February 2025

Volume 3 Issue 2

Upcoming Events

Join us for a class, visit us at an event!

Kitchen Restore Donation Drop Off

February 1 & 20 | 10:00-12:00 PM

Dig Your Dinner: Strawberries

February 19 | 12:00-1:00 PM (virtual)

Pantry Staples: Extraordinary Grains

March 11 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Sweet & Savory Breads

April 25 | 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Four Course Living

February 27 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

JCPRD 50+ Partner Programming

Making Meal Time Easy - Pressure Cooking & Crockpot Meals: Feb 4 @ Tomahawk Ridge
Cooking Basics: Feb 12 @ Meadowbrook
Heart Healthy Cooking: Feb 18 @ Roeland Park

Visit

Programs and Events

to Register!

Need a speaker? Have questions about food, nutrition, or our classes? Contact us!

foodhelp@jocogov.org

February is the month of love. We celebrate Valentine's day and there are hearts all over, but the main heart we celebrate is the one that keeps us alive every single day. Your heart is without a doubt the hardest working muscle in your body. It is constantly pumping blood through your body and on average pumps 100,000 times in a day and pumps about 2,000 gallons a day! We have discussed keeping your heart healthy in previous editions, but as a recap it is important to eat a heart-healthy diet, be active, quit smoking, manage stress, get enough sleep, and manage blood pressure and cholesterol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately every 40 seconds someone has a heart attack, and about 12 percent of those who have a heart attack will die. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups.

This month we are going to cover the signs and symptoms of a heart attack to make sure that you have the information to not become another statistic. Here are five common signs of a heart attack you should know:

Chest pain or discomfort
Lightheadedness, nausea, or vomiting
Jaw, back, or neck pain
Discomfort or pain in arm or shoulder
Shortness of breath

In addition to these common symptoms, women often experience other symptoms that go unrecognized. They can include anxiety and unusual tiredness and weakness. If you experience any of these symptoms seek medical attention immediately. Lastly, if you don’t know your blood pressure or cholesterol schedule an appointment with your health care provider to find out. Remember, your health is your greatest wealth!

In Good Health,

Chelsea Reinberg, MPH, RDN

Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health Agent

Fun Food Facts

Almonds

Almonds are one of the most popular nuts consumed. The US produced 76% of the global crop in 2023 (most in California) and is also the leading consumer! Almonds have the highest protein content of all tree nuts and contain heart healthy fats, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals for good health. They are 100% reliant on wild bees and honey bees for crop pollination — No bees, no almonds! So protect the bees if you want to keep eating almonds!

Recipe of the Month

Mediterranean Olive Oil and Almond Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup low fat (1%) milk
1 ½ tablespoon orange zest
1 ¼ cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch pan with a light coating of olive oil.
In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, olive oil, milk, and orange zest.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour into cake pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until very lightly golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, melt the marmalade and toast the almonds in a dry skillet.
Spread the marmalade on the top of the cake.
Distribute the almonds on top of the cake, pressing light to set in the marmalade.

Recipe adapted from food.com

Kitchen Corner

Ditch the store bought milk alternatives and make your own! No matter the reason why you may choose to consume non-dairy milk alternatives like almond, cashew, oat, or coconut, you can easily prepare your own milk. Homemade milk alternatives will have no additives and you can control how much sugar is added, if any. Here are some basic steps for making a nut milk.

Soak 1 cup of raw unroasted nut of choice (try almond or cashew) overnight or up to 48 hours. Change water once if soaking for 48 hours.
Drain and rinse the almonds, discarding the soaking liquid.
Place soaked nuts in blender and add 3 to 4 cups of hot water.
Add flavors like vanilla extract, salt, and sweetener of choice.
Blend until smooth.
Strain milk through a cheese cloth to collect any unblended nuts.
Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Shake before each use. Enjoy!

K-State Research and Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Program information may be available in languages other than English. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including alternative means for communication (e.g., Braille, large print, audio tape, and American Sign Language) may be requested by contacting the JoCo KSRE Office two weeks prior to the start of the event at (913) 715-7000. Requests received after this date will be honored when it is feasible to do so. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request.