For the crust:
2 ½ cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
½ tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter cut into small pieces

For the crumble:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup rolled oats (not instant)
½ cup almonds or pecans, finely chopped

For the fruit:
¼ cup raspberry preserves
3 ½ cups fresh raspberries or a combination of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries
¼ cup sugar
4 tsps flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:  Heat the oven to 375.  Use a 13 x 9 inch pan.  Line it with a good length of foil so that it hangs over the edges (you’ll be using it like handles to lift out the bars once they are baked.)  Butter the foil lightly.  Put the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter pieces and pulse again until the mixture is the texture of cornmeal.  Take out 1¼ cups of the mixture and put it into a separate bowl.  This is will be part of the crumble topping.  Pour the rest into the pan and press it evenly and firmly into a crust.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.   While the crust bakes, toss the brown sugar, oats and nuts into the reserved 1¼ cups of the flour mixture.

Toss in the 2 tablespoons of butter pieces and rub them into the mixture with your fingertips.  Set aside.  For the filling, stir together the preserves, sugar, flour and lemon juice.  Add the berries and toss well, crushing some.  Pour into the crust (it’s okay if the crust is still hot from the oven) and distribute evenly.  Pinch together small clumps of the crumble topping and scatter on top of the fruit. Put the pan back into the oven and bake until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is lightly browning, about 25 minutes or so.  Cool completely (or you will burn your mouth because the fruit gets so hot!) and cut into squares. 

The process through pictures:
Making the crust (and the start of the crumble)

 Pressing the crust into the pan

Adding the filling (Ok, so I didn’t have fresh raspberries on hand, so I used frozen blueberries.  The cookies still turned out great!)

Making the crumble topping

Ready to put in the oven

Out of the oven
Served!            
 
I used these preserves for my recipe.  Now I have extra jars in my pantry for my next dozen batches.  Delicious!

-Kathy Gibson, 3rd grade teacher at the Community School of Sun Valley, Idaho who suggested this experiment and urged me to follow through
-Alexander and his fellow 3rd grade students at Community School who dilengently watched over this experiment
-Dr. Karsten Fostvedt, Dr. Josh Frost and the entire staff at St. Francis Pet Clinic in Ketchum, Idaho for the donation of the tooth for this experiment.

In the December newsletter about sugar, I had mentioned an experiment in school where we were going to see what happens when you “bathe” a tooth in a cola solution.  Ultimately, from a process standpoint, we went with the “keep it simple!” solution of having just one tooth and putting it in a cola solution along with fruit juice.  Per my Biochemist Dad (a big thank you to him as well for some great guidance on this project), we spit in the jar first –yes, yuck!– to create a environment that was representative of a mouth.  Here are a few highlights of the experiment:

-We used a sterilized canning jar, and once the tooth and the cola/juice/spit were inside, we sealed the jar with the lid
-The tooth was a beautifully white dog’s tooth with no porous details or scratches prior to the experiment
-We covered the tooth in regular Coke and “100% apple juice” (a juice box which has ingredients of:  apple juice from concentrate (water, concentrated apple juice); ascorbic acid (vitamin C))
-the experiment only last ONE WEEK (yes, just seven days)
-the jar was left in the kids classroom on the counter while the kids checked on it daily to exclaim “eewwww!” as the tooth changed color.

Here are the before and after pictures…. The lego man is there to give you a sense of scale. The combination of the sugar and the acid turned out to be, well, overwhelming. 

I know, are you in the mood for a cola and/or fruit juice? 

PS—the tooth has returned to the classroom to see if it will eventually break down and fall into pieces.  Check back for an on-going report!

During the winter, there are few things better than a bowl of hearty soup. We eat soup nearly every day! My slow cooker works hard while we are out-and-about, enjoying the beautiful winter mountain air.

Please make your own soup! It is so easy, and economical. Remember, you can always follow Nurture’s Recipe Framework for a Slow Cooker and be creative in coming up with your very own recipes. Canned soups can be loaded with excess salt, or worse, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its hidden derivatives (hydrolyzed protein, textured protein, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, or yeast food). Canned broth can also be guilty of these additives, so be sure to select a high quality brand of broth (or make your own) when making soup.

Here is a soup I came up with recently—very delicious and unique! I’ll call it Thai Chicken Soup.

Combine in slow cooker:

Protein
-1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Vegetables
-1 large chinese cabbage, washed and roughly chopped
-2 packages of mushrooms, washed and sliced
-1 bag (16 oz) frozen broccoli, or use fresh
-1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped

Seasonings
-2 TBS lime juice
-2 TBS fish sauce*
-2 tsp sugar
-2 tsp thai chili paste*
-1 finger of ginger, peeled and chopped
-2 stalks of lemongrass, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried)

Liquid
-1 32 box chicken broth*
-2 cans (14 oz) coconut milk*

Directions: Cook in slow cooker* on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.
Noodles*: cook according to package. Drain and mix noodles into soup prior to serving, or add separately to each bowl.
*For purchasing information, please see below.

Optional: green onions (also works as a garnish). Cilantro and basil works great as a garnish too!

Need to buy some items to make this recipe? We’ve search the web and selected some great options for you (value, free shipping, and no tax!) that you can purchase through the links below. Thanks to Amazon Associates, when you purchase through one of the Amazon product icons, the Healthy Kids site gets a little kickback from Amazon. You don’t pay more; in fact, you will likely get a better deal than what you might find in stores. Our relationship with Amazon helps to offset the cost of running this website. If we end up making a profit– especially since our time is volunteer–we donate it to Nurture, a non-profit that helps low-income families improve nutrition and health. Thank you!

So just follow the Fruit and Nut Clusters recipe, but feel free to try different type of dried fruits and goodies in there.  My husband is always asking, “when are you making Mountain Food again?”  I’ve made it with dried goji berries, dried organic strawberries, and even crystallized ginger.  My next time?  Dried cherries and chocolate chips!  Please comment on what your favorite version of Mountain Food/Fruit and Nut Clusters is…it is always fun to experiment with new ideas!

I’ve got Mountain Food in my pocket:
*Need to buy some items to make this recipe? We’ve search the web and selected some great options for you (value, free shipping, and no tax!) that you can purchase through the links below. Thanks to Amazon Associates, when you purchase through one of the Amazon product icons, the Healthy Kids site gets a little kickback from Amazon. You don’t pay more; in fact, you will likely get a better deal than what you might find in stores. Our relationship with Amazon helps to offset the cost of running this website. If we end up making a profit– especially since our time is volunteer–we donate it to Nurture, a non-profit that helps low-income families improve nutrition and health. Thank you!

Place ingredients (enchilada sauce through cranberries) in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for one minute. Transfer ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
In the slow cooker, add coconut oil and chicken breasts. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook on low until done (about 2-3 hours in my super fast ‘slow’ cooker). This meal pairs well with a side sweet potatoes, sauteed spinach and sliced avocado. Serves 4.
Need to buy some items to make this recipe? We’ve search the web and selected some great options for you (value, free shipping, and no tax!) that you can purchase through the links below. Thanks to Amazon Associates, when you purchase through one of the Amazon product icons, the Healthy Kids site gets a little kickback from Amazon. You don’t pay more; in fact, you will likely get a better deal than what you might find in stores. Our relationship with Amazon helps to offset the cost of running this website. If we end up making a profit– especially since our time is volunteer–we donate it to Nurture, a non-profit that helps low-income families improve nutrition and health. Thank you!

I am posting this recipe in honor of the Winter Feast for the Soul, which I am participating in this year!

 I truly believe that everyone should know how to make their own (homemade) chicken soup—and make it often!  In the cold winter months, we eat soup just about every day. 

 To make your own chicken soup, you can follow the easy Slow Cooker Recipe Framework from Nurture.  Remember, just combine protein, vegetables, liquid and seasoning. 
So easy—just try it!

For my chicken soup, this is what I did.
Combine  in slow cooker:

Protein
-Chicken meat (I had made a Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker the day before—delish!)

Vegetables (this is what I had on hand—so I threw it in the pot!)
-1 pound of carrots, peeled and chopped
-1 bag (16 oz) frozen broccoli, or use fresh
-1 can of water chestnuts

Liquid
-I made the my own broth by taking the bones from the Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker and covering them in water, adding some spices and lemon, and cooking on low in the slow cooker overnight;  you can also use boxed broth

Seasonings

-2 TBS lemon juice
-2 TBS gluten free soy sauce (I was inspired by the water chestnuts and broccoli to create a sort of Asian flavor)
-2 tsp red curry paste (why?  Because I had an open container in the fridge)

Cook in slow cooker* on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.
*For purchasing information, please see below.

Optional:  Anything!  You can garnish with green onions, fresh herbs, shredded cheese… whatever you feel like!  We drizzled ours with a bit of sesame oil because we felt like it.  This pot of soup nourished us for days.
*Need to buy some items to make this recipe? We’ve search the web and selected some great options for you (value, free shipping, and no tax!) that you can purchase through the links below. Thanks to Amazon Associates, when you purchase through one of the Amazon product icons, the Healthy Kids site gets a little kickback from Amazon. You don’t pay more; in fact, you will likely get a better deal than what you might find in stores. Our relationship with Amazon helps to offset the cost of running this website. If we end up making a profit– especially since our time is volunteer–we donate it to Nurture, a non-profit that helps low-income families improve nutrition and health. Thank you!

And what to do about blue/purple?  The kids asked me to make a blueberry crumble, which can easily cook and be served from a slow cooker that will sit in their classroom until lunch time.  I consulted my mother-in-law, Terry, an expert on blueberry crumble.  Here is her time tested family recipe– delicous and so easy!  (Note:  for the gluten-free version, please read to the bottom).

Butter (1 stick)
Sugar (1/2 cup brown an 1/2 cup white)
Cinnamon (~1 tsp)
1 cup flour

Mix ingredients and pour over a generous amount of blueberries (or any type of fruit–at least 4 cups worth) in a pyrex dish.  Bake at 350 until bubbly (about 45 min). 

I tweaked the recipe a bit since we had just learned about whole grains with the kids, and I wanted to include some in the recipe.  So I substituted the 1 cup flour with:  1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup white flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour.  I also added some vanilla (about 1 tsp) because I felt like it. You could also add some lemon juice, or play around with different spices.  Be creative!

Because we were serving it at school and there is no oven, I tested this recipe in a slow cooker (on high for several hours) and it worked out great.  I hope the kids at school love it as much as everyone in our family did!   

My final step before next week’s lunch is to make a gluten-free version of this crumble.  One of the kids in the class is gluten-free, so I’m excited to challenge myself with creating a version that will be just as delicious.  Stay tuned! 
*Post note:  I did it!  I played around with the recipe a bit, and I came up with something gluten-free that my 5th grade daughter said was just as good as the original.  All I did was to follow the original recipe, but exchange the 1 cup flour as follows:
-1 cup flour–replace with:   1/2 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup almond flour, and 1/4 cup Bob’s gluten free flour

Need to buy some items to make this recipe? We’ve search the web and selected some great options for you (value, free shipping, and no tax!) that you can purchase through the links below. Thanks to Amazon Associates, when you purchase through one of the Amazon product icons, the Healthy Kids site gets a little kickback from Amazon. You don’t pay more; in fact, you will likely get a better deal than what you might find in stores. Our relationship with Amazon helps to offset the cost of running this website. If we end up making a profit– especially since our time is volunteer–we donate it to Nurture, a non-profit that helps low-income families improve nutrition and health. Thank you!

3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 small sweet onions chopped, or 1 small sweet onion and 3 leeks (white part only) chopped
2 to 4 cloves of garlic (depending on your love of garlic) chopped
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 cups arugula, roughly chopped
4 cups kale (leafy part only) roughly chopped
4 Tablespoons white miso
pepper to taste – you won’t need much, if any, salt
optional:  2 eggs (I use extra large) at room temperature

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and leeks, if using, and cook until tender and just slightly beginning to brown.  No need to rush it.  Add the garlic and give the pot a stir.  Add the chicken stock and vegetable broth and the miso.  Stir to dissolve the miso.  Add the greens.  Let the greens settle down and let the pot come to a bubble then turn the heat down so that it simmers gently for about 20 minutes or so.  It is ready to eat.  Now, if you want to add a little bit of extra body and protein to the soup, beat the two eggs together in a small bowl.  Slowly pour about a ½ cup of the hot soup into the eggs, wisking as you go.  Turn off the burner and add the egg mixture into the soup pot, stirring to incorporate.  Ladle into bowls and eat!

-1 pound washed and chopped carrots–I put them in olive oil in the slow cooker on high for about 20 minutes, before adding:
-1 bag of frozen brocoli (or use fresh if you have it on hand)
-1 box of frozen spinach (or use fresh if you have it on hand)
-1 box of chicken or veggie broth (32 oz)
-1 can of diced tomatoes 

That is it.  You could of course add garlic, onions, a million other types of veggies, a grain a protein source… the options are unlimited.  But I found that with my kids, the simplier the better.  They even asked me to make it again (without the tomatoes!?) so Iobliged.  And they ate it, and I’m happy.  And it was so easy–thank you slow cooker!

Please comment on what kinds of soup your kids love!
*Need to buy some items to make this recipe? We’ve search the web and selected some great options for you (value, free shipping, and no tax!) that you can purchase through the links below. Thanks to Amazon Associates, when you purchase through one of the Amazon product icons, the Healthy Kids site gets a little kickback from Amazon. You don’t pay more; in fact, you will likely get a better deal than what you might find in stores. Our relationship with Amazon helps to offset the cost of running this website. If we end up making a profit– especially since our time is volunteer–we donate it to Nurture, a non-profit that helps low-income families improve nutrition and health. Thank you!