Be Smart, Eat Well, Get Healthy 2017

Pumpkins—everyone loves them! We smash them from catapults—carve intricate designs into their flesh—tell stories about them in folklore—Cinderella even rode in one—and Peter-Peter Pumpkin eater put his wife into one---but that's a whole other story…it's pumpkin season. We see them heaped into huge...

Spring is here and the May showers will soon bring flowers …..and fruits and vegetables. According to MyPlate.gov half of our plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. How can we make that happen? Here in central Illinois we have rich soils that will produce wonderful fruits and...

Corn dogs and cotton candy---what trip to the fair would be complete without them? Ask anyone what they enjoy most about the fair and many will say ---THE FOOD! The once a year treat can pack some big calories into your regular diet, so here are a few tips. Most of us know that the "Doughnut...

Visons of sugarplums dancing in your head? Or are you Yule-tired? Think just one more cookie with that cup of eggnog is just what you need before your long winter's nap? Maybe not—maybe the yule-tiredness comes from too much of everything. We all want to enjoy the holidays but I often hear people...

Last night while I was surfing FaceBook, a story on the evening news caught my attention: "Sugarless Wednesdays." What was that? Sugar free? No sugar? No sugar added? Since I only caught half of the story I looked it up. The American Heart Association is encouraging people to give up sugar one day...

  Eggs! The wonderful protein –cheap, easy to prepare and versatile! You can poach, boil, coddle, bake or fry them. Fold them into an omelet or bake them in a casserole. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack, eggs are a perfect addition to anyone's diet. Why not eggs? Here are some tips/facts...

I discovered something at our family's Thanksgiving feast…. we made nearly twice as much food as we needed. Many of us are strapped for cash this time of year (insert editorial comment about buying too many presents) and we could use some extra money. Where can we find a few extra dollars? Let's...

Give up gluten, go sugar free, watch those carbs, put butter in your coffee and drink apple cider vinegar. Sound confusing? Yes, it is. There is so much "diet advice' "out there" that it makes your head spin. How can we make sense of all this? Our society is quick to jump on trends and myths...

April 6, 2017: Recall Frozen Peas, possible Listeria contamination….. Another recall on frozen vegetables? What does this mean? Do I have to cook the peas for my pea salad recipe? It means that the vegetables were contaminated with Listeria bacteria at some point in...

Spring is here! As our days are getting longer we want to grill out. Nothing tastes better than a juicy steak or pork chop hot off the grill. Should you wash the raw meat before grilling? For years, it was customary and even recommended to wash raw meat prior to cooking. The idea was that bone...

Have you always wanted to garden but need space or knowledge or tools? Come join the gardeners in the Bee Well Community Gardens where we learn and grow! We have 3 locations this year--Paris, Kansas and Hume! Informational meetings: Saturday, April 29, 10:00am, Kansas Village Hall Thursday, May...

SCHOOLS…OUT…FOR…SUMMER…. Now what? The children are home and they need to be fed. Let's build those healthy food habits so our children can be the generation that changes the health of America! There is a common misconception that children (and others who are not overweight) do not need to make...

February—the month where we learn if Spring is around the corner. Whether you believe in the prophetic wisdom of a hibernating rodent (aka, Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog) or in the reality that the earth is beginning to tip more towards the sun, Spring is coming! It is a great time to look ahead...

  New Years' resolutions ---lose 20 pounds by Feb. 4th. Run a marathon in May. Bench press 200 pounds by April. Each year we set ourselves up for failure. How many times have you put yourself on a "diet" only to fall off the wagon a few days later? I know in my lifetime I have gained and...

Did you bring some herb plants home from the garden center this spring? Herbs are wonderful plants, hardy, fragrant and beautiful. Many of us, me included, often bring herbs home, plant them and then rarely use them in cooking. Why not? It's thyme, (pun intended), to cook with herbs. As a rule,...

How does your garden grow? Are you struggling with baskets of green beans and bushels of cucumbers? You could give the excess away and that is a great idea. Or you could preserve the produce so your family can enjoy your garden long after the first frost of winter. Yes, You Can! ! Everyone is...

March is National Nutrition Month and what better way to celebrate than by debunking the great potato myth! In honor of all the Irish, or those who wish they were, we will talk about the lowly, much maligned potato. Myth #1: potatoes are fattening. In fact, potatoes are delicious and nutritious!...

Eat more veggies! Eat more fruits! Isn't that what we've been told? We usually hear the adjective "fresh" in front of those words, as in "fresh fruits and vegetables". But it's winter in central Illinois and fresh is a relative term. Just how fresh is that bunch of broccoli from California or the...

  This time of year finds families scrambling into the chaotic fall school activity and sport schedules. In addition to making sure your young athletes have the necessary sport gear, it is also important that you make sure they are fueled up for their game or match. Many young athletes have...