County Extension

I try to keep up on both the research and fads in foods and nutrition. The latest I’ve come across is the chia seed. They are all over the health food websites and TV doctors are pushing them as the food of the year. I’ve even found them in chips and crackers in my favorite big-box stores. There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm from the proponents.

In last week’s column, I offered some do’s and don’ts for keeping food safe when using the slow cooker. That column inspired another question about the safety of using a slow cooker: Is the food in my slow cooker getting hot enough?

If you’ve purchased a new slow cooker lately, you may notice that it might be cooking a little faster and a little hotter than your old one. Yes, because of food safety concerns, slow cooker manufacturers have increased the temperatures at which they cook.

By Sam Marshall
Horticulture Agent
Cones from female hop vines offer a wide variety of wonderful smells and flavors prized by brewers.
With increased popularity of home brewing and a demand for locally grown ingredients, interest in backyard hop production is growing. Primarily used as bittering and aroma agents in beer, hop plants are hardy perennial plants that can be successfully grown in the home garden. Whether you are a home brewer trying out your green thumb or just want to try something different this year, consider planting hops!

My mom has been visiting us this past month. One of the times I enjoy the most is having breakfast with her. We’ve had a variety of different “breakfast foods” from eggs, to cereals, to waffles, fruit and yogurt. One of our favorites is a big pot of oatmeal and other whole-grains with nuts and dried cranberries.