On Saturday, a few hundred folks of all ages were “Moovin’ on the County Line Trail” in Creston. Some covered a 5K course, others doubled that to a 10K outing. Others, in deference to Covid-19, ran the course earlier this week to compete virtually.
Saturday’s race was the culminating activity to a yearlong Norwayne school program, “Udderly Amazing Fun and Fitness Club,” coordinated by the high school’s Health Professions Affinity Community (HPAC) group.
“The mission of our group is to identify health issues in our community and to find solutions to these problems,” said HPAC President Halle Miller. “Our group has targeted childhood obesity as one of the health issues we wished to address as well as improving the health and wellness of our community.”
Hence, the “Udderly” club’s programming year was designed as a voluntary after-school program for the district’s elementary school students. For the meeting’s first half hour, students learned about healthy eating from guest speakers and recipe demonstrations. The last half of the hour found students in school hallways getting in shape for the County Line Trail Race, originally scheduled for this past April.
During one session, students learned the ins and outs of packing a healthy school lunch.
“We taught this after a teacher suggested that it was a skill students really needed to learn since families are so busy and often the child is packing their lunch with little supervision,” Miller said.
That session included a colorful step-by-step handout, designed by Miller, as a practical at-home visual aid. Step one directs students to include a grain and a protein in their planning.
“We demonstrated making turkey cheese ranch wraps at our meeting and taught the benefits of choosing a high fiber wheat wrap and adding colorful chopped vegetables to make the entrée healthier,” Miller said.
Students also learned how to make caramel grapes, a bite-size take-off of the popular county fair caramel apples. “This is a great way to introduce children to fruit, and it is actually a delicious appetizer,” Miller said.
Cow pie cookies, appropriately named for the program’s theme, were demonstrated by HCAP not only to Udderly students, but to a local girl scout group. “This is a great first ‘no bake’ cookie for kids to learn to make which is fun and based on our race theme,” Miller said. Oatmeal, peanut butter and cocoa supply the good-for-you components here.
Healthy snacks also will be part of race day. “This year, instead of refreshments on site, runners will be provided with a runner recovery bag of refreshments,” Miller said. Packed by HCAP members early in race week, these bags will include protein balls, which are an oats and grain, peanut butter snack sweetened with honey and chocolate chips.
Miller, the daughter of Mike and Robin Miller of Creston, has grown up with the HPAC philosophy since its founding at Norwayne by sister Hannah, who is now a pediatric intensive care nurse at Akron Children’s Hospital. Miller plans to follow her sibling into the nursing field after graduation from Norwayne in 2021.
Miller is 100% sold on the HPAC concept. “We encourage other junior high and high school students to reach out to our group if you wish to join us. If your school does not have an HPAC/Aultman Ambassadors group, you could also initiate getting a group started at your school,” she said.
“The absolute most fun of being part of this group is that after we accomplish our yearly initiatives, we review needs in our community and give money back to organizations that are in line with our mission,” she added.
TURKEY CHEESE RANCH WRAP
From the kitchen of Halle Miller
1 whole wheat tortilla wrap
1 slice turkey breast lunch meat
1 slice cheese
1 to 2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing
Leaf lettuce, crumbled bacon, chopped peppers, chopped tomatoes (optional)
Spread ranch dressing on whole wheat wrap, top with turkey breast and cheese slice. Add optional items as desired for extra nutrition and fiber. Fold or roll up wrap. Makes 1 wrap or 1 to 2 servings.
CARAMEL GRAPES
From the kitchen of Halle Miller
25 green or red grapes
25 toothpicks
1 small (16-ounce) container caramel topping (in grocer’s produce section)
¾ cup crushed peanuts or favorite cereal
Wash grapes and lay on paper towels to dry.
Warm caramel in microwave. Put a toothpick into top of each dry grape. Dip in warmed caramel and then dip in crushed peanuts/cereal.
COW PIE COOKIES
From the kitchen of Halle Miller
2 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
3 cups quick oatmeal
½ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix sugar and cocoa together in a saucepan, then blend in milk and butter. Cover and bring mixture to a boil, let boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla until well mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool until cookies set.
LUANNE’S PROTEIN BARS
From the kitchen of Halle Miller
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup ground flax seed
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup honey, or more to taste
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
Pulse oats, peanut butter, flax seeds and chia in food processor until mixed. With food processor running, drizzle honey into oats mixture until it attains desired consistency. Roll into 1-inch balls, chill in refrigerator until firm or store in freezer. Makes 25 (1-inch) protein balls.
— Would you like to nominate someone for our “Cook of the Week”? Email their name and phone number to [email protected] or call 419-289-0972 and let Cami know!
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