Activity Idea and FREE Downloads

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Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

I explained in a previous post that I am attending UC Berkeley Extension for Visual Art. As a photographer I wanted to take a deeper dive into the fine art world and to learn the history of photography as well as the aesthetic attributes for taking great photos. I have also added graphic art and design classes to my studies. I am taking classes at night in San Francisco and get to ride the BART every day and hop off at Embarcadero where there are some great casual restaurants especially in the Ferry Market. I feel very lucky for this opportunity and at the end of a year I have learned a ton! Hopefully you will notice the aesthetic changes as I share more of my work and continue to better foodandhealth.com as well as the products we offer at nutritioneducationstore.com.

A post-baccalaureate certificate program is a valuable way to learn very relevant skills especially with design and computer software and I highly recommend it for adult learning.

This week we are creating festival posters and I crafted a beautiful apple festival poster for my design class. And after researching about so many apple festivals in the US to create the poster, it dawned on me that since an apple festival is so much fun maybe all of my readers would like to have this activity idea. You could use an apple festival theme in a wellness fair booth, a classroom, part of an ongoing class, or virtually on a website or in social media. Apples are so versatile! It is fun to learn about different varieties, taste them, cook with them, and have recipe cookoffs with them. I coule even envision an Iron Chef type of cookoff where participants have a mystery basket and create apple dishes in front of the audience. Or they participate in a recipe contest.The apple festival poster idea all started with an experimental apple photo that I created for my photography portfolio. I used wine-colored rice paper and Gala apples for this photo which has selective focus and an emphasis on negative spacing.Then I decided to use it for the festival poster in my graphic design class (repurposing is the best thing for any student!).Here are 2 jpeg versions as plain apple festival posters for you to download and brand into your own event:Large - that you can print (you can add your own information onto it).Small - you can use this one online for a website or social media.Some apple activity ideas:

  • Apple tasting - see if participants can guess a flavor and type of apple or they can taste samples and choose their favorites
  • Cooking demos
  • Cookoff contests
  • Recipe contests
  • Apple FAQs to tweet and share all month like apples are a member of the rose family and Americans eat more apples per capita than any other fruit.
  • Apple nutrition facts:
    • One medium-sized, 6.5 ounce apple contains just 95 calories (compared to 6 ounces of potato chips or chocolate chip cookies, which ring in at about 840 calories for the same sized serving)
    • One apple contains 4.5 ounces of fiber, which is about 17% of a daily supply for most people and this helps you feel more full.
    • Apples contain quercetin and catechin, two beneficial phytochemicals, which may help lower the risk for certain cancers  as well as have an anti-inflammatory or anti-oxidant effect.
    • They are a good source of potassium, which can be beneficial for the heart and for lowering blood pressure as part of a heart-healthy, low-sodium diet.
  • Kitchen hacks for apples:
    • store them in the refrigerator but eat them at room temperature (heat for 30 seconds in the microwave or carry in your backpack)
    • when apples are past their prime and a little wrinkled they are perfect for baking or for making microwave applesauce. To make the latter simply cut them off the core, and microwave covered with a little water and cinnamon - no need to peel them.
    • Sliced apples make a great topping for roasting chicken and pork. Simply top them before putting them in the oven and they will bake and impart their delicious flavor and juices to your entree.
    • Grate them into salads and slaws for more flavor
    • Toss cubed apples with Greek yogurt for a Waldorf style salad or dessert.
    • Dice them and add them to oatmeal before cooking so you have a delicious home-made treat to start the day.

 

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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December 2017