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A hand is shown dipping a bell pepper strip into a bowl of garlic chickpea dip.

This dip is easy to whip up with a few ingredients you probably have on hand and a food processor.


A closeup of a poplar tree showing its leaves and flowers

Tree of the Month:Yellow Poplar

March 28, 2024

It’s in your kitchen, hallway, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. You probably sit on it, but it’s 200 feet tall! Have you figured it out yet? It’s the yellow poplar tree!

A group of seven rabbits from different breeds.

Rabbits: A Fun 4-H Project

March 27, 2024

Rabbits are a quintessential symbol of spring, representing fertility, rebirth, and resurrection since ancient times. But did you know that these small animals have recently been added to the Mississippi 4-H livestock show list?

Man mowing grass.

Spring Lawn Guide

March 22, 2024

It’s spring, meaning things are starting to grow! The “spring transition,” when grasses go from dormant to active, is in full swing this month.

A woman stands in a kitchen holding a plate of salmon patties for the camera.

The Food Factor: Lemon Pepper Salmon Patties

March 22, 2024

These Lemon Pepper Salmon Patties are an easy, quick, and delicious way to incorporate this tasty and healthy fish into your menu rotation.

4-H clover on MSU Campus

The History behind the 4-H Clover

March 16, 2024

The four-leaf clover has become associated with quite a few things, including St. Patrick’s Day, good luck, and 4-H! Who remembers trying to find a four-leaf clover as a child?

Clovers are weeds that usually have three leaves. Every now and then, a rare fourth leaf will be produced. The chances of finding a four-leaf clover are pretty slim. You’ve got about a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding a four-leaf clover, and if you do, it’s your lucky day! 

Our favorite four-leaf clover is the 4-H clover emblem. The four Hs, each on one leaf, stand for head, heart, hands, and...

A woman stands in kitchen with a cell phone displaying a web page.

Food: From Farm to Fork

March 13, 2024

This year’s theme for National Nutrition Month inspires us to look “Beyond the Table” when thinking about our health and the environment. Check out Qula's tips for being mindful as we buy and consume foods.

Person washing a stain out of a white piece of clothing.

How to Remove Pesky Stains

March 8, 2024

There’s nothing more annoying than getting something on your shirt and it leaves a stain. I know the feeling all too well.

A woman holds a jar of Honey Mustard Dressing in a kitchen.

The Food Factor: Honey Mustard Dressing

March 5, 2024

You'll want to keep this homemade Honey Mustard Dressing on hand in your kitchen.

Eastern Redbud Tree with pink flowers.

Tree of the Month: Eastern Redbud

March 1, 2024

Could your yard use some beautification? Always! Do you want a small tree with beautiful, fragrant flowers? The eastern redbud is just for you! 

Person planting vegetables.

What are Plant Hardiness Zones?

February 26, 2024

Spring is right around the corner, and you probably are getting an itch to start setting out plants in your landscape and garden. If you’re new to gardening, you’ll need to know what plant hardiness zone you’re in.

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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