University Links - Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

Strengthening Oklahoma Families
Texas County
April 2016
Inside this issue:
Tax Saver Tips
A Good Night’s
Sleep
12 Ways to be a
Healthy Role
Model
OHCE News
& Notes
Pie Day Notes
Recipes
Much more
Note: Time and
Day change for
OHCE LT.
Details in News &
Notes
Be sure to
mark the
meeting dates
and times
on your
calendar!
The Texas County
OSU Cooperative
Extension Service is
funded in cooperation with the County
Commissioners of
Texas County:
Dickey Bryan,
Ted Keeling, and
Jack Strain.
http://oces.okstate.edu/texas or
https://www.facebook.com/Texas-County-OSU-Extension-Family-andConsumer-Sciences-159976007393112/?fref=ts
Co-Parenting for Resilience benefits both parents and children
When a couple exchanges vows at their
wedding, the last
thing they are thinking
will happen is getting
divorced. Going
through a divorce is
not something people
want to experience,
especially for those
who have minor children. It is a difficult situation for everyone involved.
However, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers divorcing parents a program with the insights, strategies and skills
necessary to reduce the stress and conflict associated with divorce and promote adjustment
and resilience among their children.
worked with Extension educators, judges and
community members to develop today’s CoParenting for Resilience class, which uses lectures, discussions, videos and interactive activities to help parents figure out the best ways to
help their children adjust to divorce.
Cox said, generally, in co-parenting relationships, former spouses or partners make a conscious effort to reduce conflict between them
and work together to overcome the challenges
of divorce to help their children adjust to the
new family structure.
OSU Cooperative Extension educators teaching the class hold degrees in the human sciences and are specially trained to work with divorcing couples.
“Even though parents are now mandated to
attend the program, the feedback we get is extremely positive,” he said. “We get reports of
how nearly all participants have changed their
behavior toward their co-parent, as well as
how they developed new strategies to be an
effective parent during and after the divorce. In
addition, 92 percent of participating parents
“We’ve seen a lot of success with the program. would recommend the program to a friend goThe requirements of HB 2249 went into effect ing through divorce.”
November 2014. In 2015, there were 425 classes held in 58 of the 77 counties across the
Part of the class also includes follow-up matestate,” Cox said. “Nearly 2,500 parents partici- rials for 12 months after completion to help
pated in the classes, with another 322 complet- reinforce the concepts and strategies learned.
ing the online version.”
“Divorce isn’t easy, even for adults, and espeOne of the things that sets Co-Parenting for
cially for children,” Cox said. “Our goal is to
Resilience above other options is OSU Coop- increase parental cooperation and reduce the
erative Extension has been offering cotrauma experienced by the child, and Coparenting classes and curriculum for more than Parenting for Resilience does that.”
two decades. Over time the program evolved
into what it is today and offers parents the
For more information about Co-Parenting for
most up-to-date research and strategies on
Resilience classes, including costs and course
marriage, divorce and children.
dates, check with Texas County OSU Cooperative Extension office, or visit coparentA multidisciplinary team of OSU researchers ing.okstate.edu.
Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension’s Co-Parenting for Resilience class meets
the requirements of House Bill 2249, which
requires divorcing parents to participate in coparenting classes, said Ron Cox, OSU Cooperative Extension family science specialist.
Tax $aver Tip$
 Classroom Supplies
If you are a teacher you can deduct up
to $250 in non-reimbursed classroom
expenses. This deduction is available
even if you do not itemize deductions
on your tax return.
 Non-cash donations
How many times have you dropped off
a bag of clothes or an old lamp and not
kept record of the gift? All of these
donations are deductible and not sub Miles, Miles, Miles
ject to a minimum threshold as with
Capture all your mileage for business medical expenses or miscellaneous
 Expense Shifting
travel, charitable travel, and medical
deductions. Keep a list of items you
Whenever possible shift expenses into travel. Keep a log book in your car and plan to give away. Put the list next to
categories of itemized deductions to
note the miles to and from the doctor
or inside the bag of items you plan to
surpass the IRS thresholds in a given
or dentist. Track the miles to drop off drop off. The required itemization of
year. Example: You have surgery dur- charitable donations, or to go to and
items donated can be prepared when
ing the year resulting in high medical from your charity. This area of deduct- the bag is ready to be dropped off at
costs for that year. The IRS 7.5% of
ible expense is often not taken or is
your favorite charity.
income threshold is surpassed, so eve- poorly captured.
ry incremental Medical and Dental
 Receipts, Receipt, Receipts
expense is now deductible. If possible,  Missing a few things
Often during IRS audits, deductions
now is a good time to get eyes
What is deductible? What is not?
are disallowed because proper docuchecked, to get family physicals, and
When in doubt save the canceled
mentation of the expense is not reto get other medical and dental work
check, the proof of payment, and retained. Keep all canceled checks, recompleted. Next year you will have to ceipt. Without the proof, the expense
ceipts, and statements related to your
again reach the 7.5% threshold before cannot be taken.
expense.
you can deduct the expense. The same
holds true for thresholds related to
Casualty/ Theft losses and Miscellaneous Deductions.
A Good Night's Sleep
The secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours? About 90 minutes 5. Potatoes - A small baked spud won't overwhelm your
before you want to nod off, head for the kitchen and make
gastrointestinal tract as it clears away acids that can
yourself a sleepy-time snack. Keep it light (around 200 calinterfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the
ories), so you don't overload your digestive system, and
soothing effect, mash the potato with warm milk.
include one or two foods from the list below. All help to
6. Oatmeal - Oats are a rich source of sleep-inviting melarelax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calmtonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of
ing, sleep-inducing hormones -- serotonin and melatonin
maple syrup is cozy -- and if you've got the munchies,
flowing. Yawning yet?
it's filling, too.
7. Almonds - A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can
1. Bananas - They're practically a sleeping pill in a peel.
send you snoozing because they contain both tryptoln addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin,
phan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.
bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.
2. Chamomile tea - Chamomile is a staple of bedtime tea 8. Flaxseeds - When life goes awry, and feeling down is
keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these
blends because of its mild sedating effect, which makes
healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They're
it the perfect natural antidote for restless minds and
rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.
bodies.
3. Warm milk - It's not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan 9. Whole-wheat bread - A slice of toast with your tea and
honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get
an amino acid that has a sedative-like effect, and calcito your brain, where it's converted to serotonin and quium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus, there is
etly murmurs "time to sleep."
the psychological throwback to infancy, when a warm
bottle meant "relax, everything's fine."
10. Turkey - It’s the best-known source of tryptophan,
credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that's
4. Honey - Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea.
actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when
Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells
your stomach's basically empty rather than overyour brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neustuffed and when there are some carbs around.
rotransmitter that's linked to alertness.
A walk down memory lane with cereal!
Urkel-O’s
This 1991 cereal from Ralston was based on the geeky character from Family Matters, which aired
from 1989 to 1998. Advertised quite oddly as a "fun, circle-shaped product,” the
strawberry and banana flavored brand did well during the Urkel craze but couldn’t
survive once its namesake was no longer in the pop culture vocabulary.
Freakies
This sugary oat cereal had a solid run when introduced in the early '70s. The wart-covered monsters,
and the tale of their trip to the mythical Freakies Tree, a plant that spit forth endless amounts of Freakies cereal, was a hit with kids (and probably parents on acid). Ralston released chocolate and fruit
versions in the years that followed but all three varieties were discontinued in 1977.
Sir Grapefellow
While this WWI British fighter pilot’s feud with cereal nemesis Baron Von Redberry was well received,
the actual “grape-flavored oats and sweet grape starbits" cereal was not. Released by General Mills in
1972 and discontinued shortly thereafter, Sir Grapefellow is perhaps best known for the extremely
pungent artificial grape odor that accompanied a newly opened box.
12 Ways to be a Healthy Role Model
1.
2.
3.
Practice what you preach. Show your grandchildren
that you eat healthy food and are active every day.
Try new foods.
 Take turns describing the tastes, textures, and aromas of new foods.
 Serve new food with old favorites.
 Never lecture or force kids to eat.
Make no special orders at meals. Plan meals with
your grandchildren to avoid making different meals
for you and them.
4.
Allow your grandchildren to choose. Offer reasonable, healthy choices at meals and snacks.
5.
Share at meals.
 Make sharing time happy, fun, and stress-free.
 Turn off the television.
 Take phone calls later.
6.
Shop with your grandkids.
 Teach about the nutrition of different foods.
 Allow each child to choose a healthy food at the
store to prepare for a snack or meal.
7.
Be creative in the kitchen.
 Create a healthy trail mix.
 Make funny faces with food.
 Cut foods into fun shapes using cookie cutters.
8.
Make food fun. Name a recipe after the child who
prepares it - like “Susie’s Scrumptious Salad.”
9.
Limit screen time.
 Limit TV and computer time to 2 hours a day or
less.
 Exercise during commercials.
 Compete to see who can do the most push-ups, situps, or jumping jacks.
10.
Be an active family
 Visit the zoo or local park.
 Go for a swim or bike ride.
 Create an obstacle course at home.
11.
Never offer sweets as rewards. Use encouraging
words, hugs, and small rewards such as stickers to
make a child feel special.
12.
Don’t offer sweets to children who do not eat their
meals. Sweets have empty calories and very little
nutrition.
Source: University of Georgia,
Publication FDNS-E-89-108
OKLAHOMA HOME & COMMUNITY EDUCATION
News & Notes for April 2016
Leaders Training
“Essential Oils” is the topic for the lesson to
be presented on April 19 at 10:30am. I will be
leaving right after the meeting to travel downstate for a meeting. If you are unable to attend at this time, the materials will be available for pickup after April 19. We will have a
guest speaker and members are encouraged to
attend as well as the lesson leaders. RSVP by
April 15 for the lesson so we will have enough
handouts.
Pie Day will be Friday, April 29.
Guidelines and recipes from the Pie Day Committee are in the newsletter.
OHCE Week is May 4-9
What are you planning?
Congratulations to our new OHCE County
Officers:
President
V President
Secretary
Beverly Richards
Mary Long
Connie Fischer
2017-2018
2016-2017
2017-2018
NWD OHCE Meeting
Mollie Mathis, Connie Fischer, Faye Costner,
Mary Long, Genevera Powell, and Arleen James
attended and enjoyed the recent District
meeting in Woodward.
Pistachio Bar Dessert
Here is a dessert recipe you might enjoy!
36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1/2 cup toffee bits
Mix cookie crumbs and butter until blended; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min.; spread 1-1/2 cups onto crust. Stir half the COOL
WHIP into remaining pudding; spread over pudding layer in pan. Cover with remaining COOL WHIP.
Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Sprinkle with toffee bits just before serving.
Our 4th Annual Pie Day is coming soon! Please read the information below carefully so that you and your
group will be prepared.
Date: Friday, April 29th
Place: First Presbyterian Fellowship Hall
Time: Pie Day Committee and Workers ( 2 from each group) report at 3pm

Check-in for Pies will be 3:30 - 4:00. (Call us if you need to bring your pies in a little later so we can be
ready.) Pies may also be taken to the Extension Office.

Pie sales to the public will be from 5:00-6:30 pm.

Pie sales will open up to OHCE members at 5:45 pm. There will be no early sales or reservations to members or to the Public.

Each group will still be asked to furnish one pie per member. Even though our membership is down,
36 pies at $15 each will bring us $540 for our scholarship fund. We are limiting the number of pies each
member can bring to Pie Day to five. This gives everyone's pies a fair chance to be sold. This limit will not
apply if the member is making pies on behalf of other members within their group. Any sales above one
per member may be kept by the group or donated to the scholarship fund.

When bringing pies to check in, please drive down the alley and come to the back door of the Presbyterian
Hall. Workers will be there to help carry pies in, if needed. You may then park in the west parking lot if
you are staying to work or buy pies.
Tips and Reminders

Get your 9" foil pie pans and ingredients early - the pie pans get very hard to find the week of Pie Day! Be
sure to use a 9" foil pan (usually sold as 8 3/4").

Bring your pies covered with plastic wrap (not the Press 'n Seal type) or the clear plastic lids that come
with some foil pie pans. Be sure to label pies with the variety and the name of your club. (You may want
to list the days & time your group meets too!) We want to advertise!

We would prefer a pie from the approved list below. This saves workers time by not having to explain
what a pie contains and saves pie makers money when their unusual pie does not sell.

Pie List
Apple
Pecan
Banana Cream
Cherry
Pumpkin
Lemon Meringue
Peach
Blueberry
Chocolate
Coconut Cream
Cherry Cheesecake Cheesecake Pie
Strawberry
Key Lime
Rhubarb
Custard
We have also included a crust recipe and the recipe for our best-selling pie, coconut cream. If anyone would
like some pie making lessons, give Mary or Gina a call.
Any group or committee can put up any OHCE-posters or displays if they wish. Part of Pie Day is to get our
name before the public!
Spot Treatment Technique (Sponging) for Apparel Fabrics
A spot treatment confines the stain to a small area
and keeps it from spreading. This method is sometimes called "sponging." For spot treatment you need
a supply of absorbent material such as, clean rags or
paper towels, and a dry-cleaning solvent, spot remover, or aerosol pretreatment spray.
Follow these steps:
1. Pad the working surface with clean rags or paper
towels that can be stained as you work.
Bleaches
 Hydrogen peroxide

Powdered all-fabric bleaches (sodium perborate)
(Biz, Borateem, Clorox 2; Purex, Snowy)

Liquid all-fabric bleaches (Snowy, Vivid)

Liquid chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite)
(Clorox, Hi-lex,Purex)

Liquid chlorine bleaches have a limited shelf-life. If
your bleach is more than six months old and has
no effect on stains, it may need to be replaced
with fresh bleach.
2. Place the stained area or spot on the garment
face-down over the padded surface.
3. Dampen a small white cloth with solvent.
4. Use the dampened cloth to pat the stain from the
To test for colorfastness to liquid chlorine
bleaches, mix 1 tablespoon of bleach with 1/4
cup of water. Use an eyedropper to put a drop of
this solution on a hidden seam or pocket edge
inside the garment. Let it stand two minutes,
then blot dry. If there is no color change it is safe
to use the product. Powdered bleach packages
have directions for doing colorfastness tests.
wrong side. Feather the edges of the stain working from the outside toward the center to keep the
stained area from getting larger.
5. As the stain transfers to the absorbent material
beneath, move it to a different place on the absorbent material so the stain has a clean place to exit
into.
6. Repeat this procedure until all traces of stain are
gone. Launder to remove any ring that might be
left by the solvent.
Chemical Solvents and Supplies (Products and trade
Pretreatment Products
 Aerosol sprays-petroleum-based solvent (Clorox,
Shout, Spray'n Wash)
names are used for illustrative purposes only; their use doe 
not imply endorsement by the Texas County OSU Extension Service)
Supplies needed for stain removal can usually be
found in grocery, drug, general merchandise, or paint
stores. Many commercially available products have
proprietary formulas that are protected by patent
rights and not available to the public. Ingredients
listed on labels for safety purposes can help you decide if the product will be useful for the stain removal
task you have to do. There is no miracle product that
will remove all stains.
Detergents
 Heavy-duty liquid detergents (Era, Fab, Grease
Relief, Tide, Wisk)

Light-duty liquid detergents (Delicate, Ivory, Lux,
Woolite)

Powdered detergents (Amway, Cheer, Dash,
Oxydol, Sears, Tide)
Pump-type sprays-- detergent based (Clorox,
Shout, Spray'n Wash)
Absorbent Materials
 Clean white cloths

Paper towels (white)

Sponges (white or neutral colored) Caution: Colored sponges or paper towels can bleed dyes onto fabrics, making dye stains that may be difficult
to remove.
Odor-reducing Agents
 Activated charcoal

Calcium carbonate

Soda
Source: Ohio State University
Mary’s Betty Crocker Pie Crust
This is enough crust for a 10" two crust pie. I use it for a nine-inch 2-crust pie and have leftovers to bake with
cinnamon and sugar or to make tarts.
2 & 2/3 c. flour
1 c. shortening
1 tsp. salt
7-8 Tb. cold water
Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives until pieces are
the size of very small peas.
Sprinkle in water 1 tablespoon at a time, blending with a fork after each addition. Mix, just until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl; don't over mix. Gather dough together with your hands and form
into a ball.
Cut dough into 2 pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured board with a floured rolling pin to about 1/8 -1/ 4
inch thickness. You can also roll the dough out between 2 sheets of lightly floured wax paper. After rolling it
out between the wax paper, remove the top sheet of wax paper, then position the dough unwrapped side
down in the pie pan or over the filling. At this point the dough can be carefully repositioned if needed. Remove
the top sheet of wax paper and proceed with trimming and fluting your pie.
For baked pie shell, prick bottom and sides thoroughly. Bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Be sure the
edge of the pie crust is hooked over the edge of the pie plate so it doesn't fall in while baking.
For two 9" two crust pies use these measurements:
5 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
2 c. shortening (I always use stick Crisco - so easy to measure!)
14-16 Tb. cold water or 3-4 one-fourth cups full
Mix and bake as directed above.
Esther’s Coconut Pie
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
1/4 c cornstarch
2/3 c sugar
2 c milk
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
Meringue
3 or 4 egg whites
6-8 T sugar
Combine all ingredients (except the pie shell) in a
heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat until
thick (or microwave on 70% power for 8-10 minutes).
Pour cooked filling into the baked pie shell. Top with
meringue making sure to seal it to the edge of the pie
crust. Sprinkle with coconut.
Add
1 c coconut
2 T margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla
Brown meringue for 6-8 minutes at 400F.
Stir until well blended, set aside.
Beat egg whites and sugar at high speed in small mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.
Store in refrigerator.
Important Dates to Remember
April 19 ................... OHCE LT—Essential Oils (Day & Time Change)
April 29 .................... Pie Day
May 4-9 ................... OHCE Week
The OSU Extension Program
is on You Tube!
It’s available on https://
www.youtube.com/user/ptcivideo
or click the YouTube icon at the
top of www.ptci.net, select the
program you want to view,
and enjoy the show.
Arleen James, CED/FCS/4-H
Texas County OSU Extension Educator
[email protected]
(580) 338-7300 or 338-8627
Fax: (580) 338-0042
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director of Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. This publication is printed and issued by Oklahoma State University and authorized by the Dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences
and Natural Resources and has been prepared and distributed at a cost of $101.60 for 110 copies. (11/14) (dj).
Texas County Cooperative Extension Service
Oklahoma State University
P O Box 320
Guymon, OK 73942
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send an e-mail to
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As always you can view the
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