Kids Club Vol. 45: Berries

KIDS CLUB

VOLUME 45

Welcome to the latest issue of our ChopChop Kids Club newsletter!

Does it feel like summer is winding down? Don’t tell the berries that! There’s still plenty of these seasonal treats to be found at your farmers’ market and supermarket! What’s the first berry you think of when you see the word berry? Raspberry? Strawberry? Blueberry? Blackberry? Cranberry? Which is your favorite? We love them all—and we’re sharing lots of ideas for eating and enjoying them. Plus, once the weather gets cooler, you can always switch over to using frozen berries, which are great in cooked desserts and ideal for smoothies. They’ll be a little reminder of the warmer days.

Have a berry wonderful month!

Cherry-Berry Smoothie

Cherry-Berry Smoothie

Come summertime, we figure we should eat as many berries as we can. This creamy fruit shake is a great way to do just that.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings Servings

kitchen gear

Measuring cup
Blender (adult needed)
2 glasses

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries or strawberries, or a combination
1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened cherries, pitted
2 dates, pitted
2 ice cubes

Instructions

Put all the ingredients in the blender.
Put the top on tightly. Turn on the blender to medium speed and blend until the mixture is smooth, 30 to 60 seconds.
Divide the smoothie equally between the glasses and serve right away, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Notes

DID YOU KNOW?

Dates are a great natural sweetener because they also add nutrients, including fiber and the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Feel free to swap half a banana—another wholesome sweetener—for the dates, if you prefer.

“Pitted” means with the pits removed.

Cherries aren’t actually berries! They seem like berries though, don’t they? They’re red and juicy and bite-sized. But they have a pit in the middle, which puts them in the family of other stone fruits such as apricots, peaches, plums, and nectarines.

DigDig: Grow a Salad Garden

Did your berries come in a plastic clamshell container? Upcycle it into a tiny indoor garden.

WHAT YOU NEED

1 empty plastic clamshell container (the kind with a lid)

Extra clamshell container lid

Craft knife or box cutter (adult needed)

Potting soil (look for something called “starter mix”)

1 package lettuce, arugula, or mixed greens seeds

Spray bottle

Scissors

INSTRUCTIONS

Use the knife to cut 3 or 4 X-shaped drainage slits in the bottom of your container (This is a good job for an adult.) Turn the extra lid upside down and place the container on top of it.
Fill the container halfway with soil, then smooth the top layer of soil without packing it down.
Scatter the seeds evenly across the surface of the soil, then sprinkle with more soil, just covering the seeds with a very thin layer.
Use the spray bottle to moisten the soil and seeds evenly. Cover with the lid, which will create a warm, moist greenhouse environment, and put the container with the extra lid beneath it in a sunny spot. (If you have a south-facing window, that windowsill is ideal.)
Fill the extra lid with water. The soil will pull up the moisture the plants need. Check the water level every day, and refill when it looks low.
The seeds will sprout in about a week, and the first greens will be ready to cut when they’re at least 3 inches high, in 3 to 4 weeks. Cut them with scissors, leaving about an inch of greens behind, and they will grow back to make one more salad harvest for you!

Creamy Maple-Walnut Dip for Berries