By Kevin Tatum, County Extension Coordinator
As moms and dads deal with schooling their children at home, how about having some fun in the kitchen with the kids. Find and prepare a fruit smoothie recipe which will reinforce math skills with measuring ingredients, as well as provide a nutritional snack for the kids.
Here’s an easy recipe by UGA Extension’s SNAP-Ed program. The list of ingredients includes three cups of fresh or frozen strawberries, one cup of fresh baby spinach, two frozen ripe bananas, one cup of nonfat plain yogurt, one and one half cups skim milk, and one fourth teaspoon cinnamon.
Step one is to add the yogurt and milk to the blender. Then add in the strawberries, spinach, bananas, and cinnamon. Blend until smooth. This recipe makes four servings and will cost you approximately $3.70 to make.
More fun recipes that our 7th and 8th grade 4-H members use for food labs at District Project Achievement (DPA) can be found at https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Recipes.pdf.
Leadership in Action
Junior and Senior 4-H members who have carried out a Leadership in Action project this year need to start work on their award application. The applications for Leadership in Action will be due on-line by 5 PM on April 3. Senior 4-H members submitting for the state level awards will need to take part in an interview which, at this time, is scheduled to be held in Statesboro on Tuesday, April 14. Please contact the 4-H office for more information about the Leadership in Action Awards.
Camp Fundraiser
4-H members who are attending summer camp or summer activities can take advantage of a fundraiser to help offset their fees. We have a Coca-Cola Truckload Sale starting right away. Parents should come to the 4-H office to pick up order forms. 4-H members get $3 per case of drinks sold towards their event fee. Order forms and money are due back to the 4-H office by March 30, 2020. Drinks will be ready for pick up on Wednesday, April 15, from 2 to 4 PM.
Dairy Poster Contest
The theme for this year’s Dairy Poster Contest is “The Art of Dairy.” Posters can be 14″ x 22″ and prizes of gift cards are given for each age division (Cloverleaf, Junior, & Senior). Gift cards are $100 for 1st, $75 for 2nd, and $50 for 3rd. Poster entries are due in the Coffee County Extension office by 4 PM on Friday, April 24.
Spring Conference
The Georgia 4-H Statewide Senior 4-H Conference (aka 4-H Prom) scheduled to be held at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center on April 4-5 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus. 4-H members who have paid their registration fee will receive a full refund.
Can Tabs
Everyone is encouraged to collect can tabs off aluminum cans to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities project. These can tabs help provide money to the Ronald McDonald House for their operating fees.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities offer free or low cost housing and meals to families of children receiving medical attention at larger hospitals in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah. By donating can tabs, you are helping to provide housing and meals for families who are burdened by hospital bills and do not need the extra burden of housing and meals for the family staying at the hospital.
Hopefully you will never have to use the Ronald McDonald House, but it is great that it is there in case you should ever need it.
Please continue collecting can tabs through the current COVID-19 crisis and bring them to the Extension (4-H) office after social distancing restrictions have been lifted.
If you would like to learn how you can become more involved with the Coffee County 4-H program, please contact the Coffee County Extension office at (912) 384-1402 or visit our website at http://coffee4h.org.