Last Week of Early Voting

Election Services urges anyone who is ready to vote, to vote EARLY and avoid the lines on November 4.

There are some routine health tests that women need to keep in mind.

The average American home is brimming with consumer electronics and appliances – televisions, DVD players, stereos, and kitchen gadgets – the list goes on.

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity seeks qualified applicants for its affordable homeownership program.

Here are some tips to help keep everyone safe for Halloween.

Halloween is a fun holiday for people, but it can be a frightening experience for our pets.

Grocery stores and farmer's markets are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables this time of year that provide vitamins, minerals and phytochecmicals.

Be a hero - save a life by giving blood.

Can you give a dog a home? Maybe a cat? How about a kitten? These animals need your help.

Congratulations to Joe Turner of Weaverville for his Orange Witches' Brew Punch recipe!

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 182,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year in the US. One in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in her life time.

October is breast cancer month and a time to celebrate the brave survivors who have battled this disease. It's also a time to increase awareness of breast cancer and its risk factors.

Did you know that obese women are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer? Research shows that post-menopausal women who are obese are more likely to develop breast cancer than women of the same age who are at a healthy weight. In addition, once diagnosed, obese women are more likely to die from breast cancer than healthy weight women in the same age group.

These facts provide another great reason to encourage the women in your life to eat smart and move more. Let them know that their health is important to you, and support them in their efforts to eat healthy foods, be more physically active, and maintain a healthy weight. Wear a pink ribbon this month for all of the women you love!

Colder months are beginning, and with so many pumpkins and other winter squashes available, it is important to keep in mind ways to safely store and preserve them. The most up-to-date recommendations for preserving pumpkins and other winter squashes is to freeze, or if canned, to only can in cubes. It is unsafe to can them mashed or pureed. This includes canning pumpkin or winter squash butters.

Some of the factors that are critical to the safety of canned pumpkin products are the viscosity (thickness), the acidity and the water activity. When we mash or puree these squashes, there is too much variability in the final product to determine safe processing times and methods. You may freeze the butters and purees for later use.

For other information on preserving or preparing our abundance of fall produce, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

For most individuals their home is the largest financial investment that they own. Keeping it in good repair and properly maintained will help in retaining its value over the time of home ownership. It is a good time before cold weather arrives to inspect your home and determine what is needed to prepare the home for winter. Although the list below is not complete, it may provide a starting point.

• Check your home for water leaks.
• Have a heating professional check your heating system every year.
• Protect your home from frozen pipes.
• Replace your furnace filter.
• Have a certified chimney sweep inspect and clean the flues and check your fireplace damper.
• Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Make sure the caulking around doors and windows is adequate to reduce heat/cooling loss.
• Check the condition of the weatherstripping and door sweeps around exterior doors.
• Remove any branches touching the roof or sides of the home.

If you have questions, contact Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

Being prepared in advance of a disaster or winter storm aids in relieving the amount of stress that we get should an event occur. Thinking agencies or individuals will take care of us during the difficult time is not the answer - personal preparation is very important. If your budget doesn’t permit you to create the recommended disaster kit all at once, you can begin gathering a few items each time you visit the grocery store. The recommended items are:

• 1 gallon of water per person per day and plan on a minimum of three days.
• Keep a two week supply of non-perishable food - food not requiring refrigeration, cooking or water to prepare.
• Choose the size container that can be used in one meal so there are not leftovers.
• Include some comfort foods to help reduce stress.
• Choose food your family will like and also foods that have a long shelf life.
• Canned fruits, vegetables, and fruit juices are excellent choices since they contain liquid.
• High energy foods (peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, dried fruits and nut) are good choices.
• Canned meats such as tuna, chicken, and Vienna sausage give you protein without requiring refrigeration.
• Extra batteries for flashlights and/or lanterns should be on the list.
• Don’t forget special needs for family members, ie. baby diapers, insulin, prescription medicines, etc.

Rotate your food periodically to keep it fresh. If hot food or coffee is something that would make it easier coping with a disaster, consider what you would use if electricity were not available. Is this a good time to purchase a camp stove? Remember when using a portable stove during an outage, it must be done outside the living area with good ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

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

How much do you know about the spookiest day of the year? Test your knowledge of Halloween traditions, superstitions, costumes, candy, and more!

Take this trivia quiz to find out!