Pepperoni

You get home from work, late as usual, a pepperoni pizza in your arms. You sit down, shake some chili pepper flakes onto the pizza and sit down to indulge, washing a few slices down with a beer, maybe two. You top it off with a cup of coffee and head straight to bed. Bad move. You might pay for your late-night indulgence, waking up in the wee hours with heartburn, the hallmark of acid reflux, or what doctors call GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Your biggest mistake? Lying down so soon after eating, which makes it easy for nasty stomach acid still churning around your pizza to burn its way up your esophagus.

The average American consumes 2,500 calories and 130 grams of fat during a typical Thanksgiving dinner - the equivalent of eating 16 slices of pepperoni pizza. - Bally Total Fitness

Lunch, all schools Tomorrow: Barbecued rib sub, hamburger, chicken nuggets with dip and roll, potato wedges with vegetables and baked apple slices. Tuesday: Cheese or pepperoni pizza, chicken salad sub, sausage and biscuit with potato rounds, coleslaw and fruit. Wednesday: Tuna salad sub, steak sub, chicken sandwich with galley fries, vegetables and fruit. Thursday: Ham melt sub, turkey with gravy, roll and cranberry sauce with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, tossed salad and fruit cup. Friday: Cheese or pepperoni, cheese sandwich, hamburger with vegetables, carrot sticks and chilled fruit.

That Travis Manion and Brendan Looney ended up side by side should surprise no one. Loved ones had always been struck by the similarities between the Naval Academy roommates — both family men, both rugged athletes, both warriors who yearned to reach the heart of action. Now, they needed to be together again. It was the only bit of comfort Amy Looney could fathom as she watched white-gloved soldiers carry her husband's casket from the back of an airplane at Dover Air Force Base last September.

They came here from out of town, but come Opening Day, they'll be serving Baltimore fans Old Bay wings, Polock Johnny's sausage and soft-shell crabs battered in Natty Boh. Oriole Park's new concessionaire, the Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North Companies Sportservice, unveiled a new stadium menu Wednesday with a decidedly local flair. They brought the traditional (a tastefully done crab cake), the outrageous (an Esskay hot dog topped with smoked pit beef, pepperoni hash stewed tomatoes and crispy onions)

Restaurants in Baltimore are sprucing up for spring. Homeslyce Pizza Bar , with locations downtown and in Riverside, has just added an extensive list of vegan options to its menu, including pizza, calzones, sandwiches and nachos. Homeslyce wants vegans to know they're taking vegan cuisine seriously. They're using Daiya brand mozzarella-style shreds and they've brought in a full line of vegan pepperoni, sausage, steak and chicken, all in addition to the vegan-friendly toppings they've always had, like Kalamata olives, mushrooms and grilled vegetables.

Ask the AthletesWhat is your favorite pizza topping?Kordell Stewart, quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers:"I like the supreme - black olives, hot peppers, pepperoni, everything."Annika Sorenstam, professional golfer:"Pineapple. I enjoy the sweetness of the fruit on the pizza."Greg Maddux, pitcher, Atlanta Braves:"Jalapeo peppers. They are spicy, and I like 'em!"Jayson Williams, forward, New Jersey Nets:"I like white pizza. It has white cheese and white sauce. I eat pizza once a day!"VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SIKIDS.

What happens when Italian flavors get caught up in an easy-to-make quesadilla? Let's call it a pizzadilla. There are so many bold flavors in this dish, you can skip the pepperoni to make it meatless - or use a vegetarian pepperoni instead. Serve the wedges with an antipasto platter that accommodates diners' appetites. Go heavy on the cured meats - mortadella, capicolla and salami, for instance - or opt for a lighter touch with an emphasis on vegetables - celery, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini.