Archive for the ‘Food Selection and Prep’ Category:
Noon Program on Holiday Breads
Want something special for holiday meals and gifts? At the next Extension Knowledge at Noon program, Kansas Wheat Commission spokesperson Melanie Eddy will share tips to make homemade holiday breads that are fancy, festive and EASY! Boost your confidence for making and shaping holiday breads and rolls to add that personal touch for meals and tasty holiday gifts.
Knowledge at Noon, sponsored by the Finney County Extension Office, will be Thursday, November 3, from 12:05-12:55 pm at the Finney County Public Library 605 E. Walnut in Garden City.
The public is invited to attend this program. Bring a lunch if you wish; coffee and tea will be provided.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Subscribe to the comments for this postStretch Your Fruit & Vegetable Budget
Did you know that September is national Fruits and Vegetables Month? Make half your plate fruits and vegetables each meal. It’s one of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself and your family! Here are the top ten favorite tips from K-State Research and Extension for saving money while getting the maximum benefits from fruits and vegetables.
Get a Food Spending Plan. Find out what is a reasonable amount to spend in order to feed your family healthy meals, using an easy (and free!) calculator online, at www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/fooddollar
Cook enough for several meals and freeze leftovers. Place enough food for one meal in a freezer container. Thaw in the refrigerator for a no-hassle meal in the future, on a day when you don’t have time to cook.
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season, when they are lower in price and taste better. To know which foods are in season during each month, visit the website, www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/downloads/Get_Smart_Shopping.pdf
Minimize waste, by buying only the amounts your family will eat.
Enjoy the comforts of home more often. Eating at restaurants increases the amount you spend on food, and often includes limited options for fruit and vegetable choices. Include fruits and veggies in quick meals that you prepare and enjoy at home. For delicious low-cost recipes to make in 30 minutes, visit the website, http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov
Make homemade soup for a healthy and tasty way to use vegetables. Make a big batch and freeze leftovers in lunch-size containers.
Canned fruits and vegetables can be stored for a long time. Choose canned vegetables that have no added salt and fruit that is canned in 100% fruit juice.
To make many fresh fruits and vegetables last longer, store them in the refrigerator soon after getting home from your shopping trip.
Clearly label your foods in the freezer and refrigerator with the contents and date. Use within a safe time frame.
Buy frozen fruits and vegetables in large bags, to stretch your budget. Avoid those with added sugar, salt or sauce.
Source: Erin Henry and Mary Meck Higgins, “Dining on a Dime,” September 2011, K-State Research and Extension
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Make Cooking Quick and Less Costly with “Money-Saving Mixes”
Cooking at home rather than eating out is a healthier and less-expensive option. Using mixes can make cooking quick and easy, but you’ll save even more money if you make the mixes yourself.
Join Linda Beech for the Extension program “Money-Saving Mixes” on Friday, September 9 at 12:00 noon at the Finney County Extension Office, 501 S. 9th Street on the fairgrounds. There is no cost for this grant-funded program. Bring a lunch if desired, beverages will be provided.
This program will examine the advantages and disadvantages of making your own mixes, considerations for labeling and storing prepared mixes and pointers for maintaining mix freshness and quality. Participants will work together to prepare a money-saving mix and calculate the cost savings over buying a similar commercial product. Everyone will take home mix recipes, instructions and a sample of a homemade mix to try.
A minimum enrollment is required to hold this class, so pre-registration is a must. Call the Extension Office at 620-272-3670 or email lbeech@ksu.edu by September 6 to save your spot.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Pudding problem #2: Instant pudding with soy milk – does it work?
Can I make instant pudding with soy milk?
Instant pudding thickens because of three factors– a thickening agent in the pudding mix and casein proteins and calcium in the milk. The important ingredient in the pudding mix is tetrasodium pyrophosphate which plays a key role. It helps the casein proteins and calcium in milk to combine together and trap water which causes thickening.
When it comes to substituting regular milk with soy milk, the pudding will not thicken.
This is because soy milk does not contain any casein proteins and very little calcium. Therefore the tetrasodium pyrophosphate has no effect on the thickening.
The remedy? Use half soy milk and half regular milk and thickening will occur.
Source: K-State Research and Extension Rapid Response Center
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Help! My chocolate pudding turned blue!!
Chocolate pudding is a nutritious welcome treat. But if it unintentionally turns from brown to blue-green, it quickly becomes unappetizing. What went wrong?
Chocolate pudding contains red, blue and yellow dye. If the reconstituted chocolate pudding becomes contaminated with Pseudomonas or Klebsiella bacteria from the milk, there is an enzyme, called azoreductase, that degrades the red dye. Therefore, the blue and yellow dye becomes predominant and the pudding turns from chocolate brown to blue-green.
Making instant chocolate pudding with sour, spoiled or old milk can cause this unsightly color change. Milk can become spoiled due to temperature abuse, cross-contamination, age or other sources. The flavor and odor of the milk will also change as it ages. These are signals that the milk should not be used.
If your chocolate pudding turns blue, simply throw it away.