By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator Purdue Extension GOSHEN — As I write this column, the weather has been wet, cold, and windy. I know many of you are finding sponge mushrooms. They are a sure sign of spring and rain. Regardless of the cooler weather, now is the time for fresh local asparagus. I …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator Purdue Extension GOSHEN — Happy New Year! I know many of you have had enough holiday food. I also know that many of you are tired of preparing it, cleaning up, and making the most of all the extra food. I am sure many of you are like …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator Purdue Extension KOSCIUSKO — As I am teaching in the community and answering phone calls and emails I often receive suggestions for my column. This week’s subject of sodium is one of them. The 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans made the following recommendations that Americans consume less than …read more.

ELKHART COUNTY — “I am honored to be chosen as a Friend of Extension,” said David Hess. “I guess over the years I’ve never thought much about being a friend of extension. It’s just what you do … been in positions where I can urge people to, in my opinion, do the right thing.”

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator Purdue Extension GOSHEN — Many foods come to mind when it comes to cooler weather and cooking. I know with our unseasonably warm weather traditional fall foods may not be at the top of your list. A food that should not be thought of as just a fall …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Purdue Extension GOSHEN — My column this week is about Flavonoids. This topic is the result of answering questions about flavonoids and the suggestion from those questions to write about them. One of the many bonuses to working as a Purdue Extension Educator in Health and Human Sciences is …read more.

By Mary Ann Lienhart Cross Extension Educator Purdue Extension GOSHEN — Cooking and eating are no different than anything else, they tend to follow trends. A popular trend that has stayed around is foods with real flavor. Some people would describe it as spicy food, and sometimes it is, but not always. To me, foods …read more.

By Mary Ann Lienhart Cross Extension Educator, Purdue Extension GOSHEN — As I have been presenting programs and participated in meetings I have been a part of conversations asking, “What are you making for dinner?” This often leads to a variety of conversations and comments. This question provides me with the opportunity to talk about …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator Purdue Extension GOSHEN — When most of us think of Autumn, or as we like to call it: Fall, we think of apples, pumpkins and squash. The pumpkin is a fruit of the vine, marketed as a vegetable, and rich with legend and lore. Remember Cinderella being chauffeured …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — I wrote earlier about apples and I am writing about them again for a number of reasons. One of the most important is that they are so good for you and we all should be eating more of them. That old saying …read more.

By Mary Ann Lienhart-Cross Extension Educator, Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — Fall is a great time of year to continue your healthy eating! Peppers are foods of color and they are nutrient dense foods. Now is the time and all through the fall to put more peppers in your healthy eating …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County As I write this column the cooler temperatures bring to mind so many great tasting locally grown foods. This time of year there are late grapes and cabbage with unlimited meal possibilities. Next is America’s favorite: potatoes; and I know …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County Late summer is a great time for you and your family to eat more vegetables and an easy way to enjoy them is in a stir fry. So you may ask, “What is or what does stir fry mean?” To …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County I greatly appreciate all of you that have read my column over the years and continue to read it. It is a real bonus when I receive a phone call or email prompted from reading my column, with your questions or …read more.

BY MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director, Purdue Extension Elkhart County WARSAW — This week I am writing my weekly column on food preservation safety because you need to understand the science behind canning vegetables, fruits, pickled products, jams jellies, fruit spreads, fruit and vegetable sauces, and meat products. I have had several phone …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — It has been hot and humid for several days, but I am not going to complain because I know the weather will change – we live in the Midwest. I think it is extra hot and humid in Indiana …read more.

By Mary Ann Lienhart Cross County Extension Director It is county 4-H fair time and a wonderful time for you to be a part of entering the many competitions. I am focusing this column on all of the food contests that are a part of the Home and Family Arts Building at the Elkhart County …read more.

Mary Ann Lienhart Cross Extension Educator, Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County Herbs are probably heartier than any vegetable or fruit that you grow. I say that as I know that some herbs can easily take over where you have planted them. Summer is a great time of year to use herbs in …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — Sources of fat in our eating appears to always be in the news. Confusion about the types of fat we should be consuming seems to always come with it. Saturated fat, which comes from animal sources, is solid at room temperature and …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator-Health and Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — Last week I wrote about the health concerns of drinking too much pop because of all the sugar and acid and the negative effects on the body. From the emails and phone calls I know many of you were shocked …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director, Extension Educator Health and Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — What makes a good sandwich? From talking to people and my own experience I think it takes many ingredients to make a great tasting ham sandwich. A real bonus to me are the planned-overs following …read more.

ELKHART COUNTY — “Gratitude is an Attitude” is the theme of the annual Achievement Night for Elkhart County Extension Homemakers according to Mary Ann Lienhart Cross, county extension director and extension dducator in health and human sciences for Elkhart County. The event will be held Monday, April 18, in the Martin and Fidler Rooms of …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director, Extension Educator Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — With listeriosis in bagged lettuce being in the news I have been answering questions through emails and phone calls. Several of you suggested I address the subject in my column. So, what is listeriosis? Listeriosis …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director, Extension Educator Health & Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County GOSHEN — As I share programs in the community I often teach MyPlate and food safety. I encourage participants to eat a variety of foods and in the process also a rainbow of foods. Many of our locally …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director GOSHEN — Real winter has arrived and that means it is good and cold. Winter is a great time to get back to healthy eating and that usually means meal planning and cooking at home. It takes much discipline to eat healthy when eating out. I believe …read more.

No matter the culture the holidays are all about family, celebrating and yes, of course, food. Hors d’oeuvre, finger foods and appetizers are wonderful any time of the year but are becoming more a part of many holiday gatherings.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director, Extension Educator, Health and Human Sciences, Elkhart County I am not sure what first comes to mind when you think about holiday treats. Is it candy or cookies or are you like me and you can’t choose? I grew up in a home where it was all …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Health And Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County  The holidays are so much about food and family traditions that have special foods in them. There are just certain foods that family members always expect someone to prepare. There is all the extra stress and many times the only time of …read more.

WARSAW — It seems impossible to have a holiday celebration without food. Hours and days are spent preparing a menu and the holiday meal, and then in less than an hour the decorated table is appreciated and the food enjoyed. Sometimes there is a time lapse before dessert so we can really enjoy the dessert, but shortly after, all the extra food has to be properly cared for.

By MARY ANN LIENHART-CROSS County Extensions Director, Purdue University I sure am enjoying all of the fresh locally grown fall foods, especially apples. Living in this part of Indiana we are blessed that we can have fresh-made cider. One of the first fall foods that comes to mind is apples. Apples just provide unlimited recipe …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Elkhart County Extension Educator, Health and Human Sciences Bacon is such a flavorful food – probably more flavorful than most foods. One piece of bacon can go a long way. Since more people are further removed from the farm, the question of what bacon is, or where it comes from, …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extensions Director, Purdue University I know fall is really in the air and soon cooler temperatures will help to make for some great home cooking. The cooler temperatures bring to my taste buds so many great tasting local foods. This time of year there are late grapes and cabbage …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Extension Educator, Health and Human Sciences Purdue Extension Elkhart County September has been national food safety month for a long time. Each year, a special topic is chosen to focus on and this year it is refrigeration. So, the first question I ask you, “Do you know how cold your refrigerator …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS Elkhart County Extension Director, Extension Educator – Health and Human Sciences, Purdue Extension I often write about the challenges of the weather for those farmers who grow any kind of crop but especially for those growing produce. Mother Nature has provided too much rain and not enough warmth and sunshine. …read more.

The Elkhart County 4-H Fair is adding a culinary contest to this year’s Home & Family Arts Department Open Class contests, according to Mary Ann Lienhart Cross, extension educator. The National Garden Bureau has declared 2015 as the year of the sweet pepper. Sweet peppers are wonderful sweet vegetables that are packed with many vitamins, …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director, Purdue Extension Elkhart County Eating for Your Heart’s Sake! February is a great month to remind you to take a look at your eating. Is it as healthy as it should be? Most of us don’t really think about eating healthy or eating food for the nutrients …read more.

By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS County Extension Director, Extension Educator – Health & Human sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County Last week I wrote about holiday traditions and how many of them are connected to food. This week my thoughts are on planning breakfast so everyone can be a part of the activities and all enjoy …read more.