November 2023 Homemaker News
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Thoughts from Ronda
Hello All:
Happy Thanksgiving!
I love this time of year! It is a time when we can hopefully slow down and count our blessings. There is so much to be thankful for even in tough times. Maybe it is the optimist in me that I am always striving to see the glass half full, instead of half empty.
So, count your blessings, not just this time of year, but daily.
I want to Thank ALL our Gallatin County Homemakers who helped to make the Area Annual Meeting in Boone County a huge success! Thank you for putting others first and having the heart to serve them. Our County President, Marie Allison, our Homemaker Council, and I could not have done it without all your hard work. Thank you for helping with the set-up, decorations, clean-up and representing Gallatin County with 30 members present at the meeting. Go Gallatin County!
Remember to sign up for our classes here at the Extension Office:
Who’s That Hanging On Your Door? Grinch Door Hanger Class—November 9th at 1:00 p.m.
Gingerbread House Class—December 8th at 1:30
And remember….the Gallatin County Extension Office will be closed for Thanksgiving Holiday from November 23rd—26th.
Until next month,
Be Safe!
Ronda Rex
County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences
Upcoming Dates to Remember
November 2—6 pm— “Meat” Me Here! Meat Class at the Extension Office.
November 2—9 am—4 pm—The Embroidery Club will meet at the Extension Office.
November 9—1 pm—”Who’s That Hanging on Your Door” Grinch Door Hanger Class at the Extension Office
November 14—9 am—4 pm—The Quilt Club will meet at the Extension Office.
November 14– 6:00 pm—The Back to Basics Homemakers will meet at the Extension Office.
November 14—6:00 pm—The Napoleon Homemakers will meet at Zalla Lodge.
November 15—10:30 am—The Cross County Homemakers will meet at the Extension Office.
November 23—Happy Thanksgiving!
November 23-24—The Extension Office will be closed.
Holiday Online Shopping Savvy
Source: Kelly May, Senior Extension Associate
The holiday season is quickly approaching and many of us will shop online for at least some of our holiday purchases. Being smart about when and where you shop online can help keep you from falling victim to cybercrime.
Only shop online when you know you have a secure internet connection. Shopping with an unsecure connection may make you an easy target for cyber thieves who can steal your credit card information. Remember public internet connections are not always secure, even if you are on your own device, and the public network’s security software may not always be up-to-date.
When buying online, look for a padlock symbol on the page and shop from sites that start with https:// web address. The "s" after "http" shows that the website encrypts your information as it processes the transaction.
Use credit cards instead of debit cards to make online purchases. The Fair Credit Billing Act limits your responsibility to the first $50 in charges if your credit card is used fraudulently, and many credit card companies will not hold you responsible for any fraudulent online charges . Review your statements and report any suspicious transactions to your credit card company. You may also request a free credit report from the three credit reporting agencies Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.
Create strong passwords and PIN numbers. Use different combinations of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols to make your passwords hard to crack. Do not use personally identifiable passwords such as your address, birthday or name in your passwords, as these are easy for thieves to figure out. Keep your passwords private. Do not share them with others or keep them in your wallet or purse as these can be stolen. Try to use different passwords for each of your online accounts.
Automatically set updates on your device, apps, browsers and computer operating systems to keep them current with the latest security features. Password protect your home internet connection to keep your personal network secure.
For more ways to protect your financial well-being, contact the Gallatin County Extension office.
Reminder!
Please remember to have your Homemaker Membership Dues to the Extension Office by November 17th. Dues are $10.00 for the year. Please help us by reminding others to get their dues in as well. Or, be bold, and invite others to join us in being a part of a wonderful organization that does so many things for our community.
Recipe of the Month
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
6 small sweet potatoes
1 bunch green onions, chopped (optional for topping)
Low-fat Greek yogurt, low-fat sour cream or low-fat dressing
Buffalo Sauce
1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper*
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
* for a hotter sauce add another 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne
Directions:
- Wash hands, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. Rinse sweet potatoes and set aside.
- Add raw chicken to a slow cooker.
- In a small bowl combine all buffalo sauce ingredients reserving cornstarch. Pour sauce over chicken.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on high heat for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- About 45 minutes before chicken is done, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40-50 minutes.
- When chicken is fully cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred i.
- Before returning to slow cooker, mix cornstarch and water together and add to the slow cooker and combine with the sauce.
- When sweet potatoes are done, split each one open and top with a portion of shredded buffalo chicken.
- Drizzle optional topping over the finished sweet potatoes and chicken and topo with green onions, if desired.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Note: To make an optional blue cheese cream topping, mix 8-oz. nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup blue cheese salad dressing, 2 Tbsp. low-fat milk and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper in a small bowl.
Makes servings
Serving Size: 1 potato
Cost per recipe: $ 8.82
Cost per serving: $ 1.47
Nutrition facts per serving: 210 calories; 6g total fat; 3g saturated fat; 0g trans fat; 65mg cholesterol; 270mg sodium; 18g total carbohydrate; 3g dietary fiber; 5g total sugars; 0g added sugars; 19g protein; 0% Daily Value of vitamin D; 2% Daily Value of calcium; 6% Daily Value of iron; 15% Daily Value of potassium.
Source: LaToya Drake, Program Coordinator II, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
