Sunday, July 31, 2011

Summer Berry Pie

For this week's Snack Sunday edition, we're featuring a delicious Summer Berry Pie and what better way to celebrate the last day of National Blueberry Month!


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
3 cups (about 3/4 pound) blackberries
3 cups (about 3/4 pound) raspberries
2 cups (about 1/2 pound) blueberries
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon raw or turbinado sugar, divided
Zest of 1 large orange or lemon
1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Method Put 2 cups of the flour, granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. (Alternatively, cut butter in by hand with two table knives.) Add 1/4 cup ice-cold water and pulse, or mix by hand with a fork, just until dough begins to come together. Form dough into two 4-inch discs, cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, 1/2 cup of the raw sugar, remaining 1/2 cup flour, zest and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and mash together gently until well combined and juicy but still chunky; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough into a 10-inch circle and gently transfer to an 8-inch pie pan. Transfer berry mixture to pie pan; set aside.

Roll out remaining dough as you did the first piece and transfer to pie pan, gently draping it over the berry filling. Firmly press the edges together then trim away excess dough. Pinch or crimp edges as desired and cut 3 slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon raw sugar then bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. Set aside to let cool completely then serve.

NutritionPer serving (1 piece/about 6oz/178g-wt.): 330 calories (130 from fat), 15g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 35mg cholesterol, 90mg sodium, 49g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 18g sugar), 5g protein

Check out more Blueberry recipes here.

Credits: Whole Foods Market

Friday, July 29, 2011

Everything A Girl Needs to Know About Bone Health & More!

It is never too early to start worrying about bone health. Your peak bone-making years are in your childhood and teen years. If you do not make enough bone as a kid, your risk for a bone disease called osteoporosis goes up. And, while not common, a young woman can get osteoporosis. Having good eating and exercise habits now will help you to have strong, healthy bones throughout your life. A poor diet and not enough physical activity as a teen can cause you to have weaker bones as an adult. This not only makes it easier to get osteoporosis, it can hurt the body's ability to heal right after an injury. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D and doing enough of the right type of physical activity (called "bone-strengthening activity") can help protect your bones. [Read more here]

Be sure to check out one of our community partners Best Bones Forever! a national bone health campaign aimed at helping girls build stronger bones for life. Visit them at www.bestbonesforever.gov

Photo Credit: Best Bones Forever!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Snack Sunday's Is Back!!

Maple Yogurt Fruit Dip



This delicious dip puts a spin on the fruit that your children regularly eat. Yum! This dip goes with everything from apples to strawberries, grapes to apricots and so much more.





Ingredients:
•1/2 cup organic plain yogurt
•2 tablespoons maple syrup
•1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

This is pretty simple. All you have to do is mix all three ingredients together and voila! you have Maple Yogurt Fruit Dip to add some pizzazz to your fruit.

Enjoy!

-Jane Marie

Read more: http://healthychild.org/live-healthy/recipe-comments/maple_yogurt_fruit_dip/#ixzz1T2jrqAPg

Credit: www.healthychildorg.com

Thursday, July 21, 2011

New website up!

Hello!

Please check out our new foundation website at www.ladybugforgirlsfoundation.org!

-Jane Marie

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Stay Fit & Have Fun! 5 Reasons Girls Should Play Sports

Why play sports? You might say "to get exercise" and you'd be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

1.Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

2.Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teaches valuable life skills. When you working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

3.Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis.

4.Playing sports boosts self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.

5.Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can lessen stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person's mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you — both on and off the field!

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2009

Source: www.kidshealth.org

Signing Out,
Jane Marie

Monday, July 4, 2011

Let's Dance Contest Ft. Savvy


Best Bones Forever! Presents the Let’s Dance Contest Featuring SavvyBest Bones Forever! is teaming up with teen pop recording group Savvy to make this the best summer EVER!

Girls ages 9-18 are invited to submit a dance video using one of five Savvy songs for a chance to win awesome prizes all summer long, including Nintendo Wiis and Just Dance 2 games and the chance to be in a music video with Savvy. Teams will be judged based on creativity and ability to have fun—no dance training required! Visit http://bbfletsdance.com today for contest rules and more information.

Enter today! The deadline for submission is August 10!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Happy 4th of July!!

We hope everyone is having a great 4th of July holiday!!

A fun game that the kids can play during this holiday weekend is Firefly.

In this nocturnal game of chase, a flashing light is the clue to catching an elusive quarry.

What You Need

3 or more players
A flashlight

Instructions


Once it's dark, give a chosen player (the firefly) a flashlight and have her head away from the group with the light off, silently counting to 60 as she goes.

When the firefly reaches 60, she must flash the light once.

The rest of the players then count to 100 before setting out in pursuit of the firefly, who tries to avoid capture by hiding and changing directions.

But here's the catch: she must continuously count to 60, flashing the light each time she reaches the end of her count.

The first person to tag the firefly takes her place for the next round.

Variations:
Have the firefly alternate flashing the light with chirping. To find her, the other players will have to listen as well as watch.

To see more fun, outdoor games click here.

Remember, stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water.

Have a fun and safe 4th of July!

-Jane Marie