• Phyllis King (HEA Member) has a great inexpensive way to clean jewelry to a sparkling shine. Heat a mug of water in the microwave to "sipping" temperature. Put your rings in it to soak for about fifteen minutes or so. Next, pour a little Windex into another cup. Take the rings out of the warm water and put them into the cup of Windex. Let soak another ten minutes or so. Remove your rings and inspect around the prongs and under the stones for gunk. They should be all clean, if they are, dry with a paper towel. If they're not quite perfect, rub hard stones only with a soft toothbrush.
• Put one lemon drop piece of candy into the glass before adding iced tea. When it dissolves, the tea will have a hint of lemon and a bit of sweetness.

• A watermelon should be at room temper-ature when you carve. The cuts will be easier to make when the watermelon is not cold.
• Cut a small, thin, flat piece from the bottom of the watermelon before carving. This will make a flat base, making the watermelon more stable when carving.
• For a better grip and to help protect your hands, use a fresh new thick pair of gardening gloves with gripper palms.
• To make a designer cut, draw a design with a fine/medium point waterproof marker of a sharp pencil on the melon before you cut.
  
  

There is no better season for gardeners than summer! U of I Extension is offering 2 FREE summer gardening programs. Late Summer & Fall Blooming Perennials, and Summer & Fall Blooming Vines, Trees & Shrubs will be presented. All classes will be given at the U of I Extension office, in the Commercium Building (2nd floor) at 301 S. Cross Street in Robinson. The classes will be via the telenet system and a power-point presentations, allowing live discussion between the instructor and gardeners throughout Illinois. If interested please call the U of I office at 618/546-1549 and reserve a seat and packet of information.

Late Summer and Fall Blooming Perennials: Do you find that your flower gardens in late summer and fall just don't have the 'show' they did in May and June? We are excited to garden in spring and add flowers that bloom at that time and don't plan for later in the season. A fall blooming garden is easy to plan for – once you know what will be blooming in the heat of August through September. Late Summer and Fall Blooming Perennials will introduce you to these plants. Martha Smith, U of I Horticulture Educator will be offering this class on Tuesday, July 8 at 1:00 p.m.

Summer and Fall Blooming Vines, Trees and Shrubs: Most people think of spring blooming trees and shrubs such as dogwoods, crabapples, forsythia, viburnums and lilacs. They provide a colorful backdrop to spring's unfolding leaves, tulips, daffodils and the singing cardinals. But are you aware of the assortment of summer and fall blooming trees and shrubs? David Robson, U of I Horticulture Educator, will be offering this program. Call now to sign up for Tuesday, July 22, at 1:00 pm.

Our need for fruits and vegetables never ends. In the past, the Food Guide Pyramid told you to eat a certain number of "servings" every day. We all know that what we think of as a serving is different than what others think.

Today, MyPyramid tells you how many cups of fruits and vegetables you need to eat every day. That makes knowing how much to eat a whole lot easier. If you like to use a computer, you can go to www.MyPyramid.gov and make an eating plan tailored to your specific needs.

There are some general guidelines to follow if you do not use a computer. For women age 51 and over, it is recommended that you eat 1 ½ cups of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables every day. For men over age 51 it's 2 cups of fruits and 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day. That makes it pretty easy.

But, if you are eating whole pieces of fruit or vegetables, how do you know when you have ½ cup? Some general guidelines are that a large orange or a small apple is about 1 cup. A large ear of sweet corn is about 1 cup. A large sweet potato is about 1 cup. Six baby carrots or 15 grapes are about ½ cup each. You get the picture – if it looks like it will fit in the measuring cup, you can count it pretty easily.

The only difference is when you eat lettuce salads. We think a cup is a cup – not in this case! A cup of lettuce counts as ½ cup of vegetables. If 3 ½ cups of fruits and vegetables seems a lot for women to eat in a day – think about how good they taste and how fruits and vegetables can fill you up.

Choosing sweet in-season strawberries is better than eating other sweet foods that contain lots of sugar. Other reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables are:

• Add color and "crunch" to your meals
• Easy to fix
• Add fiber to help keep your body working
• Naturally low in calories
• Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
• Low cost when in season
• Taste good!

As we get into summer, more communities sponsor farmers' markets where you can find fresh fruits and vegetables that have been grown locally. Grocery stores are also full of fresh in-season produce. When buying fresh produce, buy only what you can use in a few days. Fresh fruits and vegetables lose nutrients when they are stored for long periods of time.

Do not discount buying canned or frozen vegetables. They are also great sources of vitamins and minerals and are a good choice during the colder months and when you cannot buy fresh.

- Shirley Camp, Extension Educator

SALMON PATTIES

1 can salmon

1/2 or less can cream corn

1 egg

8 club crackers, crushed

Using your hands crush up the bones and skin in the salmon. Pour in cream corn. Add egg. Add the crushed up crackers. Using your hands form the mixture into patties and fry in a little oil. Yummy!

TOFFEE BARS

Grease pan. Using 1 package of graham crackers, lay them side by side in the bottom of the pan. Make syrup recipe:

2 sticks real butter

1/2 cup sugar

Boil syrup ingredients for 2 minutes. Pour over crackers and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 250˚ for 8 minutes.