Cut out each tip below.  Add some of your own tips. Place in a bag/jar. Have your children draw from the jar each night to help plan the family’s activity for the next night!

 ☺  FUN FACTS!  ☺

  Butternut Squash

Did you know…

☺  Did you know butternut squash is a winter squash?

(Winter squash is harvested at a mature age which makes its skin hard.  Winter squash is always served cooked.)

☺  Did you know butternut squash has a smooth cream-beige colored shell?

☺  Did you know butternut squash is medium in size with a pear shape?

☺  Did you know butternut squash is orange on the inside?

☺  Did you know butternut squash grows on a vine?

☺  Did you know butternut squash has small seeds on the inside?

      (Seeds can be roasted or toasted and eaten as a snack.)

☺  Did you know butternut squash originated from Mexico?

☺  Did you know butternut squash can be baked, roasted, grilled, boiled

      and pureed or mashed into soups, casseroles, breads or muffins?

☺  Did you know the skin of butternut squash softens when roasted orbaked and is edible?

☺  Did you know butternut squash can be prepared like mashed potatoes and is delicious?

☺  Did you know butternut squash should not be refrigerated until it is cut?

☺  Did you know butternut squash is a good source of vitamin C, fiber and potassium?

☺  Did you know butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A?

☺  Check out the attached recipe for “Roasted Butternut Squash”!

Remember …

Eat more fruits and vegetables everyday!

☺  FUN FACTS!  ☺

Cranberry

 

Did you know…

☺  Did you know that early settlers referred to the tiny red berry as a “craneberry” because the flower and its stem resembled the neck, head and bill of a crane?  (As years went by, the “e” was dropped.)

☺  Did you know cranberries grow on vines in boggy or swampy areas?

☺  Did you know there are four major varieties of cranberries:

        American, European, Mountain and Highbush?

  (American is bright red, is the most common variety and is used for juice or sold as fresh;

  European is primarily used for ornamental purposes and is smaller than the American;

  Mountain is a ¼ to ½ inch in diameter, bright to dark red and is occasionally sold in markets;

  Highbush is mostly used for jelly, jams and sauces.)

☺  Did you know that fresh cranberries are too tart to eat raw?

☺  Did you know that most cranberries are picked by machines?

(However, machines damage the berry.  Machine harvested berries are used for juice, jellies, etc…)

☺  Did you know fresh whole berries are hand-picked?

        (Machine picking damages the berry.)

☺  Did you know Native Americans brewed cranberry mixtures and placed them on arrow wounds to draw poison?

☺  Did you know Native Americans pounded cranberries into a paste and mixed it with dried meat to preserve and extend the life of the meat?

☺  Did you know good, ripe cranberries will bounce?  (Their nickname is “bounceberries”.)

☺  Did you know fresh cranberries can last up to 2 months in the refrigerator?

☺  Did you know that more than one-third of cranberries grown in the U.S. are made into cranberry juice?

☺  Did you know that dried cranberries are often called “Craisins”?

☺  Did you know that dried cranberries may last up to 12 months if stored in a cool, dry place?

☺  Did you know that dried cranberries are a quick, healthy snack?

☺  Did you know cranberries are a good source of vitamin C and fiber?

☺  Did you know cranberry sauce is a traditional part of American and Canadian Thanksgiving meals and also European winter festivals?

Remember … Eat more fruits and vegetables everyday!

☺  FUN FACTS!  ☺

  Hubbard Squash

Did you know…

☺  Did you know hubbard squash comes in several varieties?

(Green, Golden, Blue and Baby Blue are the various colors of its shell.)

☺  Did you know hubbard squash ranges in size from 5 to 50 pounds?

☺  Did you know hubbard squash have a hard, thick, bumpy shell?

☺  Did you know the flesh of the hubbard squash, or inside part that is eaten, is orange?

☺  Did you know the flesh of hubbard squash is sweet when cooked?

☺  Did you know hubbard squash are a winter squash?

(Winter squash is harvested at a mature age which makes its skin hard and not edible. Winter squash is always served cooked.)

☺  Did you know hubbard squash has a tear-drop shape?

☺  Did you know hubbard squash is not very pretty?

☺  Did you know hubbard squash is an excellent source of

     vitamin A? (A ½ cup contains over 100% of the recommended daily value.)

☺  Did you know uncut hubbard squash can be stored up to 3 months or longer in a cool, dry place?

☺  Did you know uncut hubbard squash should not be refrigerated?

☺  Did you know hubbard squash is very difficult to cut?

(The problem is the shell is hard, and it is difficult to keep the squash from rolling.  Some people use a kitchen saw to cut it.)

☺  Did you know hubbard squash is often used as a replacement in recipes that call for pumpkin?

☺  Did you know hubbard squash can be baked, mashed, added to soups or mixed with other vegetables in a casserole?

☺  Did you know hubbard squash makes a great pie?

(It tastes similar to pumpkin pie, but it’s sweeter and requires less sugar.)

Remember …

Eat more fruits and vegetables everyday!

☺  FUN FACTS!  ☺

 Pears

Did you know…

J  Did you know pears are a relative of the apple?

        (Pears can be substituted for apples in most recipes.)

J  Did you know pears are an ancient fruit that has been cultivated

        for more than four thousand years?

J  Did you know pears grow on trees?

J  Did you know pears are picked before they are ripe?

J  Did you know you can ripen pears by placing them in a paper  bagat room temperature?

J  Did you know most pears have a bell shape?

J  Did you know pears are yellow-green, green, brown and red?

J  Did you know pears have a white to pale yellow flesh?

J  Did you know pears have a gritty texture caused by cells in the

     flesh called stone cells? 

     (In today’s pears most of the grittiness no longer exists.)

J  Did you know ripe pears have a fragrant smell?

J  Did you know pears are sweet?

J  Did you know there’s no need to peel a pear?

           (Their tender skin is edible and a great source of fiber!)

J  Did you know there are over four thousand varieties of pears?

J  Did you know the common pears seen in the supermarket are

        Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Forelle and Seckel?

J  Did you know seckel pears are tiny and are also called “sugar pears”?

J  Did you know pears are a snack filled with energy?

J  Did you know pears are an excellent source of potassium?

     (Potassium is needed to maintain heartbeat, muscle contraction, nerve transmission

     and metabolism.)

J  Did you know pears are also a source of vitamin C?

 Remember … Eat more fruits and vegetables everyday!

☺  FUN FACTS! ☺

  Pomegranates

Did you know…

☺  Did you know pomegranates contain hundreds of seeds?

☺  Did you know the name pomegranate is derived from the Latin

        words meaning “apple of numerous seeds”?

☺  Did you know pomegranates are also called “Chinese Apples”?

☺  Did you know in ancient times the juice of the pomegranate was

        used as a dye and also as a medicine?

☺  Did you know years ago nomads took pomegranates with them

        into the desert because they were a thirst quencher and they

        lasted for months without drying out?

☺  Did you know pomegranates grow on small trees 12-16 feet tall?

☺  Did you know pomegranates are available from September thruDecember?

☺  Did you know pomegranates are the size of a large orange?

☺  Did you know pomegranates have a leathery, thick, smooth,

       reddish-pink skin?

☺  Did you know the inside of a pomegranate consists of clusters        of seeds encased in bright cranberry-red pulp that are surrounded by bitter, white membranes ?

☺  Did you know the red pulp has a sweet and tart taste?

☺  Did you know you can eat the red pulp and the seeds of thepomegranate?

        (Some people eat the seed and pulp while others eat just the pulp and spit out the seeds.)

☺  Did you know the pomegranate seeds are crunchy?

☺  Did you know pomegranates are very, very juicy?

☺  Did you know pomegranate juice can stain your clothes?

☺  Did you know pomegranate seeds make a beautiful garnish for fruit salads?

☺  Did you know grenadine is made from pomegranate juice?

        (Grenadine is used as a sauce for cooked fruit and is added to beverages.)

☺  Did you know pomegranate juice is a healthy beverage?

        (Be careful not to drink too much as it is very high in sugar and calories!)

☺  Did you know pomegranate juice is high in antioxidants which

        are believed to help prevent heart problems?

Remember … Eat more fruits and vegetables everyday!