What's Happening In Buncombe

You may think that you are anonymous as you browse web sites, but pieces of information about you are always left behind.

Hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more popular as gas prices rise. Take caution, don't run out of gas in a hybrid car.

Wintertime is the time of year when loneliness increases and many of us don’t know what to do when we start feeling alone and blue.

Although we are all aware of what we should do when outside during a winter storm, it is easy to get caught up in activities and forget about our wellbeing.

Join The Healing Force in a rousing musical celebration of life.

Did you know that more than 100 North American bird species supplement their natural diets with birdseed, suet, fruit and nectar obtained from backyard bird feeders?

Meet Pedorthist Scott Socha and learn about foot and ankle health and alignment and how shoes and orthotics work together.

This week we are featuring some animals available for adoption from FurEver Friends. Please consider making one of these animals your "FurEver" friend by giving it a loving home.

Congratulations to Carla Huntsinger of Candler for her Crockpot Chicken and Corn Chowder recipe!

Whether it's revving up our veggie burgers or toning down our barbecue sauces, ketchup is one condiment few people could not live without.

So squeeze more out of it by going organic. Organic ketchup packs three times more lycopene than the regular stuff and almost twice the level of flavonoids. Here's what all that extra nutrition means for your body.

Love That Lycopene

Lycopene gives fruits (like tomatoes!) and veggies a rich red color, and it may give your body a leg up on loads of diseases -- from cancer to clogged arteries. Check out this collection of lycopene-rich recipes from EatingWell.com.

Source: www.realage.com

If cabin fever leaves you yearning for gardening information, there is a lot available, just a couple of mouse clicks away.

Go to the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension web page. The Lawn and Garden link will bring you in touch with many publications from NC State University. Or use the search option if you are looking for something specific.

When you start thinking about your plans for a new gardening season, do you ever think, “Why do I keep doing this?” When you start to have second thoughts, remind yourself that gardening provides numerous physical and mental health benefits:

1. Burning Calories
   To the non-gardener or hard-core athlete, gardening may seem like a sedentary activity. But carting mulch around in a wheelbarrow, digging in the soil, and all the bending and
   lifting involved in planting really do burn calories. Studies show that depending on the activity, gardening can burn between 250 and 500 calories per hour. 
2. Reducing Stress Levels
   For many people gardening is a creative outlet, for others it’s the change of scenery from the daily grind that makes a difference. Still others find that the satisfaction of reaping the rewards (those tasty fruits and vegetables and beautiful flowers) of your efforts is what helps to reduce stress levels.
3. Gardening Keeps You Limber
   All that bending, lifting, kneeling and twisting go a long way toward maintaining flexibility as well as strength. It’s a good idea to warm up, pace yourself, and do some stretching.
4. Gardening Provides a Regular Source of Exercise
   If you enjoy an activity then you’re more likely to do it. Even if you’re only a weekend gardener, you’re still getting out there moving around on a regular basis.
5. Connecting with Nature
   Isn’t it lovely to hear the birds chirping on a late summer afternoon, or to watch a butterfly flutter around your flowers in the early morning sunlight? Just try not to think about that pesky groundhog.
6. Connecting with Community
   Spending time in the yard and garden is often the best way to connect with your neighbors across the fence.

For more information on gardening, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

Many of us use our stove top on a daily basis but pay little attention to the various settings and how reducing the temperature can reduce energy use. It is important to select the heat to fit the job. With gas burners you can see the decreasing amount of energy from HIGH to WARM settings. A similar variation occurs in an electric surface unit. The full wattage (BTUs for gas) is used only for the HIGH setting.

• High – Use to start cooking foods with liquid and to boil water.

  Setting	Energy Used
  High	100%
  Medium High	45-55%
  Medium	25%
  Low	10-15%
  Warm	5%

• Medium High – Use for browning meats. If meat spatters, heat is too high; if meat does not “sizzle,” heat is too low.
• Medium – Use to cook heat-sensitive foods such as bacon, eggs, pancakes, milk and cheese dishes. Use to maintain boiling of large quantities of foods.
• Low or Simmer – Use to continue cooking average quantities of food after bringing to a boil on high. Foods cook equally fast if boiled slowly or rapidly.
• Warm – Use to keep food at serving temperatures, to finish cooking small amounts of food, to cook soups and stews, and to melt butter and chocolate.

For more information, contact Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

Source: University of Kentucky