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Cooperative Extension Service - Wayne County Debbie Shepherd, CEA FCS 255 Rolling Hills Blvd. Monticello KY 42633 (606) 348-8453 Fax: (606) 348-8460 extension.ca.uky.edu debbie.shepherd@uky.edu facebook: Wayne County Family and

All are now grown so I’m an empty nest-er except for all my fur-babies. Moose & Molly (dogs), Baxter, Sockies, Baby Henry, Buzzy & Simon (cats), Wink-in’ (goldfish). I also have a resident pos-sum that thinks its name is “Here Kitty-kitty”! Some hobbies I love are quilting/sewing, books/reading, gardening & flowers, animals & wildlife, cooking/

baking and rockers/porch swings. I am so looking forward to the ad-ventures we can have together! In your newsletter you will find a sur-vey. Please take a minute to fill it out

and return it. This will help me get an

idea of programs and adventures you would like to have in Wayne County.

I am so very disappointed that my getting to meet and know you all better is being delayed due to COVID-19. It’s most important however, to put your well-being and safety first. En-closed in this newsletter is information on COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

Can’t wait to meet you all! Debbie

Hello Wayne County! I am so excited to be your new Family & Con-sumer Sciences Agent! The Wayne County communi-ty is beautiful and so are its people! I am really look-ing forward to getting to know all of you! A little about me. I have been an FCS Agent for 25 years. My first three years were in Robertson County and my last twenty-two years have been in Casey County. I love what I do and can’t imagine do-ing anything else! I currently live in Garrard County and am so looking forward to moving to Wayne as soon as I sell my house. I will also be looking for a new church home once I get moved. I am close with my family. I have four sisters and my Momma is a very active 80. You will get to know her as she will be moving to Wayne County too after I get moved. You will also get to know Laurie Lou my younger sister if you come to some of our quilting classes. We tend to co-teach quilting classes. She is a design artist and certified Elenore Burns in-structor. I have raised four children. First my nephew Jer-emy, then I adopted my girls Tiffany, Kayla and Amy.

Wayne Co. FCS Agent, Debbie Shepherd ……………..…. Page 1 Program Cancellations/COVID-19 (Coronavirus) …. Page 2 FCS Programs/Event ……………………………..……………………… Page 3 Nutrition Notes, Gaye Hutchins, EFNEP Assist. …... Page 4 Creative & Inspiring, Seth Hart, Fine Arts Assist. …Page 5,6 Kid Activities—Debbie Shepherd, CEA FCS ……….…. Page7 Hello from Cassie Lester, FCS Program Assist. ……… Page 8 Extension Homemaker News ……………..…………… ………... Page 8 Garden Information & Comforts of Hot Tea ..…………. Page 9 Stocking Your Pantry ……………………………..………………...... Page 10

Hello from Your Wayne County Family &

Consumer Sciences Team!

FCS & Extension Homemaker Programs Cancelled

The University of Kentucky and the Wayne County Extension Office Family & Con-sumer Sciences Team have the well-being and safety of our leaders, volunteers and community members as top priority. We will keep you posted and updated on all cancellations and rescheduling of Exten-sion Family & Consumer Sciences and Ex-tension Homemaker programs as we moni-tor public safety recommendations for COVID-19 (Coronavirus). ALL Family & Consumer Sciences and Ex-tension Homemaker programs will be can-celled until after April 6th. PLEASE help us spread the word! This includes ALL Extension Homemaker club meetings, outings and programs. Ie. Extension Homemaker Council Meeting, Leader Training, Christmas Village Plan-ning, etc. ALL Family & Consumer Sciences pro-grams are also cancelled. Ie. Great Green Spring Clean, Mountain Moms and Com-munity Based Interventions Programing with Cassie Lester, FCS Program Assistant – All Youth and Adult Nutrition Classes with Gaye Hutchison, ENEP Assistant- 4-H Art Club, Mountain Moms, Adanta, ICA Art Classes, Community Bassed Interven-tions, Patriot Industries, Operation Prepa-ration at the Middle School with Seth Hart, Fine Arts Program Assistant. Activities, programs and events will be re-scheduled at a later date. Additional information concerning COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can be found on the Wayne County Family & Consumer Sci-ences facebookYou may also contact us for information. 606-348-8453.

Coronavirus: What You Can Do! The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) told Americans to start preparing for the spread of the coronavirus. The CDC states that the best and easiest thing you can do to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is wash your hands! The CDC does not recommend wearing a face-mask to prevent the coronavirus. Only people who have the coronavirus or are showing symp-toms should wear a facemask. Wearing a face-mask protects others from infection. What you can do: · The No. 1 thing to do is to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 sec-onds, especially after going to the bathroom; be-fore eating; and after blowing your nose, cough-ing, or sneezing. · Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wipes with at least 60% alcohol. · Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, like cellphones. · Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. · Stay home when you are sick. · Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue. Symptoms include: · Dry cough · Sneezing · Fever · Shortness of breath Those at a higher risk: · Young · Elderly · Those with weak immune symptoms As the situation is constantly changing, the CDC is the most current and knowledgeable source on a national level. Use the CDC website to stay up to date with the most accurate information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html Source: Natalie Jones, Family Health Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture

Family & Consumer Sciences Programs & Events We understand that in times like these things may seem a little scary and uncertain. We also understand that there are lots of ques-tions or needs for information that you may have. That is why we are here. Our mission and purpose for providing you with updated re-search based information is still the same as it has always been. We are here for you. Although for the near future we will not be holding in person meetings and programs, we WILL be providing online opportunities as well as information via postal mailings. You can also call us here at the office with any questions or programming information you may need. We will do our very best to assist you in any way we can to keep you informed. Please feel free to reach out and let us continue to be a reliable resource to you and your family. ~ Debbie

Ways to reach us & get current updated infor-

mation & resources: Phone: 606-348-8453 Email: debbie.shepherd@uky.edu Facebook: Wayne County Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences

Fun Activities for Your Children When you are confined at home, it can be hard to find activities to do with your children. This can be especially true with younger children. It is easy to allow your children to spend more time on the computer or in front of the television. However, these activities can reduce the amount of quality time you spend together as a family. Too much screen time can also be connected to childhood obesity. When you spend time together in fun ac-tivities, you create memories that last a lifetime. Here are a few tips for activities that families can do that are free or very low cost. 1. Build a tent together in your home. There is nothing that you need to purchase. Your family can simply use items that are already there. Any room of your home can be used. Tents can trans-form even the smallest spaces in your home into a whole new world. They can open a door to many hours of creative play together. Have your child pick out materials to really spark their creativity. You can also find great ideas online. 2. Bake or cook with your children. Cooking tasks such as stirring batter and cracking eggs are great ways for kids to have fun while learning new skills. Tasks such as measuring liquids and figur-ing proportions when changing recipes can help teach critical math skills. Make a homemade piz-za, bake some cookies, or make a homemade salsa together and use it with a family taco bar. Cooking with your children can be so much fun. It can also be free or very low cost. You can find recipes online together for free. You can even find recipes that call for ingredients that you already have in your home. It also teaches your children important life skills they will need in their future. Getting messy is good for your child’s mental health as well. If you are not a cook, try making s’mores to-gether. 3. Try some indoor water play. Bath time does not have to be just for cleaning our bodies. Many chil-dren love to be in the water, but they live in places where outdoor water play is only possible during certain times of the year. When swimming pools are closed, splashing in a warm tub can provide just as much fun. Fill a tub with warm water and throw in bubble bath and toys, and let the fun begin! Even a large water basin or sink can work.

4. Play with the bubbles and toys. Use fun things like color tablets for the bath or tub crayons or paints. You and your child can use all kinds of home items to create your own world in the wa-ter. You can then make up stories together from the world you have created. The bath tub is a great place for creative imaginations and relaxed time playing as parent and child. You can also create your own bath bombs or bath slimes to-gether. 5. Get up and get moving together. Your family can play Hide and Seek or Hello Neighbor to-gether. You can plan out a family scavenger hunt or obstacle course. You can play together with a family pet. You can do yoga, stretching, or medi-tation together without having to buy a single thing. Take a walk or play a game of soccer to-gether. Fresh air can be a great way to deal with boredom! No matter what time of the year, being outdoors is always good for your mental health. 6. Plan for regular family game nights. Board games or card games are a great way to bring the family together for lots of fun and laughs. There are many choices and lots of games that are very affordable. You can find all kinds of great ideas on the Internet that are free. Let each person in the family pick out a favorite game that you can all play together. Some family favorites that are passed down through generations are Monopoly, Go Fish, Pictionary, and Yahtzee. Start a tradi-tion that your own children may even continue with their children someday. 7. Make a “bored box.” This does not have to be fancy. Include simple items like paper, paint sup-plies, and crayons. Play dough and clay are also great to have handy. Adults and children alike love to color or draw. Slime ingredients are al-ways a huge hit. Don’t be afraid to get messy! Just stock up on a few items your family loves to do together and keep them stored in a box for an instant activity anytime. Source: Dr. Kerri Ashurst, Senior Extension Specialist for Family and Rela-tionship Development.

Edible Gluten Free No Cook Play Dough Baby Rice Cereal Vegetable Oil Cornstarch Unsweetened Applesauce (you can substi-tute water if you don’t have applesauce) Food coloring (optional) In a bowl combine 1 cup of baby rice cereal and 1 cup of cornstarch. Mix well. Add 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (for reference those little lunch sized applesauce happen to be 4 oz = 1/2 cup) and 3 Tablespoons of vege-table oil and any food coloring (if de-sired). Mix well. I find that kneading by hand is pretty effective, though you could al-so use a mixer. The dough should be knead-ed (or mixed) until it is smooth and plia-ble. If it is at all sticky, slowly add more baby rice cereal taking care to knead it complete-ly in before deciding you need more. If the dough is dry and cracking, run your hands under the faucet and knead the dough with your now wet hands. The dough will keep for several days in the refrigerator. Store in a sealed container or bag and please check for mold or a yucky smell before using it each time (how long it takes to spoil will depend on how clean your hands are and how warm it is, etc). You will find that the dough is stiffer when it first comes out of the refrigerator - if you knead it to warm it up, it will soon be back to its nor-mal pliable self! If necessary - wet your hands with some water and knead that in.

Comforts of Hot Tea A soothing cup of hot tea is great for get-ting family or friends together to share in times of uncertainty. Time together can provide social and emotional benefits, and drinking unsweetened tea can provide several health benefits. Regularly drinking tea may help reduce your risk for heart disease and protect teeth from tooth decay. Other potential benefits include supporting weight loss and reducing the risk of cancer. These health benefits are attributed to the varie-ty of flavonoids in tea. Flavonoids are a va-riety of chemicals naturally found in plants that protect the body from inflam-mation and damage. Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The processing methods determine the va-riety, flavor, and aroma of tea. Common varieties of tea include black, green, oo-long, and white. A cup of tea has about half the caffeine of a cup of coffee, but the caffeine content ultimately depends on the type of tea and the brewing process. Follow these simple steps to brew the perfect cup of tea. Use one tea bag or 1 to 2 teaspoons of loose tea for every cup of tea. If you’re using loose tea, put the leaves in a tea strainer. Bring cold water to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, pour it over the tea. Brew times vary depending on the variety of tea. Brew black tea for four minutes, oolong tea for three minutes, green tea for two minutes, and white tea for one minute. Longer brew times will produce a stronger flavor than shorter brew times. Sip and savor the comfort of enjoying a warm cup of tea. Source: Courtney Luecking, Extension Specialist

Wayne County Cooper-ative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences

Debbie Shepherd Wayne County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences

Stocking Your Pantry Keeping your pantry stocked with a few basic food items will allow you to cook a simple, healthy meal at a moment’s notice. Once your pantry is equipped with the essentials, you can simply buy fresh items from the grocery to cook with your stocked items. When we think of our pantry, we tend to first think about canned or boxed goods. Sug-gestions for your pantry include canned fish such as tuna, salmon, and sardines; canned beans such as black, kidney, garbanzo, cannellini, and chickpeas; and canned vegetables such as toma-toes, spinach, corn, or beets. Other items to consider are broth or stock, peanut butter and oth-er nut butters, and salsa. There are several options for rice and grains including brown rice, whole-grain pasta, couscous, rolled oats, and breadcrumbs. Common oils, vinegars, and condiments can add flavor in a pinch. Think about adding extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. Additional ways to add flavor include seasonings like salt and pepper, and spice blends like chili powder and Italian seasoning. Stocking up your herbs and spices cabinet is also a great way to be prepared for putting together quick meals with lots of flavor. Common herbs and spices you should include might be bay leaves, parsley, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Building your pantry does not happen overnight. It is important to slowly build up your inven-tory as needed. Many of these foods are shelf-stable for several months and can be purchased in bulk or on sale. Source: Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Extension Specialist for Nutrition and Health; Claire Crosby, Human Nutrition Student