The busyness of the holidays will soon be upon us. I know you have heard me say in the past that the focus should be on time spent together with family rather than the stressors of finding the perfect gift or going overboard with decorations and food. We have an Extension program set for noon on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th Street, that may be just what you need to help you put everything into perspective.
Get into the holiday spirit with this free “Holiday Potpourri” program from K-State Research and Extension. Linda Beech, Cottonwood Extension Agent for family and consumer sciences, will share a sampling of several holiday topics to help you get inspired and motivated as we approach the holiday season.
She will start with a food safety quiz to test your knowledge of safe food handling at holiday time. There are some newer recommendations for safe cooking temperatures. Next Linda will share ideas to get organized for the holidays – plan to share your best strategies for managing a multitude of holiday tasks.
Finally, Linda will focus on eating healthfully this time of year, with tips, recipes and even TASTES of holiday appetizers and treats that can give everyone a healthier option on the holiday buffet. I have enlisted help from the Program Development Committee I work closely with to provide some of the samples.
To help us plan for adequate materials and tasting samples, please RSVP to the Cottonwood Extension District Great Bend Office by calling 620-793-1910.
Hopefully after participating in the “Holiday Potpourri” you’ll have a renewed sense of energy to prepare for the busy weeks ahead!

Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Barton County. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.