1.  First off, what is an affiliate program?  An affiliate program is a way for you to earn a commission by telling others about a product or service.  If your referral  makes a purchase you receive a portion of their payment as a commission or thank-you for referring them. 

2.  Dine Without Whine's Menu Planning Service Affiliate Program allows you to earn a 25% commission on every affiliate sale you generate.  For example if Mary clicks on your affiliate link (more on that in a minute) and she signs up for a one year subscription to DWW - You earn $12.50 (That's 25% of $50.00 - the price of a year subscription).  If she instead choose the monthly subscription plan you would earn $1.13 (25% of her $4.50 subscription price) EVERY month until she is no longer a member of DWW.  Every time she makes a payment  you get paid too. 

3.  Now about that affiliate link... In order to take advantage of our affiliate program you need to pick up an affiliate link.  This is quite simple.  Go to:  http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/amember/member.php and sign-in.  At the top click on "Get Affiliate Banners and Links" or "Advertise This Site...". (whichever comes up) This will bring you to a page with several banners and text link options.  Pick the option that you like and copy the blue html code (only the code not the picture or text that goes along with it).  Now you can paste the code onto your web-site, e-mail signature line, etc. 

4.  If you do not have a web-site, you can add this html to any signature line (e-mail, bulletin boards etc.)  If you need help with how to do this, search for "signature line" in the help file of your e-mail program.  It is generally pretty simple to figure out. 

5.  The affiliate link you pick up has your personal id number embedded within it.  When your referral clicks on your link and makes a purchase, the affiliate program automatically tracks that and you will receive an e-mail stating that you have earned an affiliate commission.  I send payments via PayPal on the 1st of each month to cover the previous month. 

6.  You are welcome to just tell your friends and family about Dine Without Whine without using an affiliate link.  However, I am not able to keep track of affiliate payments manually.  I often will have people e-mail me to let me know they were referred by so and so.  I am happy they were referred, but unless an affiliate link was used, the referring person will not receive a payment. 

This Weeks Top Five Referring Sites
(These sites have a link to DWW somewhere on their site and have sent the most visitors to www.dinewithoutwhine.com this week)

Recipe of the Week

Exerted from this week's family friendly menu plan and convenient grocery shopping list. 

Try our Menu Planning Service at no charge for the first week. 

For more information visit  www.dinewithoutwhine.com

Cherry Cheesecake

Makes 16 servings

1/2 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 eggs, seperated
1 cup sugar
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 20-ounce can cherry pie filling

1. Heat oven to 275°. Butter springform pan, 9 x 3 inches.

2. Mix cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, the cinnamon and nutmeg. Dust bottom and side of springform pan with crumb mixture.

3. Beat egg yolks in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Beat in cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sour cream, flour and vanilla until smooth.

4. Beat egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour into pan.

5. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven 1 hour. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled.

6. Spread top of cheesecake with Cherry Pie Filling. Refrigerate until glaze is set. Remove cheesecake from pan just before serving.

Kitchen and Cooking Tips

A new 123Fit just opened up in our town and Matt and I are looking forward to joining and getting back into shape.  Anyway, that made me think about this article I would like to share with you.  It's not exactly a kitchen or cooking tip, but good just he same.

10 Fun Ways To Become More Active – Every Day

You know you should be getting some sort of exercise, you know of all the health benefits that come with a more active lifestyle. You’ve tried the whole Gym thing, but it just wasn’t for you. The temptation to just sit in front of the TV, to curl up with a good book, or to spend a little extra time at your computer is just too big. Who wants to head to the gym right now anyway?

There are many other options to get more active that don’t include jogging, weight lifting or other “traditional” ways to work out. Here are a few ideas to get you moving

1)     Chase your Kids around the Yard

You’d be surprised at how much of a work out you’ll get playing catch with your kids. Time will fly while you are having fun and your children will enjoy the extra time with you. Just get out there and play.

2)     Turn up the Music and Dance around the Living Room

         While you’re dusting, putting up dishes, straightening up the kids’ rooms, or after you’ve been sitting around for  too long, just play some of your favorite upbeat music and dance around in the house. Not only will you get your heart rate up, but you’ll also have more fun doing some of those chores.

3)     Plant some Flowers

When the weather is nice, just get out there and plant some flowers. Or you could start a little vegetable garden, trim some hedges, cut the grass, or plant a tree. You get the idea. Just get out there, enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, and play in the dirt. Yes, this actually counts as exercise in our book.

4)     Go for a Walk with a Friend

Take a walk and invite a friend to come along. I’ve had some of the best conversations while on a walk. Getting to chat with a friend makes the time fly by and before you know it you’ve been walking for 30 minutes.

5)     Listen to some Music or an Audio Book while you Walk

Again, keeping your mind on something else will make the time fly by and you’ll get some extra fun out of your walk. You may even want to consider getting an MP3 Player. You can easily add what you want to listen to and go for your walk.

6)     Sign up for a Yoga or Pilates Class

Consider starting a yoga or Pilates class. Both of these workouts are pretty low impact and won’t leave you sweaty and sore (mostly). You may also enjoy meeting some new people in the class.

7)     Take some Dance Lessons with your Partner

Ok, here is the tough part: Convince your partner to take some dance lessons. Dancing will give you quite the workout and it’s just plain fun and of course romantic. Think about all your options here. You can pick from anything from Ball Room Dancing, to Line Dancing, to Latin etc. Pick something that sounds fun to you and go for it. You’ll enjoy the extra one on one time with your partner as well.

8)     Go for a Swim at Your Local YMCA or Aquatic Center

Swimming makes for some great exercise. It is low impact and easy on your joints. Start by swimming a few laps, or play in the pool with your kids.

9)     Go for a Bike Ride

Take the entire family on a bike ride. You can ride through your neighborhood in the evenings or plan a longer trip for the weekend. Pack a picnic for extra fun and start peddling. 

10) Go for a Hike

Look for some hiking trails in your area and go for a hike. This could be a fun activity for you and a friend, or take the entire family along. Start with some easy trails and work yourself up to some longer or steeper trails.  

Go ahead, pick one or two of the activities and get moving. I’m sure you’ll come up with plenty of versions of your own. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy, so you’ll stick with it. Get out there and get moving today.

 - Susanne Myers together with Christine Steendahl, owns and publishes the Healthy Menu Mailer. Each week, we provide you with 7 dinner recipes. Sign up for a free sample menu at http://www.healthymenumailer.com