ANNE ARUNDEL ASSOCIADON FOR FAMILY & COMMUNITY EDUCATION MAY - JUNE 2010 Dear Members, Tday is a beautiful day. S gd t feel the warmth f the sun and knw that summer is right arund the crner. Have yu started. n wrking n yur flwer beds? Yu dn't want t miss ur next meeting n May 7th when Mike Ensr, ur Hrticulture expert, will present a prgram. Mike can help us with any cultivatin questins we may have. In June, I'm pleased t tell yu that Mary Ann Lve, Cunty Delegate, will visit us. The Maryland Assembly has been busy and Mary Ann will update us n bills - sme that passed and sme that did nt. On that day, we will have a lunchen and invite the Extensin Office Staff. Members are asked t bring ne dish fr the buffet table. FCE members have been planning a wrkshp t make pillw cvers fr pediatric cancer patients. Gini and Marian purchased the material and will shw us the way t make the cases. We will dnate them t the Baltimre- Washingtn Medical Center fr distributin. 1 May June July 7 9 13 31 4 14 20 21 4 15-18 UPCOMING EVENTS *Meeting - Mike Ensr Mther's Day Armed Frces Day Memrial Day *Meeting - MD. Legislature Update Mary Ann Lve Flag Day Father's Day 1st Day f Summer Independence Day Natinal FCE Cnference Grand Rapids, Michigan * Meeting will be held at the Extensin Office in the Cunty Office Bldg., Glen Burnie, at 10:00 a.m. Bring a sandwich; dessert and beverage will be furnished. We have received wrd that ur Natinal FCE President, Betty Lucas. passed away April 20th. after a battle with cancer. Judy Fullmer is Acting President. Thelma Gre President The Maryland Cperative Extensin prgrams are pen t all citizens withut regard t race, clr. sex, handicap. religin age r natinal rigin.
;- "'-. FROM THE TREASURER It is again time t think abut yur dnatin t 4-H as I need t frward it by June 1st. Any amunt yu wish t dnate is appreciated. Checks shuld be made ut t: AAAFCE with a ntatin fr 4-H. Give r mail dnatin t: Susann Streeter 2 Lexingtn Rad Harmans, MD 21077 (Phne: 410~595-5782) "TWISTIES" When yu t g the grcery.. stre t buy bread, d yu wnder which is freshest? Bread is delivered 5 days a week - Mnday, Tuesday, Thursday, -Friday, and Saturday. They are: Blue - Mnday Green - Tuesday Red - Thursday White - Friday Yellw - Saturday A kind wrd can be as refreshing as a spring shwer. GAMES Last Nvember, the Zn Regency Htel in Jhr Bahru, Malaysia, hsted ne f the mst intense wrdplay cmpetitins in the wrld - the Wrld Scrabble Champinships. This simple bard game has risen t fantastic status amng players wrldwide. Alfred Butts, Scrabble's inventr, prbably never dreamed that his game wuld rise t such cmpetitive heights. Alfred Butts was an ut-f-wrk architect when he invented the game in 1933. He riginally named it Lexic, and cntinued t develp, refine, and rename it. Lexic became New Anagrams, then Alph, Criss~Crss, Criss-Crss Wrds, and finally Scrabble. The first games were made by hand in a Cnnecticut factry. When the president f Macy's discvered the game in 1950, he rdered it fr his stre and sn every husehld had t have it. Its ppularity has grwn ever since. ------- Sure, the game is a fun way t pass the time between friends, but internatinal cmpetitin is fierce, with uncmmn wrds winning the mst pints. The highest wrd scre ever played was CAZIQUES (the plural frm f a West Indian Chief) and it wn 392 pints. Play is relatively simple. Yu draw seven letters frm a pile and frm wrds bth vertically and hrizntally n a bard. Hw many wrds culd yu spell using these seven letters? A C I L O P V Sme pssible wrds: ail, clap, cal, cil, lap, il, pal, val, pail, vcal. (Futurecare Chesapeake) 2
BITS and PIECES 5 things t d with... an ld shwer curtain. 1. Avid bathrm puddles. If Rufus never stays n the bathmat, a curtain n the flr lets him wiggle withut flding the rm. 2. Prtect the kitchen table. Cver it up n arts and crafts days--n mre paint and Play-Dh messes. 3. Catch paint. Next time yu're painting a wall, $tick a curtain n the flr as a dripclth fr misdirected spltches. 4. Shield the entryway. Lay ne dwn t catch drips and mud when a bunch f snwy bts are incming. 5. Stay dry at a picnic. Use as a grund clth under yur blanket t prevent dew r rainwater frm seeping thrugh. Lemn Aid - 5 amazing uses fr the sunnyyellw fruit 1. Imprve flavr. Add lemn t yur green tea t reduce the drink's bitterness and help increase yur bdy's absrptin f antixidants. 2. Get fresh. Use a cut lemn as an all-natural dedrant fr yur armpits and feet. 3. Sthe sunburn. Mix lemn juice and cl water and gently apply t yur skin. It will help yur bdy recver mre quickly frm a mild sunburn. 5 dishwasher tricks yu've never heard 1. Dn't prerinse. It's a waste f water and energy. Nt nly that, but if there's n fd left fr the detergent t attack, it can g after yur glassware and make it cludy. 2. Save detergent. The amunt yu use depends n hw dirty the dishes are, nt n hw many there are. If yu have a full lad f lightly siled dishes, use nly a little. 3. Check the manual. There's usually a handy illustratin f hw t lad yur particular mdel. If the manual's lng gne, check the manufacturer's website.) 4. Lad dwn. Make sure n pans, bwls, r cups are facing upward and pen. Open dishes catch dirty water and the whle lad gets repeatedly bathed in it. (Tip: When a lad desn't clean, this is usually the culprit!) 5. Wash n nrmal. This is the cycle cnsumer testing grups test appliances n, and despite what yu might think, it's by far the mst efficient. 4. Destain yur laundry. Squeeze lemn juice n an ink stain, let sit vernight, then launder as usual. Repeat if needed befre drying. 5. Clean yur pts. Make a paste f lemn juice and salt, and rub it n cpper t remve xidatin. Rinse well and dry cmpletely. 3
RECIPES ANGEL LUSH Margaret Atkinsn 1 can (20 z) Crushed Pineapple, undrained 1 pkg (3.4 z) JELL-O Vanilla flavr instant pudding & pie filling_ 1 cup Thawed Cl Whip Whipped tpping 1 pkg. (10 z) Rund angel fd cake, cut int 3 layers Seasnal berries Mix pineapple and dry pudding mix in a medium bwl. Gently stir in whipped tpping. Stack cake layers n plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and n tp_f cake. Refrigerate_ 1 hur r until ready t serve. Garnish with yur favrite seasnal berries. (Served at April meeting) -*- *- *- EASY BOSTON CREAM CAKE Ann Fishell 1 1/2 cups cld half-and-half cream 1 package (3.4 z) instant vanilla pudding mix 1 laf (10 3/4 z) frzen pund cake, thawed 3/4 cup cnfectiners' sugar 2 tablespns baking cca 4 t 5 teaspns ht water In a bwl, whisk tgether cream and pudding mix; let stand fr 5 minutes. Split cake int three hrizntal layers~ Place bttm layer n a serving plate, tp with half f the pudding. Repeat layers. Tp with third cake layer. In a small bwl, cmbine the cnfectiners' sugar, cca and enugh water t reach a spreading cnsistency. Spread ver tp f cake, letting glaze drizzle dwn sides. Yield: 4-6 servings. 4 BEAN MIXTURE Hary Pstick 46 z. Beans Mix Butter beans Kidney beans Baked beans 4 Slices chpped bacn (small pieces) 16 z. Crushed pineapple 1/2 cup King syrup (brwn) 1/2 cup Ketchup 1/2 cup Brwn sugar 1-2 lb. Kielbasa (chpped) Mix tgether. Bake at 350 0 NO PEEK BEEF CASSEROLE Ann Fishell fr 2 hurs 2 lbs rund steak, cut in 1 inch pieces_ 1 3-1/2 pkg nin sup mix I 10-1/2 z. can. Gld Mushrm sup r Cream f Hushrm sup Cmbine all ingredients in crckpt. Stir tgether well. Cver and ck n lw 8 t 12 hurs. (High 5 t 6 hurs) Serve ver rice r ndles. (This recipe als freezes well.) (Serves 6) THE REAL PEEL * Use flat-ended tweezers t remve the leafy hull frm a fresh strawberry. Yu wn't damage the fruit and yu'll keep juice frm staining yur fingers. Keep the rt end intact when slicing an nin t minimize release f fumes that make yur eyes water. Use a damp paper twel t remve silk threads frm crncbs. Befre serving a meln half, cut a thin slice frm the base f the fruit s that it sits firmly n the serving plate.
POTATOES: The Ultimate Cmfrt Fd Mashed, twice baked, r ven fried - spuds are hard t resist. S dn't. Ptates are like yur favrite pair f khakis: cmfrtable and. cmpatible with just abut anything. Imagine a perfectly dressed baked ptat alngside a juicy steak: ht crispy fries dipped in cl ketchup; r creamy mashed ptates ladled with savry brwn gravy. These cmbinatins just scream "cmfrt fd". While mst peple lve ptates, sme shun the revered veggie because f its high carbhydrate cntent. Ptates are indeed carbhydrate rich - but that's a gd thing. Carbs are ur bdies preferred fuel surce. At abut 100 calries fr a 5.3 unce spud ; ptates are nt nly mdest in calries, but als very nutritius. That same tater als basts 3 grams f fiber, 45% f the Daily Value fr vitamin C, and 21% fr ptassium (a mineral that's imprtant fr maintaining a healthy heartbeat). S g ahead and put ptat recipes n yur breakfast, lunch, r dinner plate. BLUEBERRY FACTS A single bush can prduce up t 6,000 berries a year. SOME PEOPLE NEVER RETIRE Glfers never retire, they just lve their drive. Lumberjacks never retire, they just pine away. Accuntants dn't retire, they just lse their balance. Bank managers dn't retire, they just lse interest. Vehicle managers? They re-tire every day. Teachers dn't retire, they just mark time. Rfers dn't retire, they just wipe the slate clean. Engineers never retire, they just lse their bearings. Beekeepers never retire, they just buzz f~. Musicians never retire, they just decmpse. Farmers never retire, they just g t seed. Watchmakers never retire, they just wind dwn. Academics never retire,they just lse their faculties. Native Americans used the fruit, the leaves and the rts f the plant t treat cughs, flavr sups, and dye clthes. They're big in Japan. Mre than 500 metric tns are shipped there each year frm the U.S. July is natinal blueberry mnth. Painters never retire, they just put a glss n it. Tree surgens never retire, they just branch ut. (Shared by Gini McKenzie) EDITOR Ann R. Fishell 410.766. 5097 Phacke@al.cm 5
The Amazing Cucumber This infrmatin was in The New Yrk Times several weeks ag as part f their "Sptlight n the Hme" series. that highlighted creative and fanciful ways t slve cmmn prblems. 1. Cucumbers cntain mst f the vitamins yu need every day, just ne cucumber cntains Vitamin 81, Vitamin 82, Vitamin 83, Vitamin 85, Vitamin 86, Flic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Irn, Magnesium, Phsphrus, Ptassium and Zinc. 2. Feeling tired in the afternn, put dwn the caffeinated sda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a gd surce f B Vitamins and Carbhydrates that can prvide that quick pick-me-up that can last fr hurs. 3. Tired f yur bathrm mirrr fgging up after a shwer? Try rubbing a cucumber slice alng the mirrr, it will eliminate the fg and prvide a sthing, spa-like fragrance. 4. Are grubs and slugs ruining yur planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and yur garden will be free f pests all seasn lng. The chemical in the cucumber react with the aluminum t give ff a scent undetectable t humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. 5. Lking fr a fast and easy way t remve cellulite befre ging ut r t the pl? Try rubbing a slice r tw f cucumbers alng yur prblem area fr a few minutes, the phytchemicals in the cucumber cause the cllagen in yur skin t tighten, firming up the uter layer and reducing the visibility f cellulite. Wrks great n wrinkles t!!! 6. Want t avid a hangver r terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices befre ging t bed and wakeup refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers cntain enugh sugar, 8 vitamins and electrlytes t replenish essential nutrients the bdy lst, keeping everything in equilibrium, aviding bth a hangver and headache!! 7. Lking t fight ff that afternn r evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used fr centuries and ften used by Eurpean trappers, traders and explrers fr quick meals t thwart ff starvatin. 8. Have an imprtant meeting r jb interview and yu realize that yu dn't have enugh time t plish yur shes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber ver the she, its chemicals will prvide a quick and durable shine that nt nly lks great but als repels water.
9. Out f WD 40 and need t fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it alng the prblematic hinge, and vila, the squeak is gne! 10. Stressed ut and dn't have time fr massage, facial r visit t the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a biling pt f water, the chemicals and nutrients frm the cucumber will react with the biling water and be released in the steam, creating a sthing, relaxing arma that has been shwn t reduce stress in new mthers and cllege students during final exams. 11. Just finish a business lunch and realize yu dn't have gum r mints? Take a slice f cucumber and press it t the rf f yur muth with yur tngue fr 30 secnds t eliminate bad breath, the phytchemcials will kill the bacteria in yur muth respnsible fr causing bad breath. 12. Lking fr a 'green' way t clean yur faucets, sinks r stainless steel? Take a slice f cucumber and rub it n the surface yu want t clean, nt nly will it remve years f tarnish and bring back the shine, but it wn't leave streaks and wn't harm yur fingers r fingernails while yu clean. 13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the utside f the cucumber and slwly use it t erase the pen writing, als wrks great n crayns and markers that the kids have used t decrate the walls!!... guess yu better g get a basket f cucumbers... 7