Oatmeal good for your heart, good for others too
Brighten someone's day, help the hungry, help your heart. You can hit that trifecta by downloading Quaker's "OatMail" application.
The program sends to a person of your choosing a virtual bowl of customized oatmeal with an inspirational note that you create in a Mad Libs-like format. Every time a bowl goes out, Quaker donates $1 to Share Our Strength anti-hunger initiative and you get a $1-off coupon for heart-healthy Quaker Oat products. So far, more than $16,000 has been raised.
Head to quakeroats.com to play around with the site and brighten someone's day, and your own. You can also access it through the Quaker Oats page on Facebook.
Fun facts: While you're cooking up a bowl of oats, consider these oatmeal fact, courtesy of the folks at Quaker.
• Americans buy enough oatmeal to make 346 million bowls each year.
• The most popular oatmeal topping is milk. Others include sugar, fruit and butter.
• The most unusual toppings are eggnog, cottage cheese and brewer's yeast.
• Oatmeal cookies are the number one noncereal use for oatmeal followed by meatloaf and cakes/pies.
• Oats were one of the earliest cereals cultivated by man.
Love is in the air: Join local radio talent Marti Jones at Whole Foods Market in Palatine Saturday as she cooks up Italian recipes for a romantic meal for two.
From 10:30 a.m. to noon, Jones, a familiar voice on US 99 America's Country Radio, will teach participants how to make Italian wedding soup, antipasto salad and cream cheese cherry delights. Recipes and sample-size tastings will be provided. Admission is free but advanced registration is required by calling (847) 776-8080 or visiting Whole Foods' customer service desk. The store is at 1331 N. Rand Road.
Jones also is scheduled to lead free classes on Italian Easter traditions on April 24 and on farm-style Italian recipes on June 12.
What do you love? What in your kitchen can't you live without? What recipe do you cook again and again? What local chef would you crawl on your hands and knees to eat with?
I've extended the deadline for readers to share their favorite locally made or locally available culinary items. I'm talking raw ingredients, food products, gadgets, craft beers, wines and spirits, recipes, restaurants, etc.
Send an email marked FAVORITE in the subject line to food@dailyherald.com. Include the item, a short description of why it's your favorite along with your contact information.
- Deborah Pankey
• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at food@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4524. Listen to her discuss food and restaurant trends on Restaurant Radio Chicago, 5 to 6 p.m. Saturdays on WIND 560 AM.