Go Nuts for Nuts!

This is the time of year in Pennsylvania the tree nuts are harvested. Few foods are as nutritiously complete and good for the human body as tree nuts. Tree nuts are unique as one of the most nutrient‐dense whole food sources of alpha‐linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega‐3 fatty acid in plant foods. Studies have shown that the omega‐3 fatty acid in plant foods may help reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and clinical depression.

Here is some information about the two varieties of Pennsylvania produced nuts:

• Pecans‐ This native American tree nut is a member of the hickory family. Long beforethe arrival of the Europeans to the New World, pecans were an important food in thediet of the Indian tribes of the central and southern regions of the United States. Two
famous Americans partial to pecans were George Washington, who frequently carried themin his pockets, and Thomas Jefferson, who dedicated part of his time to their cultivation.

• Walnuts ‐ Consumed since pre‐historic times, the walnut has various origins: East Asia, Southeastern Europe, North and South America. There exist more than 15 varieties of walnuts, but the two most popular are the English (also called Persian) walnut and the Black walnut. A close relative is the butternut, also referred to as the white walnut.

The oils in walnut kernels will turn rancid if nuts are stored improperly. After the kernels have been removed, place them in a plastic bag and store in the freezer. The nut meats will keep almost indefinitely when stored in the freezer. Kernels can be stored for short periods in the refrigerator.


Anytime Walnut Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole‐bran cereal
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins
In a medium bowl mix well all ingredients except raisins. Spread in jelly‐roll pan or large baking
pan. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven, stirring twice, 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven; stir in raisins. Cool in pan on rack. Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 2
weeks; freeze for longer storage.

Serves 4. Each 1/2 cup serving 256 calories, 6 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat

Source: Great 88 Beat of Ag Progress Days Recipes, Penn State Extension, 2011

Contact our Publications office to purchase at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/Publications.asp


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“Great 88 Best of Ag Progress Days”

Penn State College of Agriculture’s Ag Progress Days has come and gone, but now you and your family can savor the tastes and smells all year long. Penn State Extension’s food & nutrition program runs the food demonstrations in the Family Room building. We have created a CD-rom disc of the “Great 88 Best of Ag Progress Days” food demonstration (88) recipes with food and nutrition fact sheets from the past decade. The 108 page disc covers many topics including: salads, salsas, soups, seafood, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans, herbs and spices, main dishes, kids in the kitchen, breakfast, desserts, helpful tips such as silicone cooking, food shopping savings, cutting calories the easy way, food allergies and intolerances. Recipes include a nutrition analysis. Purchase yours today and help fund our Extension food and nutrition state-wide programs. Cost: $10 and $5 extra for shipping charges (makes a great gift). CDs may be ordered by calling our toll free number at Penn State University College of Agriculture’s publications office: (877) 345-0691, or emailing AgPubsDist@psu.edu Try these sample recipes from the CD to enjoy fall vegetables with a new taste twist. Chill and take along to your next tailgate. See you next year at Ag Progress!

Sweet ‘N Sour Slaw

This delicious slaw is dressed with fennel and a sweet ’n sour dressing (low fat, low sodium).
½ head cabbage, shredded fine, about 4 cups ½ cup sliced red or green bell peppers
2 Tbsp. flavored vinegar 1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey ½ tsp. fennel seeds
Pinch oregano
Combine ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Thisslaw will keep for one day in the refrigerator. Serve chilled on a salad plate.Serves 4. Each 1 cup serving: 71 calories, 3.5 g. fat, .5 g. saturated fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 14 mg. sodium, 10 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. fiber, 7g. sugars, 1 g. protein.

Tomato Salsa (my favorite salsa)

3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (3 cups) 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup) 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno chilies
2‐3 tablespoons lime juice ½ teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients in glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavorsbut no longer than 1 week. Each 2 Tbsp serving: 10 calories, 0 g. fat, 0 g. saturated fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 5 mg. sodium, 2 g. carbohydrate, 2 g protein

Top 10 Home Canning Blunders

Home canning season is upon us. Make sure you do it safely by checking out my list of the biggest home canning blunders:

1. Canning low acid foods (pH above 4.6) in a boiling water bath. Big mistake! These foods include vegetables, meats, sea food, poultry, and milk. They require a higher temperature (240 degrees F for a specified amount of time) that can only be reached in a pressure canner to kill harmful bacteria and their toxins.
2. Making up your own recipe- without scientific testing, you will not know how long the product needs to be processed to be safe. Use only recommended canning recipes that have been scientifically tested for home canning: USDA Guide to Home Canning, Ball Blue book published after 2000, So Easy to Preserve by University of Georgia Extension, or other University Cooperative Extension service canning publications, such as the Let's Preserve series from Penn State Extension.
3. Adding extra starch, flour, or other thickener to the recipe-this will change the rate of heat penetration and can result in undercooking.
4. Adding extra onions, peppers, or other vegetables to salsas-the extra vegetables will dilute the acidity and can result in the deadly botulism poisoning
5. Using oven canning or open kettle canning- both are unsafe, because the product will be under processed. The jars may also blow up in the oven.
6. Use of mayonnaise jars- the jar may blow up, especially if used in a pressure canner, and may be more difficult to seal.
7. Use of paraffin on jams & jellies- now not recommended because small air holes in the wax may allow mold to grow. The paraffin may catch on fire if overheated. If any products have mold growth (in canned fruit the product or fluid may appear pink), throw it out.
8. Canning tomatoes in a boiling water bath without acidifying them. Tomatoes vary in their acidity level. They must be properly acidified with bottled lemon juice, citric acid, or 5% acidity vinegar, or canned under pressure.
9. Not adjusting for altitude if over 1000 feet. If you live on one of the area mountain tops or summits, check your altitude. If over 1000 feet, you will need to adjust your processing methods by following directions for over 1000 feet as specified in your canning recipe.
10.Keeping your home canned food longer than 2 years. Label and date all your jars, and for best food quality, use within 1 year. Throw out jars that leak, look bubbly, or seal is compromised.

To find out how to safely can at home, register for our upcoming classes. These are hands-on canning. You will have one jar to take home.
Bring your pressure canner lid for testing of the dial gauge at the end of the workshop.

Title: Canning Under Pressure: Green beans
Date: Monday, 8/29 6:00-8:00 PM
Location: St. Luke’s Church
501 Catawissa Ave, Sunbury
Title: Tomato Sauces & SalsasDate: Thursday, 9/15 , 6:00-8:00 PM
Location: St. Luke’s Church
501 Catawissa Ave, Sunbury
Registration Fee: $10.00 per person
For more information, please call the PSU Extension office in Northumberland County at 800 - 851 -9710.

A Warm Welcome to Choose MyPlate.gov

Last week the United States Department of Agriculture unveiled the new icon for following a healthy diet, Choose MyPlate.gov http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ This is intended to replace the last icon, MyPyramid, introduced in 2005. I am an instant fan of MyPlate. It is immediately understandable, even to elementary children. It contains proportionality, so we know to eat half our plate vegetables and fruits, and keep the other half grains and protein. What does need a little more explanation is that we want to teach eating more whole grains, or at least half our daily servings of grains. So, I think they could have labeled it whole grains instead. The other tricky part is: what is protein? Since it includes meats, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes, I guess that is too much to fit in that small wedge.
Then there is the dairy circle. I am glad it is there, but it also now includes non-dairy soy products fortified with calcium and Vitamin D for our vegan dieters. Cheese, yogurt, and milk of course are included, even though it is not immediately discernable from the circle off the plate.
It is a great teaching tool nonetheless, and a great conversation starter. To further the discussion, USDA includes the following teaching points to get you on the road to a better diet:

Balancing Calories
Enjoy your food, but eat less.
Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
Make at least half your grains whole grains.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce
Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Family Meals and Children’s Diets- Healthy Progress?

If you are a parent of a school-aged child, you may be wondering are we, collectively as Americans, making any progress in improving family meals and children’s diets? The answer is both yes and no. New research published by the American Dietetic Association’s 2010 nationally representative survey of 1 ,193 pairs of parents and children ages 8-17 has looked at changes from 2003- 2010 and saw some positive changes. The amount of daily family meals eaten at home has increased, rising from 53% to 73%. This is good news, as previous research has shown meals eaten together at home are more nutrient dense and less in calories, fat, added sugar and sodium. They also promote stronger, healthier children and families. However, there are serious gaps in knowledge and behavior for most children and parents when it comes to healthy meals and snacks. The latest National Health and Nutrition Examination survey data still show the vast majority of children in this age group do not consume the recommended amounts of vegetables (90%), fruits (75%), dairy (50% boys, 90% girls), and whole grains (95%). When asked which food group they should eat the most servings from, less than 25% correctly identified grains, but 70% did know the least amount of food servings should come from fats and oils. Yet, 30% of children’s calories come from solid (unhealthy) fats and added sugars, such as sodas and sweet drinks, cakes, cookies, and fried foods (the U.S. Dietary Guideline’s goal is not more than 15%). Both children and parents believe it is important to eat healthy foods, and most think they are. Unfortunately, this current actual eating pattern negatively affects not only potential for healthy growth, but promotes excess weight gain, more risk for infection such as colds and flu due to decreased immune function, more absenteeism, and decreased academic performance. So why is there such a disconnect between parents and children believing they consume healthy diets and the reality of their actual intake? One major reason is that high calorie, less nutritious foods are more easily available and advertised, making them seem like the “normal standard,” and so easier to purchase and consume. This is especially true with children’s snacks. As new data show, children have increased snacking from once to twice a day, increased calories from 200 to 525, (largely from sugar and fat), and decreased vitamins and minerals in the past decade. Fortunately, the majority of parents and children both expressed the desire and value being healthy and want to learn to consume more nutritious foods. Youth and adults rate taste foremost in food selection, and then nutrition. Children and parents want to spend more quality time together, and these are all great opportunities to promote positive diet change. Here are some small steps to improve your family’s diet. Try a new one each week: • With spring here and summer approaching, consider planting a vegetable garden together and buying local, fresh fruit and vegetables at farmer’s markets. • Try a new fruit or vegetable each week. Encourage your child to help select, prepare and serve. Offering them as a snack often makes it easier for all to taste and accept. • When shopping, compare the Nutrition Facts labels and select foods that are lower in sodium, sugars, and fat. Look for 10% or more daily value of calcium, fiber or vitamins per serving. • Keep snack calories under 300 per serving and offer 2-3 food groups per snack. Low fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) fruits, vegetables and whole grains are great choices. • Look for grains with whole grains listed as the first ingredient. • Offer water when your children are thirsty. • Check http://www.mypyramid.gov/ for more ideas, or contact Penn State Extension at http://www.extension.psu.edu/ for food and nutrition programs in your area.

New Family Fitness Educator Training

I am hosting another Family Fitness Educator Training on Saturday, March 12 in Selinsgrove at the Church of the Nazarene. We are offering the curriculum free; cost for the training is $20 and includes lunch. We are especially extending this training to community youth educators, community health educators, after school programs providers, teachers, and family educators of parents of children ages 8-12. Please share with anyone who may be interested.

Program training is limited to first 25 registrations. You can download a registration brochure from our county website at
http://northumberland.extension.psu.edu/
or call our office at 570-988-3950. Registration deadline March 4.

Kids Eat Right Healthy Diet Resources

Looking for more on-line reliable healthy family diet resources? I am a fan of the American Dietetic Association's new "Kids Eat Right" website. http://www.eatright.org/kids/