Summer Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries by Jodie Fitz

4 cups of diced sweet potatoes

1/4 cup light olive oil

Sea salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 mango

1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet onions

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the 1/4 cup of light olive oil until the sweet potatoes are fully covered.  Spread the sweet potatoes onto a non stick backing sheet coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle a light layer of sea salt on the potatoes.  Bake them for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the edges are a golden brown.  Turn the potatoes half way through the baking process.

Cut the mango, see directions and link below).  Let the potatoes cool slightly.  Toss the potatoes, cranberries, mango and onion together and serve.

Sweet Potatoes:  The sweet potatoes need to be peeled, rinsed and diced before starting this recipe.

How to Cut a Mango:  Simply follow these easy steps in learning how to cut a mango by clicking here.  It’s a great skill to teach children.

Disclosure: I am pleased to be working with MVP Health Care and the MVP Generation Go Program, which has sponsored this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinion is always my own, as is any advice offered.

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You recently received a grant for the Play 60 program to benefit your students, which is awesome.  I’m curious how long the process was in applying for the grant?

I worked on different parts of the grant from the beginning of the school year in September until we submitted the application in the middle of January. I am not really sure how many hours I logged.

What is the criteria for schools to apply?

As part of the grant money you hosted a family Play 60 night.  Can you share what activities you had for the community that evening?  What was the overall response?

We had an in school kick-off ceremony on the same day that we had our family fitness night. Staff from two local fitness businesses in the community, Alpin Haus Fitness Center and Fit “1″ Training, helped with the program. We reminded the students about the evening and told them that the grade that had the highest percentage of students come back in the evening would earn a healthy food party later in the year. That night we had healthy eating activities with Jodie Fitz from the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club, we had a taste a rainbow for students to try different colored fruits and a milk mustache booth. We also organized physical activities for the entire family that included Hula Hoop Momentum, Fit 1′s hallway obstacle course, The Alpin Haus hosted agility ladder and battle ropes and we were joined by Gus Ortega a local hip hop instructor for a little hip hop fun. We had 27% of our student body return with their families, which is a great turnout for our school.

I know you also are in the process of developing a healthy cookbook to share with all 450 students at your school through the grant.  Can you share a little more about where the recipes will come from, what you are hoping to include in the booklet & your goal for distribution?

I loved being a part of your program and bringing smoothies to celebrate your school’s new smoothie machines, which were part of the grant.  How many smoothie machines were you able to purchase?  What are your plans in using them for the school?
We just received the check from the grant, so we have not ordered smoothie machines yet. I hope to purchase four or five. I want to use them at special days at school and for family fitness nights which we hope to run on a quarterly basis.

Do you have any additional plans for the grant monies from the Play 60 program?

We are going to have another family fitness night on June 7th, which will be titled ‘Come Back and Play with Us’. We are going to feature activities that families can participate in inexpensively and serve “breakfast for dinner” that evening. We are also going to have a field day at the end of the year where we hope to use some of the new equipment that we will purchase with the money from the grant.

How many times can a school apply for the grant?

A school can apply for a grand total of $4,000 per school year. Schools are eligible to apply every year as long as they follow the guidelines for post reporting about how the money was used and how it impacted the school.

When will you be wrapping up your Play 60 activities?

We will be wrapping up our Fuel Up to Play Activities when the school year ends in June and we currently are planning to apply for another grant for next year and are hoping to add to our Fuel Up to Play Program next year.

What do you hope the long-term benefits for the students at Tecler Elementary for participating in the Play 60 program?

I hope that the students on my leadership team are excited that they have been identified as people that make a difference and that they reach for the full potential of greatness that I know that they possess. As a whole, I want the student body to realize that the school has been recognized at the national level for something good. We are a NYS priority school so we usually hear the negative. My final hope is that students and their families will try to be physically active and eat healthily.

Disclosure: I am pleased to be working with Pupil Benefits who has sponsored the post and encourages the development and growth of Healthy Schools.  

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Teriyaki Turkey Burgers by Jodie Fitz

3 pounds of ground turkey

1 1/2 cups whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onions

1/2 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Wash, core and finely dice the red bell pepper.  Add the seasoned bread crumbs, chopped bell pepper, chopped onions, low sodium teriyaki sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper to the ground turkey.  Mix the ingredients together until all of the added ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the ground turkey.  Form the mixture into ten burger patties and grill until the meat is thoroughly cooked.

Planning Ahead: Ten burgers might sound like a lot, but I make the ten and cook only five on night one.  I then wrap the five uncooked patties individually in waxed or parchment paper and place them in a freezer bag, seal them and freeze them for future use.  When they are frozen in advance and thawed, they make for a quick 20 minute serve.

Serving Teriyaki Turkey Burgers:  I prefer these burgers without cheese and LOVE them with sautéed bell peppers and sweet onions on top or with caramelized onions.  We often have them on a low fat roll, but they are great on whole wheat options as well.  And, as far as condiments go, I actually love a little wasabi sauce.  I go straight up, but if it’s too strong you can actually add a little mayo to dilute it.

This week we served our Teriyaki Turkey Burgers with sliced watermelon & cucumber-lemon water.  It was a refreshing ‘grab and go’ serve!

Disclosure: I am pleased to be working with MVP Health Care and the MVP Generation Go Program, which has sponsored this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinion is always my own, as is any advice offered.

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I love them for many reasons….no knives, no stoves, no ovens, it’s quick and easy, I love Key Lime AND I eat less when we serve mini bites.  Yup, it’s a win-win at my counters that’s super scrumptious.

Key Lime Bites by Jodie Fitz

7 oz. fat free sweetened condensed milk

4 oz. light or fat free whipped topping

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and vanilla extract together.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Scoop the cream mixture into a sealable lunch sized bag and close the top tightly. clip a corner edge and pipe the cream into mini fillo shells.

Mini Fillo Shells: These can be found in the freezer aisle of most supermarkets and are already pre-cooked.  Simply remove them from the freezer, thaw and use!

Lessons for Kids:  Every recipe has many lessons incorporated, but a high-lights in making key lime bites would be the concept of folding ingredients together.  Folding is when a heavier mixture is combined with a lighter mixture by passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top.  This process continues until all of the ingredients are combined.

Disclosure: I am pleased to be working with MVP Health Care and the MVP Generation Go Program, which has sponsored this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinion is always my own, as is any advice offered.

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Supplies:

Mini Springform Pan(s) (4” diameter)

Rubber Spatula

Mini Chopper

Waxed paper

Cherry-Almond Combo

(Makes one mini cake)

1-cup yogurt

1/3 cup frozen cherries, thawed

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-cup fat free whipped topping

Place the cherries into a mini chopper and chop them.  Fold the cherries and extract into the yogurt until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Pour the mixture into a mini springform pan.  Place a piece of waxed paper on to the top and freeze the cake over night. Let the cake set out for 10 – 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.  Ice it with the whipped cream.

Optional:  Add sliced almonds and a cherry on top before serving.

Strawberry-Lime

(Makes one mini cake)

1-cup yogurt

½ cup strawberries

1-tablespoon lime juice

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional (1 tablespoon honey)

1-cup fat free whipped topping

Place the strawberries into a mini chopper and chop them.  Fold the strawberries, lime juiceand vanilla extract together.  Pour the mixture into a mini springform pan.  Place a piece of waxed paper on to the top and freeze the cake over night. Let the cake set out for 10 – 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.  Ice it with the whipped cream.

Optional:  Add sliced grated lime peel and a strawberry on top before serving.

Note:  Depending on the yogurt you use, see below, you may want to add some honey to the mix.

Confetti Creation

(Makes one mini cake)

1-cup yogurt

¼ cup rainbow sprinkles

3 Oreo cookies

1 tablespoon chocolate syrup

1-cup fat free whipped topping

Fold the yogurt and sprinkles together and set it aside.  Place the Oreo cookies into the mini chopper and chop them into small crumbs.  Or, place the cookies into a Ziploc bag and let the kids crush them.  Stir the cookie crumbs and chocolate syrup together.  Place half of the yogurt mixture into the mini springform pan, add the cookie crumb mixture and top with it off with the remainder of the yogurt.   Place a piece of waxed paper on to the top and freeze the cake over night. Let the cake set out for 10 – 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.  Ice it with the whipped cream.

Optional:  Add rainbow sprinkles and a cookie on top before serving.

Yogurt:  I have used the non-fat Greek vanilla yogurt, low-fat yogurt and regular yogurt to make these recipes.  The least amount of fat, the harder the frozen yogurt will set in the freezer.  Make allowances for setting time before serving depending on the type of yogurt you use.

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Turkey Nachos by Jodie Fitz

Step 1:  Cook up the Magic Taco Meat Recipe.

Step 2:  Mix up a little salsa.

Step 3:  Shred 4 oz. of Price Chopper Pepper Jack Cheese

Step 4: Layer it up by placing a layer of Price Chopper bite sized tortilla chips on a microwavable platter or plate.  Add a layer of Salsa.  Add a layer of Magic Taco Meat.  Top it off with cheese.  Either microwave it for one minute (until the cheese is melted) or place it under a broiler for a few minutes.

Magic Taco Meat by Jodie Fitz

1 pound ground turkey

1/8 cup onions, chopped

15.5 oz. can of Price Chopper diced tomatoes

¾ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon Price Chopper salt

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon white pepper

1 cup chopped spinach, fresh

Cook the ground turkey in a frying pan; draining off any excess juices. Add the chopped onions to the cooked meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft. Place the tomatoes into a mini chopper or food processor; chop until very fine and juicy. Add the tomatoes, cumin, salt, chili powder and pepper to the meat mixture. Chop the fresh spinach in the chopper as well.  Stir the spinach into the meat mixture and remove it from the heat.

The Tomatoes:  I often trade the diced tomatoes for a pint of fresh grape tomatoes.

Quick & Easy Salsa by Jodie Fitz

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoon sweet onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon light olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons cilantro

Wash the red bell pepper and the tomatoes. Remove the top, bottom and seeds from the red pepper and dice.  Add the grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, sweet onion, olive oil and cilantro into a mini chopper or food processor.  Add the garlic using a garlic press.  Using the chop setting on the food processor, mix the ingredients together thoroughly and serve.

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Mango Salsa by Jodie Fitz

1 Mango

1/4 cup cantaloupe, finely diced

1/4 cup pineapple, finely diced

1/4 cup papaya, finely diced

1 tablespoon water

1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

Start by cutting the mango into small pieces (simply follow the directions on Mango Cutting 101 by clicking here).  Stir the mango, cantaloupe, pineapple and papaya together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, lime juice and honey.  Add the lime juice mixture into the fruit and stir it together.  Serve it with tortilla dippers.

Lessons for Kids:  Every recipe has many lessons incorporated, but a couple of high-lights in making mango salsa would be dicing and how to cut a mango.

Cinnamon Tortilla Dippers by Jodie Fitz

4 flour tortillas

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Water

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into eight triangular pieces by cutting the pizza into half, then fourth’s then eighth’s.  Place the tortilla wedges onto a non-stick baking sheet.  Using a basting brush or paper towel, simply wet the top of the tortilla and sprinkle the top with cinnamon-sugar.  Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the tortillas are crunchy, but only slightly browned.  Remove them from the oven and let cool.

Lessons for Kids:  Every recipe has many lessons incorporated, but a couple of high-lights in making tortilla dippers would be fraction concepts and basting.

Disclosure: I am pleased to be working with MVP Health Care and the MVP Generation Go Program, which has sponsored this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinion is always my own, as is any advice offered.

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As a result of the all of the AMAZING finds at the Saratoga Olive Oil Company, I have been experimenting with their delicious products.  I think I am completely hooked on the Cara-Cara Orange infused balsamic vinegar, which will now be a staple find in my cabinets.  When I visited with Hayley, the manager of the store she recommended trying their Cara-Cara Orange Vinegar and their Butter Flavored EVOO on top of pancakes, but I decided to experiment and add a twist of my own.

First, I created a sauce to top off the pancakes including the Cara-Cara Orange Vinegar;

Orange Sauce by Jodie Fitz

½ cup orange juice*

¼ cup Saratoga Olive Oil Company Cara-Cara Orange vinegar

¼ cup honey

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour the orange juice, cara-cara orange vinegar, honey and vanilla into a sauce pan and whisk the ingredients together.  Bring it to a boil over medium heat.  Lower the temperature and let it cook for about 8 – 10 minutes to reduce the sauce approximately thirty percent.  Stir occasionally throughout the process.  Let it cool until it is lukewarm before serving.

A New Pancake Combo by Jodie Fitz

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup low-fat milk

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Saratoga Olive Oil Company butter flavored EVOO

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Place the egg into a bowl and whisk it.  Add in the milk, sugar, butter flavored EVOO, baking powder and salt.  Using a hand whisk, mix the ingredients together.

Coat a griddle style pan with a light layer of butter or non-stick cooking spray.  Add the batter to the pan to create 5-inch pancakes.  Cook the batter on one side until it golden brown, the edges are solid and the batter begins to bubble.  Flip the pancake and cook the pancake fully before serving.

Makes approximately 8 – 9  five inch pancakes.

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Granola Bites by Jodie Fitz

2 cups old-fashioned oats

¼ cup peanuts

½ cup raisins

¼ cup mini dark chocolate chips

1 banana

4 ounces cinnamon applesauce

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup peanut butter

1 – 2 tablespoon(s) honey

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the peanuts into a mini chopper or food processor until they are finely chopped; set aside.  Peel and place the banana in a bowl.  Mash it with fork; set aside.

Add the old-fashioned oats, finely chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, mashed banana, cinnamon applesauce, peanut butter, honey and vanilla into a bowl.  Stir it using a spatula in a cutting fashion until the ingredients are fully mixed.

Using a medium scoop, scoop the mixture into 12 even scoops on a baking sheet that is covered with parchment paper.  Bake the granola bites for 10 – 12 minutes until they are fully set.  Let them cool completely and then they are ready to eat and run.

Kids in the Kitchen:  There are always many lessons with every recipe, but in this specific recipe the opportunity exists to teach children the cutting action of stirring.

Little Hands:  This recipe is great for little hands not just because of the measuring and pouring, but because it can all be done by hand without the use of sharp utensils and electrical devices.

Disclosure: I am pleased to be working with MVP Health Care and the MVP Generation Go Program, which has sponsored this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinion is always my own, as is any advice offered.

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How long has your school been implementing a Children’s Health Fair?
We have had 2 successful fairs at our school to date.

You have a very fun twist using the Operation Game, can you explain it & share how you encourage families/students to visit each element of the fair?

The theme for the first fair was based on the operation board-game. Kids all received a game-bag equipped with stickers and a crayon. As they went to each event they filed in the coordinating number on their game bag. If the event had any promotional materials the students had a place to keep them.

The theme for the second fair was based on the recent olympic games.  The students were given gold medals made from paper plates. They were able to put a sticker on their medal for every event that the visited.

At the end of the program children & families collect a lot of information and materials that they can go home & discuss.

Who organizes the Activities?

Each of the vendors that came to the fair planned their own activity.  They were encouraged to provide the students with a hands on experience that promotes a healthy mind, body, or lifestyle.

Can you share some or a list of all of the programs featured at
your family health fair?

We have a diverse group of exhibitors with active kids demonstrations like tae kwon do, sports safety, healthy snacks and so much more.  All of it is designed to get kids motivated to think about their overall healthy

How many families/people attended this year’s celebration?
In 2011 we had 116 kids go through the event.  And, in 2012 we had 178 kids participated.  Neither of these numbers include the parents that joined us as well, so the attendance was much higher.  The event has been very well received and we are growing!

How many volunteers do you need the day of the event?
Though we have run both fairs with minimal volunteers, for a smooth running set up and start on the evening of the fair it is important to have between 5 and 10 depending on the amount of exhibitors.

Disclosure: I am pleased to be working with Pupil Benefits who has sponsored the post and encourages the development and growth of Healthy Schools.  

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