Archive for the ‘Consumer Skills’ Category:
“Keeping Up With the Grandkids” Program Gives Technology Review
When your grandchildren talk about their Blackberries, do you think of a fruit dessert? When they say they’ve been spammed, do you think they’re eating a meat dish? Do you wonder how they can carry on a full phone conversation without ever saying a word?
If it seems like the technology of your grandchildren is leaving you behind, this Extension program will help you catch up. Join us on Thursday, January 20th at 12:00 noon at the Finney County Extension Office, 501 S. 9th Street on the fairgrounds in Garden City. Dave Dunn, Technology Specialist with K-State Research and Extension, will take a look at today’s technology– computer, cell phones, digital cameras and more.
A simple soup meal for $3 per person will accompany this lesson for those who are interested. Please RSVP and make your lunch reservation by Wednesday, January 19 at the Finney County Extension Office, 620-272-3670.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Subscribe to the comments for this postUse master grocery list to speed holiday shopping
You know it’s a good idea to shop with a grocery list. Yet even when you make a list, do you still forget to buy some of the foods you need?
Just in time for the holidays, here is an idea from a retired Extension colleague to help to make grocery shopping trips more quick and effective. She taught me to use a master grocery shopping list and it has increased my odds for getting out of the store with everything I need. Maybe this is an idea that will work for you, too.
Start by developing a master list with similar items placed together. Grouping foods by category on your grocery list helps you remember food items and avoid a return trip to the store. Also, by grouping foods together, you’re less likely to have to double back in the store for a food missed in a particular section.
To save time, you might develop a form you can photocopy or print from your computer for weekly use. Keep your list in a central location where your family can add to it as needed. I keep my shopping list on the refrigerator with one of those strong magnetic clips. Other people store theirs in a cupboard drawer. Wherever you keep the list, just be sure there’s a pencil nearby!
Developing Your Master List
Here are some tips for developing a master grocery list for ongoing use. Modify as works best for you.
One way to organize your list is by categories based on the Food Guide Pyramid food groups. This helps assure that your meals include a mix of healthy foods.
Some people like to arrange the categories in their list around the order in which foods are found in the store. Their master list may include such headings as “canned goods,” “frozen foods,” “fresh produce” and so on.
The best way to develop this type of list is to go up and down the aisles of your store and record headings that describe your food purchases. (Be aware that stores do change where they place foods. Also, this type of listing works best if you shop mainly at one or two stores.)
Add some type of catch-all groupings for condiments, baking staples, ethnic foods and other items that don’t fit anywhere else.
Include categories for non-food items that you purchase at the grocery store such as health and beauty aids, household products and cleaning supplies. Grouping these together has an added benefit of helping you see how much of your “grocery” bill is going for items other than food. In reality, it may be toilet paper or toothpaste rather than tomatoes or tuna that add the most to your “food” costs.
Check out a sample master list at Master grocery shopping list . It may be an easy starting point for you to make a list of your own.
Using Your Master List
If there are foods and other items that you purchase regularly, give yourself a reminder by making them a permanent part of your master list. For example, if you always like to have some carrots in the house, write “carrots” under your Vegetable category heading. Then, if you need carrots that week, circle that item.
Sometimes, you may wish to wait until you’re at the store before deciding what specific foods to buy within a category. For example, you may wish to view the quality of fresh fruits or check out meat specials before deciding on your purchase. To assure that you get enough foods for your meals, simply write how many items you need from that group. For example, if you need meat for 7 meals, write “7 meats.”
Test your master list for at least a month to find what works best for you and adjust as needed. Remember that time spent developing a master shopping list is usually less than the time spent returning to the store for a forgotten item.
Based on information from Alice Henneman, UNL Extension- Lancaster County
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Help decorative pumpkins last longer
Given how early pumpkins go on display and how long they stay there, today’s pumpkin varieties appear to have real staying power.
“Plant breeders are always working to develop pumpkins with a longer shelf life. You have to remember, though, that store displays aren’t static. Replacement stock keeps coming in until the season is almost over. Pumpkins that go bad disappear,” said Ward Upham, a horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension.
To help shoppers identify pumpkins with the best odds for lasting, Upham developed the following list of characteristics. The pumpkins that will last the longest will be:
* Whole, which can include pumpkins with a painted face. Carved jack-o-lanterns do well to last a week.
* Stemmed. This is most important for outdoor pumpkins. Lost stems leave a depression behind that will collect water, snow, and/or ice and then promote spoilage.
* Dry-stemmed. Almost all commercial varieties now have green stems, so ”mature” stem color no longer matters. If a stem is leaking sap, however, that indicates the pumpkin was too young for harvesting.
* Fully mature. Size, rind color and shape aren’t usable criteria anymore, either. But, buyers still can try to pierce the rind with a thumbnail. That’s easy with immature pumpkins and difficult with those that are mature. For best staying power, the rind has to be hard enough to keep moisture from escaping. Otherwise, the pumpkin will shrivel.
* Blemish-free with no soft spots. This characteristic does not include the bumps and hard “warts” that are natural for some varieties. Instead, avoid blemishes which are the result of injuries that have damaged pumpkin tissues and perhaps provided access for bacteria or led to “scarring.”
To make that pumpkin last past the Halloween holiday, Upham says to keep it dry and cool. Pumpkins don’t like to be wet. And, although they like being cool, harvested pumpkins respond badly to cold weather. They start to degrade when temperatures fall below 50 degrees. They turn into mush overnight when they freeze.
To keep outdoor pumpkins in good shape, keep them out of expected rainfalls and bring them in whenever the nights are cold.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Program on New Credit Card Rules
Credit card rules have recently undergone major legislative changes that will offer increased protection for consumers. It is important for all of us to be aware of what changes were made– or not made– and how these provisions will affect family financial practices.
Carol Ann Crouch, Scott County Extension Agent, will tell more about the new credit card rules on Friday, October 15, at 12:00 noon at the Finney County Extension Office, 501 S. 9th Street on the fairgrounds in Garden City.
A simple sandwich lunch will accompany this program for $3.00 per person (or feel free to bring your own lunch for no registration charge.) To reserve your spot and your lunch, leave a comment or call the Finney County Extension Office at 620-272-3670 by October 13 to pre-register.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Noon program on Prairie Land Food
Prairie Land Food is a program that was designed around the idea of volunteers giving a helping hand to people in their communities. In return, local volunteers are offered a nutritious grocery package at a low cost, helping to stretch their food dollar. It’s a program where everyone wins! This is not a government program and there are no income guidelines.
At the October Knowledge at Noon program, June Glasgow will tell more about the Prairie Land Food program and how you can participate right here at home.
Knowledge at Noon, sponsored by the Finney County Extension Office, will be Thursday, October 7, from 12:05-12:55 pm at the Finney County Public Library, 605 E. Walnut Street in Garden City.
The public is invited to attend this program. Bring a lunch if you wish; coffee and tea will be provided.
For more information on the Extension Knowledge at Noon programs, please contact the Finney County Extension Office at 620-272-3670.
