by pmdavis | Dec 1, 2023
A variety of yummy treats in jars to give as gifts for the holidays.
The Holidays hold some of my fondest memories! Our family would often make special presents for friends and family members. We made things like cookies, candies, breads, and soups that could be shared with others. This can be a fun tradition for your family or 4-H Group to create together!
These gifts usually are not super expensive but can let everyone know you are thinking about them. A lot of times we would make a treat and deliver it along with a container of pre-made mix they could use later to make another serving. That way they know what they are getting and are more likely to make another batch. If this sounds like a fun tradition you may want to incorporate it but remember to be safe while making these special treats. You don’t want to prepare these delights and cause someone to have an allergic reaction or become sick from eating them.
If you like crafting you can decorate bags, jars, spoons, clean ornaments, mugs etc. A bow, ribbon, piece of fabric, dried flowers, sprigs of fresh flowers, holly or pine can make beautiful packages. Remember a little decoration can go a long way and make your gift giving more economical and festive.
Some of our Extension Colleagues from Kentucky KY1 and KY2, Maine, North Dakota and Iowa have some great recipes to share for gifts in a jar, on a spoon or in a mug. Many of these already have premade tags you can download and attach to the item. It also has the individual recipes you can follow and use to make your own special gifts. If you want to make a chocolate cocoa bomb, Maine had the cocoa mix recipe you can use with your molded chocolate! These are definitely yummy treats your friends and family will enjoy!
4-H offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities to fit your interests, skills, and schedule. For more information about Volunteering with 4-H, or to sign up to help youth develop their life skills, please contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office or visit Florida 4-H Website
by pmdavis | Feb 14, 2019
Making lotions and bath scrubs, practicing relaxation and doing yoga…doesn’t this sound like a great 4-H club program? Discover 4-H Spa and Relaxation Clubs are a great way to learn about homemade body products while learning relaxation techniques. Youth create a day at the spa by making lotions, soaps, scrubs and lip balms while learning methods to relax like tennis ball massages, creating a happy list, doing yoga and creating a zen garden. An added bonus is homemade products are a fraction of the cost of purchasing and make great gifts for friends and family.
Make your own Luxurious Bath Salts
Naval Support Activity-Panama City staff learning how to making calm bags.
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup powdered milk
- 1 cup sea salt
- 1 cup Epsom salt ( scented or plain)
- Use 3-5 drops fragrance oil designed for soaps or diluted essential oil for plain Epsom salt
- Mix ingredients
- Spoon the mixture into storage containers (wide mouth jars, bowls or zip style bags work well)
- Label your container with ingredients and direction for use – Pinterest has several cute label designs
Caution: Essential oils are very strong and can be a skin irritant if applied directly to your skin. National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy recommends diluting essential oils with a carrier oil: use 1 teaspoon of coconut, almond, olive, sunflower or jojoba oil with 2 – 12 drops of the desired essential oil. Then, mix 3-5 drops of the diluted oil to your bath salt mixture. Bath salts are generally safe for most when used properly, but you should talk to your doctor before using bath salts if you have medical conditions such as skin diseases, heart disease or diabetes.
How to Use Your Bath Salts: Fill your tub halfway with warm to hot water, and pour in about 1/2 cup (120 g) of bath salts. For a stronger concentration, you can always add more. If you prefer showers, take a handful and rub over desired area. Bath salts are great to exfoliate by removing dead skin cells leaving the skin smooth and fresh. Tired achy feet or hands? No problem! Add salts to warm water in a dishpan, and immerse your feet or hands and soak away the pain.
NSA-PC staff learning the 4-H Spa & Relaxation Curricula they will use in their 4-H programs.
For more information on 4-H and other programs like this, contact your local UF/IFAS County Extension Office, or visit Florida 4-H.
Are you an adult looking for ways to coach, teach and mentor youth? Contact the 4-H Agent in your county and enroll as a volunteer in 4-H Online. Volunteering not only strengthens the 4-H club, but also shows young people how to live with integrity, optimism, hope, determination, compassion, responsibility and resiliency – skills that will help them succeed in life.
Resource:
Discover 4-H Spa and Relaxation Clubs curriculum
by Melanie Taylor | Dec 11, 2015
The holidays are often filled with time-honored traditions that include some of our favorite meals and foods. As you celebrate, think of little changes you can make this holiday season to create healthier meals and active days. An added bonus, these small changes may help you to avoid those extra holiday pounds we all fear each year. Happy Cooking!
In the Kitchen:
• For gravies or sauces — if you are making pan gravy, first skim the fat off pan drippings. For cream or white sauces, use fat-free (skim) milk and soft tub or liquid margarine.
• For dressings or stuffing — add low-sodium broth or pan drippings with the fat skimmed off instead of lard or butter. Use herbs and spices and a whole grain bread for added flavor.
• For biscuits — use vegetable oil instead of lard or butter and fat-free (skim) milk or 1 percent buttermilk instead of regular milk.
• For greens — use skin-free smoked turkey, liquid smoke, fat-free bacon bits, or low-fat bacon instead of fatty meats.
• For sweet potato pie — mash sweet potato with orange juice concentrate, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and only one egg. Leave out the butter.
• For cakes, cookies, quick breads, and pancakes — use egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs. Two egg whites can be substituted in many recipes for one whole egg.
• Use unsweetened applesauce or mashed ripe bananas instead of butter.
• Try cutting the amount of sugar listed in recipes in half.
• Use spices to add flavor such as cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg instead of salt.
• Try baked apples with cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar instead of apple pie.
• Invite your guests to make their own parfait with colorful sliced fruit and low-fat yogurt.
For meats and poultry (chicken and turkey):
• Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.
• Take off poultry skin before eating.
• Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
• Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
• Chill meat and poultry broth until fat becomes solid. Skim off fat before using the broth.
• Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Breading adds fat and calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.
• Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.
When Shopping:
• Start with a lean choice.
• The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (round eye, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.
• The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choice.
Use the food label to help you choose
• Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean.” You may be able to find ground beef that is 93% or 95% lean.
• Processed meats such as hams, sausages, frankfurters, and luncheon or deli meats have added sodium. Check the ingredient and Nutrition Facts label to help limit sodium intake.
• Fresh chicken, turkey, and pork that have been enhanced with a salt-containing solution also have added sodium. Check the product label for statements such as “self-basting” or “contains up to __% of __.”
• Lower fat versions of many processed meats are available. Look on the Nutrition Facts label to choose products with less fat and saturated fat.
De-Saturate
• Use a nonstick pan with vegetable cooking oil spray or a small amount of liquid vegetable oil instead of lard, butter, shortening, or other fats that are solid at room temperature.
Enjoy the Food, Fun, Friends and Family!
Cheers to Good Health
• Quench your thirst with low-calorie options. Drink water with lemon or lime slices. Offer seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice.
Be the Life of the Party
• Laugh, mingle, dance, and play games. Focus on fun and enjoy the company of others.
Give to Others
• Spend time providing foods or preparing meals for those who may need a little help. Give food to a local food bank or volunteer to serve meals at a shelter during the holiday season. Giving back is a great mood booster.
Make Exercise a Part of the Fun
• Make being active part of your holiday tradition. Have fun walking and talking with family and friends after a holiday meal. Give gifts that encourage others to practice healthy habits such as workout DVDs, running shoes, and reusable water bottles.
Enjoy the Leftovers
• Create delicious new meals with your leftovers. Add turkey to soups or salads. Use extra veggies in omelets, sandwiches, or stews. The possibilities are endless!
Be sure your family and friends enjoy the food and fun, but focus on the time together. Remember this season is all about the memories, not just the food. You will feel better and enjoy your holiday time with less worry if you focus on staying healthy this season.
Source: USDA United States Department of Agriculture – www.MyPlate.gov
by Melanie Taylor | Sep 11, 2015
Packing the kids’ lunches for school means you know which nutritious foods they are eating. Here are some budget-friendly, creative ideas to keep kids happy and healthy at lunchtime.
Make a “Smarter” Sandwich:
While some kids prefer the same thing every day, others may be okay with a slight switch to their sandwich.
- Use different breads like 100% whole wheat tortilla wraps (choose wraps low in saturated and made with no hydrogenated oils) or 100% whole wheat pita pockets.
- Besides lettuce, try shredded carrots or avocado slices with a turkey sandwich.
- Buy blocks of low fat, low-sodium cheeses. You save money when you slice it yourself. Or use a cookie cutter to cut into fun shapes.
- Instead of lunch meat, try a leftover grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato.
Love Those Leftovers:
Try using the leftovers from the family dinner for the next day’s lunch. Invest in a thermos to keep foods hot or cold until lunchtime.
- Low-sodium tomato, vegetable or bean soups
- Chili made with lean or extra lean ground turkey
- Whole wheat spaghetti with low sodium tomato sauce
- Low-sodium baked beans, bean casserole or beans & rice
Let Them Dunk:
Sometimes it is okay to let your kids play with their food, especially when they are getting extra nutrition.
- Apple and pear slices to dip into low-fat plain yogurt mixed with peanut butter.
- Carrot, celery and sweet pepper strips to dip into hummus, fresh salsa or homemade bean dip.
- Whole grain crackers (choose crackers low in sodium and saturated fat and made without hydrogenated oils) to dunk into low-sodium vegetable or tomato soup.
- Unsalted sunflower seeds, crushed whole wheat cereal and sliced banana to mix into low fat vanilla yogurt (no added sugars) to eat with a spoon like a sundae.
Get Them Involved:
While letting kids in the kitchen might mean a bigger mess, if they help pack their own lunch, they are more likely to eat it! On nights you have a bit more time, like a Sunday night, have them choose which piece of fruit or what type of whole grain bread they want and let them assemble their lunch. Make this a weekly routine – it’s another great way to spend family time together.
For more heart healthy lunch tips visit: www.heart.org
by Heather Kent | Jul 16, 2014
4-H Volunteers cook s ‘mores over the campfire at Camp Timpoochee
For many families, summer is synonymous with camping. Whether you are at 4-H Camp, a family camping trip, or a stay-at-home-vacation, cooking over the campfire is a fun (and yummy) activity that the whole family can enjoy. In support of the 4-H initiative for Healthy Living, we have selected 24-hours’ worth of delicious and nutritious food that your family can enjoy over your next campfire.
Breakfast Camporitos– this is a campfire version of breakfast burritos. Dice and sauté the veggies of your choice (we recommend onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and/or potatoes). Place sautéed veggies in a bowl for later. Next, scramble your eggs. To assemble, spoon veggies and eggs onto a tortilla, then sprinkle with cheese. You can add a bit of salsa if preferred. Wrap your tortilla burrito style, then wrap the entire burrito in foil. Camporritos can be prepared and assembled in advance, and stored in a cooler until breakfast time. To serve, place the foil packets over the campfire for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and the burritos are thoroughly heated through. Serve with seasonal fruit and orange juice or milk.
Campfire Calzones (for lunch or dinner)- use store-bought pizza dough or your favorite recipe. On a 2-foot section of aluminum foil, roll out a portion of pizza dough into a circle the size of a paper plate. Next, spoon on some tomato or marinara sauce, sprinkle with basil and oregano. Working on just one half of the circle, sprinkle on 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese and add your favorite pizza toppings (we recommend pepperoni or ham, spinach, olives, and mushrooms). Fold the half of the dough without toppings over, and crimp the edges tightly, next fold over the aluminum foil, creating an envelope and crimp the foil together securely to make a foil packet. Place your packet over the grate or coals of your campfire. Bake your calzone 5-10 minutes on each side, depending on the temperature of your fire.
Campfire Veggie Dip (a tasty snack)- for this recipe, you will need a large, empty can that has been washed out. In the clean can, layer the following ingredients: Black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, fat free refried beans, and fresh cilantro. Place the can on the grate over your campfire and allow the contents to heat up. Once the cheese is melted and heated through, remove the can. Wrap the can with a festive bandana and serve the dip with carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, celery, or tomatoes.
Campfire Chili and Corn Bread in a Jar (for lunch or dinner)- in a clean mason jar, ladle a cup or two of your favorite chili. On top of the chili, place about 1/3 cup of your favorite cornbread dough (made from scratch or use a mix). You can screw on the jar lids to make the chili easier to transport. Place your jars over the campfire and allow them to back for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean. By then, your chili should be thoroughly heated through. If you prefer, you can assemble this recipe in a large Dutch oven, rather than in individual jars.
Desert Campfire Cones– Stuff a waffle cone or bowl (not the regular sugar cones) with diced fresh strawberries and bananas, along with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, or even peanut butter chips. Wrap your cone or bowl with aluminum foil, and place over the grate of the campfire. Rotate the foil packet every 1-2 minutes. After 5-7 minutes, your cone should be ready to eat. If you are camping in the fall, try a variation of this technique with diced apples and caramel sauce.
To learn more about the Florida 4-H Program and our Healthy Living Initiative, visit http://florida4h.org. If you are interested in volunteering or donating to 4-H, contact Heather Kent at hckent@ufl.edu.
