MANHATTAN, Kan. – January 2006 was the warmest on record, according to State of Kansas Climatologist Mary Knapp at Kansas State University.

That doesn’t mean the entire state set new highs.

"For once, the west generally was cooler than the east," Knapp said. "At an average 40.6 degrees (F), however, the state’s overall mean temperature was the highest, going back to records from the 1880s."

The climatologist cautioned that this fact may not mean much.

"A colder than normal February followed six of the warmest Januarys on Kansas’ previous Top 10 list. In those six years, the drop between the January and February temperature means ranged from 3.1 to 8.7 degrees," said Knapp, who heads the Kansas Weather Data Library, housed in K-State Research and Extension.

Among the stations that set a new high-temperature record in January were the ones near the communities of Columbus, Horton, Hays, Manhattan, McPherson, Medicine Lodge, Minneapolis and Ottawa. The month’s average was second or tied for second warmest at the Colby, Elkhart, Independence and Winfield stations. January’s temperatures were the third warmest on record for the stations near Ashland and Tribune.

In order from warmest to coolest, Kansas’ previous Top 10 balmiest Januarys occurred in 1986 (38.2 degrees), 1933 (37.8), 1923 (37.2), 1939 (36.9), 1914 (36.5), 1992 (36.5), 1990 (36.3), 1989 (36.3), and 1953 (35.7).

"In historical weather terms, it looks as if this January’s record may be hard to beat," Knapp said.



 

2) Statewide Fitness Program to Begin

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With spring approaching, Kansans are apt to see an ant-like army of walkers participating in the Walk Kansas program.

The Kansas State University health and fitness program attracted nearly 20,000 Kansans in 2005. More are expected this year, said Mike Bradshaw, state coordinator of the program and a K-State Research and Extension health and safety specialist.

Walking the equivalent of what it would take to walk across the state is the goal, but no one person is expected to cover the distance – which, counting from east to west, equals 423 miles. Walkers form teams of six to cover the distance in eight weeks, combining their mileage and walking whenever and wherever they please, Bradshaw said.

Team members can walk individually or together. They record their own miles and report weekly to a team captain. Minutes spent in other heart-healthy aerobic activities, such as running, swimming or bicycle riding, also count in the fitness effort.

Typically, fewer than 10 percent of the teams participating fail to meet their goal, Bradshaw said.

The fitness effort’s sponsors are local Extension offices, which may charge a minimal fee to cover the cost of nutrition and health newsletters, a Walk Kansas T-shirt, or the like. To date, 99 of Kansas’ 105 counties have signed up to offer the program this year.

For more information about Walk Kansas or other health and fitness topics, Kansans can contact their county or district Extension office.



 

3) To Chop or Measure First? Good Question

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Cut-up ingredients – chopped, minced or diced – can make recipe instructions confusing.

"The problem is knowing whether you should measure before or after you do the cutting up," said Kathy Walsten, nutrition educator with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

The answer depends on how the recipe lists the ingredient, Walsten said, providing these examples:

* 1 cup nuts, chopped - means to pour nut meats into a dry measuring cup until you each the 1-cup level. Then, take the meats out and chop them.

* 1 cup chopped nuts - means to chop the nut meats first and then put them in the cup to measure.

"The same applies to ingredients that call for mincing or dicing. You just need to pay close attention to whether the cutting-up word comes after or before the ingredient. If the cutting word is after the ingredient, you cut after measuring. If it’s before the ingredient, you cut before measuring," Walsten said.



 

4) Water-Based Swine Medication Generates Same Response as Feed-Based

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University researchers have found that hogs given a water-based medication had a growth response similar to that of hogs provided a feed-based medication.

Researchers gave one group of pigs Neomycin via their drinking water and gave another group the medication in their feed. They found that improvements in daily gain and feed intake were similar in both sets of pigs.

"The significance of these findings is that feed mills could provide antibiotic-free feed. And, producers could administer the antibiotic through water and achieve the same growth benefit as provided by feed-grade antibiotics," said Bob Goodband, swine specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

Currently, feed-based medication is less expensive, Goodband said. But, some producers and mills may choose the increased flexibility that a water application provides.

More information about swine production is available on the K-State Research and Extension Web site at http://www.asi.ksu.edu/swine.



 

5) Kids a Cookin’ - Strawberry Spinach Salad

This salad’s a good idea any time because it’s pretty and loaded with vitamins and flavor. Learn to love it now, though, because you can really get spoiled in spring when you use fresh-picked ingredients! This easy-to-fix recipe comes from Kansas State University Research and Extension’s Family Nutrition Program and makes six 1-cup servings.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounce package spinach leaves (about 2 bunches)
• 1 pint strawberries (about 2 cups, sliced)
• Dressing:
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon minced onions
• 1/4 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Wash spinach leaves and strawberries in clear water. Drain well.

3. Remove spinach leaf stems, tear leaves into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

4. Remove green strawberry "caps." Slice strawberries and add to spinach.

5. Cover and chill until serving time.

6. In blender or food processor, combine sugar, seeds, onions, Worchestershire sauce and paprika.

7. With blender running, add oil and vinegar to combine ingredients. Chill.

8. Just before serving, toss spinach and strawberries with about half the dressing, reserving the rest for another salad.

Helpful Hints:

Stored separately, the dressing and the spinach-strawberry mix will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

If kids have a hand in the preparation, they’ll be much more likely to taste and like this spinach salad. Preschoolers can tear the spinach leaves while older kids help measure and use the blender.

Safety Tip:

Fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden or a farmer’s market need special attention. Wash them well in a sinkful of cold water to remove sand and dirt. Then dry them on a clean paper towel before combining them with other ingredients.

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Per serving: 210 calories, 12 grams of fat (1.5 grams saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 4 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams dietary fiber, 95 milligrams sodium.

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Kids a Cookin' is an educational program produced by Kansas State University Research and Extension's Family Nutrition Program and funded by USDA's Food Stamp Program through a contract with Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS). More information, more recipes and cooking tips, and a link to a Spanish version are available on the Kids a Cookin' Web site: http://www.kidsacookin.ksu.edu.

– Source: Kathy Walsten, Family Nutrition Program, K-State Research and Extension



 

6) Kids a Cookin’ - Tool Kit

• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Large mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Blender or food processor