Extension Connection is your connection to Missouri’s land grant based research institutions. University Extension is the statewide program of the University of Missouri system and Lincoln University. University of Missouri Extension programs are open to all.

You can hear Janet Hackert's live Extension Connection radio spot at mid-day on Fridays on KCHI (103.9 FM; 1010 AM) Chillicothe, MO; KTTN (92.3 FM; 1600 AM) Trenton, MO; and KAAN (95.5 FM; 870 AM) Bethany, MO

Past Topics by Janet Hackert, Nutrition Specialist:

‘Tis the Season to be Jolly (December 22, 2000)

First, "stress" is neutral and is just a natural part of life. "Eustress" is the good tension in life that keeps folks motivated. It’s what makes it possible to get out of bed in the morning and do what needs to be done. "Distress" is used to describe stress that is negative. It’s the tensions that can overpower a person, even hinder living life fully. Most people have a mix, with the push they need that sometimes feels like it will push too far. The trick is to maintain a balance of stress and relaxation.

The signs of stress vary from person to person. Some may feel fatigue, head, chest or back pain, diarrhea or constipation, or change of appetite. Some may have signals such as irritability, a noticeably negative attitude, or an anxious feeling. Whatever the symptoms, sometimes a person can make a change to relieve that stress. For example, if the purpose of "Christmas cards" is to let friends and family know how I’m doing, a nice letter can be sent anytime during the year. They don’t have to go out this minute. So, sometimes a solution is about attitude – enjoying the moment and not feeling like we have to be supermen and women.

Sometimes a little relaxation can go a long way. Take a deep breath. Take another one. By filling the lungs with air, blood is oxygenated and the body is rejuvenated. Try stretching. Even a little stretch at the computer, at the kitchen table or whenever the tension is felt in the muscles can help make the situation a bit easier to take. Exercise can offer the same release of stress. A walk around the block or maybe around the office or living room, can revitalize and give a new perspective on a task.

There were some other suggestions for handling stress: jam tiny marshmallows up your nose and try to sneeze them out; when someone says ‘have a nice day’ tell them you have other plans; make a list of things you have already done; put your toddlers’ clothes on backwards and send him off to preschool as if nothing is wrong; bill the doctor for the time you spent in his waiting room. Hopefully some of these have brought a bit of a chuckle. Laughter is a great way to relieve stress and have fun too.

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Holiday Heart Health (December 8, 2000)

You may be ‘dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh,’ or maybe you’re just dashing about town, getting to school programs, shopping and holiday festivities. But have you heard about the DASH diet? It’s nothing new. It stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

In this study, 459 people ate one of three different diets for 8 weeks. The diets had average levels of fat and cholesterol and below average levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium; or the same diet but with lots of added fruits and vegetables to increase these minerals as well as fiber. The third diet was a combination of lower fat and cholesterol, increased fruits and vegetables with low-fat dairy products added. The result was that this last diet brought down blood pressure-whether or not the person had elevated blood pressure to begin with.

But, you say, it’s the holiday season and there’s no time for healthy foods! Not a problem. Dash off a delicious creamy, quick party drink by combining 2 cups each of low-fat yogurt and your favorite berries or other fruit in a blender. Add a banana or two for body and potassium, ½ cup frozen juice concentrate and add a few ice cubes or some low-fat or skim milk for the right consistency. Liquify them all together for a wonderful way to drink your fruits and dairy products.

Need a quick meal or side dish? Try a potato ‘baked’ in the microwave. Slice them in half and top with your favorite fresh, frozen or canned veggies, a little cheese, leftover meat chunks or your own creative toppings. Baked potatoes are a good source of potassium and contribute fiber too.

Turkey Leftovers (November 24, 2000)

First, let’s look at storing leftovers. Be sure to get leftovers refrigerated just as soon as possible, within 2 hours of cooking. If there are sure to be some leftovers when you’re slicing the turkey, for example, go ahead and put de-boned meat in the fridge before you sit down to enjoy the meal. If refrigerated promptly, leftover turkey will last for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator and about 4 months in the freezer. If there’s more left than you can eat in a few days, go ahead and freeze the excess right away. Be sure to reheat leftovers to 165°F.

In the latest issue of COOK IT QUICK!, from the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County (www.lancaster.unl.edu/food), there are several interesting ideas for turkey leftovers. Here's the website where you can get the recipes: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciqzz.htm

There’s a chilled turkey rice salad that combines chunked leftover turkey with chilled cooked rice, green onions, green peppers, and celery for color and curry powder and lemon juice to spice it up. Mayo holds the whole thing together and it can be served on a bed of lettuce.

Turkey tarragon pitas flavor leftovers with tarragon and lemon juice and mixed together with a mayonnaise and yogurt sauce. Green grapes give it a bit of pizzazz and it’s served stuffed in a whole wheat pita, for something just a little different, but easy.

There’s also turkey salad with orange vinaigrette and white turkey chili. There are lots of possibilities and perhaps this year these will spark your creative juices, so you never reach the point of being tired of turkey. (Of course, freezing some for later can help too!)

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The hours of daylight are getting fewer and fewer. Sometimes it seems like there just isn’t enough time to do what needs to be done.

When the stress builds up, Eat Right Montana has some great suggestions for easing things a little.

Power Breathing: Take a deep breath. Drop those shoulders that have worked their way up to squeezing your ears. Breathe in… breathe out… Set your troubles and rushing aside for just a moment. Take another deep breath, smile, and carry on - knowing that you can.

Power Walking: Physical activity can reduce stress. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours at a gym pumping iron. A brisk walk around the block, around the house or around the tractor a few times can help loosen up some of that tension and clear the mind as well.

Power Snacking: The body needs energy to handle stress. Crunchy healthful snacks include carrots, celery, cauliflower and apples. For those who prefer chewy snacks, there’s beef jerky, soft pretzels and dried fruit.

Power Drinking: Being dehydrated can cause irritability, not a desired attitude when a person is under stress. Getting plenty to drink is important, especially when cold temperatures outside can make inside air very dry. The best thing to drink? Water does best for refreshing the body.

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Preserving Venison (October 27, 2000)

First, dress the deer following the directions offered in Deer: From Field to Table (G 2915) available at your local University of Missouri Extension Center or on the web.

Canning Strips, Cubes or Chunks of Venison

Choose fresh, high-quality , chilled meat. Remove excess fat. Soak venison for 1 hour in salt water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water). Rinse. Remove large bones.

Hot Pack – Cook meat until rare by roasting, stewing or browning in a small amount of fat. Add 2 teaspoons of salt per quart to each jar if desired. Fill jars with pieces, and add boiling broth, meat drippings, water or tomato juice (tomato juice is especially good with wild game). Leave 1 inch headspace.

Raw Pack – Add 2 teaspoons of salt per quart to each jar if desired. Fill jars with raw meat pieces. Leave 1 inch headspace. Do not add liquid.

Adjust lids and process in a pressure canner at 11 pounds for 75 minutes for pint jars or 90 minutes for quart jars. If using a weighted gauge pressure canner use a 10 pound weight at elevations of 0-1000 feet and a 15 pound weight at elevations above 1000 feet. Process for the same amount of time indicated above.

Source: Canning Meat, Fish and Poultry (GH 1490)

Freezing Venison

Freezing preserves venison’s taste and is a good way to keep meat if the freezer space is available. Trim and clean cuts so they are ready for end use and freeze as quickly as possible.

Use freezer wrap or packages made for the freezer. Make sure they are air-tight and moisture- and vapor-proof.

Wrap the meat tightly, keeping air out as much as possible. When using plastic freezer bags pack tightly and squeeze as much air out as possible before sealing.

Seal, label and date each package. Freeze quickly at 0ºF. Freeze no more than 4 pounds per cubic foot of freezer space within a 24-hour period. If space in the home freezer does not permit spreading the packages out, take the wrapped meat to a processing plant or meat locker for quick freezing.

Store ground venison in a freezer at 0ºF or colder for no more than 3-4 months. Roasts and steaks can be stored 6-12 months at this temperature.

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Take Control of Cholesterol (September 29, 2000)

Take control of your health. Know your cholesterol numbers and be an active partner with your health care provider in getting and keeping them in control.

Take control of your grocery shopping. Read food labels and choose foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Take control of portion sizes. Learn what one serving, referred to on a label, looks like.

Take control of your weight and aim for a healthy one.

Take control of your refrigerator. Stock it with fresh fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or fat-free dairy foods.

Take control of your activity level. Do moderate physical activity, like brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. You can break that up into 3 10-minute segments if that makes it more convenient. Just be sure to get the heart pumping and the lungs working to get the most benefit.

Food Safety Rules (September 22, 2000)

When people are younger, their bodies may function as a well-oiled machine, allowing them to be very athletic or doing farm chores or housework sun-up to sundown, with nary a blink. Like with any machine, though, eventually the parts begin to wear down. And the parts of the body that fight food borne disease likewise begin to falter as we age. The acid in the stomach that is so crucial to destroying harmful bacteria decreases. The kidneys that filter bacteria out of the blood weaken. And the sense of smell and taste that have proven a front line defense from ever eating spoiled food just are not quite as sharp.

But the good news is that the wit, which is sharpened with use, remains. As a former professor used to tell us about his tests: Keep your wits about you and you’ll do fine. You can pass the Food Safety test by following the same advice. Here are the basic Food Safety rules.

• Keep things clean.
• Don’t cross contaminate.
• Keep hot foods hot and cooked to proper temperatures.
• Keep cold foods cold and chilled quickly.

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