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Category: August 2021

Back to School: Pack Healthy, Safe, and Tasty Lunches

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Students who eat full, nutritious lunches have higher cognitive function, improved mood, and better attention spans. Set your child up for success by utilizing the following tips:

  • Introduce children to a variety of whole-grain breads. If your child doesn’t like sandwiches, try an unassembled one they can eat in stages or a wrap.
  • Try “planned-overs” like hearty soups, chili, or spaghetti from the night before. Use a container that can keep foods hot.
  • Veggies and dip are always a hit. Cut up carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, or cauliflower and pack with a small container of your child’s favorite low-fat dressing.
  • Offer beverages like water and low-fat milk; 100% fruit juice should be an occasional beverage.
  • Minimize the salty and sweet treats in the lunch bag. Items like chips, “fruit” roll-ups, and cookies make it tough for small stomachs to get all the nutrients needed for good health and growth.
  • Include a favorite item along with new foods. This way if the child doesn’t care for the new item, he or she will still have the old favorite.
  • Involve children when planning lunch bag menus. They’ll look forward to lunchtime knowing they’ve helped create the menu.
  • Keep foods safe. Use insulated bags with reusable ice packs to keep foods cool.

By: Ashley Svaty

Life Insurance

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Life insurance protects your family if you should die. The best buy for most people is term life insurance.

Term life insurance is usually issued for 1, 5, 10 or 20 years and remains in effect for that period of time as long as you pay the premiums.  You have to reapply for the insurance at the end of the specified time period.  Premium costs increase as you get older.

You can buy a term life insurance policy in the dollar amount of your choice.

Check with your employer.  You may be able to get term life insurance from a group plan.  It may be less expensive, especially if you have a health problem.

By: Brenda Langdon

Housing Insurance

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

If you rent an apartment or house, your furniture, clothing and personal property is not covered by the owner’s insurance. The owner’s insurance covers only the owner’s property such as the building, not your property.

You can purchase renter’s insurance to help replace items lost in a fire, tornado or other losses covered by the policy. Add up the value of your belongings and consider how you would replace them if your apartment or house burned down and you did not have renter’s insurance.

Homeowners insurance covers losses listed in the policy not only for the house but also personal property in the house. It also provides liability coverage if someone is injured on your property. Do you know what your deductible is on your homeowner’s insurance?

By: Brenda Langdon

Money Management – Automobile Insurance

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Insurance is a way to protect yourself against risks and uncertainty that can result in a large expense.

There are three types of automobile insurance coverage you can purchase.  Kansas law requires all persons who own an automobile to have proof of liability insurance before they can buy a tag for the auto or renew the tag.

  • Liability: protects you and pays if your auto causes damage to someone else or someone else’s property.
  • Comprehensive: Pays for losses to your auto, such as wind or hail damage and losses from theft.
  • Collision: Pays for repairs to your car after an accident, or pays you the “book value” of the car if it is declared a total wreck after an accident.

Be sure to periodically review your automobile insurance plan and be sure that you are not over or under insured.  Also, be sure that you are receiving any discounts that you qualify for.

Do you know what your deductible is on your auto insurance? Do you know what type of coverage you have on your auto? You can save money by carrying liability only insurance if your car does not have much value. However, you will not be covered for losses to your car, such as damages from an accident, storm or burglary.

By: Brenda Langdon

Saving Tips

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

There are many tactics for making saving faster and easier. One of the most effective strategies is to put away tax refunds and other windfalls to make major strides towards achieving your goal.  Make saving automatic. If you can, set up direct deposit of your paycheck so that a portion goes into your emergency fund and the rest goes into your checking account.  Or you can schedule automatic transfers from your checking to your savings – for example $50 the day after each payday.

By: Brenda Langdon

Why Blanching is Important Before Freezing Corn

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

 

Planning to freeze corn? Be sure to blanch it first! Blanching corn helps improve the texture and color during freezing.

Blanching is a process in which vegetables are lowered into boiling water for a specific time. The vegetables are subsequently dropped into ice water to quickly cool, then dried and placed in freezer containers. Freezing slows down enzyme processes, but it doesn’t stop them.

Blanching is recommended to assure your corn will taste as fresh as possible after they have been frozen.  That’s because blanching stops enzyme activity. Enzymes in produce help it ripen, and continue to do their work even after the produce has been picked. By stopping the enzyme action, blanching prevents the produce from becoming overripe. Blanching also helps retain color, flavor, texture and nutrients. Blanching also helps remove dirt and small organisms from the produce.

It is important to look up the specific amount of time corn needs to be blanched and follow those guidelines. If corn is under-blanched, it can actually speed up the enzyme processes. If corn is over-blanched, the nutritional value, flavor, color and texture can be negatively affected.

Learn more in Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe: Preserving Sweet Corn.

By: Ashley Svaty