Living Well In Yalobusha County

Join us Thursday, October 4, for our monthly Lunch and Learn Floral Design Program via Interactive video. Let us help you begin getting ready for the holidays.  This session will focus on ways to use Tran-seasonal: referring to design that can be installed early in the fall season and last through the winter holidays. This program is free. Please call 675-2730 to let us know you will be attending.
If you are planning on attending the Celebrate Coffeeville events this weekend, make sure to stop by and visit. I, along with several members from the United Yalobusha County MHV club will be working the quilt show at the Fire Station on Main Street.
Also a reminder, we still have space for a few more vendors at our upcoming Holiday House, which is Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.  The booth space is only $20. This is a great opportunity for churches and organizations to have fundraisers as well as home owned businesses to sell their items and get their name out in the community. Please call Pamela or Lisa at the Extension office at 675-2730 to reserve your booth space.
Zumba Classes start Friday, October 5! The Extension Service will be offering Zumba classes every Friday in October from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m.   Mrs. Lori Whitfield, certified Zumba® instructor will teach the class. There will be a $5 fee per class for each participant. Fees can be paid at the beginning of each class.
The Healthy You Exercise class meets every Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.  Please wear cool clothes, comfortable shoes and bring water to drink.  The classes are free.
 
Lighten Up Your Cooking
1. Keep it low in fat.  Measure your cooking oils, don’t just pour them freely.  Oils are VERY calorie dense. Use a non-stick skillet to further reduce the fat you use.
2. Go very light on the cheese. Opt for small amounts of flavorful cheeses like Parmesan or Ramano. Use fat-free ricotta in place of regular ricotta cheese.
3. Stick to small amounts of lean meat.  Switch out high-fat items like sausage or ground meat with low-fat alternatives.  Fish, seafood, and white meat poultry without the skin are all healthful choices.
4. Emphasize vegetables. Use meat as a flavoring or a side dish, not as the main attraction.  Remem-ber, MyPlate advises that you fill half your plate with fruits and veggies at each meal.
5. Choose whole grains.  Choose whole grain pasta and brown rice instead of their refined counterparts. After all, whole grains contain more fiber and nutrients.
6. Make a low fat salad.  Salad fills you up without a lot of calories, especially when the salad is also low in fat.  One study found that eating a large, low fat salad before a meal helps people consume fewer calories during the rest of the meal.
7. Use broth instead of cream. Broth makes an excellent sauce for pasta.  Add basil, thyme, and rosemary for more flavor.
8. Go easy on the bread.  Bread is calorie dense and it is easy to eat too much of it. Offer small rolls instead of whole loaves of bread at dinner. When you make sandwiches, use just one slice of bread instead of two.
9. Serve fruit for dessert.  Instead of baking calorie-laden treats and keeping them around the house, offer fresh fruit for dessert and snacks.  Keep fruit ready to go so that is is your first choice when you open the refrigerator.
(Article Source: Communicating Food For Health Newsletter)

Ingredients
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions
• Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add milk and stir until smooth, then gently fold in blueberries.
• Lightly spray a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking oil spray and heat over medium high heat.
• Spoon four separate 1/4 cups of batter onto the skillet. Cook until the batter bubbles, then flip pancakes. Cook until golden brown.
• This dish is especially delicious when garnished with powdered sugar and low calorie syrup.
• If you use frozen blueberries, be sure to defrost them first so that there are no chilly surprises in your pancakes.
Serves 12, Each serving is made up of one pancake and contains: 107 calories, 2g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 1mg cholesterol, 20mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 4 g sugar, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber
Recipe Source: Communicating Food For Health Newsletter