Chef's Tasting Table Day 8 // Real Shamrock Shakes

Jump UP! It was a really good day in the lunchroom (here is the video link if you can't see it above).

We had near 100% participation in the tasting and the blender was cleaned out! The majority of the students enjoyed it, which was awesome too.

The luck of the Irish was with us:)

At the last tasting event, a few 7th grade girls had a suggestion for me. "Why don't you try hiding the ingredients from us so we'll be more likely to try it?"

So that's exactly what we did. When the students came up to grab a cup, the ingredients were under a tent. (No pretty vege arrangement, it was a very bare table!). This tactic effected the 7th and 8th grader participation dramatically. And I noticed some of kids come through the line that had not in the past in all of the grade levels.

Now that was super great idea. Thanks girls!!!!

After everyone tasted, the lunchroom tried to guess what was in the smoothie. There was a ton of good guessing and it was fantastic to talk about the spinach (from our 1st tasting event) and the avocado (from our 3rd tasting event) and use them in an entirely different way.

Minds blown. Minds opened. Minds a little & a lot more excited to try new foods thanks to the Chef Ann Foundation Project Produce Grant funding!

Bring that luck HOME today and blend up some of this liquid gold:

D76 Diamonds Real Shamrock Shakes
Inspired by this recipe

1 ripe avocado
1 ripe banana
1 big handful of spinach
15 fresh mint leaves
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup milk of choice (I used rice milk)
1 cup ice
honey to taste (at least 2-3 tbsp for kids' palattes)

Blend until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of honey at a time until you've hit your sweet spot. You can also add more milk or ice to thin it out. Add a squirt of real chocolate syrup and enjoy!

To the mullies we go...
xoxoL

ps

I warmed up some shake making skills in Tommy's 2nd grade classroom on Thursday.  We were onto to something good if over half of the kids wanted seconds! Thank you for having me Ms Duffy!!

tommy's feel better green smoothie

there is nothing better than having an excuse to stay in my pj's...  tommy asked for a green smoothie and i happily + shockingly obliged with some impromptu mullies video coverage. 

who would have ever thought?  

the recipe is in the video:)  don't get hung up on measuring... just dump it all in.  

as for this perfect song...  big thank you's to the icarus account.  i found these lovely musical artists on twitter, fell in love with their song and they gave me a double thumbs up to use it someday.  i had no idea what i was going to use it for and when i pasted all the clips together, i.just.knew.  thanks guys!

happy friday - happy weekend

xoxoL

50:50 split = 100% success

we went through a ton of spinach.

here is my belated report on how mac's 3rd grade class liked the "holiday party" green smoothies!

i made two types and talked the whole time to the class while i was prepping and blending.  i made them giggle, asked them questions, talked to them about real food and cooking with their families... it was a riot.  i told them that they didn't have to try it if they didn't want to... nobody declined, even though most of the class agreed i was a "crazy nutball" to be putting spinach into a drink.  i love calling myself that, it makes the kids laugh so hard they give you hugs at the end.

i made two types:

1st batch of green "holiday" smoothies:
2-3 handfuls of packed spinach
1 banana
1/2 pear
1/2 apple
(if you only have one or the other, just use the whole apple/pear)
juice from 1/2 orange
juice from 1/2 lemon
water (to fill line- which almost covers all of the fruit and greens)
zoom zoom

2nd batch of green/red (kinda brownish/purplish) holiday smoothies:
same as above + frozen mixed berries/mango in place of the apple and/or pear

no additional sweetener was needed (i brought organic stevia just.in.case... so happy it's totally unnecessary!)

i passed small sample cups to each student and then they got to pick which type they wanted for a "big" glass.  11 students wanted the 2nd batch and 10 students wanted the 1st batch.  the majority of the class asked for seconds!!!  i whizzed up smoothies the entire time (i made 6 full batches!!!!!) while mary (the other super party mom who is in the middle of our picture) ran games and activities.  there were a handful of parents who also came to the celebration and i was so excited to surprise them at how delicious a green smoothie can be.  by the end of the party, the class could recite the ingredients... i wonder if anyone taught their families how to make them over break?!

miss mekaelian, thank you so much for having me - you and your class rocks!!!!

i can't wait to do it again.  



ps

our morning challenge: drink these smoothies every morning for breakfast... so far so good, today is day #3.  go team shife-dog.

xoxo

become a food patriot today

two links in honor of becoming a food patriot today.

this food babe post rocks me.

and i made a video this morning and actually edited it myself.  i.can't.believe.it.  this is trouble folks.

a green smoothie for YOU

come on red, white and blue, let's turn things around with some real food.

xoxo