Hailey Healthy Hints: Gratitude
November is gratitude month. A time to reflect and give thanks. Feeling, giving and thinking in a grateful manner is great for the mind and helps give us the motivation and energy to take care of ourselves. This season at Project Most, we are working on giving back to our local community with our “Project Most Cares” program.
Gratitude Activities for the Family
Family Rampage of Thankfulness: Make a thankful list of 30 things for which you are grateful, then sit in a circle and go around saying one thing off your list at a time, until everyone in the family has shared their full list. Go quickly around and around the circle and feel the fun spread as you share!
Gratitude Jar: Get a jar or box, decorate it and keep papers and pens nearby. Every day write one, two or even three things you are grateful for and put in the jar.
Make a collage of all the things and people for which you are grateful.
Make a gratitude tree: Cut out paper in the shape of leaves, hole punch the leaves.
Write down a person, thing, activity or aspect of life for which you are grateful.
Tie a string (vary the lengths) to the leaf. Then attach the string to some branches and place in a vase or jar for display
Morning Meditation: Each morning as you open your eyes or before, think and feel three things you are grateful for and smile. Hold the feeling. It can be as simple as “the sun is up,” “my bed is comfortable,” “I am safe,” “I am loved.”
Random Acts of Kindness: Do something nice for someone for no reason, just to show you are thankful for them.
Letters: Write a letter to someone whom you are thankful for to let them know that you appreciate them.
Why Be Grateful?
It feels good
Improves your mind and learning
Helps lower blood pressure
Helps sleep
Helps you feel better about yourself and others
We are grateful for Amber Waves Farms and our Tuesday farm days
Project Most students have been visiting Amber Waves Farms and having some wonderful
farm time. Activities have included harvesting carrots, beets, kale, herbs and other greens.
Amber Waves Educators led our groups in making turnovers and pasta using their Amber Waves wheat and have made incredible fresh juiced juices using harvested produce from the farm. Thank you, Amber Waves Farm for being such a gift to our community and to Project Most.
“Project Most Cares” First Campaign: Kindergarten Springs Fire Dept. Fund
We began our “Project Most Cares” campaign by created a fundraiser for the Springs Fire Department in order to help them repair their classic fire truck. The Kindergarten at Springs Project Most was visited by the Fire Dept Chief and some heroes from the fire department. The children got to board the fire truck and learn some important fire safety tips. “Fire Engine Red Beet Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies” were sold to raise money for this great local cause.
Get Ready for the 2nd and 3rd grade Campaign Sale on Thursday November 21!
Project Most November Recipe
Cranberry Dark Chocolate Biscotti! A whole wheat biscotti with flecks of orange zest, raw honey in place of sugar, and a generous drizzle of dark chocolate!
INGREDIENTS
Biscotti:
1/2 cup salted butter, softened slightly
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (plus more for dusting)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate ( dark chocolate chips) 1 cup fresh cranberries (or 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries)
1/2 cup pistachios (or omit)
Chocolate Drizzle:
2 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate or white chocolate or yogurt chips 2 tablespoons honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter, honey, orange zest, and salt with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs and mix until well combined
Add the flour and baking powder.
Chop the chocolate into bite-sized pieces.
Pulse the cranberries through a food processor and toss with a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of flour. USE dried cranberries for easier recipe.
Chop the nuts.
Add all the “extras” into the dough, stirring until just combined.
Flour your hands and the outside of the dough. Transfer to the prepared pan and shape into a long, skinny, flat loaf – about 13 inches by 3 inches.
Bake for 35 minutes. After it’s cooled, cut the loaf into thin slices with a serrated knife, staring on the short end, until the entire loaf has been sliced.
Place the slices face down on the baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes. Check for doneness – they should be getting browned and crispy. If they’re not crispy, bake another 15 minutes or until desired crispiness. Set aside and let cool.
In a double boiler, or very slowly in microwave and medium power, melt the chocolate and honey. Drizzle over the biscotti (a little baggie with the corner snipped will help it look nice).
