Earth Hour This Saturday

On Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm begins Earth Hour-a global event in which millions of people will turn out their lights to make a statement of concern about our planet and climate change.

Sponsored by World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour got started just two years ago and is now the largest event of its kind in the world. Last year, more than 50 million participated and the lights went out at the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the Coliseum in Rome, just to name a few. Even Google's homepage went black for the day! In Israel, President Shimon Peres personally turned off lights in Tel Aviv. This year, Earth Hour will be even bigger-already 2900 cities in 83 countries have agreed to take part including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC, with more signing up every day. Around the world cities like Moscow, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai and Mexico City will turn out their lights. But Earth Hour isn't just for big cities-anyone can participate. To get a better sense of the event, check out this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjWD8pbK5t8.

Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and free. To sign up, visit http://www.earthhourUS.org where you'll learn more including ways you can spread the word about Earth Hour, plus creative things to do when the lights go out in case you need inspiration! We want the US to turn out more lights than any other country in the world during this historic event so please pass this note along to anyone you think might want to take part. Let's all turn out and take action on March 28 at 8:30 pm.

Harvest of the Month Handiwork

Lloyd (7th grade) looking very pleased with his work. Find the recipe for Mexican Pickles in the previous post.

Springtime Eats

Suddenly it’s spring. Yes, we still have cool nights and overcast mornings, but the warm late afternoon sun reminds us that hot weather is right around the corner. Trees are beginning to leaf out and spring flowers like calla lily and astromeria are in bloom in gardens all over Pasadena. There is a lot of activity in the vegetable patch too. All the early greens vegetables are ready to harvest. At the farmer’s markets you’ll find piles of green garlic, chives and spring onions as well as the season’s first snap peas, sugar peas and pea shoots. My favorite is the tender fava beans sold by the bunch. Just open the thick pods and much on the beans inside. A classic Italian snack pairs fresh fava beans with chunks of young pecorino cheese. The two taste delicious together.

The beauty of spring vegetables is in their diminutive size. Baby broccoli, tiny white cauliflower, small spring lettuces and tiny baby beets are harvested and take just minutes to prepare. Knobby celery root is ready to be transformed into soup or salads. Multihued breakfast radishes are in season as well as gigantic white daikon radishes whose mellow taste can approximate a potato when cooked.

This month farmers also pull lots of fresh carrots out of the ground. And contrary to what you see in the supermarket, the colors of farmers market carrots range from white to almost red-orange. Most spring carrots are long and slender with white tipped roots and luxurious green heads. But you also have Thumbelina carrots which are completely round.

It’s pretty easy to get kids hooked on carrots. They are sweet, portable and crunchy. Thanks to the marketing genius of “baby carrots”, many Odyssey students pack carrots for a lunchtime snack every day. That’s a good choice. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, Vitamin C and are a great source of fiber and potassium. They also deliver vitamin B folate to your body as well as trace minerals like manganese, calcium and magnesium.

We are giving carrots their due this month in our Harvest of the Month program. Our recipe looks south of the border for inspiration. We’ll be turning sweet carrots into something else entirely -- pickles. Mixed with cauliflower, jalapenos, cucumbers and fresh oregano, pickling carrots dresses them up in an entirely new outfit. Spicy, sweet and hot. What more could you want?

Mexican Pickled Carrots

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut in 1/4" slices on the diagonal
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and separated into small florets
1 pound pickling cucumbers, unpeeled, washed and cut into 1/4" on the diagonal
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and cut in half
3/4 cup chopped oregano leaves
1 quart white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 Tablespoons cracked peppercorns
3 red jalapeno peppers
3 green jalapeno peppers

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boil and blanch the carrots for three minutes. Remove from the boiling water with a slotted spoon to a colander and refresh under cold running water. Drain and reserve. Then blanch the cauliflower, for six minutes, drain and refresh. Put carrots, cauliflower and cucumbers in a large glass container, or three quart sized containers. Add the chopped oregano and mix.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the jalapeno's garlic and onion and return to a boil. Cook a minute longer and pour over the vegetables. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate covered -- Will last for one month

Eat Your Words

Just a quick note that March 6th’s Family Book Club night was a huge success. To get the creative juices flowing, families stopped in the community hall first for a dinner of soup and salad provided by Food and Garden parents. Then it was off to class for a lively review of two books – Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Bud, not Buddy. The K-3 crowd held their discussion in tents complete with flashlights.

Thanks to organizers Mia Picerno and Marianne Seiss, along with OCS staff Rachelle Martinez, Carlos Garcia and Director, Lauren O’Neill. Special thanks to our wonderful kitchen parents Karen Merchant, Valerie Barth, Elizabeth Rainey, Gloria Ross and Stephanie Jenniches.

If the event inspired you to start your own family book club, just remember that “good food ends with good talk”.

Book Club Bean Soup

1 lb. dried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water
1 tbs. olive oil
1/3 pound bacon, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tbs. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
12 cups chicken broth or water
1 15oz. can, diced tomatoes
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried chipotle powder
1-2 bunches fresh kale, cleaned, stemmed and sliced into ribbons
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large 8 quart pot with the olive oil. Add diced bacon and sauté until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving fat in pot. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the same pot and sauté until the vegetables are softened and slightly brown. Add rosemary and sauté.
Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the chopped parsley, chicken stock (or water), diced tomatoes, paprika, and chipotle powder. Add the kale and bring the soup to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and slowly simmer for about 2-3 hours, until the beans are soft and fully cooked. Cooking time varies widely based on the age of the beans. Add more water if the soup looks too thick. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Feeds six quite well, especially when a salad and baguette are served alongside.

Children and Nature Awareness Month

From Teacher Denise Martinez:

Dear OCS Families. I have read Last Child in the Woods and used some of the research in my thesis. I know some of our parents are active and access the beautiful trails we have available to us, but probably many do not. Wouldn’t it be great to have an Odyssey family hike once a month? We could pack in a picnic (or BBQ at the campsite) and get those who may need a little encouragement to come outside and enjoy nature with their children and others.

I’m reprinting below an article that may get families out: hiking, walking, enjoying!!!


Get Children and Families Outside!
The Children & Nature Network designates
April as Children & Nature Awareness Month

SANTA FE, NM – February, 2009 – April is the second annual Children & Nature Awareness Month, a call to action announced by the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) and Chairman Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

This year, C&NN has two goals: First, to encourage parents to form their own Nature Clubs for Families. And, second, to persuade grandparents and others to do their part to reconnect children and nature. Nature Clubs for Families are local groups with a common interest in connecting children with nature. Each Nature Club is unique, with activities that vary depending on location and participants. The gatherings may include meeting regularly at a park—playing, building friendships, and singing with preschoolers and their parents—or home-schooling families, who go on lengthy walks for focused nature study. Elsewhere, families might enjoy a trail hike that combines kid-driven play with spontaneous nature observation. All share basic goals: Going outside in nature on a frequent basis; gathering children, friends and community members to share outdoor adventures; and experiencing the benefits of time spent together outside.

C&NN has developed a how-to guide: Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit downloadable at http://www.childrenandnature.org/natureclubs/. TheToolKit includes a Quick Start Guide with simple instructions on how to start a local Nature Club for families, and is filled with field-tested ideas, resources, templates and checklists. Included are first-hand stories and suggestions from Family Nature Club leaders who are already enjoying success.

Today, children are far less likely to spend time playing outside, and a growing body of research says children are paying a high price for that lack. Obesity, inattentiveness, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), diminished creativity and depression are just a few of the problems linked to what Richard Louv has called nature-deficit disorder. “Getting kids outdoors more, riding bikes, running, swimming—and, especially, experiencing nature directly—could serve as an antidote to much of what ails the young,” according to Louv.

Throughout the month of April, C&NN will promote the growing network of individuals, organizations and agencies across the country who are rallying parents, educators, youth leaders, and policy makers to work together to make sure all children have the opportunity to experience frequent, regular play and exploration in natural outdoor environments. The Children & Nature Network now has over 7,000 members, regional leaders and partners across the country and aims to turn this nature deficit around.

Visit the C&NN Web site at www.childrenandnature.org to explore the growing list of events and activities, including county, regional and statewide children and nature proclamations, family hikes and “play days.” Post your own events. You also can visit the Web site to find potential speakers for events you may be sponsoring.

Topics in the News

Please check out some recent articles posted by the New York Times on topics as various school lunch reform, the importance of children getting time to actually eat lunch and trends in urban composting. Just click below for some “food for thought”

Slowing Down School Lunch 

Urban Composting: A New Can of Worms

No Lunch Left Behind 

Student Chef Spotlight: Simone Dunye (5th Grader)

Simone is a typical active eleven year old girl -- creative, chatty and loves to spend time in the kitchen. Today we talk to her about baking, one of her favorite rainy day activities.

Simone, why do you like to cook?
I like to cook because it's fun. I first started cooking when I was around seven years old. I used to help my mom make pancakes. I guess I prefer baking to cooking. It is more interesting. I don't bake that often but I would like to do more. My favorite things to bake are pies: pot pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, things like that. 

I think everyone should learn to cook and bake. It is fun and easy and after a while, if you know the ingredients really well, you can cook without having to use recipes. You will know it by heart and if you know it by heart, then you can do it all the time.

What are you going to make today? 

I am going to make pumpkin pie. This is the second time I've made it but I'm not nervous because it is easy and I'm not scared. The directions to make pumpkin pie are simple.

Are there any tricks to making this that we should know about?

Not really. You just have to measure the ingredients really carefully.

How old should a kid be before they try to cook this?
A kid should be about nine years old before trying to cook this. You do have to know about measurements and a little kid might mess up and add too much salt or sugar.

One last really important question. When is the pie ready to eat?
You can't eat pumpkin pie right away. You should let it cool and then eat it.

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Simone's Pumpkin Pie
(Makes one 9" pie)

1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
1 can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sugar/spice mixture and the pumpkin puree. Beat until well mixed. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until set, about 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set out a rack to cool completely (about 2 hours). Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled.