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Grill with hotdogs and chicken on it

Warmer weather means it’s grilling season! Summer grilling is all about bringing people together. Some of my favorite childhood memories are ones spent at family cookouts! 


Jars of spices lined up in a V formation.

Salt-Free Seasonings in 3 Steps

May 11, 2023

One of the first steps in controlling high blood pressure is to reduce the extra sodium in your diet. Many people think sodium and salt are the same thing, however, they are different. Sodium is a mineral that occurs naturally in foods and is sometimes added during manufacturing. Table salt is a combination of the minerals sodium and chloride.

A house sparrow.

Bird of the Month: House Sparrow

May 5, 2023

Have you ever noticed the small birds hopping around parking lots scrounging for food and wondered what kind they were? There’s a good chance they were house sparrows. 

Cranberry Balls

The Food Factor: Cranberry Oatmeal Balls

May 2, 2023

Cranberry Oatmeal Balls are chewy bites of deliciousness. They provide a nutritious energy boost while satisfying your snack cravings!

A black lawn mower mowing a yard.

May Landscape Tasks

April 28, 2023

May is here and you know what that means, it’s go time! 

A monarch butterfly on an orang flower.

Nectar Plants for Mississippi Butterflies

April 25, 2023

There’s nothing as magical and whimsical as a garden filled with colorful butterflies. They’re fun to watch, but they also play an important role in our environment.

Black swallowtail caterpillar on a plant.

Larval Plants for Mississippi Caterpillars

April 21, 2023

Did you know that certain plants provide food to certain butterflies? Just like adult and baby humans eat different things, the same applies to butterflies!

A woman in a kitchen.

The Food Factor: Tuna Melt Burger

April 18, 2023

This Tuna Melt Burger is great for lunch or dinner, and it's easy cleanup!

Storm clouds.

Know the Difference: Watch vs. Warning

April 14, 2023

In Mississippi, we’ve taken our fair share of hard hits from severe weather lately. The tornados that ripped through the Delta and North Mississippi have changed lives forever. With hurricane season looming just behind tornado season, it’s important to understand the differences in two common weather alerts: watches and warnings. 

A woman stands in a kitchen.

4 Tips to Navigate Food Allergies

April 11, 2023

Millions of Americans have food allergies. While some may outgrow food allergies, many others do not. Food allergies are common in young children and tend to appear during the first or second year of life. Check out the tips I use to help me navigate as a mom of a child with food allergies.

Two lambs stand along side a sheep in a pasture as the sun rises in the distance.

What’s the Difference Between Lambs and Sheep

April 6, 2023

Some people use lamb and sheep interchangeably to identify the animal, but they aren’t exactly the same thing. So, what’s the difference between them? Yes, lambs are baby sheep -- that’s the main distinction. But here are some other differences between the two:

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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