Take Control: Reduce Added Sugars 
Happy Holidays! This is one of the most wonderful times of the year...there will be parties for hosting, marshmallows toasting, and sweets a' baking...What's not to love about the holidays? Answer:
added sugars. This is one of the times of the year we are bombarded with yummy, delicious sweet treats everywhere we go: the office, church, home, family homes', meetings, restaurants and the list goes on. They are scrumptious but it's this time of year we need to be even more mindful of the amount of added sugars we consume; your health depends on it. Let's learn some the facts about added sugars:
- They're not the same as natural sugars found in foods like apple, carrots, and potatoes.
- Americans consume on average 26-30 teaspoons per day...that's 52 pounds a year!
- Most foods with added sugar are pretty obvious: donuts, cookies, cakes, candy, flavored milk, and ice cream.
- Top culprits of hidden sugar: cereal, applesauce, dried fruit, yogurt, fruit snacks, and granola bars
- Condiments are also a culprit of hidden sugar such as salad dressings, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and honey mustard.
Now let's learn some ways to help take control and limit added sugars this holiday season and also help start the new year on the right path to a healthier you:
- Eat the recommended daily sugar intake of 6-9 teaspoons per day
- Read the Nutrition Facts Label to see the amount of sugar per serving in foods or beverages. Learn how to convert unit grams to teaspoons
- Eat smaller portions of foods that have added sugar
- Flavor foods and beverages with fruits instead of sugar
- Choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit drinks
- Choose fruit for dessert and snacks
This information is provided by the SNAP-Ed Steps to Health - Take Control Program and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
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Safe Food for the Holidays
Holiday meals have been linked to many harmful pathogens, including Salmonella and
Campylobacter.
Cooking for a large crowd, whether in the home or a community kitchen, can lead to mistakes at the expense of food safety.
Follow these tips to have a safe and happy holiday season:
- Clean and sanitize utensils and work surfaces after preparing raw turkey for roasting.
- Wash your hands after handling raw meat or poultry.
- Don't wash your turkey - research shows that when washing poultry, pathogens can be spread within 3 feet of the sink, where other foods may be prepared.
- Color is not an indicator of safety or doneness - the only way to know whether the turkey is done is with a tip-sensitive digital thermometer reading at least 165 degrees Farhenheit.
- Test temperature in multiple spots, without hitting the bone - hitting the bone could give an inaccurate temperature reading
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of taking it out of the oven - Turkey should be cooled to 41degrees Farhenheit quickly. This is best accomplished by slicing it small re-sealable bags and laying them flat in the refrigerator. Some spore-forming bacteria will grow and form toxins if kept at room temperature for too long.
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Developing Replacement Heifers 
Developing replacement heifers that are sound, durable, and efficient additions to the cow herd is important to the viability of a beef producer. Whether purchased, or home grown, replacement heifers are a necessary expense to the cattlemen and should be developed properly to insure long term success.
Producers should first be sure to get heifers to the target weight before breeding. This is generally recognized as 65% of their mature weight. So for a producer with a 1350 lb. average mature cow size, a heifer should weigh in at around 850-875 lbs. This shocks some producers, but as average cow size has increased, target weights have gone up in relation to these increases. This means heifers that are 650 lbs. at weaning, need to gain around 225 lbs. by breeding date. These heifers will need to gain around 1lb a day from weaning to the beginning of the breeding season to reach the target weight. These gains can be accomplished through a consistent nutrition program and can be accomplished without high energy feeds. Keep average daily gains steady and consistent and avoid pushing heifers early and then backing off during winter when feed resources are more scarce. If creep feeding through weaning, try to continue on the same plane of nutrition through breeding. There is some research that shows that heifers roughed through their first winter and then fed on a rising plane of nutrition up to the breeding season show little production differences than those fed throughout their development and there is more than one way to skin a cat. But for the average producer, keep weight gains steady and on a rising nutritional plane through breeding to insure good conception rates and greater lifetime production. Producers can utilize feeds with ionophores such as Rumensin or Bovatec in the diet to maximize weight gain and reach maturity earlier. Keep up a good mineral program for developing heifers, making it available at all times, to support their development.
While producers certainly don't want to under-develop heifers, they should also avoid overdeveloping them as well. Over weight heifers don't perform well and excess fat deposited in the mammary gland can lead to low milk production and obese heifers can be prone to more calving difficulties.
Producers should avoid implanting heifers they raise, or buying heifers that have received implants. Just don't take the risk. Keep good records on your heifers, taking time to eartag or tattoo them so you can document their development accurately. Vaccinate them according to your program and time the vaccinations to give a pre-breeding booster. It is a good idea to work with your veterinarian to develop a comprehensive herd health program, not just for your heifers, but your entire herd. Last but not least, keep those replacement heifers away from any bull calves present, to avoid any pregnancy risk before the breeding season. Heifers bred too early rarely reach their full potential as replacements, as they are behind from the start.
By implementing these fundamental elements of heifer development in your operation, you can increase the odds of your heifers being successful, productive cows that yield greater returns on your investment.
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Slow Cooking Safe Meals
Who can resist coming home after a long day of work to dinner already cooked and only one pot to clean? Slow cookers are a fall and winter staple, and with proper use, they are a completely safe and energy efficient way to serve up your favorite meals during this busy holiday season. Follow these tips to ensure the food coming out of your slow cooker is delicious and safe:
- Slow cooking is a great way to tenderize tougher, less expensive cuts of meat. Follow your slow cooker's manufacturers guidelines and recipes to ensure food is reaching proper temperatures while cooking.
- Start with clean hands, equipment, and utensils.
- ALWAYS thaw any meat or poultry before putting it in a slow cooker. If frozen pieces are used, they may not reach a safe temperature quick enough and could possibly result in foodborne illness. There are only three safe ways of thawing food; in the refrigerator, under cold (70°F) running water, and in the microwave (if being cooked immediately).
- Preheat your slow cooker and add hot liquids, if possible. Preheating or cooking on the highest setting for the first hour will ensure rapid heating of the food and may reduce time it spends in the Temperature Danger Zone (41°F - 135°F) where bacteria can grow at rapid rates.
- Never use the warm setting to cook food. It is designed to keep food hot once it has finished cooking.
- Avoid lifting the lid when cooking, if possible. Each time the lid is raised, internal temperature of the slow cooker drops 10-15 degrees and cook time is slowed by 30 minutes.
- ALWAYS check the internal temperature of meat and poultry with a food thermometer before taking a bite. Minimum internal cooking temperatures - Roasts: 145°F; Poultry: 165°F, Soups, stews & sauces: 165°F.
- Do not leave cooked food in the slow cooker to cool. Eat food immediately or separate into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours.
- Do not reheat leftovers in a slow cooker. Reheat in a microwave or stovetop (to internal temperature of 165°F) and keep warm (at 135°F or above) in slow cooker, if needed.
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4-H Update 
Monday December 2, 5-8pm Parade float crafting/work.
Wednesday December 4, 1-8pm Parade float decorate/set-up. Drop in as available.
Thursday December 5. JIRC parade. 4-H will walk with float. Let Nicki know if you and/or youth plan to walk. All walkers MUST be registered in 4-H Online prior.
Tuesday December 10, 6-7pm Jr.Beekeepers (end of year workshop) & 7-8pm 4-H Discovery Cookie swap. Please join us for both if you wish. Swap usually consist of bringing a dozen of your favorite holiday cookies to swap with others. Please use caution with peanut allergies and please label cookies that may contain peanuts/peanut products.
4-H Project Record Books DUE Friday January 10,2020 by 5pm. NO late record books will be accepted.
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America's Christmas Flower
What would Joel Poinsett think if he could see the modern day poinsettia? He discovered the poinsettia growing wild in Mexico when he went there in 1825 as the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. He liked the plant so well that he sent some to his home in Greenville, S. C. to grow in his greenhouse there. Although it is known as the Christmas flower now it was first cultivated by the Aztec Indians long before Christianity came to the western hemisphere. Franciscan priests in Mexico first used the plant in religious Christmas processions in the seventeenth century because of their bright color.
The poinsettia of the twenty-first century is quite a bit more sophisticated. There are over one hundred cultivars of the plant and they range in color from creamy white to many different shades of pink and red. Given the prop
er treatment the poinsettia will bloom for several months. However, there are two things they will not put up with: chilling drafts and drying out.
Never allow your poinsettia to be placed in a cold drafty location. Even when they are being transported home from the store they should be kept in the heated part of the car. Do not sit them near a door where they will be subjected to cold air. Also, never allow the poinsettia to dry out. They will drop all of their leaves and never recover if they get too dry. Keep the soil moist, but not wet. A high light area is ideal for a poinsettia but never expose them to full sun. This will cause the color to fade more quickly.
Last of all, the big debate about whether the poinsettia is poisonous or not: According to the American Medical Association's Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants, other than occasional cases of vomiting, ingestion of the poinsettia plant has been found to produce no effect.
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