Campbell County. Tips to Curb Holiday Spending UPCOMING EVENTS

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1 Campbell County UPCOMING EVENTS Main Dish Meals February 1 1:30 p.m. Sensational Side Dishes March 1 6:00 p.m. Creating and Maintaining Family Traditions March 21 1:30 p.m. Know the 10 Signs Early Detection Matters March 30 6:00 p.m. Breads & Spreads April 5 1:30 p.m. TABLE OF CONTENTS Life Skills... 1 Nutrition & Food... 2 Recipe... 2 Seasonal... 3 Healthy Relationships... 4 Health & Wellness Cooperative Service Campbell County 3500 Alexandria Pike Highland Heights, KY (859) Fax: (859) Tips to Curb Holiday Spending There are simple ways to save money while still providing an enjoyable family experience during the holidays. Include friends, family members, and children in planning creative ways to celebrate together. Thinking ahead will help reduce costs and prevent the stress that comes from overspending. With a little effort, you can still provide an exciting experience for your loved ones. Below are tips to help you with your spending plan for the upcoming holidays: When making a budget, decide what you will spend on each person before going shopping. If possible talk with family members and friends to set a spending limit that everyone can spend on each gift. Winter holidays often cost the most money, and several parents use this time to purchase more expensive gifts. Many expensive gifts, such as electronics, can also be purchased with warranties that cost extra money. Be careful when purchasing these warranties. Do not assume that they are worth the added cost. Think about how often you will use the item, the age of the person who will be using it, and the situations in which it will be used, to determine if the warranty is a smart purchase. If you will be mailing items, be sure to check the variety of mailing and postage options before selecting a method. For example, the U.S. Postal Service offers boxes that ship at a flat rate regardless of the weight. However, these boxes may not be appropriate if your item is larger yet lightweight. Compare options, keeping in mind how far the item is to be shipped and whether the item is fragile. Consider spending time together rather than gift-giving. Other ideas include a nice dinner out or playing games as a group. Source: Managing Holiday Expenses: How to Reduce Spending to Decrease Financial Stress, FCS5-462; University of Kentucky; College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

2 Cookie Basics The right texture with homemade cookies doesn t just happen. Each ingredient has a specific purpose. Let s look at the basic ingredients and the science behind how to make the perfect cookie. Butter or Margarine. Shortening, butter, and margarine are all fats. But not all fats are created equal when it comes to baking cookies. Fats are used in cookies to: Tenderize and soften the texture Add moistness and richness Increase the keeping quality Add flavor Assist in leavening when used as a creaming agent Butter or margarine is usually used in cookies because it adds a desirable flavor and melts in your mouth. Margarines with added water or light margarines are not suitable for cookies. Eggs. The most impor tant function of eggs is to act as an emulsifier. By surrounding small particles of fat, the egg helps make the cookie dough smoother. In addition, eggs incorporate tiny air bubbles when beaten and add moisture, color, flavor, and nutritional value. More eggs in a recipe produce a chewier cookie. All-Purpose Flour. The protein or gluten found in flour helps form the structure of dough. Because you don t want much elasticity of the dough in cookies, they require a softer flour or one with less protein, such as all-purpose flour. Self-rising flour may also be used in recipes, but because it has added baking powder and salt, these ingredients must be eliminated from the original recipe. Baking Powder and Soda. Baking powders are mixtures of baking soda plus an acid. If moisture and an acid are present, baking soda releases carbon dioxide, which causes cookies to rise slightly. Salt. The amount of salt is constant in cookie recipes, about 1 teaspoon for every pound of flour. Spices, Flavorings, and Extracts. These are used to add flavors. Sugar. Sugar has a tenderizing effect on gluten and egg proteins in the cookie dough. A finely granulated sugar blends completely with the other ingredients. Baking Tips For proper heat circulation, cookies should be baked on shiny, flat pans without sides. Grease the cookie sheets for meringue and drop cookies but do not grease the pans for rolled and refrigerator cookies. Bar cookies require a pan with sides. Cookies are baked at slightly higher temperatures than cakes. Low temperatures increase spreading and slow browning, while high temperatures have the opposite effect. To ensure cookies brown evenly, switch the position of the cookie sheets when baking is half finished. All cookies should be baked only until done, as overly brown or dried out cookies are unsatisfactory and store poorly. Remove cookies from the baking sheet immediately to prevent sticking and over cooking. Cool cookies on a rack for at least 10 minutes before handling, because cookies firm up as they cool. Storing Cookies For short-term storage, store soft cookies in a tightly-covered container. To add moisture, add a fresh-cut apple to the container daily. Crisp cookies should be stored in a container with a loose-fitting lid. You can crisp up cookies before serving them by warming them in a 300 o oven for five to ten minutes. For lengthy storage of bar cookies, wrap each individually in clear plastic or aluminum foil. Source: Cookie Basics, FN-SSB.015; University of Kentucky; College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Rolled Gingerbread Cookies 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 cup molasses 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1. In a small bowl, mix together the spices, baking soda, and salt. 2. In the microwave, in a medium bowl, melt the butter. Beat in molasses, sugar, and spice mixture completely. Then, mix in the water and egg. 3. Transfer the butter and spice mixture to a large bowl. Add one cup of flour and stir completely into the butter and spice mixture. Continue stirring in one cup of flour at a time until all the flour has been incorporated, making a soft dough. 4. Knead the dough until it is smooth, adding small amounts of flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in an airtight bag, and refrigerate overnight or up to two weeks. 5. To prepare the cookies, preheat oven to 350 o F. Roll out one-quarter of the dough at a time to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into the desired shapes using a 5-inch cookie cutter. Bake the cookies on greased baking sheets for 12 minutes or until evenly browned. Remove from the oven and gently transfer them to a rack to cool. Decorate the cooled gingerbread or leave plain. Page 2

3 During the winter holiday season, we often see an increase in the amount of trash generated in our homes. As you prepare to celebrate the holidays, try these simple tips to help cut the amount of trash. Use your imagination and try to come up with other ideas as well. For Gift Giving: If you are uncertain what to buy for someone, consider a gift certificate. A certificate s size makes it easy to wrap or slip into a card, and it may be less likely to end up in the trash. You might even want to consider a homemade gift certificate for babysitting, housework or other services you can offer the recipient. Homemade gifts and goodies often generate less trash and can be a treasure to receive. Consider nonmaterial gifts like tickets to a concert, movie, theatre production or sporting event, or perhaps a membership to a museum, club or nonprofit organization. When Wrapping Presents: Wrap a gift inside a gift. A pretty scarf could be used to wrap a matching hat and pair of gloves. A kitchen towel might make a good wrapping for kitchen items or utensils. A bath towel could be used to wrap decorator items for a bathroom or a collection of bath products. Use gift bags instead of wrapping paper. Gift bags are reusable and not as likely to go out with the trash. If you receive gifts in gift bags, be sure to store them away for future use. If you like to sew and have fabric scraps, try using them for gift wrap. Try decorating plain boxes yourself or let your children help! Markers, paints, crayons and stamps can all be used to add color to a simple box, as well as adding a personal touch. Package and wrap home-baked treats in reusable containers, or even recycled containers that have been decorated to add a personal touch. Re-use cards you receive to make gift tags and be sure to save any leftover cards from this year to use next year. Reuse bows and ribbons Use a small toy or ornament to adorn packages in lieu of a bow or ribbon. Create your own gift wrap by decorating paper grocery or department store bags. When Decorating: Purchase balled trees that can be planted in your yard, if possible. If you use a real cut tree, be sure to recycle it through a chipping program. Use artificial decorations that can be stored and used again for many years to come. When Entertaining: Avoid the use of disposable tableware as much as possible. Bring out your favorite dishes for special occasions and invest in a reusable holiday tablecloth to avoid using disposable paper or plastic ones. If you need extra dishes and tableware for your holiday entertaining, consider renting dishes, napkins, tablecloths, glasses and utensils instead of buying disposables. Buy food items in bulk when possible to cut down on the amount of packaging and trash. If you have leftover food, consider donating it to a local homeless shelter, food bank or feeding program. After the Holidays: Donate items that have been replaced by new holiday gifts. Store your reusable decorations until next year. Take the time to contact catalog companies if you want to be removed from their mailing lists. Sort out and store reusable gift bags and gift wrap. Recycle holiday cards, boxes and gift wrap if your local recycling program will accept it. Make a resolution to reduce the amount of waste you generate, reuse any items that you can, recycle as much as you can and buy recycled products whenever possible. By making a few simple changes in our holiday routines, most of us can cut the amount of waste we generate between Thanksgiving and New Year s. Source: Kimberly B. Henken, former Associate for Environmental issues Family and Consumer Sciences; University of Kentucky; College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Page 3

4 Coping with Family Stress During the Holiday Season The holiday season is full of happy images and memories. However, a great deal of family stress can occur around the holidays. Here are some ideas for managing stress during the holidays. Talk openly with your family about your feelings before the holiday. It can be a relief for all family members to admit out loud that it is going to be a difficult time. Try not to do every single thing on the holiday itself. It can be very stressful to try to do two or more family gatherings in one day. Setting up smaller get togethers throughout a holiday weekend or season can allow your family to enjoy time with people and not be in a rush. The important thing is that your family decides together what works best for everyone. Keep up your own strength with rest and regular meals. The first thing we forget during busy times is to care for ourselves. Enough rest and regular meals help reduce stress effects on our body and can even help keep us from getting sick. Put your kids needs first, if there has been a divorce. Whenever possible, kids should be able to spend time with both parents during the holidays. If parents live close to each other, it may even be good to share a holiday meal together as long as it doesn t cause an increase in family stress. Be assertive. It is okay to leave a family gathering or put your kids down for a nap during a gathering. It is okay to take charge of your family s needs in order to reduce stress. Remember to accept help. Working together as a family while cooking or cleaning up can lead to some great opportunities for communication. It can give parents an opportunity to really listen to their kids or learn a family story from an older relative. Not only does it reduce your stress, it helps family members feel good about themselves. Focus on the positive. Plan time for activities that everyone will enjoy. Try hard to find something good in each person at a family gathering. Remember that some of the best family memories come from the less than perfect moments in our lives. Source: Kerri Ashurst, Senior Specialist for Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Kentucky; College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Page 4 STAYING HEALTHY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Take a look at these ideas to make sure that your family is staying healthy this season. No one wants to feel slick during the holiday season. Make sure everyone washes their hands. Washing hands is a very important part of staying healthy. Remember that there are many different times when washing your hands is important. These include before, during and after handling food; after handling, petting or giving a pet treats; before you eat; and after you sneeze, cough or blow your nose. Don t forget that it is also a good idea to wash your hands after encountering a family member or friend who is not feeling well. This is a good time of year to watch your child wash their hands to make sure he or she is doing it correctly. Don t forget fruits and veggies. There might be a lot of treats around during the holiday, but you should encourage your child to eat fruits and vegetables when they are available at get-togethers and parties. Fruits and vegetables are also a great snack to have handy. Whenever waiting, having a few snacks on hand can help keep your child from feeling too hungry. Whether it is a long line or waiting for a school program to start, having a piece of fruit or raw vegetables will help your child feel full longer. Be active! Although it may be chilly outside, it does not mean your child should not be active. It is recommended that children be active at least 60 minutes a day. When it is cold, with a proper jacket, gloves and a hat, your child can enjoy the colder weather. You also can be active with your child by doing some outdoor chores together. Indoors, you can put on some music and have a dance party or have your child create an obstacle course for the whole family. Get your Zzzzzs! It can be hard for your child to get to sleep with so much excitement in the air. But it is important to keep your child s normal sleep schedule. Make sure you are also getting enough sleep. You don t want the family to be so tired that they are not able to join in holiday activities. Source: Parent Health Bulletin, December 2016; University of Kentucky; College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Ronda Rex Kate Vaught Thompson Campbell County Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences

5 Homemaker Scenes from Holiday Treasures November 17 Claryville Club December 6, 9:30 a.m. Christmas at Plum Creek Christmas party. Bring a gift to swap if you d like to participate. Wannabees Club December 6, 10:00 a.m. Christmas party at the Office. Bring a snack to share if you want to.

6 -Claryville Plum Creek -Wannabaees Valley Crazy Quilters Christmas Day