Month: December 2014

Miniature Brownies (Gabrielle’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1/3 cup of brown sugar ¼ cup butter 3 oz semisweet chocolate ½ tsp. vanilla 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/3 cup flour 24 chocolate Rosebuds Directions: In a saucepan, melt sugar, butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring, until chocolate is just melted.  Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute. Blend in vanilla and egg; gently fold in flour until blended. Spoon into tiny baking cups. Bake at 350o F in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; set a Rosebud on top of each. Let cool. Makes 24 brownies Source: The Canadian Living Christmas Book   Lentil Soup (Stephanie’s Favourite) Ingredients: 2 cups of lentils 8 cups of fresh water 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 sprigs parsley, chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced ¼ tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. salt 20 oz can of tomatoes 2 tbsp. vinegar A pinch of oregano Directions: Wash lentils, and then add to 8 cups of water in a large pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic, pepper and salt. Simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours. Add tomatoes, vinegar and oregano. Simmer for a few minutes more before serving.   Cheesy Artichoke and Bean Dip (Holly’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1 can (19 or 15 oz) of cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise Pinch of cayenne pepper Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest Directions: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Coat a 2- to 3-cup baking dish with non-stick spray. Place the beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a food processor. Process until almost smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl once or twice. Transfer to a medium bowl. Site in 2/3 cup of the Parmesan, parsley and lemon zest. Scrape into the baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tbsp. of Parmesan. Bake the dip, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes or until it is heated through. Serve warm with whole grain pita chips, whole grain crackers, or veggies. Serves 8 Source: http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/warm-artichoke-and-bean-dip-recipe-2/   Little Date Balls (Mélissa’s Favourite) Ingredients: 2 cups of dates, pitted and chopped 1 egg 2 cups of melted butter ½ cup of almonds or pecans, finely chopped ½ cup of crisped rice cereal (Rice Krispies) 1 tbsp of vanilla extract Unsweetened shredded coconut Directions: In a saucepan, on medium heat, heat the butter, egg and dates for 5 to 10 minutes. Add in the almonds/pecans, Rice Krispies and vanilla extract. Mix well (if the mixture does not easily run, put into a blender for a couple seconds). Wet your hands with cold water and make round balls about a tablespoon in size (CAUTION: the mixture will still be hot), then roll the balls in the unsweetened shredded coconut. Refrigerate the balls until they are firm enough to eat. Keep in the refrigerator. The recipe makes about 14 balls. Enjoy!   Baked Oatmeal with Fruits (Allysha’s Favourite) Ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats ½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 cup milk 2 eggs ½ cup melted butter 2 tsp. vanilla extract ¾ cup dried cranberries Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into 9 x13 inch baking dish. Add fruit, any fruit. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Source: CHEP – Good Food Inc.   Low-fat turkey gravy (Marie-Lynne’s Favourite) Ingredients: 4 cups unsalted turkey stock, divided 2 tbsp. fresh sage, remove from stem and finely chop 2 tbsp. fresh thyme, remove from stem and finely chop 1 cup skim milk 1/4 cup cornstarch Directions: Place turkey stock in a saucepan on the stove top over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add sage and thyme to the simmering stock. Continue to simmer until the stock is reduced by 1/4, or until about 3 cups of stock remain. Pour milk into a small bowl. Add cornstarch and stir to mix evenly. Slowly pour milk mixture into the simmering stock, stirring slowly. Bring sauce to a boil and continue to stir until stock thickens and has a nice shine, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour gravy into warmed gravy boat and serve. Serves 8 Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/recipes/turkey-gravy/rcp-20049921   Squash recipe (Stephanie’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1 medium squash (acorn or butternut) 10 fresh sage leaves chopped roughly or 1/2 tsp. dried sage 2-3 red chilies sliced thinly fresh or 1 tsp. dried chili flakes (vary the amount of chilies depending on your desired level of spiciness) 2-3 garlic cloves, diced Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil Directions: Heat oven to 350° F. Chop the squash into 3/4 inch slices and place in single layer on a pan. Combine olive oil, sage, chilies and garlic for seasoning. Drizzle the seasoning over squash until coated. Roast uncovered for 30-45 minutes. Enjoy!   Note: If baked uncovered the squash will blacken, it can be covered depending on preference. Source: James Del Frari and Jamie Oliver, http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/rice-recipes/roast-squash-sage-chestnut-and-pancetta-risotto/   Grilled Chicken Sandwiches (Mélissa’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1- 1/2 cup of cooked chicken, minced ½ cup of low-fat mayonnaise 1 green onion, chopped finely 1 small celery stalk, minced Salt and pepper to taste Whole-wheat bread slices Directions: In a mixer, put in the cooked chicken, celery stalk, green onion, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Reduce the mixture until all the ingredients are finely chopped. Spread the mixture on the bread slices to make the sandwiches. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Put the sandwiches in a Panini grill until the bread turns golden brown. Note: The sandwiches can also be grilled …

Read moreThe Healthy Start Team’s favourite winter recipes

Healthy Start is one of many provincial and national programs aimed at increasing physical activity, promoting healthy eating and encouraging staff wellness in early year settings. Working on this intervention, we come cross a lot of other great programs that are also accomplishing these goals. We would like to highlight some of the excellent work being done by the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) in Saskatchewan. On October 29, 2014, two members of the Healthy Start team had the unique opportunity to facilitate a workshop as part of a larger forum, organized by the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, for CAPC Coordinators from all over the province. The forum, held at the Travelodge Hotel in Regina gave participants a chance to attend presentations by Dr. Mariana Brussoni and Dr. Louise Humbert on injury prevention and physical literacy, respectively. The CAPC program, established in 1992 and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), is part of a larger, national initiative. CAPC’s main objective is to enhance the well-being and healthy development of children living in conditions of risk. Clients of the program are families with low incomes, teen parents, single parents, recent immigrants or come from remote and isolated communities. In Saskatchewan, special consideration is given to Métis, off-reserve First Nations, northern children and their families. An example of a great initiative funded by CAPC is the Parent & Pre-Kindergarten Education Program (PPEP) in Esterhazy, part of the Good Spirit School Division. The program is offered in three rural communities for children aged 3-5 years old. Parents participate in support groups, parenting courses, and are involved in classroom activities. One of their (post-workshop) goals was to invite Reg Leidl, Physical Activity Consultant with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, to present on physical activity in education environments. At the forum, the Healthy Start team explained how to incorporate physical activity and healthy eating into the daily routines of these programs, essentially building on the foundations already in place and by sharing the LEAP resources as they are simple, easy-to-use and take a minimum amount of preparation and space to facilitate. It was interesting to learn that many of the CAPC programs have already developed their own initiatives concerning physical activity, healthy eating and staff wellness initiatives. A lot of great ideas were presented as easy measures to adopt in their daily schedules such as eating with the children more often, providing parents with nutrition information, and making a fun environment to explore new foods. There were also great suggestions for increasing physical activity such as promoting outdoor activities (park time), taking active breaks together with the children, and hosting gym nights for families. The workshop presented a great opportunity for the Healthy Start team to assist CAPC Coordinators in assessing their current practices, setting SMART (Specific-Measurable-Attainable-Realistic/Results-based-Timely) goals, action planning and adopting guidelines to ensure the long-term sustainability of these changes in their projects and centres.