pop the cork on a fine bottle of cabernet. A more reasonably priced chianti or beaujolais will do the trick, too. Salud!
At last Aussie has a government- well for the time bein! The Taiwanese definately had a sense of humour over the long laboured (excuse pun!) election process! !Check this out.....
FUNNY! a lesson in being careful how you hold a teddy and a microphone -Apparently banned from faceBook for being Pornographic! Good on ya Kylie!
And you thought you were having a bad morning! Funny ad for the IKEA store
Clothing Conundrums!
Advice form Carol at Bendon for anyone with a "squeaky" bra! In
some cases , it is caused by friction between a body that has extra static, electricity,and some bra styles have been known to squeak ,? 90 % of bras made have underwires , as they have been designed to hold and support, so anyone that has a problem should return the bra to store and follow up on the problem , or call our customer service line on 0800 236566 and ask for Shelly Belsham who will be able to help!
If you have problems with Clothes going static Anna called to say there is and anti static product in the habadashery dept at Kmart for about $8 a can - she uses it all the time !
Karyn said she always wets her hands to put on pantyhose as they slide on more easily and she doesn't get so many holes!
My GUARANTEED fix for static in clothing is FABRIC SOFTENER! (A tip from my Mum Ngaire)
I handwash any items that cause problems and add a splash of fabric softener to the final rinse … and the item remains anti-cling until the next wash! (probably could do it in the washing machine too)
Works a treat!!!
Cheers
Judie
This is gorgeous!The Animals could teach us Humans a lot!
This is my Great niece Born on Sun June 20th 2010!She has been named Georgie but I'm calling her Lulu! :)
The Lovely Julie who won the Aussie Master Chef last year is in NZ to promote her Book .........
Click here to hear Ali chat with Julie...
We Love Sandra! Sandra Bullock receives the Generation Award for 2010 at the MTV awards
Cheers to 50 Years of telly in NZ! Here are some of your favourite characters!.......
Catherine Zeta Jones is Hot! She did this Allure picture shoot to celebrate her 40th! Tasteful for a BUTT NAKED SHOT!! :)
Ali gets made up!
b>Click here here to listen to Ali's Chat with Napoleon .
Michael Jacksons Thriller has been voted most influential most video in Pop History...I actually like the 2nd placed Video ......
Anika Moa came into to see Ali for chat and play us a song- Naughty Ali in the background !
Click here to listen to the interview!
88 years old! BETTY WHITE - got all the attention while on the Ellen show!Everytime I watch this I cry laughing!
When Harry Met Ali
Harry Connick Jnr came to visit late october 2009 to promote his new album "Your Songs" (a beautiful covers album with songs from Elton John, Billy Joel, Burt Bacharach etc) and not surprisingly Ali was upset she had to be broadcasting from home. Somehow though, she still made it into the photo! We reckon Harry had a lucky escape!
However Ali got a phone call from Harry recently!
Ali and Harry - listen here
When Ronan met Ali ........( the colourful kids! )
When TOM met ALI ................
How's this as an ad for New Zealand!!!This was a short film created in NZ. We love it think it speaks volumes about our country
Have you seen this very clever choir doing Toto's Africa ?.......
I went to Canterbury for a special day on Feb 20th,I was invited by friends to go and help raise some $$$ for the CHCH Cathedral and St Johns Church at Hororata. A lovely Historic Building that needed some "Roof" love! All sorts of wonderful things happened all day long at "The Pilgramage" ! We reckon this shot of the Lady Killers with a low flying Harvard Plane sums up our wonderful day it was .........."MaHarvardlous!".....
Ver sad to think that the Church needs a whole lot more love after the Cnterbury Quake - very sad for all my CHCH Buddies
When KD Lang met Dame Edna!! I Love Dame Edna what a fun career and still funny
Love that Judi Dench ! Her latest role is in the musical NINE- I found this old clip from the very final show of PARKINSON where Judi sings to Parky!!It's actually a nice bit of telly history....
Australian Idol Stan Walker Drops By
Stan has lived half of his life in New Zealand and was back to promote his debut album "Introducing Stan Walker." Listen to the interview to find out how his life has changed since winning Idol, how much input he had in the making of his album, what it was like hanging out with Michael Buble and what the epiphany was that changed his life.
CLICK HERE to listen to part 1 of the Stan Walker interview
CLICK HERE to listen to part 2 of the Stan Walker interview
Boz Scaggs On The Easy Mix Breakfast
Boz toured alongside Michael McDonald and Mick Fleetwood in March 2010 and we chatted to him about his friendships with both those music legends, what his biggest selling album "Silk Degrees" and its signature song "Lowdown" mean to him and a bit about his own vineyard.
CLICK HERE to listen to the Boz Scaggs interview.
Westlife's Shane Filan On The Easy Mix Breakfast - The Full Interview
Westlife have sold more than 40 million albums and had 14 UK #1 singles, making them one of the most successful pop groups of all time. We spoke to Shane about why he believes the band's new album "Where We Are" is their best yet, how the band have stayed so successful for 10 years, his friendship with Ronan Keating, his growing family and why he plans to never go solo.
CLICK HERE to listen to Westlife's Shane Filan.
Easy Mix Chats To Former Steely Dan-er, Doobie Brother & Solo Star Michael McDonald
He is one of the greatest soul singers of all time. Because ali was away,she couldn't do the interview with Michael so the gallant Gael Ludlow stepped in and did brilliantly. Listen to Michael describe what the concert will be like, his friendships with Boz and Mick and the amazing story behind the song "What A Fool Believes."
CLICK HERE to listen to the Michael McDonald interview.
Diana Krall On Music & Motherhood
We chatted to the Grammy-winning star about her latest album "Quiet Nights", what it's like working with Burt Bacharach, how she finds touring and how motherhood has changed her.
CLICK HERE to listen to the Diana Krall interview.
The NAUGHTY episode of RAINBOW from the late 70's that didn't go to air ! It was created for a Staff Christmas party!!......Don't watch if you are prudish :)
Australian Masterchef Judge Matt Preston & His Love Of Cravats
Matt Preston has a top-rated TV show, a CD of his favourite songs and a book all happening right now. We spoke to him during his whistlestop tour of New Zealand and got the word on what's happening with the NZ version of the show and just why he loves cravats so much.
CLICK HERE to listen to the Matt Preston interview.
Husband tries to steal the limelight...........
Tha Man that lives in Ali's house had a great time filming a Guiness Commercial last November for the Irish/European market - we won't see it in NZ ....unless you watch it here! They have just released it ! Check it out .....John is the one pulling the grass.......No! Ali was not amused with the "no shave" aspect of this job!
and if you would like to have a look behind the scenes..........
We Love Dame Edna!
This YouTube clip happens to be one of my all time favourite Edna performances - keep a look out for a lovely dear in the audience named Olive....
The First Lady Of Musical Theatre Speaks To Easy Mix - The Elaine Paige Interview
Elaine Paige is celebrating 40 years as the dominant female of musical theatre and we got to talk to her about her phenomenal career. Think of every major musical seen in the last 40 years, from Cats, to Chess, to Evita, to Les Miserables, to Hair, to Sunset Boulevard and so many more, Elaine Paige has done it all. She has also overcome breast cancer, prejudice for her height (she's just under 5 feet) and depression. And at one stage she nearly gave it all away to become a nurse with Dustin Hoffman somehow changing her mind. Listen to both parts of the interview below and yes, Elaine does reveal her thoughts about her biggest fan, Susan Boyle.
CLICK HERE To Listen To Elaine Paige Part 1
CLICK HERE To Listen To Elaine Paige Part 2
Trinny & Susannah & What You Didn't Hear On The Show
Ali had a great chat with the very formidable Trinny & Susannah about all sorts of fashion rights and wrongs. Here is the part of the interview that didn't make it to air and it's all to do with self-esteem over body image. Listen to them explain how even if you aren't that proud of your body, you might have a feature that you aren't highlighting enough that others could well be envious of.
CLICK HERE to listen to Trinny & Susannah.
We Interview Oprah's #1 De-clutterer
Peter Walsh has been on Oprah numerous times in the last few years and has written several books about how to de-clutter your life. Hear him explain to us what to do with excess paper, how to get your head around sorting out mess and what the "magic triangle" in the kitchen is.
CLICK HERE to listen to Peter Walsh.
Easy Mix's Fleetwood Mac Interviews - Lindsey Buckingham & Mick Fleetwood
We love Fleetwood Mac - what a band, what a legacy and yes, what a soap opera. It is a highlight to finally speak to Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood and to hear these interviews in full
This is What it's like every weekday morning for Ali ! WHY YOU WAKE ME???
Why everyone should stop teasing Ali about the size of her cat Claude
Ali shed lots of tears after hearing about the passing of Kashin the Elephant at Auckland Zoo in 2009 - Kashin had been a part of the Zoo for 36 years!
Ali was lucky enough to meet the elephants at the zoo a couple of years ago - apparently the elephants will never forget Ali as head keeper Andrew got Ali to blow gently down their trunks and they blew warm air / breath back at her which means they now had Alis scent in their memory!
"Kath & Kim" Star Magda Szubanski On Her Incredible 40 KG Weight Loss
Ali caught up with Magda when she was last in New Zealand and she was absolutely hilarious. Hear her discuss what the turning point was that made her decide to lose the weight and just how she did it. Also hear what Ali's all time favourite "Kath & Kim" line is and whether the show is coming back.
Click on the YouTube box for the entire filmed version. WARNING: In the filmed version of the interview there is some bad language.
I WANT ONE!!!!
The May 2009 edition of the Australian Womans Weekly had this lovely photo of a happy mummy with her Beautiful Boys
Watch the 'Dancing With the Stars' judges get judged... including our own Ali..
Ronan Keating
We spoke to Ronan Keating who was in New Zealand to sing on the final of Dancing with the Stars 2009 , And what a lovely man he was. We spoke to him about his new album Songs For My Mother, the success of which he was quite surprised by, Ronan's mother died of breast cancer 11 years ago.... click here to read more about that
We also talked to him about his own health scare read more about that .. click here to read more about that
See below for the full interview with Ronan, note that it is in three parts!
MEET THE MEN ALI WAKES UP WITH !!
Poor Tim! This is what happened at the photo shoot for NZ WW.......don't think he expected to end up in bed with Ali and That man who lives in her house!!........
Downloads & Useful Links
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Ronan Keating part one
File size: 1,638KB |
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Allan Pease Men & Women
File size: 2,314KB |
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Mick Fleetwood NZ Fracas
File size: 2,348KB |
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Mick Fleetwood Movie
File size: 1,568KB |
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Heather Survivor
File size: 1,962KB |
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Trinny & Susannah
File size: 2,604KB |
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Tim Finn stories
File size: 1,142KB |
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Peter Walsh Oprah
File size: 2,740KB |
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Jersey Boys Bobby Fox
File size: 3,354KB |
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Mamma Mia
File size: 2,560KB |
