Cooperative Extension Service Ohio County P O Box 66 1337 Clay Street Hartford KY 42347 270-298-7441 Fax: 270-298-4660 Email:tiffany.calvert@uky.edu

http://ces2.ca.uky.edu/ohio/

Ohio County Living Well – Raising Kids, Eating Right,

Spending Smart

Volume 5, Issue 3 March 2017

Health & Wealth Inspiration

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing -Walt Disney

Health: Choose water over sugary drinks such as regular soda, energy, or sports drinks. Limit

drinks with added sugar such as lemonade or ice tea.

Health: If you’re feeling stressed, grab a friend or family member and take a walk!

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, taking a thirty-minute walk can greatly

reduce stress levels and boost your mood.

Wealth: Most people do not realize how much they spend on incidental expenses such as

food and entertainment. Keep a journal of your daily expenses for two

months to see how you are spending money and where you can cut back!

Wealth: Need to make extra income or save on clothing? Check out

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm for great tips on bargain hunting and

consignment sales.

Simple trick to melt butter. Saved

from naturallife.org

Make your own rope basket! Saved from Lydi Out Loud,

DIY, Food and Lifestyle Blogger

Can’t find your key quickly? Color coded keys may be the

answer! Saved from 1000lifehacks.com

Make the Most of Spring Cleaning Before you get started, here are some common slip ups on house cleaning and tips on how you can be more effective and efficient in getting your home sparkling clean.

Slipup #1: Cleaning Around Clutter Much of what makes a home look messy is the

accumulation of stuff you don’t use or need. Clothes you haven’t worn in years, extra knick-knacks that are in the way, books you’ve already read, toys the kids outgrew…the list can go on and on. Why waste time dusting or washing the things that are just taking up space? Spring is a great time to purge, purge, purge. Here are some great ways to unclutter easily.

Sell. Drive around town on a sunny spring weekend and you’ll find dozen of garage sales. Why? It’s the perfect way to get rid of small appliances, clothes, toys, books, jewelry, housewares and more. If you don’t have time to host a sale, consider bringing your items to a consignment store.

Donate. If you don’t want to have a yard sale or open a booth at a consignment shop, consider donating your items to charities.

Recycle. For all those things that can’t be donated or sold, make sure you dispose of them properly. Recycle newspapers and mixed papers in a designated bin. Condense the contents of nearly empty plastic containers and take to our local recycling center.

Slipup #2: Sparse Supplies So, you’ve cleared out the clutter and you’re ready to go. But are you? What about cleaning supplies? Make sure you have the right tools for the job. Some necessary cleaning supplies include: - All-purpose cleaners - Chlorine bleach - Abrasive and non-abrasive cleaners - Glass cleaner - Furniture polish - Vacuum cleaner bags - Trash bags You can purchase cleaning supplies or make your own by following recommended recipes. For cleaning supply recipes, contact the Ohio County Extension Service and ask for a handout which has several different recipes for making your own “green” cleaners at home.

Slipup #3: Plan? What Plan? Do you do your weekly grocery shopping without a list? Would you head out on a road trip without directions? Map out your cleaning tasks and create a schedule. This will make the job run smoother and go faster.

Determine your cleaning style. Some people prefer to clean one room at a time; others prefer to do one task at a time. Which one works for you?

Prioritize. If you do choose to clean one room at a time, decide on the best order. Dinner guests coming soon? Perhaps the living room and dining room might be a higher priority than, say, the upstairs bathroom.

Clear out the Big Stuff. Do items such as bed linens, area rugs and curtains need to be laundered? If so, remove them from the room. It will be much easier to clean the rest of the space when those larger items are gone.

Slipup #4: Going at It Alone “If you want all the days of your lives to seem sunny as summer weather, make sure when there’s housework to do, that you do it together!” It’s been 40 years since Carol Channing said this on Free to Be You and Me, but it still holds true.

Enlist Family or Friends. Everyone above the age of two can help out in some way, big or small – whether that’s putting blocks back into a bin or scrubbing the toilet bowl. Assign tasks according to age and ability. Make it Fun. Let’s face it – housework is no day at the beach. But it doesn’t have to be pure drudgery either. Put on some lively music, create built-in rewards for tasks completed or make a game out of it. Hide surprises in places that need cleaning, or create a contest to see who can put away the most things that are green, or

shaped like a circle. Plan Ahead. Cleaning burns calories, so make sure

you have snacks or lunch readily available to provide boosts of much-needed energy. And if you have asked a friend for help, think about ways you can say thank-you – either a token of appreciation or a promise to return the favor.

Outsource. If time is a constraint and your budget allows, call in the pros on places you can’t clean; such as carpet, windows, etc. Just be sure to straighten up and remove clutter before hired help arrives. You don’t want them to vacuum up tiny toys or misplace important papers that were lying around.

Finally, keep in mind the end reward. A clean house! Think about how much better you will feel and how great it will look once you are finished.

The information for this article was adapted from information from the American Cleaning Institute. Check out their website at www.cleaninginstitute.org for more information. Source: Howard Co Extension Service, University of Arkansas, News, FCS March, 2016 .

March 2017 National Noodle Month

State Meeting Info

SAVE YOUR GLASS JARS!

Remember to make contact

with Wendy Hood, 859-613-

2575, if you are interested

in the choir!

Deadline to submit entries

for the cultural arts contest

is March 15th!

Make hotel reservations

NOW if you are planning on attending!

Noodle Trivia: There

are more than 600

pasta shapes produced

worldwide!

Book Corner

The Crafted Garden by

Louise Curley, 2015, is

about bringing the outdoors

in and being inspired by

nature. It’s about

recapturing the joy of

making daisy chains, of

nature tables of foraged

finds as an antidote to

modern life. This book relies on home-grown and

foraged plant material to open up the imagination

and capture seasonality, whether that’s to add a

touch of individuality to a dinner party or for

making the perfect housewarming gift. Reuse,

recycle recreate are the ideas behind each project.

Mavis reports we’ve had one mailbox member join

since the new enrollment year!

Roll Call – Name your favorite way to eat pasta.

Thought For the Month – I do the best I know –

the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until

the end. –Abraham Lincoln

March Lesson: Gardening in Small Spaces (Fairy &

Herb Gardening)

Dates to Remember:

5 Mar – FWC fees due! 7 Mar – Garden Club Meeting, 5-6:30 pm 9 Mar – Craft day for KEHA state meeting volunteers, 9-2 12 Mar – Daylight Savings Time begins 17 Mar – St. Patrick’s Day 22 & 23 Mar – Body Walk at OCMS 28 Mar – Leader Lesson Training, Owensboro, 10:30 am & noon 29 Mar – Leader Lesson Training, Henderson, 10:30 am & noon 12 Apr – Homemaker Council – DATE CHANGE!! 29 Apr – Celebrate the Child 6 May – Grayson Co Plant Sale 13 May – Plant Sale 20 May – Homemaker Tea 27 May – Farmer’s Market begins

Garden Club Meeting Tues. March 7th at the Extension Office

5-6:30 p.m.

Topic: How to grow vegetables from

kitchen scraps

~ Recipe Corner ~

Spinach Pasta Bake Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat penne pasta 1 pound lean ground beef 1 large onion, chopped 1 large carrot, shredded 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons dry basil 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 can (14 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, drained 10 ounces fresh spinach, chopped 1 cup low-fat shredded Mozzarella cheese Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cover to keep warm. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef and onions until beef is no longer pink. Drain. Return beef to skillet. Add carrots and spices and cook an additional two minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add pasta and spinach and mix well. Cover and cook an additonal 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Pour into greased 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered for 10 minutes. Yield: 9, 1 cup servings

Nutritional Analysis: 200 calories, 4.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 18 g protein

Sincerely Tiffany Calvert County Extension Agent For Family & Consumer Sciences Education

Speedy Suppers Time and money saving tips from the grocery store to the dinner plate

Participants will receive a coupon organizer and a lunch box of recipes!

March 7th

Location: Hope for Life

300 North Main Street Beaver Dam

Light refreshments at 4:30 pm

Program 5-5:30 pm

RSVP: Ohio County Extension Office at 270-298-7441

Green Cleaning Recipes Wood Cleaner 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp white vinegar ¼ cup lemon juice Mix ingredients and rub into wood using a soft cloth. Rub in the direction of the grain.

Furniture Polish 1 lemon 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp water Make fresh for each use. Extract the juice from the lemon and mix with the oil and water. Apply a thin coat on wood and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a soft cloth to buff. Source: Univ of Arkansas, Clean and Green, Healthy Homes, Healthy People