* Instead of serving cheese cubes with toothpicks, try inserting thin pretzel sticks instead.

* To ensure the shells on your hard-cooked eggs are smooth, add a little salt to the water before hard-boiling. This helps prevent the shell from cracking or splitting. It can also help the eggs peel more easily.

* When preparing brownies, make them special by adding mint extract and chocolate chips to the batter before baking.

* Stir a small box of dry vanilla pudding mix into oatmeal cookie dough. It makes the cookies moist and chewy.

* When making a fruit salad, use the juice from a small can of pineapple to keep my apples and bananas from browning. Adding the pineapple gives the salad a little more zing, too.

* Fill your pepper grinder with some whole
mustard seeds and use in place of salt when
flavoring your food. Or try using lemon
peel for a tangy taste!

* Use scissors to cut your S.O.S. soap pads in half. You will have to cut a little at a time, but it sharpens your scissors!

U of I Extension Master Gardeners are sponsoring "A Winter Day in the Garden" conference on Saturday, January 27, in the Zwermann Theatre at Lincoln Trail College.The all-day event will be from 9-3 p.m. Doors open at 8:00.Speakers:

Erica Glasener - On the Road with a Gardener's Diary; People, Places and Plants
Judy Burris and Wayne Richards - Butterflies - Gardening with a Purpose
Becke Davis - Dark and Purple Plants & Creating a Garden Room
Dave Wanninger - Low Maintenance Perennials

Registration fee is $35 and includes coffee/snacks and lunch. Late registration fee $40 after Jan. 9^th.

Effingham Uof I Extension office will be offering the Master Gardeners program to garden enthusiast on 14 consecutive Wednesdays from January to April (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) If you would like more information, please call our U of I Extension office at 618/546-1549.

WEBSITE TO SHOWCASE FARMING

What do you think of when you hear the word "agriculture"? The image of crops growing in a field or a barnyard full of animals may come to mind. But even if you don't live on a farm, agriculture is all around us. Learn more about where we get our food!

Teachers and students should check out the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Kid's Page http://www.agr.state.il.us/kidspage/index.html to see Farm Animals & their Babies; Food & Other Things you every day that come from the Farm; The Story of Milk, Plants, Animals and more to see on the Farm; Word Puzzles; and Hidden Word Searches. This website also provides quick links to some other outstanding educational links for teachers to use to teach kids to more about farming. These are included as "Other Kids Links".

ILLINOIS LIVESTOCK TRAIL WEBSITE

We are pleased to launch the new Illinois Livestock Trail website. Developed by the Animal Systems team, the site includes BeefNet, DairyNet, HorseNet, PorkNet, PoultryNet, Sheep/GoatNet and PastureNet.

In addition there are many featured sites including ILIFT: Distillers, Biosecurity, Food Security, Swine Odor Waste Management, and SwineReproNet.

Hundreds of research papers are included in the site as well as recent podcasts. Do take time to visit the site at: http://www.livestocktrail.uiuc.edu/

PECAN PIE FOR TWO

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon shortening

1 tablespoon cold butter or margarine

1 teaspoon cold water

FILLING:

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Roll out pastry to fit an 18-oz. baking dish. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Combine filling ingredients; mix well. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.Yield:2 servings.

EASY DESSERTS

Tortillas –Cut tortillas into wedges or strips, then fry them on both sides in a lightly oiled skillet until golden. Sprinkle with sugar and sometimes a bit of cinnamon for a tasty treat.

Spaghetti Noodles – stir-fry spaghetti noodles in butter until lightly browned and crispy. Serve sprinkled with sugar.