What’s Cooking at Virginia Cooperative Extension – Master Food Volunteers Training

Posted on March 14, 2014 by maryev8

Photo by Ginger Geoffrey

What’s cooking? A new class of 32 Master Food Volunteer trainees are preparing and cooking their lunch in the Fairlington Community Center kitchen led by Agent Katie Strong and mentored by a team of Master Food Volunteers (MFV).

The lunch is delicious, simple, cheap and nutritious and one part of the interactive training that includes topics such as Food Safety, Basic Nutrition, and Meal Planning.
After 30 hours of training these Master Food Volunteers expect to give back 30 hours of volunteer service to the community in their first year.

Master Food Volunteers provide a range of community programs including:

nutrition and cooking classes for seniors, adults and families
food preservation
farmers’ market displays
education at food assistance centers
in-school and after-school programs
working with community gardeners

Examples of some of the recipes that Master Food Volunteers and clients use are online at Cooking Matters from Share Our Strength.

After tasting the Master Food Volunteers’ smoky paprika sweet potato and black bean soup and the delicious salsa filled pita pockets, I decided to have a go and make these at home. So can you!

And look out for Master Food Volunteers at events in the community!

If you are interested in becoming a Master Food Volunteer or would like to host an event with Master Food Volunteers’ participation please contact agent Katie Strong, kstrong@vt.edu

Got Grass? How to Manage Your Turf Grass After the Snow Melts?

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Mary

Please join Arlington Virginia Cooperative Extension for our spring Turf Management program presented by Dr. Mike Goatley on Tuesday March 11 from 7-9 PM at the Arlington Mills Community Center, 909 S Dinwiddie St, Arlington, VA 22204

Register to attend the Turf Management program by calling the Horticulture Help Desk at 703 228 6414 or email kbuhls@vt.edu with Turf Management in the subject line.

Soil Test
Soil Testing is a valuable way to ensure that you are providing optimal growing conditions for your plants and will help you to reduce your costs and reduce nutrient runoff in our Chesapeake watershed.

Soil Sample Boxes and Test Process

Pick up soil sampling box at the Virginia Cooperative Extension Arlington and Alexandria offices
Fill box with soil samples
Send soil sample box with form and fee to the Virginia Tech Lab for analysis and recommendations of nutrients to condition your plants whether vegetables, ornamentals or turf grass
In a few days, the Virginia Tech Lab will respond with email or fax with analysis of your soil sample and what is needed to condition optimally for your plantings

Nutrient Care for Lawn Service Providers
The over-application of garden/lawn nutrient applications is a major contributor to nutrient runoff to the Chesapeake Bay. If you hire a lawn care provider, help ensure that they are applying fertilizer as prescribed by actual soil results for your property: Nutrient Care for Lawn Service Providers: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-400/430-400.html

Whether you look after a lawn and turf grass yourself or hire a lawn care service, Dr Mike Goatley will give you plenty of cost-effective advice to ensure you can manage your lawn and turf grass to help reduce the impact on the Chesapeake Bay.

America Saves. NOVA Saves. Are You Saving? Set Goals. Take the Pledge…

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Mary

This week is America Saves week.
Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Arlington coordinates the America Saves/ Northern Virginia Saves campaign (www.northernvirginiasaves.org).

Visit www.northernvirginiasaves.org to set your goals and make your pledge to save today!

In celebration of America Saves/Northern Virginia Saves week, VA Cooperative Extension Arlington collaborated with Arlington Community Federal Credit Union and Marymount University to host a series of “Lunch and Learn” professional development sessions.

Informative topics and speakers were:

Understanding Credit, Susan Shockey, National Program Leader at NIFA/USDA
The Truth about Retirement Plans & IRA’s, Ed Schweitzer, CFP(R) of Edelman Financial Services
Goal Oriented Savings, Momodou Bojang, Financial Advisor with ACFCU

Upcoming VCE Arlington Financial Education events:

Credit Report Reviews at DHS
VCE Arlington Financial Educators will offer credit report reviews through April at Alexandria DHS offices (703-746-5700) and Arlington DHS offices (703-228-1300).
Please contact your DHS office for days and times.

Finance Events in the Schools
VCE Arlington Financial Educators continue to host several Reality Store and Kids Marketplace finance simulation events in Arlington schools.

Financial Education Seminars
Check the VCE Arlington website calendar and your local library calendars for upcoming financial seminars presented by VCE Arlington in April and May.

Senior Nutrition Classes: Seafood, Nuts, and Seeds

Posted on February 21, 2014 by kstrong

As we age, our nutritional needs and health concerns change. Virginia Cooperative Extension is helping to ensure the 55+ population in Arlington takes a preventative approach to their health. VCE partners with Arlington Senior Centers to provide cooking and nutrition classes. These programs provide healthy, easy, and affordable recipes alongside sound nutritional information. In short, they allow people to taste new foods and learn tools to simplify cooking. With this knowledge, participants can ensure they are getting the nutrients they need while limiting the ones they don’t, like saturated fat, sugar, and sodium.

So far this year, classes have focused on eating more nuts, seeds, and seafood. These foods have more in common than one may think. Nuts, seeds, and seafood all add healthy fats and a varied source of protein to our diet. Below is a picture from one of this years’ classes in which FCS Agent Katie Strong, MS, RD, demonstrates tasty ways to add nuts and seeds into everyday dishes.

Here are 5 fun ways to enjoy nuts and seeds in your diet!

1. Toasting walnuts or almonds in the oven for only a few short minutes gives them an additional delicious flavor. You can then eat them plain or add them to salad and yogurt.

2. Use rolled oats to make homemade granola with your favorite nuts and seeds.

3. Let peanut butter share the shelf with some other nut pastes like almond, hazelnut, or even sesame paste (also know as Tahini).

4. Mix in ground flax seed to a fruit smoothie for some added fiber and healthy fat.

5. Try adding chia seeds to your milk or milk substitute and season with cinnamon and vanilla for a tapioca like pudding

Nut Tip: Buy nuts from the baking aisle of your supermarket. They are often the most inexpensive in this aisle and do not have any added salt or sugar.

Find senior classes this spring in the Arlington 55+ guide.

By Sally Hammer, Virginia Tech Dietetic Intern 2013-2014

Inspiration and Impact:

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Mary

In January, Arlington and Alexandria VA Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and 4-H Youth Leaders and agents trained Arlington County staff on some Junior Master Gardener projects. Tomorrow staff at Westover Library are hosting Kids in the Garden – a program inspired by what they learned at the Cooperative Extension training.
The kids will plant some seeds to take home – and see how they grow…

Look out for more youth gardening activities this season at the libraries and in Arlington County Dept of Recreation after-school programs.

And let’s grow these inspirational and successful VA Cooperative Extension training programs!

Poster by Westover Library staff.

Rescheduled: Senior Cooking for the New Year – Join us at Arlington Mill on Jan 30

Posted on January 29, 2014 by kstrong

Today’s cooking demonstration for Arlington 55+ is rescheduled for Jan 30 at 11 am, due to inclement weather.

Have you been to the Arlington Mill Senior Center? Check out the facility and join VCE for a senior cooking demonstration! Register through the Arlington 55+ program.

COOKING FOR YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
Enjoy your food but eat less. Start 2014 on the right track! Join Katie Strong, a registered dietitian from Virginia Cooperative Extension for a tasty meal packed with nutrition and light in calories. Taste healthful and nutrient-dense meals to make your resolutions last.

Wed., Jan. 30, 11am-noon Arlington Mill, 703-228-7369

909 South Dinwiddie Street, Arlington, VA 22204

Texas Caviar

Alexandria / Arlington 4-H Leadership Program Explores Natural History

Posted on January 23, 2014 by rbmorris

Teen 4-Hers from Alexandria and Arlington braced the winter cold for a Saturday of exploring at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. These young people are participating in a year-long special interest 4-H project focusing on career exploration in partnership with the Arlington Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless and the Smithsonian Office of Fellowships and Internships. The program is designed to assist the participants in acquiring the skills and knowledge base necessary to become thriving members of workforce.

The students have adopted the mission statement: “As a group we will: Have fun and work as a team, to communicate, learn, and prepare for our jobs and goals. We will become more organized, confident, and successful, and choose a career path this is just right for us.

In April the participants will spend a week at one of the Smithsonian museums completing a brief internship based on a career field of their choice. We are always looking for volunteers to come and speak to the group; if you are interested please contact Reggie Morris 4-H Agent at 703-74-5546.

”

New Year, New Financial Program Offerings

Posted on January 22, 2014 by jabel

As we move into 2014 we are pleased to offer many new financial education programs, along with old favorites. On January 22 we will start the ninth year of offering Money Talk: A financial course for women at the Arlington Central Library. This five-week course provides sessions on financial basics, insurance, investing, retirement planning, and planning for future life events. This popular course has occasionally drawn comments from men along the lines of “why are we being left out?” Thanks to volunteer Megan Kuhn, the gents no longer have to sit on the sidelines. Megan started a co-ed Money Talk course on Jan. 15. It runs five weeks as well and takes place at Calvary United Methodist Church in Crystal City.

In October we trained a new corps of Master Financial Education Volunteers and they have been enthusiastically creating new presentations. The team of David N., Dana, and Janet have developed a presentation for high school seniors and their parents on financial skills that all students should have as they head to college. They will be starting to offer this presentation to Wakefield, Washington-Lee, and Yorktown parents and students in February.

Other volunteer teams are working on programs for recently divorced women, reverse mortgages, and financial education for veterans. We are happy to be able to expand our offerings to serve other target audiences that have not gotten much attention from financial educators in the past.

In February we will start our fifth year of providing one-on-one financial counseling at free tax clinics in Arlington and Alexandria. These services will be available on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings through April 15. They will be followed by a series of money management classes for recipients of the services.

We also continue with our financial simulations for youth. On January 14^th we conducted a Kids Marketplace activity for 50 students at Ashlawn Elementary School. On the 24^th and 31^st we will be at Kenmore Middle School to conduct a Reality Store with all of the 8^th graders. We will also conduct a Reality Store on March 1 for the local chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

In April, be on the lookout for the new Ask a Financial Expert program at the Arlington Central Library. Our volunteers will be available to meet with people one on one and answer their budgeting, credit/debt, saving, record keeping, and basic investing information questions. The library will sign up and pre-screen patrons for this service. This is an exciting expansion of our long-running partnership with Arlington libraries.

Also in the spring we’ll once again offer our Spring Personal Finance seminar series at Arlington Central Library. If you have a topic that you’d like to see covered in this series, please let Jennifer know by dropping her a note at jabel@vt.edu.

Wishing everyone a prosperous and financially healthy year!

Enjoy Your Food But Eat Less: Stay on Track During the Holidays

Posted on December 16, 2013 by kstrong

Between holiday parties, gift boxes brimming with cookies and chocolates and meals on the go during shopping trips, it’s easy to pack on extra pounds during the holidays. Here are 10 tips for avoiding unwanted pounds while you celebrate the season.

Make a Plan and Stick With It. Think about when you’ve overeaten during past holiday seasons. Come up with a plan to keep calories in check. Don’t eat something just to please someone else; think of ways to politely refuse food that’s offered to you.

Enjoy Your Favorite Dishes. It’s no fun to deprive yourself of foods you enjoy. If your favorites are high in calories, just sample smaller portions and eat mindfully, savoring every bite.

Stay Active. Don’t circle the parking lot waiting for a space close to the store. Take a walk around the block after your holiday party. Make activity part of your holiday tradition — play a game of touch football, go sledding or ice skating, put on some music and dance.

Pace Yourself. When you arrive at a party, get a sparkling water with a twist and wait at least 30 minutes before eating. This gives you time to survey the spread and decide what you really want to spend your calories on. Wait 20 minutes before going back for seconds; this is about how long it takes for you to feel full.

Volunteer to Bring a Dish. Make a fresh salad or roast some vegetables to bring to your holiday event. You’ll have something healthy to enjoy and your host will be pleased that you brought a dish to share.

Slim Down Favorite Recipes. If you’re the cook, reduce the calories and fat in holiday favorites. Go easy when adding nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter and whipped cream. Serve salads with dressings on the side and fruit as dessert. Offer water and other low calorie beverages.

Eat Your Regular Meals. Don’t skip meals to save up calories for a holiday dinner. People who arrive at an event hungry tend to eat everything in sight. Have a nourishing breakfast, a light lunch and some fruit or salad shortly before the event.

Limit Alcohol. Having one cocktail or multiple drinks can easily add up to a meal. Alcohol contains seven calories per gram, which makes it nearly twice as fattening as carbohydrates or protein. Try drinking a glass of seltzer or water between alcoholic beverages.

Engage in Conversation. Enjoy the company of family and friends. You can’t eat and talk at the same time, so the more conversations you have, the less you’ll eat!

Don’t Beat Yourself Up. If you do splurge, get right back to normal eating and exercising the next day, and try to do better at the next party.

By Sue Gonzalez, Master Food Volunteer

Kids Marketplace teaches students to make wise spending choices

Posted on December 13, 2013 by jabel

On November 26 eighty third graders from Carlin Springs Elementary School participated in Kids Marketplace, a simulation in which students receive a job and monthly income in the form of play money and have to make spending decisions at stations like Housing, Transportation, and Groceries. The students said that the exercise helped them understand how different jobs pay different amounts of money and that they need to focus on taking care of their needs first in terms of spending and then think about their wants. They also said that it helped them to understand why their parents have to say no sometimes when they ask them to buy things.

On December 5, 25 eighth graders at Williamsburg Middle School got to participate in Reality Store, the cousin of Kids Marketplace designed for middle and high school audiences. These events mark the start of a busy season for these activities. We conducted Reality Store for the Arlington Mill high school continuation program on Dec. 12 and will be at Ashlawn Elementary School for Kids Marketplace on Jan. 14, Kenmore Middle School with Reality Store on Jan. 24 and 31, and several other spots in February, March, and April. We rely on our dedicated Master Financial Education Volunteers to help staff the eight stations at Reality Store and ten at Kids Marketplace but can always use more hands, so if you would like to help run these events please contact Jennifer at jabel@vt.edu.

Nyambo Anuluoha helps students at the credit union station to save money

David Edwards helps students choose health insurance at the Personal Care and Medical station