dinner is served

You have a brand new bundle of joy...that cries all the time and never seems to sleep! The last thing you want to do is figure out what to cook for dinner!

Thankfully, Chef Jamie created www.storksuppers.com, a website that allows you to order one-to-two week's worth of dinner to send to a new mom you know. Brilliant concept, right? And it's so easy to do.

Just email Jamie to request a packet with a gift certificate and book of menus to present to the mom. Jamie will contact her directly, find out what she wants to order and deliver the food on the designated day.

The meals are skillfully prepared by Chef Jamie herself, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. Her time spent studying food and wine while traveling through Europe has definitely paid off. Her home chef cooking class business, Dinner Party Chef (www.dinnerpartychef.com) launched in 2004 and has been featured in the New York Times. After having a baby girl herself and with another one of the way, she decided that there was a need for home delivered meals for new moms and their families.

A quick glimpse at the menus prove this is no fast-food find. Choose from Pistachio and Meyer Lemon Crusted Halibut, Chicken Milanese with Baby Arugula and Grape Tomatoes, Pretzel Crusted Chicken, Filet Mignon Stuffed with Fresh Herbs, Turkey or Beef Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Sage, Lentil and Butternut Squash Stew, Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna, Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Pine Nuts and much more. The cost? One week of meals is $425 plus groceries, two weeks goes for $765 plus groceries (you get a 10% discount).

To place your order, email Jamie@dinnerpartychef.com or check out her site, www.storksupper.com for more info.

born to swim

I was a lifeguard in high school and one of the most terrifying things for me was watching new mothers try to teach their babies to swim. I'd sit on the edge of my chair, ready to dive in at a moment's notice. Luckily, there were no mishaps on my watch...but as a result, I'm always looking for better ways to introduce kids to the water. Aquanilo, based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is one of them. "Danilo and I started this company with one thing in mind: To provide the best swimming for infants and babies, while providing parents with the support they need to supplement their parenting style," says Yaron Landow, CEO. Landow co-owns Aquanilo with Swim Director and 2000 Olympics participant Danilo Krvavac, a driving force behind the program, shown here teaching a five-month-old to swim. In addition to swimming lessons, an on-site certified doula offers exceptional parenting support. "The doula helps parents understand how specific exercises help their children's cognitive and physical growth," says Landow. "She is also there to talk to new moms about everything from breastfeeding to dealing with the necessary adjustments when becoming a new parent." The business wouldn't be a success without the duo's passion for the sport; Landow says he discovered his at a young age. "When I was about four years old, I was scared of dogs," he recalls. "I was at a hotel that had a resident dog that walked around the property and was always barking. One day I was at the pool with my older sister and the dog started chasing me and barking. I ran away and jumped into the pool. I was thankful that I knew how to swim and that the dog didn't like water." For more info on this innovative swim program, email aquaniloswim@gmail.com.