We are so proud to announce that we are featured in the 4-H at Home activities by National 4-H Council! See the complete listing by clicking the link below.
Author: Heather Gottke
Daily Dose- Happy Mother’s Day
My Mom and I
According to the History Channel, The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. We celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May every year. The founder Anna created the holiday as a way for people to thank their own Mother and spend time with that special woman in their life. CNN’s article on Mother’s Day gives some of the specifics of the origin including the insight that Jarvis’ Mother was a community health advocate! Below is an excerpt.
“In 1908, Jarvis campaigned for a national observance of the holiday in honor of her mother, who was a community health advocate. Her mom had organized several Mother’s Day Work Clubs that addressed child rearing and public health issues, and Jarvis wanted to commemorate her and the work of all mothers.”
As we experience Mother’s Day this year it is important to look at the core of what Mother’s Day means and find ways to spend time with our Mother (even if that means digitally this year). Sometimes we take for granted the time we spend with family. Think about what it truly means to spend time with someone. What does it look like? How does it make you feel?
For me, spending time with my Mother is often creative. We work on calendars, journals, crafts, and some of my favorite early memories with my mother were doing crafts and activities at home. I have acquired her hobby of cutting out pictures in magazines, greeting cards, and reusing them in my calendar and journal entries. It usually includes us sitting on the couch, talking over upcoming events, and relaxing. It helps me feel connected to her, more relaxed, and provides a wonderful creative outlet while completing what we are working on. Use today’s journal to spend some time with your Mom and learn more about her!
Today’s journal is a fun one to do with your Mom! Answer the questions about her and then see how well you do! It is harder than it may seem.
Daily Dose- What is Self-Care?
Have you felt yourself being more emotional lately? Maybe it is harder to decide what you want to do, or you are feeling “on edge?” According to The Cleveland Clinic these can be signs of stress. The feelings that we get when things in our life are uncertain can add to our stress. There are many ways you can help deal with these feelings, but one of my favorites is to take some time for self-care.
Self-care is making sure we pay attention to our own well-being (whether that be mental, emotional, or physical). It is taking some time to purposefully do things that make you feel good about yourself. Although this sounds simple, it is often something we overlook.
Self-care is not being selfish. If you have ever flown on a plane, you’ve heard the flight attendants tell you to put on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else. Self-care is your oxygen mask. And it is especially important in these times of uncertainty.
Here are some suggestions about how to practice self-care.
- Find ways to express how you feel, especially if you don’t know what it is you are feeling. Talk to a friend or trusted adult.
- Make time for low-stress activities to do by yourself. One such activity I like is coloring or doing craft projects.
- Listen to your favorite music.
- Get outside. Take a walk. Bring your pet along if you have one!
- Do a puzzle.
- Have a routine (brush your teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast).
The current challenging times mean that self-care is more important than ever. Practicing good self-care can help you tackle life’s challenges. But self-care isn’t only for times of stress. Regular self-care is good for you when times are good. It can help you be more resilient to face new challenges.
Today’s Journal allows you to write in some ideas you may have about self-care for yourself! Maybe it is something you do by yourself, or something that you decide to do with your family at home. Be creative when you can’t get together face-to-face – you can even do virtual self-care sessions with your friends and family.
Download Today’s Journal
In Great Love,
Daily Dose- Tips for Taco Tuesday
Tips for Taco Tuesday: My taco turned into taco salad, using ingredients I had at home
Tacos have their origin in Mexico. A tortilla is a type of flatbread, and a taco is simply a tortilla wrapped around a filling. Like a sandwich, the filling can be made with almost anything and prepared in many different ways. Here are some tips for Taco Tuesday!
Many restaurants feature specials for Taco Tuesday, but you can make tacos at home! The variations of tacos are endless! When you make your own tacos, you get to the control the ingredients.
Be Mindful about MyPlate
To pack the most nutritional punch into your tacos, use MyPlate to design yours. Be mindful of the sodium and fat content of your food choices. Meats and cheeses will contribute to the fat content; they also contribute important vitamins and minerals. Cheese, canned beans, and prepared tortillas and chips will contribute to the sodium content. Read labels to select low-sodium varieties. You can include any ingredient, just consider the portion size. Fresh veggies add vitamins and minerals. They are naturally low in calories and sodium – they’re colorful too!
Make-Your-Own Taco Bar
If you set up a Make-Your-Own Taco Bar, you can satisfy everyone’s individual tastes.
Grain
- Soft tortilla (flour or corn)
- Taco shells
- Tortilla chips
- Cooked rice
Vegetables
- Pepper, chopped or in strips
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded spinach
- Cauliflower (roasted or fresh)
- Shredded carrots
- Diced onions
- Sliced avocado
- Shredded red cabbage
- Corn
Protein (see recipe for seasoning mix)
- Ground turkey or beef
- Shredded chicken or pork
- Fish or other seafood
- Beans – black, kidney, pinto, garbanzo, white, or combination
Dairy
- Shredded cheese
Other Toppings & Seasonings
- Chopped cilantro
- Squirt of lime
- Salsa or hot sauce
- Chopped green onions
- Red pepper flakes
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Sour cream
- Black olives
Theresa’s Twist on Pandemic Taco Tuesday
I’m making limited trips to the grocery store these days. Since it’s been almost 2 weeks since I’ve been shopping, to make my taco I had to use the ingredients I had on hand.
Challenge accepted! I didn’t have tortillas, but I did have some tortilla chips, so my taco turned into taco salad. I still had some fresh vegetables and I had made my own chili over the weekend.
Tip: Layering the spinach between the tortilla chips and the chili kept the chips from getting soggy.
- Tortilla chips
- Shredded spinach
- Three-Bean Chili
- Shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- Cilantro
- Avocado slices
- Orange pepper rings
- Chopped red onion
- Sliced radishes
- Squirt of lime
Check out our Make-Your-Own Taco activity page here.
Packaged seasoning mixes usually contain a lot of sodium. Here’s a recipe to make your own.
HOMEMADE SEASONING MIX
Prep: 5 minutes
Yield: appx. 2 Tablespoons of seasoning, enough for 1 ½ to 2 pounds of meat or vegetables
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Equipment Needed:
- Measuring spoons
- Small bowl
Directions:
- Measure all ingredients and combine.
- Add seasonings as you are cooking meat or vegetables.
- If making ahead, store in airtight container.
I hope you have enjoyed these Tips for Taco Tuesday!
Yours in health,
#TacoTuesday #MyPlate #VaryYourVeggies #CookAtHome
#4HInThisTogether #StayHomeOhio #ThankYouPublicHealth #leanonyourlandgrant #LandGrantFierce #OSUExtension #ohio4h #COVID19 #coronavirus #4thH #4Hhealthliving
Daily Dose- Pizza with Pizazz
Pizza and salad makes a meal
Let’s participate in Pizza Day! Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Spirit Week, with Friday as Pizza Day. The governor has asked everybody who participates to tag their pictures with #SpiritWeekOhio #InThisTogetherOhio #StayHomeOhio. Your photo may be featured on state social media platforms!
Pizza has been called the world’s most popular food. Traditional pizza is cooked in a wood-fired oven. It originated in Italy and was brought to the U.S. by Italian immigrants, where it has taken on a life of its own. About 1 in 8 Americans eat pizza on any given day.
Composed of flatbread with toppings, pizza had humble beginnings. It started as peasant food, but it’s fit for a queen. A classic pizza is Pizza Margherita – a crust topped with soft, white mozzarella cheese; red tomatoes; and green basil. It is said to be named after Italy’s Queen Margherita. (The colors of this pizza are also the colors of the Italian flag.)
Pizza sometimes has a bad reputation as an unhealthy food, but it doesn’t have to be. Ingredients to be on the lookout for are sodium and fat. Sources of fat include meat and cheese, which, in addition to some crusts, also contribute to the sodium content. You can include any ingredient, just be mindful of amounts and portion sizes.
You can make pizza a home! Recipes abound on the internet, but you can get creative and make our own. You’ll need to look up recipes if you want to make your own crust. Here’s one to get you started.
The variations of pizza are endless! When you make your own pizza, you get to the control the ingredients. Use your creativity to Design Your Own Pizza.
Be Mindful about MyPlate
To pack the most nutritional punch into your pizza, use MyPlate to design yours. Here are some suggestions:
- Skinny Pizza https://www.choosemyplate.gov/recipes/myplate-cnpp/skinny-pizza
- Herbed Garden Pizza https://www.choosemyplate.gov/recipes/myplate-cnpp/herbed-garden-pizza
- Anytime Pizza https://www.choosemyplate.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/anytime-pizza
- MyPlate Pizza https://efnep.tamu.edu/recipe/myplate-pizza/
Design Your Own Pizza
Be creative and use the ingredients you have on hand
Crust (Grain)
- Naan bread
- English muffin
- Pita bread
- Flour tortilla
- Refrigerated biscuits or crescent rolls
- Homemade pizza crust (with or without yeast)
- Cauliflower crust (Vegetable Group)
Base
- Tomato sauce
- Pesto
Toppings (Vegetables) And the great debate – is pineapple on pizza acceptable?
- Fresh vegetables (peppers, onions, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, asparagus, etc.)
- Cooked vegetables (great way to use up leftovers)
Toppings (Protein)
- Meats
- Seafood
Toppings (Dairy)
- Shredded cheese or fresh Mozzarella cheese
Seasonings
- Fresh or dried herbs (such as basil, oregano, parsley, chives)
- Chopped fresh garlic or garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper
- Green onions
Pizza with Pizazz – Here’s my Pizza Day creation with ingredients I had at home
Here’s the pizza I made with ingredients I had on hand: I didn’t use the oven to make my pizza. I used naan bread for the crust, which I heated in a frying pan, with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking. I topped the naan with a thin layer of tomato sauce. I sautéed an onion, chopped garlic, and peppers – green, orange, yellow, and red (about 1 cup). I topped the crust with the vegetable mixture and added shredded parmesan cheese and basil. Easy and tasty!
The “Let’s Start Cooking” 4-H project has a recipe for Veggie Pizza (page 29).
#SpiritWeekOhio #InThisTogetherOhio #StayHomeOhio #pizza
#4HInThisTogether #StayHomeOhio #ThankYouPublicHealth #leanonyourlandgrant #LandGrantFierce #OSUExtension #ohio4h #COVID19 #coronavirus #4thH #4Hhealthliving
Yours in Health,
Daily Dose- Superheroes – Ordinary and Extraordinary
Camp counselors wearing capes at a superhero-themed camp
Although they have their beginnings in mythology, many trace the rise of superheroes in the U.S. to the late 1930s. This was a time when the U.S. was suffering from the fall-out of the Great Depression and before entering World War II.
What makes a superhero? Superheroes have some kind of extraordinary power. They fight crime or use their talents to do some good. They try to make the world a better place. They are clever in how they use tools and technology (think Superman’s cape, Spiderman’s webs, and the Batmobile). Another part of the appeal of superheroes is that they give us someone to look up to. And they wear costumes! Now every year at Halloween there are bound to be children (and adults) dressed up as the classic Superman and Batman, as well as the popular superhero of the day.
In the book titled Superhero Ethics: 10 Comic Book Heroes, 10 Ways to Save the World, Which One Do We Need Most Now?, author Travis Smith floats the idea that it is not their superpowers that make them so super. Instead, it is their character and qualities, which guide what they do with their power. He said that superheroes represent “the qualities that human beings must cultivate in order to confront the quandaries of ordinary life.” In other words, they point out the qualities that will help us to be better people.
As super as they are, superheroes aren’t perfect. After all, Superman has his kryptonite. Through these characters we can learn to turn our weaknesses into advantages. In that way, they are a symbol of hope, that you can overcome challenges and make yourself into a better person.
Camp counselors are superheroes!
Who are our modern-day superheroes? Perhaps today we have a new idea of superhero, a time when ordinary people are doing extraordinary things. They don’t wear capes – they wear scrubs and lab coats and the uniforms of police and firefighters. They work in schools and hospitals and homes. They are “disguised” as the ordinary people who drive trucks with needed supplies, stock shelves in our grocery stores, and drive public transportation. They work long hours to fight an invisible enemy. They are the essential workers of the coronavirus pandemic.
In Spider-Man 2, Aunt May reminds Peter Parker that “there’s a hero in all of us.” Today, my heroes are 4-H teen leaders sewing masks and matching 4-H members as pen pals. It’s families using 3D printers to make personal protective equipment for medical staff. You are a superhero when you stay home, even when it’s hard, and when you wear a mask to keep others safe.
Download Today’s 4-H Journal Here!
Yours in Health,
Daily Dose- 4-H Meeting Mad Lib!
Today is National Tell a Story day! Stories come from all places including friends, families, experiences, or even from our imagination. A story can be a way to share history with others, connect to family members, or even entertain us.
For National Tell a Story day I decided to celebrate with a story where you get to decide some of the fun details of our story. Today’s story is about our first meeting back face-to-face! I am using a style called mad lib which gives a template for another person to fill in the blanks. The trick is, you fill in the blanks before you see the story!
I had a blast developing this template and testing it on my family. I hope you will enjoy (and share yours) as well!
Mad Libs originated in 1953. You can read the full history of them here!
Today’s Journal – Tell a Story
Daily Dose- Let’s Get Moving! Be Fit at Home
Yoga at the State Fair
Physical activity is one part of being fit and healthy. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity every day. You don’t even have to do 60 minutes all at once. The first key guidelines is move more and sit less!
There are many activities you can do to be fit at home. Let’s break it down into the different types of activities you can do.
Recipe for Physical Fitness
- Flexibility activities
- Aerobic activities
- Muscle-building activities
- Bone-strengthening activities
- Flexibility:
- What are they: These activities help your joints and muscles move easily.
- Examples: forward bends, toe touches, shoulder rolls, knees to chest, yoga poses. Stretch slowly and smoothly; don’t bounce.
- How often: Stretch to take a break from sitting. If warming up, spend 2-3 minutes doing flexibility exercises. Hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds and increase as time goes on.
- How they help: Stretching keeps your muscles loose and relaxed. Being flexible decreases your chance of getting hurt and prevents you from getting sore. Flexibility exercises can help you warm up before more vigorous activities.
- What are they: These activities help your joints and muscles move easily.
- Aerobic activities: Most of the 60 or more minutes a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
- What are they: These activities get your heart beating faster!
- Moderate-intensity aerobic: active recreation such as hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, and bike riding; walking; games that require catching and throwing; and house and yard work such as sweeping or pushing a lawn mower
- Vigorous-intensity aerobic: running, active sports, vigorous dancing, aerobics, active games that involve running and chasing, and jumping rope.
- How often: at least 3 days a week
- How they help: Aerobic activities helps your body use oxygen and helps your heart send blood to the muscles.
- What are they: These activities get your heart beating faster!
- Muscle-strengthening activities:
- What are they: These activities involve having muscles work or hold against a force or some weight.
- Examples: push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, squats, lifting weights, and working with resistance bands, a good game of tug-of-war, gymnastics, swinging on the monkey bars, and climbing a tree!
- How often: at least 3 days a week
- How they help: Having strong muscles makes it easier to do everyday tasks. These activities help your balance, coordination, and posture.
- What are they: These activities involve having muscles work or hold against a force or some weight.
- Bone-strengthening:
- What are they: These activities involve an impact (often with the ground) or tension force.
- Examples: running, brisk walking, dancing, stair climbing, tennis, basketball, and volleyball are great for your bones, as are hopping, skipping, and jumping
- Bonus: Many bone-strengthening activities may also help strengthen your muscles and your heart.
- How often: at least 3 days a week
- How they help: Make bones grow and get stronger.
- What are they: These activities involve an impact (often with the ground) or tension force.
Being fit helps your body and your mind. Physical activity helps you to be more alert and helps with your moods. Being fit will help you feel better now and in the future. Let’s get moving today!
Today’s 4-H Journal
Yours in Health,
Daily Dose- Earth Day: For the Health of Our Planet
In 1970, fifty years ago, people around the world celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22. Earth Day began as a day of education about environmental issues.
What was going on 50 years ago that prompted this observance? It appeared that people took the environment for granted. Recycling wasn’t a common practice, certainly not curbside pick-up. Waste from factories ended up in the air, lakes, and rivers, which made for unsafe and unhealthy conditions. But then in the 1960s, Americans started to become aware of how pollution affected the environment.
By the end of the decade, the damage done by an oil spill in California and a fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, brought the environment to the forefront.
The first Earth Day mobilized millions of Americans for the protection of our planet (an estimated 20 million Americans, 10% of the population at the time, took part). Earth Day was a catalyst for change. During the 1970s, important pieces of environmental legislation were passed to protect air, water, and land. You can read more about the history of Earth Day here.
I learned about the environment though my involvement in a youth organization (Girl Scouts). That’s me, first row, second from left.
I was in high school in 1970. At the time, there was no curbside recycling like there is now in many communities. My Girl Scout troop collected glass and paper for recycling, which we brought to a business that actually paid us per pound (it was one of our troop’s fundraisers). We did trail clean ups, living by the mantra “leave a place better than you found it.” It didn’t matter that we didn’t throw that trash on the ground; it was our responsibility to pick it up. I know that participating in these activities shaped my attitudes and behaviors toward the environment to this day.
This year we can’t gather in person to participate in Earth Day activities. But that doesn’t mean our concern for the environment goes away. You can check out NASA’s website for many Earth Day activities.
Use today’s 4-H Journal Page to think about ways you can keep the environment healthy.
Here are some things I’m trying to do:
- Recycling
- Using less plastic
- Thinking about whether I need something before I buy it
- Picking up after myself and picking up trash when I see it
Here are some other action ideas.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
(Margaret Mead)
Earth Day reminds us that humans have an impact on the environment. Earth Day prompts us to ask how we can sustain these positive changes. Earth Day also reminds us that our health depends on our planet’s health.
Daily Dose- Let’s Go on a Hunt…for the Good Stuff
When things are changing and out of our control, it is easy to focus on the negative. But even when things are unpredictable and not going the way we planned like with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still a lot of good things going on. Being resilient, or having the capacity or ability to recover from difficulties, is a life skill that we can work on all the time. One way to develop this skill is to challenge ourselves every day to “Hunt the Good Stuff.”
Hunting the good stuff is seeking out the positives in every situation. It might be difficult to find them sometimes, but they are there! Often our first reaction is to focus on all the negative things. That just means we have to look harder to find the good stuff. Hunting the good stuff is easy when life is going our way. But it’s just as important when we find ourselves in situations that where we don’t have control. We may not be able to change the situation, but we can change how we think of it.
Have you heard the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade?” That’s hunt the good stuff!
Focusing on the positives and analyzing them helps you see the light in each situation. In turn, it helps build your resiliency and trains your mind to look for the positives even in stressful situations.
Hunting the good stuff requires us to stop and think about what’s going on. It’s another way to practice mindfulness, which we wrote about in an earlier post that you can find here.
Hunting the good stuff helps you to be more positive, leads to gratitude, and helps you mentally and physically. So even though life is a bit unpredictable right now, and we are facing change and disappointment, focus on the good! To help you with that, we created a Hunt the Good Stuff 4-H Bingo! Use this card to seek out the positives that are going on right now. If you haven’t done something yet, use it as a way to seek out positive activities to expend your energy or use it to help you come up with some other fun ideas!
Download PDF Version Here
Today’s Guest Post and BINGO game was brought to you by Christy Clary, Educator in 4-H Youth Developed located in Brown County, Ohio.