December 2025 Newsletter Mitchell County Cooperative Extension

Upcoming Events

4-H Vintage Christmas Crafts - Thursday, December 11th, 2025

Office Closed - Monday, December 22, 2025 - Friday, January 2nd, 2026

*See Website for Times and Details*

EFNEP Article

Merry Christmas!

• December 3 is National "Dine In" Day!
• This day is meant to focus on spending family time together around the dinner table.
• So plan your meal together, cook together, and then enjoy your meal together!
• Family meals spent together help to improve relationships and save money.

Food Safety For The Holiday's

• Eating unbaked flour and eggs in raw cookie dough could result in food poisoning! Don't risk your children or family!
• Keep meat and eggs separate from other foods in the fridge.
• Make sure to refrigerated leftovers in 2 hours.
• Use a food thermometer to make sure cooked food reaches a safe temperature.
• Use the link for safe temperature guide --
• https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures?fbclid=IwY2xjawOJaMpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEerO7_bFcwpDhqt8c48iFBaF0O8iLWnW8P19i9nGCMU58H8ao2KV9xwW3PjQQ_aem_S9zSl4uK-LZ95ooNEwbFHA

Looking for a yummy healthy Christmas breakfast that is kid approved?!? Try this Gingerbread Pancakes from Foodhero.org https://foodhero.org/recipes/gingerbread-pancakes

The holiday's is a great time for the family to get together and do some fun activities!

Some examples: Play games or sports outside, Enjoy nature, Cook together, Do crafts, Have a singing and dance party, Find some workout videos (whatever kind you like)! All kinds of ways to be active and to keep those bodies moving.

Use the MyPlate link below to look at recommendations for the 5 Food Groups for you and your family. Plus, other nutritional information!

https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan

In EFNEP classes we learn about all this plus more! If interested or have any questions call Sarah Grinestaff at 688-4811 or email at sarah_grinestaff@ncsu.edu!

Stay Healthy During the Holidays

The holidays are most people’s favorite time of year but there is no denying they are also the most stressful. Prioritize your health this holiday season and remember you cannot pour from an empty cup. If you get stressed out and sick you cannot help anyone and will miss out on all the fun and fellowship you have been looking forward to all year long. There are two extremely easy things you can do stay at the top of your game this holiday season. 1. Stay Hydrated One of the easiest and best things you can do for your body and brain is to stay hydrated. According to the NCOA’s website staying hydrated improves your brain performance, digestion, heart health, gives you more energy, helps with weight loss and weight management, decreases joint pain, helps with better temperature regulation, kidney stone prevention, improved detoxification, and fewer headaches. 2. Prioritize Sleep It may be tempting to add more time to your to do list by sacrificing sleep but don’t do it. According to the sleepfoundation.org the key benefits of sleep are: improved memory, focus, and learning, better mood and emotional regulation, a stronger immune response, balanced appetite and metabolism, reduced risk of chronic conditions, faster muscle recovery and tissue repair, and increased energy and daytime alertness. In addition to the two things mentioned above there is one more simple thing you can do to make your holiday season much easier and less stressful. You may notice I said simple, not easy. It is something that should be easy but many people find extremely difficult and uncomfortable to do, at least in the beginning. That one thing is to say “no”. You do not have to do everything or go everywhere people ask you to. Saying “no” doesn’t make you a bad person. Prioritize the things you want and need to do. It will help you be less stress, which will help you enjoy the holidays to their fullest.

Vintage Christmas Craft Workshop

For more information, please contact Erin Silver (erin_silver@ncsu.edu) or call us at 828-688-4811.

By: Erin Silver

CED/Agriculture

Upcoming Pesticide Certification Exam – February 5, 2026

You will have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming pesticide certification exam scheduled for February 5, 2026. If you’re interested in advancing your certification or renewing your credentials, sign up here for more information follow this link

Mitchell County’s Extension Master Gardener program is expanding!

Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) are volunteers who engage the community through education and outreach and answer questions about all types of gardening. To prepare volunteers for this service, in-person attendance at a 12-week training is required. The training will take place in 2026.

Novice gardeners are as welcome to apply as are lifelong gardeners. Successful EMGs generally share three key attributes: 1) They are interested in gardening, 2) They are interested in learning, and 3) They enjoy sharing what they have learned with others.

Interested residents are invited to add their name to the list to receive more information as it becomes available. Call Kelli Grindstaff at 828-688-4811. Be sure to leave your name, a current email address and a phone number.