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What are you currently reading? "I just downloaded a book about the guys in Hollywood, 'Difficult Men.' " What did you have for dinner last night? "I had grilled salmon that my husband made. I marinated, and my husband grilled. And a spinach salad with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese and pine nuts." What is your next project? "I am writing my second novel." When was the last trip you took – where and why? "On location for 'The Biggest Loser,' we went to Park City, Utah." BY JACQUELINE CUTLER Becoming a mom made Alison Sweeney a healthy cook. Her son, 8, and daughter, 4, were the catalysts for healthier eating, and the host of NBC's "The Biggest Loser," airing Tuesdays, saw her cooking evolve. "It started as nonexistent," she says. "I famously, among my friends, had been known to explode a bag of popcorn in a microwave. I was so unqualified to be in my own kitchen. And when I was young and unmarried and not a parent, I was obsessed with the Food Network. Emeril Lagasse taught me how to cook. I became unafraid of cooking, watching him." Though she was cooking, it wasn't healthy. "I started cooking healthier, making him baby food when he was an infant," she says of her firstborn. "Since then I have been a much healthier cook," she says. "I am pretty adventurous with different spices. I can wing it. It is not always a win." Sweeney eats five meals a day, limiting herself to 1,500 calories. She exercises hard and often. "I started changing my own eating patterns," she says. "The No. 1 thing I could do was to cook better and healthier." Once Sweeney cooks, that's it – she doesn't make substitutions for the kids. "I am not a short-order cook," she says. "I don't take orders. I love mushrooms, so I am making mushrooms." Her refrigerator is always stocked with fruit – cut-up cantaloupe, washed blueberries – ready to eat. "I sort of have a theory it is why potato chips are so appealing – not just because they are obviously salty," Sweeney says. "It is so convenient. But we don't have chips in our house." Sweeney likes routine and eats oatmeal every day for breakfast. Her best dish is a vegetable stir-fry with a little brown rice and a protein. She neither eats dessert nor squanders calories. "I won't waste my calories on a tasteless meal unless I am stuck somewhere," she says. "I almost never eat fast food. I try to avoid processed foods. I avoid deep-fried foods." However, she does not forbid foods because that makes them too big of a deal. Alison Sweeney credits kids with improving her cooking BEST COUNTRY MUSIC MOVIES Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon Andy Griffith Jeff Bridges 8 The Goshen News • TV Spotlight • November 4-10, 2013 BY JAY BOBBIN "A Face in the Crowd" (1957) Andy Griffith's stardom was advanced by his memorable portrayal of folksy but canny singer "Lonesome" Rhodes in this Elia Kazan-directed classic. "Payday" (1973) Acting veteran Rip Torn had one of his best roles in this saga of a self-involved country star. "Nashville" (1975) Robert Altman's tribute to the country music capital intercuts multiple stories and a fabulous cast including Keith Carradine, who won an Oscar for his song "I'm Easy." "Urban Cowboy" (1980) Country music gives this drama its pulse as a young couple's (John Travolta, Debra Winger) ups and downs are traced. "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980) Sissy Spacek earned an Oscar as Loretta Lynn, with Tommy Lee Jones also doing solid work as husband Mooney. "Honkytonk Man" (1982) Clint Eastwood made one of his most personal works, as both actor and director, with this profile of an ill singer set on Grand Ole Opry fame. "Tender Mercies" (1983) Confirming that a number of top actors have won Oscars for delving into country music, Robert Duvall also earned his as a hard-drinking singer whose life is changed by a widow (Tess Harper) and her son. "Sweet Dreams" (1985) "Coal Miner's Daughter" producer Bernard Schwartz turned his attention to another country icon with this Patsy Cline biography starring Jessica Lange. "Pure Country" (1992) Country legend George Strait got a top-selling album out of his stab at acting, in which he plays – you guessed it – a country superstar, but one who tires of the business and goes AWOL. "The Thing Called Love" (1993) Aspiring talents gather in Nashville in director Peter Bogdanovich's excellent drama; stars include River Phoenix and Sandra Bullock. "Walk the Line" (2005) As June Carter, Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for portraying the singer's relationship on and off the stage with husband-to-be Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix). "Crazy Heart" (2009) Jeff Bridges was an Oscar winner for acting – and singing – his way through the tale of a redeemed country music veteran.

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