Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for the Florida Department of Citrus. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating.
I’ve partnered with the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and Florida Orange Juice to talk about 100% Florida Orange Juice and how you can use it in simple-to-prepare recipes, as well as provide you with nutritional information on OJ and how your family can make the most of it in your daily life.
When I think back on some of my most treasured moments from my childhood, they include nights spent at my aunt’s house, watching the Superbowl while kicking back in one of her recliner chairs. Back then, the Dallas Cowboys were all over the place. They were the team everyone talked about, and we all rooted for.
Now that I’m older, though, and have a strong appreciation for our beloved New England Patriots. I’m a Pats girl all the way, as is my husband and most of the children. And almost every week, in support of our team, I sport my Rob Gronkowski jersey. (My husband’s jersey is Tom Brady.)
Even though my husband and I love the sport, not all of our children like football equally. In fact, some could take it or leave it.
With some of the children we have to explain the rules of the game on a frequent basis, like where the 50-yard line is, and how many points a touchdown is, but we treasure the time we spend together because we know that before long, our children will be grown and living on their own.
And the moments we share together now will be a thing of the past. But we hope that no matter how far they travel from us, they always look back on the times we spent together as a family and treasure them as much as we do.
While my family didn’t tailgate back when I was a child, the time we spent together as a family was an important part of my childhood, as it is an important part of our life now. We count down the days until football season.
Part of a great outing, gathering with family is the food. Many conversations are held over a plate full of yummy deliciousness. I’ve made homemade mac ‘n cheese before, as well as kielbasa, and more. And wings…we can’t forget wings, which is a staple, I think, at most football functions.
Over the past year I’ve been trying to make more nutritious food choices for our family, though. That’s why I incorporate a well-known staple ingredient, 100% Florida Orange Juice, into our meal plans. It provides Vitamin C in addition to other essential nutrients a body needs, like potassium, folate and thiamin. It’s also free of fat, sodium, cholesterol and added sugar. (One 8-ounce glass of it also counts as one cup of fruit, according to the USDA MyPlate recommendations. So if you have a child who’s not big on eating fruit, but loves juice, this is a great way to help them reach their daily recommended total.)
While OJ is great to drink, there are so many more ways that it can be utilized. If you love to grill, you can use it as a marinade. If you love a cold, refreshing drink, there’s a smoothie.
Cakes. Cookies. Biscuits. Punch. I could go on and on.
One of my new favorite recipes is a chicken marinade recipe that showcases 100% Florida Orange Juice as its star ingredient.
FLORIDA ORANGE MARINADE
Recipe credit: Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) For more awesome OJ recipes, check out FloridaJuice.com
Ingredients:
- 1/4 C 100% Florida Orange Juice
- 1 T lime juice
- 1 T jerk seasoning
- 1t ginger, minced
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bowl, mix thoroughly. Pour marinade over chicken skewers, cover and refrigerate at least three hours or preferably overnight.
I have never used a marinade before that features orange juice. But I have to say, I was actually very impressed with the marinade. It has a little kick to it. And my husband loved it too. We even want to try it as an injectable marinade because we think it would taste great in a whole chicken cooked in a slow cooker. (This is one of our go to crockpot meals.)
Tailgating with Erin Andrews and 100% Florida Orange Juice:
On August 19th in New York City in Herald Square, Florida Orange Juice hosted a public tailgate party with spokesperson, Dancing With the Stars co-host and FOX Sports newscaster Erin Andrews.
Andrews gave away samples of 100% Florida Orange Juice, as well as shared nutritional information on OJ and how versatile it is. Party goers were even treated to games and grilled foods.