Today's Features

Announcement is made of the forthcoming marriage of April Ginger Varnam and Matthew Keith Owens, both of Ocean Isle Beach. The bride-elect is the daughter of Ronald and Jencie Varnam of Varnamtown. She is a 2000 graduate of UNC-Wilmington and 2003 master’s graduate of East Carolina University. The prospective groom is the son of Daniel and Beth Owens of Wake Forest. He is a 1999 graduate of North Carolina State University Turf Management. A fall wedding is planned on Ocean Isle Beach.              

In 2005, scientists in Israel germinated a date-palm seed that was 2,000 years old and found in the desert near an ancient fortress. There is a lesson to be learned from this: Store seeds in a dry place.

There are a dozen reasons to save seeds, whether it’s to save money or to preserve a plant variety. Seeds can be collected from the garden or store bought but they must be properly stored. A seed’s worst enemy includes heat, humidity, sunlight and hungry rodents.

The buzz in the nutrition world is all about the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that have just recently been released. But what do you need to know as a consumer? In “Selected Messages for Consumers,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend making changes in three basic areas. How hard can that be? Let’s take a look.

Balancing calories

Enjoy your food, but eat less.

Here are lunch menus for Brunswick County’s nine Senior Nutrition Sites for next week.

Monday, Feb. 28

Herbed baked chicken filet, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, collards, butterscotch pudding, grape juice, whole-wheat bread/margarine, beverage.

Tuesday, March 1

Macaroni and cheese, diced ham, vegetable blend, pears, biscuit/margarine, beverage.

Wednesday, March 2

Sloppy Joe/bun, corn pudding, turnip greens, applesauce, beverage.

Thursday, March 3