Spotlight on Apples and Pears

During the summer months in Maryland we enjoy fresh and delicious fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe and tomatoes. As we transition to fall these juicy summer fruits are replaced with a bounty of crisp and colorful apples and pears!

Apples and pears are both part of the pome family of fruits. They grow from flowers that blossom on trees in the spring and are ready to harvest and eat by the fall. Both apples and pears have a lot of fiber which helps to keep your digestive system healthy and your belly full. Here are some tips on how to shop, store and prepare apples and pears.

Shopping: Apples come in a variety of colors such as red, yellow and green, while pears can be brown, red or green. Let kids help choose what color apples or pears to try. Choose fruits that are firm and free of bruises.

Storing: Keep apples and pears in the refrigerator. Wait to cut apples or pears until you are ready to eat them because the inside can turn brown when cut open and exposed to air.

Preparing: Try eating the apple or pear with the peel on. This is where most of the fiber and vitamins are stored. Simply rinse the fruit under cool water before eating.

A fun activity that you can do as a family is to cut apart an apple or pear. Cut the fruit in half and have the children talk about what they see. How many seeds does the fruit have? Are the seeds all the same size and shape? Is the fruit the same color on the inside as the outside? After looking at the cut fruit, have children help make Fruit and Dreamy Dip as a healthy snack.

You can also try these fall-friendly recipes that use apples or pears:

Confetti Apple Slaw

Rise and Shine Cobbler

Apple Parsnip Soup

Fun, Fall, Family Activities in Maryland!

Fall is the time of the year for you and your family to enjoy the crisp, cool air and colorful trees. Take your family on a walk anywhere to enjoy the nice fall weather! The University of Maryland Extension and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene host WalkMD each year on October 5. If you miss it this year, make plans for it next fall! This event is a fun way to get your family active.

Take your family to your local farmers’ market to pick out some fresh produce, like apples, greens, and winter squash. There are so many delicious fruits and vegetables to choose from, but some of them only come during the fall season, so get them while they last!

Pumpkins are now in season. You can go to a pumpkin patch or your local farmers’ market and let the kids pick out their very own pumpkin. Make a pumpkin pie using fresh pumpkin, then bake the pumpkin seeds in the oven by adding a pinch of salt for a healthy snack!

There are also many places in Maryland where you can bring the family to pick your own apples at an orchard. The apples you pick can become a game: bobbing for apples. Remember that apple scraps are good composting material!

During the month of October, many events are related to Halloween. If you are a family that likes being scared, you could always walk around a haunted house. However, if you have younger kids that might be too afraid, you can always go to a farm that offers corn mazes!

Lastly, raking up the leaves in the yard is a fall chore, but it also counts as exercise. Before you dispose of the leaves, make a pile and jump in them! No matter what your family decides to do this fall season, remember to have fun and be active!

Special Leap Year Blog!

Apple Frogs

Does winter seem like it's never going to give-way to spring?  Well, 2016 has an extra day of winter built in because of Leap Year, when the month of February has 29, not 28 days.  Let's do something fun with this day and make it special!  After all, you won't have another Leap Day for four more years!

Make Like a Frog and Leap!  Get your entire family up and moving like frogs!

1. Jump around the house to your favorite music.  Do a Freeze Frog when the music stops.  If it is nice enough outside, leap around out there.
2. Leap 29 times in a row!  If you feel really active, you could do this four times.
3. Play leap frog.
4.  Set up a leap frog obstacle course with lots of leaping, jumping, hopping, and skipping.
5. Let each family member pick out their favorite stuffed animal and then have them leap to it.

Make a Healthy "Frog" Snack!

• Apple Frogs. With crisp apples, green grapes, and raisins for eyes you can make a healthy, fun "frog" snack for Leap Day!
• Bug crackers.  Spread peanut butter or soy nut butter on two round crackers and put them together to make a sandwich.  Add thing carrot or celery sticks for the legs.  Dab more peanut butter on top of the cracker and add raisins for eyes.  
• Bugs on a Lilypad.  Slice your favorite apple to get a thick round slice.  Spread with nut butter or yogurt.  Top with raisins, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, or blueberries, and crunchy granola cereal.

Bugs on a Lilly pad

Favorite Fall harvest Fruits and Veggies

Fall is known as the harvest season because many of our best loved foods are available at farmers' markets and grocery stores at their peak of freshness.  The beautiful orange and yellow colors that we see in the fall are reflected in our favorite foods of the fall season.

Below are some of our most popular fall foods, and ways we like to enjoy them.  Enjoy the fruits and veggies of this season!

Apples: whether you love the sweetness of a Gala, the sweet tart of a Gingergold, or the tartness of a  Granny Smith, apples should all taste amazing this time of year because they are fresh from the tree!  Try them sliced in Apple Cranberry Salad, topped with nut butter and raisins in Apple Bark, or cooked in Baked Apples and Sweet Potatoes.

Broccoli:  a favorite in grocery stores all year long, broccoli is most flavorful in the fall.  This all-purpose veggie is perfect for dipping in hummus, like in our favorite Garden on a Plate recipe.  It tastes delicious broiled with a little low-sodium soy sauce, added to stir fries, and in Broccoli and Potato Soup.

Cabbage:  an often overlooked vegetable, cabbage is a main ingredient in coleslaw mixes and traditional sauerkraut.  Try it shredded in Simple Fish Tacos or cooked in Garden Vegetable Soup, a perfect meal for chilly fall nights.

Cauliflower:  related to both broccoli and cabbage, cauliflower is available in markets in the familiar white variety, as well as orange and purple types,  It can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, added to stir fries, and cooked and mashed to resemble potatoes.  Roasted Cauliflower is one of our favorite -- and easy -- ways to enjoy this delicious vegetable.

Sweet potatoes:  loved by kids and adults, the sweet potato is a rich and creamy orange vegetable that has a natural sweetness.  Sweet potatoes can be baked or boiled, mashed on their own in Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or added to stews and chili, and even burritos and quesadillas.  Try our easy Sweet Potato Fries recipe tonight.  It's sure to become a family favorite!

Squash: truly a hallmark of fall, different squash varieties are a  feast for your eyes and for your belly.  Markets this time of year will have acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and delicata squash in abundance, along with orange and even blue pumpkins!  Cooking these squash requires a little muscle to cut them in half, however, you can pierce the skin and microwave on high for a few minutes to soften them and make them easier to cut.  There are many different ways to prepare squash.  Enjoy a twist to regular spaghetti squash and meat sauce by using this Spaghetti Squash recipe instead.  Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is a great way to use more than one fall veggie and apples go great with squash!

Fall produce Picks

It's that time of the year.....the leaves are almost finished changing colors, the air is getting cooler, and the nights are getting shorter.  But, fall vegetables are not just for display.  There are many fall fruits and veggies that are waiting to be on your dinner table. These include:  apples, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.  Let's talk about four fall produce foods:

1. Brussels Sprouts



Brussels sprouts

• These look like miniature cabbage and are packed with vitamins like vitamin K, vitamin C and folate.  They also contain fiber, which keeps you fuller longer. 
• Brussels sprouts can be steamed, roasted, and sautéed.  You can even grill them.  Just add a little olive oil and your favorite spices to them and you're set for a quick and easy dinner side dish.
2. Spaghetti Squash
• This squash is lots of fun because it looks like spaghetti once it's cooked and scraped out
  with a fork.  The yellow  flesh inside gives you lots
  of beta-carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin C.



Spaghetti squash

• You can use spaghetti squash just like you use regular pasta. Drizzle the strands with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, or add your favorite sauce.  Try our easy Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan recipe.
3. Butternut Squash
• Like spaghetti squash, butternut squash also contains beta-carotene, vitamin C and fiber.  It has a rich nutty flavor which can be used in both sweet and savory recipes.



Butternut Squash



• You can roast butternut squash and then puree to make a hearty soup, or mix chunks of it with other roasted fall veggies.  Don't forget about the seeds, which are packed with vitamin E and other minerals.  Roast them for a healthy snack.
4. Apples
• They don't say that apples keep the doctor away for nothing!  Apples contain vitamin C,

  

  Apples

  fiber, and antioxidants. 
• Send a whole apple in your child's lunch box, bake them in a crisp, or dice them up and use them as toppings for oatmeal and yogurt. 

You are probably wondering where you can find fall produce.  Stop by your local farmers' market for in-season produce that is low in cost.   Find your local farmers' market here. 

October is National Apple Month

Apples are enjoyed by many Americans.  It is estimated that the average person eats about 16.9 pounds of fresh apples a year.  That's about one a week!

We have all heard the saying, "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away."  But does an apple really do that?  Can eating apples keep us healhty?  How easy is it to include apples in your diet?



Read these Apple Facts and decide!

• Apples are fat, sodium and cholesterol free.  A medium size apple is about 100 calories.  An apple makes a smart choice for a low calorie snack, or a light refreshing dessert!
• Apples provide important nutrients like Vitamin C and other antioxidants that may help lower the change of developing some diseases.
• Apples come in many different colors -- red, green and yellow.  Each variety adds appeal to your menu with its own color, texture and flavor.  Try different kinds of apples.  Eating many different colors of fruits can provide you additional healthy benefits.
• Apples are very versatile!  They can be eaten or cooked.  Try them in salads, smoothies, and baked goods.  You can use them alone or combined with other ingredients.  Dip apple slices in peanut butter for a quick and easy snack.
• Apples come in many different varieties.  Good fresh eating apples include:  Red or Golden Delicious, Gala, Ginger Gold, Fuji, and Braeburn.
• Apples used for baking should hold their shape when cooked and not become too soft.  Jonathan, Rome, York and Granny Smith are several good baking varieties.
• Apples stored at room temperature ripen quickly.  Place in the refrigerator for longer storage.  Wash your apples under cold running water and pat dry before eating.
• Apples are available year round in the grocery store.  Some varieties are seasonal.  Check your local farmers' markets now for delicious, low cost fall varieties.

Try this Peach Apple Crisp recipe for a healthy, low cost dessert idea for the fall!