Extension for Real Life
Description
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
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The Food Factor: Top 5 Posts for 2019
To wrap up 2019, we wanted to share with you our most popular posts this year.
It's always fun to see what resonates with our food-loving friends. We strive to share recipes we think are healthy, fun, and realistic -- no 25-ingredient recipes here!
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Gardening Tasks for January
Do you have improving your garden or landscape on your New Year’s resolution list? If you don’t, you should! Each month, we are going to offer a few suggested tasks to do. So, without further ado, here are four tasks for you to complete in your garden and landscape during the month of January:
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Sweet Potato and Orange Muffins
Photo by Jonathan Parrish.
Sweet potatoes are healthy, delicious, and grown right here in Mississippi. What’s not to love? Well, I don’t love all the fat that most people add to them, whether making casseroles, baking pies, or deep-frying sweet potato fries.
These muffins are a healthy breakfast food you can enjoy at home or on the go. The recipe pairs the rich flavor of sweet potatoes with a bright splash of citrus. The golden color hides the grated carrot, and whole wheat flour boosts your fiber intake even more. With a mere 120 calories per serving and 50 percent of your vitamin A for the day, you’ll start the day off right! You could add chopped pecans for a little extra protein, or dried cranberries for extra flavor, but know they’ll both add more calories. (In my opinion, it’s worth it!)
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Tips to Ease Holiday Stress
If just the thought of the holidays sets off a sense of dread, consider approaching the season differently this year.
Dr. David Buys, Mississippi State University Extension Service health specialist, has some simple, practical tips to help you.
Photo credit: Michael Voroshnin – Unsplash -
Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast
Our Facebook fans have asked for healthier holiday recipes and slow cooker recipes, so The Food Factor team has combined both requests into one new video: Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast!
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How to Make a Santa Tulle Wreath
Christmas is my favorite time of year! We wanted to share a fun DIY craft to make with your family this holiday season. Natalie Ray, Extension agent in Clay County, made the cutest Santa wreath with her 4-H’ers and we had to share the instructions!
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The Food Factor: How to Make Homemade Applesauce
Nothing says fall like the scent of homemade applesauce simmering on the stove. One of the best things about making your own food is the ability to control the spices, amount of sugar, and texture of whatever you’re making. We found small bags of apples on sale for 99 cents each in the produce department of our local grocery store. Imperfect or slightly bruised apples make great applesauce! (Photo by MSU Extension)
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What To do in Your Garden in December
Poinsettias, a common Christmas plant, are in bloom during December. (Photo by MSU Extension)
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How to Plant a Tree
If you have a certain spot in your yard that you’ve been thinking about planting a tree, now is the time to do it! The hardest part of planting a tree is picking out which type to plant!