September 8, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
Today was our first day without sunshine. We woke up to gloomy skies and and a light mist in the air. The temps were considerably cooler than we’d experienced before. Even though the day began on a gray note, by afternoon the skies had cleared and we had beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures the rest of the day, so no complaints.
We spent most of the morning hiking in Muir Woods, an amazing redwood forest just a few miles north of San Francisco. The size of the trees, ferns and other vegetation was unbelievable. These thousand-year-old trees truly deserve the title giant redwoods.
When we left Muir Woods, we drove the short distance to the Napa Valley. We stopped at the beautiful Domaine Carneros winery and spent some time relaxing on their patio enjoying the amazing vista. Gorgeous. The hills and vineyards stretched in every direction as far as the eye could see.
Before I close for today, let’s go back to San Francisco again for one more interesting site. Our last stop on Monday was the Ghirardelli Square, located on the site of the original Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory.
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company began its rich history of chocolate making at Ghirardelli Square in 1852. Between 1852 and 1895, Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Factory was located at four different sites before the company took over the Pioneer Woolen Mills on North Point Street–today’s site of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory & Soda Fountain and Ghirardelli Square.
In the 1960s the chocolate manufacturing operation was sold and transferred to San Leandro. A group of San Franciscans, fearing Ghirardelli Square might be demolished, purchased the property. Unique shops and restaurants were created within the old factory, combining the latest in retailing and fine cuisine with the flavor of old San Francisco. The project officially opened in 1964.
Ghirardelli Chocolates still maintains a fabulous confectionery and restaurant on the premises, which we visited on Monday. Downstairs there’s an intriguing working display showing the chocolate making process.
Today’s free classroom activity is based on our visit to Ghirardelli Square. To access the activity go to http://www.freshfacs.com/reading.htm
September 7, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
Wow! The weather in San Francisco has been amazing! We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day than today! We started the day by riding the cable car to Lombard Street. We’re getting quite good at hanging on for dear life as the cable cars careen up and down the hills of San Francisco. Too much fun! We climbed up the very steep hill to the top of Lombard Street. We breathlessly arrived at the base of the “crookedest street in the country” just in time to see a series of muscle cars descending the scenic drive. Dusty and Randy were in heaven! What a great way to start the day!
Our next stop was the Golden Gate Bridge. What a gorgeous structure! It’s said that the GGB is the most photographed manmade structure in the world. Take at look at these photos and you’ll understand why!
Intrepid hikers that we are, we walked the entire length of the GGB and back! It took us about an hour, but it was well worth the time and effort. Magnificent views! We watched as seals frolicked below us and stately sailboats cruised the waters of San Francisco Bay. An experience not to be forgotten!
From the GGB we rode the bus (We spent a lot of time on buses and cable cars!) to Golden Gate Park, a huge expanse of green in the heart of the city. We strolled through the Japanese Tea Garden, sat and listened to a band concert in the park and strolled the beautiful flower gardens.
On our way back to downtown, from Golden Gate Park we made a stop at
Alamo Square to admire the magnificent Victorian architecture. If you’re a Monk fan, you’ll recognize this as the area where the TV detective is supposed to have lived. The most famous examples of Victorian architecture in the city is located in this area. The beautiful houses that face Alamo Park make up what is known as Postcard Row.
These six beautifully restored Victorian houses set against the backdrop of the San Francisco skyline, is one of the classic images of the City by the Bay. From 1850 to 1900, 48,000 houses in the range of styles the we now call “Victorian” were built to withstand earthquake, and others were torn down over the years to make way for new development. However, thousands of these elegant homes still grace the streets of San Francisco just waiting to be discovered and admired. Many of these houses were lost in the great fire that followed the 1906 earthquake. These houses are a beautiful example of architectural excellence.
Today’s classroom activity relates to the architecture typified by the houses on Postcard Row. http://www.freshfacs.com/at_home_with_history.htm
September 6, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
Today was our first full day in San Francisco and it could not have been more beautiful. The skies were perfectly clear, temperature absolutely ideal and bright sunshine from morning till sunset. Wonderful! We got an early start, taking the early ferry to Alcatraz.
Even if you’ve never visited this small island in the San Francisco Bay, you undoubtedly know it by reputation. The island has been a part of the National Park System since the 1970s. I recommend that you take the tour, if you ever have the chance. Fascinating and thought provoking. One of the highlights of our visit was the Garden Tour which showed us a lighter side of life on The Rock. The gardens were a little past their prime for the season, but still beautiful.
Here’s a photo of the four of us taking a break from the Alcatraz tour. Left to right in the photo—Me, Dusty, my nephew Randy and his wife, my niece, Angie. Randy and Angie are great traveling companions.
After spending the morning on Alcatraz, we went to the Ferry Building Marketplace for an organic lunch. The food was fabulous.
All of the food sold in the Ferry Marketplace is organic and sustainably produced. It’s a mecca for those trying to live green!
We ended our day in Chinatown with a visit to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. Tucked into a secluded alley this tiny “factory” produces an amazing array of fortune cookies baked fresh daily and made entirely by hand. In this tiny old-fashioned factory, which turns out thousands of cookies every day, you can watch three women deftly fold thin discs of cookie dough over slips of paper. The dimly lit setting evokes another century. Within a few paces of the entrance you can see fortune cookies being made right in front of you. First, the thin circular cookie is pulled off a hot press. Then, a fortune is placed on one side of the hot flat dough. Next, each soft, hot cookie is shaped over a steel rod into the shape of a fortune cookie. This process must be done very quickly, otherwise the cookie will harden before it has the right fortune cookie shape.
To see a video from the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory go to http://freshfacs.com/video/VID00005.MP4
To access today’s free classroom activity http://www.freshfacs.com/cooking_up_success.htm and follow the cookie.
September 5, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
The FACS Field Trip has officially begun and it’s been a great day! We arrived in the City by the Bay at about 2:00 this afternoon local time and we wasted no time setting out to see some of the sites.
San Francisco is a beautiful city, but we soon found out that its public transportation system can be a little challenging to newcomers. After several failed attempts we were able to catch a ride on one of the legendary cable cars. Squeezed in like human sardines we rode to the end of the line and then caught the F Line to Fisherman’s Wharf where we visited the Boudin Sourdough Bread factory.
In 1849, the Boudin family struck culinary gold. Wild yeasts in the San Francisco air had imparted a unique tang to their traditional French bread, giving rise to “San Francisco sourdough French bread.” Today, the Boudin family’s initial recipe lives on with a portion of the original mother dough still starting each and every sourdough loaf they make.
From a tiny, old-world bakery on San Francisco’s Dupont Street, Boudin has evolved to the state-of-the-art facilities and serves operating today, and emerged as San Francisco’s oldest continuously operating company.
The second floor of this state of the art bakery offers a museum devoted to not only the history of the Boudin family and the sourdough bread for which they’re famous, but also many of the other culinary delights for which San Francisco is known. I was surprised to learn that these iconic foods were all created in San Francisco: Popsicles, chop suey, fortune cookies, Irish coffee, crab Louis, and cioppino. The museum overlooks the working bakery below.
After a lovely seafood dinner in the Boudin Restaurant, we did a little more sightseeing and then decided to call it a night. It’s been a very long and eventful day. Tomorrow Alcatraz!
To see a short video of a Boudin Sourdough Bread Company baker click on http://freshfacs.com/video/VID00002.MP4
To access today’s free classroom activity, go to http://www.freshfacs.com/a_novel_approach.htm and follow the bread.
September 3, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 2 Comments
This time tomorrow we’ll be in San Francisco! I hope you’re planning to join us on the FACS Field Trip! I’ll begin posting about our FACS adventure as soon as I can after our arrival in California. I apologize for the brevity and lateness of this post, but today has been a little crazy. Between getting ready for the trip and the fact that today is my birthday, things have been a little crazy. I promise to make up for it next week! The FACS Field Trip is going to be great! Don’t miss it!
Have a great Labor Day Weekend, everyone!
Ramona
September 2, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
It’s never too early to begin to teach children to find comfort and inspiration in the pages of a good book. With a little creativity and effort, you can link the theme of a favorite book with a fun and kid-friendly craft project. Challenge the students in your child development classes to develop their own activity linking a favorite book with a simple craft project using this Child’s Play activity as a model.
Preschool children are sure to enjoy The Name Quilt, written by Phyllis Root and illustrated by Margot Apple. In this charming story Sadie loves spending time with her grandmother. Her favorite part of each day at her grandmother’s house is being tucked into bed beneath a quilt made of remnants of family member’s garments. Each night as Sadie snuggles down for sleep, her grandmother shares stories about generations of relatives and their life experiences. When the beloved quilt is blown away in a storm, Sadie learns that her family history lives on in spite of the loss.
After reading The Name Quilt with your preschoolers, introduce them to the basics of sewing and quilt making by creating sewing cards. Children will love spending time lacing and unlacing the cards and will develop eye-hand coordination as they play. Follow these simple steps to create a set of sewing cards.
Select a simple shape that can be traced onto a piece of cardboard or poster board. Some shapes related to the story of The Name Quilt might be a cat, star, dog or moon, but any familiar shape can be used. Trace the shape onto the cardboard using a marker or crayon. If you need a little artistic assistance, there are many printable coloring pages available on the Internet. Check out http://www.freeprintablecoloringpages.net/ and http://www.free-coloring-pages.com/ for ideas. Let the children color and decorate the shapes.
Using a hole punch, make holes around the outline of the shape. The holes should be spaced about ½ to ¾ or an inch apart. If you do not have access to a deep-throated stapler, you will need to trim card stock to within about 1 inch of the outline of the shape in order to be able to punch the holes for inserting the yarn. Cut a length of brightly colored yarn about 1 yard in length. Tie a fat knot in one end of the yarn and wrap the other end with a piece of transparent tape to prevent unraveling and to make it easier to insert into the holes in the sewing card.
We are currently developing a new website www.facsbythebook.com that will provide you with lots of additional ideas for incorporating reading into the FACS classroom. Hope you’ll check it out.
The FACS Field Trip departs for San Francisco and the Napa and Sonoma Valleys on Saturday! Are you ready to experience the beauty of California? I know we are and we’re excited about taking you all along. Mark your calendars and get ready to take advantage of some great new teaching tools. Watch for our new posts beginning Saturday/Sunday. (Sorry to be so indefinite, but we will be on vacation, you understand!)
More tomorrow. . .
Ramona
August 31, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
Our family has been “living green” for several years now practicing recycling and organic gardening. We’ve been astonished at the difference small changes in our daily habits have made in our lifestyle. We produce virtually no trash, which saves us money on trash collection. We also compost our vegetable and fruit peelings, etc. and use the resulting “black gold” to fertilize our flower and vegetable gardens with impressive results. The photos above don’t really do justice to the success of our organic gardening efforts because the photos were taken very early in the season. You’ll just have to trust me that the minimal effort is well worth it.
I’ve done a lot of research about the benefits of organic farming as I’ve developed activities for Home Ecology, the FACS of Living Green and other resources, and I’ve always found the information about the hazards of chemical fertilizers and pesticides very convincing. However, until I read an article in our morning newspaper today, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about the impact or organic farming techniques on the nutrient composition of the produce we eat. The article summarized research performed at the University of Texas-Austin and the U.K. The main points of the research are:
- nutritional data for 43 fruits and vegetables between 1950 and 1999 showed decreases in vitamins, minerals and protein. A portion of broccoli, for example, was found to have 130 mg of calcium in 1950, while showing only 48 mg in 1999.
- dwindling concentrations of minerals in 20 different crops were noted from the 1930s to the 1980s.
The loss of nutrients is tied to chemicals designed to speed the growth of vegetables and increase produce size. Selective breeding and the use of synthetic fertilizers decrease the produce’s ability to create nutrients or absorb them from soil.
I found this research to be enlightening and interesting. If you share this information with your students, you will also want to share the list of the twelve organic produce items that are considered to be worth the extra cost of buying organic: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. For ideas for preparing students to make an informed choice about organic produce, check out these websites:
http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Lesson_Plan_on_Organic_Food
http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit481/lesson1.html
http://healthlessons.org/hl/find/results.php?go_search=Y&browse_cat_id=9&browse_cat_name=Nutrition+-+Food+Safety
http://www.khake.com/page81.html
Don’t forget the FACS Field Trip! We’re only days away from departure! See you in sunny California!
Ramona
August 30, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
“It’s simply a very romantic place. Just one look at any of those streets, and you couldn’t be anywhere else—it’s so beautiful, and there’s that location, and the sense of free spirit. Who couldn’t become ravenous in such a place?” Julia Child
Happy Monday, Everyone!
I hope you had a pleasant and restful weekend. Dusty and I spent much of our time getting ready for the upcoming FACS Field Trip to San Francisco and the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. I hope you have all marked your calendars for September 4 – 11 because you’re all coming with us on this fabulous California trip! No reservations required and no cost to you—just the fun of reading about and seeing some of the fabulous FACS-related sites to see in this beautiful area of our country. If you’re wondering if the FACS Field Trip will offer anything related to your FACS curriculum, I’ll give you a sneak peek of what we have planned. Among the many points on our very busy itinerary, we will be visiting the following locations:
- Boudin Sourdough Bakery
- Britex Fabrics
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory
- The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
- Postcard Row
- The Ferry Building Marketplace
- many wineries in Napa and Sonoma
- Alice Water’s Chez Panisse restaurant
- Chinatown
- Round Pond Estates
I have developed seven new classroom activities linked to these and other locations we will visit on the FACS Field Trip. All you have to do is check in on the blog each day to find the link to the location on our website where you will find that day’s activity posted. I really hope you’ll join in the fun! Besides learning about the sites you will be virtually visiting with us, we also invite you to comment on each day’s blog post. Maybe you have a suggestion for a place we should visit or a great restaurant we shouldn’t miss on our trip. We’d love to hear from you! Your contributions to the FACS Field Trip will make the experience richer for all of us!
I’ll be sharing a new classroom idea in tomorrow’s post. I hope you’ll check back then. Have a good evening!
Ramona
August 27, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
I had the pleasure of presenting a workshop on sensible eating and weight loss at an Inspire conference held in our community. The goal of the conference was to promote a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on sensible eating and exercise. My topic was, of course, focused on portion control and choosing healthy foods. The audience in my each of my sessions was great. They were very attentive but they had lots of questions about snack foods and in particular foods that are marketed to help control weight. We discussed the 100 Calorie Packs and it made me think that you might be able to use this activity in your classroom.
Taking (Portion) Control
Analyzing the 100 Calorie Pack Craze
National Standards for FACS Education:
2.1 Demonstrate management of individual and family resources, including food, clothing, shelter, health care, recreation, and transportation.
9.6 Demonstrate food science, dietetic, and nutrition management principles and practices.
Objectives:
To analyze and interpret nutrition labels on snack food packages.
To evaluate the economic and nutritional value of processed snack foods.
Activity Summary:
Assign students to bring to class one package of their favorite snack food. Make sure that they understand that this can be any type of chip, cookie or other crunchy treat. Ask them to make note of the cost of the snack food of their choice.
Provide sample packages of at least three different varieties of 100 Calorie Snack Packs as well as samples of the original version of each. (Example, Oreo® Sandwich Cookies and Oreo® 100 Calorie Packs.) Label each package with the price of the item.
Discuss with students the benefits and concerns associated with 100 Calorie Snack Packs.
Instruct students to sample and compare the snack foods provided as they record their findings on the Taking (Portion) Control Response Form.
Review with students how to read a nutrition label, if necessary.
Discuss student responses, referring back to the benefits and concerns discussed earlier.
Using the nutrition label on the package of snack foods brought to class by students, complete the following:
Approximate the size of a 100-calorie portion of their snack food.
Estimate the number of 100 calorie packs that students could make from their snack food package.
Calculate the cost of each of the 100-calorie portions made from students’ snack food package.
Compare and discuss the cost and portion size of the various snack foods sampled.
Evaluate the 100-Calorie Pack experience by surveying students reactions to serving sizes, cost, convenience and nutritional qualities of foods compared.
Email me and I will send you the Taking (Portion) Control Response Form. Ramona@freshfacs.com
The countdown is on for the FACS Field Trip. Check this blog for my first post from the road and your first free activity on Sunday, September 5.
Have a great weekend! See you next week.
Ramona
August 24, 2010 - Posted by Ramona Hatch - 0 Comments
Try this quick and easy recipe to kick off your students’ foods lab experience! It’s a sure winner.
Healthy Snacks: Smoothies
With our growing awareness of the nutritional deficiencies of the average American diet, the need for FACS teachers to educate students to make better food choices has become a real mission. Like it or not, you are in the best possible position to positively influence kids to change the way they look at and think about food. Through interesting and appealing food and nutrition activities, you can entice students away from processed, calorie-laden snack foods and turn them on to healthier alternatives like this Super Smoothie.
Smoothies are an excellent way to get extra fruit into students’ diets and fulfill or even exceed the recommended servings for fruits and vegetables. Smoothies can do double duty nutritionally by quenching thirst and satisfying hunger at the same time. Quick and easy to prepare, smoothies can be an ideal between-meal snack. They’re a great way to sneak more fiber and antioxidants into a diet often lacking in these essential elements.
Smoothies can be created to suit any taste simply by combining favorite fruits. The following nutrient-rich fruits should be high on the list of potential smoothie ingredients.
Papaya–Rich in antioxidants, vitamins C and A, which help to support the immune system.
Strawberries–Have more vitamin C per calorie than any other fruit, and are high in fiber.
Raspberries–Pack the most fiber for the fewest calories and are loaded with folic acid.
Blueberries–A good source of the heart-healthy antioxidants anthocyanidins.
Here are a few tips for smoothie success to help make your Super Smoothie activity a delicious and nutritious experience.
• Limit the number of ingredient choices so that students spend more time in preparation and less time in deliberation. For example, orange juice will blend well with any combination of fruits and fruit-flavored yogurt, so it’s not necessary to offer more than one juice option. You really can’t make a mistake–all flavors will blend to make a tasty smoothie.
• Cut up frozen fruit into chunks no larger than 1-inch so that the blender will operate effectively.
• Using bags of frozen mixed fruit rather than bags of individual fruits can be both cost and time effective.
• Rinse out the blender immediately after use. Dried-on fruit can be very difficult to remove later.
• Save the empty yogurt containers for the candle cup activity featured in the Living Green section of this issue. Be sure to wash and dry them thoroughly and store with lids removed!
Super Smoothie
¼ cup fruit juice
¼ cup skim milk
6-ounce container low-fat yogurt
2 cups frozen fruit
Directions:
1. In a blender combine fruit juice, skim milk, and yogurt. Blend until smooth.
2. Cut up frozen fruit into bite-sized portions.
3. Add fruit to mixture in blender. Blend until smooth.
4. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 servings
Two quick reminders. . .
- Have you posted a comment on the Parade magazine Home Economics poll yet? (Check out yesterday’s post!) If you haven’t, do so ASAP. okay?
- Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the FACS Field Trip leaving September 4.
Have a great day!
Ramona
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