Thursday, October 28, 2010

October - Bone Health Month



How fitting, since this is the same month as Halloween.  



Who can think of Halloween without visualizing a skeleton?  The next image we all have are heaps of candy that our little ghosts and goblins have collected during trick or treating!  That image sends shivers down any parent’s spine!
 The question is how do we meet the challenge of maintaining good nutrition during this creative and fun day?
Here are two recipes for delicious treats that strengthen your bones and titillate your taste buds:
             Fruit Parfait          
Ingredients:
·        ½ cup yogurt
·        1 tbsp. orange juice
·        1 ½ cups, peaches, sliced, fresh or canned
·        1cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
·        1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
·        Slivered almonds
Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and orange juice.  In 4 parfait glasses, layer half of the peaches, raspberries, blueberries and top with yogurt mixture.  Repeat layering.  Sprinkle slivered almonds over each serving.  ENJOY!

Scrumptious Sundaes
Ingredients
·        1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
·        1 banana
·        1 tbsp. wheat germ
·        ½ cup chopped walnuts
·        Honey or maple syrup, to taste
·        2 large strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
Spoon frozen yogurt into 2 individual serving bowls.  Slice banana into rounds and drop over frozen yogurt.  Sprinkle with wheat germ and walnuts.  Drizzle honey or syrup over all.  Top with a strawberry. ENJOY

Here are some tips to help you maintain the fun on Halloween but manage this special night.
Before Trick-or-Treating

  • Feed your children a healthy supper before they go out.  They will be less likely to dig into their bag of goodies before they get home.

  • Limit the number of houses they visit – stay on your own street.  Or, limit the amount of time they are out trick or treating.
After Trick-or-Treating
  • Buy back candy from your children for money or a special treat, like visiting the zoo or going to the movies.
  • Be role model and eat candy in moderation yourself.  Children learn by example.

If your kids get a real haul of candy, here are some simple ideas to prevent it from going to waste:
·        Freeze some and chop it up to use as topping on frozen yogurt or ice-cream.
·        Use crushed suckers to create stained glass in your gingerbread house at Christmas time.

Remember to keep your bones strong – exercise every day and eat 3-4 servings of milk or alternatives from the Canada Food Guide!


Monday, October 25, 2010

Welcome!




Welcome to Father Bill’s Kitchen!  A kitchen is many things to a home.  It is a place of love when bread is broken, a place of learning when homework is done.  It can even be a place of council when serious topics must be discussed.  It is our hope that Father Bill's Kitchen will be all those things and more to our family at École Monsignor William Irwin School.  This blog will attempt to give you an insight into our Wellness goals and dreams for our new school through photos and links related to the mind, body and spirit.

Plans for our focus on health and wellness for our students began before the doors to the school even opened.  A dedicated team of parents and teachers had a vision for a healthy school.  The start to their plan began with the establishment of a "Soup Day" to replace the old concept of the pizza lunch and to involve the students in the process.  We were featured in the Edmonton Examiner on September 29th with the heading “Souper Duper” School promotes healthy lunches!  Here are the photos that accompanied the article.


 Here are two of our students helping to make a delicious minestrone soup that was eaten for hot lunch that day.  It was accompanied by a carton of milk, a whole grain roll and crunchy apple slices.


Our students really loved helping the parent volunteers to create a delicious and nutritious lunch.  If you want to make the soup we had at school that day for yourself, here is the recipe:

MINESTRONE SOUP
Ingredients:
1.5 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 celery stalks, chopped
1 796 ml. can tomatoes, diced
1 cup green beans
1 can pinto beans
3 large white potatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 - 900 ml. beef broth
2 cups of water
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Brown beef and onion.
2. When beef is completely brown add vegetables, broth and spices.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Cover and simmer until veggies are done.
5. Enjoy!

Makes approximately 12 large servings