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The March of Dimes Chicago Chef of the Year Award was created out of a desire to honor Chef Rick Bayless for his achievements, especially as they relate to the March of Dimes and its annual Chicago Signature Chefs Auction. As the inaugural winner of this award, Bayless is being honored for his many efforts including his dedication to the culinary arts, his humanitarian efforts, his dedication to the environment, the farming industry and an eco-friendly lifestyle, and his recent accomplishments in Bravo's Top Chef Masters, which brought nationwide attention to local chefs and to the Chicago restaurant market.

"Chef Bayless is a culinary legend who has used his fame and success to not only bring some great attention to the Chicago Restaurant world, but also to encourage a green and sustainable lifestyle, which is especially important for new and expecting mothers," says Dane Neal, co-host of Restaurant Radio Chicago.

Bayless will be in Mexico on the night of the auction, and has worked with the March of Dimes to create an exclusive video presentation for the award to be shown at the event. In the video, the award is given to Bayless by the Kernans, a family that has been affected by the organization's mission, and who most recently raised the most funds in the history of the state of Illinois ($42,000) as a Family Team for this year's walk, March for Babies.

"In addition, to have this fantastic award with Chef Rick Bayless as its inaugural recipient, and presented at the March of Dimes Signature Chefs event, which is by far the premier food-related charity event in Chicago, immediately makes it one of the most prestigious honors that chefs in this city will be vying for next year," says Neal.

The event is Thursday, October 29, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel, 5 p.m. More than 600 guests will sample the unique dishes of local chefs representing some of the city's most notable restaurants. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.tinytastings.com.

(10-20-09)

Before throwing out the meat and seeds of a carved Halloween pumpkin chew on this: Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and potassium, and the seeds are high in fiber, vitamin B12 and polyunsaturated fatty acids, one of the so-called good fats.

"The flesh of pumpkin and the seeds are abundant in many essential nutrients," says Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Pumpkins are low in fat, calories and are loaded with vitamins."

If you are planning to use fresh pumpkin for baking, Sandon says, choose smaller, blemish- and bruise-free pumpkins. Smaller pumpkins have softer and tastier meat. To maintain freshness, pumpkins should be stored in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

And don't forget to oven roast the pumpkin seeds. They are ideal as snacks or as a salad topping.

Check out our Purely Pumpkin Recipe Collection!

(10-20-09)

Fall's brilliant colors are in full bloom. With this season comes a variety of hearty fruits and vegetables that are great for your health, such as apples and pumpkins. While they may be great for fall activities like bobbing for apples or carving pumpkins, Chicagohealers.com practitioners Dr. Helen Lee and Dr. Melody Hart point out the many health benefits of these two power foods.

"Fresh fruits and vegetables will always provide the most nutrients and natural enzymes that the body can use more readily, so it is important to take advantage of the health benefits of apples and pumpkins while they are in season," says Dr. Helen Lee.

Here is a breakdown of the benefits of apples and pumpkins just in time for their peak season:

According to Dr. Lee, pumpkins contain the following benefits:

Nutrient-rich:

Provide vitamin C and E, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium, which support the health of organs such as kidneys, bladder and prostate.

Contain both beta and alpha carotenoids, which are antioxidants that help prevent cell damage.

Supply lutein, which supports healthy eyes.

Beneficial to Health:

Aid in ridding the body of parasites and other unwelcomed digestive inhabitants.

Contain healthy essential fatty acid oils.

High in protein; 1 ounce of seeds provides about 7 grams.

Easy Ways to Incorporate in Diet:

A handful of raw pumpkin seeds as a snack or mixed with trail mix, or on top of cereal.

Pumpkin seed butter spread on toast.

Pumpkin pie/desserts/pancakes/waffles.

Pumpkin baked or browned with spices in risotto, chili, rice or spaghetti.

According to Dr. Hart, apples are important in the diet for the following reasons:

Quintessential for Health:

Low in fat and calories.

Enzyme-rich energy food, which helps break down and digest other foods.

Reduce risk of colds and flu.

Improve ability of intestinal muscles to move waste through and help lower cholesterol levels.

Regulate Blood Sugar:

Help prevent hypoglycemia and diabetes.

Keep blood glucose levels up to help feel full longer.

Packed with Nutrients:

Pectin fiber binds and helps eliminate gut toxins, keeping the GI tract healthy and act as a natural stimulant (green apples contain more pectin).

Great source of vitamin A carotenes for antioxidant activity, the flavonoid quercitin as well as vitamin C.

Help Fight Disease:

Bone protection.

Asthma relief.

Alzheimer's prevention.

Cancer prevention (lung, breast, colon and liver cancers).

Diabetes management.

Lower cholesterol.

Learn more by reading Say Ahhh-ples: The Appeal of Apples for First-time Eaters and Perfect Pumpkin: This Orange Vegetable Is a Great Option for Babies and Toddlers.

(10-20-09)

The end of outdoor swimming and pool season doesn't mean the end of drowning dangers for young children. After pools, more children drown in bathtubs than in any other product in and around the home.

For 2003-2005, CPSC staff received reports of an average of 90 children younger than 5 years of age who drowned in bathtubs (62 percent); baby seats or bathinettes (15 percent); buckets and pails (11 percent); landscaping or yard products (6 percent); and other products (4 percent). There was an annual average of an additional 39 reports of non-fatal submersion incidents for 2005-2007 that were reported for the same products. The majority of drownings and non-fatal submersion incidents involved children younger than 2 years old.

"What parents need to know is that anywhere there is water, there is a potential drowning hazard to children," says Inez Tenenbaum, CPSC Chairman. "Parents shouldn't let their guard down; young children need constant supervision around bathtubs, bath seats and buckets."

Many of the reported incidents involved a lapse in supervision by caregivers, such as leaving the bathroom momentarily while the child was in the bathtub to answer the phone/door or to retrieve an item like a towel. In other incidents, an older sibling was left to watch a younger sibling.

CPSC recommends parents and caregivers follow these safety tips when children are around bathtubs, bath seats, buckets, spas or decorative ponds or fountains:

Never leave young children alone, even for a moment, near any water. Young children can drown quickly in even small amounts of water.

Always keep a young child within arm's reach in a bathtub. If you must leave, take the child with you.

Don't leave a baby or toddler in a bathtub under the care of another young child.

Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid unattended. Toddlers can fall headfirst into buckets and drown. After using a bucket, always empty and store it where young children cannot reach it. Don't leave buckets outside where they can collect rainwater.

Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It can be a lifesaver when seconds count.

(10-20-09)

Food Network's popular show, Dinner: Impossible, paid a special visit to Sesame Place, the nation's only theme park based entirely on Sesame Street, to help celebrate Sesame Street's 40th anniversary.

Chef Robert Irvine worked to create dishes in time to feed a hungry crowd gathered at Sesame Place with the help of three of Sesame Street's most famous residents, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Maria (played by Sonia Manzano). The show will demonstrate if Irvine, Maria and the lovable monsters of Sesame Street were able to complete the challenge. The episode is scheduled to air on the Food Network on Wednesday, October 21, at 10 p.m. (10-20-09)

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are grandparents! Son Joshua and his wife, Anna, are the proud parents of Mackynzie Renee, who was a home birth. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who were recently named Parents of the Year by a nonprofit organization, are expecting their 19th child next year.

(10-13-09)

Heidi Klum, 36, and her husband, Seal, welcomed a baby girl into their family on October 9. Lou Sulola Samuel joins siblings Johan, 2 1/2, Henry, 4, and Leni, 5. Seal had this to say about the birth of his daughter:

"It's difficult to imagine loving another child as much as you love your existing children," Seal writes. "Anyone who has a family will tell you this. Where will one find that extra love? If you love your existing children with all of your heart, how then can one possibly find more heart with which to love another?

"On Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, at 7:46 p.m., the answer to this question came in the form of our fourth child and second daughter," he continues. "Lou Sulola Samuel was born, and from the moment she looked into both of our eyes, it was endless love at first sight. She is beautiful beyond words and we are happy that she chose us to watch her grow over the coming years."

The couple have been married since 2005.

(10-13-09)

Sarah Michelle Prinze and her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., welcomed their first child on September 19, according to People magazine. They named the baby girl Charlotte Grace. Freddie Prinze Jr. will star in this season of 24. (10-06-09)

The first swine flu vaccinations will start to arrive this week in some parts of the country. Around 600,000 doses of FluMist, a vaccine that is squirted into the nose, will be distributed between 21 states and four larger cities, with more following later in the week. The larger shipments of the vaccine (around 40 million) will start shipping the second week of October.

This year, most people will need two different shots for influenza; one for the "normal" flu and one for H1N1, or the swine flu. Children under the age of 10 will need two doses of H1N1.

Learn more by reading Swine Flu and Pregnancy: How Does the Influenza H1N1 Strain Affect Mom-to-be? and Swine Flu and Babies: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment for the Swine Flu. (10-06-09)

Stock up on birthday candles! A majority of babies born in this century will live to see their 100th birthday, according to an article in the journal Lancet. The researchers say that people in rich, developed countries are living about three decades longer than before.

(10-06-09)