Sweat Equity looks at fun ’n’ funky classes that get South Floridians in shape. First up, Crunch’s new Pound class, using weighted drumsticks to beat back the fat.

The fog shifted, and the canyon slowly revealed itself: First it was just a few feet, then a few peaks, and then everything — peaks, plateaus, crevices, complete with ravens and a condor swooping into the canyon not far from us — came into startling view. The sun threw light onto the rocks, bringing out the gorgeous red, orange and earth-tone colors and creating splendid shadows. My jaw dropped, literally. I felt as if we were standing on the edge of some unknown, prehistoric nonhuman world, stark but rich, forbidding, mesmerizing.

No mere encyclopedia of bugs, <span class="italic">Sex on Six Legs</span> (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) delivers exactly what its subtitle promises: lessons on life, love and language from the insect world. In this page-turner, entomologist and first-rate raconteur Marlene Zuk draws swarms of six-legged subjects under the microscope and enlightens all along the way.

An easy, elegant menu lets you kindle romance by firing up the stove.

Cupid’s holiday has always been a day of wine and roses. I can’t help you with the flowers, but some wines are better suited to Valentine’s Day than others.

Janet Marie Livingston was looking for a cookie recipe that her late grandmother always made at Christmas. She described them as looking like little doilies and knew they contained oatmeal. Sometimes her gran dipped them in chocolate.

Atelier Monnier French Bakery is a one-stop Pinecrest shop for Valentine sweets, chocolates and wines. The sleek space has glass cases filled with patisserie plus sandwiches on fresh-baked breads or croissants and quiche by the slice.

Flank steak isn’t considered as elegant a cut as filet mignon or New York strip, but it makes up for it with big flavor and versatility.

It’s Valentine’s Day again, and I just want to remind people there are alternatives to chocolate when it comes to showing your love.

You can follow a recipe to the letter, but you don’t really begin to cook until you learn to play with your food. To be precise, learn to play with a few key ingredients and cooking techniques to boost the flavor of a dish, moving it from boring to beautiful.

Brooke Siem and Leslie Feinberg were just two 20-something victims of the recession when they starting hitting the bottle to make a living.

<span class="bold">The lowdown:</span> In Hindu, “kesar” means “saffron,” so it is no wonder this pricey spice is at the core of the newly launched KeSARI facial at agua at Delano. The Indian beauty line mixes time-honored ingredients and modern-day science, leaving both skin and hair with a luminous glow. “Saffron has been used in Indian beauty rituals, and KeSARI brings this beauty secret to all,” KeSARI Brand Ambassador Renee Lucas says.

Pro basketball legend Oscar Robertson opens up about his recent prostate cancer surgery and sounds off about today’s NBA. A preview: The Heat is still a piece short of greatness.

Sweat Equity looks at fun ’n’ funky classes that get South Floridians in shape. First up, Crunch’s new Pound class, using weighted drumsticks to beat back the fat.

By age 6 months, babies begin to watch people’s mouths when somone speaks to them, helping them learn how to talk

The cry has been heard: After 20 years with little change to baby monitoring devices, new designs premiered in January at the Consumer Electronics Show promising Wi-Fi connectivity and high-definition video that streams live to a smartphone.

The causes of obesity are many. The most significant are overeating, genetics and inactivity, heightened by an abundance of sedentary activities such as television viewing, video gaming and computer use. Some researchers are delving into environmental factors that could be minor but controllable contributors to this growing public health issue.

Television already has <span class="italic">The Biggest Loser</span>. Dr. Mehmet Oz is looking for the biggest number of losers.

A new musical about mental illness at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables melds the arts with medicine

Knock, knock. Want to win some money? A couple of Hallandale Beach and Hollywood residents had the chance to be on a trivia game show, just by opening the door and answering some questions about Florida.

Vegas, baby, yeah! (Can you hear the Austin Powers accent?) At this point, the city of sin is pretty much synonymous with any night-time activity — gambling, dancing, drinking, grubbin — so it’s no wonder that Las Vegas hotels have stepped up their game when it comes to their room service menus. We applaud the hotels who already offer 24/7 service — personally, we think it’s essential everywhere — but for those who don’t, well, those hotels should probably take a peek at what our favorite properties are currently turning out.

The fog shifted, and the canyon slowly revealed itself: First it was just a few feet, then a few peaks, and then everything — peaks, plateaus, crevices, complete with ravens and a condor swooping into the canyon not far from us — came into startling view. The sun threw light onto the rocks, bringing out the gorgeous red, orange and earth-tone colors and creating splendid shadows. My jaw dropped, literally. I felt as if we were standing on the edge of some unknown, prehistoric nonhuman world, stark but rich, forbidding, mesmerizing.

Monte Carlo, the glamorous playground of the Riviera, a center of ecological initiatives and sustainable tourism? The chic resort with a firmament of Michelin starred restaurants, a poster child for locavores and local sourcing?

Rick Steves offers advice on dealing with jet lag, drinking water and minor ailments.

A dazzling Boardwalk pulsating with light, music, recreation and entertainment, surrounded by pedestrian-friendly enclaves away from the casinos is the vision of Atlantic City’s future adopted Wednesday by a state agency tasked with turning around the struggling seaside resort.

In the run-up to the Summer Games, London is offering a wealth of free or inexpensive cultural activities.

My room at The Bowery House on Manhattan’s Lower East Side was so small.

Last year’s frightening flooding of the Mississippi River didn’t do any direct damage to the site of one of the pivotal battles of the Civil War. It did bring in some undesirable new neighbors.

Seven apparel companies under one roof in Miami share resources, swap ideas and work better than they would alone.

<span class="bold">The lowdown:</span> In Hindu, “kesar” means “saffron,” so it is no wonder this pricey spice is at the core of the newly launched KeSARI facial at agua at Delano. The Indian beauty line mixes time-honored ingredients and modern-day science, leaving both skin and hair with a luminous glow. “Saffron has been used in Indian beauty rituals, and KeSARI brings this beauty secret to all,” KeSARI Brand Ambassador Renee Lucas says.

Four photos (TPN)

<span class="bold">The lowdown: </span>For come-hither eyes, hit up Blink Lash. The beauty boutique specializes in eyelash extensions and eyebrow shaping. Owners and sisters Michee Valedon and Yani Valedon provide makeovers for your peepers. “Clients can expect a relaxing atmosphere with soothing music in a comfortable setting,” Yani says.

Karl Lagerfeld’s reboot of his own label is happening entirely online.

<span class="bold">The lowdown</span>: First there were highlights, then ombré and now dip-dye — bright, punk-inspired streaks, spotted of late in the locks of Lauren Conrad and Kate Bosworth. For a fresh color job, seek out Van Michael Salon’s colorist of six years, Taylor Trace. “Another big trend for fall is that there’s going to be a lot of redheads,” Trace says.

Local Internet marketing entrepreneur Loren Ridinger chooses her favorites as a Gilt City “Insider.”

Perhaps it was the brightly colored surgical mask that covered Nicki Minaj’s pout at the MTV Video Music Awards last August. Or maybe it was the neon puffball tunic, which made her look as if she’d fallen into a bowl of Dippin’ Dots, that she wore to Carolina Herrera’s spring 2012 show in September. But few in 2011 could take their eyes off Minaj, the Technicolor Barbie with the big voice and an elastic smile.

<span class="bold">The lowdown:</span> For fashions ahead of the proverbial curve, a jaunt to Curve is in order. “Curve is a multi-label specialty boutique born out of my quest to present fashion in a new way and sell style over fashion. I always carefully select pieces from each collection I buy to create our own trends each season, and our goal is to give our clients wardrobe longevity,” says owner Nevena Borissova.

An easy, elegant menu lets you kindle romance by firing up the stove.

You can follow a recipe to the letter, but you don’t really begin to cook until you learn to play with your food. To be precise, learn to play with a few key ingredients and cooking techniques to boost the flavor of a dish, moving it from boring to beautiful.

Brooke Siem and Leslie Feinberg were just two 20-something victims of the recession when they starting hitting the bottle to make a living.

It’s Valentine’s Day again, and I just want to remind people there are alternatives to chocolate when it comes to showing your love.

A photo gallery

Give your game-day buffet a Mexican accent with recipes from the Cantina Beach chef

Onion soups traditionally are served topped with a thick slice of French bread and a generous blanket of melted cheese, which often overwhelms the soup’s flavor. Serve each bowl of our Sweet Onion and Beer Soup with a lightly toasted slice of bread topped with melted Cheddar.

Have you ever been to a party where dips weren’t served? Me, neither. They’re mainstays at gatherings, and they’ve come a long way from the days of sour cream mixed with packaged soup or salad dressing mixes.

Mushrooms are high on a list of things to watch in the food and beverage world for 2012. An annual trend-spotting report by JWT, a worldwide marketing communications company, pegged mushrooms as a top functional food.

A photo gallery

It’s going to take at least one or two years before you see an improvement with your palms. You need to continue with the corrective measures for at least another year or two as well as use a “palm special” type fertilizer (8-2-12 + 4% Mg). To learn how to correct palm deficiencies and other information, please visit this UF site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu and search for “palm nutrition.”

Alexandra Errington thought her toddler was in bed. Then she heard a crash and a scream “like I’ve never heard him scream before.”

Ever play that flashlight game where you point the beam upward from your chin to create a ghoulish and sinister-looking face? If so, you’ve witnessed the power of light to transform a physical object, for better or for worse. George Clooney or Charlize Theron might look gorgeous during a magazine photo shoot, but light them wrong and those fab faces can turn suddenly scary. Alfred Hitchcock knew this and used lighting effects deliberately to create frightening images in his films.

Barbara LaPradd chooses roses for her Pinecrest garden for their age and fragrance.

No mere encyclopedia of bugs, <span class="italic">Sex on Six Legs</span> (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) delivers exactly what its subtitle promises: lessons on life, love and language from the insect world. In this page-turner, entomologist and first-rate raconteur Marlene Zuk draws swarms of six-legged subjects under the microscope and enlightens all along the way.

L.A. Clipper <span class="bold">Chris Paul</span> may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.

Winter won’t be over for a couple more months, but already the sun is climbing a little higher in the sky, and feeling a little warmer.

Today’s homes are filled with parts and materials — limestone countertops, stainless steel appliances, multihead showers — that weren’t so common years ago. They make your home more efficient and require less maintenance. You can’t ignore them entirely, though. So, as you plan your chores and projects for the coming year, here are some to keep in mind.

I could easily recommend three or four vets in your area, but since I don’t know you or your pets, I’m not sure which kind would best suit you. I can, however, offer a primer on identifying a quality veterinary facility:

I could easily recommend three or four vets in your area, but since I don’t know you or your pets, I’m not sure which kind would best suit you. I can, however, offer a primer on identifying a quality veterinary facility:

Have you ever seen your cat stop, cough, extend his neck and recruit his abdominal muscles to help spew forth the contents of his stomach? With a violent heave, a cat easily proves his mettle as an expert vomiter.

People seem to have a basic need to connect with animals.

Now that the Denver Broncos are out of the NFL playoffs, it’s probably a little safer to tiptoe into the controversy that is Tim Tebow.

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