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When borrowing money for large purchases, your credit history will generally have a significant impact on your ability to get a loan and the terms of the loan. Each individual has his or her own credit score so when applying jointly, the creditor will scrutinize both scores. Credit scores range from approximately 300 to 850. When locking in an interest rate, the higher the score, the better the terms of credit you are likely to receive. You may be surprised to know you have more than one credit score. The credit scores are based on the...
Who doesn’t like to be able to offer your guests or family a slice of homemade pie? Are you not a pie baker and hope one day you can make the offer to someone? Maybe you just haven’t taken the time or you had a not so positive experience making one? Or, you just love to make pies and would be willing to share your hints and tips with us. Then join us for a pie making workshop! On May 24, we will have a hands-on workshop where you will make the pie filling, the pie crust and then assemble and bake the pie to take home. The workshop will beg...
National Volunteer Week is April 23-29 Our office would like to thank all the parents, grandparents, family and community members who currently volunteer or have previously volunteered with the Chouteau County 4-H youth development program. The skills and knowledge gained through the hands-on experiences that you present and help the 4-H members with will last them a lifetime. Past, present and future volunteers—know that you have contributed or will contribute to the foundation of lifelong success of many 4-H members. 4-H members—take a mom...
While I was at the Montana Gerontology Society conference last week, I attended a session on nutrition for seniors and wanted to pass some of the information along. As we age, our life circumstances and bodies change and it becomes necessary to adapt our food intake accordingly. Many factors such as income, mobility and health issues and accessibility to food can have a profound effect on the level of nutrition. The negative effect of the above mentioned factors may lead to malnutrition. It was astounding to hear the high rates of malnutrition...
Canning Class—Meals in a Jar, First Christian Church, 1201 Main St, Fort Benton. We will begin at 5:30 pm. Join us for an evening of hands-on learning and fun. You will experience making two recipes and additional meals in a jar recipe options will be available for tasting. The basics of pressure canning and safe food handling will be covered and you will receive research-based recipes and resources to take home. If you have been afraid of pressure canning, this class is a great opportunity! Or, even if you have a lot of experience pressure c...
National Poison Prevention Week, March 19-25, 2017 How safe do you think your house is of poisonous household products? Poison is all around us, affecting anyone anytime. By taking the time to look around and exercising caution during the usage and storage of these products will be the best prevention of poisoning yourself and/or your family. One product you may not have even given a second thought is liquid laundry detergent packets. These contain highly concentrated amounts of the detergents. They need to be stored in the container they came...
With many of us in the process of preparing and submitting our taxes, the question becomes “How much and how long do I keep the records?” Or, maybe the other question is “Do I need to have a record keeping system?” Keeping financial records are a vital part of your life. They are a key to your credit standing, essential to help you save money on taxes, and provide a continuing indication of your financial progress. A systematic plan of keeping important papers can save you hours of anxious searching and make it easier to cope with emergen...
There are free financial education webinars available through MSU Extension called “Solid Finances.” Every Wednesday at 12:00 pm, they discuss a different topic related to credit and credit worthiness, teaching kids about money, health and finances, retirement and financial awareness and other topics to help you empower you to take control. The sessions are taught by faculty from the University of Idaho, North Dakota State University and Montana State University. The webinars can be viewed from any computer or electronic device with int...
Getting the most from your credit card (taken from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System website) 1. Pay on time—Paying on time will help you avoid late fees as well as penalty interest rates applied to your account. It helps you to maintain a good credit record which leads to a higher credit score, thus helping you qualify for lower interest rates. If the due date falls at a difficult time such as before you get paid, contact the credit card company to inquire if they will change the billing cycle. 2. Stay below your credit l...
One of the hardest things to think about having to do is making the decision of what to do when a loved one is dying. Perhaps you have had to make the decision in the past. You know the reality of how difficult the decision is to make but also wonder if it was the right decision and was it was your loved one would have wanted. Under the Montana Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, Montanans have the right to complete a declaration, another name for advanced directives. This allows an individual to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment...
With the new year upon us, resolutions may be on your mind. Have you found how easy they are to make them but not as easy to keep? People who make new year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to accomplish the changes than those who do not formally make resolutions. You have taken the first step by making the resolution. Here are some pointers in keeping it. 1. Plan the resolution out in steps, small increments. Rather than say you are going to save money, review your budget and designate a realistic amount of how much you can dedicate to p...
Last week, MSU Extension Chouteau, Toole and Big Horn counties held a Meat Preservation Class with ten people in attendance at the Big Sandy Community Church of God. Everyone was able to assemble their own jars of salmon and chicken legs using the raw pack method. They then placed their jars in pressure canners and completed the steps to get the processing started. Due to the length of time required to process, the jars were removed and allowed to cool for the participants to pick up at a later time. Samples were tasted and enjoyed by the...
Imagine being in a time crunch for getting a meal on the table, you pull a jar of canned chicken off the shelf, frozen vegetables (from your garden no doubt) out of the freezer, dump it all in a pot, heat and serve. Sound impossible? Uncomfortable canning your own meat? This opportunity will help you make it all a reality. MSU Extension Chouteau County is offering a class on how to can meats and make jerky on November 17, 2016 from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Big Sandy Community Church of God at 377 2nd Ave. Laurie Lautt, Big Horn County E...
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States. Radon enters our bodies as we inhale. Children are more susceptible to the effects of radon because of the developmental stages their bodies are going through. Pound for pound, children are eating, drinking and breathing more than adults. Therefore, if radon is in the air they are breathing or water they are drinking, their body is receiving a higher concentration of radon than an adult. What is radon? It is naturally occurring radioactive gas that is odorless...
A Montana Medical Care Savings Account (MSA) allows Montanans to save money for medical expenses and long-term health care and reduce their state income taxes at the same time. Contributions of up to $3000 annually can be deposited into savings or checking accounts or certificate of deposit. Spouses must establish separate MSAs but can use the funds to pay eligible medical care expenses for the taxpayer’s eligible dependents. If the money deposited in an MSA is not used during the year it was deposited, it remains in the account for expenses i...
MSU Extension Chouteau County is partnering with the Big Sandy Medical Center and the Big Sandy Senior Citizens to provide a series of six FREE sessions on diabetes. The Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP) is sponsored by Mountain Pacific Quality Health. The series is open to anyone. You do not have to have diabetes to attend. We encourage those who have diabetes (type 1, type 2 or both) but also people who have been diagnosed as pre-diabetes, family members or co-workers of individuals with diabetes and anyone else who wants to learn...
Nineteen Chouteau County 4-H youth meet excellence criteria for livestock carcass quality. The 2016 Chouteau County 4-H livestock carcass contest took place at Bear Paw Meats in Chinook. Fifty-nine Chouteau County 4-H animals were evaluated for carcass quality by Darren Crawford (MSU Extension Fergus County Agent). The purpose of the carcass contest was to teach 4-H youth how to correctly select, feed and finish livestock based on carcass data. If carcass criteria are met, youth can be confident they are producing a high quality product that...
The 2016 Make It With Wool (MIWW) contest is quickly approaching. Here are the details. The District 3 (Blaine, Broadwater, Cascade, Chouteau, Glacier, Hill, Judith Basin, Lewis & Clark, Liberty, Meagher, Pondera, Teton and Toole counties) contest is scheduled for October 29, 2016 in Great Falls. Entry forms are due to the District Director by October 3, 2016. The fabric needs to be a minimum of 60% wool to qualify for the MIWW contest. The categories are Preteen (12 and under); Junior (13-16); Senior (17-24); Adult (age 25 and older); and...
If your garden has not already started screaming at you that the fruits of your labor are ready to be picked and preserved, it will be soon. Whether you are experienced in home canning or have never done it before, come join us for an evening of learning and fun with basic canning techniques on Thursday, September 8, 2016 from 6:00 pm to approximately 9:30 pm at the Community Bible Church Rec Center in Fort Benton. This hands-on class will include recommended, research-based food preservation methods taught by MSU Family and Consumer Sciences...
Pre-Fair 4-H Year in Review With the Chouteau County Fair beginning next week, the Chouteau County Extension office would like to congratulate all of the 4-H members of Chouteau County on their achievements this past 4-H year. Over the past nine months, many 4-Hers have been busy fulfilling their 2015-16 4-H year goals by completing and caring for their projects, competing in contests and competitions, engaging in “learn by doing” workshops and activities and community service. Below is a summary of the results of the 4-H contests and com...
This time of year brings a lot of relief to be out in the field harvesting the long awaited crops. With it brings what seems to be a never ending but very important responsibility of feeding the harvest crews. Here’s hoping the below recipe becomes a new favorite for your family and crew. It can easily be adapted to slow cook for several hours. Lentil Sloppy Joes (serves 7 - 1 cup portions) 1 lb ground beef ½ c chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced 2 c water 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce ½ c dried lentils, rinsed ½ c ketchup 1 teaspoon cider vine...
Jacquelynn and Jordee Bomgardner represented Chouteau County 4-H during Montana 4-H Congress July 13-16, 2016 held on the Montana State University campus in Bozeman. Jacquelynn and Jordee participated in the Stir Ups contest along with thirteen other contestants. The purpose of the contest was to prepare an appealing, nutritious meal that can be prepared easily by using common ingredients. The 2016 theme was designated as the International Year of the Pulse to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses and to explore...
General Mills has recently expanded its recall of flour to include flour made earlier in the fall of 2015 that may still be in consumers’ kitchens. General Mills continues to investigate a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O121. A newly-reported illness prompted the expansion of the recall due to it appearing to have been caused from the consumption of raw dough or batter linked to flour produced in Fall 2015. The FDA and CDC continue to warn consumers to refrain from consuming any raw products made with flour that is included on the recall list...
Many of us have been, are currently and/or will end up becoming a caregiver at some point in our lives. People who provide unpaid care for an elderly, ill or a disabled family member or friend in their home are called informal caregivers. Nearly half of informal caregivers assist someone who is 75 years old or older. As the elderly population continues to grow nationwide, so will the need for informal caregivers. Caregiving can include everyday tasks, such as helping with meals, schedules and bathing and dressing. It can also include managing...
People suffer heat-related illness when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating. However, under some conditions, sweating just isn’t enough. In such cases, a person’s body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs. Most heat illnesses occur from staying out in the heat too long. Exercising too much for your age and physical condition are also factors. Anyone can succumb to the heat if one does not take appropriate precautions when exp...
