October 2025 Edition

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FCS October 2025

DATES
October 4-5
Harvest Fest
October 7
Prediabetes Class - “The Right Stuff”
October 12-18
KEHA week
October 13-17
Fall Break for Local Schools
October 14
Diabetes Essentials
October 20
Tune into WBKR
October 25
Halloween Farmers’ Market
October 28
Homemaker Lesson Training
October 31
Happy Halloween!
November 2
Fall Back an hour
November 11
International Cooking Class
November 17
Tune into WBKR
November 27-28
Office closed for Thanksgiving holiday

Pecan Sales
See the Daviess County Homemakers at the Harvest Festival!  They will be selling pecan halves and pieces to take home with you ($10 per bag) and taking orders for those and chocolate covered ($12 per bag). Ordered pecans will be shipping by early November.

Type 2 Diabetes Classes
Dieticians from the Owensboro Health Healthpark will be offering Type 2 diabetes prevention and management classes at the Daviess County Extension Office.  
Tuesday, October 7 - The Right Stuff...learn what it takes to prevent Type 2 diabetes. 
Tuesday, October 14 - Type 2 Diabetes Essentials. 
Both classes start at 5:30 p.m. Please check out the fliers in the pdf version of this newsletter for more information, and call the Extension Office at 270-685-8480 to register. 

Halloween at the Market
Be sure to stop by the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market on Saturday, October 26th, from 8 am to noon for the Halloween Market. There will be Trick-or-Treating, a Costume Parade, and Children’s Activities. 

Recipe of the Month
Tune into WBKR at 8:10 a.m. on October 20 and November 17 with Sharayha Clingenpeel to hear about the recipe of the month. 
October: Cheesy Pumpkin Pasta Bake
November: Parmesan Carrot Chips

International Cooking
Continue traveling around the world with Extension! Our next stop will be Italy. 
November 11th - 5:30 p.m. - We will be making pasta and sauce. 
Registration opens October 10.  
Call 270-685-8480 to register. 
Class size is limited. 

Planning Family Dinners on a Budget
By: Shelley Crawford, Trigg County FCS/4-H Agent and
Nicole Huff, Extension Specialist for Family Resource Management

Family dinners represent a time to come together, share a meal, and engage in meaningful conversations. When planning a family meal, creating a budget can ensure the dinner is affordable and enjoyable for everyone. Consider preparing nutritious, budget-friendly meals as “capital investments” in your family.

Planning budget-friendly dinners can be a fun and creative exercise for the whole family. By working together to plan and cook meals, families can use problem-solving skills and find creative solutions like learning affordable alternatives to expensive ingredients and experimenting with new recipes. Here are a few ways to plan cost-effective meals:

·        Set a budget. Consider how much money you want to spend for the week and the number of people who will be eating each meal you plan to prepare.
·        Plan a menu. Think about what type of food you want to cook and any dietary restrictions your family might have. Do you have picky eaters? Choose recipes with affordable ingredients that you can use in more than one recipe. Also select meals your family enjoys, which reduces food waste and increases the likelihood that they will eat the leftovers. (Uneaten food means the money that you spent on food is going in the trash!)
·        Shop for ingredients. Compare prices and look for sales at your local grocery, discount, or bulk stores. Search for coupons and look for generic alternatives. Brand names often cost more but offer similar taste and quality to the store brand.
·        Plan ahead. This gives you time to look for sale items and “shop” your pantry, fridge, and freezer before you make your grocery list. When you find good deals for items that are shelf stable or you can freeze, buy extra for future use.

Family dinners are important for strengthening bonds, encouraging healthy habits, and providing time for conversation. Meals can be both affordable and healthy. Visit https://fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/piukp-recipes for Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Recipes.

Meal Prepping Saves Time and Frustration
By: Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Associate Extension Professor

Deciding what to have for dinner each night can be a daily conundrum for many of us. As a result, we may find ourselves in line at a fast food restaurant more than we care to admit. But it does not have to be this way. By preparing at least portions of our meals in advance, we can have home-cooked, healthy meals on a regular basis.  

Research shows people who regularly do advanced meal preparation tend to consume more fruits and vegetables and eat a more balanced diet overall. Meal prepping is extremely popular, as it allows us to live our hectic lives while still providing our families with nutritious food. It saves time because steps in the cooking process are already completed to varying degrees. The process may include simply preparing ingredients or complete dishes that are stored and reheated for a quick meal. Meal prepping also takes some of the stress and frustration out of deciding what to eat each night.  

If you have never tried meal prepping before, start small and don’t invest a lot of money. At first, aim to prepare two to three meals per week in advance. Find nutritious recipes that your family would enjoy and make a grocery list of the needed ingredients. Allow your family to chime in on the meals or ask them if there is a new food or recipe they would like to try.  

It is easier to set aside one day for grocery shopping and meal prepping, as it cuts down on the number of times you need to handle the food and gives you a set time to work meal prepping into your busy schedule. Include your family in the food preparation. Not only will it help spread out the cooking responsibilities, but it will also teach your family basic cooking skills and healthy eating habits.  

Remember food safety when preparing food. When using a cutting board, slice vegetables before cutting meat. Store produce and meat separately to avoid contamination. While most people associate meal prepping with dinnertime, you can also prepare quick breakfasts or use leftovers for lunches. While dinner is cooking, make the most of your time in the kitchen. Chop veggies for a salad the next day or slice some fruit for a quick grab-and-go snack.  

After the food is prepared, store it in an airtight container and place it in either the refrigerator or freezer, depending on how soon you plan to eat it. Consume refrigerated meals within five days. Freezing will allow you to store meals for a longer time. 

 As you become a meal-prepping pro, you can watch for sales to stock up on food staples and increase the number of meals you prepare at home. 

HOMEMAKER HAPPENINGS

Lesson for the Month
Indoor Air Quality - An Environment, Housing, and Energy Lesson
Roll Call
October is National Dessert Month. What is your favorite dessert?
Thought of the Month
“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
                                                - Jim Davis

FOYER DECORATIONS
Trinity welcomed everyone with a “bee”utiful September.   
The Extension Office will decorate for 4-H and KEHA week in October. 

 AREA MEETING
Our Homemakers had a fantastic time at the Annual Day in Morganfield.  Jason Koger was quite the inspirational speaker. 
Laurel Fant’s miniatures received a blue ribbon in the Cultural Arts division.

Lesson Leader Training and Council Meeting
Homemaker Lesson Trainings will be on October 19th at the Daviess Co Extension Office 
10 am - November lesson: Laughter Is A Must - a Family and Individual Development lesson
11 am - January lesson: Selecting Sheets - this is a Management and Safety lesson
The lessons will be recorded and uploaded to Green River Area Homemaker YouTube channel. 

The Daviess County Council will meet after the trainings (around 12:30). 

 KEHA WEEK 2025
October 12^th – 18^th
Stitched Together: A Plan for the Future

 2026 State Meeting Information
Make plans to attend the 2026 State Meeting at Hyatt Regency Lexington
401 West High Street, Lexington!
May 12-14, 2026

Lodging Information
The lodging room blocks are now open for reservations!

Hyatt Regency Lexington
401 West High Street, Lexington, KY 40507
Room rate $155.00 + tax (1-4 people per room)

Online Reservations: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/LEXRL/G-KEH1 

Phone Reservations: 800-233-1234 (group code G-KEH1 for conference rate)

Make your reservations by April 13, 2026, to secure the conference rate.

Learning Session Proposal Forms are now being accepted. 
Learning Session Proposal forms are due Oct. 15. Please see the KEHA website for more 
information.  https://keha.ca.uky.edu