What's Cookin'? Tuesday - Cinnamon Baked Goldens

Kristen Mowers, Nutrition Coordinator, CalSERVES 

Reasons to Eat Dried Fruits 

One serving of most dried fruits provides:

1. A source of dietary fiber
2. Potassium, which the body needs to maintain muscle contractions and a healthy nervous system
3. Iron, an essential mineral for maintaining the delivery of oxygen throughout the body
4. A source of calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, B-complex vitamins and magnesium.

 Have fun trying this healthy dessert idea.
 

Cinnamon Baked Goldens

Serve alone or with vanilla frozen yogurt and a sprinkle of lowfat granola.

Makes 4 servings. 1 apple per serving.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ingredients

4 large golden delicious apples, cored

¼ cup raisins

½ cup 100% apple juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation

1. Place apples in a microwave safe baking dish.

2. Fill each apple with an equal amount of raisins.

3. Combine all remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over apples. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until apples are tender.

4. Carefully remove apples from dish with a slotted spoon and set aside.

5. Place baking dish back in the microwave and cook on high, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes more or until mixture has thickened to a glaze. Drizzle over apples and serve while hot.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 156, Carbohydrate 41 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Protein 1 g, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 5 mg

What's Cookin'? Tuesday - Trail Mix

Kristen Mowers,  CalSERVES Nutrition Program Coordinator

Have you ever wondered "How do fruits dry?" Fruits become dry when their moisture content drops below 20 percent. Dried fruits are the result of either natural or mechanical processes. California’s grape growers happened upon raisins accidentally when an early heat wave dried the grapes on the vine. California plums, by comparison, are dehydrated by machines that lower the moisture content to about 15 percent.

Try this easy recipe for a quick, healthy snack:

For more healthy recipes explore http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/

Garden Day At Meadow View

Becky Fein, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow at Meadow View Elementary

What's Cookin'? Tuesday

Kristen Mowers, CalSERVES Nutrition Program Coordinator

Our students are learning how to make healthy choices. This includes trying new fruits and vegetables as well as learning how to cook healthy meals. Harvest of the Month is a program that highlights seasonal produce that is grown locally in California. We focus on a new fruit and vegetable each month and try to use them in our cooking classes that are offered at our sites. This month we are learning about oranges and broccoli.

Try out this flavorful recipe:

From cachampionsforchange.net

Check back each Tuesday for a new healthy recipe. Enjoy!

A State Wide Training

Sara Sitch, Program Manager, CalSERVES

The AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Program and California’s PROMISE came together in mid-October for a statewide conference. Hosted at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, the training offered multiple tracks for members and supervisors.

The conference kicked off on October 14, with keynote speaker Dr. Seth Pollack, Director of the Service Learning Institute at CSU Monterey Bay. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali in his twenties, Dr. Pollack learned first hand what it is to serve. Last year, while on a Fullbright Scholarship, Dr. Pollack reconnected with old friends and became reinvigorated by the power of service and learning to change the world. His address, “Elephants and Dung Beetles—Doing the Heavy Lifting Through Service for Social Change” was the perfect beginning to an exciting and educational three days.

The conference continued with trainings centered around volunteer management, event planning and facilitation, national service days, and on-the-job workshops. To underline the importance of service, AmeriCorps members also had the opportunity to participate in a beach clean-up and a greenhouse service project.

 On October 16, the conference culminated with a fantastic send-off by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which offered AmeriCorps members and supervisors free admission for the afternoon. There, eighty conference attendees go to take in exhibits at one of the best aquariums in the world. Attendees were treated to the new seahorse exhibit and were able to catch a rare glimpse of a young white shark. But, even with the two new attractions, the jelly-fish display continued to be an all-time favorite.

Cheering for RL Stevens

Melissa Moore, Supervising Teacher at RL Stevens

Kylie, getting ready to perform

RL Stevens cheerleading girls had a truly wonderful time at the Cool Sports Challenge at Sheppard last month! They practiced for weeks before the big day and arrived to each practice with enthusiasm to learn new moves and perfect the one's they already knew. The girls performed a crowd favorite dance to Michael Jackson's song "Thriller", complete with white painted faces. They returned to RL Stevens that night with huge smiles and the "Most Spirited Dance" award!

CalSERVES Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.

Jerry Noviello, CalSERVES Program Coordinator 

Artwork by the talented Kathleen Chosa

Our Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Night was once again a great success! Hundreds of kids from our program came to Meadow View Elementary School to present their poems, songs, speeches, and skits. Everyone of our schools had students who performed at the event. It was wonderful watching their enthusiasm on stage as they showed their passion for equality and the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I can’t wait to see the pictures and videos of the event taken by our mentors!

Thank you to everyone involved in the planning and preparation of this great event!