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Hollywood Learning Breakfast Ideas On the Go!

Hollywood Learning Breakfast Ideas On the Go!

With Hollywood Learning Centers finally back in session some of us may be having trouble getting into the right routine to make it out the house on time (I know I am). There are essential things that need to be done before starting your day and eating a balanced breakfast is the most important one. They don’t call it the most important meal of the day for nothing, so we put together some fun and quick breakfast recipes to ensure breakfast is served.

 berry-quinoa-saladBerry Almond Quinoa Salad: A healthy but fun morning wakeup food, packing a bunch of super ingredients. This yummy breakfast will ensure everyone gets their nutrition and energy to tackle the day.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 pint strawberries, sliced (2.5-3 cups)
  • 16 oz. fresh blueberries (1.5-2 cups)
  • 1 cup cherries, pitted and sliced
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (or lemon might work!)
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup almonds, chopped

Directions:

  1. green-smoothie Cook quinoa according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, chop the fruit and place in a large bowl.
  3. Mix the dressing ingredients (maple syrup, balsamic, lime juice, salt) in a small jar and adjust to taste if necessary. 
  4. Fluff cooked quinoa with fork and add to bowl with fruit. Combine. Pour on dressing and mix. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until serving time. Serves 2-3 as a main or 4-6 as a side. 

Monster Green Smoothie: I think a smoothie can never go wrong. This recipe packs everything that ensures you and your children will have a productive day at school and will keep their tummy full for hours.

  • 2 cups liquid of choice (we use fresh-squeezed orange juice, but have used coconut water and almond milk and both are great)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 1 cup frozen mango chunks
  • 1-2 frozen bananas
  • boosts of choice (we use hemp hearts and chia seeds)

nutella-sushi-rollNutella and Banana Sushi: It might not sound as yummy, but do not worry. This fun and inventive breakfast “sushi roll” imitates the design of a sushi roll by rolling Nutella bananas in a tortilla. This recipe is very quick and easy to make. For those little ones who don’t like bananas, you can replace the banana for other fruits. This recipe is one I am going to try out for myself.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tortillas
  • 4 tbsp Nutella
  • 2 bananas

Directions:

Simply spread Nutella on the tortilla, and place your banana in the center of the tortilla, then roll in tortilla and banana in a compact roll, and then slice into pieces. There are plenty of ways to ensure that your most important meal of the day is an inventive and quick one, start your little ones’ day of with goodness and creativity.

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The Me! Me! Me! Epidemic Among Children

Hollywood Learning

Drivers cutting in front of you in traffic, people closing the door behind them on your face, millennials stepping on you while chasing Pokemons, teenagers taking selfies on your face, preschoolers pushing classmates to be first in line, toddlers making fits at the grocery store for treats. I mean, I can go on and on, but I’m sure I made my point.

Does it sound familiar? Individualistic, self-centered, self-absorbed, selfie snapchatters, call it what you want, I call it : Me! Me! Me! I even have a theme song for every time I witness this behavior, whether they are young or old, familiar or strangers.

I actually came to terms with this epidemic a few years ago while attending a live speech about “Happiness,” by the Dalai Lamas. He spoke about the difference between community-oriented societies and individualistic cultures. There, I learned that individualism is the belief that one’s personal needs are more important than the needs of a society as a whole. You might think, that sounds like the millennial generations, but research suggest individualistic behaviors began at the turn of the 20th century with the Baby Boomers born after WWII.

It is no secret, we live in an self-centered society. The minute I left the Dalai Lamas’ speech, my friends and I took the train back to our hotel. While on the train, a gentleman sat right next to one my friends, he took his coat off and slapped my friend right on the face when he opened his newspaper. We all laughed and ever since that day, I began detecting this sort of narcissistic behavior.

How do we stop it? How do we raise our children not to grow up to be individualistic, self-centered, self-absorbed, selfie snapchatters narcissist? Well, I’m no expert on the Me-Me-Me syndrome, but one thing is for sure, acknowledging this epidemic is a good start. The man sitting on the train, most likely didn’t noticed my friend, neither did the guy cutting in front of me in traffic, or the woman who closed the door on my face at the bank, but that doesn’t make it “okay.”

We have to teach our children to:

1) Be Aware of Our Surroundings

This includes the people, animals and plants. To be aware of others teaches us to be compassionate, empathetic, welcoming and accepting. All these practices can help them deviate from self-centered and me-me-me tendencies.

2) Serve as an Example

As parents, we can prevent or decrease this behavior in our children by serving as an example. Let’s do the exact opposite of the me-me-me behavior and let’s teach our children how to be giving, kind, and patient. Next time you are driving, let others by  patiently, wait for the person behind you before closing the door, give something away to charity every time you receive a gift. The ideas are countless and the impact measureless.

3) Ignore the Me-Me-Me Siren

Another thing parents can do, or avoid doing, is not always jumping every time the me-me-me siren goes off. Remember, children will go as far as you allow them and as much as we want to spoil them, we have to keep a balance routine for their sake, ours and society’s.

4) Me-Me-Me, Sing it!

You can make a song, a poem, a rhyme or a keyword to use it around your children every time they are displaying this kind of egocentric behavior. They will know what they are doing and either stop or laugh, but acknowledgement is the first step.

If you are curious to see if you or someone around you could have this Me-Me-Me syndrome, click here for a quick test (narcissistic personality inventory (NPI).

If you need to hear the me-me-me song, ask Ms. Fatima to sing it to you. I have sang it to her on a few occasions when necessary. For more blogs like this one, subscribe to Hollywood Learning’s blog!

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