Washington Post-Culinary scholarship winner Jeanine Williams, a senior at Roosevelt High School in the District, 
credits her aunt Stacy for this family recipe. When Jeanine doesn’t have the vinaigrette ingredients on hand, she uses Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette.
MAKE AHEAD: You’ll have vinaigrette left over, which can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) pecan halves
- 1 to 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 7 ounces (about 5 cups) baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled, rinsed and cut into halves
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
(See Directions)
The government is releasing new nutrition standards for school meals. This is going to be a dramatic change. The changes are designed to improve the health of nearly 32 million children who eat lunch at school every day. One third of children in the USA are over weight or obese.
First lady Michelle Obama is making sure that we establish a healthier foodprogram at school for fall this year. One of the top issues is making sure that each student has at least one cup of vegetables and fruits. Overall, kids consume about 30% to 50% of their calories while at school and establish maximum calories and sodium limits for meal. This requires that foods that are served contain no Trans fat and limits for calories. (READ MORE)
Food says so much about where you’ve come from, where you’ve decided to go, and the lessons you’ve learned. It’s geography, politics, tradition, belief and so much more and these next two weeks, we invite you to dig in and discover the rich, ever-evolving taste of America in 2011. Catch up on past coverage and stay tuned for the live blog from our Secret Supper in Chicago on Wednesday night starting at 6:00 CT.
When you’re all grown up and on your own and have lived a bit of life, it’s easier to find peace with your weirdness. All those little and large things that set you apart as a child – your goofy-looking nose, talent for playing bassoon or obsession with the insides of small electronic devices – are what make you the gorgeous, fascinating, resilient adult you are today.
Read more…
Beginning today, kids will find some cool new choices on their restaurant menus — choices that will make their parents happy, too.
More than 15,000 restaurants in the U.S., representing 19 different chains, including Burger King, Cracker Barrel, Chili’s, Denny’s and IHOP, are participating in a voluntary new initiative called Kids LiveWell.
Read more…
In the battle for nutrition bragging rights, Los Angeles has beat New York — at least when it comes to scratching chocolate milk and other less-healthful items from the school lunch menu.
Read more…
Submitted by Denise Reynolds RD on 2010-04-19
Two new studies out this year have focused on the nutritional adequacy of diet in children with autism, particularly those who are selective about what they eat. Many children are picky eaters as they go through the more independent stages of toddlerhood and school-age years, but the trait is more common in children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).
Autistic children have limitations or difficulties in several key areas of development, including language, communication, social interaction, and rigid or repetitive behavior. “Selective eating”, the clinical term for a picky eater, can be a component of the desire to have a more structured environment. While most children outgrow their tendency to be picky about what they eat, children with ASD often carry the trait into adulthood.
Click here for more information about eating habits of autistic children
Post From Squido: This Green Eggs and Ham recipe is designed to allow children and parents to cook Dr Seuss’s famous food together for a fun time in the kitchen.
What better way is there to enjoy the story of Green Eggs and Ham than cooking the meal and eating it here or there or in a box, with a fox? There are also a number of Dr Seuss products, such as an apron, a lunch box and others, that will allow children to further enjoy the Green Eggs and Ham cooking and eating experience, and these are linked to in this lens.
Honestly, I remember my dad dying the eggs for me as a kid. It is these moments which last a lifetime- Crystal A. Johnson MCCN Editor
Click to See the Fun Step by Step Recipe
We all know that the healthiest drink for our bodies is water. Water makes 70% of our bodies; it cushions our joints, and transports oxygen and nutrients to cells in our bodies. Water encourages bowel movement and helps to defend against blood clots. Everyone should have eight 8 ounce glasses of water every day, especially if you’re an active person. Even though water is the healthiest thing you can put in your body, there are many beneficial drinks that you might want to try. READ MORE
I’m not the most ‘kid’ creative person in the world and often come up short when thinking of ideas on how to keep my little monsters entertained. No longer can I get away with calling our numerous trips to the grocery store an ‘adventure’ and we can only go to the neighborhood park so many times before we all (well, mainly me) want to shoot ourselves. So, when I ran across this candy sushi idea from Mommyknows, I immediately set this plan into action. The kids absolutely loved it. One note, be prepared for a sugar meltdown followed by a possible napless afternoon but watching them make their ‘sushi’ creations was worth it. READ MORE
When it comes to the media, we are used to seeing certain standards of beauty. When we see an ad for food, clothes, or even cars we see slim women with flawless skin. The truth is the average woman isn’t a size 2. This standard of beauty is not realistic and puts a negative image in the minds of young girls and women.
For most girls, going through their teenage years can be very difficult. When they see a girl their age in a magazine with “the perfect body” they begin to believe everything they read or hear. For example, a girl who is insecure with her body might buy a certain beauty product or outfit if she sees a skinny woman in the ad. These young girls are at risk. Research shows that exposure to images of thin, young, air brushed females are linked to depression, loss of self esteem, and unhealthy eating habits in young women and girls.
Most of the images of female beauty used in the media are unattainable for all but a very small number of women. Many of the images of women seen in magazines and television ads have been retouched and are not representative of what the women in the picture actually look like. Photo retouching can make the females in advertisements seem slimmer, tanner and basically flawless. The truth is that most of those women don’t even look like their own photos in reality.
Although in America we have certain standards of beauty, there are many different ideals of beauty across the world:
- Thailand the women of the Kayan tribe have a standard of beauty that doesn’t rely on someone’s height or weight. Known as “long necks,” women from this tribe put brass rings around their necks and add more as they age. The rings give their necks an elongated appearance. The most beautiful women are said to have the most rings.
- In Ethiopia, the women of the Karo tribe place scars on their stomachs to attract a husband. This scarring process starts at the young age of 5 and is finished when the woman is ready to be married and have children.
As you can see, there are standards of beauty that involve more than weight and height. The more aware we are aware of these different standards of beauty, the more we can see ourselves as individual beauties. Diversity is a beautiful thing and everyone has their own beauty that makes them unique.
