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EXTRACTS OF THYME April, May, June 2016

APRIL IS NATIONAL GARDENING MONTH!

Celebrate National Gardening month by planting memories with your family. Gardening is a great way to teach children where food comes from, encourage healthy eating, and connect with the whole family. When your children have the opportunity to plant, water, and nurture plants, even the pickiest eaters will be eager to taste what they have grown. Whether you have a large back yard or no yard, don’t worry…it is possible to grow a great garden on a windowsill, balcony, or even a small stoop. The key is to know what can grow in your location. Plants, like people have different likes and dislikes. There are many plants that prefer smaller spaces and are perfect for small container gardens. Below are a few vegetables that you can grow with your family this spring.

Leaf lettuce is easy to grow in containers that are at least 4-6 inches deep, with a good potting soil mix. Simply keep the soil moist, provide plenty of spring sunlight, and thin out crowded new seedlings when they start to come up, to give the plants plenty of room to grow. To harvest, trim the leaves with scissors and the leaves will grow back and can be harvested a second time! Lettuce prefers spring and fall over the hot summer sun and is usually ready to harvest in 30-45 days.

Carrots can grow well in containers that are 6-12 inches deep. These plants like plenty of nutrients, sunlight, and water to grow. Use a potting mix that has fertilizer added and mix in some bagged compost for the healthiest plants. Keep the soil moist, but not too wet! Place your container in sunny location and be sure to thin, or pull out crowded seedlings when the leaves are 1-2 inches tall, to make sure the plants have enough room to grow. Look for colorful varieties, such as purple, yellow, or white carrots and harvest by gently

pulling out of the soil in 75-80 days, when the leaves are full. (If temperatures drop, the carrots will rest for a while, then begin growing when it warms up again.)

Swiss chard can be grown in containers that are at least 8 inches deep. Keep soil moist and provide plenty of sunshine. The leaves and stems can be harvested by cutting them with scissors and the leaves will grow back for 2 to 3 more harvests. Swiss chard is colorful, easy to grow, very healthy, and tastes great! Seeds planted in April should be ready to harvest in June.

Source: http://eatsmartmd.blogspot.com/2016/04/april-is-national-gardening-month.htm

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HOW TO PUT SOME SPRING IN YOUR STEP THIS APRIL

Spring is finally here and we can once again welcome warmer weather and longer days. Shake off the cold winter months and celebrate the season of new beginnings by going outside and getting active! Not sure how to begin those first steps on your journey to better health? Consider participating in the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day, an annual spring event that raises awareness about the importance of being physically active. National Walking Day 2016 takes place on Wednesday April 6th and participants commit to walk for at least 30 minutes to promote physical activity and well-being in their communities. Why walking? Walking is a great exercise whether you are just beginning a more active lifestyle, or are regularly physically active. There are many positive reasons to start walking:

Walking reduces the risk of many diseases. Walking for just 30 minutes a day can help you reduce your risk of developing heart disease, improve your blood pressure, and enhance your mental well-being.

Walking does not require special equipment or advanced athletic skills in order to achieve these amazing health benefits.

Walking is a low-cost and easy way to increase your energy, prevent weight gain, and reduce your risk of serious diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and obesity.

With so many great reasons to take part in National Walking Day, why not encourage others to walk with you? Invite members of your workplace, school, and faith-based organization, as well as friends and family to join in on the fun! The American Heart Association’s website provides a resource guide and toolkit to help you plan for the event whether you are participating as an individual or as part of a group. The toolkit also includes a four week action plan for those who want to extend the fun for the whole month. More information on National Walking Day can be found at www.heart.org/WalkingDay. Need more inspiration? Walking is the state exercise of Maryland! Visit University of Maryland Extension’s Walk MD! website to find helpful online tools such as an interactive map to track your steps and take you on a virtual walking tour around the state of Maryland. Recording your steps can be a great way to track your progress and motivate you to stay active! For more information on resources found through the Walk MD! program visit www.extension.umd.edu/walkmd. So say farewell to those winter blues by lacing up your sneakers and heading outdoors! Sunny days and better health are right around the corner and just a few feet away.

Source: http://eatsmartmd.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-put-some-spring-in-your-step.html

YOUTH GARDENING FOR NUTRITION

Monthly Teaching Ideas: April 2016 Themes for April:

National Gardening Month: The month of April is National

Gardening Month! Create an outdoor classroom with a school

garden and incorporate gardening and eating new fruits and

vegetables into your lessons this month. Visit the National

Gardening Association website for additional information:

www.nationalgardenmonth.org

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Earth Day: Friday, April 22nd is Earth Day and what better way to celebrate the planet earth than

through gardening. Gardens provide more than food for people, but are also play an important

role in the environment, absorbing excess CO2 in the air we breathe, retain rainwater to prevent

runoff, and provide food and habitat for many beneficial insects. Additionally, growing your own

produce reduces the pollution created by shipping food from far away farms. Use the “Keep it

Growing” unit in Growing Healthy Habits to start the discussion of how you can save water in the

garden, then discuss other ways of conserving natural resources through gardening.

National Raisin Day: April 30 is National Raisin Day! This wrinkly fruit is the result of drying

grapes, which preserves the fruit for later use. Compare the flavor of raisins versus fresh grapes,

noticing that raisins are sweeter due to the concentration of sugars during drying. Use this

experience to discuss why you should eat smaller portions of dried fruit.

April Nutrition Nugget: Homegrown Salad

Chilly March weather (and PARCC testing) may have delayed planting of early spring veggies, but if you plant lettuce and radishes at the beginning of April, you may have a harvest by the end of the month! Sow leaf lettuce seeds in wide strips to cut as baby lettuce for the fastest harvest.

Ingredients: Salad greens from your garden or

grocer 10 radishes from your garden or

grocer 2 Tablespoons vinegar or lemon

juice 3 Tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 Tablespoon chopped and washed

fresh herbs, such as chives or oregano or 1 teaspoon dried herbs

Tools: Sink for hand washing and

cleanup Salad spinner Large bowl and serving

spoons Plastic lettuce knives or

disposable plastic knives Paper plates for cutting Small paper bowls, napkins

and forks for serving

Directions: 1. Have students help wash salad greens by submerging in bowl of water and drying in the salad

spinner. (Garden lettuce may take three washings to remove all grit.) 2. Have students wash, cut off stems and slice radishes using plastic knives. 3. Combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and herbs in a jar and shake

vigorously to mix the vinaigrette. 4. Toss greens, radishes, and dressing in a large bowl and serve. 5.

YOUTH GARDENING FOR NUTRITION

Monthly Teaching Ideas: April 2016

Growing Healthy Habits in April Keep it Growing is the recommended unit for April. This unit helps students understand the

reasons behind garden maintenance tasks: watering, weeding, and mulching.

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o After completing these lessons, set up more experiments to test the importance of these

maintenance tasks: 1)Grow several seedlings, watering some and not the others, 2) Mulch surface of classroom plants with a thick layer of shredded paper and leave others bare, 3) Check how long the soil stays moist between waterings.

Math Link: Have students chart the amount of water needed to grow each plant in the experiment

above.

Science Link: Using the Scientific Method, ask students to write down their hypothesis for how

each plant will grow and track changes as the plant grows. After 3-4 weeks, have students compare their conclusion to their hypothesis.

April Gardening Activities Outdoor: Transplant broccoli, collards, and kale seedlings to your garden. Also plant cabbage and

lettuce seedlings if they weren’t planted in March due to freezing weather.

Indoor: Grow your own sweet potato vines to plant in your garden in May or June (below). They require almost no summer maintenance and are be harvested in the fall.

Grow Your Own Sweet Potatoes By now, students should be familiar with plant life cycles and the mechanism by which seeds produce

new plants. Some plants are also able to reproduce vegetatively, which means they can sprout new

plants from mature plant parts. This is a form of asexual reproduction. Sweet potatoes are usually

grown through asexual propagation—the roots store energy during the growing season that can be

used to sprout new plants the next season. This produces sweet potato vines that can be planted in the

garden or a large container in May or June for a fall harvest!

Materials:

Sweet potatoes

Large glass jars or plastic cups

Toothpicks Process:

1. Introduce or review the different types of plant reproduction (this may require a full lesson). 2. Scrub sweet potatoes to remove any anti-sprouting agent. (Organic sweet potatoes should

not be treated.) Large sweet potatoes may be cut in half.

3. Place toothpicks around the mid-section of each sweet potato and insert in a jar, cut side

down, if needed. The sweet potato should not touch the bottom of the jar.

4. Fill jars with water about halfway. 5. Place cups in a warm location.

6. Sprouts should form in 2 to 3 weeks. About a week before planting, twist off vines and place

in a cup of water to form roots.

7. Plant in a sunny spot in the garden in late May or early June and harvest in the fall.

SO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A FOODBORNE ILLNESS-NOW WHAT?

This article was modified from Henley, S., and McCoy, L. University of Maryland Extension, AGNR-Food Safety (2016). How to Report a Foodborne Illness in Maryland fact sheet (FS-1034). College Park, MD. Chipotle Mexican Grill has been in the headlines since its first foodborne outbreak was reported back in July 2015. What happened at Chipotle brings up a good question of what you should do if you suspect the

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Local Health Departments

Baltimore City 410-396-4436

Baltimore County 410-887-2724

Carroll County 410-876-4900

Cecil County 410-996-5100

Frederick County 301-600-3342

food you and your family are eating is contaminated. Contaminate could be from work, a restaurant, a meal you prepared at home… This is what you should know… Foodborne illness is a disease that is either infectious or toxic in nature, and occurs through the ingestion of contaminated food.

1. A foodborne disease outbreak happens when:

two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink3 one case of botulism, cholera, mushroom poisoning, trichinosis, or fish poisoning such as ciguatera

poisoning, scombroid poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and other neurotoxic shellfish poisoning.

There are Three Important Reasons to Report Foodborne Illness

Contact your local health department if you believe you or someone you know became ill from eating a certain food.

Reporting illnesses to your local health department helps them identify potential foodborne disease outbreaks.

Public health officials investigate outbreaks to control them, so more people do not get sick in the outbreak and to learn how to prevent similar outbreaks from happening.

When to Consult Your Doctor Symptoms include:

Fever over 101.5°F, (measured orally) Blood in stool Prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down Signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy

when standing up Diarrheal illness that lasts more than 3 days

If it is an emergency, call 911 How is Foodborne Illness Diagnosed? Your health care provider may ask for:

Food and drink eaten the past few days Physical examination Vomit sample (if available) Stool sample (if available)

Tips for if You Think You Are Sick

1. Seek immediate medical attention: consult your health care provider. 2. Contact your local health department. 3 Practice good hygiene:

-Wash hands with soap and clean, running water, or -Clean hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

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Common Symptoms of Foodborne

Illness

Diarrhea Bloody Stool

Vomiting Abdominal Pain

Nausea Chills

Fever Muscle Aches

4. Prevent dehydration. 5. Request laboratory testing. Knowing which pathogen

is making you sick will help to get the right care. 6. Record foods eaten the past 7 days. The last thing you

ate is most likely NOT what made you sick. 7. Save your receipts. Save all relevant food and drink

receipts for the time period you think the illness took place.

8. Save suspected food products. Label food items so no one else eats them. 9. Handle suspected food as little as possible and keep them sealed and cold/frozen, so they can be

tested if necessary. 10. Reach out to your community or the media. Social media may let you know if others in your

community have a similar illness. Local Health Departments Monitor Foodborne Illness in Maryland In Maryland, local health departments receive and investigate routine disease surveillance reports and foodborne illness outbreak reports.

1. The state health department analyzes investigates cases and outbreaks of foodborne illness. 2. The resulting reports go to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 3. Many surveillance systems are used in Maryland to provide information about the amount of

foodborne disease. 4. These surveillance systems provide data to CDC for addition in national-level monitoring.

References:

Publication Links: http://extension.umd.edu/foodsafety/food-safety/links 1. Beach, C. March, 2016, Massachusetts Chipotle closes because of norovirus. Available at:

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2016/03/massachusetts-chipotle-closes-because-of-norovirus/#.VvFJSuIrJhE. Accessed March 2016.

LET’S TALK FAMILY CONVERSATION STARTERS

Strong families are based on good communication. Each month we will provide some good conversation starters for you to use with your children or the children in your care. These starters can help to begin a discussion and are much more effective than asking “how was your day?” The idea is to increase communication while getting to know each other better and sharing family values at the same time. Some ideas: What is your favorite restaurant and why?

Have each family member try saying this three times: “Barbara burned the brown bread badly.”

What is your favorite book and why? Finish this sentence “Our family is really good at…………” What is your favorite song? Can you recite a poem that you remember? How old do you think you should be to vote in a political election?

Source: The Ohio State University Extension

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RECIPE SPOTLIGHT: BERRY GOOD PIZZA

This is a great treat for kids to enjoy and they can add their favorite fruits too! Berry Good Pizza can also be a

healthy dessert option after meals.

Berry Good Pizza Serves 6

Ingredients 100% whole wheat pizza crust or 12-ounce can of

refrigerated pizza dough

1/4 cup apple butter

6 large strawberries, washed and sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. If using dough, roll out pizza dough to desired size and thickness.

3. Place crust on a baking sheet.

4. Spread the apple butter over the crust.

5. Arranged the strawberries and blueberries as desired on the crust.

6. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon if desired.

7. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 15 minutes or until the crust is brown and crisp.

8. Serve with a glass of low-fat milk or cup of yogurt.

Source: http://eatsmartmd.blogspot.com/2015/08/recipe-spotlight-berry-good-pizza.html

Terry Serio Virginia Brown, DrPH Shauna C. Henley, PhD Extension Educator Extension Educator Extension Educator Food Stamp Nutrition Education Family & Consumer Sciences Family & Consumer Sciences Family & Consumer Sciences Baltimore County University of Maryland Extension-Carroll County Phone: 410-386-2760 700 Agriculture Center Toll-Free: 888-326-9645 Westminster, MD 21157-5700 Fax: 410-876-0132

If you have a disability that requires special assistance for your participation in a program, please contact the Carroll County Extension Office at 410-386-2760; fax 410-876-0132, two (2) weeks prior to the program. The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by University of Maryland Extension is implied.

Please visit us online at http://extension.umd.edu/carroll-county

Spring Clean Your Refrigerator

Put Some Spring in Your Step!

Spring Forward with Fresh Vegetables!

Try some of these family-friendly outdoor activities, now that the weather is warming up.

Become a physically active role model. Family members are likely to follow your example.

• Have all of the children participate infamily walks. Use a stroller for youngchildren.

• Older children can use a bike or scooterto ride along with you as you walk or jog.

On weekends, ride bikes, play outdoor games, � y kites, or throw a Frisbee at a nearby park or in your yard.

Pets enjoy physical activity too! Take a walk together and bring a toy or ball to throw at the park.

Invite the neighbors to join you in outdoor activities.

The growing season in Maryland starts in spring.

It is a great time to buy spring vegetables at the farmers’ market or at the grocery store. These foods are grown on farms nearby and cost less when you buy them in season.

Here’s what’s grown and sold at the market in Maryland in the spring:

• Asparagus• Green Onions• Spinach, Lettuce, Swiss Chard• Fresh Herbs• Mushrooms• Potatoes• Parsnips• Radishes

Remember to wash all fresh produce thoroughly before preparing and eating.

For more information about healthy food choices and physical activity visit:

www.eatsmart.umd.edu www.choosemyplate.gov

Stretch Your FoodBudget with these

Healthy Recipes and Farmers’ Market Shopping Tips!

It is a perfect time for spring cleaning, which includes your refrigerator.

Follow these simple steps:

1. Empty the refrigerator and freezer. Storefoods in a cooler with ice while you clean.

2. Throw away all foods that are past their“use-by” date or are moldy.

3. Plan meals and make a grocery list usingwhat you have on hand in the refrigeratorand freezer.

4. Unplug the refrigerator and use a coilbrush to remove dust underneath therefrigerator. Cleaning the coil saveselectricity.

5. Remove shelves and bins and wash themin warm water and detergent in the sink.Dry with a towel or let them air dry.

6. Clean the outside of the refrigerator too,including the door handle, using warm,soapy water.

7. Return shelves and bins to the refrigera-tor and freezer when you are done clean-ing.

8. Don’t forget to plug-in the refrigeratorwhen you are � nished cleaning.

9. Return food in the cooler to therefrigerator and freezer.

Enjoy FreshAsparagusthis Spring!

Fruit and Spring Green Salad

Visit Your LocalFarmers’ Market

Try something new! Serve asparagus for a snack, as a side dish, in soups or in salads.

RawServe asparagus spears with a low-fat dip or cut spears into one inch pieces and add to salads.

Baked• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. • Place fresh asparagus in a plastic zip top

bag, drizzle with vegetable oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Shake until asparagus is coated with oil and seasonings.

• Remove asparagus from zip-top bag and place on a baking sheet.

• Bake in oven until asparagus begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

SteamedMicrowave asparagus in a safe bowl, or cook asparagus on the stovetop in a pan. Add a small amount of water before cooking. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

GrilledPlace asparagus spears on a preheated grill coated with vegetable oil spray and cook for about 5-8 minutes until tender, turning occasionally. Add your favorite herbs or spices.

*For all recipes, wash asparagus and remove tough ends before preparing.

Makes: 5 ServingsServing Size: 1 cup

Ingredients:4 cups fresh spinach or salad greens, washed and dried.

1 cup strawberries, sliced or 1 cup orange segments

¼ cup nuts, chopped

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon honey

Directions:1. Remove tough stems from spinach.

2. Mix spinach or salad greens, fruit, and nuts in a large bowl to make salad.

3. Mix oil, lemon juice, and honey in a separate, small bowl to make dressing.

4. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and mix.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shopping at a farmers’ market is a great way to meet local farmers and buy fresh fruits and vegetables to enjoy throughout the growing season.

Farmers’ markets are open spring through fall in every county in Maryland.

Some farmers’ markets in Maryland accept EBT cards, and many accept WIC Fruit and Vegetable Checks, and WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Vouchers. For a list of participating markets go to:

www.visitmaryland.orgType “farmers markets”

in the search box or call 410-841-5770.

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Human Resources and the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland Extension will not discriminate against any person because of race, age,sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political a� liation, and gender identity or expression. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To � nd out more, contact the Maryland Department of Human Resources at 1-800-332-6347 or apply online at www.marylandsail.org.