"Y
our program inspired me to go home and start cooking,” commented a lady as she was leaving one of our two “Easy Meals For Two or Just For You” sessions at the Aging with Attitude Regional Expo held in Iola on April 27, 2018.
Nearly all of the 55 session participants acknowledged that they were currently cooking for just one or two people and that there were some real challenges involved. In spite of the challenges, participants were reminded of the vital importance of good nutrition to their health, and encouraged that planning ahead is the key to success in having some basic items on hand so they could get nutritious meals on the table quickly and with minimal effort.
Rather than focusing on recipes, we discussed ways to use creativity and personal food preferences to create meals using what we had on hand. Participants engaged in the discussion and shared their own ideas to create sheet pan meals, pouch meals, quick scratch meals, meals from healthy snacks, and more.
Of those responding to our post program survey, 95 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they intended to make at least one healthy change in their eating habits. In addition, 77 percent indicated that they planned to cook more meals at home as a result of the information in the program. Written comments included:
Using Fresh Herbs for Flavor and Fragrance
When asked to list one or two of the most important things they learned at our Living On the Land Workshops, several participants listed the information about using the flowers of herbs in cooking. In addition, the herb part of the programs also discussed such things as common annual and perennial herbs, how to grow and harvest herbs, popular fresh herb and food combinations, garnishing with herbs, and examples of using herbs as decorations.
Living On the Land was offered in Independence and Pittsburg through the combined efforts of our Horticulture Agent, Jacob Weber; Jeri Geren, Agriculture Agent; and myself. The Pittsburg event also included a presentation on Options for Small Acres by John Hobbs, Retired Ag and Rural Development Specialist. Our goal was to help participants with maximizing the potential of their backyard or small acreage to provide fresh and safe food including herbs, garden vegetables, and poultry. Nearly everyone responding to our survey agreed they had gained new and useful knowledge from our presentations.