We will take a bus trip to Navy Pier for the Chicago Flower Show on Friday, March 17. We will leave Robinson at 5:30 a.m. and return around 10 p.m. The cost is $65, which covers breakfast, transportation, admission to the flower show, and a box lunch. We are looking for an interesting stop on the way, if you have any ideas – we would love to hear them. Deadline to register is March 10.

This is an interesting and eye opening web site which shows where sexual offenders live in relation to your home and schools. Thought you might be interested. It sent a chill down my spine.
Enter: http://www.thesafeside.com/
Click on #3 Know Your Neighborhood:

Type in your address....You can move North, South, East and west to get a larger territory and to see pictures and names of offenders in our County. Pass on to people you care about that have children.

The left side of the screen shows you what the icons mean.

Click on a dot to get the name and picture of the sex offender.

FEBRUARY is heart month and nothing is better for your heart than exercise. Getting your heart rate up and keeping it up helps to build a strong heart that beats more efficiently, even when you are at rest. If you are walking, kick it up a notch to get that heart a pounding!

Check out our new U of I Extension website at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/crawford/

You will be able to see all our information about upcoming events and the things happening at fair! There is lots of information at your finger tips.

We have so far mailed out 98 pounds of empty plastic medicine bottles to be shipped to Haiti to aid people in need of medicine help! PLUS, just think we saved our landfills of 98 pounds of plastic that would have taken 200 years to decompose! GREAT JOB!

You probably have more than once told your children and grandchildren how important it is to eat breakfast. Do you eat breakfast every day?

Often adults think it is an important meal for children, but don't realize how important it is for everyone.

Many people skip breakfast. The reasons people skip breakfast include; not hungry, don't have time, or think it is healthy to fast.

There are many good reasons to eat breakfast:

• It helps to "break" the fast since the last meal eaten the night before.

• It gives you energy throughout the morning and you are more able to focus.

• Children who eat breakfast are able to pay attention in school and have more energy.

• People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat at lunchtime.

A recent study of 4,218 adults reported in Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter showed that women who ate breakfast, especially cereal, were less likely to be overweight. It was not possible to know if it was the cereal. But the study did show eating breakfast helps keep women from snacking and filling up with fatty foods later in the day. Women who eat breakfast were also more likely to make healthy meal choices during the rest of the day.

Planning a Healthy Breakfast

The key to planning a healthy breakfast is to pick from 3 to 5 food groups of MyPyramid. This will provide a variety of food and get you off to a good start in getting the nutrients you need for the day.

For example a simple breakfast of a bowl of cereal with milk and a piece of fruit includes foods from 3 of the food groups – grains, milk and fruit. A meal of an egg, slice of whole grain toast, ½ cup of juice and a cup of milk included foods from 4 of the food groups – meat and beans, grains, fruit and milk.

Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast can be made of many different foods including leftovers and non-traditional breakfast food.

• Tortillas with beans and a glass of juice

• A bowl of vegetable soup w/crackers and cheese

• Graham crackers w/ peanut butter and an orange

• Cheese and crackers and an apple

• Cereal with low-fat milk and juice

• Hard cooked egg, a slice of whole wheat toast and a small bowl of strawberries

• Peanut butter sandwich & glass of low-fat milk

• Make extra pancakes and waffles and freeze them for a quick breakfast

Barbara Farner, Wellness Educator

- Barbara Farner, Wellness Educator

BRIGHTLY COLORED PRODUCE MAY HELP PROTECT AGAINST ARTHRITIS

Your morning glass of orange juice may be doing more than just helping you wake up --- it might reduce your risk of arthritis. Researchers at the University of Manchester in England have found a possible link between consumption of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, bell peppers, pumpkins, tangerines, and papayas, and lower odds of developing inflammatory polyarthritis (the most common subgroup of inflammatory polyarthritis is rheumatoid arthritis.)

The bright color indicates the fruits and vegetables are high in the pigment beta-cryptoxanthin, an antioxidant thought to protect against inflammation. Drinking just one glass daily of freshly squeezed orange juice is enough to raise beta-cryptoxanthin intake to the level associated with reduced risk. However, don't forget to include other brightly colored fruits and vegetables in your diet as well.

WILD RICE

1 (6-ounce) package long grain and wild rice
1 broth can water
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, crumbled
Bacon drippings to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the rice, water, broth, bacon, bacon drippings, salt and pepper in a saucepan and mix well. Cook for 30 to 60 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. For variety, add minced onion, chopped celery and/or mushrooms. Servings: 4-8