In honour of Chef Shai’s Birthday on May 7, we are SUPER-EXCITED to Announce another AMAZING CONTEST … Complete your Summer Camp Registration BEFORE Midnight on Friday, May 31st and you could WIN a Butter Tart Cooking Class with Chef Shai.
Simply register for a summer camp session and you will be entered to win the following exciting PRIZE: One (1) 2-hour In-home Private Butter Tart Class with Chef Shai for your child and up to 5 friends. SWEET!!
In case you didn’t know, Butter Tarts are one of Chef Shai’s
specialty recipes. You only need to try one to know why! So buttery, flaky,
sweet and delicious … is your mouth watering yet?! Chef Shai will bring all the
necessary ingredients and equipment to your home and conduct a hands-on
interactive cooking lesson with your child and their friends. After the Butter
Tart are out of the oven, everyone will sit down and enjoy the fruits of your
labour! Yum!
Here’s what you “knead” to know!
To Register: Go online or call us to Register for a Rooks to Cooks Summer Camp Session. Each registration for a one week session is one entry so if you sign up for two weeks then you get two entries.
Deadline: to be entered into the contest you must register BEFORE 12:00 midnight on Friday, May 31st. You will automatically be entered into the contest once your register.
Eligibility: All new and previous registrations. If you have ALREADY registered, then you will also be entered into the contest.
Draw Date: We will pick the winner on Sat. June 1st. Winner will be contacted and announced on Monday, June 3rd, 2019. This prize has a $600 value. Prize must be accepted as a described; no replacements or monetary exchange.
Spring is here and we all want to get outside and get active! A healthy lifestyle includes many components, such as, keeping our body fit, learning new skills, and making nutritious choices in what we eat. As a busy family, it’s often hard to keep all our health goals on track. We can provide some guidance and ideas on how to create healthy goals but, ultimately, try to work together to see what works best for you. As parents, we can act as role models and hopefully our children will learn from a young age that healthy choices help them feel better and play better!
Let’s begin with ways to get our bodies moving! Exercise will help our body stay strong so that we can do all the things we like, and it helps us feel great. Here are some fun ways for kids and families to get active:
Get a group of children together and go play outside. How about tag or hide-and-go-seek?
Grab your sports equipment and play your favourite sport at the park with your friends and family … baseball, basketball, soccer are all great activities for a group of people!
Ride your bike, scooter, or walk to school or to local spots in your community. Leave the car behind and get some exercise.
Don’t forget your chores! Doing work around the house gets you moving … help with the yard work (raking), do some gardening (pick out some new flowers or veggies to grow), cleaning inside the house is good too (folding laundry, vacuuming).
If you would like to start a new training routine, such as running, then we recommend that you sit down with an adult before the summer begins to prepare a running schedule that will be appropriate for your age, experience and your goals for the season. When starting your running season, make sure the distances are manageable and easy, over time you can slowly start setting goals that are tougher to reach. Also try to explore new places and run on different terrains such as hills, grass, and trails. Finally, keep a journal or diary to record what you have done each day to celebrate your progress.
Next up is the importance of learning new skills and keeping our brain active! Try to expose children to a variety of opportunities that will benefit their brain & body:
learn to play a variety of sports
play board games
learn to play a musical instrument
engage in painting or drawing classes
try drama lessons
learn to cook at a young age
By learning and by doing various actions, we become more confident and experienced and that makes those activities more enjoyable. Learning something new also gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Last, but not least, we need to make sure that we’re feeding our body all the nutrients it needs to keep us moving all day long! With the introduction of the new Canada’s Food Guide, we were thrilled with the addition of the lifestyle change “Cook More Often”. Cooking our own meals at home and as a family is a great place to start. When we control what goes into our food, then we can make better choices that benefit our body. Cooking is a great family activity and you can get kids of all ages involved in meal prep.
Age 4-6: children can start with tasks such as washing produce, measuring, mixing, assembling and organizing. We recommend low risk activities and providing supervision while in the kitchen.
Age 7-10: With their quickly developing fine motor skills, this age group is ideal for introducing more challenging roles, such as knife skills and pan work. Also, it’s important to explicitly lay out the safety rules when using this higher risk equipment while still approaching the experience with relaxed energy and encouragement.
Age 11+: This age category has the potential to take on the recipe in its entirety with some supervision. For less experienced tweens, we recommend following the guidelines for the age 7-10 category. Just like the younger age category, explicitly run through the safety rules when using any higher risk equipment and be sure to provide encouragement and support.
So, let’s strive to keep our bodies fit and strong, every day, by keeping active, playing sports and fun games, challenging ourselves to try something new and feeding our bodies with nutritious foods. That sounds like a fabulous recipe for a healthy lifestyle!
RECIPE IDEA: We are sharing an easy Rooks to Cooks Recipe Idea to try with your kids! Chef Shai suggests this yummy breakfast recipe to provide fuel for your family before a weekend tournament, game or practice.
Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Egg & Potato Omelette)
Yield: 6-8 Servings
Spanish Egg & Potato Omelette
Ingredients:
700g (1.5 lbs) Yukon gold potatoes (peeled & sliced into ½ cm rounds)
1 medium onion, sliced (110g)
1 clove garlic, minced (4g)
90ml olive oil
8 eggs
6g salt
5g pepper
Directions:
Cook the potatoes: Heat the oil in medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and season. Cover the pan with a lid and gently cook for 10 minutes without letting the potatoes brown.
After 10 minutes, add the onions and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on. At this point the onions should be soft and slightly clear. Carefully drain the oil from the pan and save it for later.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the warm potatoes and onions and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, clean the frying pan. Heat the reserved oil in the pan over low heat. Pour the potato, onion and egg mixture into the pan, shaking the pan to ensure the mix is evenly distributed. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes on a low heat. After 15 minutes, the mix should be fairly solid but remain SLIGHTLY runny on the very top.
Time to flip! Using a spatula, loosen the tortilla from the edges. Shake to loosen. Slide the tortilla out of the pan and onto a plate. Carefully put the pan over the plate and flip it back into the pan uncooked side down.
Cook for an additional 5 minutes over low-medium heat. Slide onto a plate and let it cool slightly. Cut into 6 wedges and serve immediately.
Garnish Suggestion: feel free to add some chopped green onions or perhaps some diced tomatoes on top as a garnish. ENJOY!
ABOUT SPORTS CAMPS CANADA:
Sports Camps Canada (SCC) was founded in 2015 and is the official operator of Nike Sports Camps in Canada. SCC partners with the country’s best coaches to direct our camps and provides them with valuable administrative and marketing support. We continue to grow thanks to an outstanding community of Camp Directors and the dedication of the entire Sports Camps Canada staff. Now for a limited time only, enjoy $25 off camp with code ROOKS25 today! Register for Nike Sports Camps this summer at http://www.sportscampscanada.com/
Please note: Contest has ended and the winner has been notified. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Register BEFORE February 18TH and WIN an evening with CHEF SHAI!
In case you missed our Contest Newsletter, we have an amazing Family Day Contest to tell you about! Simply REGISTER for a summer camp session BEFORE the Family Day deadline, and you could win the following exciting Family PRIZE:
One (1) 3-hour In-home Private Family Cooking Lesson with Chef Shai herself!
Based on your preferences and learning goals, Chef Shai will prepare a custom menu plan for you and your family. From there she will bring all the necessary ingredients and equipment to your home and conduct a hands-on interactive cooking lesson with your family. After the cooking is complete, everyone will sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labour! This prize has a $600 value.
Chef Shai would love to join YOUR family and share some of her cooking tips and tricks with you. This is an amazing opportunity to cook together as a family and enjoy a delicious meal. REGISTER SOON for your chance to WIN. Good Luck!
Here’s what you need to know!
To Register: Go online or call us to Register for a Rooks to Cooks Summer Camp Session. Each registration for a one week session is one entry so if you sign up for two weeks then you get two entries.
Deadline: to be entered into the contest you must register BEFORE 12:00 midnight on Monday, February 18, 2019 (Family Day). You will automatically be entered into the contest once your register.
If you have ALREADY registered, then you will also be entered into the contest.
Draw Date: Winner will be contacted and announced on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. Prize must be accepted as a described; no replacements or monetary exchange.
PRESENTED BY: ZACH BUDD, DIRECTOR OF NIKE TENNIS CAMPS / SPORTS CAMPS CANADA
Whether you are a young athlete with an intensive training plan for your sport, or if you are just starting to play, each athlete should strive to have a proper balance of physical exercise and nutritional intake to fuel your body throughout the day.
Diet plays a huge role in staying healthy and intensifying training regime
“Eat the rainbow”. Consume fruits and vegetables of every color at least three times a week
What you put into your body determines what you will get out
Diet not only builds muscle mass it also assists in recovery
What’s the best way to make sure you are eating nutritious meals? We know that cooking and preparing your meals and snacks at home is the best way to control the amount of sugar, fat and salt in your food. There are so many reasons why cooking at home and learning about the food you eat are good for you! Here are some of the key benefits of cooking:
Nutrition: Develop a more comprehensive understanding of nutrition because you will see what goes into your meals as you prepare the ingredients
Independence: Become more capable and independent as you learn cooking skills and get more comfortable preparing your favourite recipes
Safety: Learn about safety rules in the kitchen; safe use of kitchen appliances and utensils and safe handling of food
Expand your palate: try new foods and spices and learn about different cultures
Math Skills: Practical application of math as you use fractions, counting and measuring while working through a recipe
Reading and comprehension: you will read and follow a recipe and step-by-step instructions while preparing your meal
The best way to encourage and teach healthy habits is to get kids involved in the kitchen. Children of all ages can assist with the preparation of snacks and meals and then you can talk about the ingredient choices. Kids can wash fruits and vegetables and parents can cut and store them in containers in the fridge, so they are easily accessible. Snacks are important for children to help maintain energy levels throughout the day … and we have some simple ideas that they will love to sink their teeth into:
Cut up various coloured vegetables, like carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, cucumbers, etc. and try with a yummy hummus dip. See Recipe included below!
Similarly, slice or chop up apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, bananas, etc. and eat with your favourite nut/seed butter or yogurt. Create a delicious fruit salad!
Watermelon and cantaloupe are also great choices; cut into chunks and enjoy. They also contain high water content.
Nuts, seeds, raisins, and other dried fruit can be mixed together and are easy to munch whenever and where ever.
Wash and cut up your favourite berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.) – then you can easily toss them on top of your yogurt bowl with some granola or eat them as is.
Wraps are so easy and fun – you can use corn or flour tortillas: (a) cream cheese and your favourite veggies, (b) cheddar cheese and apple slices, (c) Nut/seed butter and berries, (d) Yogurt with bananas or your fav fruit.
We suggest eating whole foods and compare the Nutrition Facts table on food labels. Become familiar with the levels that are “ideal” for us to consume. Keep in mind that nutritional needs differ from one person to another and from one day to the next. With increased activity levels, you might find that you need to eat more food to fuel your activities.
Sports Camps Canada (SCC)was founded in 2015 and is the official operator of Nike Sports Camps in Canada. SCC partners with the country’s best coaches to direct our camps and provides them with valuable administrative and marketing support. We continue to grow thanks to an outstanding community of Camp Directors and the dedication of the entire Sports Camps Canada staff. Now for a limited time only, enjoy $25 off camp with code ROOKS25 today! Register for Nike Sports Camps this summer at http://www.sportscampscanada.com/
A big THANK YOU to TODAY’S PARENT, Canada’s #1 source for parenting content, for including ROOKS TO COOKS on their list of 17 Unique Summer Camps in Toronto! Please read more here ….
This week we would like to say a huge THANK YOU to SAVVYMOM, the Canadian Mom’s Trusted Resource for Canadian online content, for featuring ROOKS TO COOKS in their list of the 22 Great Summer Day Camps in Toronto and the GTA!
Please read more here …
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