Jefferson County 4-H members and Adult or Teen Volunteers Online Enrollment for 2020-2021 is now available. You will update your current 4-H Online Enrollment information- do not create a new profile!  If you are a new member and need assistance, call our office at 580-228-2332 and we will gladly assist you with your online enrollment!  

Jefferson County 4-H Fall Fest is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. for enrolled 4-H members and families. Costume contest, games, a fun activity and food!  RSVP at 228-2332 to help us plan for food!  

4-H Teen leadership team– looking for 4-H teens who will become our Teen leadership team!  Contact Tara for more information.

Co-Parenting for Resilience Class for Separating or Divorcing couples with Minor children living in the home is offered monthly.  The next class offered in Jefferson County OSU Extension office will be Tuesday, October 13, 2020.  Registration is required; contact Tara Brown at 580-228-2332 for additional information.

Money Tips:  Dollar Decisions

Ask yourself these questions BEFORE making a purchase:

– Will this purchase meet one of my goals?

– Do I really want and need it?

– Can I afford it?

– What must I give up to have it?

– Am I buying this only because it’s on sale?

– Would I buy this if I had to pay cash?

– If I charge this, can I pay off this month’s bill?

– Would I come back tomorrow to buy this?

Many times, purchases are made “Spontaneous” which means money encourages you to enjoy the moment even if it means stressful times later due to going into debt, having to borrow money from others or spending money you do not have.

Contact Tara Brown for more information on an upcoming class “Check and Balance”.

Jefferson County OHCE (Oklahoma Home and Community Education) meet the 3rd Tuesdays in the Waurika Sr. Citizens Center unless otherwise noted. Our March meeting will be Tuesday and Wednesday (March 20 and 21) 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day; Pamela Varner, Extension Educator, FCS/4-H Youth Development, CED for Cotton County will lead us making “Crazy Quilt Jacket”.  Contact Tara Brown for additional information and copy of the supply list needed for the Easy Crazy Quilt Jacket.

Co-Parenting for Resilience:  Divorce or separation is not an easy or favorable decision, especially when minor children are in the home.  A class for divorcing or separating parents with minor children living in the home, is available monthly or as scheduled.  Our next class is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Pre-registration is required. Call Jefferson County OSU Extension Office at 580-228-2332 for registration information.  This class is mandatory by law in Oklahoma and is also valuable for Grandparents and other relatives of minor children going through a divorce or separation.

Fight Bac!

Partnership for Food Safety Education Supporting consumers to prevent food poisoning

Safe Microwaving

When it comes to Convenience Foods, Cook It Safe

Many Americans’ freezers are stocked with fast, tasty convenience foods.  While the shortest distance between the freezer and the table may be the microwave oven, not all convenience foods can be cooked in the microwave. Challenge yourself to Cook It Safe!

Prevent foodborne illness due to under-cooking frozen or other convenience foods with these four simple tips:

1. Read and Follow Package Cooking Instructions.

2. Know When to Use a Microwave or Conventional Oven.

3. Know Your Microwave Wattage Before Microwaving Food.

4. Always use a Food Thermometer to Ensure a Safe Internal Temperature.

The Cook It Safe campaign was created in partnership with industry groups and the federal government to provide consumer guidelines on the safe cooking of frozen and ready-to-eat convenience foods.

About OHCE

Oklahoma Home and Community Education, Inc., is a program of continuing education in all aspects of home and community life. The organization’s ultimate mission is to educate its members to be well-informed and able to handle change in their homes and communities. Through its relationship with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, OHCE presents research-based information to its members.

Monthly educational lessons, leadership development and community service projects provide OHCE members an opportunity to apply this research based information in their homes and communities.

The Cooperative Extension Service is based at Oklahoma State University with offices and Extension Educators serving each county. OHCE is a statewide and county based organization. County Extension Educators, Family and Consumer Sciences serve as advisors to county HCE organizations. District and State Cooperative Extension Specialists and supervisors work with County Extension Educators and the OHCE program. Working in a cooperative effort, OHCE members and Extension Educators identify local issues facing families. these issues become the basis for OHCE educational programming and efforts are made to help families solve these problems.

OHCE is in a unique position to help individual members and their families and communities develop a higher level of living through education. No other organization is better poised to develop community leaders and informed citizens through research based educational programs.

Jefferson County Jr. Livestock Show was alive March 1-3, 2018 as exhibitors, parents, Ag teachers and other supporters buzzed around the fairgrounds getting their animals ready to show then displaying their animals and showmanship skills.  The 4-H Concession was available for food and drinks to quench the thirst.  Proceeds from the 4-H Concession sales help support our Jefferson County 4-H.  This year’s national theme for 4-H is “4-H Grows Here” and we saw many first time exhibitors as well as members assisting in the Concession learning how to take and fulfill food orders.  We thank all who assisted in the concession and purchased food to help support our 4-H groups!

Culinary (Cooking Club) 

Our next meeting will be 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 at the Jefferson County OSU Extension office.  We will discuss and practice for upcoming Cupcake Wars!

Waurika 4-H clubs will meet Tuesday, March 27 at 3 p.m. (or right after school) at the Waurika High School Cafeteria.  Kim Morris, volunteer 4-H leader will provide information on the upcoming “Death by Chocolate” event.

2018 Southwest District Horse Show:  May 31 to June 2, 2018 (Thursday – Saturday) at the

Stephens County Fairgrounds – 2002 S. 13^th Street, Duncan, OK

Entries due Thursday, April 26, 2018 to County Extension Office

Contact Tara Brown for additional information and entry forms.  Tara also has information for the District Cupcake Wars, Table setting and Food Show Down contests which are scheduled for the end of May.  Registration will be due early April.

CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah Tyus, member of Ryan 4-H!  

Sarah participated in the Indoor nationals and Junior Olympic Archery Division (JOAD) Nationals at Texas A&M on 3/2-3/4. She placed 6th in this region’s Indoor Nationals and 3rd in the Joad nationals. She shot very well with some really stiff competition. She was accompanied by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Tyus who are very proud of her!  We, too, are proud of Sarah!

Jefferson County 4-H and Extension information is available on our webpage: oces.okstate.edu/Jefferson

Facebook: JeffersonCounty Fourh and JeffersonCounty Osu Extension

Oklahoma 4-H Webpage:    http://4h.okstate.edu

Phase 3 COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines

•Until further notice, our office is open by appointment only

•Visitors are required to wear face masks at all times while in the office

•Please notify us of your arrival (580/228-2332) and someone will open the door for you.

•If you can answer “Yes” to any of the following, we ask that you notify us and reschedule:

• Do you feel unwell?

• Do you have a fever?

• Do you have a cough?

Have you been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 or the Flu?

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we strive to serve your needs during this pandemic.

4-H News:  Due to the COVID-19, “face to face” 4-H summer camps, contests, events including State 4-H Round-up have been cancelled; HOWEVER – many will be offered virtually (ZOOM). We are excited to announce the next West District South District Culinary Creation Virtual Contest – Fruit and Vegetable Carving Contest via ZOOM on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 starting at 10am.  This will be an individual contest patterned after the state fair contest and available to all 3 age groups.  Registration is due by Friday, June 19 and participants must be bone fide 4-H members. Contact Tara Brown for the link to register.  Our first virtual contest was Table Setting via ZOOM and it was very successful!  We expect this contest to also be successful and encourage all 4-H members to participate.

4-H Stem Camps and State 4-H Roundup will also be held virtually. Get excited! Oklahoma 4-H Virtual STEM camps start next week and run through the first week of August. STEM camps are a great way for 4-H members age 8-12 to get involved with STEM and have some fun this summer! Camps include livestock science, bio energy, photography, camping, wearable tech and more. Register today at the link below! 

http://4h.okstate.edu

These camps are short and video based and will be fun educational opportunities.

  Contact Tara Brown for the links for registration for State 4-H Round-up.

Co-Parenting for Resilience classes will resume with limited class size until Oklahoma has completed Phase 3 of Re-Opening our state.  Contact Tara Brown for the next scheduled class.

Basic Budgeting 

by Cindy Clampet, Assistant State Specialist, Family Resource Management 

There are lots of reasons you may resist creating a monthly budget. Maybe you strongly object to tracking how you spend your money. Or maybe you think having irregular income or expenses keeps you from establishing a budget. 

On the other hand, there is a relief in knowing where your money goes every month, not to mention a budget gives you the flexibility to control where and when you spend or conserve money. 

Additionally, a budget provides a map of your spending so you are not confused about where all your money went at the end of the month, and it allows you to pay your debts and monthly bills while saving some for emergencies and future big purchases. 

To create a basic budget, start by figuring out how much money you have currently as well as how much you have coming in and going out every month. 

List your expenses first. Develop two lists of expenses, one for essentials such as rent or mortgage, the car payment and utilities, and one for flexible expenses like gifts, clothing and eating out. Keeping the essentials and the flexible expenses separate will help you more clearly see where to make cuts, if needed.

Estimate what you spend. Go through your checkbook register and look at receipts from the past few months to see what you actually spent on each category. After compiling all your essential and flexible expenses, total each list. 

Now list your income, including salaries, tips, child support or alimony and any other money coming into the household. Subtract the essential expenses total from the income total. If there is money left over, subtract the flexible expenses total from the remaining amount. 

If you still have funds available, consider starting a savings account or an investing plan. If there is no money left over, or you went into the negative numbers, try to reduce your flexible expenses.

What if there is nothing to cut? Then, it is time to start thinking of ways to increase your income. A part-time job on the weekend, babysitting, cleaning houses, mowing lawns, delivering pizza are all easy ways to boost your income. Or, maybe you have skills that can be traded for money. Do you sew? Doing clothing alterations can earn some pretty good pocket change. Baking, cake decorating, selling crafts, working on cars, handy man jobs, even shopping for others are other examples of potential strategies for earning some extra money. 

Having a budget on paper will not solve all your money problems, but it will give you a good picture of your spending and that will help you form a plan so those dollars go exactly where you want and need them to go.

For more information on setting up a basic budget, contact your local county Extension office – Tara Brown, (580) 228-2332.

Recipe

Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits

Cream the cream cheese and butter; add rest of the ingredients.  Serve with Graham crackers or Apple wedges

Jefferson County OHCE (Oklahoma Home and Community Education) meet the 3rd Tuesdays in the Waurika Sr. Citizens Center unless otherwise noted.  The next meeting will be April 17 at 12 noon at Waurika Sr. Citizens’ Center.  Tara Brown will present our program “Slow Cooker Meals”.  Contact Tara Brown for additional information. 

Friday, April 6, members of Jefferson County OHCE attended the SW District OHCE meeting held in Pauls Valley.  Carolyn Arnold, Secretary; Kimberly Morris, member; Melicia McFadden, President and Tara Brown, Extension Educator, FCS/4-H Youth Development and Advisor started the day early to be at the meeting place in Pauls Valley by 8:30 a.m. Each of us attended three different sessions which included “Oklahoma Wheat Commission”; “Shabby Chic Flower Pot painting”; How to write reports; there was also a session for Presidents; and others. The large group of attendees said “Farewell and Good wishes upon retirement” to Gloria King, formerly SW District FCS Program Specialist.  It was a good informative day.

Co-Parenting for Resilience:  Divorce or separation is not an easy or favorable decision, especially when minor children are in the home.  A class for divorcing or separating parents with minor children living in the home, is available monthly or as scheduled.  Our next class is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, 2018. Pre-registration is required. Call Jefferson County OSU Extension Office at 580-228-2332 for registration information.  This class is mandatory by law in Oklahoma and is also valuable for Grandparents and other relatives of minor children going through a divorce or separation.

 Jefferson County Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services staff is ready and willing to assist you with your Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H –related questions.  Call 580-228-2332.  Information is also available on our website oces.okstate.edu/Jefferson.  Our Facebook pages are JeffersonCounty Fourh  and JeffersonCounty Osu Extension.

 Making room for this season’s garden harvest

Now that the spring season is underway, many gardeners are looking forward to getting their fruits and vegetables in the ground and hoping for a productive growing season.

For those who had a bountiful harvest last season and canned or froze their crops, it is time to clear off the shelves and clean out the freezer and get ready to preserve this year’s harvest, said Barbara Brown, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension food specialist.

“There’s nothing better than opening a jar of green beans or pulling a bag of okra from the freezer in the middle of winter and being able to taste that summer freshness,” Brown said. “If you had a particularly big garden, it’s likely you’ve still got a few jars of goodness on your shelves or in your freezer. Because the quality of home-preserved foods doesn’t last forever, it’s a good idea to clear out those canned foods in the pantry or those foods in the freezer to make space for what you’re planning to grow this season.”

Although freezing will not improve the flavor or texture of any food, it can preserve most of the quality of a fresh product as long as it is frozen properly and stored at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Most fruits and vegetables will last in the freezer eight to 12 months. Certainly, these foods should be safe to eat after a year, but the eating quality and nutrition may be lower. Putting dates on all your frozen foods can help make sure you use them while they are at their best. 

Some gardeners prefer to can some of their fruits and vegetables. Properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will retain optimum eating quality for at least a year. 

“Most of us don’t have a root cellar like our ancestors did, so proper storage is a must,” Brown said. “Canned food stored in a warm place near hot pipes, a range, a furnace or indirect sunlight will have a much shorter shelf life. Also, canned items stored in a damp area can cause lids to corrode and may result in leakage, so the food will spoil. Before you get started canning this year’s harvest, go through any remaining foods from last year and check for signs of spoilage.”

Check over your home canned foods for signs of spoilage. Check the seals, make sure flats are not swollen and there is no sign of gas bubbles, mold or other unwanted growth inside the jars. Do not taste food from a jar with an unsealed lid or food that shows signs of spoilage. 

You can more easily detect some types of spoilage in jars stored without screw bands. Growth of spoilage bacteria and yeast produces gas which pressurizes the food, swells lids and breaks jar seals. As each stored jar is selected for use, examine its lid for tightness and vacuum. Lids with concave centers have good seals. 

Next, while holding the jar upright at eye level, rotate the jar and examine its outside surface for streaks of dried food originating at the top of the jar. Look at the contents for rising air bubbles and unnatural color. 

While opening the jar, smell for unnatural odors and look for spurting liquid and cotton-like mold growth (white, blue, black or green) on the top food surface and underside of lid.

“No matter which method of preservation you prefer, make sure to use proper preservation and storage methods,” Brown said. “This will help ensure you have garden-ripe fruits and vegetables all year long.” 

For information on proper canning and freezing of garden produce, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation at http://nchfp.uga.edu/index.html