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Category: October 2021

Do it ALL in the FALL!

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Come learn how to tidy up your garden for the season! We will cover topics such as garden and flower bed clean up and preparing trees and lawns for the winter season.

Thursday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m.    Smith County Courthouse Meeting Room                                218 S. Grant St.                              Smith Center, KS

 

 

  • New and experienced gardeners are welcome, free to participate but please RSVP to Post Rock Extension, 785-738-3597 by October 7.
  • For more information contact Horticulture Agents: Cassie Homan at choman@ksu.edu or Kelsey Hatesohl at khatesohl@ksu.edu

To register for this free program please fill out the following link or contact your local Extension Office: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPLvY2rZPxoRkD0bHZXJu1mCvmkcEiuuNwX3tqAbBmh2xI-Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

By: Cassie Homan

Dust Off Your Slow Cooker!

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

With a little planning, slow cookers can be utilized to ease mealtimes but it is important to keep food safety in mind when using these kitchen tools. Use the following tips when using your slow cooker this fall.

  • Before using your slow cooker, wash your hands, utensils, surfaces, and slow cooker.
  • Do not add frozen food to your slow cooker. If frozen food is used, it may not reach a safe temperature (140ᵒ F) quick enough which may allow harmful bacterial to grow.
  • Thaw food in the refrigerator a day before you cook it in your slow cooker.
  • Set the slow cooker on “high” for the first hour or preheat before placing food in the cooker. Then, lower to meet the recipe recommendations.
  • Do not use the “warm” setting to cook food, only use this setting when holding cooked food prior to serving.
  • The slow cooker should be filled no more than ¾ full. An overly full cooker will heat food too slowly.
  • Put vegetables in the slow cooker first then meat.
  • Do not lift the lid. This will slow the cooking process by reducing the internal temperature by 10-15ᵒ F each time.
  • Check temperatures with a food thermometer before serving. Roasts should check in at 145-160°F, poultry: 165ᵒ F, and soups, stews, and sauces: 165° F.
  • Place leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate quickly.

By: Ashley Svaty

Medicare Open Enrollment

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

You don’t need to sign up for Medicare each year.  However, you should review your Medicare health and prescription drug coverage and make changes if it no longer meets your needs or if you could lower your out-of-pocket expenses.

There are several things you should consider when choosing Medicare drug coverage.  If you:

  • Take specific drugs, look at drug plans that in
  • clude your drugs on their formulary (a list of prescription drugs covered by a drug plan). Then, compare costs.
  • Want extra protection from high prescription drug costs, look at plans offering coverage in the coverage gap, and then check with those plans to make sure they cover your drugs in the gap.
  • Want your drug expenses to be balanced throughout the year, look at plans with no or a low deductible, or with additional coverage in the coverage gap.
  • Take a lot of generic prescriptions, look at plans with “tiers” that charge you nothing or low copayments for generic prescriptions.

Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7. As you make a decision about your prescription drug coverage, remember to review your current plan.  Look at other plans in your area to see if one may better meet  your needs.

If you are needing assistance with reviewing your prescription drug plan, contact your local K-State Research and Extension office. The extension office will be helping beneficiaries with comparison, selection and enrollment in drug plans. Email Brenda at bklangdon@ksu.edu or call any of the offices in the Post Rock District to schedule an appointment.

By: Brenda Langdon

The Power of Sleep

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Sleep has a major impact on overall health and quality of life, including the way we feel, look, and perform on a daily basis. Your body needs sleep to repair muscles, consolidate memories, and regulate hormones and appetite.

Sufficient sleep positively affects our learning and memory, metabolism and weight, safety, heart health, and mood. Sleep needs for adults range between 7 and 9 hours. If you’re having trouble getting quality sleep, try a few of the following tips:

  • Maintain a consistent bedtime routine.
  • Turn off the TV and other electronic devices before bed.
  • Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing at bedtime.
  • Keep a sleep journal.
  • If you can’t sleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and participate in a quiet, relaxing activity.
  • Eat a balanced diet and don’t eat heavy meals before bedtime.
  • Exercise in the afternoon or early evening.
  • Do not lie in bed once awake in the morning.

By: Ashley Svaty

Grow Beautiful Fall Mums

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Nature always gives us signals as seasons change. When summer starts to shift toward fall, the leaves begin to change colors. Another sure sign that fall is right around the corner is the arrival of colorful and beautiful fall mums in garden centers.

Now is the time to plan how and where to use these plants effectively around your home and landscape. A newer trend for growers is to mix colors in containers, so be ready for even more decisions.

Watch this video for information on how to get your mums to last through the winter:

By: Cassie Homan

Is it Safe to Refreeze Thawed Meat?

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) advises:

Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. 

If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F.

DO NOT thaw meat at room temperature, such as on the kitchen counter.

Safety will depend on whether the raw product was handled properly before it was frozen, refrozen shortly after it was thawed, cooked to a safe temperature when it is eaten and handled safely if there are any leftovers.

Source:

Freezing and Food Safety: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), United States Department of Agriculture

By: Ashley Svaty