Yesterday we had the opportunity to teach our 7th graders at Promise 2 about Ratios and Scaling of Numbers. We tied a West African Cabbage Salad to the lesson as they are learning about West Africa in History/Social Studies. We are always excited to show our students how the work they learn in school is connected to various careers. Thank you to all the students for providing Thank You cards.

 

 

West African Cabbage and Pineapple Salad

Serves 8                                                                      

Ingredients

SALAD

1 lb cabbage, shredded

1 cup celery, sliced diagonally

1/4 cup sliced scallion

1/2 cup green pepper, thin sliced

1/2 cup diced fresh tomato, not canned

1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon tarragon

1/2 tablespoon parsley

 

DRESSING

1 cup nonfat yogurt  

2 tablespoons light sour cream                                                    

2 -3 tablespoons low-fat milk                                                 

Directions

1. Place all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl; toss lightly

2. In a small bowl, beat together the dressing ingredients until smooth.

3. Pour dressing over salad and gently toss to coat well.

HCZ ARMORY FREE FITNESS CLASSES!!

 

Please click on the Fitness Class Schedule below to learn more about the FREE CLASSES taught at the Armory.

 

 

FREE TENNIS PROGRAM!!

** FREE TENNIS PROGRAM!! **

(For all students enrolled in an HCZ after school site)

Location

·       Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) Armory

o   40 West 143^rd Street New York, NY 10037

Gender/Age Range

·       Male or Female ages 7-17 years old

10 Week Session

·       Tuesday October 11^th – Friday December 16^th

Practice Dates

·       Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:30pm

Application Deadline

·       Friday September 30^th

o   Hand in the completed application at the HCZ Armory

Parent Meeting

·       Saturday October 15th

Equipment needed

·       Proper Tennis Attire – Sneakers, Shorts/Skirt, T-Shirt

Please feel free to reach out to me, Daniel McGarry, at dmcgarry@hcz.org or 212-281-5431 for any questions, concerns and for an application.

Healthy Harlem Early Childhood Newsletter

 Attached is our Healthy Harlem Early Childhood newsletter for September.  Best wishes for an excellent school year! - Healthy Harlem

During our most recent Fall Harvest we handed out a number of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. The Healthy Harlem Team also made an incredible Fruity Coleslaw. Attached is the recipe for those unable to try it.

Equipment

§  Cutting board

§  Sharp knife

§  Box grater

§  Medium bowl

§  Measuring spoons

§  Big spoon for stirring

§  Small jar with a tight-fitting lid or small bowl with a whisk

Ingredients

§  1 tablespoon olive oil

§  1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

§  1 garlic clove, minced

§  1⁄2 teaspoon salt

§  1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper

§  3 cups very, very thinly sliced green cabbage (or packaged slaw mix from a bag)

§  1 carrot, scrubbed or peeled, and grated (about 3/4 cup)

§  4  scallions, trimmed and white and green parts thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)

§  1 apple or pear, cored and finely chopped (about 3/4 cup) (or 1 small navel orange; 2 clementines; or ½ large grapefruit, peeled, sections separated, and each section cut into 3 or 4 pieces)

 

 

Procedure

1.       Put the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in the jar, screw the lid on tightly, and shake it until the mixture is smooth (or put the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth).

 

2.       Put the cabbage, grated carrot, scallions, fruit, and dressing in the medium bowl and toss well with the big spoon. Taste the coleslaw and add more pepper, more vinegar, or a pinch of salt if the flavor needs a boost.

3.       Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

 

 

 

National Guacamole Day

It's the holiday you've all been waiting for! September 16 is National Guacamole Day and November 14 is National Spicy Guacamole Day. Show your true green colors and impeccable good taste with Hass avocados, the choice of professional chefs and guacamole connoisseurs. Serve them proudly throughout the day and for the remaining 363 days for breakfast, lunch, dinner and more. The possibilities are endless with always in season Hass avocados. Try our tips and recipes for a perfect guacamole celebration.

Guacamole Entertaining

 

Guacamole Preparation Tips

• Picking Hass avocados - Although the skin of the Hass avocado turns darker as it ipens, you can't always judge a ripe avocado by its color. Instead, select avocados that yield to gentle pressure when you squeeze them in the palm of your hand. Or if you're planning ahead for your celebration, look for Hass avocados that are firm to the touch, they'll ripen naturally in four to five days. You can speed up the process by placing them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana and store at room temperature.
  Get more tips from our How to Select and Buy Hass avocados page.
• Cut, Twist & Spoon Hass avocados - Slice Hass avocados lengthwise, cutting around the seed and twist to separate into two halves. Use a spoon to gently remove the seed. For more detailed instructions, visit our How to Make Guacamole section.
• Refrigerating Guacamole - Keep unused avocado or your celebration guacamole from oxidizing (turning rown) by adding lime or lemon juice. Store in an air-tight container or wrap tightly in clear plastic wrap to limit the surface area exposed to the air. If your guacamole surface does oxidize, simply scrape the brown top layer away without disturbing the green "guac" underneath.
  Get more tips from our How to Store section.

Guacamole Serving Suggestions

Tortilla chips are traditional, but you don't have to be. Serve your guacamole with crisp sliced vegetables. Use it as a sandwich spread. Top a burger with a dollop of guac. Dress up grilled fish, chicken or pork. Add a dash to an omelet. Your guacamole adventure is limited only by your imagination!

Guacamole Party Fun

• Guac'n'Roll - Don't forget to have plenty of fun party dance music, with guacamole as the star attraction, why not a little 'guac-n-roll' theme with plenty of rock and roll music.
• Guacamole Party Games - Looking for a fun party game to go along with your guacamole celebration? Try guac-n-bowl. Clear a long strip of an area in the corner of your party for guests to throw. Take the leftover seeds from your avocados, wash and dry thoroughly. Set-up empty water bottles with spare change inside for weights as pins and let guests try to knock over the bottles with the seeds. Each bottle or "pin" can be one point or you can make some bottles more points than others. Keep strips of paper and pencils nearby so guests can keep score.
• Guacamole Bar - National Guacamole Day is all about serving the delicious green stuff - why not focus your entire celebration around it with a guacamole bar. Prepare a variety of ingredients and seasonings like cumin, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeño, green chiles, bell peppers, your favorite cheeses, and more - give your guests a wide selection to be creative. Be sure to include plenty of mashed or diced Hass avocados and lots of dipping possibilities. Or for a competitive edge to your party, challenge your guests to submit their creations for a guac-off where each custom guacamole is voted on to choose the crowd favorite. Be sure to have plenty of recipe cards on hand so guests can write down their recipe creations for future use.

New Menus

Our new menu cycle is posted under the "WEEKLY MENU" tab. Please view the menus and stop by for a meal.

Healthy Tips to Starting off the New School Year

Encouraging children to eat a nutritious, balanced diet early on is important for a number of reasons. Ensuring they get the right vitamins and minerals in their diet will help them grow and develop optimally. They are also more likely to be energized and motivated, supporting their ability to learn. Educating them on healthy eating during childhood will also help them make healthier choices as they become adults.

 

Fruit and Veg

You should look to include at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Portion sizes will differ depending on age, size and physical activity. As a rough guide a portion of fruit and veg should be the size of your child’s palm.

 

Starchy foods

Children should have a source of carbohydrate within every meal. Choose whole grain varieties as these provide more fiber and nutrients. They also provide slow energy release which will keep children fuller and more energized for longer.

 

Protein

Protein is always important, but is even more so during childhood. Protein encourages healthy bones, growth and brain development. You can get protein from animal products like lean meat, fish, milk, eggs, yoghurt and cheese. These contain all 9 essential amino acids. You can also get protein from plant-based foods like beans and pulses. Aim to include two portions of fish a week (one portion being oily, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines), which can be fresh, frozen or canned. 

 

Dairy

Dairy products like cheese, milk and yoghurt give children a great deal of nourishment. They provide calcium, vitamins A and B12 as well as being a source of protein. If possible, avoid too many flavored yoghurts as these can be high in sugar - opt for natural or Greek varieties instead.

 

Fat and sugar

Fats are important for children, but in moderation. The beneficial fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated and can be found in nuts, seeds, avocados and oily fish. Some of the saturated fats found in pastries, animal fats and baked goods are often poor quality and come alongside sugar and salt. These types of foods should be kept as occasional treats. Too much sugar disrupts children’s energy levels, damages teeth and can lead to weight gain.

 

Salt

As adults, we shouldn’t exceed 6 grams a day; children should have even less. As a general guide, kids aged 4-11 should have between 3-6 grams a day. Start looking at food labels and keep in mind that many pre-packaged foods contain lots of salt.

 

Drinks

Between meals, the best drinks to opt for are milk and water as these are kind to teeth. Drinks containing sugar (fruit juice, squash, carbonated drinks etc.) should be enjoyed as an occasional treat and with meals to limit damage to teeth.

The following article written by WPVI-TV elaborates on further ways to continue staying in good health.

 

For more information we found this great website that offers a wealth of knowledge.

http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/content/healthy-eating-for-kids.html

 

Maintaining a healthy diet is a great start but there is more that just eating correctly. I came across this article from  WPVI-TV that shares a couple great points.

A trip to the pediatrician is important, to make sure kids are up-to-date on vaccinations and to get their vision and hearing checked.

About two weeks before school starts, ease the kids back into sleep and breakfast routines.

"You want to start eating breakfast on time," says Dr. Richard So, a pediatrician at the Cleveland Clinic.

"Another thing, too, with regards to sleep - most kids under 12 needs about 10 to 11 hours of sleep, after that is about 9 to 10 hours of sleep. You want to start moving their bedtimes back about 15-20 minutes every 2 to 3 days prior to school start," he adds.

That should ensure less wake-up drama with the new school year and could enhance performance in school.

Also, practice hand-washing in the weeks leading up to school, to make a habit of it.

Wash both hands and wrists for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. One way to remember the time is to sing "Happy Birthday" twice.

http://6abc.com/health/starting-off-new-school-year-on-a-healthy-note/919176/

(Copyright ©2016 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.)

 

 

Soup we made from last week. Puree of Carrot with pickled Thai Chilies from the garden. Sweet and Spicy!

Pickled Thai Chilies

Ingredients:

6 tbsp white wine vinegar

4 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp water

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of Thai bird chilies, sliced lengthwise

1 bunch lemon basil

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Method:

In a sauce pan, add vinegar, sugar, water and salt. Bring to a boil and whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Once the mixture has cooled, add the chilies, basil and garlic to a small, sealable container, and pour the vinegar solution into the container, making sure you have covered the chilies. Seal, and place in the refrigerator for about two days.

 

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