It’s the most wonderful time of the year! While shopping and baking are fun, check out these events in Salt Lake City if you can. We’ve put together a great list of holiday events in the Salt Lake City area you can choose from:

• Lights at Temple Square
• Festival of Trees at South Towne Expo Center
• Santa’s Arrival at City Creek Center
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert
• Breakfast with Santa at The Grand America Hotel
• Ice Skating at the Gallivan Center
• Zoo Lights at Utah’s Hogle Zoo
• Candlelight Christmas at This Is The Place Heritage Park
• Light Up The Night at The Gateway
• Santa’s Reindeer and other events at Thanksgiving Point
• Red Butte Garden’s Annual Holiday Open House
• Live Nativity by Echoes of Christmas at Liberty Park
• Christmas Carole Sing-Along at Energy Solutions Arena
• Heber Valley Railroad North Pole Express

Author – Nikki Capener

Christmas spending can be stressful and expensive. When purchased on credit, Christmas spending is often rolled into the New Year; leaving you with bills to be paid for over the next weeks and months. By planning ahead for Christmas, you can save yourself a lot of money, time and headache. Here are some easy steps to help you save:

1. Create a budget: You can’t stick to a budget unless you have one. Take the time to decide how much you can afford to spend for Christmas and then stick to it!
2. Start saving: Begin setting aside money now. If you put money aside early, even $5 a paycheck, you can pay for Christmas gifts in cash.
3. Start a change jar: Throughout the year, dump loose change into the jar each night  and use it for Christmas cash.
4. Create a Christmas list: If you have a list of gifts to refer to, you can purchase items when you see an awesome sale price throughout the year. Utilize online resources such as Groupon and LivingSocial to find even better deals.
5. Cut your spending: Consider slashing your morning coffee expense, regular lunch date or weekly theatre visit. Instead, make your coffee at home, bring your lunch or rent a movie. Add the money you saved into your Christmas budget; small saving amounts will add up fast.

Purchasing gifts in advance and using cash to pay for things will help make your holidays less hectic. Remember that meaningful gifts don’t have to be costly. Oftentimes, the most remembered gifts are those that took time and thought rather than money.

Nikki Capener is a student at Utah State University studying family and consumer sciences education. She is the family and consumer science intern in Box Elder County and has loved working with the Extension faculty and 4-H youth. Her experience working with Extension has been incredibly beneficial; she has learned much while working with Ann Henderson. Her hobbies include running, cooking, sewing and making crafts.

Author – Carolyn Washburn

Enhance the flavor of your favorite cooking recipes with the vanilla bean.

Vanilla flavoring is a desirable sweet flavor that is used in many recipes from cookies and candies to drinks. Vanilla comes as an extract, powder and paste. These forms of vanilla come from beans that are grown on an orchid plant. Growers pollinate the long pods and ferment them for about 6 months before harvesting. This laborious process results in the flavoring becoming one of the most expensive. To cook with vanilla beans, you simply split open the pod and scrape out the pulpy seeds inside.  Each pod will have tiny seeds that have a strong vanilla aroma.

An imitation vanilla extract is made from synthetic flavorings with alcohol and may not be quite as desirable as an authentic vanilla flavor.

Vanilla beans take on the flavor and aroma from where they are grown. The most common types of beans are grown primarily in Madagascar, Mexico and Tahiti. The Madagascar bean (also known as a bourbon bean) is very thin and very rich in sweetness. The thick skin covers many small seeds that provide a strong vanilla aroma. This accounts for about 80 percent of most vanilla extract. The Mexican bean is not as thin or sweet as the Madagascar bean. This bean has an earthy aroma and is more mellow in flavor. The Tahiti bean is plumper in size, darker in color and the least sweet of the beans. The perfect vanilla bean is 5 to 7 inches long and should feel moist and supple (not dry and brittle) when rolled between your fingers.

Fresh vanilla beans can be used in cooking as well as in making vanilla extract. One 2-inch piece of vanilla bean = 1 tsp. extract. Vanilla beans are made into an extract which is aged from 2 to 6 months and contains a minimum of 35 percent alcohol.

Vanilla beans will dry out and become brittle if left out in the air, so wrap them in foil, seal them in a zip-top bag and store them in a cool, dark area. They’ll last this way for at least several months.

Enjoy the flavor and aroma of the fresh vanilla bean!

Vanilla Bean Custard
2 cups milk
2 vanilla bean pods
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch

Bring milk to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the vanilla beans from the bean pod (split the pod and scrape them out with the tip of a knife).

In a bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly add about half of the milk to the egg mixture and then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan containing the rest of the milk. Don’t heat the eggs too quickly or you will  have scrambled eggs in your custard.

Place the pan over medium heat and whisk well, making sure you get in the corners of the pan, until it comes to a boil and thickens. Cool, cover and store in the fridge.

Carolyn Washburn is a family consumer sciences agent for Utah State University Extension. Her responsibilities include financial management education, food safety and nutrition, healthy family relations, emergency preparedness and working with youth. Her goal is to help individuals and families become self-sustaining and resilient by being financially prepared and healthy for any emergency. She serves on the National Disaster Education Network and has just completed the new food storage manual for USDA. Her most cherished award is America’s Promise, awarded by Colin Powell.

Author – Carolyn Washburn

Take Control of Your Diabetes

Those with diabetes can enjoy holiday eating and maintain a strong and healthy lifestyle by understanding and taking control of diet and exercise.

Diabetes is a complex disease that requires daily self-management, including making healthy food choices, staying physically active, monitoring blood sugars and taking medications as prescribed by the doctor. More than 8 percent of the American population have diabetes.

Our bodies need daily nutrients. We consume carbohydrates for energy, proteins for strength and fats for nerves and body functions. How much we consume of each is critical to understand. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose during digestion and raise blood glucose.

As you take control of your diet, you will need to understand portion size, the ingredients in products and to watch for added ingredients. Fiber is also an important component for diabetics. Fiber can help control blood sugar levels by slowing sugar absorption. Fiber makes you feel “fuller” and helps move foods through the digestive tract. With bright colors and flavorful textures, vegetables are an excellent way to add fiber, vitamins and minerals to your daily plan. Fill your plate half full of vegetables at meal time. Aim for 30 grams of fiber every day.

Finding out that you have diabetes can be discouraging and frustrating. It is a serious disease with many possible complications. However, research has shown that people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives. The way to do this is by managing glucose levels with diet, exercise and proper medications.

Proper eating habits are are extremely important for those with diabetes. It is critical to find ways to eat foods with lower sugars, salts and fats. We all know how good sugar, salt and fats taste. These three items greatly flavor most of our foods. When we minimize these three substances, we must make modifications, finding new ways to flavor foods. Learning to use herbs, spices, sugar substitutes, low fat and low-sodium products will make a difference to blood sugar levels.

During this holiday season, take the opportunity to eat high fiber foods, lower intake of fats, sugars and salts and enjoy smaller portion sizes of some old favorite foods. Try this salad as  a tart and tangy option.

No Sugar Added Sweet Fruit Salad

3 or 4 large apples, diced with peels left on

4 or 5 bananas, sliced

Other fruits as desired: peaches, pears and grapes work well

1 regular can crushed pineapple

1 tub of Crystal Light lemonade

1 package of gelatin-brand sugar-free vanilla pudding

Mix fruits in a large mixing bowl. Mix lemonade powder and gelatin together and blend over fruit. Chill and serve.

Carolyn Washburn is a family and consumer sciences agent for Utah State University Extension. Her responsibilities include financial management education, food safety and nutrition, healthy family relations, emergency preparedness and working with youth. Her goal is to help individuals and families become self-sustaining and resilient by being financially prepared and healthy for any emergency. She serves on the National Disaster Education Network and has just completed the new food storage manual for USDA. Her most cherished award is America’s Promise, awarded by Colin Powell.