On the floor!  Well, not in a threatening way or anything but more of an opportunity to work on that core of yours and improve your strength and balance in the mid section.  Becky is back this week from The Gym in North Muskegon and she's shooting to help you work out that middle of yours to shape and tone along with improve your overall well-being with a strong midsection and hopefully some flat abs!  Stability and flexibility are what it's all about!

Remember, if you start this or any other exercise program, please....consult your doctor first and of course warm up and stretch out.  Drink plenty of water and of course a proper diet helps it all!!

Let's roll episode 54 of Fit and Healthy With Becky on the Muskegon Channel!

Got the blood pumping and you're ready to go!!  Now, do us a favor will ya?  Share this story with your friends list?  Help spread the word that Becky is here helping shape you and your community to be a little healthier...make your clothes fit a little better and she brings it all to you with energy and joy weekly on The Muskegon Channel!!  

We film at The Gym in North Muskegon.  It's located on the 4 corners and it's a great place with an intimate feel and atmosphere for grown up's.  They offer all kinds of different programs for individuals or groups and their hours are convenient for any schedule.  Stop in and see Mary Switzer and the facilities at The Gym.  You can visit their Facebook page by clicking on their logo below!

Come hungry.  That's the word when it comes to Taste of Muskegon that's happening June 15th and 16th at Hackley Park and surrounding areas in Downtown Muskegon.  Probably wouldn't hurt you to come thirsty and looking for a good time too.  Taste of Muskegon is another rapidly growing event in Muskegon where the best of the best in culinary creators come together to showcase their goods and compete for your growling stomachs attentions while the air is filled with wonderful smells, laughter and great music provided by some of the areas best bands.  Sounds like a typical Summer weekend in Muskegon right?  It's what we're best at!

Taste of Muskegon has been around a while, and like many other "foodie" type events in recent years, it's seen a growth spurt.  Tastes from around the world and around the corner will be represented.  Want to try something from Ghana?  They have it!  How about a trip to the Mediterranean for your taste buds?  You can do it!  Want to stick to a hot dog or a hamburger?  Ok, you can do that too.  Not everyone is a world traveler when it comes to grub...and that's ok.  There will be Cole's Breads inspired brews...after all, Cole's is the presenting sponsor of Taste of Muskegon this year in Celebration of their 75th Anniversary!  You can enjoy a tequila sampling area, wine and other craft beers, sweet treats, frozen concoctions and a feeling of community togetherness you won't find just anywhere. Visit the Taste of Muskegon Facebook Page

Entertainment?  They have entertainment coming out the wazoo.  Friday night kicks off at 4:30 with a powerboat street show.  Giant offshore racers line the streets for an up close look and lots of picture opportunities.  There will be face painting for kids, bounce houses,  a chance to meet the Muskegon Risers Soccer Team, music from Merchant and Corbin followed up by the Accidentals.  Saturday gets underway at 8a with Ride United and some other great Downtown Muskegon events.  The food and beverage gets served at 11 in Hackely Park.  It's another full day of activity with chances to meet The Ironmen, The Clippers and The Lakehawks.  A Kids Saftey Saturday with the Muskegon County Sheriff's Department, the Sports complex is bringing a 200 foot luge down for the dare devil in you, there will be a petting zoo award show for the vendors and then The Electric Red and Let There Be Rock take the stage to keep the party going into the night!

It's going to be an awesome weekend to celebrate community and there's an open invite to anyone to come and see just how fun Muskegon is....so....load up the family truckster and come on out!  Ann Meisch is the Clerk in the City of Muskegon.  She is also the event planner, the doer of all things and the glue that keeps is all together.  We met up to talk Taste at the Chalet's on Western to get the 4-1-1 on what's going on.  Take a listen!!

Since you're probably drooling already, we'll just say get it on the calendar and get down to Hackley Park.  It's going to be one for the record books as Muskegon continues to rise and our traditions continue to grow and flourish.  Bringing in new people and your friends and neighbors for a great time in beautiful surroundings sampling some of the best in food and drink you'll find!  We'll look forward to seeing you at Taste of Muskegon June 15th and 16th!  For the events official website, click on the photo below!

How about an alternative way to get yourself to work?  Day in and day out...you get up....you get ready....you head to the car, you might stop for a cup of coffee, you make the same drive with the same atmosphere and the same people around you...it's called the "routine" and once in a while, it might be a good thing to break up.  Visit the Muskegon Area Smart Commute Facebook Page

Kind of the idea behind the Muskegon Area Smart Commute Week happening June 11th-15th.  Think of your morning commute on your bike as a way to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Muskegon we are so lucky to have.  Think of using the MATS system to see how our public transit system operates efficiently and on time.  Taken a walk lately?  Can you walk to work or a meeting?  Maybe call some friends and car pool....catch up on the gossip and news.  It's all an effort to do a few things.  Reduce the amount of pollution in the air, help you be a little healthier if you choose to walk or bike and it's a great effort to showcase Muskegon instead of going through it at 75 miles an hour on 31 as you try and do your hair and get in that last cup of coffee on your way in.

Sounds fun, but what's in it for me?  You might ask.  Well, area business and organizations have teamed up to provide some pretty cool prizes and gifts for those who participate.  You could find yourself dining out at one of our great area restaurants.  You could get your hands on some Lakeshore Community Cash that can be spent at any number of participating retailers and it's all based on the honor system.  You do the work, you enter your points and a the end of the week, they will be tallied up and you could be the big winner.  Of course, it's really not about the prizes...it's about a different way to do things, if only for a week and a chance to make a little difference in your life and the community.

Scott Blease is with the Muskegon Area Smart Commute and we met up at his office Access Health to talk about the event, the incentives and how you can participate in all of it.  Take a listen.

 Give it a shot!  Spend a day doing something different or spend a week trying different ways of doing the daily grind!  Get out of the "rut" and enjoy a little Muskegon Summer with the Muskegon Area Smart Commute Week.  To visit their website and get signed up, click on the photo below!

It's asparagus season in Michigan.  A delicious vegetable that annually Michigan produces 20 million pounds of on 9,500 acres of land and is raised by 120 Michigan family farms.  Michigan ranks #2 in the nation for production of asparagus with California being first and Washington being 3rd.  Asparagus is actually part of the lily family....bet you didn't know that.  We have until the end of June in the northern part of Michigan to enjoy it fresh off the farm as the growing season ends then and the average lifespan of a field of asparagus will last 20 years.  All these fun facts come from Michiganasparagus.org.   Chef Char's Cooking Events on Event Brite

Chef Char has several upcoming cooking classes scheduled for the summer in Muskegon.  Tickets and a list of upcoming classes with Chef Char are available on Eventbrite.  You can click on the photo to the right to learn more and sign up!

Follow Chef Char on Facebook for updates on where she is cooking and what she is making.

Now that you know a little about the star of the show in this episode, let's take it into Kitchen 242 with Chef Char to let her work her magic.  Today, it's a cheese and kielbasa soup and it's delicious!  She'll show you the process and the recipe will follow at the bottom!  

Easy huh?  Now, here's the recipe!  Grab some delicious asparagus from your favorite neighborhood roadside stand of head to the Muskegon Farmers Market and support our local growers!  We've got a great season in Michigan to enjoy this scrumptious and versatile stalk...eat it up!!  Here's the recipe from Chef Char!

Chef Char’s Cheese & Kielbasa Asparagus Soup
Ingredients:
32 oz. (4 cups) chicken broth or chicken stock
5 cups redskin potatoes, diced
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
16 oz. kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound asparagus, fresh or frozen, cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch segments
Salt and pepper to taste
½ oz. fresh chives, minced

Directions:
In a large pan, boil the potatoes in chicken broth (or salted water). In another pan, sauté the vegetables and minced garlic until onions are translucent and a slight caramelization starts to appear on the carrots and peppers. Add the cooked carrots, onions, peppers and garlic from the sauté into the soup pan with the potatoes and reduce the heat of the soup pan to a low heat. In the sauté pan, cook the kielbasa until the cut up sections of sausage turn a light brown and add to the simmering soup pan. Add butter to the sauté pan until melted, add flour and stir to make a roux. Cook the roux until it turns a very light brown. Add milk to the roux and stir until dissolved. Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the milk and roux mixture and stir until dissolved. Last, add the cut asparagus to the soup pan then also stir in the cheese and roux mixture to the soup pan. Continue to cook the soup on low, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir until all cheese is melted and soup appears to thicken. Serve soup immediately, garnishing with shredded cheese and minced chives.

Happy Monday!!  It's time to get back in the swing of it!  Becky gave you the holiday week off from Fit and Healthy With Becky on The Muskegon Channel since you've been working at it so hard.  Now, it's time for your week of respite to draw to a close and get back to that Fit and Healthy you.

This week, she's busting out the TRX Straps again.  They are some bands that you can utilize to help you maximize your own body weight to help with the resistance part of your work out.  With any work out, make sure you consult your doctor first and always remember to warm up and stretch out before you get going.  Plenty of water along the way too!  

It's time for Episode 53 of Fit and Healthy With Becky on The Muskegon Channel!

Boom!  You did it.  Now, come back again later today or tomorrow.  Share this with your friends.  Make use of this as often as you like and know that Becky LOVES to help everyone be a little more Fit and Healthy.  You can do the exercising or...maybe you'd like to get your fitness in by some dancing?  Well, Becky offers that too!  See below and check out the flyer for some infor on her beginners Swing Dance lessons that get going at the Folkert Community Hub June 7th!!

It's easily one of the most historic spots we have in Muskegon County.  Since 1916 Marsh Field has seen more history play out on it's hallowed grounds than just about anywhere.  From the original farm team of the New York Yankees called the Muskegon Clippers to the years when women took over and it was the Muskegon Belles or the Muskegon Lassies and the Outwin Zephyrs who played there when it was the "Negro Leagues".  A time that we're all glad has passed.  After all, it's is the Great American Pastime....that should include all Americans, right?  Click on the 2018 Clippers Schedule to Follow them on Facebook

Today, the Muskegon Clippers once again call it home although today's Clippers are collegiate level players who are looking to hone their skills and develop in their "off season" while school isn't in session.  Much like the Muskegon Lumberjacks, the Clippers team players are billeted to area families while they are here to play.  They get a roof over their head and they commit to making sure that while they are here they get to develop, train, stay healthy and hopefully one day work their way up to the big leagues.  It's a long road...it's a lifetime of dedication and development that not many can make, but to know that Muskegon plays a role in their future really resonates.  After all, Muskegon is known for building great things.  Why shouldn't we be building the future generation of athletes in any sport?

A Clippers game is a GREAT family night out.  Season tickets are only $80 bucks.  Single game tickets start at only $5 and there will be lots of added amenities this season for fans.  Concessions are kept affordable, there are tailgate opportunities, beverages are cold hot dogs are hot and one of the best parts of the game is that the intimacy you'll feel with the players and staff won't be found anywhere else.  You are literally within talking distance to the players.  It's a remarkably up close and personal feel.

The home opener of the Muskegon Clippers season is happening at Marsh Field on June 8th.  It's this Friday night and they are expecting a great crowd for opening night, so if you're planning on going, get there early and get your spot in the seats.  There is also some added lawn seating this year so it might not hurt you to have a lawn chair in the car with ya if you'd like to go that route.  Game time is 7:05p Friday night.

I caught up with Pitching Coach and General Manager Steve Cutter to talk a little about the team and the upcoming season at Marsh Field.  Take a listen to our chat to hear more.

We're proud to support the Muskegon Clippers and we're even more proud to know they support us.  When you're at the game, keep an eye out for the big Muskegon Channel banner hanging out there in the outfield.  This is something we have to be proud of in Muskegon and rally around.  Make sure you head to Marsh Field to catch a game or two this Summer.  Enjoy the history.  Enjoy the community and maybe catch a future All Star playing right here in Muskegon and you can say you saw them when.  For more on the Muskegon Clippers.  Click on their photo below to visit the team website!  

It's a year long celebration of the United Way of the Lakeshore.  100 years of service in and around Muskegon. In that time, so much has been done for the community that you'd think it should all be done, right?  Well, that's not quite the case unfortunately.  The United Way's work continues to help bridge the gap for so many in and around Muskegon.  They work tirelessly to help raise awareness about community issues.  Raise funds to help meet needs, provide funding for other community programs as well as be a spot for community engagement to to happen on both a large and small scale.  Everything from the United Way's Day of Caring to community labor partnerships, youth activities and engagement the Urban Safety Corps and emergency food and shelter programs are all facilitated through the United Way.  Visit the United Way of the Lakeshore on Facebook

Gets to be Summer, and The United Way could easily be part of our tourism here in Muskegon too.  What a chance you have if you a cyclist to enjoy some of the most scenic views in Michigan while you peddle away on your choice of courses from 6-100 miles in the annual Ride United event that's happening June 16th.  It kicks off for the 100 mile riders at 8am in Downtown Muskegon and as the ride unfolds, not only will you find the picturesque beauty of the shoreline, you'll find plenty of respite stops and aid stations along the way.  Need a drink or a snack?  They will be waiting.  Need a repair along the way?  They will be on hand to assist.  It's a first class cycling experience for any skill level and one you'll want to come back and do again.  Best part is, the whole experience will help you raise a few bucks for the United Way to continue their great work.  When it's over...you're returning to Downtown Muskegon and as luck would have it... Taste of Muskegon is going on and you'll probably need some "carbs"...so there will be some beverage tickets waiting for you to help wet your whistle while you talk about the days adventure.   

I was joined by Jana Routt and Kara Zielinski of The United Way to talk about the day and the event.  Take a listen to our chat about all things Ride United.

It's a great way to get out and have some fun...for a purpose.  Ride United is a purposeful event designed to showcase the best Muskegon and surrounding areas have to offer with the natural beauty of it all as well as help an incredible organization out who's focus for over 100 years has been making this community a more stable place for everyone.  If Ride United sounds like something you'd enjoy, click on the photo below to visit the United Way's page and get yourself signed up!  We'll see you here June 16th!!