December 2023                         Volume 19 Issue 9

Happy Holidays

From the Oliver Foundation Staff 

 and Teen Advisory Board

Good things do come in small packages, especially calories. We just finished eating our Thanksgiving meal and now we are on the way to the next feast.

Enjoy your holiday meal but remember the reason for the season is not to gain weight. Most of us will put on a couple of pounds from Halloween to New Year's Day - but it's not a given.

• Serve your holiday meal on small plates. Keep the high calorie choices off the table.  If you must get up to get another serving, you may skip it altogether.  
• Make a commitment to exercise for at least 15 minutes every day during the holiday season - walk, dance, jog, or yoga - just move. Once you get started you may find yourself working out much longer.
• Remember the reason for the season. Plan dates with your family and friends that aren't focused on eating. Spend an afternoon shopping, wrapping gifts or volunteering. Start a new family tradition. If weather permits, go outside, and play a game of touch football, take the family dog for a walk, the important part is to bring physical activity into your day. 

Oliver Foundation Healthy Choices Grant

Next Deadline April 15, 2024

Apply Now

Congratulations to our October 15, 2023

Healthy Choices Grant Recipients

Sunfield Elementary School - Hays CISD, Buda, Texas

The Summer Institute - Houston, Texas

School Health Grant:

Reaching for Excellence in Texas

The School Health Program awards funds to Texas schools and school districts for projects that improve or promote health. The projects should engage students, their families, and the community. DSHS (Department of School Health Services) award programs have funded more than 100 projects in the last 30 years. 

Two grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded. Funds will be released in the form of reimbursements to award recipients.

• Application Deadline: January 22, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CT
• Project Timeline: September 1, 2024 - August 31, 2025

Apply Here

Teen Advisory Board Holiday Party

 December3, 2024

The Oliver Foundation Teen Advisory Board held their annual Holiday Party at

Union Kitchen. A fun time was had by all.

Matthew Chuan, Teen Board Member

Memorial High School - Houston, Texas 

Teen Board Member 2022- Present

Matthew is a freshman at Memorial High School. He is part of National Honor Society and a member of the Lyrica Orchestra. He is active in Boy Scout troop 642, and he is an assistant senior patrol leader, a life scout, and one of the troops representatives to the Order of the Arrow. To stay active, he attends Boy Scout campouts and plays soccer. Outside of school, Matthew is part of Kumon, Boy Scouts, and SBMSA soccer. In his free time, Matthew enjoys reading and playing chess.

How Many Holidays? 

It’s December, which is the “happiest time of the year”. I hope that you

and everybody reading this newsletter have a GREAT Christmas! There are

multiple holidays that people celebrate around the world. 

With over two billion people spread in more than 160 countries, Christmas is the most well-known. Holiday across the entire world. Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the coming of their savior, Jesus Christ. Most people celebrate this holiday with Christmas trees, a tradition starting in Germany back in the Middle Ages, candy canes, a delicious treat you can hang on the tree, and, most well-known, Santa Claus, modeled after Saint Nicholas in 280 A.D. 

Another holiday that is celebrated across the entire world is Hanukkah, observed by Jewish people worldwide. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the much more powerful Syrian army, and the miracle that one day’s worth of oil allowed the menorah, or candle used for Jewish worship with the nine branches, to remain lit for eight days. Hanukkah is a very old celebration, with its origins rooted around 200 B.C. In fact, the Bible even mentions Jesus celebrating this holiday! 

Kwanzaa is another holiday that is celebrated worldwide, particularly by people with African descent. Kwanzaa was created in East Africa in the countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Kwanzaa was created to honor their ancestors and celebrate their culture. One well-known object related to this holiday are the 7 candles, each representing its own principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective work/responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Kwanzaa is also secular, or non-religious, and is celebrated people of all religions. 

These are just a few of the many holidays celebrated around the world during this month. However, we cannot forget the less fortunate people who cannot afford a happy holiday. We can make a difference and donate to the Houston Food Bank and other charities, which will not only supply Christmas meals, but also toys and other gifts to children whose families cannot afford them. You can make somebody else’s holiday by donating here: https://www.houstonfoodbank.org. 

Although Holidays are a time for some well-deserved rest and relaxation, we cannot forget our own health habits. Make sure that you are still staying active for just half an hour each day, and the rest of the day is yours. Happy Holidays! 

Matthew Chuan

December 2023

Teen Board Recipe

Jenna Chuan

Co-Event Coordinator

Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups riced cauliflower

- 2 ripe bananas

- 1/3 cup smooth almond butter

- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1 cup whole milk (or non-dairy alternative)

- 2 cups old-fashioned oats (gluten free certified if necessary)

- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

- 1 heaping cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups and set aside.

- Place the cauliflower rice in a microwave-safe bowl and add a splash of water. Microwave

for 1 1/2 minutes, until tender and slightly translucent.

- Add the riced cauliflower and bananas to a large bowl, mash until banana is smooth and

cauliflower is smashed into even smaller pieces (no need for it to be totally smooth!).

- Add the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and milk to the bowl, and stir to

combine.

- Add the oats, flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and walnuts, and stir to combine.

- Fold in the blueberries to distribute evenly.

- Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups (it's okay to fill them up all the way, the

batter won't rise and overflow).

- Bake for 35 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin.

Credit: https://www.fannetasticfood.com/blueberry-oatmeal-power-bites