Alvord Cares

Alvord Cares was formed three years ago to provide healthy meals and adequate nourishment for Alvord school children during the summer months. As part of the summer nutrition program, a Cooking School is planned each year for the children. There was a wonderful turnout of around 30 children this year who, under adult supervision, completed nine recipes for our lunch-time feast! Here is a favorite recipe from the 2014 Kid’s Café Cooking School:

Lemon Velvet Supreme

Ingredients:

2 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt

3 tablespoons instant lemon pudding mix

8 graham cracker squares, crushed

1 (4 oz.) can mandarin oranges

Tools:

Mixing bowl

Mixing spoon

Measuring cups

Ziploc bag

Can opener

Serving dish

Directions:

Combine yogurt and pudding mix, stir gently. Layer bottom of a 9x9 inch serving dish with crushed graham crackers. Pour pudding mixture over cracker crumbs. Top with mandarin oranges.

Mark the calendar for our Dinner Tonight program

Space is limited so make sure to sign up early. This is great event and you don't want to miss out.

4-H State Dog Show

Nine youth from Wise County competed in the State 4-H Dog Show in Belton on July 8-10^th. Tori Lobdell, Abigail Newbold, Ashley Polson, Brianna McKeever, Kara Munn, Summer Cobb, Saydee Herndon, Angela Blankenship, and Keaton Vawter worked with their dogs all year with the hopes to meet their goal of competing in the State Dog Show in mind.

            Tori and her dog received 2^nd in Tricks, 4^th in Rally Obedience, and 4^th in Conformation. They also participated in the Costume contest and the Agility class. Tori was also awarded overall High-Point Senior.

            Abigail and her dog received 3^rd in Rally, 6^th in Conformation, 4^th in Showmanship, 10^th in Costume, and 1^st in obedience.

            Ashley and her dog received 5^th in Rally, and 3^rd in Drill Team.

Brianna and her dog received 9^th in Rally, 5^th in Showmanship, 9^th in Obedience, and 3^rd in Drill Team. They also participated in Conformation.

            Kara and her dog received 4^th in Costume, 8^th in Rally, 2^nd in Conformation, 3^rd in Showmanship, and 3^rd in Drill Team.

            Summer and her dog received 1^st in Obedience, 2^nd in Rally, 2^nd in Conformation, 1^st in Showmanship, and 3^rd in Drill Team.

            Saydee and her dog received 5^th in Costume, 1^st in Obedience, 4^th in Rally, 5^th in Conformation, and 4^th in Showmanship.

Keaton and his dog, Sandy, received 1^st in Rally, 1^st in Conformation, 4^th in Showmanship. They also participated in obedience.

            A huge thank you to the project leaders, Janie Vawter and Laura Jeanne, and parent volunteers that help to make this project successful. Practices will start back up again this fall and all 4-H members are welcome to attend!           

Excellent job Wise County 4-Her’s!

District Record Book Results

            In our hurry to get the record book results out, there were a few 4-H members left out of the article.

Junior

Cale Laaser                             Poultry                                                Second Place

Jacob Lowrie                           Poultry                                                Fourth Place

Intermediate

Mariah Martinets                     Poultry                                                First Place

Kooper Martin                                    Poultry                                                Second Place

Prussic Acid Poisoning

 What a way to start your weekend, coming off the rainfall we received.   This time of year we always receive calls regarding the safety of johnson grass for cattle and horses.  Actually, it’s not just johnson grass producers who need to be concerned with.  Many sorghum and sudan type plants including johnsongrass can release a poisonous substance known as prussic acid or hydrocyanic acid.  This year even though we have had rain, we are still experience drought  symptoms and the stress put on these plants can increase your chances, depending on when and how you turn in your cattle.  There are some losses of cattle almost every year due to grazing on the green plants.  Silage and hay can usually be fed without problems.

 

                The prussic acid content decreases as the plant approaches maturity.  Small plants, young leaves, and tillers are usually the highest in prussic acid.  In other words, the upper leaves will contain more acid than the older lower leaves.

                Following a rain, drought stricken plants will have new growth or second-growth shoots on these plants that can be extremely dangerous because they are small and consist largely of leaves, which are high in prussic acid.  Nitrate poisoning can also be seen at this time.  Poisoning seems to be less likely to occur if animals eat some grain and hay before they are turned into the pasture.  Most importantly, your cattle need to be full.  Having cattle filled with a high quality hay helps eliminate cattle from gorging themselves with a forage that could have prussic acid.

                The remedy for prussic acid poisoning is an intravenous injection of sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate.  However, if cattle are grazing contaminated pastures, death can come quickly.  Therefore, if you have pastures with johnson grass present, it is advisable to have a sample sent to the TAMU diagnostic lab before taking an unnecessary risk.

Six Ideas for Low-Sugar Drinks

We have been hearing it for years and I believe most consumers would agree, that sugary drink portion sizes have risen dramatically over the past 40 years, and children and adults are drinking more soft drinks than ever.  We are starting to understand that sugary drinks increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and gout.  And next comes the challenge, actually cutting back on sugary drinks to help us control our weight and improve our overall health.

Plain water is the best calorie-free beverage—and when it comes from the tap, it costs a fraction of a penny per glass. But for some people, plain old water may be just too plain. The Harvard Law for Public Health presented several great ideas for low and no-sugar beverages that you can prepare at home:

You can easily make your own naturally-infused spa water at home. Try adding any of the following to a cold glass or pitcher of water:

• Sliced citrus fruits or zest (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)
• Crushed fresh mint or other herbs
• Peeled, sliced fresh ginger or sliced cucumber

Black or green, caffeinated or decaf, leaf or herbal, hot or cold, tea is an excellent choice for a calorie free beverage. Adding a teaspoon of sugar or honey only adds about 15 calories to the cup. Some teas taste sweet to the palate even without adding any sugar: Try fruit-flavored herbal teas (mango, blueberry), or teas that feature cinnamon, vanilla, or other “sweet” spices. Black and green teas are also rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and other biologically active substances that may be good for health.

Sparkling juices that are sold ready-made are often heavy on the juice, and may have almost as many calories as sugary soda pop. Instead, make your own sparkling juice at home with 12 ounces of sparkling water and just an ounce or two of juice. For a flavor twist, add sliced citrus or fresh herbs.

Store-bought or cafe smoothies are marketed as “health” foods, but they are often loaded with sugar and high in calories. Try making a refreshing fresh fruit cooler instead. There’s no added sugar, and just a small amount of fruit, so this drink is only about 18 calories for each 12-ounce glass.

• 1/2 cup of ice
• 3/4 cup of sugar-free sparkling water
• 1/3 cup of melon or berries
• Chopped mint leaves or citrus slices (optional)

Place ice, sparkling water, and fruit in a blender. Blend until slushy, pour into a glass and garnish with mint or citrus slices. Serves 1.

For additional information on rethinking your drink, contact the Extension office at 940/627-3341.