skinny italian -- teresa giudice has the best of both worlds

Teresa has no regrets for the table flipping incident we all know (and love!) her for - lucky for others she hasn't flipped any tables since. Teresa Giudice, a born and raised Jersey girl stars on Bravo TV's hit series, The Real Housewives of New Jersey is a true housewife. We watch Teresa each week as she devotes her time to her family - her "juicy" hubby Joe and 4 fabulicious daughters - Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana -- she does it all and still stays fabulous!

Just recently her first book, Skinny Italian, hit shelves and is a New York Times Bestseller. The lifestyle title is all about healthy Italian cooking while getting a glimpse into her family - showcasing 60 recipes straight from Salerno.

Throughout the book Teresa offers helpful advice and mouth-watering recipes you just can't wait to try with a dash of the behind-the-scenes gossip we love! She is a true example of how you can still eat spaghetti and fit into your "skinny" jeans.

How do you eat it all but stay so fit?

Italian food gets a bad rap in America because everyone thinks Italians sit around eating chicken parm and cannoli all day – and if you do eat that way, you certainly will not be skinny! But real Italian food—the kind we eat in my family because my parents grew up in Italy—is healthy as well as delicious. You’ll see in my recipes that I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil and fresh cheese instead of processed cheese, I sauté instead of deep fry, and I serve vegetable-based sauces rather than creamy sauces. I use sugar only in desserts (NOT in tomato sauce – that is sacrilege!). And my desserts are usually light and fruit-based.

How do you manage it all - wife, mother, work, etc? What advice can you give to other moms juggling it all?

Cook for your children. I know it sounds overwhelming, but the more you do it, the better you get. I’ve gotten a lot of emails from moms saying “my kids are such picky eaters. They never like anything, but they love your food.” That makes me so happy. And my girls love what I make for them. They never want me to order out because they’d rather eat what I make for them. My recipes are easy, too. Strawberries & Sambuca, which is my favorite dessert, has 3 ingredients and takes 10 minutes.
How do you keep your marriage so happy even with kids? Do you take timeout together?

Juicy Joe and I have date night together which gives us time for just the two of us. He wrote the sidebars in my cookbook called “Juicy Bits from Joe” that are funny and sometimes sexy, too. Check out my recipe for taking a sexy bath! I love to do vacation with the kids though. I wouldn’t have fun on vacation if my children weren’t with me.
What's your favorite designer? No one designer. I like unique pieces
What are the essentials you never leave home without? Lipgloss, lipliner, Blackberry

What is your favorite time-saving tip you think every mom should know?

I usually make extra food so that I can save the leftovers and serve it to the kids as their after school snack. That way I know they’re eating healthy, homemade food as snacks. I’d also recommend saving time by planning ahead: sometimes I cook two dinners at once: one to eat that night, and one to eat the next night.

What is the one thing you swore to yourself you would never do, but after having kids have found yourself doing it?

I never thought my husband would wind up doing our family’s grocery shopping, but after our third daughter was born, I realized I couldn’t do everything on my own. Now I make the shopping list and Joe goes to the store.
Okay, you know we just have to ask - does it bother you that your known as the "table flipper" because by far that is still the all time best moment and I'm sure you have gotten a ton of LOVE from it.

No regrets!

Teresa has given us a peek inside her glamourous life - up close & personal and wants to share more - which is why you NEED her book. Lucky for you, she is giving one of our lucky readers a chance to win a SIGNED copy!

Coke or Pepsi? Neither, I like bellinis!

RHONY or RHOC? I like both, but I blog about RHONY on People.com

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate

Movie or book? Cookbook!

Beach or Mountains? Beach

Yoga or pilates? both

Texting or talking? I used to like talking better, but it takes so much time.

Texting is faster for me these days.

Twitter or Facebook? I started out with just Facebook, but now I’m Twittering a lot too.

Dressing up or going caz? I like getting dressed up to go out with my husband and

staying casual when I’m with the kids

Heels or flip-flops? Both – heels when I’m dressed up and flip flops

when I’m being more casual

Shopping online or in-store? Mostly online, but if I’m shopping in a store,

it’s usually at boutiques

NYC or LA? New York is my back yard so I have to say LA –

it’s fun because it’s different for me.

Lipgloss or lipstick? lipgloss

Latte or frapp? latte

Wine or beer? wine

Blackberry or iphone? blackberry

SATC character? Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda?Carrie

Morning riser or night owl? Morning

Make a comment telling us why you must-have Skinny Italian! This comment is mandatory. You also MUST be a follower of CupcakeMAG & Sprinkles.

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The winner will be selected next Monday, June 14th around or after 11pm, EST. Open to US residents only please.

Just can't wait to win? Grab a copy of Skinny Italian now here. You can also read more about The Real Housewives of New Jersey here along with Teresa's blog. And stay-up-to date with Teresa on Twitter & Facebook. And for all of your Teresa needs visit her website.