Refreshing Recipes

 

Cucumber sandwiches

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 pkg. Italian seasoning

Cucumber slices

Dill weed

Mix cream cheese, chopped up Dill weed, and Italian seasoning. Spread the cheese mix on a slice of white or wheat bread. Place two layers of thinly sliced cucumbers on top. Then cut into quarters. Makes 2-3 dozen.

Frozen Grapes

Place a pack of red seedless grapes in the freezer and you will have little sherbet bites in a couple hours.

Watermelon Blasters

3 cups cubed, seeded watermelon

1 1/2 cups strawberries

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 cup ice cubes

Sugar, to taste

Put watermelon, strawberries, lime juice, ice, and sugar if desired into the pitcher of a blender, and blend for 15 seconds on high speed. (Always put the top on the container before processing.) Stop machine, and stir ingredients with a long wooden spoon. Blend for 15 seconds more on high speed.

Fruit Flavored Popsicles

Popsicle molds, or any small cup

1 pkg. (3 oz.) Jello, any flavor

1/2 c. sugar

2 c. boiling water

2 c. cold water

1. Dissolve Jello and sugar in boiling wa­ter. Add cold water and keep stirring fre­quently.

2. Pour into the molds or small cups and freeze at least 8 hours. If your containers do not have handles, add sticks when the popsicles are partially frozen. Makes 8 or 9 large pops.

Zesty Summer Lemon Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together shortening and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

3. Add in the lemon juice and zest. Gradu­ally blend in the dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly colored on top. Cool in pan on wire rack. May be drizzled with a simple confectioners’ sugar icing. Cut into large or small bars.

Pres Junior Gianna Maietta Honored in Mercury News

The Voice’s very own Gianna Maietta appeared in the San Jose Mercury News for her work collecting shoes for the needy. Maietta has been requesting donations of shoes (Her motto: “Share your heart and share your soles”) since she was in eighth grade at St. Leo’s. To read about Gianna’s work, and to find out how you can help, go to http://www.mercurynews.com/san-jose-neighborhoods/ci_14658920?nclick_check=1

Peace Out, Girls Scouts!

A common misconception about Girl Scouts is that they only sell those infamous cookies we all love to buy. In reality, they are adventurous leaders with strong values, good character, a high spirit and potential to do great things in the world.

At Presentation, we still have members that have decided to continue Girl Scouts even after being Daisies and Brownies. Some girls at Pres may have decided to continue onto being a Junior, Cadette, or a Senior. “I did it be­cause it was a great way to spend time with friends and learn new things. What I liked best about it was that we got to help out with the community a lot, like do­nating blankets and stuffed animals,” said Katrina Del­gado, a junior at Pres. Girls at Presentation continue being members because it is a way of giving back to the community that is helpful and still enjoy­able at the same time.

Girl Scouts is an organiza­tion which provides girls with the opportunity to go out into the world and do great things. These girls grow up and develop in a sisterly and nurturing environment where they learn to build character and skills for success in the real world. Having Girl Scout leaders in each troop as adult volunteers, the girls develop qualities that will serve them throughout their lives such as leadership, strong stan­dards and conviction about their own po­tential and self-worth. According to Girl Scouts of the United States of America, their mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who can use these skills to make the world a better place.

This foundation was created by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, who believed that all girls should be given the opportunity to de­velop physically, mentally and spiritually. With a goal of bringing girls out of isolated home environ­ments and into com­mu­nity service, Girl Scouts go on hikes, play sports such as basketball, go on camping trips, learn how to tell time by the stars and study first aid.

Many girl scouts believe that participat­ing will help them in the fu­ture. It gives them a sense of achievement by helping in their community. “I joined girl scouts because it opened doors for me to become more involved in my community,” said junior, Elizabeth Hayes. She goes on to say that it jump started her interest in becoming more in­volved with community service.

With so many members across Amer­ica and many continuing at Pres, Girl Scouts discover fun, friendship and power when they are together. They achieve great things through a countless number of en­riching experiences, such as extraordinary field trips, sports skill-building clinics, community service projects, cultural exchanges and environmen­tal stewardships. These girls grow to be courageous and strong and learn how to team build together. They are also taught how to relate to others with understanding, skills and re­spect so that they can become good working members in so­ciety.

Another aspect of joining Girl Scouts includes the frequent explorations. “I en­joy the camping trips my troop goes on be­cause it enables me to bond with my troop sisters,” said junior Hailie Fernane. At one particular camp site, she learned how to pitch a tent and make a fire with her troop. A fun aspect of camping is bonding with her friends on a sister level and learning important life lessons on the way.

With values developing since they were Daisies – the youngest level in Girl Scouts – they recognize how to guide their actions and provide the foundation for de­cision-making. After developing all these skills, they can go out into the world and contribute to the improvement of society through their leadership skills and coop­eration with others.

Community service can be a large part of the troop’s Girl Scout program, and the possibilities are endless. Cookie booths are the fast and safe way to sell cookies in a time when many parents no longer feel comfortable sending their kids door to door, but this brings the girl scouts out into the community to interact with others. Junior Sarah Yeider said that Girl Scouts has “…created various opportuni­ties for her to have leadership posi­tions in anything she does.” Being a Girl Scout helps girls develop their full individual potential, by trying out new things and deciding how well they can suc­ceed.

Overall, Girl Scouts will start out as young members and blossom into respon­sible women with a great sense of direction in life and self-respect for themselves and others. Each troop grows up together in an accepting and encouraging environment, learning to become great leaders in the real world and learning how to care and aid others. With courage, direction, motivation and compassion, our Pres Girl Scouts are sure to improve each community in a co­operative and helpful way.