SERVSAFE Starters Food Safety Short Course
A food safety short course for food service employees and volunteer groups will be held on Friday April 15 from 1:30-4:30 pm at St Catherine Hospital classroom B in Garden City. Linda Beech, Finney County Extension Agent, will be the class instructor. The program will also be simulcast over the Pioneer Health Network interactive TV system.
This class covers the basics of safe food handling including proper food temperatures, personal hygiene, preventing cross-contamination, and cleaning and sanitizing.
The cost for this program is $6.00 per person which includes a food safety handbook, training materials, refreshments and certificate of participation.
Pre-register and pay fees by Friday, April 1 to allow time for ordering training materials. Call the Finney County Extension Office at 620-272-3670 for questions or more information.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Subscribe to the comments for this postMarch 29: Extension information on Leaving a Legacy
Explore a variety of ways that someone can leave a legacy to support the organizations and causes of their choice.
On Tuesday, March 29, at 12:00 noon join us for the Extension educational program “Leaving a Legacy” in the Grandstand Meeting Room of the Finney County Fairgrounds in Garden City. The guest speaker will be Douglas Beech, Kansas 4-H Foundation Planned Giving Officer. A light lunch will be provided with this free program.
This program will give a brief overview of the major tools– some familiar, some not– that allow someone to preserve and pass on their values through their estate plan. This program will focus on general how-to information and will not address or promote specific charities.
This information will be valuable for individuals who might be interested in leaving a legacy, but also for churches, organizations and boards which accept contributions from others.
Please pre-register at the Finney County Extension Office, 620-272-3670, by Monday, March 28 to ensure adequate program materials and meal supplies.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
March 23: Vitamin D- From Sunshine to Supplements
Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin,” has long been know for its role in building and maintaining strong bones. But nutrition science is still unfolding, and vitamin D has returned to the forefront of health and wellness research.
Many research studies are now exploring vitamin D’s role in health promotion and disease prevention. For example, scientists have determined that vitamin D functions more like a hormone than a dietary nutrient. At the same time, current research also shows that more than three out of every four Americans have inadequate vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D is unique because it is made in the skin in the presence of sunlight. Thirty minutes or less of direct summer sun exposure twice a week is equal to an oral mega-dose of vitamin D. Over years of human history, however, many things- such as indoor living and increasing obesity rates- have interfered with the skin’s ability to convert sunlight to vitamin D.
To learn more about these newest nutritional developments, plan to attend the free Extension program “Vitamin D- From Sunshine to Supplements” on Wednesday, March 23 at 12:00 noon at the Finney County Extension Office, 501 S. 9th Street on the fairgrounds in Garden City. Bring a lunch to enjoy during the program; dessert and drinks will be provided.
Guest speaker Belinda Oldham, Wichita County Extension Agent, will explain the new roles of vitamin D and introduce the recently-released Dietary Guidelines for Americans which substantially increased the daily recommendations for vitamin D intake. Self-help strategies to boost vitamin D levels will also be shared.
Nutrition experts say that the current need for vitamin D moves well beyond Rickets (the classic vitamin D deficiency disease) to important roles in combating cancer, controlling diabetes and boosting immunity levels. Plan to attend this free Extension program to learn how vitamin D can enhance your health.
A minimum attendance is required to hold this class, so pre-registration is requested by Tuesday, March 22 to ensure adequate dessert and materials. Call the Finney County Extension Office at 620-272-3670 to reserve your spot for this informative program.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
March is Bake and Take Month
Giving a home-baked gift is a great way to show someone you care. And by doing so during Bake and Take Month in March, you might win a prize.
The Kansas Wheat Commission is sponsoring Bake and Take Month in March. They encourage everyone to bake a product that is made from wheat or wheat products and take it to a neighbor, friend or relative. The sponsors suggest attaching a note to each gift indicating who has presented the gift and that it is a part of the Bake and Take Month observance.
In addition, Kansas residents who write in to share their Bake and Take experiences by April 15 will be entered into a drawing to win a prize bundle from the Home Baking Association and Kansas Wheat Commission. Visit the Kansas Wheat Commission website under “Consumers” for an information brochure at www.kswheat.com.
Bake and Take is an ideal opportunity for individuals to express their gratitude and show special friends that they care. However, organizations can also get involved.
It is an ideal community service project for youth groups such as scouts and 4-H clubs to honor local leaders, club supporters, the elderly or shut-in’s in their communities. Adult clubs and church groups can bake and take as well.
Report your activities- win a prize
To enter the drawing for a chance to win the prize bundle, participants should e-mail kswheat@kswheat.com or write to Kansas Wheat, 217 Southwind Place, Manhattan, KS 66503. Include the following information:
- organization (4-H club, FCE, church group, etc.),
- phone number,
- mailing address,
- description of the Bake and Take activity (baked goods made, any community service involved, who received the gifts, etc.) Entries must be postmarked by April 15, 2011.
Continue the longstanding Kansas tradition of Bake and Take Month by choosing your favorite baked item to share with someone special this month!
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Irish foods for St. Patrick’s Day
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day today, let’s explore the history and tradition behind a couple of favorite Irish foods.
Corned Beef
“Americans still think we live on corned beef and cabbage over here,” says Irish cookbook author and teacher Darina Allen, as quoted on epicurious.com.
In fact, the dish that’s synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day in the US is so rarely eaten in Ireland that some people wonder if it’s actually Irish. The more traditional Irish dish is Bacon and Cabbage, using cured pork instead of cured beef. Some speculate that Irish immigrants to America adopted corned beef brisket from their Jewish neighbors.
To “corn” something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term “corn” refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing). In the days before refrigeration, corning was essential for preserving meat. Historically, beef and hogs that were slaughtered and corned before the winter were served with the first fresh spring cabbage to break the Lenten fast on Easter.
Soda Bread
Soda bread is a variety of quick bread in which baking soda is used as the leavening agent rather than yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Other ingredients can be added such as sugar, egg, raisins or nuts.
In Ireland, the flour is typically made from soft wheat; so Irish soda bread is best made with a cake or pastry flour which has lower levels of gluten than bread flour. Bakers recommend a minimum amount of mixing of the ingredients before baking – the dough should not be kneaded.
The two major shapes of soda bread are the “loaf” and the “griddle cake”. The loaf form takes a more rounded shape and traditionally has a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The griddle cake is a more flattened type of bread. It is cooked on a griddle allowing it to take a more flat shape and is usually split into four sections.