AVR-Chat

What's the best learning tool for the ARV's both interfacing and learning "C"? I've searched here on a lot of the archives and the internet trying to find the best place to start. I ordered a "Butterfly" and the Butterfly Carrier" and am thinking of ordering an "Atmel AVR C Training Course & Dev. Board" and would like some opinions on the best way to go, please. Is that polite enough? In case your wondering that last statement is for the moderator.
I know it's debatable about the best programming language to start with but after much reading have decided to go with "C". I have written programs in "Basic" many years ago when computers only had 64k memory and there was no canned software or print drivers out yet-- the days of the CPM operating system and Bill Gates was still in high school. Maybe I should have stuck with it and I would have several billion now. Anyway, any help you might care to provide would be greatly appreciated-- about the Amtel C Training Board that is.