Family and Consumer News

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1 Family and Consumer News McDowell County Center Fall/Winter 2009 Inside This Issue Your Holiday Survival Calendar 1 Holiday Turkey Tips 3 Roasting Tips 4 Energy Star Products Sales Tax Holiday 5 Recipes 6 Eat Smart, Move More Holiday Challenge 7 Contact Us McDowell County Extension 60 E Court Street Marion NC (828) Phone (828) Fax Kristin_Mart@ncsu.edu Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. YOUR HOLIDAY SURVIVAL CALENDAR If you think surviving on a deserted island is tough, try maintaining a healthful lifestyle during the hectic holiday season! Simply planning ahead for the challenges helps prevent seasonal stress and weight gain. Follow this weekly guide to healthier, happier holidays. WEEK 1 (Nov.20-26): Plan! Thanksgiving week can be a hectic beginning to a busy holiday season. Take time now to reflect on your personal reason for the season. Then, make a plan to accommodate your goals and values. Activities you may need to prioritize and schedule include: Exercise - make it a priority now so you ll burn extra holiday calories, fight off stress, and avoid the New Year rush at the gym. Plan holiday meals - look for low fat recipes for your holiday favorites. Develop a gift budget - there s less stress when you know how much you can afford to spend per gift. Social events - decide which parties and functions you will attend. Plan to take along a healthy dish. Time with family and loved ones - quality time together will be more memorable than gorging on treats. Volunteering - helping the less-fortunate makes you feel good. Special time for yourself! WEEK 2 (Nov. 27-Dec 3): Shop til You Drop...Pounds! Even if you do most of your holiday shopping online or by catalog, you ll probably find yourself at the mall anyway. While fighting crowds and traffic won t put you in a good mood, use shopping time to your advantage. Park and walk - park as far from the mall or store entrance as possible. You ll save time by not circling the parking lot for a good spot and get some exercise walking from your car. Take a walk around the mall before and/or after shopping. Choose the stairs or walk the escalator instead of taking the elevator. Avoid the food court temptations by stashing healthy snacks - an apple, box of raisins, bottle of water - in your purse. continued on page 2

2 YOUR HOLIDAY SURVIVAL CALENDAR continued from page 1 WEEK 3 (Dec.4-10): Party for Your Heart Holiday parties don t have to sabotage your healthful habits. Go to gatherings where you feel comfortable and will enjoy the company of other guests. You ll spend more time socializing and enjoying yourself than eating. If you do end up bored or alone at an event, stay away from the buffet table and look for someone else who seems up for conversation. Other party tips include: Bring along a heart healthy appetizer like veggies and low fat dip or a light dessert like angel food cake. Fill up on low calorie beverages like diet soda or club soda with a twist of lime instead of high calorie alcoholic drinks, eggnog or regular sodas. Fill your plate with small servings of your favorites, emphasizing colorful fruits or vegetables. Wait at least ten minutes to go back for seconds to be sure you really are still hungry. WEEK 4 (Dec ): Healthy Traditions Make NEW traditions that emphasize healthy choices. Gather a group of friends to walk the neighborhood singing holiday carols. Experiment with low fat modifications to your family s favorite recipes - see if anyone really notices the change! If you re overwhelmed with holiday food gifts - tins of cookies or loaves of banana bread - share with neighbors. Get some exercise by offering to take a friend s child or your grandchild for a winter stroller ride. Spend a few hours helping out at a soup kitchen or food bank. WEEK 5 (Dec ) Push Yourself...Away from the Table! However you celebrate the season, it usually involves at least one large family sit-down meal. Some people end up eating several holiday meals throughout the day just to please extended families. Remember that you are in control, not the food. Take moderate portions of the foods you like. If you ve planned well, there should be low fat items on the table. And push away from the table before you feel full. WEEK 6 (Dec ): Keep Up the Good Work! Whether you ve followed your holiday plan or gotten a little off track, use this week to refocus, recommit, and remember what you love about the season in the first place. If leftovers and extra holiday treats keep you heading for the kitchen, take action: Freeze leftovers in single servings for lunches/quick dinners. Take extra desserts to work to share with co-workers. Share food with an elderly neighbor. Invite friends over for a post-holiday potluck dinner. WEEK 7 (Jan. 1-7): The End Congratulations! You followed your healthy holiday plan. Greet the New Year with no regrets, no guilt, and no diets. Newsletter compiled and edited by: Kristin Mart Extension Agent Family and Consumer Science Secretarial support by Cheryl Mitchell The use of trade named products is with the understanding that no endorsement is made to the exclusion of other equally effective products. 2

3 HOLIDAY TURKEY TIPS! The Right "Stuff" Follow these steps for safely stuffing turkey: Stuffing should be prepared and stuffed into the turkey immediately before it's placed in the oven for cooking. If preparing the stuffing ahead of time, wet and dry ingredients should be refrigerated separately and combined right before stuffing the turkey. Stuff the turkey loosely, about 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey. Stuffing needs room to expand during cooking, so do not over-stuff. The stuffing recipe may yield more than the turkey can hold, so bake any extra stuffing in a greased casserole dish. Cooked inside or outside the bird, all stuffing and dressing recipes must be cooked to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees F. Use a two-step test for turkey doneness: First, insert a meat thermometer into the deepest portion of the thigh, not touching bone, and verify the temperature reaches 175 degrees F-180 degrees F. Move the thermometer to the center of the stuffing and verify the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F. If the turkey is done and the stuffing is not yet 165 degrees F, the stuffing should be removed from the turkey and placed in a greased casserole dish to be further cooked in the oven or microwave. Cook until the stuffing has reached 165 degrees F. Do not leave stuffing and other leftovers out for more than 2 hours. Store leftover stuffing in a covered container in the refrigerator and use within 1 to 2 days. Reheat leftover stuffing to 165 degrees F before serving. 5 Easy Steps to a Perfectly Roasted Turkey: 1. Thaw the turkey and remove neck and giblets from the neck and body cavities. 2. Preheat the oven to 325 o F for conventional or 300 o F for convection ovens. 3. Place turkey breast-side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. If cooking stuffing inside the turkey, fill the body cavity with stuffing just before roasting. 4. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone. 5. Roast the turkey, uncovered, until the meat thermometer registers at least 165 o F (170 o F in the breast and 180 o F in the thigh). Use the roasting timetable to estimate approximate cooking time. If stuffed, make sure the temperature of the stuffing has reached 165 o F before removing the turkey from the oven. 3

4 ROASTING TIPS Thermal/Conventional Oven Open Pan Method for Roasting a Turkey at 325 o F Unstuffed Turkey 8 to 12 pounds 12 to 14 pounds 18 to 20 pounds 20 to 24 pounds 8 to 12 pounds 12 to 14 pounds 18 to 20 pounds 20 to 24 pounds 2-3/4 to 3 hours 3 to 3-3/4 hours 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours 4-1/2 to 5 hours Stuffed Turkey 3 to 3-1/2 hours 3-1/2 to 4 hours 4 to 4-1/4 hours 4-1/4 to 4-3/4 hours 4-3/4 to 5-1/4 hours Convection Oven Open Pan Method for a Fresh/Thawed Turkey at 300 o F Unstuffed Turkey 18 to 22 pounds 2-1/2 to 3-1/4 hours 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 hours Stuffed Turkey 18 to 22 pounds 3 to 3-1/4 hours 3-1/4 to 3-3/4 hours Other Preparation Pointers For a picture-perfect turkey, tuck wing tips "akimbo" under the shoulders. Juices from the turkey will baste the meat as it cooks. For added moisture, pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the pan and brush the turkey with oil or unsalted butter and seasonings/herbs. Place an aluminum foil tent over the breast during the first 1 to 1-1/2 hours of cooking, then remove the foil to allow for browning. For easier carving, allow the turkey to stand 20 minutes once removed from the oven. How should leftovers be stored and how long will they keep? Leftovers should be stored in shallow containers and refrigerated or frozen within two hours of cooking. Remove the stuffing and carve the extra turkey meat from the bones. Use cooked turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days and gravy in 1-2 days. Cooked turkey keeps for 3-4 months in the freezer. When using leftovers, reheat the foods thoroughly to 165 degrees F or until hot and steaming; bring gravy to a boil before serving. Source: (National Turkey Federation) 4

5 Energy Star Qualified Products Sales Tax Holiday Qualifying Energy Star products will be exempt from sales and use tax when purchased between 12:01 A.M. on the first Friday in November and 11:59 P.M. the following Sunday. For 2009, the dates are Friday, November 6th through Sunday, November 8th. An Energy Star qualified product is a product that meets the energy efficient guidelines set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy and is authorized to carry the Energy Star label. Clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators, central air conditioners, room air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, and programmable thermostats will be exempt from State and local sales and use tax when purchased during the sale tax holiday period. There is no threshold as is the case with items sold during the August sales tax holiday for clothing, school supplies, computers, etc. Items purchased for use in a trade or business and rentals are not covered by the exemption and will be subject to the applicable tax. Purchases of qualifying Energy Star products by contractors who will affix or install the products in structures for customers are considered to be purchases of products for use in a trade or business and will be subject to tax even when purchased during the holiday. For the purpose of the sales tax holiday for Energy Star qualified products, an item is eligible for the exemption if the customer pays for the item and the retailer accepts the order and takes an action to fill the order for immediate delivery. The delivery can occur after the holiday period. An order is for immediate delivery notwithstanding that the shipment may be delayed because of a backlog or order or because stock is currently unavailable to, or on back order by, the seller. An order is not for immediate delivery if the customer requests delayed shipment. For more information, contact Kristin Mart at or Kristin_Mart@ncsu.edu. 5

6 Pumpkin Potato Soup Source: WebMD Weight Loss Clinic 3 cups mashed potatoes, made with low-fat milk ½ cup canned pumpkin 1 ½ cups fat-free half and half or low-fat milk 1 ½ cups shredded, reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese Ingredients: ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Pepper to taste Salt to taste (optional) Preparation: 1. Prepare mashed potatoes using milk only (no added butter). Add the pumpkin and fat-free half-and-half (or low-fat milk) to a medium saucepan; whisk to blend well 2. Add cheese, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Cover pan and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pepper and salt, if desired. Spoon into 5 serving bowls, then swirl a tablespoon of fat-free or light sour cream in each bowl of soup Nutritional Information Per Serving: 276 calories, 19 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 6.5 g fat, 23 mg cholesterol, 3.2 g fiber, 300 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 22%. Zesty Hot Holiday Broccoli Dip Source: Kraft Food & Family Ingredients: 1 cup Miracle Whip Light dressing 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained 1 jar (2 oz.) diced pimientos, drained 1 cup 2% milk shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, divided ½ cup grated parmesan cheese Reduced Fat Wheat Thins (baked snack crackers) Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Combine dressing, broccoli, pimientos, parmesan cheese and ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese 3. Spread into 1-qt. baking dish or 9-inch pie plate 4. Bake min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Continue baking 5 min. or until mozzarella cheese is melted. Serve with the crackers. Makes about 3 cups dip or 25 servings, about 2 Tbsp. dip and 16 crackers each. 6

7 McDowell County Center 60 E Court Street Marion NC This year, don t be afraid of the holidays! The statewide Eat Smart, Move More NC movement is gearing up for the third annual free Maintain, don t gain! Holiday Challenge. Rather than focusing on trying to lose weight a difficult task at this time of year this free six-week challenge provides participants with tips, tricks and ideas to help them maintain their weight throughout the holiday season. FREE online sign-up is underway now at Only an address is needed to join. The challenge will begin on Nov. 23 and run through Dec. 31. Those who sign up early and complete the pre-survey will receive bonus healthy Thanksgiving recipes and a shopping list. 7