Week 41 of Nutrition Expedition: Farmer's Market Scavenger Hunt

July 25-29, 2016

Farmer's Market Scavenger Hunt

We're going on a veggie hunt, we're gonna catch a big one! What a beautiful day! We're not scared.....unless, of course, you're afraid of GIANT carrots, which is what we found at the farmer's market this week in Nutrition Expedition! The 3-and-4-year-olds enjoyed a super fun scavenger hunt, where they had to find an assortment of fruits and vegetables. 

We picked out GIANT carrots and apricots. I also went to the store and added peaches, oranges, and apples to the mix. Ms. Kathy G. gave us some extra grapes and watermelon, and we even threw a few tomatoes from our Dome garden in there. We turned it all into a delicious juice using a juicer machine! Check out the results below.

This was our last week of Nutrition Expedition for this school year! I will be taking a short break through August to begin working on lesson plans for the coming school year. I'm planning on starting back up in the beginning of September. See you then!

Week 40 of Nutrition Expedition: Farmer's Market Finds- Healthy Blueberry Cupcakes

July 18-22, 2016

Farmer's Market Finds:  Blueberry Cupcakes

On another installment of "Farmer's Market Finds", our Nutrition Expedition explorers collected blueberries and raspberries at the Wednesday market :) What to make, what to make...how about a healthier version of blueberry cupcakes?! After a bit of research, I found this recipe on the Eating Well website:

We made one little tweak to the recipe, and that was using light whipped cream for frosting, instead of the complicated frosting method provided. The children were so excited to help in creating these delicious, and healthier "cupcakes". Can you guess what the secret ingredient was? Something that grows under ground, and is often mashed...mashed potatoes! What a silly thing to put in a cupcake! We even added the extra raspberries to the batter. The end result tasted more like a muffin, but they were super tasty! Check out the pictures of all the fun below:

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Week 39 of Nutrition Expedition: Farmer's Market Finds- Gazpacho For Nacho!

July 11-15, 2016

Farmer's Market Finds:  Gazpacho for Nacho!

For the month of July, we'll be visiting the farmer's market each week to see what kinds of colorful fruits and veggies are available! After making a few selections with the children, I'll come up with a delicious and nutritious recipe that will include all of the items we purchased at the market. 

Last week, we saw lots and lots of produce, as well as baked goods, flowers, kettle corn, etc. We selected some juicy tomatoes, fragrant candy onions, and crunchy cucumbers (we even made a pit stop at the splash pad on our trek back to school)! Now, what to make with our medley? 

Then, I remembered a great multicultural book that we read last year, Gazpacho for Nacho, by Tracey Kyle. It's about a young boy named Nacho who cannot get enough gazpacho. He begs his mother to make it for every meal, and refuses to eat anything else. She finally gets fed up, and decides it's time for Nacho to learn how to make his own gazpacho. Together, they visit the market and choose the freshest ingredients for their gazpacho (tomates- tomatoes, pepinos- cucumbers, pimientos- peppers, cebollas- onions, and ajo- garlic). Nacho learns how to prepare the gazpacho, and in the process, develops a liking for cooking and imagines all of the delicious things he will make as "Chef Nacho". The book includes a recipe for gazpacho, as well as a glossary of the Spanish words used throughout the book. If you are interested in this book, follow the link below to order it from Amazon:

Gazpacho for Nacho, by Tracey Kyle

The 2-year-olds and toddlers were able to help me prepare this delicious snack. They took turns adding the chopped tomatoes, onions (we used half an onion, as opposed to the onion powder in the recipe), peppers, cucumbers, olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar (instead of red wine vinegar). I then pureed it in the food processor, and chilled it in the fridge for one hour. We served it at lunch time with flatbread and saltines. Muy bueno! Delicioso! 

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.

Photo by Ms. Kelly V.