Bike Smoothies

 How can you use energy to make energy?  Ride a bike and make a smoothie at the same time!  On Monday the garden classes had a special treat, thanks to Mr. Abraham's second grade class.  Mr. Abraham's class won the "Golden Sneaker Contest" last month, so they received a bike blender party.  Rosie Mesterhazy from Safe Routes to School brought the bike blender and offered it for our use for the day.  For the smoothies, we used berries fresh and frozen, bananas, juice, and for some, soy milk or yogurt.  While the kids took turns on the bike blender, we talked bike safety, smoothie ingredients, and energy use.

All the kids gave the experience a big thumbs up!  Special thanks to Elsie Lee for her help.  The next "walk and roll to school day" will be October 3rd--keep that date in mind, meanwhile, bike safely!

Fabulous Veggie Fried Rice Year Two

 The Spring Harvest 2012 offering was a big success!  Last Friday, the Garden Program again provided a veggie stir fry "snack" to all the students made from garden produce.  A true "field to plate" experience, Ms. Kendricks's class harvested about 20 bags of dino kale, broccoli, swiss chard, onions, spring garlic and Russian kale from the garden boxes on Wednesday.

 Then a fabulous crew of parents washed, chopped, stir fried, and cooked rice (and helped serve and clean up!) on Friday morning under my direction.  Thanks also to Kim Cook for soliciting help, Holly Jimenez for wok wonders, and Elsie Lee for lending her rice cookers.

 The stir fried veggies with rice and eggs (a little soy sauce and sesame oil were the only seasonings).

 Survey says thumbs up!  We made four large pans, and every last rice kernel was eaten--kids lined up and came back for more.  One child suggested we do this every month, and another asked if I was going to cook again on Monday.  I knew it was a big success when a child I was serving asked, "Could I have more vegetables, please?" 

 The event was "waste free"--both the paper trays and the wooden chopsticks were compostable, so nothing went to the landfill.

We'll keep cooking and tasting vegetables in different ways in this next month in garden classes.  RHS community, do you have a favorite recipe for preparing garden vegetables?  If so, please share it with me.