Kentucky Honey

Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, you can Plate It Up with delicious recipes that put a new twist on your favorite Kentucky Proud foods!  Honey is one of these Kentucky proud products that is available virtually all year long!

Bees prepare honey from nectar which they collect from flowers and blossoms of trees.  They use it, as well as pollen to feed their young.  Honey is a mix of natural sugars (80%) and water (18%) and minerals, vitamins, pollen, protein and amino acids (2%).

Around 70% of honey’s natural sugar content is made up of fructose and glucose.

There are approximately 300 varieties of honey in the United States. No two are exactly the same.  Varieties are regional depending on the floral blossoms that are available to the bees.  Clover honey is the most widely available.  Other varieties include: buckwheat, blueberry, alfalfa and orange blossom from the south.

Honey has been used by people as a food source for thousands of years, but was mainly regarded as a medicine, with almost religious or magical significance.  Honey was the only available source of sugar in countries where it was made.  By the time of the Roman Empire, honey production and beekeeping were well established. It has antiseptic properties and can be used as a remedy for aliments from sore throats to burns and cuts.  For a soothing drink for a sore throat, mix honey with the juice of half a lemon, add boiling water and stir.

You can use honey instead of sugar in cooking. Because it is sweeter than sugar, you need to use less.  The first thing to consider when using honey to cook with is that it is two times as sweet as sugar.

To substitute honey for sugar when baking, follow these guidelines:

·         Substitute honey for ½ the sugar in a recipe
·         Reduce the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup for each cup of honey used
·         Add ½ teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used
·         Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent over-browning

With a little experimentation, honey can replace all the sugar in certain recipes.

It will also help keep baked goods more moist and they will stay fresher longer than those baked with sugar.

Store honey at room temperature, in an air-tight container.  Never store it in the refrigerator.  When stored properly, honey’s shelf life is almost indefinite. If honey turns cloudy or crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve. Or place the honey in a microwave-safe container without the lid and microwave on HIGH, stirring every 30 seconds until the crystals dissolve. Be careful not to over-heat the honey.

Honey has 60 calories per one tablespoon, contains 17 g carbohydrates and trace amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Never feed honey to a baby under 12 months of age.  Honey may contain harmful toxins that can be a danger to babies, but not to older children and adults.  Once the infant reaches the age of one year old or older, their intestines have a balance of acids that help destroy and fight off toxins.

Honey’s natural sweetness has always been perfect for desserts, but it’s right at home in savory dishes too – from appetizers to main dishes, smoothies and snacks. Try adding honey a little at a time to sauces and glazes.

Plan Your Family Staycation and Save Cash!

Buy local. Eat locally grown foods. Keep your money in our community. These are “buzz phrases” that are floating around a lot these days. So let’s think about that great summer ritual – the summer vacation.

Where are you going for your summer vacation? When most of us think about a summer vacation, there is nothing local about it. Bear with me a moment and let’s think about the summer vacation from an economic standpoint.

An American Automobile Association Annual Vacation Cost Survey indicated that the average cost per day for a vacation for a family of 4 in 2008 was $250. Using these 2008 figures, let’s assume your family will spend $1,250 on your summer vacation. There are 20 families in your neighborhood planning to spend the same amount. There are 10 neighborhoods in town with a similar number of families planning to spend a similar amount of money. And there are probably an equal number of families out in the county planning to spend $1250 on the family summer vacation. So, let’s do the math: $1250 x 20 families x 10 neighborhoods x 2(city and county families) = $500,000! In Kentucky, we have 120 counties. Potentially, Kentuckians could spend $6 million on family vacations this year. (Actual expenditures for 2008 by Kentuckians was reported to be a little over $7.5 million by the US Travel Association.)

If $6 million is going to be spent this year for family vacations think how much good you could do for our local economy if you chose to stay in Kentucky for that family vacation. Take the family to a State Park for the weekend, rent a pontoon, swim in the pool, play golf or just take a hike. Go to one of our state historic sites or to a museum or an amusement park. Most of the things you do on vacation (except swim in the ocean), can be done right here in our own backyard. Chances are that you can have an excellent family vacation and save money too! Staying in Kentucky can be good for the state and good for your bottom line, as well!

Take the Staycation Pledge – pledge to save money and stay in Kentucky for your family vacation. You can find the Staycation Pledge on the Barren County Extension Website, http://ces.ca.uky.edu/barren/. Just click on the Staycation Pledge link on the right side of the page under Quick Links.

For more information about Kentucky Staycations, visit your Barren County Extension Office and request “Great Places in Kentucky”.

Shopping at the Farmers Market provides Healthy Food for your Body and Soul

Would you travel 1,500 miles for a meal? Even for the best meal of our lives, most of us wouldn’t travel 1,500 miles. And what about eating a meal which has traveled 1,500 miles, doesn’t seem very palatable does it? Yet, much of the produce in our grocery stores has traveled an average of 1,500 miles from farm to market.


When looking at our food in this perspective, many issues come to light. First, think about the transportation costs that are part of the final cost of your produce. Second, think of the nutritive value of the product. In order to travel great distances, produce is harvested much before becoming ripe allowing the produce to ripen “off the vine,” so to speak, and in a truck or train on its way to your grocery store. And finally, think about flavors. Produce with a long “shelf life” is specifically selected to make the intercontinental and cross continental trips. The produce is not selected for its flavor or nutritive value, but for its portability.

How can we, as consumers impact the distance our produce travels? First, talk to your produce department and store managers. Tell them that you want your produce to be supplied by local sources. But don’t stop with the produce department, local sources for meat and dairy are also available. Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese and Chaney’s Milk have already made it into local grocery stores, tell the store manager you want to see more local products on the shelves and in the coolers. Or, you can simply visit the local farmers markets and purchase your produce directly from the farmer.

Farmers’ Markets are an excellent place to not only purchase locally grown produce, but also to find other local food products. In Barren County, you can purchase pork, beef, bison, cheese, herbs, baked goods, and vegetable plants. In addition to food products, other local products can be found such as art work, fresh flowers and ornamental plants, jewelry, baskets, brooms, soaps and lotions, hand bags, scarves, etc.

And finally, the opportunity to purchase local products is only one component of the farmers’ market. Social factors which contribute to our quality of life, also contribute to enhance the farmers’ market experience. Shopping at the farmers’ markets gives you the chance to interact with your neighbors – the producers and the other consumers. Shopping at the farmers' market can be a family affair, with everyone providing input into the selections you make. Shopping as a family also helps to reinforce the importance of the local farm to community, for your children. Farmers’ market shopping can also be a cultural learning experience, as artists are often making their products right before your eyes. Additionally, many farmers are experimenting with growing and selling products that are required for a variety of ethnic recipes – try some of these products that are unfamiliar, you might like them. And of course, many farmers’ markets, such as the Bounty of the Barrens, provide entertainment from local musicians and groups, further enhancing the cultural experience.

On your next trip to the grocery consider this – Do you want your food dollars to support your local economy and enhance the producer product or do you want to support the farms and farmers that are hundreds and even thousands of miles away from Kentucky?

Bounty of the Barrens Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 8:00 am until noon. The Barren County Regional Farmers’ Market is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm.  The TJ Samson Hospital Farmers Market is open on Thursday afternoons from 2:00pm until  5:00pm!


For more information about Farmers’ Markets, contact the Barren County Extension Office at 651-3818, visit us on the web at http://ces.ca.uky.edu/barren/ or “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarrenCountyCES.

KY Proud Final Four Menu

 

Are you looking for the perfect menu for the NCAA Final Four game between the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Connecticut Huskies?



Tomato Pesto Tart



For the pregame show, you will want some great appetizers. Tomato Pesto Tart is a simple yet tasty treat that is sure to please all those basketball aficionados, and gives a nod to Coach Cal's Italian heritage. A batch of Metcalfe Meatballs and a fresh and zippy Cucumber, Corn and Bean Salsa with chips are sure to tempt the tastebuds of all your guests. Campbellsville Cheese Ball with crackers will definitely get everyone ready for some round ball action!



With a good game plan, you can expect your guests to be ready for a main course about half-time. Nothinsg says Kentucky like a hot pot of burgoo!  Put some Slow Cooker Mount St. Joseph Burgoo in the pot around noon and it should be ready just in time. A wedge of Cheddar Cheese Casserole Bread will be just the thing to accompany this one dish meal.



And of course, we can't forget about one of Kentucky's ofther Big Bs, bourbon!  Bourbon Brownies will complete this round of Kentucky Proud fare and put a smile on all the basketball fan faces! Let’s go Wildcats – beat the Huskies!

Click the link above for the Salsa recipe on the KY Proud Recipe Data Base.  All the other recipes are from the Pride of Kentucky Book!  Email the Extension Office at DL_CES_BARREN@EMAIL.UKY.EDU for the any of the Pride of Kentucky recipes listed above!

KY Blue Broccoli Casserole

3 lbs of broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
2 c. skim milk
6 oz. Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
½ c. Kentucky Rose Bleu cheese*, cubed
2 c. dry white bread, cubed
¼ T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare 3 quart casserole with cooking spray.

Bring 3 quarts water to boil in saucepan. Add broccoli to boiling water and cook until barely tender (about 3 to 5 minutes). Drain.

Combine milk and flour and heat over medium heat. Stir until mixture is thickened. Add cream cheese and KY Rose bleu cheese, whish until blended and smooth. Stir in broccoli. Pour into 3 quart casserole.

In a blender, whirl bread cubes until coarsely crumbled. In a small bowl, mix crumbs with butter, toss to coat. Sprinkle crumbs over broccoli mixture.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes in preheated oven until heated through and crumbs are golden.

Yield: 12 servings

*KY Rose Bleu Cheese is made by Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese from Barren County, KY.

Nutrition Analysis per serving: 120 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 8g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 15 mg cholesterol, 420 mg sodium, 3g fiber.

Wildcat Muffins

2 c. all-purpose flour
½ c. granulated sugar
¼ c. packed brown sugar
2 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
¾ c. milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ c. applesauce
1 ½ t. grated lemon peel
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 ½ c. fresh or frozen KY Proud blueberries



Preheat oven to 375⁰. Line 18 muffin cups or prepare muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, egg, applesauce and lemon peel. Fold in white chocolate chips and blueberries. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool, if desired! These are delicious when they are warm!

Nutritional Analysis per serving: 160 calories, 3.5 g fat, 2g saturated fat, 3 g protein, 28g carbohydrate, 15mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium.

Homemakers Ready for Go Green Challenge!

On Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at the Barren County Extension Office, Barren County Extension Homemakers will kick-off their environmental challenge!  Come by the office from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm to learn how you can become involved in this effort!  More information will follow after the kick-off meeting!

Click on the Extension Homemaker link for more information!