Winter warm-ups

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Jan, 1998

* Since humans first migrated from the primeval jungles whence they evolved and settled in less agreeable climes, cold weather has triggered a search for warmth. While we no longer huddle in mastodon robes in caves, blessing the discovery of fire, comfort on frigid winter days is a much sought-after commodity. New versions of old standbys fit the bill when Jack Frost is howling outside.

A cup of tea is a traditional way to warm the bones. Step one is to get the water boiling, and the Puffing Dragon Whistling Tea Kettle ($49.99) from Metrokane Inc., New York, is a fun way to do it. The golden dragon head topping the end of the spout is properly fierce, puffing steam when the water comes to a boil, and the "Early Bird" whistle signals that boiling pressure has begun. The kettle is high-grade stainless steel with a heat-resistant handle to prevent burns. A further safety device is the trigger grip that must be squeezed to allow water to flow through the spout, thus preventing dangerous spattering when pouring.

Once your tea (or cocoa, instant coffee, or even soup) is piping hot, there's no need to be chained to the kitchen or to have to reheat the kettle every time you want another cup. Just fill Metrokane's Penguin Thermal Carafe ($16.99) and take a full quart of your favorite beverage with you to any room in the house. This endearing black-and-white penguin-shaped container has an unbreakable liner and foam insulation between it and the carafe's body. Unlike thermoses with glass liners, it can be cleaned with a bristle brush, be dropped without the liner shattering, and, when used for cold drinks, handle carbonated beverages. In addition, this high-impact plastic bird simply is fun to look at. Dragon and penguin can be found in department and housewares stores, as well as in many gift catalogues.

Equally welcome on a frigid morning is a piping hot bowl of cereal. For sticking to your ribs, nothing serves as well as good old-fashioned oatmeal. The trouble always has been that it's a basically boring dish. This complaint no longer applies, thanks to McCann's Instant Irish Oatmeal from World Finer Foods, Inc., Bloomfield, N.J. This homely staple has been jazzed up in a pair of variety packs. One has eight individual packets of fruit-and-cream-flavored oatmeal -- two each of peaches and cream, strawberries and cream, blueberries and cream, and bananas and cream. The other has 10 packets -- four with maple and brown sugar, three with apples and cinnamon, and, for stubborn traditionalists, three of regular oatmeal. They can be prepared in the microwave, but we'd rather fire up our Puffing Dragon kettle to produce the boiling water that will turn flakes into a delicious morning treat. Look for McCann's Irish Oatmeal in supermarkets and gourmet food stores.