Celebrate your child's love of learning

© Wondertime

Clementines are an accidental hybrid of the tangerine and the orange, said to be named for the priest who discovered them about 100 years ago, Father Clement of Algeria. He noticed a tree in the orchard of the orphanage where he worked, but ignored the new fruit until children began eating it and he got a taste. So, actually, it was the kids who discovered them.

Clementine Bon-Bons
Makes about 20 pieces

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut
2 clementines, peeled and sectioned (a good job for kids)

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave (according to package instructions). Transfer to a small bowl and stir until cool enough for kids to touch, about 30 seconds. Pour the coconut into a bowl. Place the bowl of chocolate, the bowl of coconut, and a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper in a row. Dip one end of each clementine segment into the chocolate, then coat in the coconut, and put on the cookie sheet.

Chill until the chocolate has hardened, 15 minutes.

What's Good for You
Everyone knows citrus fruits are good for the immune system. What's less well known is that the vitamin C they contain also helps the body absorb iron, which makes for healthy blood. Chicken with Clementine Glaze
Serves 4

6 clementines
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken cutlets, pounded thin
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Halve the clementines and let your child juice them with a citrus reamer, or by hand.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt, then cook the cutlets in the skillet, turning over once, until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Pour off the excess oil from the skillet, then add the sugar and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 15 seconds. Add the clementine juice (be careful; it will steam up at first) and cook until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and swirl the pan until it's evenly melted into the liquid, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and swirl. Return the chicken to the skillet and turn to coat with sauce. If necessary, reduce heat to low and cook the chicken, covered, until cooked through. Serve with sauce.

What's Good for You
Clementines, rich in vitamin A, help maintain healthy bones and teeth. Play with Your Food

• Learn to juggle with clementines — their smushed-ball shape and bumpy skin makes them easy to catch.
• The Popeye act: Stuff clementines into your shirtsleeves and flex! Try to keep them balanced on your biceps.

Fun Facts

• Zipper oranges. Sweet clementines earned this nickname because of how easily their skin comes off — just poke a finger in the top to get the peeling started.
• Nearly 180 million pounds of clementines entered the United States in 2005 — a weight equivalent to 12,000 male elephants.
• Try this method of eating clementines, similar to one described by M. F. K. Fisher in The Art of Eating: Let peeled, segmented clementines dry on the counter for a couple of hours before biting into them. The outside becomes slightly crispy and the inside incredibly juicy.