Super Snack Lady signs off....

As some of you might know, Super Snack Lady (Sarah), is an actual licensed teacher who is looking for a full time classroom of her own.  She is also the author of this blog and uploads all of the material as often as possible.

While I don't have any big news to reveal as to where I am going to employed this coming school year I can say that it will not be as Super Snack Lady.  I had a wonderfully fun year but have several possibilities for my own classroom.  With that I must hang up my cape.  

NO WORRIES THOUGH!!!  The ISU Extension Office is starting their hunt for the next Super Snack Person who will be just as fun, just as awesome, and teaches just as much about fresh produce as I did.  So, below you can see the picture of me hanging up my cape as I move forward with my dream of becoming a teacher with my own classroom....

Until I see you again at the grocery store, at the farmer's market, at the YMCA or anywhere in between I say:  Keep on eating healthy!  Remember how much fun we had last year and if you are in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grades get excited because nutrition will be coming back to your school in no time!

The lime green cape is hung on the
back of the office door.  You'll
have to see what the next Super Snack
Person decides for an outfit!

It was a fun, exciting, and busy year
but it's come to an end for this Super
Snack Lady.  :)

 

Gardens, gardens, GARDENS!

As many of you know Super Snack Lady helps out with as many gardens as she can during the summer months.  She is heavily involved in the Gather and Grow Friendship Garden located right next to Johnson School of the Arts and is also involved with the Garfield Garden when needed.  Check out the photos below of fun events that have taken place around the gardens along with some of the progress that is being made!

The Garfield Garden is famous!  Well, at least the dietician
who helps with it is.  On the left is Linda Ashley the
Hy-Vee dietician who helps with the garden and she is
pictured with Tiffany O'Donnell (red dress) and Corey
Christiansen (white shirt).  Hy-Vee even had a
grill out for Garfield families and interviewed the principal,
Joy Long about the garden.  How cool!

Here is Linda Ashley, the dietician, pictured at the actual
garden talking to girl scouts about healthy eating
choices that can come from the garden.

While their snack was cooking the girl scouts put together
a compost corral which will be used to make their very own
compost for their garden!  At the end of their snack
they put their paper plates and watermelon
rinds in the compost corral.

It takes lots of team work, and a Master Gardener,
to put together a compost corral.  All you need is
wooden pallets and some zip ties.  Very easy!

Ta da!  You can't see the corral, but it's there!  Thanks
Phil for helping us put it together and teaching us
what all we can put in it!

Welcome to the Gather and Grow Friendship Garden
at Johnson School of the Arts! 

The sunflowers are in full bloom and are looking
great on this summer day.

Watermelon or pumpkin?  It's kind of hard to tell!

Marissa is at a loss while trying to figure out where
to start with the vines that took over the garden.
The vines were burying other plants and needed
to be moved but it was such a mess that we had to
call in a backup helper- a Master Gardener from
the ISU Extension Office!

Baby, tiny pepper plants! 

 

Super Snack Lady Staying Healthy!

What have you been doing this summer to stay healthy?  Super Snack Lady enjoys yummy fruits in the warm (or in our case HOT) summer months.  Nothing cools her down like some black, frozen grapes, fresh cut pineapple, or a cool apple straight out of the fridge.

Along with trying to eat healthy Super Snack Lady has also been keeping active.  She wishes she had more time for the swimming pool or a gym that is inside but instead she's been casually training for a 5K run!  Well, this last weekend Super Snack Lady took part in the Color Run in Des Moines. What is a Color Run?  Well it's a 5K (approximently 3.2 miles) where you wear all white clothes and run/jog/walk and you go through check points. At these check points volunteers throw colored corn starch on you and you start to turn awesome fun colors!  At the 5K this past weekend Super Snack Lady saw young kids (4 year olds) and even grandparents all suited up for the race.  Check out the photos below to see Super Snack Lady enjoying her jog!

Super Snack Lady was all suited up in white.
Goggles were not needed but she decided
to wear them to protect her glasses and eyes.

Mary, Kacie, and Super Snack Lady during the race
and getting colored up!

The "after party" where they play music and
runners dance and throw more color in the air to
celebrate completing the run.

Good thing Super Snack Lady wore
goggles to protect her face.

This was the "tan line" from the color
on Super Snack Lady's ankle.
Luckily the starch color washes off after
a shower or two!

 

Princpals Eat Healthy Too!

Recently Super Snack Lady went to the Garfield Garden in order to help them lay some mulch down.  She also took part of a yummy snack thanks to Hy-Vee dietician Linda and the girl scout troop from Garfield.  Check out the pictures below!

The principal, Mrs. Long, and Super Snack Lady
laid out all of the black fabric paper (used to kill the
weeds underneath it) and laid the mulch out.

And it's done! 

Hy-Vee Dietician Linda talks to the
girl scouts about Kale and it's healthy
benefits.  They ended up making
a pineapple kale salad.  YUM!

Mrs. Long enjoyed a break from the
mulch and ate up her kale salad.
Principal approved!

The girl scouts were looking at the
radish and onion plants.  It's hard to know when
they are ready because they both grow underground.

 

Garfield's Garden

Super Snack Lady is busy keeping up with two different school gardens this summer- at Johnson School of the Arts and Garfield Elementary.  Super Snack Lady is trying her best to eat fresh veggies from the gardens as much as possible to keep eating healthy.  What are you eating this summer and even better- where is it coming from?  If possible you should go to local farmer's markets to eat local, fresh veggies (lettuce, spinach, and radishes are all in season currently).

Below are pictures from the Garfield and Johnson gardens.  Garfield has raised beds while Johnson is in ground.  Check out and see how things are shaping up!
 

A parent and child were planting some onions
at the Garfield garden.

Radishes are growing everywhere at the Garfield garden!

Onions and scallops are growing nice and big
(we think, since they grow below the ground).

Broccoli is starting to grow and look like actually
broccoli.  Yippie!

These pole beans are climbing and wrapping
around the poles- just like they are supposed to!

Great Resource for Low Income Families

Did you know that the United Way provides FREE meals to kids under the age of 18 at 13 different locations during the summer months?  You don't even have to fill out paperwork or anything!!

Check out the story below for more information and take advantage of this awesome program to keep your kids from going hungry when schools out!

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/United-Way-Feeds-Kids-for-Free-During-the-Summer-210977161.html

Summer on the Horizon

It's almost impossible for Super Snack Lady to believe that the school year is practically over!  Yet, as she looks at the calendar she can see that she is done with school visits for the year and there are only 4.5 days of school left.  Where did the year go?  Each month flew by faster than the month before and she truly enjoyed getting to know each class on an individual basis!

Now that school is over Super Snack Lady wants to know how you, yes YOU, are going to stay active and healthy over the summer.  Below are some yummy and busy ways to keep healthy while Super Snack Lady and school takes a break for the summer months.
 
1)  SWIM!  It's a full body workout that helps keep your muscles strong and helps your lungs get stronger too.  Not to mention that when it's hot out that it's a great way to cool off.  Just don't forget the sunscreen!

2)  Enjoy a cool, fresh snack!  In May Super Snack Lady brought yogurt parfaits to your classroom.  What was the recipe you ask?  It's SIMPLE!  Just buy vanilla flavored yogurt (Super Snack Lady loves Danen Light and Fit brand) and your favorite fruit.  Wash fruit, cut it up, and put in the yogurt.  Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, tangerines,  and blackberries all make great treats.  Try mixing a couple fruits to find an extra yummy- and healthy- treat.

3)  Ride your bike in the evening!  Riding your bike is not only fun but a great way to get your legs strong and to build stamina with your lungs.  Super Snack Lady recommends doing it after dinner when it's a little cooler rather then in the middle of the day when it's so hot.

4)  Frozen grapes are DELICIOUS!  Super Snack Lady loves frozen purple grapes.  Not only are they a healthy snack but they make a great snack to cool you off in hot summer days.

5)  Sweet corn!  We live in Iowa where we get the best sweet corn towards the end of July and early August.  Grill it up, boil it, cut it off the cob and freeze it for winter months.  No matter how you enjoy it make sure you get local, fresh sweet corn when it's ready and enjoy the yummy stuff that most states have to ship in from other sources.  Being in Iowa isn't so bad after all, huh?

Enjoy your summer and know that the ISU Extension Office of Linn County along with the Iowa Department of Public Health is very excited to bring nutrition to YOUR school in the fall when school starts back up!

JSA Garden

Super Snack Lady has been very busy helping Johnson School of the Arts to put in a garden at the church behind their school.  Yesterday 10 Target volunteers along with Super Snack Lady and Garden Enrichment students got the garden mulched, the fence up, and the whole garden planted!  WOW!  Check out the photos below to see before, during, and after photos from the garden space!

Here is the "garden" way back in February. 

Here is the "garden" after our work day in
early April when we put all of the compost on the
beds.

Here is the GARDEN now that it's been planted,
mulched, and fenced in!!!

 

What Exactly Can We Do With Spinach?

As some students have found out we are having SPINACH for the month of May in Super Snack Lady's school visits.  SSL often gets the question of: "What do you eat spinach in other than salads?"  Well, it can be cooked and eaten or put in lasagna or even as a pizza topping but otherwise you normally eat it raw.  

Some of you might have heard about this craze called "Green Smoothies" that a lot of people are drinking.  The main ingredient is SPINACH! The thing about making a green smoothie is that you still get all of the healthy benefits of the spinach but can't taste it at all.  When making smoothies with spinach you have to remember back to your elementary art class days and remember if you mix specific colors together that you'll get another color.  For example: 
green spinach + red berries (strawberries, raspberries, etc) = brown colored smoothie
green spinach + light colored fruits (apples, pineapple, etc) = a green colored smoothie!

Recently Super Snack Lady tried to make a green smoothie at home.  Below are pictures of what it ended up looking like along with the recipe!

Everything was in the blender and ready
to go!  Spinach, pineapple, apple, tomato,
banana, and a splash of water.

Half way blended but before the spinach
got in there and made it green.

The finished product!

What exactly did Super Snack Lady put in her smoothie?
2 large handfuls of spinach
1 cup of fresh pineapple
1 apple
1 tomato
1 banana
1/4 cup of water

Blend in a blender, drink, and ENJOY!

May's Fruit and Veggie (and a mystery snack!)

Can you believe that it's already May?!  Not to mention that this will be the last month of Super Snack Lady visits until next school year.  Super Snack Lady has had a very fun and exciting school year and has really enjoyed getting to know all of you! 

Check out the photos below for a hint on the fruit and veggie for this month!

This leafy green vegetable is great in salads.
It can also be added to smoothies for a
big kick of Vitamin A and Vitamin C!

This yummy spring and summer fruit
is perfect to eat plain.  It has it's seeds
on the outside of it.  How unique!

This month Super Snack Lady
will be discussing milk products
along with the normal fruit and veggie.
This is perfect to pair up with
the fruit of the month.  Any
guesses on what it is?

The Adventures of Flat Super Snack Lady Continue!

While the real Super Snack Lady has been very busy with school visits, gardens, and other projects the Flat Super Snack Lady has been busy jet setting all across the United States catching people being healthy and active.  Look below for tons of photos showing where Flat Super Snack Lady has been over the last couple months!

Here, Flat Super Snack Lady is enjoying a warm
day on the beach in Deerfield Beach, Florida!
She loved walking in the sand but also
liked to take a dip in the ocean!

Next, Flat Super Snack Lady traveled to Arkansas.
She visited Mammoth Springs which is the
8th largest natural spring of water in the whole
world! She had a brisk walk around the stream
while making sure not to get to close to the
geese that were hanging out.

The next stop of Flat Super Snack Lady's busy
travels was to Denver, Colorado.  She enjoyed
a nice long hike through the mountains.
The view was pretty awesome too!

Flat Super Snack Lady headed into the cold, Arctic
state of Alaska for her next adventure. 
Here, FSSL is pictured with a snowman that she
built.  She got hungry though and ended up
nibbling on Frosty's carrot nose!

The next morning FSSL enjoyed a chilly
hike along a path that overlooks Fairbanks,
Alaska.  What a wonderful sunrise!

Can you spot FSSL in this picture
that was captured in the Houston, Texas
airport?  She is right at the feet of
the astronaut cow! She's enjoying
the snack of a fruit juice before
boarding the plane to her next adventure!

The last stop of this tour for Flat Super Snack Lady
was Niagara Falls in New York!
Good thing that FSSL stayed back otherwise she
could have gone rushing down the falls!

Flat Super Snack Lady will continue her adventures all summer long!  Check back to see where else she is going to travel!

Science Extravaganza!

Super Snack Lady often gets to do some pretty cool things including playing in the soil in school gardens, doing fun gardening enrichments that include crafts, running around schools in her lime green cape, and most recently: teaming up with Kids On Course to do a Science Extravaganza at Van Buren Elementary!!!

Kids on Course is funded by the Zach Johnson Foundation (the Cedar Rapids pro golfer!) and does a lot of different activities in both Van Buren and Harrison Elementary Schools.  These two schools also happen to be schools that Super Snack Lady visits!!  So, a month or so ago Super Snack Lady was approached to join their Science Extravaganza night and she obviously said yes.

 The theme for this year's Science Extravaganza was Sustainability.  The Kids on Course people broke it down into three parts:  Sustainable You, Sustaining the Community, and Sustaining the World.  They featured many different things such as how to recycle newspapers and make them into hats, how to recycle water bottles and make a bowling game out of it, how to take care of the Earth through recycling, and how to keep you sustained by taking care of yourself through exercise and eating right. That is where SUPER SNACK LADY came in!  

Check out these photos of this AWESOME event!

WELCOME!!!  Come on in!

Do you want to join Super Snack Lady and
"Taste the Rainbow" of fruits and veggies?
Also- a HUGE thanks to these volunteers
who helped Super Snack Lady pass out
snacks to over 300 people!

YUM!  From left to right:
Tomatoes, carrots, grapefruit, lemons
snow peas, cucumbers, red cabbage.

Again, our AWESOME volunteers who
helped make the night run smooth!  They were
all ready for the families to come and eat!

The Kids on Course folks did some
cute and colorful decorations for
Super Snack Lady's tasting!

Mrs. Stock, the principal at Van
Buren is sustainable by re-using
water bottles.  Way to go Mrs. Stock!

The main hallway was transformed into a Lorax
themed hallway with Truffula trees and even
a Lorax!

 

 

Kids could also take a spin on the
prize wheel.  The prizes ranged
from little bouncy balls to t-shirts
and even beach balls and lanyards. 
How fun!

Super Snack Lady did have a lot of fun and the time sure did speed by!  Sadly she didn't get pictures of the tarantula (sustaining the world and keeping animal alive) or the painting of the flower pots.  Kids also got a free book of their choice!  What a GREAT, FUN event!!!