October 26, 2020
Do you ever feel like you have to trick your kids into trying new foods or eating healthier options? Sometimes all it takes is a different cooking method to turn a finicky eater into a fan!
Most people don’t think of fruit as a hot treat unless it’s a sugar- and fat-loaded pie or cobbler. These Banana Boats can be cooked on a grill, in the oven, or even over a campfire or fire pit! The best part is their versatility. The original recipe calls for a tropical combination of banana, pineapple, and coconut. But you can try other combinations, too: banana and strawberry, banana and blueberry, or even banana and peanut butter!
How to Create a Moss Pathway
July 10, 2020
A moss pathway is an easy way to add a special touch of elegance, enchantment, and royalty to your landscape. A pathway covered with bright green moss seems like something a king or queen would have in their landscape, right?
How to Build Your Body’s Natural Defenses with Food
July 7, 2020
Video by Jonathan Parrish
There’s no better time than now to use food to build your body’s natural defenses to boost and help protect your immune system. A healthy immune system helps your body fight illness.
Merriam-Webster defines nutrition as the act or process of nourishing or being nourished. Nourishment focuses on using many nutrients from a variety of foods to give you what you need to be healthy.
So, make sure your kitchen is stocked with an assortment of foods, including fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, dairy, eggs, and plant-based proteins, such...
How to Keep Food Safe in a Cooler
July 3, 2020
During your outdoor outings, you'll want to take some steps to ensure your food doesn't spoil in the cooler.
The Food Factor: Red, White, and Blue Salad
June 30, 2020
Fresh, cold fruit and creamy, fat-free topping make this Red, White, & Blue Salad the perfect treat to beat the heat at your next summer gathering. A little bit of lime juice will keep the bananas from browning and adds that zesty citrus flavor I love so much!
The Food Factor: How to Boil Eggs in an Electric Pressure Cooker
June 26, 2020
Hard-boiled eggs are a quick, affordable, and protein-filled snack. They are the foundation for egg salad and deviled eggs and are tasty in a variety of salads. So use your electric pressure cooker to make easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs!
Gardening Tips for July
June 23, 2020
And just like that, we’re over halfway through the year. How is that possible? I have spent more time at my home over the past few months than I have in a long time!
Poison Ivy vs. Virginia Creeper
June 19, 2020
With many summer attractions closed or limited due to COVID-19, people are heading into the great outdoors. As you’re exploring nature, you don’t want to have a run-in with the dreaded poison ivy.
The Food Factor: Italian Dressing Mix
June 16, 2020
Making your own mixes is a favorite topic here on The Food Factor. We’ve shared recipes for Ranch Dressing Mix, Taco Seasoning Mix, and Magic Meat Mixes. Today we’ve got a recipe for Italian Dressing Mix!
True confession: I don’t usually make this dressing mix for salads. I put it in the slow cooker with roast beef, onions, and peppers for a delicious alternative to traditional pot roast.
Top Deer Resistant Plants
June 12, 2020
Oh, deer! White-tailed deer can be quite the nuisance in the garden. It’s disheartening to see deer ate the flowers in your back yard for a snack.
How to Get More Water in Your Diet
June 9, 2020
Staying hydrated plays a key role in keeping our body systems working. How much water should you drink daily?
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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, Keri Lewis, 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