The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
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Two of us from our food and nutrition Extension program visited a farmers market. It featured locally grown foods and products made from them. We did a short talk and demonstration about squash and white beans. We also had samples of the soup made from those ingredients. The day was chilly. I hoped that we would have some participants. Actually, I was kind of worried that we would have two pots of soup and no one to taste the food. Free food samples usually attract taste testers, though. Having...
“Do you want a brownie with or without nuts?” the server asked as she brought a tray of treats to our table. I observed my companions to see who liked nuts in their brownies. I think about half wanted the added crunch. This was not a scientific experiment. I was just curious. I was happy to get a nut-free brownie. Although I like various types of nuts, I do not like walnuts in cakes, cookies or muffins. Am I finicky or what? In my defense, I will eat baked goods with nuts if I have no cho...
"I finally carved a pumpkin," my daughter announced. I kind of knew what was coming next. "My friends couldn't believe I had never done that!" she exclaimed. "We always had pumpkins, but we usually painted faces on them," I reminded. She was not happy with my explanation. She felt totally deprived. I did not appreciate the slimy stuff that comes out of pumpkins. I would have been the clean-up crew. We did not have the safe carving tools back then, so I was thinking about potential emergency...
We made our annual trip to a potato festival in Barnesville, Minn., in August. I enjoyed my bowl of potato dumplings. I also had mashed potatoes and meatballs for the rest of my "stick-to-your-ribs" dinner. My husband and I texted our kids pictures of our food. They live three to four hours away from us. They were a little envious because they always attended when they lived at home. We all love potatoes. I grew up in a "meat and potatoes" kind of family. Besides those two staples, we always...
"Oh, no!" I exclaimed. I practically leaped out of the passenger seat and hurried to the back of the car. I had not had a fender bender. I opened my car's hatchback and found the source of the unusual aroma in the car. Unfortunately, I left my leftovers from a delicious meal at a Mexican restaurant in a warm vehicle for 16 hours. It included grilled steak, shrimp, chicken, bacon, onions and peppers with a creamy sauce. I had been pleased when we left the restaurant the previous evening. My...
I saw the river of creamy liquid on our garage floor at the base of the freezer. I was on the way to retrieve something to thaw for dinner a few years ago. My heart sank as I walked closer. I saw that the freezer door was slightly ajar. The liquid came from a large box of melting ice cream bars that were irresistible to my children, especially on warm summer days. After squeezing the food packages, I closed the door and began coming up with a game plan to deal with thawed food. Let’s just say t...
“This is grotesque!” my husband exclaimed. I looked up from my magazine to see what had piqued his interest. I was watching a 1950s-era TV show and reading simultaneously. In the show, the father of the family was returning from work in his double-breasted suit and fedora. His smiling wife in a summery dress and heels walked away from the large bouquet of flowers she was arranging nearby. His neatly dressed children ran to the door to greet him as he hung his hat on the coat tree. I’m not sure...
"I will have some hibiscus lemonade," I said. That sounded interesting to me as I perused the menu. Maybe the attractive flowers would translate to a pleasant flavor, I thought. The beverage was pinkish in color and had a cranberry-like flavor. I liked it. I have tried lavender lemonade and rose-infused beverages. Soup with floating squash blossoms was novel to me, too. I am seeing an increasing number of beverages and foods crafted with the addition of flowers. As I admired the colorful flowers...
During World War II, the "Basic 7" comprised the nutrition guidance of the time. The groups included 1) green and yellow vegetables; 2) oranges, tomatoes and grapefruit; 3) potatoes and other vegetables; 4) milk and milk products; 5) meat, poultry, fish and eggs; and 6) bread, flour and cereals. I was a little surprised by group 7: butter and fortified margarine. Yes, butter was a food group. The early nutritionists did say to "use in moderation." Interestingly, in those early years, people...
I always feel bad when I throw away food, even when it is no longer edible. Unfortunately, lots of food in the U.S. gets wasted every year. “Food waste” means that food is not eaten and is discarded. “Food loss” happens before food reaches us, and can happen during storage, processing and transportation. Food waste can happen anywhere along the way in the food chain, including homes, grocery stores and restaurants. Let’s try a quiz to see what you already know. These questions and answers are ba...
I noticed a plastic bag high in the tree outside my home. I wanted to hire a squirrel to get it out of the tree. Squirrels are not very helpful, unfortunately. As we drove around doing errands, I was tuned into the presence of plastic bags. I saw plastic bags trapped in bushes and against fences and buildings. I saw other trash, too, but that’s another story. When I arrived home with a few bags of groceries, I was happy I had remembered to bring reusable bags to carry our groceries to the c...
I pushed “snooze” on my alarm clock. Eight minutes later, I pushed “snooze” again. On the first day after the spring time change, I was struggling to awaken. In my fogginess, I wondered how many times you can push “snooze” before your alarm clock stops working. When the alarm went off for the third time, I figured I had better get moving. Time changes get me every time. Traveling to other states in other time zones and then returning home for another round of time change is an ongoing adj...
Many of us have heard those instructions, or something like it, when being screened at the airport prior to a flight. The screening attendants always used to check my wristwatch. It's a plain old metal watch, nothing fancy. I now put it in the bin with my shoes to avoid getting stopped in the line and searched. Screening protects passengers from potentially dangerous travelers. Most of us regularly walk through department store exits that screen our bags when we leave. Sometimes, the alarms may...
I added a mixture of walnuts and dried fruit to a mixed green salad I was making in my home. I smiled as I thought about my changing eating habits. As a kid, I would have eaten the salad greens and dried fruit, but nuts were off limits on my personal menu. I was not allergic to nuts. I just did not like their taste. I did not appreciate their texture, either. My mother added nuts to nearly every baked good, from brownies to cookies to quick breads. She probably knew they were good for us. Guess...
"Mom, do you have a mandoline?" my son asked. I wasn't sure if he was asking about a mandolin stringed instrument or a mandoline food slicer. He was in the kitchen. I figured he wanted to slice some vegetables thinly and not serenade our family. He was in luck on the culinary side. I had a mandoline slicer in the cupboard. We do not have a mandolin musical instrument, but we have a ukulele, viola, banjo and guitar. He found the slicing tool very helpful as he made burgers with all the fixings. H...
I bought a garland of fake popcorn and cranberries a couple years ago. It reminded me of a party I attended as a kid, when we strung popcorn and cranberries on string to make holiday décor. We wrapped the garland around a staircase. We also pulled taffy that day. I probably still have scars from the hot mixture, but it was fun. Cranberries are widely used in menus at the end of the year, especially as a side dish for turkey dinners. Cranberries are primarily harvested in the fall. Besides...
"You're doing a good job," my husband commented. I needed the positive reinforcement. I was mowing the lawn with a push mower, which typically is on my husband's task list. I usually weed and tend the flowers and vegetables. Unfortunately, he has an injured shoulder. He is sidelined from physical labor for several months. Lucky me. Despite his compliment, I knew my mowing was not living up to my husband's standards of perfect diagonal cuts. I was mowing like a mouse running around a maze, going...
The aroma of food on a grill and the scent of freshly mowed lawns signal summertime to me. Even if mowing lawn is not part of your regular summertime routine, enjoying grilled food probably is. July is National Grilling Month, so we have plenty of time to celebrate the great outdoors with delicious food, well into colder months. Do you have an outdoor grill in your household? If so, what are your favorite foods to prepare? About 100 million grills are present in U.S. households according to a ma...
I look forward to May because I know that high-quality, rosy red strawberries will be available in my local grocery store. Strawberries are among my favorite fruits. You may have heard the recommendation about “eating in season.” What does that mean anyway? Seasonal produce varies by where we live, but we do have the advantage of seasonal produce from other locations reaching our grocery stores. I do not have a greenhouse in my backyard. If I were to eat what is growing in my garden in ear...
Are you cold?" someone asked me as I walked into a conference room. "I'm OK," I replied. Yes, wearing a coat into the hotel conference room was a bit odd. In my defense, I was pulling a suitcase, holding a purse and carrying a large bag. I think he was just giving me a bad time. Being from the north, I often receive some references to temperature. I removed my light winter coat and settled into my seat. I was wearing a sweater because a person has to be prepared for cold conference rooms. Grante...
Whenever I travel, I enjoy the "local foods" and recipes. I often bring another cookbook home in my suitcase. Besides having many flavors and forms, food has many meanings. Some foods bring promises of fortune and reminders of religious holidays. Others spark memories of our relatives. For example, cake is traditionally served after many wedding celebrations. In fact, some references say that wedding cake dates back to ancient Rome. Back then, a soft cake was broken above a bride's head for...
When our kids were young, we read to them every night before bedtime. Some of their books put us to sleep. Often, I'd find my husband and child sound asleep in a chair with a half-read book. Our kids liked a book named "Don't Forget the Oatmeal." It was a very long book. I know our kids were delaying their bedtime when they requested this book. Unfortunately, the "oatmeal book" was lost. We hid the book in a closet until they could read it by themselves. The book told the story of a grocery...
“My daffodils are coming up!” one of the people said. We were talking about what we like about springtime on a recent video call. We were from cities throughout the U.S. “I have a bunch of crocuses blooming,” another person commented. “We had 13 inches of snow, with more on the way,” I said. That certainly put a dark cloud over the conversation. Yes, I wanted some pity after numerous blizzards. Some of my colleagues were reporting temperatures in the 60s. “But I am looking forward to flowers at...
Every morning when I arrive at work, I come to a fork in my path. It’s not a real fork. This week’s column is not about food. As soon as I walk into my building, I have to make a choice. I can take the elevator, which is a few steps directly to my right. Or, I can walk up the stairs, which are directly ahead of me. My office is on the third floor of my building. Accumulating some steps when taking the stairs is better for my health. Some days, the elevator wins. After navigating the som...
"I am only going to put up a few decorations for the holidays," I mentioned to my husband. "We will keep it simple." I don't think he believed me. "OK, I'll bring up the tubs," he said. As I began looking through about eight large tubs, the items made me think about our kids' younger years and their early crafts. Soon the handprint reindeer was on our tree, along with lightbulb snowmen with goofy grins. I added numerous ornaments with their smiling school pictures. During my trip down memory...
