September Picnics

September is a great time for bike riding and impromptu picnics with your kids. Sandwiches are easy to make. Most kids are happy to eat the sandwich they made themselves. Fresh vegetables from the garden or farmer’s market were used to create this “open face” sandwich (pun intended).

Save money with sandwich lunches by skipping the chips, fries, and soda that go with most fast food lunches. Make your own sandwiches with low-cost ingredients. Just add fruit, cheese sticks, a glass of milk, or nuts to make a nutritious meal. You could follow your lunch with a fun read about picnics. There are a lot of choices of books at your public library. Put the sandwiches in an insulated lunch bag and hop on your bikes to go have a picnic at the park!

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National Preparedness Month: Dealing With Weather Emergencies

It’s one thing to prepare your family, pets, and property for extreme weather situations. It’s another to protect your personal information and finances from scammers who use weather emergencies to cheat people.  Consumer Advice-FTC - Dealing with Weather Emergencies  has information to help you prepare for, deal with, and recover from a weather emergency.

• Consumer Advice -FTC- Preparing for a Weather Emergency
• Consumer Advice -FTC- Staying Alert to Disaster-related Scams
• Consumer Advice FTC- Getting Back on Your Feet Financially

 

Preparing for a Hurricane

Infant Food Safety During a Hurricane

Meal Prep and Food Safety After Power Failure From a Hurricane

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“Catch the Wellness Wave” - September 10 with N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension

Try Healthy, a program of Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T University, will host a virtual health fair to promote community health and wellness.

Catch the Wellness Wave, a virtual health fair aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles will take place on Sept. 10.

The event is free and targets families and individuals in North Carolina. People interested in registering can do so at Catch the Wellness Wave Virtual Fair.

Catch the Wellness Wave will offer a variety of activities and sessions to promote health and wellness, including virtual food demonstrations, exercise demonstrations, and workshops. Attendees will be able to access all events from the comfort of their homes. The fun begins at 9 a.m. and continues until 4 p.m. In addition to gaining knowledge about nutrition, health and fitness to benefit the whole family, the first 100 registered attendees will receive a swag bag.

Other activities will include a scavenger hunt and a photo booth to capture the virtual experience. Shewana McSwain, the Try Healthy SNAP-Ed coordinator with Extension at N.C. A&T, urged people to register so that they can:

• Receive tips to improve their health
• Get moving with exercise instructors
• Learn how to shop for healthy foods on a budget
• Participate in a virtual scavenger hunt and be eligible to win one of two $25 gift cards
• Collect healthy recipes to make at home
• Connect with vendors in the virtual exhibit hall and receive helpful resources
• Pick up tips to encourage kids to eat healthy
• Win a swag bag by being one of the first 100 registered attendees

Registered participants for Catch the Wellness Wave simply need to log in at theevent link on the day of the event. Participants also will be able to download slides and background documents offered during workshops and at virtual vendor booths.

Catch the Wellness Wave Flyer

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Food Protection Manager Certification

Do you work in a food establishment and are in need of food safety training/certification?

N.C. Cooperative Extension offers Safe Plates for Food Managers for all those who work in the food service industry. The course helps food establishments meet the North Carolina requirement of having at least one supervisor certified as a food protection manager, per the FDA Food Code 2017.

This course is designed for food employees who are seeking food protection manager certification. Certification is based on passing the ANSI-approved exam from the National Registry for Food Safety Professionals. Certification is accepted throughout the United States for five years from date of exam, and includes a certificate to be displayed in the workplace and a wallet card.

For More Information contact: Dominque Simon, at 919-496-3344, dominque_simon@ncsu.edu

Safeplates for Food Managers Training Program Info sheet

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NC State Fair Announces Home Chef Challenge

The N.C. State Fair is looking for home chefs to spice up the competitions at the fair with 11 days of cooking challenges. Included are loaded nachos, ultimate brownies, spirited pies, quirky cobbler, a make-ahead breakfast challenge, chili cook-off, grain bowls, sirloin salad, fair food featuring bacon and chicken casserole.

“Like the N.C. State Fair, cooking is a way to bring people together,” said John Buettner, competitive exhibits director. “I know that the competitions offered this year will bring out the creative side of our home chefs and I can’t wait to see the results. In addition to bragging rights, the winning recipe for each challenge brings home a prize of $500.” Recipes will be judged on appearance, taste and creativity.

A complete list of Home Chef Challenges is listed at NC State Fair Home Chef Challenge. The deadline to enter is Oct. 3. The Home Chef Challenge will be held in the North Lobby of Dorton Arena. Contestants will receive two gate tickets and a parking pass to bring their entry to the fair.

More information is available at NC State Fair Home Chef Challenge.