Tips and Recipes

Volleyball

Volleyball is a fun sport children can play inside a gym or outside on a sand court. It combines aspects of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball, making it a unique game!

Whether you play in a gym or on a sand court, you can find places to play volleyball near you. Contact your local parks department to find locations near you. You may even be interested in making your own sand volleyball court for your children to play on! Even without a court, your children can practice volleyball skills and techniques.

Here are a few basic skills for your children to practice:

• Forearm Pass: hold hands together in front of you and join your arms from the elbows to the wrists; hit the ball with the fleshy part of your forearms
• Underhand Serve: step your non-dominant foot in front of your dominant (i.e. if you’re right-handed, step your left foot in front of your right). Hold the ball in your non-dominant hand at waist-level above the knee. Make a fist with your dominant hand, swing your arm behind you, then swing it forward to make contact with the ball, keeping your non-dominant hand still
• Set: hold your arms fully extended in the air in front of your head, palms facing up and elbows wider than the shoulders. Spread your fingers in a diamond shape and when you make contact with the ball, use your finger pads to push the ball into the air.

For more information, visit http://www.volleyball.com

Every Kid Healthy Week

Did you know that one in three children in the U.S. are overweight or obese? Every Kid Healthy Week celebrates schools’ efforts to promote health and wellness. This year, Every Kid Healthy Week is April 23-27. This is a great opportunity for you to encourage your children to Move More! Here are some ways you can get involved with Every Kid Healthy Week:

• Host a family fitness night–talk to your child’s school about providing the space. Try activities like obstacle courses, target throws, tug-of-war, jump rope, a water balloon toss, dancing, and relay races. You may even ask a fitness instructor to lead a fitness class!
• Gather your friends and neighbors for a Family Fun Run. Remind participants that it’s about fun and fitness–not a competition!
• Involve your community in a playground or park clean-up. This may be at a community park or playground space at your child’s school. Divide up tasks like yard work and picking up trash. Ask your child’s school about resources to provide additional activities or games at the park/playground, such as a soccer goal or basketball hoop.

Remember to involve your children in Every Kid Healthy Week–this is a great chance to spend time with your family while being active together and positively impacting the health of your community! For more information, visit http://everykidhealthyweek.org/.

How else can you promote Every Kid Healthy Week?

Chicken and Broccoli Quiche

Makes 2 quiches.
6 servings per quiche.
Serving size: 1/6 quiche
Ingredients:
2 9-inch ready made pie crusts, baked
4 eggs
1 cup low-fat or skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 package (10 ounces) frozen, chopped broccoli
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)
3/4 cup cooked, chopped chicken
3/4 cup shredded cheese
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake pie crusts according to package directions
2. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
3. Place frozen chopped broccoli in the microwave, cook according to package directions. Pour off the liquid.  Let cool, squeeze broccoli to remove more water. Mix broccoli with carrots and onions.
4. Layer the meat, vegetables, and cheese into bake pie crusts. Pour egg mixture over the ingredients.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until top is browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Butterfly Snacks

• Fill a re-sealable snack bag with two healthy treats (one on each side).
• Pinch the middle with a clothespin.
• You can decorate the clothespin to look like a butterfly with markers and twist ties.
• Try grapes, cheese cubes, baby carrots, celery, pretzels, oat cereal, dried cranberries, almonds and more!

Cabbage Meat Skillet Dish

Serves: 10 Serving size: 1 cup Ingredients: ·       1  pound ground turkey ·       1 medium onion, finely chopped ·       1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce, low sodium ·       1 cup water ·       ¼ tsp black pepper ·       ½ teaspoon of your favorite seasoning mix (Italian, Asian, Curry, Greek, etc) ·       1 medium head cabbage, about 2 pounds, cut into strips ·       2 shredded carrots ·       1 ½ cups cooked brown rice Directions: • Saute meat and onions about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat. • Add tomato sauce, water, and seasoning. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. • Add cabbage and rice. • Stir together, mixing well. Cover; continue to cook 18-20 minutes.