Kate Lawson on Food

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Category: Contests

Go Home for the Holidays with the help of Folgers

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee on a brisk winter morning can stir up a sense of nostalgia and a yearning to be home with family during the holidays.

This year, Folgers is making that happen for five lucky families. Entries are now being accepted for the Folgers "Home for the Holidays" Contest.

From now until November 7, 2009, you can visit www.folgers.com for a chance to win a trip home to celebrate with family. Five winners will receive a seven day, six night trip in December 2009 for themselves and up to three other guests to travel to their hometown destination within the 48 contiguous United States.

To enter, visitors to the site will be asked to describe what they think is the best part of wakin' up at home during the holidays. Winners will be announced on or about November 11, 2009. Each trip includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, a rental car, $1,000 spending money and a Folgers gift basket.

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Category: Contests

Top Chefs feel their oats

Are you a die hard "Top Chef" fan? Think you have what it takes to go knife-to-knife with other Top Chefs? To find out, create a unique dish using Quaker Oats, and enter the first-ever Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge just like the chef'testants did on last week's episode.

During last week's "Top Chef," the chef'testants were asked to come up with a recipe that showcased the versatility of Quaker Oats as part of the episode's Quickfire Challenge. The winning recipe was a Banana Oatmeal Mousse with Almond Crisp, created by chef'testant Stefan Richter.

I thought it looked delicious but I found myself grimacing after seeing what chef'testant Fabio had created using eggplant rolled in oats.

Um, thanks but no.

I'm sure you could do much, much better and now's your chance.

All at-home chefs and fans of the show can submit their original recipes that showcase Quaker Oats as an exciting and versatile ingredient. In early March, visitors to the Web site will vote to select three finalists who will travel to New York City and compete in the first Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge. The finalists will experience what it is like to be a Top Chef when they compete in a live Quickfire Challenge and prepare a new, original dish using Quaker Oats. The winner will have the chance to attend a future "Top Chef" episode.

Get more information on the Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge, including official rules or check out the Quaker Web site for tips and cooking and baking ideas.

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Category: Contests

Moms: Only 1 more day to enter Veggies Contest

Art Smith, author and chef, is looking for a few good moms - those devoted to getting their kids and their communities to love eating vegetables, but you'd better hurry because the deadline is Thursday, Jan. 15.

Chef Smith and the makers of Hidden Valley Salad Dressings will host a Love Your Veggies retreat for winners of the "Search for Veggies Champions Contest,""Search for Veggie Champions Contest," which began last November. The goal is to help moms everywhere raise veggie-loving kids.

For a chance to win a spot at Chef Smith's retreat moms must complete a simple application by the Jan. 15 deadline.

Ten winners will enjoy an all-expense-paid trip to Chicago from April 28 to April 29 for two days of fun and educational workshops, field trips, cooking demonstrations and tastings with some of America's most notable food, gardening and nutrition experts. To ensure a little pampering along the way, winners will receive accommodations for three nights, a spa visit and dinner at Chef Smith's own Table Fifty-Two restaurant. Each retreat winner will also receive $5,000 to start or improve a vegetable garden in her hometown. The winner must designate a non-profit organization to which the $5,000 prize money will be awarded and with whom the community garden will be planted or improved.

Chef Smith designed the retreat to cover topics that educate moms on how to introduce and involve kids in a healthy eating experience, including vegetable education, gardening, meal planning and shopping, and cooking. The information taught at the retreat will be made available for all parents on LoveYourVeggies.com.

Category: Contests

Vegetarians find fine fare at the fair

Calling all animal lovers and non-meat eaters: new to the Michigan State Fair this year is the "Healthy Vegetarian Burger" contest.

This year's fair, which runs Aug. 22 - Sept. 1, promises to be bigger and better than ever and the fact that vegetarian offerings will be included in the pies, cakes, jams and pickling recipes shows that to be the case.

The vegetarian burger contest will take place at noon on Aug.31 noon in the Community Arts Bldg. on the fair grounds.

Any Michigan resident can enter the contest

by simply clicking on Community Arts and then

Daily Contests, or call (313) 369-8260 for more information.

Each of the contest's three winners will receive gift cards and gift baskets compliments

of Whole Foods Market, Zerbo's Health Foods (Livonia),

Zaccaro's Market (Detroit), Good Food Co. (Troy), Eden Foods (based in Clinton, MI),

Amy's Kitchen, and Pacific Natural Foods. The total amount of gift cards/baskets

is more than $500.

So start working on those meatless burger recipes. A blue ribbon could be in your future.