A fun and easy kitchen creation for you and your little ones!

Spooky Strawberry Ghosts!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

24 fresh strawberries (washed and dried)
1 cup white chocolate chips
½ cup chocolate chips
1 tsp. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
2. Wash and dry strawberries. Make sure all of the excess water is gone or the chocolate will have trouble sticking to the strawberry.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening at 50 percent power; stir every 30 seconds until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
4. Hold strawberries by the stems and dip in melted chocolate, making sure to coat all sides. Place on cookie sheet.
5. Chill strawberries in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow chocolate to set.
6. Stick chocolate chips on each strawberry to create a face.

Chocolate Melting Tips!!

1. Make sure all utensils and bowls used to melt the chocolate are dry. Any amount of water will cause the chocolate to clump and harden.

2. To avoid scorching your chocolate in the microwave, melt it using a makeshift double boiler.

Makeshift double boiler:
1 medium to large glass bowl
1 medium saucepan.

Make sure the glass bowl is large enough that it rests on the rim of the saucepan. The bowl should be suspended a few inches from the bottom of the pan.

To use the double boiler, simply add water to the bottom of the saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Place bowl filled with chocolate on top of the pan and start stirring. In no time you will have perfectly smooth, melted chocolate.

3. If you’re planning on using your melted chocolate for an extended period of time, simply place your bowl of chocolate on a heating pad! It will be kept warm enough to use, but the risk of scorching will be avoided.

References

Photo Credit
Made it. Ate it. Loved it.

Keep your little ghouls and ghosts safe this wicked weekend!

How to Have a Happy Halloween!

Halloween is a fun and festive holiday that both kids and adults love. From carving pumpkins to making costumes, the whole holiday offers ways to be creative, celebrate and have fun.

To make sure your Halloween is as fun as possible, follow these safety tips to keep you and your kiddos safe!

S.

Swords, knives and other costume accessories should be short, soft and flexible.

A.

Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

F.

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

E.

Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

H.

Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and to help others see you. WALK and don’t run from house to house.

A.

Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.

L.

Look both ways before crossing the street. Use crosswalks wherever possible.

L.

Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.

O.

Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.

W.

Wear well-fitting masks, costumes and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips and falls.

E.

Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

E.

Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Never accept rides from strangers.

N.

Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Expecting trick-or-treaters or party guests?

Follow these tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for everyone:

• Provide healthier treats for trick-or-treaters such as low-calorie snacks and drinks. For guests, offer a variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Use party games and trick-or-treat time as an opportunity for kids to get their daily dose of 60 minutes of physical activity.
• Be sure walking areas and stairs are well lit and free of obstacles that could cause someone to fall.
• Keep candle-lit jack-o’-lanterns away from doorsteps, walkways, landings and curtains. Place them on sturdy tables, keep them out of the reach of pets and small children and never leave them unattended.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRIVE CAREFULLY ON HALLOWEEN! The peak time for trick or treating is from 5:30 until 9:30 pm. Please be extra careful while driving during these times to avoid an accident.

Have a Happy Halloween!!

References

cdc.gov

Not everything about sugar is sweet!

Sugar:The Trickiest Treat There Is

Halloween 2015 is fast approaching. Research states that 156 million Americans participate in Halloween, and 95 percent of those people will purchase candy as the treat. That candy adds up to 600 million pounds each year, and averages out to 3.4 pounds of candy for each of those 156 million people.

To break it down even further, the average trick or treater will eat about 3 cups of sugar, which is equivalent to 220 packets of sugar.

Sugar has become a sneaky “super-villain” of sorts; it is popping up in many items that consumers may not be aware of. According to a 2014 report from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, the major sources of added sugar in the U.S. diet are:
• Beverages: 47 percent. Those include soft drinks (25 percent), fruit drinks (11 percent), sweetened coffee and tea (7 percent), sport and energy drinks (3 percent) and alcohol (1 percent).
• Snacks and sweets such as cakes, pies and cookies: 31 percent.
• Everything else, including condiments and dressings: 22 percent.

According to the FDA, on average, Americans get about 16 percent of their daily calories from added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends the amount of sugar calories you consume should not exceed half of your discretionary calorie intake for the day. Discretionary calories or “empty calories” as they are often called, applies to food such as solid fats and/or added sugars. These discretionary calories supply food energy but little or no other nutrition.

Health officials say one way to make sure you and your family remain healthy is to maintain and manage sugar intake. Reading the ingredient list on food labels can tell you if the product contains added sugars. There are many different types of sugar, but the two types of sugars in the diets of most Americans are natural sugars and added sugars.
• Natural sugars are found naturally in foods such as fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose).
• Added sugars include any sugars, syrups or caloric sweeteners put in foods during preparation or processing or that are added at the table.

Two Important facts to keep in mind when reading nutrition labels and ingredients:
1. 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon
2. Learn the lingo, look for the “ose.” If an ingredient ends in those letters — sucrose, fructose, maltose and dextrose — it’s a sugar. Scan ingredient lists and pass on most foods where sugar (or a sugar alias) is listed toward the top.

Holidays and other special occasions can be tough when it comes to sugar and sweets. Try a few of these “tricks.” Hopefully they will make your Halloween a little bit healthier.

1. Almonds
2. Baked Chips
3. Fruits and Veggies
4. Fruit Juice Boxes or Bottles
5. Fruit Snacks (packaged)
6. Glow Sticks
7. Granola Bars
8. Mini Flashlights
9. $$$$$$$$
10. Peanuts
11. Popcorn
12. Pretzels
13. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
14. School Supplies
15. Silicone Wristbands
16. Stickers
17. Toothbrush
18. Toys
19. Trail Mix
20. Vegetable & Herb Garden Seed Packets
21. Veggie Snacks (packaged)
22. Water Bottles

References

American Heart Association
USA Today
Live Strong
Food Network

This article was written by Paula Scott, EFNEP State Director

Reduce the risk of disabilities with healthy lifestyle choices.

Don’t Get Weaker as You Get Wiser

The risk of disability increases with age. Inactivity, poor diet and smoking, among other unhealthy behaviors, are associated with a wide range of chronic diseases, some of which can even lead to premature death.

New studies reveal that this kind of lifestyle affects everyone, especially older adults. Older adults often fear the loss of independence and disabilities and yet they sometimes submit themselves to unhealthy behaviors.

In a recent study found in The BMJ Journal, researchers in France reported that people who ate fruits and vegetables less than once a week, were physically inactive and who smoked or had quit smoking within the last 15 years, were more than twice as likely to develop a disability than their peers who did not participate in these lifestyles.

A disability is defined as “difficulty or dependency in carrying out activities essential to independent living, including essential roles, tasks needed for self-care and living independently in a home, and desired activities important to one’s quality of life.”

We are seeing our current population aging into their “golden” years with disabilities that are preventable. How can you avoid disabilities as you age?

The first step is to get moving. In the research, it was shown that one predictor of developing a disability was the fact that the person had a low or intermediate level of physical activity.

Low activity was defined as walking less than one hour a day and exercising less than once per week. High activity was considered the opposite. It was walking more than one hour a day and exercising more than once a week. Anything in between is considered intermediate.

The next step to preventing a disability as you age is to stop smoking. This study showed that those who smoke or have quite within 15 years have a 26 percent higher risk of developing a disability than those who did not smoke.

Poor nutrition was close to smoking as far as developing a disability. In the study, this was determined by how many times a person ate raw and/or cooked fruits or vegetables. The results showed that adults who ate fewer fruits and vegetables, i.e. less than once a day, increased their risk of developing a disability by 24 percent.

Eating fruits and vegetables, while healthy, is only a part of a healthy diet. Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D., professor at Tufts’ University, Friedman School and author of the “Strong Women” series of books states, “Stick to whole and minimally processed foods, and emphasize the choices available on the perimeter of the supermarket – the produce and dairy aisles, for instance – rather than on the boxed, bagged and other packaged goods, many laden with added sugar, lining the center aisles.”

While things such as chronic conditions, trauma, body mass index and other health issues are certainly factors, the study still showed that more than two-thirds of the additional disability risks were directly linked to unhealthy lifestyles.

So get out and move at least once a week, take a walk and get other exercise as well. Remember what your Mama said, “Eat your vegetables,” and might I add, your fresh fruits as well. Help yourself become more active, eat healthy and perhaps you will lower your risk of having a disability.

References

Artaud, F., Dugravot, A., Sabia, S., Singh-Manoux, A., Tzourio, C., and Elbaz, A. BMJ (2013). Unhealthy behaviors and disability in older adults: three-city Dijon cohort study. URL found: http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f4240

This article was written by Christine E. Jensen, USU Extension associate professor, Emery County

Who knew that saving your time, your money and your health was this easy!

October Menu Planning

Picture this:

The clock strikes 5:00 and you are home free. Everything is wonderful until you remember you don’t have plans for dinner. All of a sudden you’re panicking about ingredients and recipes and if you have enough of everything to make a meal. Instead of dealing with the idea of cooking you decide to just grab takeout.

Sound familiar?

While this option can be convenient, it is expensive and definitely not the most healthy. No matter if you have a big family or live by yourself, taking time to create menu plans each week will save time and money.

Why plan a menu?

Planning a menu will help you avoid:
• Going to the grocery store, loading up your cart, spending $100 or more, returning home to put all the food away, and then realizing you still have nothing to make for dinner. Let’s be honest, we have all done it.
• Spending 30 minutes or more at night trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. Menu planning means you spend 30 minutes or less per week figuring out what to eat. That is quite a time savings.
• Spending $40 on take out because you couldn’t figure out what to make with ingredients in the pantry.
• Throwing out leftovers you forgot about in the back of your refrigerator.

How to plan a menu

The hardest part of planning a menu is making time to do it.
Use these simple and easy tips along with the menu planning template to make a menu in just minutes!

1. Schedule a time when you will have a few minutes to dedicate to the task.
2. Plan your menu around food items you already have on hand. This will not only make your grocery bill less, but also use up products before they spoil.
3. Choose a variety of meals that include family favorites, budget stretchers, and quick-fix meals.
4. Cook once, eat twice. Plan to use your leftovers. Putting leftovers into your menu plan will reduce the amount you have to cook and reduce the amount of food waste.
5. Picture your plate as you plan each meal. Remember to include veggies and fruits in the menu. Ideally half the plate will include vegetables and fruits, a quarter of the plate will have grains, and the other quarter will have protein. With a glass on the side for dairy, you will have all the food groups suggested by MyPlate: choosemyplate.gov.
6. Have the local store circulars available when you are planning. Always take advantage of sales on products you know you will use.
7. Create a thorough shopping list.
Use this handy Grocery Shopping Packet to assure you have a successful trip to the store.

Sample Menu Plan for October PLUS 7 Delicious Recipes.

Big Bites on a Little Budget has put together a sample menu plan for October to help you get started. Feel free to switch things around and get creative.

Here is one of their wholesome and delicious recipes. Click here to find 6 more!

Enjoy!

References

Mayo Clinic
mayoclinic.org

USU Extension
extension.usu.edu

Budgeting can be easy if you take it one step at a time!

Little by Little

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your financial situation? Well you’re definitely not alone! According to the American Psychological Association, money, work and the economy remain the most common sources of stress in Americans.

To help you get back on track and feel confident about your finances, financial expert Amanda Christensen offers three baby steps to budgeting. No matter where you are or what state you’re in, the key to budgeting is taking one step at a time.

Click here or click below to watch the clip from Studio 5!

Do Onions Make You Cry? Not With These Harvesting Tips!

Do you love zucchini? Are you still looking for ways to use up the rest of the zucchini you harvested? Well then today is your lucky day!

Here is a recipe from Eat Well Utah to create a yummy, light, refreshing salad with raw zucchini. Do you love any other recipes that use raw zucchini? If so, make sure to comment below!

Click here for tips and the recipe!

Follow these tips to help you make the most of your limited closet space!

Don’t Lose Your Shoes!

It’s easy to take your shoes off after a long day at work and simply throw them into a pile at the bottom of your closet. However, looking for a matching pair of shoes the next morning with this system is not quite so easy.

Fortunately, Teresa Hunsaker from USU Extension has thought of 7 ingenious ways to help you organize your shoe pile and maximize your shoe storage space.

Having your shoes organized will help you know where each pair of shoes is and will help keep your shoes in tip-top condition. Who knows, you may even organize so well you will have room for a new pair of shoes! 😉

Do Onions Make You Cry? Not With These Harvesting Tips!

Do you have onions in your family garden? If so, Ron Patterson from USU Extension in Carbon County has some great tips on how to harvest onions the right way!

Harvesting your onions correctly will make them last longer and will significantly reduce their chance of getting a disease.

Not sure how to cook a pumpkin? Now you can learn how!

Yummy Pumpkins

It’s no secret around my house…when the summer air turns crisp and autumn leaves are falling I crave dinner in a pumpkin!

It must trigger memories of my childhood, Cinderella- watching days. I can still see her garden pumpkin turn into a beautiful golden carriage with the flip of the fairy godmother’s wand. So I got to thinking, without a fairy godmother of your own, cutting into that golden orb for the first time may seem a little daunting! Here are my tips and tricks for selecting, preparing and cooking pumpkin.

-Eating: Due to their tough outer skin, pumpkins are cooked and only the inside flesh is eaten. Pumpkins are most commonly used to make bread, cookies, pies, pumpkin butter, custard, and soup.

– Selecting: Select pumpkins that are firm and heavy for their size. Round pumpkins tend to be lighter and less meaty than oblong pumpkins.

– Cleaning and Preparing: Clean the pumpkin when you are ready to use it. Rinse with cold running water. If the pumpkin has been waxed, scrub it well.

– Storing: Store pumpkins in a cool, dark place. They have a 2 to 3 month average storage time.

– Cooking:
To make pumpkin puree, cut a medium (about 6 pound) fresh pumpkin into 5-inch square pieces.

Remove the seeds and fibrous strings.

Arrange the pieces in a single layer, skin side up, in a large, shallow baking pan.

Cover with foil. Bake at 375o F for 1 to 1- 1/2 hours or until tender.

Scoop the pulp from the rind. Place part of the pulp in a blender container or food processor bowl.

Cover and blend or process until smooth.

Transfer the pumpkin into a strainer lined with cheesecloth or overlapping, large coffee filters.

Set over a large bowl and press out any liquid.

Cover the surface of the puree with plastic wrap and let it drain, chill overnight.

If you have a favorite pumpkin recipe or tip, please share it in the comments!

This article was written by Amanda Christensen, Extension Assistant Professor for Utah State University