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Honey in a jar.

There is nothing like the taste of a sweet spoon of honey. The versatility of honey makes it a very useful item to have around the kitchen, and for that reason, raising honeybees and selling the honey has become increasingly popular.


Different colored pumpkins in a line.

How to Keep Pumpkin Decor Fresh

October 8, 2021

Pumpkins are a fall staple and a great way to add a bit of festive decor to your home. I’ve had a pumpkin display out at my home since mid-September. I’ll keep this fall arrangement up until after Thanksgiving and then replace it with Christmas lights and decor.

mashed sweet potoatoes im two bowls

The Food Factor: Maple Sweet Potatoes

October 5, 2021

Video by Jonathan Parrish

Sweet potatoes are a staple for many people during the holiday season. But sweet potatoes are great any time of year. Depending on your recipe, sweet potato dishes can be sweet or savory.

Packed with fiber and vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin B-6 and potassium, sweet potatoes are a good way to add variety to your meals if you want to increase your vegetable intake.

This mashed sweet potato recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare this vegetable. I like to serve it as a main dish with a side salad and a whole grain roll.

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Buck.

Critter of the Month: White-Tailed Deer

September 30, 2021

The white-tailed deer is one of the most popular game species in Mississippi. We have over 2 million white-tailed deer in the state, and we rank second behind Texas for the densest population of deer in the nation.

Raking leaves

October Garden Checklist

September 28, 2021

Autumn is officially here! It’s not hard to love this time of year. Temperatures are cooling, leaves are changing, and there will be more branches than foliage soon. It’s hard not to love this time of year! As we close out this calendar year, it’s easy to convince yourself there’s not much to do in the yard. Take a break, but also take time to check off these tasks

Lawn Burweed

Tips for Treating Lawn Burweed

September 24, 2021

Lawn burweed is something we all dread having in our yards during warmer months. This weed starts growing in the fall, but doesn’t become a nuisance until it’s fully matured in the spring. When temperatures rise, these weeds form prickly spines, or “stickers,” which they are more commonly known as.

Barbecue sliders on a plate.

The Food Factor: Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Sliders

September 21, 2021

These slow cooker barbecue chicken sliders are perfect for tailgating parties or a Monday night dinner.

Various finger foods arranged buffet style.

4 Tips for Food Safety at Your Tailgate Party

September 17, 2021

Food safety when cooking and serving food at a tailgate is a lot like serving food at home. The same basic rules apply. You just need a little more planning and a few extra supplies.

Keep hands and surfaces clean

  • Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing food.
  • No running water where you are tailgating? No problem.  It’s easy to set up a handwashing station. Here’s how:
  • Use a table or another flat, elevated surface to set up a water jug with a spigot faucet, hand
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A woman stands behind a kitchen counter of breakfast toast and toppings.

Let’s Do Breakfast!

September 14, 2021

Don’t think of breakfast as a meal that has to take a long time to prepare. One of my favorite breakfast meals is toast. I start with whole-grain toasted bread as my foundation to build a healthy meal with lots of fun, tasty, and nutritious toppings. 

Fall Webworms

What are Fall Webworms?

September 10, 2021

If you’ve noticed spiderwebs in your pecan trees, chances are they’re not spiders. They’re fall webworms.

Fall webworms are partial to pecan and persimmon trees but will also feed on other trees, including Bradford pears.

a bowl of uncooked rice

Rice Recipe Roundup

September 7, 2021

It’s September and that means it’s National Rice Month! Try some of these recipes to celebrate.

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About Extension for Real Life

Extension for Real Life is a product of the MSU Extension Service’s Office of Agricultural Communications.

That’s a long way of saying we are professional communicators who get to talk about food, families, 4-H, flowers, and farming for a living.

Blog content is created by a core team of communicators, including Susan Collins-Smith, Ellen Graves, Natasha Haynes, Qula Madkin, Michaela Parker, and Jonathan Parrish. But we get by with a lot of help from our friends in Ag Comm and Extension!

You can reach us at 662-325-2262 or extreallife@msstate.edu