January 2020

The Tennessee Master Horse Program (TMHP) is an educational program designed to provide a foundation of science-based equine nutrition, management, and environmental information applicable to all horse owners and those interested in equine well-being. Monday and Thursday nights from 6pm to 9pm. January 27th & 30th February 3rd & 6th February 10th & 13th Located at the Lane Agri-Park - Community Center Building Cost $150 / $50 for non-certifying family members If you have any questions , contact Kim Hall—615-898-7710 khall58@utk.edu or John Teague—931-684-5971 jteague1@utk.edu

Monday, February 10 at 6 p.m. Lane Agri-Park Office Complex Auditorium

315 John R. Rice Blvd. Murfreesboro, TN

Weeds are probably the most common pest of home lawns and landscapes. They compete with desirable plants for space, water and nutrients and can detract from the overall general appearance of a lawn or garden. This session will introduce you to the different types of weeds and when you can expect to see them and tools that will help you identify your weed enemies. Participants will also learn of various options available to them for reducing populations of weed pests.

There is no charge to attend, but we do ask that you give us a call at 615-898-7710 and let us know you’re coming or email Mitchell Mote at mmote1@utk.edu so we’ll have enough chairs and materials for everyone.

Lawn & Landscape Weed Science Texas Agriculture Tour The Rutherford County and Coffee County Extension offices are hosting a Texas Ag Tour! Dates for the tour will be March 16th through the 22nd and we will be traveling to Fort Worth, San Antonio, Kingsville, Houston, and Galveston. Cost for the trip is $600 for double occupancy room and $950 for single occupancy (rooming alone). To register, contact the Rutherford County Extension offices and a deposit of $200 is due to hold your place. Space is limited so please sign up soon if you plan to attend. We look forward to touring Texas with you! For more information contact Rachel Painter reather1@utk.edu or Kim Hall khall58@utk.edu.

2020 Bookworm Club

Announcement

The Bookworms Book Club meets every other month, beginning January 2 (first Thursdays) at 10 a.m. for coffee/beverages, 10:30 a.m. discussion. At the January meeting we will select our books for the year. The Bookworms partner with Read to Succeed and read the One Book selection as our first book annually. One Book is an initiative that encourages reading and unity in Rutherford County. The One Book Committee reads dozens of books to narrow it down to recommend to both youth and adults to discuss in our communities.

This years first book is It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Sown the World’s Family Tree by A.J. Jacobs.

January 2020

Fruits

Buy fresh fruits in season, when they cost less and taste better. Check farmers’ markets for seasonal fruits.

Choose frozen and canned fruits (canned in juice or water) and concentrated juice. Compare the prices of similar foods such as plums and peaches.

Vegetables

Buy fresh vegetables in season. Whole vegetables and salad greens are usually less

expensive and stay fresh longer than cut-up vegetables and salad mixes.

Buy frozen and canned vegetables with less salt. Think about planting a garden.

Breads and Grains

Day-old bread costs less and is still a healthy choice. Buy regular rice and oatmeal rather than instant.

Choose whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, crackers and brown rice.

Meat and Protein

Meat is one of the most-expensive foods. Watch for sales.

Large packages of meat may be cheaper on sale. Divide the meat into meal-size packages and freeze it for later.

Use less-expensive cuts of meat in soups, stews, stir-fries and slow-cooker dishes. Less-expensive cuts of beef include flank steak, skirt steak, brisket, chuck steak or roast, ribs and round or top round steak or roast.

Dried beans are a good source of protein and fiber, inexpensive and won't spoil. Eggs and nuts are good sources of protein.

Low-fat Milk Products

Choose fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Larger packages of milk, cheese and yogurt cost less per unit than smaller packages. Buy the largest size you can eat while it’s fresh.

Try ultra-pasteurized milk, evaporated skim milk and nonfat dry milk. They have long shelf lives.

Freeze milk and shredded cheese to preserve them. Pour a small amount of milk out of the container before freezing to allow space for expansion (University of Idaho Extension, 2019).

SHOP: Shopping Smart by Food Group

COOK: Cook at Home

Cooking at home takes some time and planning, but it’s worthwhile. Food cooked at home is typically healthier and less expensive than convenience or restaurant food. Also, cooking together at home can be quality time with your family. Meal Planning In order to eat well and stay within a tight budget, you need to have a plan. If you’re scrambling to get a meal on the table each night, you may not make the healthiest choices. Start the week off with a meal plan so you can rest easy knowing that you’re prepared to get healthy meals on the table each day. Follow our meal planning tips to get started. Knowing how to follow a recipe is a fundamental skill for home cooks. In order to understand the language of recipes, you’ll want to know a few terms and definitions. Recipe Success Beat/whisk: make mixture smooth with fast, regular motion using a wire whisk, spoon, hand beater, or mixer. Boil: heat liquid until bubbles break on the surface or cook in boiling water. Broil: to cook under strong, direct heat. Brown: cook quickly until surface of food is brown. Chop: cut food into small pieces. Coat: cover entire surface with oil, flour, or bread crumbs. Dice: cut into small square-shaped pieces (about ¼ inch). Drain: put food and liquid into a strainer or colander. Or you can pour liquid out of a pot by keeping the lid slightly away from the edge of the pan and pouring away from you. Mince: to cut or chop food into extremely small pieces. Mix: combine ingredients using a fork or spoon. Oil: apply a thin layer of vegetable oil on a dish or pan. You can substitute cooking spray. Preheat: heat oven to desired temperature before putting food in to bake. Sauté: cook in a small amount of oil or water. Simmer: cook at a temperature just below the boiling point. Bubbles form slowly but do not reach the surface. Tender: this is the “doneness” of a food when a fork can easily penetrate it. Thaw: slowly change from a frozen state to a liquid state.

Using a Recipe

1. Read all the way through the recipe at the beginning. This will save you from unexpected problems later on.

2. Make sure you understand the directions and have the equipment and ingredients you need.

3. Check the number of servings and decide if you need to double or halve the recipe.

4. Make sure you have enough time before serving to prepare and cook the recipe. If not, think about whether you can prepare part of the recipe ahead.

5. Preheat the oven if necessary. 6. Get your work area ready and clean counters. 7. Set out ingredients and supplies. 8. Prepare and measure ingredients.

Please contact SNAP-Ed Agent, Tiffany Schmidt or SNAP-Ed Program Assistant, Brittany Satinover at tschmid2@utk.edu or bsatino1@utk.edu, for more information about nutrition education programs for youth camps, parent/child workshops or adult workshops. Classes include hands-on cooking or demos, activities, and much more. You will have fun cooking together and learning new cooking skills, about nutrition, food safety, and food resource management skills.

EAT: For many people, black-eye

peas are a traditional New Year’s

dish!

January 2020

Not all meals need to start with recipes. In fact, making the most of what you have is an important skill for home cooks. It saves money and often takes less time than cooking from a recipe.

Preparing Food Ahead

Prep ingredients ahead when you have time: Brown and freeze ground beef; cook, chop, and freeze chicken for later use; dice and cook onions and peppers, and freeze in freezer bags or freezer containers.

Plan ahead: Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator a day or two before it is needed.

Prepare double proportions: One to serve right away and the other to freeze for later use.

Plan for leftovers: Prepare enough for more than one meal. Cover, label, and refrigerate leftovers to serve on leftover night. Use refrigerated leftovers within four days or freeze them for serving later if that’s not possible.

Use quick cooking methods for food preparation:

Broiling, grilling, stir-frying, and microwaving save time.

Use your slow cooker: Put a recipe in your slow cooker early in the day so your meal is ready when you get home.

Stock up on foods that are quick to prepare and have many uses: Consider spaghetti sauce, rice, salsa, cheese, canned fruits and vegetables, and tortillas. Our grocery list template includes some ideas for staples to keep at home.

COOK: Continued Cook at Home Quick and Healthy Black-Eyed Peas

Tasty turkey bacon and frozen black-eyed peas are the star

ingredients in this recipe. Add a little chipotle pepper and sauce, cayenne pepper, or jalapeños if you prefer some additional heat.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients 4 slices turkey bacon (chopped) 5 1/2 cups black-eyed peas, frozen (about 2 pounds) 2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon sugar Directions 1. Place a pot over medium high heat and cook bacon

for 3-4 minutes. 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. 3. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook until the

peas are tender, about 30 minutes. 4. Serve hot. For nutrition information, please visit Quick and Healthy Black-Eyed Peas at What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl (USDA, n.d.).

Rutherford County Program Assistant, Brittany Satinover, teaching Families Eating Smart, Moving More.

Reference List:

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. (n.d.). Spend smart, Eat smart. Cook at home. Retrieved from https://spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/cook/cook-at-home/ University of Idaho. (2019). Shop smart. Retrieved from https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/eat-smart-idaho/tips/shop-smart US Department of Agriculture (USDA) SNAP-Ed Con-nection. (n.d.). New year’s day. Retrieved from https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/nutrition-education/healthy-thrifty-holiday-menus/new-years-day

January 2019

Garden Basics

There are 5 classes taught by the Master Gardeners & Extension Agents Classes are fun, low-key & for new and

mid-level gardeners who want to improve their skills.

Classes are on Thursday nights March 5th through April 2nd, 6:00pm –

9:00pm. Cost is $50 a person, but

Two people from the same household that will share materials the cost is $90.

Class size is limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Registration for 2020 classes is

Now Available!

To apply, please find the application on our website at rutherford.tennessee.edu or click here. Please contact Agent Rachel Painter at reather1@utk.edu or call the Extension office at 615-898-7710 with any questions.

Learn at the Library

Join the Master Gardeners at the Linebaugh Public Libraries for FREE classes on several topics. See below for location, dates and topics! . Smyrna Library - Classes start at 10am March 14th—Vegetable Gardening Planning &

Prep March 21st - Planting for Pollinators April 11th - Planting a Vegetable Gardening May 9th - Herbs & Container Gardening June 13th - Sun versus Shade Gardening July 11th - Tomatoes August 8th - Vegetable Garden Transition September 12th - Becoming a Master Gardener Murfreesboro Library—Classes start at 9am February 1st - Planting & Pruning Trees & Shrubs March 7th - Vegetable Gardening Planning &

Prep April 4th - Cut Flower Garden May 2nd - Herbs & Container Gardens June 6th - Sun versus Shade Gardening July 11th - Tomatoes August 1st - Vegetable Garden Transition September 5th - Houseplants October 3rd - Soils November 7th - Becoming a Master Gardener

Check out these Rutherford County 4-Hers for Ag

Literacy Week... Reading books to 292 elementary

students at Eagleville & a baby calf for a bit more Ag

education for 2nd & 3rd graders.

In 2019, the Rutherford County Master Gardeners served a total of 9,352 hours- contributing a total value of $224,664.54 back to their community through serving and teaching about horticulture topics. We hope you will take the opportunity to learn from our Master Gardeners this new year!

UT-TSU Rutherford County Extension, 315 John R. Rice Blvd., Murfreesboro, TN 37129 615-898-7710 rutherford.extension.edu

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