Summer Camp begins on Monday, June 15th, and we are so excited to see kids we have taught before and meet new kids and their parents! Get ready to see some new faces -and recipes!- next week!

We had a great time with the kiddos-now D5 Student Chefs-at Sonoma Academy. Here are some really great photos!We have happy faces, faces looking at meat being cut up, faces eating some really bitter cardoon, proud faces and faces learning and having fun!

Haley is one of our incredible Certified DirectionFive teachers. Here is her awesome testimonial about our new Members page.

“As a certified DirectionFive teacher, I’m pleased to be part of such an amazing program. Being a teacher in Marin, it’s crucial to have the Member platform: it makes my job so much easier. All the information, recipes, and lesson plans are right at my fingertips, organized, and easy to download. The website is beautiful and easy to navigate. This is a great resource for anyone who wants to work with kids in the kitchen and explore mind and body health.” …..Haley Whitley

Do you see the new tab at the top of the page? Our Member’s site is now open! Many months creating this new offering, but it’s really five years in the making. When you’re a Member, you have access to all of our tried and true lesson plans, Directions and recipes! We are so proud to offer this to everyone here at home in California, but also to those across the country. Join our growing family today!

Here are two new ways to sign up for our Newsletter! Please sign up yourself and pass this along. Thanks!

For a Text Sign-Up-Just send your email address by text message to:

DIRECTIONFIVE at 22828

Or Scan:

We always try our best (and almost always succeed) in making changes to our program/classes if we have a child in class who requires substitution of ingredients. If there is a peanut allergy, we’ll use almond butter in the recipe instead (think of our famous Peanut Dipping Sauce), if someone is lactose intolerant, we’ll use almond or other nut or seed milk. In tomorrow’s class we have a D5 student chef who cannot have gluten, so our Garden Cake-always a favorite-will be made with our Non-Gluten Flour Mix.

We aim to please!

Hello parents and future DirectionFive students! We’re looking forward to meeting all of you this Friday! We’ll be making Minestrone Soup with a green salad and vinaigrette, then Autumn Drinks (a fun new class) and finally an Italian Scramble with Autumn Fruits and Chopped Mint. Delicious!
See you soon!

Immune/Lymphatic System:

The immune system is our body’s defense system against infections and diseases. Cells, tissues and organs work together to respond to dangerous organisms like viruses, fungi or bacteria that may enter the body from the environment. There are three types of response systems in the immune system: the anatomic response, the inflammatory response, and the immune response.

• The anatomic response prevents threatening substances from entering your body. An example of the anatomic system would be the skin. If substances do get by, the inflammatory response goes on attack.
• The inflammatory system works by excreting the invaders from your body through fever, sneezing, and runny noses.
• When the inflammatory response fails, the immune response goes to work. This is the central part of the immune system that is made up of white blood cells, which fight infection. About a quarter of white blood cells, called the lymphocytes, migrate to the lymph nodes and produce antibodies, which fight disease.

The organs of the immune system are called the lymphoid organs that affect a type of white blood cells. The organs of the lymphoid system are:

• Adenoids are masses of lymphoid tissue in the upper part of throat behind the nose that trap bacteria and viruses as you inhale.
• Appendix function is unknown.
• Blood vessels carry blood.
• Bone marrow is the located in the center of bones and is where red blood cells are manufactured.
• Lymph nodes are located throughout the body and acts as filters, removing bacteria, fluids and cancer cells that travel through the lymphatic system.
• Lymphatic vessels carry lymph.
• Peyer’s Patches are lymph follicles on the mucosa of the small intestines and play a role in immunological response.
• The spleen is an organ that contains white blood cells
• Thymus is important for the development of the immune system in children, as the T cells develop in the thymus. The thymus shrinks with age.
• Tonsils help to trap bacteria and viruses as you breathe.

The lymphatic system is a subdivision of the immune system that filters out organisms that cause disease, produces white blood cells, and generates disease-fighting antibodies. It also distributes fluids and nutrients in the body and drains excess fluids and protein so that tissues do not swell. It does not contain blood, but rather lymph, which is formed from the fluid surrounding body cells and diffused into lymph vessels.

Problems of the immune system:

Diseases and problems with the immune system can be divided into two basic categories. Those in which the body’s ability to fight disease is impaired and those in which the immune system overreacts to stimuli, causing damage to the other organs or systems of the body.
AIDS or acquired deficiency syndrome is an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV, which destroys immune cells and can affect the body’s organ systems.
Autoimmune diseases are diseases in which the immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissues. There are more than eighty types of autoimmune disorders, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, Hashimoto thyroiditis and Sjogren’s syndrome.
Allergies are an abnormality high sensitivity to substances such as foods, pollens, molds, and/or microorganisms. There is a correlation between asthma and allergies.

To maintain a healthy immune system don’t smoke, eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, control your blood pressure, if you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation, get adequate sleep, take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly, get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.

Well, it’s Macaroni and Cheese season and the kids love our recipe!

Yes, it’s Mac and Cheese and shouldn’t be eaten often as it’s very rich, but our version offers four different veggies, which adds important nutrition to this comfort-food favorite.

Macaroni and Cheese

Everyone loves macaroni and cheese. This recipe does still have the cheese and butter (don’t eat often!), but it also has 4 different vegetables.

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 quart milk, heated
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups Gruyere cheese, grated (about 10 ounces)
2 cups extra-sharp cheddar, grated (about 6 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 ½ cups broccoli, chopped, lightly steamed
1 cup peas, if frozen, just run under hot water and drain
1 medium carrot, finely chopped, steamed
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs, about -5 slices, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and the 2 teaspoons of salt and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until smooth. Turn off the heat and add the Gruyere, cheddar, 1 teaspoon sea salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Stir in the broccoli, peas and carrots. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh breadcrumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

To make ahead, put the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Put the tomatoes and breadcrumbs on top and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.

We like to acknowledge others who are working with our kids helping them to lead healthier lives. Janet Caliri from Visible Transitions will explain in her own words the work she does with kids:

“Visible Transitions assists young people who are challenged in life’s transitions. Founder, Janet Caliri, does this by using her photographic methodology to chart progress and turn an invisible story, visible. Weaving a tapestry, she intersperses coaching tools while documenting transformational moments embodying feelings, emotions and thoughts, forming a solid canvas. When immediate photographic evidence is visible, so is the bigger story. Confidence soars and gives the trauma a rest. (trauma arrest.) And then, a personal photographic journey of progress gives rise to tangible, measurable results. Within a few weeks, the child is already seeing a remarkable difference in the way they approach life.

For example, they are becoming more present, fostering self-understanding, compassion and empathy; developing a deeper trust in life and self-confidence.
There is significantly more ease in communication and decreased anxiety. Lastly, the kids identify their essential energy and sense of purpose

Studies show that youth learn and cope far better with hands-on activities and collaboration. Visible Transitions supports new neurons! Current research proves the growing brain has far more developmental possibilities than ever thought before. For example, the hippocampus is frequently making new neurons which are activated while learning. And learning is in the moment of capturing a value (an emotion, feeling or thought,) with a photograph. Noting the value supports the new neuron. Visible TransitionsTM trains the brain through visuals and clarifying values. It helps turn information into personally relevant knowledge.

To learn more about Janet Caliri and be part of Visible Transitions program, please contact Janet directly at janet@janetcaliri.com or 323.252.0963 or visit www.visibletransitions.com

JANET CALIRI

www.visibletransitions.com
323.252.0963