25 Days of Healthy Holiday Treats

Hey guys! It's the 1st day of December... Who's excited? Let's start counting down to Christmas with 25 healthy yummy treats!

These treats are amazing, they're less than 300 calories per serving, but sweet enough to give out as gifts!

25. Whole-Wheat Sugar Cookies
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 12 minutes, chill: 4 hours
Find the full recipe here

24. Buttermilk Pralines - the pecans will give you plenty of monounsaturated (good) fat!
Time: Cook: 25 minutes, stand: 20 minutes
Find the full recipe here

23. Mini Raspberry Tarts - top it off with fruit!
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 11 minutes
Find the full recipe here

22. White Chocolate Holiday Bark - loaded with dried cranberries and antioxidant-rich almonds!
Time: Prep: 15 minutes, chill: 30 minutes
Find full recipe here

21. Linzer Thumbprints
Time: Prep: 15 minutes, chill: 15 minutes
Find full recipe here

20. Turtle Bars
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 30 minutes
Find full recipe here

19. Chewy Ginger Cookies
Time: Prep: 15 minutes, chill: 2 hours, bake: 15 minutes
Find full recipe here

18. Cranberry-Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies - whole wheat, fiber-rich oats, and omega-3-rich walnuts goodness!
Time: Prep: 10 minutes, chill: 8 hours, bake: 10 minutes
Find full recipe here

17. Cinnamon Streusel Crisps
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 9 minutes
Find full recipe here

16. Chocolate Chip-Butterscotch Bars
Time: Prep: 15 minutes, cook: 35 minutes
Find full recipe here

15. Peppermint Ice Cream Cake
Time: Prep: 10 minutes, bake: 28 minutes, freeze: 6 hours
Find full recipe here

14. Coconut Chiffon Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting - made with eggs and oil instead of butter!
Time: Prep: 35 minutes, cook: 20 minutes, cool: 20 minutes
Find full recipe here

We're halfway there!

13. Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies
Time: Prep: 10 minutes, chill: 1 hour, cook: 12 minutes

12. Gingerbread Cookies



11. Fruit Jellies - made with fresh fruit!
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, chill: 1 hour
Find full recipe here

10. Cream Cheese Meltaways with Lemon Glaze
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 10 minutes, stand: 30 minutes
Find full recipe here

9. Classic Iced Sugar Cookies
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, chill: 1 hour, cook: 10 minutes
Find full recipe here

8. Mint-Chocolate Truffles
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, chill: 1 hour, cook: 10 minutes
Find full recipe here

7. Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Time: Prep: 15 minutes, cook: 14 minutes
Find full recipe here

6. Micro Mini Cheesecakes
Time: Prep: 10 minutes, cook: 20 minutes
Find full recipe here

5. Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins
Time: Prep: 15 minutes, cook: 25 minutes
Find full recipe here

4. Brownie Bourbon Balls
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 30 minutes
Find full recipe here

3. Coffee-Hazelnut Biscotti - perfect with a morning cup of coffee!
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 48 minutes
Find full recipe here

It's Christmas Eve!

2. Lemon Bars
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 40 minutes
Find full recipe here

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

1. White Peppermint Snowballs
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, cook: 12 minutes
Find full recipe here

Hope you guys will enjoy all these yummy holiday treats! Remember to stay happy and healthy this Christmas, and leave the belly to Santa!

Jessica Shum

References:
Health.com. (2011). 25 Days of Healthy Holiday Treats. Retrieved from http://www.health.com/health/gallery/thumbnails/0,,20324208,00.html

Re-Cap Of Our "Garden Drive"

Photos courtesy of Kari Lyster

Recently, we held a fundraiser called the "Garden Drive" to raise funds to plant Central's new community garden!  Games, crafts and healthy snacks were provided for students while adults talked over coffee and refreshments.  We'll be holding a "Planting Day" on Wednesday, so more pictures to come!  View more photos from the "Garden Drive" (including photos of the raised beds) after the jump...

Where is the Greenest School? Bali, Indonesia

Via CNN

The Green School in Bali, Indonesia is a radical international school.  Made from bamboo and cooled using the wind, the school is a model of sustainability. The school harnesses the power of the sun and the nearby river to supply electricity. In the school farm, students learn how to grow rice and vegetables.  Food from the farm is used to prepare the daily, local lunch.  Students from 17 countries, including children from Bali, attend the school.  Courses are taught using a "learning by doing" method.  The focus of the curriculum is on working together and teaching eco-friendly practices.  This may be an extreme learning environment, but perhaps we can apply some of these ideas here in BC.

What Will the Classroom of the Future Look Like?

Via Slate Magazine

Slate Magazine recently asked readers to redesign the grade 5 classroom.  The results are impressive!  The new classroom is a large, open space with plenty of windows and access to the outdoors.  Film projectors, art spaces, and a learning garden complete the classroom.  Check out the article here.

What does Eating Together Have to Do with Health?

Via GOOD

Laurie David is concerned about the death of family dinner.  With the rise of microwaveable and fast foods, family dinners made from fresh, local ingredients are now scarce.  It comes as no surprise that obesity is a growing epidemic in nations where cooking skills and fresh foods are not valued.  Eating together lets families share stories and histories and teaches kids how to make conversation.  Let's make a return to the family dinner.

Read an interview with Laurie David about family dinners here.

Why Obesity is a Complex Problem (and How to Solve it)

Via TED

Jamie Oliver wishes to end obesity through a number of changes to the food industry, school lunch programs, and family dinner.  At Central, some SFU volunteers are teaching classes about nutrition and the importance of fruits and vegetables.  Ms. Reese has tasting classes to get kids to try new (and healthy) foods.  Even with these programs in place, more needs to be done to make sure our kids (and adults) stay healthy into the future.  Watch the inspiring video above.

How Can We Get Kids Excited About Food?

Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkley, California founded the Edible Schoolyard.  The Edible Schoolyard teaches course subjects by letting students muck around in the garden.  The garden teaches students about sustainability, gardening, and food preparation.  It is also a way of getting kids excited about food and making healthy food choices.  Alice partnered with her local middle school to create the garden.  The garden has grown to over an acre in size and produces hundred of pounds of fruits and vegetables every year.  Food prepared from the garden is given to local charity.

17 Ideas for Healthy Eating

 Via OpenIDEO

IDEO, an Internet design company, worked with chef Jamie Oliver and all their users to answer the question: "How can we raise kids' awareness of the benefits of fresh food so they can make better choices?"  192 suggestions were made.  The top 17 ideas were made into a free downloadable PDF document available here.  The ideas run from creating healthy recipe cards to conducting a veggie circus.  One of the suggestions is "Tasting Classes", which happen regularly in Ms. Reese's Grade 3 Class here at Central!

Lunch is a Health Issue

Via TED

Although we do not have a lunch program in schools in Canada, we have much to learn from this video.  Ann Cooper talks about how we should think of food as a health issue.  She argues that we should spend more money and direct more attention to the health of our children in schools.

12 Ways to Make Healthy Lunch Choices Easier

Via The New York Times

This week in The New York Times, university professors re-designed the school lunch line.  The goal of the project was to improve students' healthy decision-making. The professors made nutritious options more attractive than unhealthy options.  Many of the same rules can be applied at home to help kids learn to make healthy decisions.  Click here for the full article and infographic.

Where is the Port Coquitlam Farmer's Market?

Via Port Coquitlam Farmer's Market

The Port Coquitlam Farmer's Market is a great place to purchase fresh, local produce, food items, and crafts.  It is also a great place to experience the culture of Port Coquitlam through arts events.

The market is located at 2252 Leigh Square in Port Coquitlam, BC, V3C 3B8.  The market runs every Thursday from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. from May 20 to September 16.

Find a map here

During the winter, local produce can be found at the Port Moody Farmer's Market located at the Port Moody Recreation Centre.  The winter market runs starting from November 2010 every other Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Find a map here

Should We Use Fear to Fight Obesity?

Break The Habit - Spec TVC from The Precinct on Vimeo

This controversial Public Service Announcement (PSA) uses fear to shake people into healthy eating. Perhaps this PSA could have explained why people eat junk food in the first place or explained the benefits of eating a balanced diet. What do you think? Does it make you want to eat a salad? What could make this PSA better? Or do you like it the way it is?

Gourmet School Lunches in France

Via CBS News

Due to budget cuts and issues with food preparation, many schools in British Columbia find it difficult to provide lunches to students.  Centennial Secondary School in Coquitlam runs a centralized food program and delivers meals to students in the district.

In France, students in public schools are offered a gourmet school lunch program costing between $2.50 and $6.00 (USD) per meal.  Families in need pay what they can and the rest is paid for by the government.  The program, run out of centralized kitchens, employs some very successful chefs as seen in the clip above.