WichiTalk

Light beer is the No. 1-selling style of beer across the nation, according to a Washington Post story that you can find in Thursday’s WichiTalk.

My favorite beer is Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, which www.samueladams.com accurately describes as having “distinct cherry tartness with a touch of sweet honey, cereal notes with a clean, fruity finish.” (I especially like it on tap and have found it offered that way in bars in Boston, Atlanta and — long story — Council Bluffs, Iowa.) According to the brewer, a 12-ounce bottle has 180 calories.

I do like Sam Adams Light, which has 119 calories. But if I’m I’m going to cut calories at dinner, I’d skip the fries or potato chips, opt for a spinach salad and stick with my favorite brew (even with 61 extra calories).

Do you have a favorite light beer? How important is a beer’s calorie count to you?

Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? One of my favorite uses for oatmeal is homemade granola. Mmm! I also eat instant oatmeal on occasion in the morning. And few cookie recipes can top my mom’s chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, a staple of my childhood.

Oatmeal has been shown to lower cholesterol and provides B vitamins and fiber, to keep you feeling full all morning long.

What’s your favorite oatmeal recipe or instant oatmeal?

And as a little Oatmeal Month gift to you, here’s a recipe that we ran in WichiTalk a couple of years ago. It also includes healthy blueberries, which help prevent cancer and slow the aging process.

Blueberry Crisp with Oatmeal Almond Topping

1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse blueberries. Drain, allowing some water to cling to berries. Place berries in 9-inch glass pie dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cinnamon; stir to blend. Let stand until sugar dissolves and coats berries. Stir together oats, flour, salt and remaining brown sugar. Add butter and rub in with fingertips or fork until moist clumps form. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over blueberries. Bake until berries are bubbling and topping is golden, about 35 minutes.

Serves 6.

Source: Bon Appetit

I love, love, LOVE salads, especially in summer, when my family and I make big salads for dinner about once a week.

I like salads even more when I can cruise through the salad bar, where someone else has done all the prep work.

My question: Who has the best salad bar in town? Name names, by posting your comment here.

Posted by Karen Shideler