Going Green with Fruit on St. Patrick's Day

Looking for a quick snack for kids or adults on St. Patrick’s Day? Go no further than the fresh fruit aisle. Here are several options from my Extension colleague, Cami Wells, with green fruit such as honeydew, kiwi and green grapes!

Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew

This slow-cooker stew is such a comfort food. Just smelling it as it simmers away makes you feel good! You probably have all or most of the ingredients in your kitchen.

It is a comfort, also, to know you are providing a nourishing meal
for your family.

Confetti Bean Salsa

This recipe is made with just 3 ingredients and tastes great! Plus, with all the vegetables, you get lots of nutrients and fiber!

Pasta Primavera

Georgia Jones, a food scientist ,foodie, and Extension colleague created this quick pasta primavera recipe using frozen vegetables.

Visit her blog, Discover Foods, for other spring cooking ideas.

Go for the GREEN on St. Patrick's Day

Green fruits and vegetables contain many health-promoting phytochemicals.

Check these ways to add some GREEN fruits and vegetables to meals on St. Patrick's Day (and throughout the year)!

Dirt Pudding

Mother, blogger, and Extension colleague, Carrie Schneider-Miller, created this recipe — easy-to-make and kids love it!

Spaghetti and Savory Meatballs

With the addition of a fruit salad or dessert, this recipe provides the basis for a MyPlate meal: Protein, Grain, Vegetable, and Dairy Food Groups.

Kids love to dip! This is a super-easy, healthy nack to make with kids from Extension colleague Cami Wells. Even little ones can help stir the pudding mix into the yogurt.

Cooking with Kids

Tab through these recipes for some tasty treats to cook with your kids, provided by Extension colleague Amy Peterson. They are easy to make and adults like them too!

Are You Using the Steamer that comes with Your Rice Cooker?

If you have a rice cooker, chances are that it came with a steamer insert. If you haven't tried this yet, you may want to get out the direction book and experiment.

This has become one of my favorite ways to cook vegetables. I just pop them in, add water, and take them out when they are tender-crisp.

I usually start opening the lid and start checking doneness by poking them with a sharp paring knife before the time is up, as I like them crunchy. And ... for green vegetables, the color is nicer if you avoid overcooking them.

Help Kids Learn to Cook through 4-H

Getting your children involved in activities that help teach them to cook can save you time later on.

Check out the photos from Extension colleague Amy Peterson and see all the fun that kids are having learning to cook in 4-H.

Check this USDA website to find locate the Extension office in your state and possible 4-H foods activities.

Does your plate look like MyPlate?

Here's a sample meal I put together recently using the MyPlate food pattern.

For more photos of how people are using MyPlate guidelines, check USDA's "What is on MyPlate" photo stream on flickr.