Not Quite The Farmers Daughter

Not Quite The Farmers Daughter

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Holiday Health and Safety Tips 2012

The Holidays are coming, the Holidays are coming!  Are you ready?  Are you stressed out?  Tis the season for all the Holiday stress to have a negative impact on our immune systems.  So as your dutiful cook and nurse here are some great tips from the CDC for a safe and healthy Holiday Season!

Holiday Health and Safety Tips

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The holidays are a time to celebrate, give thanks, and reflect. They are also a time to pay special attention to your health. Give the gift of health and safety to yourself and others by following these holiday tips.

Wash Hands Often

Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.

Stay Warm

Cold temperatures can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and older adults. Stay dry, and dress warmly in several layers of loose-fitting, tightly woven clothing.

Manage Stress

The holidays don’t need to take a toll on your health. Keep a check on over-commitment and over-spending. Balance work, home, and play. Get support from family and friends. Keep a relaxed and positive outlook. Make sure to get proper sleep.
Travel Safely

Whether you're traveling across town or around the world, help ensure your trip is safe. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t let someone else drink and drive. Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle. Always buckle your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt according to his/her height, weight, and age.

Be Smoke Free

Avoid smoking and breathing other people's smoke. If you smoke, quit today! Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or talk to your health care provider for help.

Get Check-Ups and Vaccinations

Exams and screenings can help find potential problems before they start. They can also help find problems early, when the chances for treatment and cure are better. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Schedule a visit with your health care provider for a yearly exam. Ask what vaccinations and tests you should get based on your age, lifestyle, travel plans, medical history, and family health history.

Watch The Kids

Children are at high risk for injuries that can lead to death or disability. Keep a watchful eye on your kids when they’re eating and playing. Keep potentially dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, choking hazards (like coins and hard candy), and other objects out of kids' reach. Learn how to provide early treatment for children who are choking. Make sure toys are used properly. Develop and reinforce rules about acceptable and safe behaviors, including electronic media.

Prevent Injuries

Injuries can occur anywhere and some often occur around the holidays. Use step stools instead of furniture when hanging decorations. Leave the fireworks to the professionals. Wear a bicycle helmet to help prevent head injuries. Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or skateboarding to help prevent head injuries. Keep vaccinations up-to-date.

Most residential fires occur during the winter months. Keep candles away from children, pets, walkways, trees, and curtains. Never leave fireplaces, stoves, or candles unattended. Don't use generators, grills, or other gasoline- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home or garage. Install a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home. Test them once a month, and replace batteries twice a year.

Handle and Prepare Food Safely

As you prepare holiday meals, keep you and your family safe from food-related illness. Wash hands and surfaces often. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs (including their juices) away from ready-to-eat foods and eating surfaces. Cook foods to the proper temperature. Refrigerate promptly. Do not leave perishable foods out for more than two hours.

Eat Healthy, Be Active

With balance and moderation, you can enjoy the holidays the healthy way. Choose fresh fruit as a festive and sweet substitute for candy. Select just one or two of your favorites from the host of tempting foods. Find fun ways to stay active, such as dancing to your favorite holiday music. Be active for at least 2½ hours a week. Help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day.

http://www.cdc.gov/family/holiday/

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Sparkling Cherry Chutney for Christmas Please!!!

It's hard to believe we are already in the full swing running towards Christmas.  I know like many of you I have many lists being made, one for gifts and several for meal plans for all the dinners and parties that my family will be having or attending.  This year we are on a tight budget, so I have challenged myself to be as creative as possible to create gifts of food for family and friends.  This year I decided I wanted some sparkle and I created a wonderful chutney packed full of flavor.  This one is easy to can or just make up a batch for dinner.  It's wonderful on hot sliced roasted turkey or wonderful on a sandwich filled with all your dinner leftovers.

Sparkling Cherry Chutney

1 10oz jar of cherry preserves
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp crystallized ginger
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup Moscato

In a small sauce pan over medium heat add all your ingredients except the Moscato.  Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to a simmer.  Stir often because this will thicken fast as the water from the orange juice boils off.  Once this coats the back of a spoon add your Moscato and take off the heat.  The coolness of the Moscato will cause your chutney to thicken quickly.  If you want a thinner chutney add more Moscato 1 tbsp at a time to get desired consistency.  Pour into a bowl to cool and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving to let flavors mingle.  If canning, pour into your clean, sterilized jar and put in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Remove from hot water bath and let cool.  Make sure lid sucks in for a good seal. 

ENJOY!

**I use Ball Canning Guidelines for Jams and Jellies for canning this chutney.