Like all families in the U.S., "working families" are facing immense economic difficulties this year. So this issue focuses on ideas, processes and information that can help your family deal not only with a variety of economic issues, but also with the troubles (stress, worry, irritability) that can be byproducts of economic issues. See page 7 for more upcoming programs in your Jo-Carroll Unit.

You may also want to visit a new U of I Extension website designed to help consumers cope with the recent economic downturn—Getting Through Tough Financial Times at www.ToughTimes.illinois.edu.

Holiday Wishes,

Robin Fisch and Virginia Hill

Tasty Master Mixes

4:00 – 7:00 p.m., December 10

York Township Library, Thomson, IL (free program)

Saving and Investing in Turbulent Times Telenet

1:30 – 3:00 p.m. or 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., December 16 Carroll County Extension Office (free program)

1:30 – 3:00 p.m. or 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., January 20

Jo Daviess County Extension Office (free program)

Choosing a Financial Professional

1:30 p.m. January 14, 2009

Jo Daviess Extension Office

$5.00 fee for public; free for HCE members

Vanishing Barns

Judy Woodruff, Photographer

7:00 p.m. February 11, 2009

Jo Daviess Extension Office

$5.00 fee for public; free for HCE members

This year many American families are experiencing tremendous pressures economically. Loss of home, decreasing value of assets, loss of savings, lay offs or terminations, jobs without health insurance, family members going to war, rising prices, child care expenses and rising college tuition have all worked together to bring mounting economic hardships on families.

The whole family is impacted by, and feels the stress created by, financial difficulties—especially when it reaches the basic necessities of food, shelter and health. Children often pick up on the anxiety of their parents. Parents may argue and fight about money matters without realizing the affect it is having on their children. When children see their parent's stress, they also become stressed. Although stress is a normal part of life, we all have different ways of reacting to it, especially when it is so significant.

As parents, this can be an opportunity for us to be role models to our children on how to deal with difficult issues, manage stress, overcome hardships, keep a positive attitude, demonstrate care to others, remain determined to find answers, recognize the support our family needs and reach out for help from others. Here are some tips for parents as they deal with the stresses in our current economy:

Greet family members warmly. Never lose sight of how precious your family is, and never let a day go by without telling each member of your family how much they mean to you. Take steps to protect the closeness that stress can breakdown.

Provide structure and a predictable routine. Family meals, assigned chores and other daily routines help bring security in an insecure situation. For more information on the importance of shared family meals, see www.parenting247.org for articles such as Making Mealtime Manageable, Reclaiming the Family Table, The 20-Minute Mealtime: Brief Encounters that Promote Resiliency, Family Mealtime: A Tradition That Isn't Being Skipped.

Communicate beliefs, emotions and responsibilities. Involve family members in making major decisions together and discussing responsibilities as a family unit. Brainstorm new ideas together. Let children take ownership in helping out with household tasks, duties, odd jobs, errands, etc. Research indicates that resilient families are able to 1) shift responsibilities in the family, 2) try new ways of dealing with problems and 3) give input into major decisions. For more information on the importance of family communication see Family Communication During Times of Stress, North Carolina Cooperative Extension at www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/pdfs/fcs424.pdf, and Manage Anger Through Family Meetings, Colorado State University Extension at www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/CONSUMER/10249.html.

Make time for fun and leisure. Do not let stress squeeze out your positive times together. It can rob you of enjoying relationships and being emotionally available to your family. Fun does not have to be expensive—play a game of cards together as you share a favorite snack. Remember to celebrate birthdays, holidays and other special events. These things build a sense of togetherness and identity. For more information on fun activities to do together as a family, go to www.cyfernet.org and type "family fun" in the search engine.

Make time for personal activities. This helps rebuild the energy of family members to face hardships.

Give children opportunities to ask for help when needed. Put yourself in your children's shoes in order to remember what is important to them at their ages.

Model appropriate behavior for dealing with stress. Resist using alcohol or drugs to de-stress. Resist taking out your frustrations on your family. Learn to recognize your stress signs, model calming techniques, consider new or different options to try and choose a positive attitude toward the things you cannot change. Research is clear that families who remain positive and willing to adapt to changes are more resilient. For more information on stress see Colorado State University Extension's Dealing with Our Anger at www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/CONSUMER/10236.html and Kansas State University Extension's Anger Management in Adult-Child Relationships at www.k-state.edu/wwparent/courses/fireworks/index.htm.

Build a support network. Make arrangements with relatives, friends or community members who can serve as role models and invite your child to activities you cannot provide. Let others know clearly how they can most be of help to you and your family. Ask questions to get answers you need for your family. This builds a connection with others and your community, helps you meet your children's needs, and lowers both you and your children's stress.

Help with managing your finances. Community organizations can help families with food, heating their homes, child care expenses and other needs. Extension helps low income families—through our Food Nutrition Program (FNP) and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)—get connected with services such as food pantries, Women Infant and Children (WIC) Head Start, energy assistance and food stamps. (www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/nutrition)

For information on resources that teach budgeting, stretching dollars and hard times (see Getting Through Tough Times, at www.extension.uiuc.edu/ruralroute/toughtimes.html.

Financial resources can also be found on www.cyfernet.org. Type "finances" in the search engine.

If you have lost your job, Penn State Cooperative Extension and Outreach has an excellent resource called Bouncing Back When Your Income Drops: Working Together as a Family found at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/Freepubs/pdfs/ui341.pdf.

Keeping communication open, staying positive, making time for fun and finding support can help us to manage our stress during troubled times and model life skills to our children.

Patti Faughn, family life

As we face uncertain economic times, many families are cutting back on excess spending and/or being faced with living on a reduced income. Following basic money management principles can reduce stress and help you adjust to living on less income. Here is a list of research-tested principles:

· Make a list of the family's most important expenses while you have less income. This means listing the things you must have or do.

· Make a family spending plan (budget) to determine where your money will go.

· Stick to your spending plan. With less income, each spending decision is critical.

Fixed expenses such as rent or mortgage payments, car payments and insurance premiums are often given a high priority. Flexible expenses such as food, clothing and utilities can often be adjusted to fit your income.

Family members should work together to reduce spending. Working through a list of fixed expenses and flexible expenses allows all family members to see where the money is going—and what expenses might be reduced. Some questions to keep in mind as you look at ways to reduce spending are:

· Can we substitute a less costly item?

· How can we conserve resources and avoid waste?

· Can we save if we do it ourselves?

· Can we do without?

Many tips are available to help a family control spending. Following are some categorized ideas that may help generate even more ideas.

Food

· Plan meals around foods you have on hand until more money is available.

· Shop from a list based on planned menus. Check the food advertisements for good buys. Clipping and using coupons may save money.

· Go shopping as few times as possible. Frequent trips add to travel costs and can add to family food costs because it is easy to buy extra items each time.

· Do not go shopping when you are hungry. Everything looks good when you are hungry, so it is hard to stick to your list.

· Turn leftovers into "planned overs." You can sometimes get two meals for the price of one.

Utilities and Household Maintenance

· Turn off unused lights.

· Take shorter showers.

· You may want to investigate alternative long-distance services. If possible, make calls when rates are lower. Check with your phone company for their rates.

· Give up cable television connections that increase your monthly bill.

· Adjust the thermostat's setting by five degrees, and compensate for comfort with clothing. Heating and cooling are the most expensive utility costs.

Clothing and Personal Care

· Read the care labels. Buy clothing that is washable and easy to care for.

· Carefully coordinate clothing and accessories so that they can be used with several outfits.

· Have children change to older, worn clothing for play.

· Learn to do your own shampoo, set, manicure, etc. at home. Cut your children's hair yourself. Select cosmetics and toiletries that are reasonably priced.

· Compare price and quality of clothing you buy. Check discount stores, mail-order catalogs, thrift stores, second-hand outlets and garage sales.

Recreation and Leisure

· Choose activities that are free or cost only a small amount of money such as hiking, picnicking, visiting a museum or attending a free concert. Attend school or community events.

· If you entertain at home, have potluck affairs for family and friends. This way, everyone shares the food costs.

Miscellaneous Expenses

· Make gifts instead of buying them, or give services such as babysitting, elder care, house watching or pet care.

· Stop magazine or newspaper subscriptions when it is time to renew them. Use the public library to find information you may need from these sources.

· Set a reasonable amount for children's allowances and have a definite understanding with them about what they cover.

Jennifer Hunt, consumer and family economics

Source: Getting Through Tough Times, "Strategies for

Spending Less", U of I Extension Publication GTTT-2

- Jennifer Hunt

Food preparation today can be fairly easy with all of the choices consumers have at the supermarket. We can choose from pre-cooked, pre-cut, pre-packaged and pre-assembled foods that can cut our time in the kitchen to a bare minimum.

But do these conveniences cost more?

Of course we all know that bagged greens are more expensive than purchasing a head or bunch of lettuce so it is obvious that the monetary costs can be higher. This cost may be justified if you were purchasing the variety mix of bagged greens so that you have several types of greens instead of one.

There's nothing wrong with purchasing a ready to slice, roasted chicken to eat with potatoes that only need to be heated. Add a salad or vegetable and some fruit and you have a very quick, nutritious meal that is easy to put on the table. While these quick and easy meals are fine some of the time, keep in mind that convenience does come at a cost—and that learning to make some foods "from scratch" can have the added benefit of being lower in fat, sodium, sugar and calories.

The first thing you might want to do is buy a good basic cookbook. There are several cookbooks on the market that will give you basic recipes to cook all types of different foods. Ask a family member or friend for their favorite basic cookbook or check them out at your local library. Once you find a cookbook you like, you can then purchase it.

One of the "comfort foods" that many families enjoy is macaroni and cheese. While you can buy a box mix for macaroni and cheese, it is fairly easy to make at home—and you can use some alternate ingredients to make the recipe a little healthier. Macaroni and cheese usually is made from cooked macaroni and a white sauce with cheese melted in the sauce. Traditional and box recipes for this food are usually high in sodium and fat—so think about how you can make them a little healthier.

If you do have a favorite recipe for macaroni and cheese, consider making the following alterations:

· Substitute whole wheat macaroni for the pasta and omit salt to lower sodium.

· Use canola, peanut or olive oil instead of butter or margarine for the fat in the white sauce; use less salt.

· Use non-fat-dried milk and water, skim milk or fat free evaporated milk instead of whole milk.

· Use reduced-fat cheese.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked macaroni

6 cups boiling water

1/2 cup dry nonfat milk plus 1/2 cup water, stirred

1 cup processed low-fat shredded cheese

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Mix milk and cheese in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously and gently until cheese melts. Add cooked macaroni to cheese sauce. Mix gently.

Makes 4 servings. Nutrition facts (per serving):

160 calories, 25 calories from fat; 420 mg sodium, 23 gram total carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber.

Think about other foods that you can try to make instead of buying convenience or boxed foods. Remember that by learning to cook at home, you can save money and calories by making the foods yourself—and by making a few recipe changes.

If you need information about food and nutrition, visit the University of Illinois Extension website at www.extension.uiuc.edu.

Shirley Camp, nutrition and wellnessSource: University of Illinois Extension FNP/EFNP program

Even without the current economic situation, conserving your heat in winter is a smart thing to do. There are several things that cost little or nothing that will save big dollars in your heating costs this winter.

To determine areas where energy is being wasted, conduct a home energy audit. This can either be accomplished by having a professional energy audit, or by using an online energy audit calculator.

The following, from the Home Energy Saver (HES) website http://HomeEnergySaver.lbl.gov, is an interactive decision-support environment for residential consumers. The site is developed and maintained by the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory with sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and others. HES is easy to use and gives you the option of entering a few basic facts about your home or a lot of detail. Following is the general process you will go through to evaluate your house on that website.

Input your ZIP code. The HES website prompts you for your ZIP code and from just that information gives you a breakdown of the energy use of an average house in your region, and the same house after energy-efficient improvements.

Input key facts about your home. To get more accurate results input about two dozen basic questions about your home. Most of these you'll be able to answer from memory. A few may require you to look up information in your records.

Using the information you've input to these questions the Energy Advisor will recalculate the energy use and costs, based on your home. Now you have a breakdown of energy costs in your house, not an average house, and you can look at recommendations for saving energy tailored to your home, ranked by payback time.

If you do not or cannot provide everything that is asked for, do not worry—the software adds in default values drawn from a database of typical housing characteristics. However, the more information you can give, the more accurate its calculations.

Want to know specifics of your energy costs?

Enter detailed information into modules. HES performs detailed calculations for the energy use of your home's space heating, cooling, water heating, appliances, lighting and miscellaneous energy use.

You can focus on one of these areas by clicking on the module that interests you and filling in the blanks. If your home has high winter heating bills, you can enter more detail about the parts of your home that affect heating (roof, walls, windows, heating system, etc.). When you go through this detailed module, the Energy Advisor will calculate your heating energy use more accurately and give you appropriate recommendations about energy-efficient heating improvements and ways of insulating your home.

If you have the time, work through all the modules. You may be surprised by the energy guzzlers in your home that you did not know about. When you have finished entering information, the website allows you to recalculate to get your full results. The calculation is very detailed and will take a minute or so to complete. Depending on how much time you spend collecting information about your house, it can take from 10 minutes to an hour to completely describe your house in the Energy Advisor. Generally, the more time you spend to accurately gather the information (measuring, checking product name plates, etc.), the more accurate your energy bill estimate will be.

Duane Friend, natural resources

If you have the time, work through all the modules. You may be surprised by energy guzzlers in your home that you did not know about. When you have finished

Winter is time for citrus, and citrus are perfect fruit for teaching kids about plants. Inside most citrus, the exception being naval oranges, are several seeds that if left to dry a day or two on the counter and planted, will grow into trees. Seeds should be plump and white; seeds that look shriveled and dark do not contain a viable embryo.

Unlike other fruits, citrus do not need a chilling period in order to sprout. Apples, peaches and cherries need a specific amount of cold temperatures. With oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit, you can plant the seeds immediately in loose soil. Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and place the container in a bright window.

Citrus peels can be grated and frozen and used in cooking. Peels can also be air dried on a counter and used in potpourri with leftover blossoms of many flowers.

Mango and papaya seeds will also sprout easily, though it is important for the mango eye to be pointing up. Like citrus, most of the above plants usually will not produce edible fruit, though some may flower within 10 years; most citrus blossoms are sweetly scented and worth it without forming fruit.

Pineapple tops will also form root and grow, even producing another pineapple many years down the road. Allow the pineapple top to air dry a couple days before planting.

Most fruit plants prefer to spend the summer outdoors where they will get more sunlight and grow faster.

David Robson, horticulture

Dry Soup Mix

2 1/2 cups green split peas (1 - 16-ounce package)

2 1/2 cups lentils (1 - 16-ounce package)

1 1/2 cups pearl barley (1 - 16-ounce package)

2 cups macaroni (one-half 16-ounce package) OR 2 cups rice

Mix all ingredients together. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir before using.

Makes 10 cups of mix. 1 cup mix makes 4 servings.

Simple Soup direction:

1 cup of soup mix 4 cups water

1 chopped onion 2 cups chopped carrots

1 cup cooked chopped

meat, optional

?

In a large pan, combine soup mix, onion, carrots, water and meat. For more flavoring add one or more of the following: 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano or basil OR 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover pan. Simmer gently for 45 minutes or until peas and lentils are tender.

Nutrition facts (per serving with NO MEAT): 170 calories, 0 gram fat, 0 calories from fat, 15 mg sodium and 34 gram carbohydrate.

Minestrone Soup direction:

1 cup mix 1 chopped carrot

1 chopped onion 1 teaspoon oregano

1 to 2 chopped potatoes 2 to 3 cups water

1 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes

In large pan, combine soup mix, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, carrot, water and oregano. For more flavor, add one or more of the following: 1/2 tsp salt, 1 bouillon cube, 1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover pan. Simmer 45 minutes or until peas and lentils are tender.

Nutrition facts (per serving) 220 calories, 0.5 gram fat, 5 calories from fat, 260 mg sodium, 47 gram carbohydrate.

Source: Parents and Children Growing Together, Washington State University Cooperative Extension.

The holidays will be here and gone soon. For many consumers the best part of the holidays is the after-holiday shopping—where "bargains" are to be had by those brave enough to face the crowds. If you are one of the shoppers lined up at 6 a.m. the day after Christmas, keep these tips in mind to determine if your bargain is really a bargain.

Before you begin your hunting expedition, make sure your purchases fit your monthly/yearly budget. You should also keep a running list of items purchased and the cost so that you know when you have reached your limit. Now you are on your way…

The first question any bargain hunter should ask:

Do I really need this item, or am I just buying it because it is 75 to 80 percent off the regular price? Always have a plan for how an item will be used. Is it an item that I will need to store and, if so, where? Will I remember it when I need it?

Make sure the item is in its original packaging and not damaged. Buying something that needs to be repaired and does not have all of its original pieces may end up costing you more to fix in the long run.

Keep in mind next year's gift list. Think about anniversaries, birthdays and holidays as you bargain shop. Put items away for those people and dates. Keep a master list and location in your home for all gift items.

Consider purchasing decorations and party supplies for the next season. Many times you can purchase holiday decorations and paper goods for a deep discount the day after the holiday.

Keep these ideas in mind for a successful experience; and remember as you start off on your after holiday bargain quest, do I really need this or am I buying just because it is on sale?

Jennifer Hunt, family and consumer economics

Looking for ways to simplify your financial life? Pay your savings account regularly. Make this a bill you pay automatically each month; like your rent or utilities.

No matter whether your family is going through tough times or smooth sailing—it is always a good time to invest in your family by building strong ties. A resilient family is the most important asset you can have, and there are specific things you can do to build a strong and resilient family.

COMMUNICATE - Believe in and share open and honest communication. Communicate with one another about important decisions and daily plans. Family meetings are a great way to bring your family together.

CONTENT - Be content with what you have, and be grateful for it. Avoid whining about what you do not have. Base your lifestyle on what you can afford and can reasonably enjoy.

HISTORY - Strong families have a sense of family history. Promote family history by telling favorite family stories, going to family gatherings, making sure children know their family members, keeping family traditions alive or starting new traditions.

OPTIMISM - Families should have a sense of optimism about life. Optimism, or positive thinking, can help families feel hopeful during times of negative situations. Families should tell themselves "I can" rather than "I cannot."

HUMOR - Families need a sense of humor. Having a sense of humor helps families cope with life's stressors and crises. Humor can ultimately be a coping tool for families and is very beneficial in strengthening families.

RESILIENCY - Family resiliency is the family's ability to cultivate strengths to positively meet the challenges of life. Strong families solve problems with cooperation, creative brainstorming and openness to others.

APPRECIATION - Think about each family member as an individual and what each gives to your family. Express appreciation for each other. Family members will feel good when they hear what they do is appreciated. Strong individuals make strong families.

UNITY - Plan time together. Strong families recognize there are benefits and pleasures to be gained from sharing time and activities together. Spend time together going for a walk, bowling, cooking, eating regular meals together or doing other things to develop connectedness and closeness.

All families experience crises at some time. Although each family is unique and will have its own particular needs and problems, each family has the potential to build stronger and more satisfying relationships to get them through difficult times.

Diane Ryals, Family Life Educator

"Is a Homebased Business Knocking on Your Door? Opportunity may be just a room away…" is the title of the newest in a series of workshops for entrepreneurs and others who are thinking about starting a business of their own. Tentatively scheduled as a two part series for this February 12^th and 26^th in a Jo Daviess County location as yet to be determined, this series will help you determine possible home based businesses, learn about feasibility and market research, learn about grant opportunities, and hear from a panel of experienced home based business owners.

Watch your local newspapers for announcement of this learning opportunity or call your Jo-Carroll Extension office in January for details of this program.

More programs on e-business and entrepreneurial topics are being planned for the future.

"Wellness Works Wonders" is a twelve-week program designed for the workplace that includes a walking program, three "lunch and learn" sessions, and displays for your office lunchroom or bulletin board area. Available at a cost of $15.00 per person, this program is ready to launch in January. To schedule the program at your place of business, contact Robin at 815-244-9444 or Virginia at 815-858-2273.

"Taking Charge of Your Health: Live Well, Be Well" is a holistic self management program for adults with any type of ongoing health condition(s). The program meets once per week for 6-7 weeks and is taught by trained leaders. Live Well, Be Well offers people who experience the challenges of living with one or more ongoing health conditions (e.g., arthritis, asthma, heart disease, MS, diabetes, etc.) information to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to more effectively manage their condition(s) and regain control of their lives. We are pleased to be able to offer Live Well, Be Well in our Jo-Carroll Unit and have started a waiting list of interested participants. Please call either office and let us know if you'd like to be added to the waiting list; we will let you know when the next available session of Live Well, Be Well will be held in Carroll or Jo Daviess Counties.

Working Families is provided for you by your University of Illinois Extension office.

The newsletter is jointly produced by the following Extension educators:

Shirley Camp Nutrition and Wellness

Patricia Faughn Family Life

Jananne Finck Nutrition and Wellness

Duane Friend Natural Resources

Jennifer Hunt Consumer and Family Economics

David Robson Horticulture

Diane Ryals Family Life and Youth Development

Judy Taylor Youth Development, WF Editor