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Live Well. Eat Well.

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slicing apples

How do I stop my apples from turning brown?

Apples are a fruit available all year, but taste the best when freshly picked from a local orchard or picked up at a farmers markets in the fall. Whether making apple butter, sauce, pie, salad, drying, freezing, canning, or cutting them up to snack on later, one universal struggle is slicing them...
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Apples on a cutting board

Fill your pantry with apples!

Are you patiently waiting for the apple season? The abundance of apples may come from an apple tree, a visit to the orchard or a local farmers market, or your local market. Right now in Illinois, the hot summer sun is preparing this delicious fruit for the harvest season. Many apple varieties are...
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Working at home on your laptop

Breaking up with our sitting time

Are you spending too much time sitting at your desk these days? This is true for many who have been working at home for the last few months. It’s important to take a break and step away from the computer, literally! Take a walk, take a break from the sitting time, you will feel better. Is it time...
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photo of pickles

Pickling is old tradition with new appeal

Sour, sweet, bread and butter, Kosher dills, spears, chips, sliced on a sandwich, or as a snack or side dish. Pickles are everywhere! Pickling is an ancient form of food preservation, dating back to 2030 B.C. when cucumbers from India were pickled in the Tigris Valley. The word “pickle” comes from...
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photo of jellies

Make your own jams and jellies

This summer is the perfect time to resurrect the time-honored practice of making jams and jellies. Many of us are able to spend more time at home and family schedules are more flexible. Maybe you planted a garden or have access to a farmers market. If you are a novice to food preservation, jam is...
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healthy immune system from eating fruits and vegetables

Don’t believe everything you read, except this

Psssst…. Did you hear? Word on the street is that pineapple juice is a cure for the COVID-19 virus! Is that true? Can you reduce your risk of getting sick by choosing specific foods? Well, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That is the...
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photo of canning jars

Safely canning at home

Canning season is upon us! While many are busy planting their summer gardens, others are already preparing to harvest spring vegetables, herbs, and berries. Canning is a great way to use the foods you have grown in your garden or have purchased from your local farmer’s market. Moreover, canning...
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Chocolate: The Good, The Bad, The Tasty

This article was written by Iowa State University dietetic intern Cecilia Jinks. Cecilia had a great time performing her own chocolate taste test at home with the eager help of her husband. Valentine's Day is a day in which you show your love through gifts such as chocolate. Whether your...
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Eating 500 Extra Calories per Day While Breastfeeding?

This blog post was inspired by a question posed from a community member who reached out to Extension. The consensus is that around 500 calories (or energy we get from food) are needed per day to produce breast milk (NIH, 2017). If you are wanting to lose weight you gained during pregnancy...
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