Happenings December 2024
December 2024
4-H Team Action Group Teams Up with CoveCare for Holiday Giving Trees Program
Every holiday season, the Teen Action Group works in collaboration with CoveCare to set up Giving Trees around Putnam County. The trees contain tags with gift requests from families in need. The general public takes a tag and purchases gifts that provide children who may be at risk of not receiving anything this holiday.
Please participate in this heartwarming effort to provide for others this time of year by stopping by one of the tree locations after Thanksgiving:
- CoveCare Center, 1808 Route 6, Carmel
- George's Place, 36 Gleneida Ave, Carmel
- Kent Public Library, 17 Sybil’s Crossing, Kent Lakes
- Mahopac Public Library, 668 Route 6, Mahopac
- Drug World, 55 Chestnut St., Cold Spring
- Brewster Ice Arena, 63 Fields Lane, Brewster
Join the 38th Season of Project FeederWatch
from Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Monitor birds and more near your home
Ithaca, NY—Project FeederWatch continues with its 38th year, gathering information about how bird populations are faring across the United States and Canada—vital information for conservation. This year participants can continue to share details about squirrels, deer, raccoons, bears, or other mammals they see at their count sites—in addition to the birds.
The FeederWatch season takes place through April 30, 2025. FeederWatch is also asking for reports of sick birds and for information about how watching birds impacts people's sense of well-being.
"We are trying to accomplish several things with these new data,” said the Cornell Lab's project leader Emma Greig. "If participants see sick birds or a predation event, for example, how does it change how they feel overall about birds and bird feeding? We are also trying to understand if seeing squirrels, deer, or other mammals affects human behavior or changes the way people feel about offering supplementary food to birds." FeederWatchers make periodic two-day counts at their designated watch site(s) from through April, spending as much or as little time as they wish. Even counting birds once or twice all season has value. You can also report what you see to FeederWatch even if you don’t have a bird feeder.
"FeederWatch has been used for so many bird population and behavior studies over the years," said Greig. “Recently, data from FeederWatchers are helping scientists understand large-scale climate fluctuations across the continent and the impact climate change is having on birds.”
Project FeederWatch is a joint research and education project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada. Sign up or renew online to join the record-high contingent of FeederWatch participants from both the United States and Canada at FeederWatch.org. The participation fee is $18 in the U.S. or a donation of any amount in Canada.
Project FeederWatch is made possible by the contributions of thousands of volunteers and our supporters: Armstrong Bird Food and Wild Birds Unlimited.
Photo: Kathi Borgmann
Five Ways Giving Is Good for You
by Jill Suttie and Jason Marsh, The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley
Holiday shopping can be terrifying, yes. But research suggests it’s worth it: New studies attest to the benefits of giving—not just for the recipients but for the givers’ health and happiness, and for the strength of entire communities. Of course, you don’t have to shop to reap the benefits of giving. Research suggests the same benefits come from donating to charities or volunteering your time, like at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. Here are some of the ways that giving is good for you and your community.
1. Giving makes us feel happy. A 2008 study by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton and colleagues found that giving money to someone else lifted participants’ happiness more than spending it on themselves (despite participants’ prediction that spending on themselves would make them happier). Happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, saw similar results when she asked people to perform five acts of kindness each week for six weeks.
In a 2006 study, Jorge Moll and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. Scientists also believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the “helper’s high.”
2. Giving is good for our health. A wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health, even among the sick and elderly. In his book "Why Good Things Happen to Good People," Stephen Post, a professor of preventative medicine at Stony Brook University, reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness.
A 1999 study led by Doug Oman of the University of California, Berkeley, found that elderly people who volunteered for two or more organizations were 44 percent less likely to die over a five-year period than were non-volunteers, even after controlling for their age, exercise habits, general health, and negative health habits like smoking. In 2003, Stephanie Brown of the University of Michigan and her colleagues found that those individuals who provided practical help to others had a lower risk of dying over a five-year period than those who didn’t. Interestingly, receiving help wasn’t linked to a reduced death risk.
Researchers suggest that one reason giving may improve physical health and longevity is that it helps decrease stress, which is associated with a variety of health problems. In a 2006 study by Rachel Piferi of Johns Hopkins University and Kathleen Lawler of the University of Tennessee, people who provided social support to others had lower blood pressure than participants who didn’t, suggesting a direct physiological benefit to those who give of themselves.
3. Giving promotes cooperation and social connection. When you give, you’re more likely to get back: Several studies, including work by sociologists Brent Simpson and Robb Willer, have suggested that when you give to others, your generosity is likely to be rewarded by others down the line—sometimes by the person you gave to, sometimes by someone else.
As researcher John Cacioppo writes in his book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, “The more extensive the reciprocal altruism born of social connection . . . the greater the advance toward health, wealth, and happiness.”
4. Giving evokes gratitude. Whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of a gift, that gift can elicit feelings of gratitude—it can be a way of expressing gratitude or instilling gratitude in the recipient. And research has found that gratitude is integral to happiness, health and social bonds.
Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, co-directors of the Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness, found that teaching college students to “count their blessings” and cultivate gratitude caused them to exercise more, be more optimistic, and feel better about their lives overall. A recent study led by Nathaniel Lambert at Florida State University found that expressing gratitude to a close friend or romantic partner strengthens our sense of connection to that person.
5. Giving is contagious. When we give, we don’t only help the immediate recipient of our gift. We also spur a ripple effect of generosity through our community.
A study by James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, and Nicholas Christakis of Harvard, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, shows that when one person behaves generously, it inspires observers to behave generously later, toward different people. In fact, the researchers found that altruism could spread by three degrees—from person to person to person to person. “As a result,” they write, “each person in a network can influence dozens or even hundreds of people, some of whom [they do] not know and [have] not met.”
Giving has also been linked to the release of oxytocin, a hormone (also released during sex and breast feeding) that induces feelings of warmth, euphoria and connection to others. In laboratory studies, Paul Zak, the director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University, has found that a dose of oxytocin will cause people to give more generously and to feel more empathy towards others, with “symptoms” lasting up to two hours. And those people on an “oxytocin high” can potentially jumpstart a “virtuous circle, where one person’s generous behavior triggers another’s,” says Zak.
So whether you buy gifts, volunteer your time or donate money to charity this holiday season, your giving is much more than just a year-end chore. It may help you build stronger social connections and even jumpstart a cascade of generosity through your community. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself benefiting from a big dose of happiness in the process.
Keeping Your Fresh-cut Christmas Tree Fresh!
by Jennifer Lerner, Senior Resource Educator
Fresh-cut Christmas trees bring in the scent of the outdoors. Keeping them fresh and looking good through the holidays means that you’ll enjoy them longer and have less of a mess when time comes to carry them out. Here are a few easy steps that will help keep your fresh-cut tree fresh once you’ve gotten it home.
- If you are not going to put up the tree right away, put it in a cool or cold space, such as a garage or carport where it is out of the sun and wind. Make a fresh, 1-inch cut at the bottom and place the butt into a clean bucket of warm water. Warm water helps to keep resin from sealing over the fresh cut.
- Take the time to clean and sterilize your Christmas tree stand. Dirt and bacteria can quickly clog up the tree’s vascular tissue, inhibiting its ability to draw up water. In a warm room, a Christmas tree can use up to a quart of water a day. As a rule of thumb your Christmas tree stand should hold a quart for every inch diameter of trunk.
- When you’re ready to bring the tree in, make another fresh 1-inch cut. At this time, you may have to prune off some of the lower branches in order to fit the tree into the stand. Use trimmed branches for wreaths and roping or use them to cover tender perennial in the garden.
- Check the water level daily. Though there are many commercially prepared preservative solutions, studies have shown that plain water is sufficient to keep a cut Christmas tree fresh. Use tepid or room-temperature water.
- When choosing lighting, remember that miniature lights produce less heat, keeping your tree fresher longer. Use only UL listed, interior lights. Check lights for loose connections or bare wires before plugging in. Unplug the tree lights at night or when you are not at home. Alternately you can use a UL listed timer to turn the lights on and off.
- Lastly, take down the tree before it dries out. A well-cared for tree can last up to five weeks indoors, longer if interior temperatures are cool and the cut tree is situated away from strong light sources and heat sources.
Resources: Selection and Care of Your Christmas Tree, Alex Dickson and Fred E. Winch Jr., Information Bulletin #48. A Cornell Cooperative Extension publication, 9/75.
Roasting Those “Other” Holiday Meats
from USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
No doubt about it, holiday time is turkey time. Of the 219 million turkeys produced in 2023, 30 percent are served during the holidays. Yet numerous other meats are also traditional at holiday gatherings. Some families choose a rib roast; others, a ham; and some will have the butcher arrange a crown roast of lamb.
If a hunter is in the clan, that family may serve wild game such as duck, venison or pheasant. Small families may opt for a bird smaller than a turkey — such as capon, duck, goose or Cornish hen — or a small cut of meat like a pork tenderloin or veal roast.
Whatever the choice, have a food thermometer on hand to determine when the meat has reached a safe temperature. For special holiday meals, the cook wants everything perfect — and perfectly safe.
The Safety of Special Holiday Meats
When choosing your holiday meat, be assured that all beef, lamb, pork, veal and poultry sold at your supermarket has been inspected for wholesomeness by the USDA or State inspection systems. Once your purchase is at home, refrigerate it immediately. Cook or freeze fresh poultry within 1 or 2 days; fresh meats, 3 to 5 days.
There are two types of hams: fully cooked and those that need cooking. Fully cooked hams may be eaten cold or reheated to 140°F. When storing these hams, observe "use-by" dates on hams sealed at the plant; use store-wrapped cooked ham portions within 3 to 5 days. "Cook-before-eating" hams must be cooked to 145°F and allowed to rest for at least 3 minutes to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present. Use within 7 days.
Since wild game killed by hunters has not been federally or state inspected, care must be taken to handle it safely. Parasites such as Trichinella and Toxoplasma may be present. Improper handling can cause bacterial contamination as well as off-flavors.
Dress game in the field right after shooting. Dressed meat must be chilled as soon as possible. Keep the game cold — below 40°F, until it can be cooked or frozen.
About Roasting
Because holidays are special times, people tend to spend more money for a specialty meat. These fancy meats and poultry may cost more because they are exceptionally tender or special.
Roasting is the recommended method for cooking tender meats. To roast, meat is placed on a rack in a shallow, uncovered pan and is cooked by the indirect dry heat of an oven. To keep the meat tender and minimize shrinkage due to the evaporation of moisture, a moderately low oven temperature of 325°F should be used.
The USDA does not recommend cooking meat and poultry at oven temperatures lower than 325°F because these foods could remain in the "Danger Zone" (temperatures of 40° to 140°F) too long. Bacteria which may be present on these foods multiply rapidly at these temperatures.
Boned and rolled meats require more cooking time per pound than bone-in cuts because it takes longer for the heat to penetrate through the solid meat.
Background Information About Holiday Meats
BEEF and VEAL: Beef and veal are leaner these days so overcooking them will dry the meat. Cook all raw beef and veal steaks, roasts and chops to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.
LAMB: Technically, "Spring lamb" is meat from lambs slaughtered from March to the first week in October. The term comes from a time when lambs born in harsh winter weather would have little chance to survive until the next year. Today, with more protected animal husbandry conditions, enjoying "lamb" is not confined to a particular season of the year.
Some people may view lamb as a fatty meat. However, leg and loin lamb meat has a similar fat content to lean beef and pork loin when trimmed of visible fat. The "fell" is a paper-like covering on lamb and is usually removed from steaks and chops at the retail market. Leave the fell on leg roasts to help retain shape.
Cook all raw lamb steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.
PORK: Because hogs are about 50 percent leaner than they were 25 years ago, today's pork cooks faster and can dry out when overcooked. Years ago when pork had more fat than it does today, the meat could be overcooked and still be fairly tender and flavorful.
Cook all raw pork steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.
WILD GAME: To remove the "gamey" flavor, soak wild meat or poultry in a solution of either 1 tablespoon salt or 1 cup vinegar per quart of cold water. Use enough solution to cover the game completely and soak it overnight in the refrigerator. Discard the soaking solution before cooking.
Wild game is leaner than its domestically raised counterpart. Trim any visible fat — that's where a gamey flavor can reside. Then roast tender cuts of venison and game birds (if skinned) covered with oil-soaked cheesecloth or strips of bacon to prevent the meat from drying out. Set them on a rack in a shallow pan and roast in the oven at 325°F.
For tenderness and doneness, whole game birds should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a food thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
DUCK and GOOSE: Most domestic ducks are the breed called White Pekin. The term "Long Island" duck is a trade name. Domestic ducklings have a great deal of fat. While it helps them float when swimming, fat is undesirable in a cooked duck. Therefore, it's recommended to prick or score the skin of a whole duck before cooking so much of the fat will render out.
Although domestic geese are larger than ducks, they are cooked in the same manner. Oven cooking bags are helpful for cooking these birds because they hold the fat for easy disposal and keep the oven spatter-free.
CAPONS and CORNISH HENS: These specialty birds are chickens. Cornish hens are small broiler-fryers weighing 1 to 2 pounds. Capons are male chickens which are surgically unsexed; weighing about 4 to 7 pounds, they have generous quantities of tender, light meat. Roast them as you would any chicken.
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service offers roasting charts; see link below.
Source: USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
Holiday Baking Safety Tips
from Terri Kolb, UW-Extension FoodWIse
Holiday treats are just as much fun to make as they are to eat, but it’s important to take some safety steps to avoid illness.
Decorating with Luster Dust and Glitter
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds consumers that some decorating “luster dust” and glitter have caused toxic metal poisonings in children. Decorating foods with luster dust or glitter is a very popular trend and can turn bake goods into works of art. Look for luster dusts that are safe for consumption and marked “edible” on the label. Some luster dusts used as cake decorations are not edible or food grade and should be labeled as “non-toxic” or “for decorative purposes only.” Non-edible dusts or glitter labeled as “non-toxic” are not harmful when touched but can be harmful if eaten. These non-edible luster dusts and glitter may contain high levels of copper, lead and other heavy metals and should be removed before eating. Often bakers and consumers don’t understand this need for extra caution. A Food and Drug Administration advisory states that luster dust products should only be eaten if they are labeled as “edible” and contain a list of ingredients. Be sure to purchase baking supply products from trusted sources. Unfortunately, most food items imported into the United States are not inspected for safety.
Handling Flour Safely
There are two main concerns in baked goods that can cause foodborne illness. You may already know about raw eggs, but raw flour can cause illness as well. The grains that are ground into flour are grown in fields and like all foods grown outdoors they can be exposed to harmful bacteria. There have been outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli linked to flour. Processing of grains into flour does not destroy bacteria. Cooking is the only way to be sure that foods made with flour and raw eggs are safe to eat.
Some dos and don’ts of handling flour:
- DO follow package direction on baking mixes and other flour containing products for correct cooking temperatures and times.
- DO keep all raw foods, like flour and eggs, separate from ready-to eat foods. Remember flour is a powder and spreads easily.
- DO refrigerate cookie and pastry dough according to package directions. Be sure your refrigerator is at a safe 40F or lower.
- DO clean up after working with flour or raw dough and eggs. Be sure to wash your hands, utensils, bowls, baking pans, cutting boards, and counter tops with warm soapy water.
- DO NOT eat or allow children to eat or play with raw dough products made with flour or baking mix before cooking.
- DO NOT use products that contain raw flour, like cake mix to make milkshakes or dessert dips.
Storing Baked Goods
Homemade baked goods may spoil faster than store-bought baked goods due to not having preservatives to make them shelf stable. Many baked goods like breads, muffins, cookies etc. can be stored at room temperature because they have low-moisture and high sugar content. If you will not eat them in 2-3 days wrap them tightly and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Baked goods that have creams, custards, cheese, meat and vegetable or cream fillings, or are egg-based need to be kept in the refrigerator for safe storage.
Freezing baked goods is also a good option but keep in mind they may begin to suffer from changes in flavor and texture after 2-3 months and cream-based baked goods may suffer from sogginess or separation if stored in the freezer.
Have a healthy, yummy and safe holiday season!
Source: Extension Oneida County, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Image by Lisa Kreutzer from Pixabay
Celebrate the Holidays with these Recipes
Old Fashioned Dressing
from SNAP-Ed, submitted by Josephine Quiocho, Nutrition Educator
Some call it dressing, while others call it stuffing. Either way, you'll call it delicious! Enjoy this old fashioned dressing with your next holiday meal or as a family-friendly side dish.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons margarine or butter
- 2 cups celery (diced)
- 1 cup onion (chopped)
- 8 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped fresh or dried)
- 1/4 cup mushroom (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon sage (ground)
- 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups broth, chicken or turkey, low-sodium
Directions
1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Toast bread cubes and set aside for later use.
3. Melt margarine or butter in medium size fry pan.
4. Add celery and onion; cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Add parsley, mushrooms, seasoning, and broth. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and add the toasted bread cubes. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Source: Oregon State University Cooperative Extension Service
Red Lentil Latkes
Traditionally, latkes are pancakes made from potatoes, but these latkes also include lentils, cheese, and hot sauce. Flavorful and tasty, this dish makes a great weeknight meal. Enjoy it along with a side salad.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry red lentils
- 1 potato, medium grated (about 1/2 pound, peeling is optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- Parmesan cheese, grated or other cheese (2 tablespoons, optional)
- hot sauce (1 or 2 dashes, optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- black pepper (to taste, optional)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (or olive oil, for cooking)
Directions
1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Add the lentils to a medium saucepan and add water to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, remove the excess water from the potato: you can either squeeze it by the handful, or put the entire pile on a clean tea towel and wring it out.
4. Crack the egg in a medium bowl and beat it lightly. Add the potato, cooked lentils, garlic, green onion, and cheese and hot sauce if you're using them in a medium bowl. Add the salt and a good grinding of black pepper and stir until combined.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add a generous drizzle of oil (1-2 tablespoons). Working in batches, so as not to crowd the pan, add clumps of the potato-lentil mixture (about the size of a golf ball or slightly larger works well), and flatten each as soon as it's in the pan, making them about a half inch thick.
6. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the latkes are deeply golden brown and cooked through. Add a little more oil to the pan for each additional batch. Serve immediately or keep the latkes warm in a 200 °F oven for up to an hour.
Source: The Big Book of Lentils Cookbook, Canadian Lentils
Last updated November 26, 2024
Tom Hall, Leader,
4-H Trailblazers Shooting Sports
Tom has been a 4-H Trailblazers Shooting Sports leader for about 8 years.
He is a middle school science teacher and has also taught enrichment programs and specialized in entomology, which he said, “led to some cool trips to South America.”
As for why he became a 4-H leader, he joked that he “was roped into it by Laura and Patrick - the original community.”
“4-H is tremendously fulfilling. I would like to think that it helped to make me a better educator,” he said. “It made me truly appreciate what goes into working together and helping to create a successful club, which can have positive effects in the community. It is easy to take the 4-H pledge to heart.”
Tom believes that the Trailblazers benefits youth by giving them a "safety first attitude.” If someone is taught the correct way to do something when they are young, it is hard to move away from that as an adult. He believes in the 4-H mission statement of "learn by doing.”
His favorite thing about CCE is that “as a (mainly) volunteer organization, it is a group of people who are there to share what they love and they aren't afraid of donating their time. The folks who work for CCE are always there with support for the club leaders.”
WINTER SCHEDULE: There have been a few changes to the Farm Truck's times and stops! We have updated the schedule online so please take note! Check it out HERE!
December is ...
National Fruitcake Month
The fruit cake likely originated in western Europe as dried fruits and fruit breads became more mainstream during the Middle Ages. Spicy Italian “Panpepato” or “panforte” (strong bread), popular in the early 13th century, is named for the amount of pepper in the recipe. “Stollen,” a German fruitcake made with dried fruit and covered with powdered sugar, is a traditional holiday bread that historians have traced back to the 15th century. Modern variations include ingredients like walnuts, almonds, pecans, apricots, dates, cherries, apples and blueberries.
Resource: MSU Extension
National Pear Month
From the classic Bartlett to the tiny Forelle, it’s time to celebrate the pear. A medium pear has 6 grams of fiber, which equals about 24 percent of the recommended daily value. USA Pears offers a number of recipes highlighting pears including Red Wine Poached Pear with Mascarpone and Roasted Pears with Strawberry Relish.
Resource: USA Pears
Universal Human Rights Month
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives from different regions of the world (including Eleanor Roosevelt, pictured above, who served as the first chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights), the declaration was adopted by the United Nations Dec. 10, 1948. It comprises 30 articles that establish fundamental human rights to be universally protected as a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and nations." It has been translated into over 500 languages and is recognized as having inspired the adoption of more than 70 human rights treaties worldwide.
Resource: United Nations
Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
Worldwide Food Service Safety Month promotes best practices in the food service industry through education and awareness. Created in 1994 by the National Restaurant Association, it encourages industry professionals to revisit current standards in the food service industry to ensure the health and well-being of both those working with food and their customers by emphasizing safety protocols, offering training programs and continuing to improve practices.
Resource: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
World AIDS/HIV Awareness Month
There has been considerable progress made over the last 40 years in terms of treatment and support for those living with HIV and AIDS. Approximately, 39.9 million people worldwide are living with HIV. World AIDS/HIV Awareness Month is dedicated to supporting educational campaigns, disseminating information about testing and treatments, lobbying for healthcare equity and breaking the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.
Resource: HIV.gov
Make Healthy Holiday Choices
from USDA My Plate
The holidays are often filled with time-honored traditions that include some of our favorite meals and foods. As you celebrate, think of little changes you can make to create healthier meals and active days.
1. Makeover your favorite holiday dishes: Go to snapedny.org or www.myplate.gov to find healthier alternatives for your holiday recipes.
2. Enjoy all the food groups at your celebration: Prepare whole-grain crackers with hummus; add unsalted nuts and black beans to a green-leaf salad; include fresh fruit at the dessert table; use low-fat milk instead of heavy cream in recipes.
3. Make sure your protein is lean: Turkey, roast beef or fresh ham are lean protein choices. Trim visible fat before cooking. Try baking or broiling instead of frying. Go easy on sauces and gravies.
4. Cheers to good health: Quench your thirst with low-calorie options. Drink water with lemon or lime slices or seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice.
5. Bake healthier: Use recipes with unsweetened applesauce or mashed ripe bananas instead of butter. Use spices such as cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg to add flavor.
6. Tweak the sweet: For dessert, try baked apples with cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar instead of apple pie. Invite your guests to make their own parfait with colorful sliced fruit and low-fat yogurt.
7. Be the life of the party: Laugh, mingle, dance and play games. Focus on fun and enjoy the company of others.
8. Make exercise a part of the fun: Have fun walking and talking with family and friends after a holiday meal.
9. Enjoy leftovers: Create delicious new meals with your leftovers. The possibilities are endless!
10. Give to others: Spend time providing foods or preparing meals for those who may need a little help. Give food to a local food bank or volunteer to serve meals at a shelter during the holiday season.
Source: snapedny.org
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Tidbits
TAG Members Lend a Hand
at Putnam CAP
Recently, TAG (Teen Action Group) members volunteered at Putnam CAP (Community Action Partnership) in Brewster to sort toy donations bound for Putnam County kids in need. They sorted hundreds of toys to help our community this holiday season.
Teen Action Group is a 4-H club focused on youth development for teens via key areas: leadership, citizenship, life skills, and community service.
Putnam CAP is located at 151 Main St. in Brewster ( putnamcap.org).
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New Filing Requirement Includes Most Small Farms
Elizabeth Higgins, Extension Associate Eastern NY Commercial Hort Program
Beginning January 1, 2024, most small entities—including single member LLCs—must file online reports with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, disclosing information about the beneficial owners of the entities.
This new reporting requirement—estimated to impact at least 32.6 million entities in 2024—was created by the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Existing entities have until Jan. 1, 2025, to make their first beneficial ownership information (BOI) report.
Any entity created by the filing of a document with a secretary of state or any similar office under the law of a state or Indian tribe, unless excepted from the reporting requirement, must file. Examples of exempt entities include tax-exempt and government. ( Read more FAQs).
Failure to file a BOI report can result in severe civil and criminal penalties! If you don’t file a BOI report, you could face a $500-per-day fine, up to $10,000, and up to two years in prison. File at boiefiling.fincen.gov/fileboir.
What Information Will I have to Provide?
For the company:
- Full legal name
- Any trade name or “doing business as” name
- Complete current U.S. address
- Jurisdiction of formation (including State or Tribal jurisdiction for a domestic reporting company)
What is a “Beneficial Owner”?
In general, beneficial owners are individuals who:
- Directly or indirectly exercise “substantial control” over the reporting company, or
- Directly or indirectly own or control 25% or more of the “ownership interests” of the reporting company.
Get more information from the Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) Beneficial Ownership website at www.fincen.gov/boi and the Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) BOIeFiling website at boiefiling.fincen.gov/
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Viewing the Geminids Meteor Shower
The Geminids meteor shower peaks during mid-December each year and is considered one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers. This year, it will put on its best show Dec. 13 through 14.
According to Space.com, this year, the peak will coincide with an approximately 90% illuminated Waxing Gibbous moon. When there is no moonlight to interfere with the meteor showers, you can see up to 150 meteors per hour at peak times according to the American Meteor Society.
According to Space.com, to see the Geminids meteor shower, go to the darkest possible location, lean back and relax (bring a blanket because it might be cold out). There is no need for special equipment like telescopes or binoculars. The best thing to do is to scan the night sky. While the best time to view the Geminids meteor shower is during its peak at around 2 a.m. local time, NASA considers this shower to be one of the best opportunities for young viewers since it starts around 9 or 10 p.m.
Most meteor showers we see are the products of comets, but the Geminids are the product of the asteroid Phaethon, which collided with another object in the distant past and created the stream of particles that Earth passes through.
Sources: Space.com and Nasa.gov
At a glance ...
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CCE Westchester: HOME GARDENING WEBINAR SERIES
& TOUR
The 2025 Home Gardening Lecture Series will contain 5 lecture webinars on Tropical Houseplants, Adaptable Plants Under Changing Conditions, Flowering Native Shrubs, Gardening in Small Spaces, and Shade Gardening. Also offered is a private garden tour of Hart's Brook Park and Preserve in Hartsdale, NY. Registration is available for individual or all webinars. Please note that garden tour spots fill quickly!
Session 1: Tropical Houseplants
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Kathleen Strahan invites you to join her in escaping the winter months with a
talk about tropical plants, especially those popularly kept as houseplants.
Learn about the biology, taxonomy and care of tropicals from orchids to palms
to philodendrons and more!
Session 2: Adaptable Plants Under Changing Conditions
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Jacqui Bergonzi will suggest plant choices we can make to help our landscapes
thrive in changing conditions. Gardeners are first-hand observers of the shifts
in weather patterns. Bigger storms, warmer winters and floods to extreme
droughts impact our landscapes. How do we garden sustainably during these
uncertain patterns? There are more questions than answers right now. With what
we have learned so far, let’s explore choices for adaptable plants.
Session 3: Flowering Native Shrubs
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Cathy Ludden demonstrates how suburban landscapes can display the beauty and
diversity of native American flowering shrubs, evergreens, foundation plants,
plants with berries and great fall colors. Learn about plants for shade, sun,
wet and dry or difficult sites, including those resistant to deer. Native
plants support birds, wildlife and pollinators in ways that non-native plants
cannot.
Session 4: Gardening in Small Spaces
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Judy Rozanski will explore how to maximize usable space, whether suburban or
urban. She will explain how to plant in a limited space to garden outdoors
whether on a balcony, in a yard, or another small area. Judy offers valuable
tips and techniques on choosing appropriate plants, including flowering
annuals, perennials, and vegetables.
Session 5: Shade Gardening
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Donna Lassiter will showcase many of her favorite native species, their
benefits for the environment and cultural needs for growing them with success.
Learn the principles of shade gardening and selection of shade tolerant plants.
Light intensity, soil conditions, water, and other applicable plant needs are
examined, including some design aspects. Donna hopes you will be inspired!
Garden Tour: Hart's Brook Park
Rain or Shine
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Hart’s Brook Park and Preserve, Hartsdale
The Garden Tour displays a variety of plants and crops that
are well-adapted to local growing conditions. As the season progresses, mature
crops are harvested and new crops are planted. Fallow plots contain cover crops
and plants that support pollinators, suppress weeds, and improve the soil.
Fee: $5 per session - Tour $20, Full Series $45
Learn more HERE
Register HERE
2025 30-HOUR PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION COURSE
This program, which runs Jan. 22 through Jan 31, 2025, is designed and approved by the DEC to meet the requirements to become a Commercial Pesticide Technician in category 3a, 3b or 25. To become a fully and finally licensed pesticide applicator, after completing this 30-hour course and passing the exam, you will then only need to either have:
- one year of verifiable experience as a technician with an additional 12 hours of category specific recertification training;
- or two years of verifiable experience as a technician (without the additional recertification training)
Fee: $615
Learn more HERE
Register HERE
Giving Tuesday is Dec. 3. CCE Putnam relies on donor funding to help us run programs from our Bountiful Meals initiative to Master Gardener hikes to the 4-H Showcase.
We thank you for all the support you've given to us over the years and look forward to many more years of educating, advocating and providing for the people of Putnam County!