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agriculture/natural resources County Home 4H and Youth family consumer science economic development Texas A and M University Stephenville - District 8 Center

Texas Cooperative Extension

Volume 2, Issue 1

January, 2002



Williamson

County

Extension

Education

Association


Strengthening

Families

Through

Education




Susan Richey
County Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences
Williamson County
512-930-4400
sg-richey@tamu.edu
williamson-tx.tamu.edu

Ladies Night Out - January 31st!
Make plans to attend our next Ladies Night Out meeting, Thursday, January 31st! This will be your last chance to pay dues for the new year. You can bring them with you that night. We will meet at the Extension Office at 6:30 p.m. Feel free to bring an appetizer to share with the group. We will have a short program, but the majority of the evening will be spent playing bunko. Bring a friend, and if you have daughters that would like to come, they are also welcome! I’ll see you there!

Lunch & Learn - January 11th

We have a very special Lunch & Learn program planned for January 11th. Kathleen Simpson, Georgetown 4-H Member, will be presenting the program. Kathleen won first place at the District 4-H Food Show with her “Everything Bread”. Kathleen will share bread making tips, and everyone will get to sample her award-winning bread! Lunch & Learn is conducted on the second Friday of each month, at the Williamson County Extension Office from 12:10 to 12:50. Lunch is served for $4 and recipes used are provided to participants. You must pre-register by Tuesday, January 8th, if you would like to attend.

Stay Healthy!
A strong immune system is an important defense against disease caused by bacteria and viruses. A few simple steps taken to maintain a healthy immune system will help prevent infections.

Eat a healthy diet. Vitamins, minerals and protein are needed by the immune system to fight bacteria and viruses. It’s best to get your vitamins and minerals from

 the food you eat by following the food guide pyramid. However, if you are not able to eat a healthy diet you may need a vitamin mineral supplement.

Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. Eight glasses of fluids per day are recommended to keep the body hydrated. Dry cracked skin, a dry mouth or eyes are susceptible to infection.

Wash your hands after being

 in public, using the bathroom, and before preparing or eating food. Exercise daily. Exercise helps to circulate the blood and brings important nutrients to every cell of the body.

Get plenty of sleep. Sleep helps the body to repair and restore itself. Sleep is very important in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Burn Fat Longer!
Fight fat even after your workout is finished! New research shows that resistance training helps your body continue to burn calories after exercising. Arizona State University researchers studied women who completed 45 minutes



of resistance training three times a week using a multi-station gym.

They found that the women had an elevated metabolism for up to two hours after their workout.

But this is no excuse to


 drop your other exercise routines. It is also important to get 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily. To get the maximum benefit from exercise, women need a combination of cardiovascular workouts and resistance training.

When Stress Builds
Sometimes all it takes is a fresh outlook and presto: Bad stress is gone, and calm and contentment move in. So, when all else fails:

Make peace with your many roles. Wife, mother, employee, soccer coach. Our multiple hats are what make life interesting and fun.



 Let go of the past. Ask yourself: “What is the benefit of replaying past events over and over in my mind?”

Stop comparing yourself to the Joneses. Illusions that others have perfect kids, perfect marriages and perfect lives are just that—


 illusions.

Be more empathetic. When you’re fed up with a store clerk, put yourself in her shoes.

Laugh it off. Instead of berating yourself for burning dinner or losing your keys, try to see the humor in the situation.

Raising Happy Kids
When parents are stressed out, they tend to pay less attention to their children, which can lead to problem behavior later on. If you build a strong connection with your children, now, you’ll decrease the stress in your life—and theirs. Follow these suggestions:

Allow your children to do things for themselves. Even though you can wash the dishes faster, giving kids the opportunity to prove themselves will build their self-esteem and help you both in the long run		 Sprinkle your conversations with positive phrases like “I love you,” “Sure you can,” and “Let’s try again” instead of all the hasty things you say under pressure that you don’t mean.

Disappointment and stress will decrease if you keep your goals realistic. Don’t expect your newly potty-trained 2-year-old to remember to put the toilet seat down or a rebellious 14-year-old to keep his room spotless. Try to keep things in perspective.


Healthy, Happy Holidays
Food is an important part of holiday celebrations. The past is remembered with food traditions and food traditions are formed for new generations during the holiday season.

There are five factors that lead to weight gain during the holiday season: food gifts, traditional holiday foods, Christmas parties, less time for exercise, and the “binge now, lose later” mindset. Here are some tips to help manage these problem areas.

  • Ask friends not to give food as gifts.
  • Share food gifts with charitable institutions.
  • Freeze appropriate foods for use later in the year.
    		•
  • Spend calories on what you really want to eat—the foods that make the holidays special for you.


  • Look to modify your favorite holiday recipes.


  • Take smaller portions and enjoy the holiday tradition.


  • Eat a small snack before going to a party if your will be eating later than usual. Be choosy at the buffet. Preview all the offerings before you get in line. Select small portions of the foods you like best.


  • Cut calories from alcohol. Two strawberry daiquiris add over 400



    		• calories to the day’s calorie tab. Choose light beer, white wine spritzer, diet soda, or club soda.

  • Evaluate your schedule and designate a day, time, and place for fitness. Even short sessions of informal activity can keep the extra pounds from packing on.


  • Focus on family and friends. The purpose of the holiday is to celebrate the season with those you care about.


  • Try to handle holiday stress without food






    		•










    HONEY-GINGER CRUSTED CHICKEN

    4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces total)
    Nonstick spray coating
    1 tablespoon honey
    1 tablespoon orange juice
    1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    Dash ground red pepper (optional)
    3/4 cup cornflakes, crushed (about 1/3 cup)
    ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

    Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Spray a shallow baking pan with nonstick coating. Place chicken in baking pan. In a small bowl combine the honey, orange juice, ginger, black pepper, and, if desired, red pepper. Brush honey mixture over chicken. Combine the cornflakes and parsley flakes. Sprinkle mixture over chicken to coat. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Makes 4 servings.

    BROCCOLI AND PEPPERS

    1 pound broccoli, cut into flowerets
    1 red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
    2 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
    1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper

    Place broccoli and sweet pepper in a steamer basket over simmering water. Steam, covered, for 8 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Arrange vegetables on a serving platter. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt the margarine. Stir in the lemon peel, lemon juice, and black pepper. Drizzle over the vegetables. Makes 6 servings.
    Nutrition facts per serving:

    42 calories
    2 g total fat
    0 g saturated fat
    0 mg cholesterol
    63 mg sodium
    5 g carbohydrate
    3 g fiber
    2 g protein
    CHICKEN BURRITOS

    ½ cup finely chopped plum tomatoes
    ½ cup finely chopped peeled mango
    1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
    1/4 cup lime juice
    3 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
    2 to 3 teaspoons finely chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
    12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
    ½ cup water
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
    8 6-inch corn tortillas
    1 ½ cups shredded romaine or leaf lettuce
    1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
    Fresh cilantro (optional)

    For salsa, in a bowl combine tomatoes, mango, red onion, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. In a large heavy skillet place the chicken and the water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12 to 14 minutes or until chicken is very tender. Drain well; let cool until easy to handle. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken. Toss shredded chicken with the remaining lime juice, salt, and ground red pepper. Wrap the tortillas in foil. Heat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. To serve, spoon the shredded chicken down the centers of warm tortillas. Top each with some of the salsa, the romaine or leaf lettuce, and sour cream. Roll up. Serve with the remaining salsa. If desired, garnish with additional cilantro. Makes 8 burritos.

    Nutrition facts per burrito:
    129 calories
    2 g total fat
    1 g saturated fat
    23 mg cholesterol
    138 mg sodium
    17 g carbohydrate
    1 g fiber
    10 g protein

    Nutrition facts per serving:
    127 calories
    3 g total fat
    1 g saturated fat
    45 mg cholesterol
    94 mg sodium
    8 g carbohydrate
    0 g fiber
    17 g protein




    BRAN MUFFIN BREAKFAST TRIFLE

    Serves 6 - 1 cup serving
    3 cups coarsely crumbled low-fat bran muffins (about 3 medium muffins)
    4 cups assorted fresh fruit chunks
    2 cups nonfat or low-fat vanilla or fruit-flavored yogurt

    Place half the muffin crumbs in a 2 ½-quart glass bowl or airtight container. Arrange 3 ½ cups of fruit on top. Cover with remaining muffin crumbs.

    Spoon yogurt evenly over the top. Top with remaining fruit, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

    Calories: 177 kcal
    Protein: 6 g
    Carbohydrates: 38 g
    Total Fat: 2 g
    Saturated Fat: 0 g
    Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
    Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g
    Cholesterol: 2 mg
    Sodium: 98 mg

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