TAKING
TIME
by Rebecca Cscott
Penn State
Extension Home Economist
For Lehigh County
Do As I Say
You’re familiar with the old
phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Well I never thought that was a
very fair (or wise) saying. I “al
ways” thought drat people should
practice the same rules and fulfill
the same expectations that they re
commend to others. Well last
week I experienced a burning re
minder of why, no matter who you
are. you should follow the rules
and principles presented by the
experts.
I can’t tell you how many times
I’ve read directions from the
USDA canning guide to callers
who need help with food process
ing procedures. Now canning
directions have been tested, and
the cautions are placed there with
good reason. Consider, for in
stance the cautions for canning hot
pepers “Wear rubber gloves
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when handling hot peppers.” Dur
ing the past few yean, I have had
multiple callers phone in after the
fact to say that their hands were
burning, and how could they get
the hot oils off their skin. Unfor
tunately, I had no easy solution.
I say “unfortunately,” because
last week I got lazy. I’ve worked
with hot peppen before and worn
gloves, but last week I thought I
could “get away without follow
ing the directions.” I cup up a few
beautiful red and orange peppers
for a homemade salsa. Well
not only did my forehead tingle
from the volatile oils but the skin
under my fingernails seared with
pain. It hurt to grip a pen. (Not to
mention the fact that 1 spoiled a
whole bowl of fresh cut peaches
because i used the same paring
knife to cut them that cut the pep
pers!) Even a day later the burning
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sensation persisted.
Who did I think I was to be
above the law of the nature of hot
peppers? But, in a way, it was a
lesson I needed to relearn. I oftne
get frustrated when callers phone
in for my advice and then proceed
to tell me how they’ve done it dif
ferently all their lives and they’re
not going to change. Or, they may
say, “I know the books say I
should do this, but I’m not going
to do that anyway.” I try to remind
them that the parenting, food safe
ty, and financial publications that
we distribute (and use as teaching
references) have been heavily re
searched. The recommendations
are made for a reason.
Consider these rules: Don’t
leave protein foods out for more
than two hours toad at room tem
perature: a two-year-old child
should stay in time-out only two
minutes, a three-year-old only
three minutes; a child will have
the developomental skills to take
shoes OFF much sooner than she
will have the skills to put them on;
regular saving of small amounts
will accumulate more funds over
the long haul than sporadic depos
its pined out of good • fortune;
every family needs an emergency
fund of at least three months in
come in a liquid savings account.
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We know these things. Do you
find yourself cutting comers, and
hoping you can get away with the
“do as I say, not as I do” slogan?
Remember, your kids and co
workers are absorbing everything
you do and say, and actions tend
to hold more weight than words.
Learn from my carelessness. Be
fore you find your skin seared
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) “You just don’t listen to
me!” Have you or your partner
ever said that or felt like saying it?
Good communication is a skill
we all need to have in order to
build healthy relationships. “Com
municating As A Couple” is a
four-week series being co-spon
sored by Penn State Cooperative
Extension and Bethany Counsel
ing Ministry. The series will be
held Wednesdays, October S. 12.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Saptembar 10,1N4-B5
Couple’s
Communication
from the “hot pepper*" of your
life, take the time to think through
and follow the principles you
know to be true. Don’t short
change yourself. The rules were
placed there for a reason. Consider
the comfort I would have gained if
I had taken two minutes to dig out
the gloves before I started chop
ping!
19. and 26. from 7:30 pjn. until
9:30 p.m.. at Penn State Eastgate
Center, Seventh and Herr Street,
Harrisburg.
This series is designed for any
couple desiring to strengthen their
relationshipp by improving their
communication skills. Pre-Regis
tration of $4O is required by
Thursday, September 29. To re
gister call the Penn State Coopera
tive Extension - Dauphin County
Office at (717) 921-8803.