Dining out can help out seniors
Helping someone who might otherwise miss a meal is simple: Dine out Thursday at one of 15 Spokane Valley restaurants.
Spokane Valley Meals on Wheels hopes to raise awareness about hunger among seniors and enough money to start a new lunch program with the fund-raiser, says director Pam Almeida. “Eat Out… So No Senior Goes Hungry” is part of a national campaign to raise money and recruit volunteers for the meal delivery programs for senior citizens.
Spokane Valley Meals on Wheels delivers about 210 hot meals a day to home-bound seniors. It also has two lunch programs for those who can gather for something to eat. The meals, served at Opportunity Presbyterian Church and the Valley Senior Center, are a great way for people to socialize as well, Almeida says. About 120 meals are served each day between the two programs.
“What we’re really hoping to do is open up another senior lunch program in an area that isn’t served now,” she says. She is considering the Edgecliff or Greenacres neighborhoods, but is still searching for a suitable donated space to serve the lunches.
The participating Spokane Valley restaurants include: Jenny’s Cafe, Applebee’s, Flamin’ Joe’s, Godfather’s Pizza, Peking Palace, O’Doherty’s Irish Pub, Staggering Ox, Cuppa Joe’s, Hula Hut Grill, Buck’s Pizza, Casa de Oro, International House of Pancakes, Azteca, Percy’s Cafe Americana and Ron’s Drive-In.
Poor papa’s dip
Cajun lovers, Papa Bruce Arndt has a new treat for you. He’s mixed his hot or mild Cajun seasoning into a mayonnaise and sour cream dip that’s perfect for dunking chips or veggies, or topping baked potatoes. “It is just fantastic on a potato. We test marketed this for about a year and a half and people just loved it,” Arndt says.
He’s using the same all-natural know-how that has made his dry Cajun mixes popular in the area. The dip is all-natural and contains no monosodium glutamate. You can find the dip at Yoke’s grocery stores at Sprague Avenue and Sullivan Road, on Indian Trail Road, in Mead and Deer Park. It can also be found at the Albertsons stores on Indian Trail Road and in Liberty Lake. Poor Papa’s Cajun mixes can be found at many other local grocery stores or online at www.papaco.com. Call 926-0440.
A.C. Larocco hitting Kroger stores
Spokane pizza-maker A.C. Larocco can now be found in the freezers at Kroger stores nationwide. The company announced this month that its vegetarian, whole-wheat crust pizzas will be making its way into more than a thousand stores under the Kroger company umbrella. That’s Fred Meyer stores locally but as one of the nation’s largest food chains it also includes Kroger, Ralphs, Dillons, Smith’s King Soopers, Fry’s, QFC, City Market, Hilander, Owen’s, Jay C, Cala Foods/Bell Markets, Pay Less, Baker’s and Gerbes.
A.C. Larocco makes its Tomato and Feta, Greek Sesame and Spinach and Artichoke gourmet pizzas in Spokane. The company has been applauded by nutritionists for using whole grain crusts and gourmet vegetable toppings. It was also lauded by the nutrition-watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest. The pizzas are also a favorite of people following the Weight Watchers program. The pizzas can be found in the natural foods frozen case at many area stores. For more information, go to www.aclarocco.com.