Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s already week 5 of our 6-week after school cooking program at Lambert-Lavoie Elementary. So far we’ve made pumpkin chocolate chip squares, green monster popsicles, personal pizzas, spring rolls, and tacos with fresh salsa and guacamole. This Thursday we’ll be getting creative decorating cupcakes and working on recipe books to take home at the end of the session. To wrap things up next week, we’re having a smoothie competition! Students will work in teams to design the ultimate smoothie creation, choosing from a variety of fresh and healthy ingredients. Smoothies will be judged on creativity, taste, and nutrition. Bonus points will go to teams who create rainbow smoothies using at least one fruit or vegetable from each color group. Below is one of our favorite rainbow smoothie recipes that’s always a hit with kids and adults alike:

Rainbow Smoothie:

• 1 cup pineapple juice (yellow/orange)
• 1 handful spinach * (green)
• ½ cup blueberries (blue/purple)
• ½ cup strawberries (red)
• 1 banana (yellow/white/brown)
• 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt

*Blend spinach and pineapple juice together first for a smoother smoothie :)

Keep a lookout for the smoothie competition results on Instagram and Facebook next week! We'll also be sharing a digital recipe book on our website, which you'll be able to find here once the class wraps up. A big thank you to Chef Becky at Lambert-Lavoie for leading this awesome class and always being willing to go the extra mile to support our farm to school goals! 

All Chicopee schools will serve fresh & tasty MA-grown lettuce from Little Leaf Farms (Devens, MA) starting next week January 9-13, 2017! These greens go great in salads and sandwiches. And because these greens are grown in a greenhouse, they grow very well in the cooler fall and winter months of New England. Just what we need!

About the Farm. Little Leaf Farms is committed to delivering the freshest, best tasting baby greens to New England salad lovers all year round. From their greenhouse in Devens, MA, they can deliver their products to stores within a day of harvest - a big difference from the majority of lettuce that is grown on the West Coast and spends a week travelling by truck to our local stores. And, the sustaianble growing practices they support have been carefully developed to protect our planet. 

Sustainability. Little Leaf Farm's greens are grown hydroponically using 100% captured rainwater, solar energy powers a significant portion of energy needs, and the greenhouse was designed to maximize the use of natural sunlight. Little Leaf Farms also delivers greens to stores within a day's drive - this is to lessen the environmental impact by minimizing diesel consumption and pollution. Conversely, 98% of U.S. lettuce is grown in California and Arizona and travels 3,000 miles before reaching New England shelves.