Posted on

Fat Tuesday

The Lenten Season starts next week. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter recognized in the Christian calendar. Lent is usually a somber time spent in preparation for the death and resurrection of Jesus. But before it starts, we celebrate! The day before Ash Wednesday is commonly referred to as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras  is French for “Fat Tuesday”. Tradition has it that you are supposed to eat rich. fatty foods before fasting during Lent. This is the day to indulge and give into your cravings! 

Are you ready to eat, but not sure what you want yet? Here are 4 things you may want to eat on Fat Tuesday!

Beef Sandwich 

Something juicy, full of flavor, and sure to leave you satisfied? A beef sandwich! A piece of bread loaded with thinly sliced meat and soaked in juice is a delicious way to celebrate Mardi Gras! Top it with some giardiniera or giardiniera relish and you have a winner!
Plus, our dinner for two this week is Beef Sandwiches! Pick up the complete meal in our grab and go section.

Stuffed Burger

Burgers are always a good idea, but our stuffed burgers take it to a whole new level! A classic burger that is stuffed with different items. In three different varieties, our stuffed burgers are full of flavor. They are sure to make your

Marinated Jerk Chicken

When you think of Mardi Gras, you may think of New Orleans. New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras celebrations. New Orleans is famous for its cajun flare on foods. To embody this part of the culture, try out our marinated jerk chicken! Available in our meat department, it is already marinated and is a great way to embrace Mardi Gras!

Paczki 

Fat Tuesday and Paczki go hand in hand. It’s a tradition to have a donut or paczki on Fat Tuesday. We have a variety of different paczki available in our bakery including three new specialty flavors! Our gourmet paczki add some fun flavor to the classic treat. Our specialty flavors are strawberry, banana custard, and cannoli! 


If you’re planning to cook on Fat Tuesday and want to make a traditional New Orleans meal, try Chipotle Shrimp Gumbo! It is a rich and hearty gumbo loaded with a savory combination of tender shrimp, onions, okra, and diced tomatoes, all seasoned to perfection with a homemade creole spice blend. It is a perfect recipe to bring New Orleans to your kitchen! Get the recipe here!

Let us know what you’re eating or cooking up this Fat Tuesday!

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

Rotisserie Chicken

Busy schedules mean a shorter amount of time for things like meals. You need food on the table quickly so everyone can eat and go to their meetings, practices, or another obligation that comes up. We’ve been there and we believe that you should never have to sacrifice a quality meal for the sake of time. Our rotisserie chicken is a go-to on hectic days like these!

Rotisserie chicken is a chicken cooked on a rotisserie, using direct heat to cook because the chicken is placed next to the heat source.The chickens are put onto rods that rotate to ensure optimal juiciness and cooking. 

You can feel good about feeding it to your family. Our chickens are always fresh and never frozen. There are no added hormones or steroids and they are MSG free. In addition to these benefits, the taste is incredible!

Our chicken is known for its outstanding flavor and juiciness. We season it with a special herb rub. The special seasoning is made with a variety of different herbs and spices to give the chicken a unique and delicious flavor. It is our homemade blend that we took the time to test and develop until we got it to the special blend we were proud to feed you and your families!

You don’t have to just take our word for it!

Chicago Magazine recently did a ranking of the top 10 rotisserie chickens in Chicago and we ranked in the Top 3! The chicken was tested in 6 categories on a scale of 1-10; the categories were skin, flavor, wing texture, juiciness, appearance, and  freshness.

Here are our scores: 

Skin- 8 | Flavor- 10 | Wing texture- 9 | Juiciness- 9 | Appearance- 8 | Freshness- 8

We love using rotisserie chicken in recipes that call for shredded or pulled chicken. Because the chicken is already cooked, it is one less step for you! Plus, you never have to sacrifice taste for convenience because our rotisserie chicken gives you both!

Pick one up and let us know what you think!

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

Heart Month

February is National Heart Month. This is a month used to generate awareness for heart disease and risks. We are taking the opportunity this February to recognize Cesco’s Heart. 

Cesco’s Heart is a local, non-profit organization in honor of Francesco Vavalle who was born with a rare and severe heart defect. Francesco had congenital heart defect that meant he was born with half a heart and would require multiple open heart surgeries, the first one when he was just days old.

Francesco was called home only a few years into his life, but his memory lives on. Cesco’s Heart is a non-profit organization whose proceeds go to support the research and advanced treatments for pediatric cardiology. This organization was created by his family to continue his fight. The funds go directly to Advocate Children’s Hospital where Francesco received multiple treatments including open-heart surgeries, procedures, and care.  

We want to help in honoring the legacy of this beautiful boy and his incredibly strong family. 

Throughout the month of February, a portion of all sales of Wonderful Pistachios will go to Cesco’s Heart. Come to any of our seven stores and purchase Wonderful Pistachios to join us in supporting Francesco and the entire Vavalle family.

For more information on Francesco and the mission of Cesco’s Heart click here. 

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

Game Day Grub

I don’t know what’s crazier, the fact that January is almost over or the fact the Big Game is Sunday! Whether you’re excited for the game, the commercials, or the performances, tons of people will be tuned into the same program. It’s the Sunday for parties which means food! 

Whether you’re hosting or bringing a dish to someone’s house, here are 4 items you need at your party and some ideas if you want to cook!

Wings

Boneless or bone-in, wings are a must! We offer wings in buffalo, barbecue, and teriyaki. 

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is another crowd pleaser. Grab a half pan of our La Bella Romana mac and cheese, bake, and serve! Try topping it with some bread crumbs or buffalo sauce for some extra flavor. Don’t want mac & cheese, but still want pasta? We have an array of half-pans of different pasta cuts with different sauces to choose from!

Chips & Dip

You need chips and dip to snack on and we have plenty to choose from. All of our La Bella Romana dips and salsa and made in-house daily. Some of these include guacamole, BLT dip, corn salsa, mango salsa, and more- you can’t go wrong with any of them. They pair perfectly with our tortilla chips too. 

Sub Sandwiches

Check out our grab and go case for some 3ft sub sandwiches. Available in American or Italian, they are fresh baguettes loaded with an array of meats and cheese. These also include lettuce, tomatoes, and dressing on the side. Cut them into smaller sandwiches, put them on a platter, and enjoy!

Check out our prepared foods case for some delicious items to bring with.

If you’re in the mood to cook, check out the Big Game section on The Recipe Rack. There are some great and simple recipes for you to choose from like pulled buffalo chicken sliders or sheet pan nachos!

Here are some more of our Big Game Favorites

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

Cabbage

When you think of vegetables that are good for you, sometimes cabbage can be overlooked. This simple, leafy veggie that looks like lettuce is a cruciferous vegetable which means the health benefits are numerous. 

One thing about cruciferous vegetables is that they are known to aid in fighting cancer. Cabbage can help improve digestion because it is rich in fiber. Cabbage is high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is known as an antioxidant that can protect you from various diseases and illnesses.  In addition, cabbage is a rich source of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is a very important nutrient to the body, especially when it comes to blood as it aids in helping blood to clot properly. One cup of cabbage is about 85% of your daily required Vitamin K. 

The USDA has approved cabbage as being fat-free, saturated fat-free, very-low-sodium, cholesterol-free, low in calories and high in vitamin C.

A great thing about cabbage is that there are a variety of ways it can be consumed. In salads, coleslaw, cooked into dishes, used in soup, or eaten as a side, cabbage is an extremely versatile ingredient. Cabbage is easy to cook with and the health benefits make it so worth it. Plus, there are many different kinds of cabbage like green, red, napa, and savoy! 

Need some inspiration on your next dish to cook with cabbage? How about Roasted Red Cabbage and Sausage. This recipe from our Recipe Rack, only takes 10 minutes to prepare and is simple to make (and it’s inexpensive)!

Check out The Recipe Rack for some more recipes that include cabbage!

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

The Recipe Rack

Were you ever indecisive about what you want to eat? You spend so much time looking in the fridge, but can’t decide what sounds good. By the time you choose what to eat, you’re starving. We’ve been there and we’re here to help. Our new feature The Recipe Rack can help you plan exactly what you’re going to make come mealtime. 

The Recipe Rack is a new feature on our website that allows you browse recipes and do your grocery shopping at the same time! This personalized shopping experience is tailored exactly to you. With custom settings, you can choose your dietary preferences, family size, and more. As you continue to shop, it will get to know you and suggest recipes based on past purchases, favorite brands, and more. Also, this technology will consider the sale items for the week and items in your cart when suggesting recipes. 

When browsing the catalog of recipes, it is very easy to customize what you want to see. You have the option to search by course, by cuisine, by diet, by ingredient, and more. 

Once you find a recipe you want to make, you can view the ingredients and the recipe. This feature also gives you the option to add the ingredients to your cart from the recipe. Whether you need all the ingredients or only a few, you can add it there with a simple click of a button! It also considers items you may already have in your pantry like salt and pepper. The feature does not automatically add those, but they do appear with the option to add to your cart.

See a recipe you want to save for later? Click the heart in the upper left hand corner and it will be saved to the “your recipes” tab in the Recipe Rack. 

With busy schedules, any time you get to spend with your family is important. A lot of the bonding time is done over meals. The Recipe Rack can take the stress of meal prep away. Easily shop recipes, add them to your cart, then get the items delivered right to your door! Simple and easy! 

Need another reason to shop The Recipe Rack? How about a gift card! We are giving away 3 gift cards as part of our ReNEWed You Challenge and Sweepstakes! For this 3rd and final challenge, place an order using The Recipe Rack. You will be automatically entered to win one of three gift cards- a $200 gift card for 1st place, a $100 gift card for 2nd place, or a $50 gift card for 3rd place. You have until 1/20 to place your order.

Click to start shopping The Recipe Rack here! We hope you enjoy!

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

The Most Important Meal of the Day

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it can also be the most skipped. When you’re rushing and your mornings are chaotic, it is easy to skip these meals or pick up something that is quick and easy, but maybe not great for you. An easy go-to is yogurt! With so many different flavors and topping choices, a parfait is a great way to kickstart your day. 

Here are the ingredients for my go-to parfait:

Vanilla greek yogurt: I like to use vanilla because it adds a hint of sweetness without being too much

Berries: A lot of fruits go great with yogurt, but I prefer berries. I like to put blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries in my yogurt! They all mix well together and have flavors that compliment each! PLUS there are so many benefits of berries! They are full of antioxidants and nutrients, can boost heart health, and much more. Needless to say, berries are great fruits to incorporate into your diet and parfaits are a great way to do that.

Granola: I like to put granola in my parfaits because the crunch contrasts well with the smooth texture of the yogurt! Our La Bella Romana Vanilla Granola is a great option. Already in flakes, you can add as little or as much as you want. The vanilla slightly sweetens the granola and goes great with the vanilla yogurt!

Whether you use a different flavor of yogurt, add mangoes, or add chia seeds, parfaits are easy to make your own. The options are endless and they all result in an easy and nutritious breakfast!

If you need a parfait on the fly and don’t have the ingredients on hand, stop by our Carol Stream store! We have a new yogurt bar where you can create your own parfait and take it to go!

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

Happy Birthday, Angelo!

Welcome to 2020! What better way to start this new year and new decade than wishing a happy birthday to our founder and my grandfather, Angelo Caputo! 

88 years ago today in the little town of Mola di Bari, Angelo was born. I want to take this opportunity to share some words.

My grandfather is one of the strongest men I know. As you may recall from some of the stories I previously shared about his life, he did not always have it easy. His life was full of obstacles and his ability to overcome them is a true testament to his character. He made great sacrifices in order to give his wife and children the best life possible. He worked tirelessly to provide for his family and never complained because that is the kind of man he is. 

Most everything he does, he does with his family in mind. His family has since grown to include grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Nothing makes him happier than seeing the smiles on his family’s faces (though drinking an espressino or eating allievi come close). 

I am so blessed to have him as my nonno, may God bless him always!

We hope you and your family have a safe and happy New Year!

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

Panettone Trifle

If you walk into an Italian house during Christmas, the odds that you’ll see a round, dome shaped bread is pretty high. That bread is panettone!

Panettone is a sweet bread like cake with an airy, soft inside that is usually enjoyed during major holidays like Christmas and Easter. Traditional panettone is made with dried fruits. Now, there are multiple different flavors and varieties of panettone to appeal to everyone- including some with chocolate. 

There are many different stories regarding the origin of panettone, some dating back to the 15th century. One story states that a nobleman fell in love with a baker’s daughter, so he disguised himself as a baker to win her over. When the nobleman was working as a baker, he invented this sweet bread and added citrus and fruit to it.

Another legend states that the chef for the Sforza family burned the bread for the big Christmas Eve feast. A man named Toni offered up some yeast he had been saving for Christmas day. They kneaded the yeast into the bread and added some zest and fruit. The bread was a huge hit and they called it “il pan di Toni.”

Another legend dates back to Milan in the 1500s. Bakers were allowed to bake a wheat bread for their customers as a gift of appreciation during the holidays. 

Just as there are numerous legends about Panettone, there are many ways to enjoy it. Some people toast it and have it with coffee, some make it into a french toast, and some just eat it as it is as a dessert. A new way to eat it created by Rossella Rago of Cooking with Nonna is to make a Panettone Trifle! The recipe is easy to follow and will help you wow your guests with fun twist on this traditional item. 

Here’s what you need: 

  • 1 large Panettone cut into chunks
  • 4 cups of my Easy Custard Cream cooled to room temp (Custard Recipe Below)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups Marsala wine (you can use more or less depending on how strong you like it)
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed Savoiardi cookies
  • 4 cups raspberries
  • 3/4 cup chopped pistachios

For the full recipe head to Cooking with Nonna https://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/panettone-trifle.html

From Our Family To Yours

Posted on

Fruitful Yield– Part of the Family

Hello! My name is Michelle, from the Fruitful Yield family. You may have noticed our new Fruitful Yield store inside Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets in Carol Stream. We may love Angelo Caputo’s fresh produce, but we also love how they are a family business—just like we are! To us, being family-owned means being able to prioritize our customers in a way that is rare at larger operations. It also means spending time together. And of course, it means spreading the love of our families to our communities and beyond.


As smaller, family-owned operations, Fruitful Yield and Angelo Caputo’s are able to put their customers first! At Fruitful Yield, we take great pride in making decisions that are good for our customers. It’s not just business to us—it’s personal. We know a great deal of friends and family who shop at our stores depend on us to make choices that will be best for them.

Members of the Fruitful Yield family and Caputo’s family


Therefore, we work hard to get the best prices possible for a small chain. We also think about what our friends and family use and want to buy. Online, we respond to questions and concerns individually. There are no bots, because we know how we would want to be treated. (We love to follow the Golden Rule!) This personal service can also be found at Angelo Caputo’s, where friendly associates can help you find all of your grocery needs.

Being a family-owned business also means that we’re good at spending time together. Elwood Richard was Fruitful Yield’s founder; you can find his family working for Fruitful Yield and its sister company, NOW Health Group. I’m a grandkid, working for Fruitful Yield Marketing, where I can pop upstairs at any time to visit my mom or uncle. His great nephews, the Pecenka boys, can be found working at Fruitful Yield Elmwood Park. In fact, many of Elwood’s grandkids have worked summers at Fruitful Yield in Bloomingdale and Lombard. We also meet as a family to discuss decisions and changes in the company. This is also true of Angelo Caputo’s family who can be found together at various events in their stores, and in upper management.


While we enjoy spending time together, what’s even better is that we use the time to share our family’s love. This is one of the most important parts. We are passionate about what we do, and we show love to our communities. Providing health products at great values brings us joy. When you buy a Fruitful Yield product, we want you to be sure that product is effective and of the highest quality. In addition, we try to show our gratitude through free health educational events at our stores, and by partnering with various charities to make the world a healthier place. Angelo Caputo’s spreads the love through friendly service, community events, and tons of in-store family-friendly fun.

Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets and we at Fruitful Yield are proudly family-owned and operated. This means we can make our customer experience personal, spend time together, and spread the love in our communities. If you’re new to either Angelo Caputo’s or Fruitful Yield, visit Fruitful Yield inside Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets of Carol Stream to experience two family-owned companies with a passion for helping people live happier and healthier lives.