Smoothie Queen
Blueberry, Kiwi, Banana and Yogurt Smoothie
Yesterday I talked about Annie’s dinner. But have I mentioned that Louisa has been on a smoothie kick lately? It’s happening so frequently that I may keep the blender on the counter instead of putting it away every day. I’m tired of having to get the step stool to pull it down from, and then put it back into, the upper cabinet.
I’m not sure what put her on this kick. Was it a television program where someone was making smoothies? A cooking show? Driving by the Smoothie King store? Whatever it is, I’ve been enjoying healthy smoothies on a regular basis. I’m finally eating a reasonable portion of fruit in my day, served up in a relatively non-fat concoction. It’s high on the fruit, low on the dairy, with no added sugar. By stocking a large bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer, it requires little ice to make it frosty, and less work on her part. Hey, I do my best to make it easy for her. Because I’m hoping this kick doesn’t wear out too soon.
The Rewards of Teaching Your Kids to Cook
Experts will tell you that if kids become involved in the kitchen, they will adopt healthy habits that will last a lifetime. There’s a program in California called The Edible Schoolyard that teaches kids to grow and cook their own food, for that very reason.
Kids that help plan and prepare the family meals are more likely to try food they wouldn’t have if Mom served it to them.
They will learn skills that will help them to avoid the expense and dietary pitfalls of depending on takeout and restaurant meals as they grow older.
But for me, the rewards are much more immediate. Take, for example, the Chinese Chicken Wrap you see in this photo. Annie prepared it for our dinner tonight with minimal supervision from me (I only guided her in poaching the chicken). Joe and I took Louisa to her basketball game and when we returned, Annie had dinner ready for us to eat.
Not just that, she even concocted a little dessert for us – a cup of crushed graham cracker cookies, ice cream cones, nutella, strawberries, Fluff and whipped cream.
Do you need any other excuse to teach your kids to want to cook?
That’s One Prescription I Can Swallow
Not quite ripe blueberries.
A new study continues to validate the health benefits of blueberries. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports on a study of seniors, with the average age of 78, who drank two cups of blueberry juice every day for 12 weeks. Those who drank the juice, showed improved memory thanks to the antioxidants and polyphenols found in the berries. Scientists hope this study will help point the way to a future cure and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.