Raley�s and Bel Air and the Sacramento Monarchs recently combined food and fun for grade school children through the Get Your Kids Cooking event.

Together with Monarchs players Nicole Powell and A�Quonesia Franklin and Executive Monarchs Chef, Gary Gainey, Raley�s and Bel Air brought smiles to children and parents by promoting the importance of healthy eating.

As part of the program, a Raley�s in Fair Oaks transformed its event center into a cooking playground for the kids. The players put on their aprons and demonstrated how to make the �Monarchs Sharp Shooter Wrap� and the ever so popular ice cream �Snow Ball.�

Players interacted with the children and shared their favorite game day meals, as well as their favorite healthy snack. Chef Gainey not only taught the kids how to cook, but also gave tips on the importance of eating healthy, making smart meal-time decisions and encouraged them to get in the kitchen with their family.

�The idea is that we want kids to learn how to cook, because when you cook at home you�re more likely to eat healthy,� said Jennie Teel-Wolter, marketing manager from Raley�s. �We want them to learn about nutrition, we want them to learn about fitness and we want them to learn how important it is to put these things altogether to live a healthy lifestyle. And, what better way to do it that than to have some players out here from the Monarchs who they look up to and admire as professional basketball players and hear them talk about it how important it is to eat right in order to perform the way they do.�

�We live such a fast paced lifestyle and a lot of kids aren�t getting the nutritional value out of food as they should,� said Chef Gainey. �So we�re letting kids know that they can eat healthy without having to go above and beyond. The Monarchs Sharp Shooter Wrap is something that�s simple and easy for them to make.�

Each child received a Get Cooking Pack which included a Monarchs and Raley�s apron, tote bag, healthy recipes and youth cooking utensil set. With the help from Raley�s and Bel Air and the Sacramento Monarchs, these kids have learned a valuable lesson about eating healthy and preparing well balanced meals.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups coconut
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Put coconut in a shallow dish.
2. Drop each scoop of ice cream into coconut. Sprinkle some of the coconut onto the ice cream to coat it as much as you can.
3. Roll ice cream ball in coconut to completely cover it.
4. Quickly put in a dish or baking sheet in the freezer and freeze for a few hours or until the snowball is very firm.