DES MOINES, IA (08/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Cooks celebrated a classic kitchen ingredient in the Kraft Kreations with Velveeta competition judged Wednesday at the 2012 Iowa State Fair.

Norita Solt of Bettendorf won First Place Overall and a $100 Fareway gift card, while Sue Olson of Des Moines took Second Place Overall and a $75 gift card. Third Place Overall and a $50 gift card went to Jamie Buelt of Polk City.

Competitors were challenged to use the cheese in an award-winning entrée, soup or side dish. Entries were judged on taste, best use of Velveeta, appearance and originality.

Additional results below:

Entrée

1) Sue Olson, Des Moines

2) Jessica Cain, Des Moines

3) Kenzie Piper, Waukee

Soup

1) Norita Solt, Bettendorf

2) Dianna Caron-Smith, Winterset

3) Ginger Hartman, Des Moines

Side Dish

1) Jamie Buelt, Polk City

2) Sue Olsen, Des Moines

The Iowa State Fair Food Department is the largest of any state fair in the country. Food Department judging is held in the Elwell Family Food Center sponsored by Blue Bunny.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines, and are open 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. each day of the Fair. Exhibit hours may vary. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – Aug. 14, 2012– Daryl Witt of Warren County was crowned the 2012 Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest winner with his ‘Slap Yo’ Daddy’ Ribs recipe. Witt beat out 45 other grillers, representing counties from around the state, to win the 49^th annual competition.

The annual Iowa Farm Bureau-sponsored contest featured outdoor chefs using their best grilling, roasting and smoking techniques.  “Every year, we are amazed at the creativity of Iowa’s grillers. Each recipe has been tested and tasted and each one brings out the different traits of each type of meat,” said Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill.  “Our livestock farmers are so proud to raise healthy livestock that provide important sources of protein and inspiration for cooks like the ones at our annual contest.”

Cookout champion Witt won first place in the pork category before being selected by the judges as the overall winner.  He received $200 and a permanent trophy as the cookout champion.

Other first place winners and their categories were William Hoffman, Jr., of Tama County, beef;  Michelle Bruce of Benton County, lamb/goat; Jason Cronk of Tama County, poultry; and Nate Miller of Scott County, combo/specialty.  All winners received $75.

Second place winners and their categories were Bruce Campbell of Hardin County, beef; Mike Vroom of Marion County, combo/specialty; Andy Wilson of Lee County, pork; and Tracy Christensen of Audubon County, poultry.  All second place winners received $50.

Winners in special categories were youth first place – Lance Henrichs of Clarke County and youth second place – Amber Westemeier of Linn County; showmanship – Phil Cummings of Benton County; and team – Jason Kula and Alvin Westemeier of Linn County.  The youth winner received a gas grill and $75 and second place received $50 from the Iowa Propane Association.  The showmanship winner received $100.  The team winners received $150.

Prize sponsors for the Cookout Contest include the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau Financial Services, GROWMARK, Inc., Iowa Propane Gas Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, the Iowa Beef Industry Council, the Iowa Turkey Federation and the Iowa Poultry Association.  The Iowa Sheep and Wool Promotion Board is also a sponsor of the contest.

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A lot has changed for 21st-century women, but one thing hasn’t: Moms still juggle insanely busy lives and their needs usually fall last on the list, says Columbia University-certified health coach Beth Aldrich.

That includes eating – as in, really loving what you eat. Because you didn’t really love that bag of chips you downed while watching “An Affair to Remember” for the 200th time, did you?

“How could you?” asks Aldrich, author of the award-winning new book, Real Moms Love to Eat (www.RealMomsLoveToEat.com). “Who could possibly be aware of chips with Cary Grant on the screen?”

It’s wonderful to take pleasure in food, she says. It’s even OK to eat the things we shouldn’t every once in awhile – just be sure to savor every bite. “Eating in front of the TV is not savoring,” Aldrich says..

“There are also plenty of great healthy ingredients that you can turn into new foods to love, even healthier versions of those favorite comfort foods from childhood. You’ll finish meals feeling energized, emotionally satisfied and best of all, not guilty. And, oh yeah! You’ll look great in your skinny jeans!”

Aldrich offers ways to kick off the romance:

• Make it all about YOU: Get back to the basics, remembering the pleasure inherent in the food experiences of your childhood. Think of the simple joy you had crunching into a sweet apple. How does that compare with the high-fructose corn syrup-drenched, refined wheat-flour products that leave you bloated and craving more? Whole foods – those eaten in their natural, unprocessed state, such as a baked potato versus French fries -- give you a fuller eating experience, increase energy and help you look great!

• Get naked with raw foods: Our earliest ancestors were hunter-gatherers who foraged for and consumed a wide variety of caloric intake, mostly consisting of raw veggies. Your body will thank you not long after you include more raw food into your diet, but you don’t have to go the full Monty right away. Add fresh berries to your breakfast yogurt, include fresh nuts with your lunch, or replace coleslaw from the supermarket deli with a fresh recipe made from scratch.

• Tame your cravings dragon: One of the swiftest paths to an unhealthy snacking binge is ready-made, highly-processed sweets and baked goods. The craving-attack occurs when moms are busy and haven’t planned their meals for the day and it leads to a spike in blood sugar, a crash and then – another monster-sized craving. Have healthy options ready to go. Nutrient-dense whole grains such as quinoa, whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmeal will turn that dragon of yours into a pussycat in no time.

• Hungry for more lovin’?: Think you could force yourself to eat an ounce of dark chocolate every day? High-quality dark chocolate – the kind that doesn’t have all the fillers – actually has lots of benefits, not the least of which is … it’s chocolate! Dark chocolate contains natural chemicals that serve as mood boosters and elevate serotonin levels, which enhance our sense of well-being. Health benefits range from keeping blood vessels elastic to increasing antioxidant levels.

“The wrong way to look at the whole-food diet is as an obligation,” Aldrich says. “You are doing your body and your taste buds a favor by excluding unnecessary sugar, salt and processed fats from your diet in favor of a variety of spices, fuller textures and a sexier figure.”

About Beth Aldrich

Beth Aldrich is the founder of RealMomsLoveToEat.com and a certified health coach through Columbia University and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Her new book, "Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous” won a 2012 National Indie Excellence Book Award. Beth is also a lifestyle green-living expert, writer and public speaker. She is the founder of For Her Information Media, LLC, with productions such as the PBS TV series For Her Information, the radio show A Balanced Life with Beth Aldrich, and her blog, RealMomsLovetoEat.com. She lives in Chicago’s North Shore with her husband and three sons.

Fremont, OH August 7, 2012: “We’re looking for Iowa faces for our labels and kicking it off at the Lisbon Sauerkraut Days (August 9-11), then following it up at the Blairstown Sauerkraut Days (September 4-6) ,” proclaims Katie Smith of the Fremont Company, makers of Frank’s Sauerkraut, suppliers of all the sauerkraut for the event. Katie will be joining fellow sauerkraut lovers this weekend during the annual Lisbon Sauerkraut Days, a celebration of all things Kraut: August 9-11, Lisbon, IA. http://sauerkrautdays.com. She’ll be at the Blairstown Festival over Labor Day weekend http://www.facebook.com/btownkrautdays.

The Fremont Company has been actively searching for faces of sauerkraut lovers who are making life sweet with Frank’s to put on their labels. The national program has placed photos of individuals, families and groups from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota on sauerkraut labels; and now the search has come to Iowa.

The annual event features carnival rides, a 5K kraut run/walk, silent auction, cabbage head car show, slow pitch softball tournament, bathtub races, parade, plenty of music and food and the big event: the crowning of the sauerkraut king and queen.

Iowans can submit their photos for Frank’s Search for Sweetness label program now, through the Frank’s Facebook page or www.myfrankskraut.com.

You don’t have to attend the Lisbon Sauerkraut Days to submit your photo! Frank’s is encouraging Iowans to demonstrate how they “make life sweet” using Frank’s Traditional and Sweet Sauerkraut. Frank’s is interested in favorite sauerkraut recipes, stories, and anecdotes; photos should illustrate how individuals, families or groups actually utilize Frank’s products. It’s easy to submit: just send a photo of yourself, family or group using Frank’s Sauerkraut to www.myfrankskraut.com.

About The Fremont Company
The Fremont Company is a 107-year-old consumer food products company, headquartered in Fremont, OH. The Fremont Company manufactures, markets and distributes food products to customers worldwide: Frank’s and SnowFloss Sauerkraut and Mississippi BBQ Sauce. http://www.fremontcompany.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FranksKraut