A serving of love in your kid's lunch

Want to have fun with your child's lunch box? Try these:

- Paper Hugs are napkin-sticker packages that allow you to place a greeting on your child's napkin. Stickers say cool things such as "You make me smile" or "Remember three things you learned today." To order, visit www.paper-hugs.com.

- And to keep those boxes chilled, try sporty freezer packs. Shaped like footballs and basketballs (there are others, too), they're available at Target for $1.79 each.

Lemon freeze, very pretty

This Citrus-Slice ice cube tray comes with an indentation for lemon (or lime) slices; fill with water and freeze to make 10 colorful cubes that will look (and taste) great as they dissolve in lemonade, iced tea or mixed drinks. A set of two trays is $5 at Williams-Sonoma stores; by mail, call 800-541-2233 or visit online at williams-sonoma.com.

Gourmet weekend for those of good taste

Gourmet magazine again is offering its behind-the-scenes Gourmet Institute, on Oct. 22-24.

Panel discussions with the food world's creme de la creme, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, test-kitchen tours, and wine and spirits tastings are among the many adventures included in this weekend package.

Cost is $1,295 per person. For information, call (888) 308-6133 or visit GourmetInstitute.com.

Bonjour, Jacques

Goose Island's Pere Jacques Belgian-style ale, a subtly sweet brew with hints of caramel and fruit, charmed most tasters. It's a relatively light-bodied beer - too light and sweet for two of us - but everyone agreed that it will pair nicely with light meals. A four-pack of 12-ounce bottles costs $9-$9.50.

Corn tips from the pros

- Farm owner Shirley Sease of The Farmer's Shed in Lexington, S.C.: To determine if an ear of corn is ready for eating, peel back the husk and gently place your fingernail in a corn kernel. The kernel should be very tender, not too tough to penetrate.

- Edna Mozie of Columbia, S.C.: When making cornbread, use about 1 cup of self-rising corn meal and a half cup of all-purpose flour to create a bread with a smooth, cake-like texture. Stirring the batter thoroughly like a cake batter also creates a cakier, tastier cornbread.

- Cookbook author Dori Sanders: If microwaving sweet corn, leave corn in the shuck and wrap in a damp paper towel. Microwave for about four minutes on high power. After the corn has cooled slightly, the silks will come off very easily with the shuck, or husk. (Be careful not to overcook or the corn will be tough.)

- Wire Services

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