Do you know what the temperature is inside your refrigerator? Do you know what it should be? According to a national survey, less than 60 percent of consumers know the correct temperature for refrigerator food storage. Only 30 percent of consumers have heard that they should use a refrigerator thermometer to monitor the temperature– and fewer than 20 percent of consumers say they actually use one.

Keeping foods at the right temperature is one of the most effective ways to protect your food investment. It helps prevent spoilage and waste and reduce the chances of foodborne illness.

The US Department of Agriculture recommends maintaining a refrigerator temperature of 40º F or below to slow bacterial growth and maintain food quality. Too low a temperature in the refrigerator wastes energy dollars and may cause ice crystals to form on foods. Adjust the refrigerator accordingly to prevent unwanted freezing, such as freezing milk or tender produce.

The recommended freezer temperature is 0 F or lower. At this temperature, bacterial growth will be stopped. However, freezing does not kill most bacteria, nor does it stop flavor changes that occur over time. Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0 F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer.

A thermometer will help you monitor the temperature of food on a regular basis, but it is also a critical tool during a power outage from winter or summer storms. In the event of an outage, check food temperatures with a thermometer in each freezer and refrigerator. During an outage, do not open the refrigerator or freezer door any more than is necessary. An unopened refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half full.) If refrigerator temperatures start to move above 40 degrees, you will know it is time to take action by adding dry ice or moving cold food to a different location.

Refrigerator/freezer thermometers are also great for renters who have older and/or unfamiliar appliances. Monitoring the temperature inside the refrigerator and freezer will help you know if the appliances are working properly.

Most refrigerator/freezer thermometers are either liquid-filled or bimetallic-coil thermometers. Liquid-filled thermometers are the oldest types of thermometers used in home kitchens. As the temperature changes, colored liquid inside the thermometer rises or falls to indicate the temperature on a scale.

Bimetallic-coil thermometers contain a coil made of two different metals with different rates of expansion that are bonded together. The bimetal element is coiled, fixed at one end, and attached to a pointer stem at the other end. As the temperature changes, the pointer will be rotated on a dial to indicate the temperature.

Purchase refrigerator/freezer thermometers in the housewares section of discount, department, appliance, and grocery stores. Think of them as an inexpensive insurance policy against food waste and spoilage. Buy several! Place one in your refrigerator and one in your freezer– and one in each compartment of any additional refrigerators or freezers you may have in the basement or garage. It may be the best $10 to $20 investment you ever make!

For more information about keeping food safe, call the Ellis County Extension Office at 785-628-4930 or see the K-State Research and Extension food safety links at www.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

Three-party politics is back in Kansas. The parties consist of moderate Republicans, conservative Republicans, and Democrats. Deals being made and leadership changes afoot all point to a new era–but the state’s problems remain daunting.

In the race for House Minority Leader, the narrow defeat of the centrist, conciliatory Rep. Tom Burroughs (D-Kansas City) by the more partisan, fiery Jim Ward (D-Wichita) portends a new direction for Kansas Democrats. Meanwhile, Kansas’ moderate Republicans—the other group gaining seats in 2016—are cross-pressured. They have won a number of significant committee spots and other positions, including more power over education funding. However, recent votes for conservative leadership constitute a sharp reminder that moderate Republicans must work with their conservative party leadership.

Mods backed conservative leaders: House Speaker-elect Ron Ryckman, Jr. (R-Olathe), and re-elected Senate President Susan Wagle (R-Wichita), who had no serious challenger. Then again, mods also won several key committee positions and other important roles within the party caucuses, including House Majority Leader. Clearly, they have already realized that they have to pick and choose their battles while working within the party of Brownback, They will probably focus on closing the LLC tax loophole and on education funding. These are great issues, and this is exactly what voters were promised.

CORRECTED: Ryckman was chosen Speaker on the first, not the second ballot. Hays Post regrets the error.

The Democrats have a much freer hand. While still badly outnumbered, they did pick up several statehouse seats, most notably in Wichita, plus one in the senate. It now falls to Ward, Hensley, and their colleagues to lead, spelling out a clear agenda contrasting with Brownback’s while reaching out to the mods—and others—for support. Democrats should fight for:

-Passing a new school base funding formula that insures stable school funding statewide—not just in Johnson County, while avoiding excessive dependence on property taxes.

-Ending the pointless and destructive “border war” tax breaks between Kansas and Missouri that reward the politically well-connected who shake down the system for millions, but create no new jobs for the Kansas City area or either state.

-Bringing some sanity to the state’s “constitutional carry” gun laws, starting with a return of the background check, permitting, and training requirements for carrying a handgun. Local control over the issue also needs to return to the students and faculty on university campuses, where the pending imposition of concealed-carry is wildly unpopular.

-Creating “lockboxes” to protect the highway, children’s health, and other trust funds from any further diversion from their original purposes.

-Demanding long-term solutions to the state’s hemorrhaging budget mess and refusing to support any more one-time quick fixes until there is a plan.

-Defending professionalism, experience, and competence among state workers and opposing the return of political patronage

-A top-to-bottom audit of “KanCare”—Brownback’s privatized approach to Medicaid—to see if the promised cost savings have materialized, and to measure its impact on recipients, including seniors, the developmentally disabled, those with mental illnesses, and others requiring long-term care.

Moderate Republicans are still part of a conservative-dominated party. They will fight hard for their priorities, but must also pick their battles, often inside the caucus. It’s up to Ward, Hensley and their Democratic colleagues to show Kansans another way forward.

Michael A. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Reuse, recycle, rebuckle. That’s not exactly the popular environmental slogan, but it describes a remarkable therapeutic riding center that is using creative ways to benefit the lives of its students.

Last week we met Joy and Brian Miller, co-founders of New Horizon Ranch near Rantoul. New Horizon Ranch is a non-profit therapeutic horseback riding center which offers various kinds of equine-assisted activities and learning, psychotherapy, and summer day camp programs for individuals of all ages with physical and mental disabilities.

In therapeutic riding, people with disabilities learn horsemanship and riding skills which can also benefit communication, social skills, decision-making, balance, and strength. For example, if someone is wheelchair-bound, the horse’s gait simulates the movement and benefit of walking. Joy has also observed how horses can bond with the rider in beneficial ways.

“A horse has a magical ability to connect with people,” Joy said. “Macho kids from inner Kansas City will come out here and say, `This is dumb,’ but within thirty minutes they’re petting the horses….every time!”

There are also educational benefits of riding. “When they’re on the horse, the brain is open in a different way,” Joy said. “It is very kinesthetic and it stimulates motor skills. The right and left brain are working together.”

New Horizon Ranch also offers Silver Saddles for older adults, summer day camps, and a program called Mending Fences which helps kids repair relationships or remedy problems. The ranch also offers programs in character development which help with trust, boundary, or relationship issues. Certified therapists or mental health professionals are brought in as needed. A teacher is on staff for educational components.

There is even a program for reading to horses which helps kids gain confidence and reading skills.

When New Horizon Ranch hosted one horse show for their riders, the local Christian Youth Rodeo Association (CYRA) came to watch one of their members – a girl with a disability – ride in the show. The child rode the horse while her mom walked beside her. The girl beamed as nearly 50 people watched.

Another girl named Paige Wiseman, also a CYRA member, observed this interaction. Paige was a young rider and rodeo competitor from nearby Paola. She was a very accomplished barrel racer herself who would go on to compete in college. Paige considered how much this ride meant to that girl and pondered how to help.

“Paige contacted us and asked if it would be okay for her to donate her old rodeo buckles for the kids,” Joy Miller said. “The buckles are gathering dust anyway. Why not use them?”

“Paige was 12 or 13 at the time. She could have been self-absorbed with her own success, but she chose to take this step to help others,” Joy said.

So, New Horizon Ranch started presenting those trophy buckles at their horse shows. They were a huge hit.

“It went so well that Paige set up a Facebook page and solicited more buckles from her friends,” Joy said. Buckles came in from all over.

According to an article in America’s Horse magazine, there were donors from such rural towns in Kansas as Plains and Kincaid, population 179 people. Now, that’s rural.

The donors found it rewarding to donate their old buckles. The kids who received them were overjoyed. “Paige said it was more meaningful to give it away than it was when she won it,” Joy said. “We put a pre-addressed card in with the buckle when it’s presented so that the donor can know where it went and the impact of their donation.” After one of New Horizon’s clients died tragically from pneumonia, his buckle meant so much to his mother that she placed it on top of the casket.

For more ranch information, see www.newhorizonranch.org.

Reuse, recycle, rebuckle. It’s not an environmental slogan, but it describes how rodeo riders are donating their old trophy buckles and making a difference for deserving kids. We commend Paige Wiseman, Joy and Brian Miller and all those involved with New Horizon Ranch for using horses – and buckles – to benefit children.

MANHATTAN — With the recent swearing in of a new Congress, Farm Bureau members in Kansas welcome lawmakers and a new administration to Washington, D.C.

We look forward to working with newly elected Rep. Dr. Roger Marshall, Reps. Lynn Jenkins, Kevin Yoder, and Mike Pompeo as well as Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran. We also congratulate Sen. Moran on his new seat on the important Environmental and Public Works Committee and Sen. Roberts who will chair the Agriculture Committee for another congress. Kansas is fortunate to have these individuals in our state’s delegation in Washington, D.C.

There is much work to do, and we are encouraged that these lawmakers can work with others and a new administration to pass high priority legislation including regulatory reform, reauthorizing the farm bill, improving market access with new trade initiatives, and bringing attention to the agriculture credit situation as the farm economy continues to struggle.

There are many common-sense changes that are needed for agriculture and the nation. Kansas Farm Bureau stands ready to help shape positive solutions in a new environment with less fear of onerous regulation and attacks on the agriculture economy. We are optimistic 2017 can bring improvement to our farms, ranches and rural communities.

Rich Felts
Kansas Farm Bureau president

Hello from Agra!

I hope your holiday season was one filled with food, family and reflection. But now it is a new year and we are only a few days from starting the 2017 Kansas Legislative Session.

On Monday, January 9th, we will be sworn in to begin a two-year term. Last year, I was one of three, which became four new members, but this year there will be 46. Of the 125 members which make up the Kansas House of Representatives, 85 are republican and 40 are Democrats. According to the planners, Turn Around is February 23rd (that is where the House beings taking up bill generated in the Senate bill and the Senate takes up bill originated in the House) and First Adjournment is scheduled for April 7th.

I have been going through some of my late father’s personal papers and came across a speech he gave thirty years ago and guess what the two main topics facing Kansas agriculture were at that time? Water and Taxes. It seems like the more things change the more they stay the same. I have been talking with the Chairman of the Water & Environment Committee, Tom Sloan of Lawrence, and he is wanting to hear from all stakeholders on what is working with water in Kansas and what they see as the challenges ahead. I agree with him that we need to approach water issues from a reasonable time frame, of five to ten years. I look for this committee to take a steady approach to the future and not play politics with one of our most precious resources.

The Governor will deliver the State of the State address to a joint session of the Kansas Legislature on our second day, Tuesday, January 10th at 5:00 p.m. This is the time when he will outline his vision and legislative priorities and our first chance to hear his plan for the budget. If you would like to listen in to the speech you can by going to the House audio link on the legislature’s website: https://kslegislature.org

If you have a student who would like to be a legislative page, please contact me as the dates will fill up fast. Our office in the capitol has moved we are now in 352-E, but the phone number stayed the same: (785) 296-7676.

If you have questions, or if I can be of service, please contact me: Ken Rahjes, 1798 E. 900 Rd. Agra, KS 67621 or call (785) 302-8416. You can follow me on Facebook at Ken for Kansas or my website, www.kenforkansas.com.

Thank you for the opportunity to be your representative.

Ken Rahjes (R-Agra) is the 110th District State Representative.

Might want to stretch out, maybe finish up that Christmas book you got last week, and get ready for what us Statehouse insiders consider the real New Year, which happens in daylight—at 2 p.m. Jan. 9.

There won’t be any of those red plastic cups filled with ice and pop and whatever else… but that’s when 40 senators and 125 representatives take their oaths of office and start reshaping the state government.

It’s going to be fascinating to watch, we’re promising.

First, of course, there is that little matter of filling a $350 million shortfall in the current fiscal year budget, trimming spending, pulling money out of programs that were safely protected by state law just last summer.

That $350 million shortfall? Might have been easier to deal with last year if lawmakers had known just how much money the state would receive, but now with less than six months left in the fiscal year, it’s going to be the equivalent of twice that impact on agencies and programs in the traditional budget year.

Once that current year shortfall is dealt with—and that’s the key to the rest of the session and upcoming budgets—well, there is the $443 million shortfall that will have to be accommodated for the next fiscal year. That’s a two-year total of nearly $800 million that must be pulled out of the budget, and that’s not going to be pretty.

That’s just the start for a session that has even old-timers a little shaken.

Atop the revenue shortfalls, lawmakers are bracing for the Kansas Supreme Court decision on whether the state is spending a constitutionally adequate amount of money to ensure all Kansas public schoolchildren are receiving equal access to educational programs.

But what about those less-than-earthshaking issues, depending on where you are standing?

Highways? Don’t look for much new spending, and at some point, the recent cutbacks in construction programs are going to draw legislative attention. Just cutting spending is one thing that the Kansas Department of Transportation has experts to assess what is necessary for safe operation of the highway system.

But at some point, it is likely that legislators themselves will start making decisions on what roads get repaired and which bridges replaced. Politically, you need to keep your House or Senate district constituents safe, or get that handy off-ramp built, but the real prospect of safety of the entire state highway system being based on political opportunity is a little…unsettling?

Need to save money? One obvious way is to determine just who gets room and board in state prisons and local jails. Keep the dangerous folks locked up, of course, but paring sentences and costs by non-incarceration of some criminals sounds reasonable. While “lock ‘em up” is political red meat, the cost savings by not imprisoning folks who have committed a crime, but not endangered others, is one way to go. But will the need to save money be louder than the ever-popular “tough on crime?” That’ll be one to watch…

And, of course, taxes are the issue that everyone’s watching…just who ought to pay taxes, and whether there is a provable dollars-and-cents profit to the state in not collecting taxes from those LLCs and self-employed and farmers who are mulling this issue while chewing prosciutto—not baloney—in their sandwiches.

Will the rush to balance the budget with cuts sideline the tax issue? Is it possible to cut services and programs that major campaign contributors don’t use so that the need for more state revenue is reduced? Is cutting spending so front-page important that lawmakers forget the tax shortfall that makes it necessary?

That may be the key to the upcoming session—distraction.

And the key to that key? Whether the distraction works…

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com.

Before we all become buried in the new year, let’s look at this new beginning with a bit of humor. Plenty of people trot out their lists of resolutions. Often, such lists are as long as their arms and last as long as their pinky.

I’ve all but given up on New Year resolutions. Seems I can’t keep them either.
This year I’ve decided to do something different. I’ve compiled a list of “lesser” resolutions – some things I believe I can accomplish in 2017. Here’s what I will try to work into my new year:

Remember that no time spent with your children is ever wasted.

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

Never laugh at anyone’s dream.

When traveling, take two big safety pins so you can pin the motel drapes shut.

Accept (always) a breath mint if someone offers you one.

Keep the porch light on until the family is in for the night.

Rehearse a joke before you tell it.

Always try the house dressing.

Believe in love at first sight.

Send your mother-in-law flowers on your spouse’s birthday.

Buy ladders, extension cords and garden hoses longer than you think you’ll need.

Steer clear of any place with a “Ladies Welcome” sign in the window.

Occasionally invite the person in line behind you to go ahead.

Exercise patience when behind the wheel of your vehicle – hand gestures are out of the question.

Own a hammock and use it.

Never be photographed holding a cocktail glass.

Give people more than they expect and do so cheerfully.

Be as friendly to the janitor as you are to the board chair.

Overestimate travel time by 15 percent.

Never wear a white bathing suit.

Don’t miss a good idea simply because you don’t like the source.

When you say, “I’m sorry,” look the person in the eye.

Don’t wash a car, mow a yard or select a Christmas tree after dark.

Trust in God, but always lock your car.

Make it a wonderful 2017.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

What is that light that we see? It’s the light of a new day, a new horizon. Today we’ll learn about a remarkable equestrian facility which is bringing new light into the lives of children and adults with disabilities.

Joy Miller is co-founder of New Horizon Ranch, located near Rantoul in Franklin County. New Horizon Ranch is a therapeutic horseback riding center. It offers various kinds of equine-assisted activities and learning, psychotherapy, and summer day camp programs to individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive, social, emotional and learning disabilities.

Joy grew up in rural California. As a high schooler, she was selected for the National FFA Band which meant she came to perform at the National FFA Convention which was held in Kansas City at the time. While in Kansas City, she learned about Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe and ultimately came there as a student.

Her faith and Christian service are important to Joy. “I thought I would be going into international missions someday, so I majored in international agribusiness so I could help developing countries,” Joy said.

While at Mid-America Nazarene, she met and married Brian Miller who had grown up in Olathe. They bought a rural property in Franklin County.

“It was revealed to us that our mission wasn’t overseas, it was right here,” Joy said. Brian worked at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe. They moved to the farm and it seemed natural to get horses. In 2000, they attended Equifest, the equine exhibition held in Wichita at the time. There they saw a demonstration of therapeutic vaulting with handicapped children, and it intrigued them.

“We felt called to work with horses and had a heart to help people,” Joy said. “We have a passion to help the underserved.” They learned about the benefits of therapeutic riding for children with disabilities.

The year 2004 was a tumultuous time. “We had our first child that year, but shortly after that, my 16-year-old brother was killed in a car accident,” Joy said. The tragedy hit hard and their equine dreams were put on hold.

“Eighteen months later, our pastor gave a sermon with the message that, if God gives you a dream, then He’s big enough to make it happen,” Joy said. “Brian and I looked at each other and said, `It’s time,’” she said. They went to work to realize their equestrian dream of service.

Brian and Joy became Certified Riding Instructors through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International and Certified Equine Specialists through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. In 2006, they founded their own therapeutic riding non-profit organization on their ranch.

What to call this new enterprise? “We believe that each day with a horse is a new opportunity for the child,” Joy said. “It’s a clean slate like the start of a new day, like new light on the horizon,” she said. “And we’d been through a dark time ourselves (since my brother’s death) so it was a new horizon for us too.” Joy and Brian named their operation New Horizon Ranch.

In 2007, New Horizon Ranch started offering therapeutic riding classes for children and adults with disabilities. “Let’s use these magnificent, majestic animals and see how many lives can be helped,” Joy said.

The first class began with seven children. In 2015, nearly 200 people were directly served by New Horizon Ranch. Today the ranch offers a broad spectrum of therapeutic riding and educational activities in their rural setting near the town of Rantoul, population 242 people. Now, that’s rural.

For more information, see www.newhorizonranch.org.

What is that light that we see? Is it the light of a distant horizon? Or maybe, it’s the light in the eyes of a child with special needs who has successfully ridden a horse. We salute Joy and Brian Miller and all those involved with New Horizon Ranch for making a difference in the lives of children through horseback riding.

And there’s more. Belt buckles are now being used to further enrich the lives of these children. We’ll learn about that next week.

This time of year is a good time to remember traditions that remind us of generations who came before us. One of the best culture keepers in this region was an Ellis County historian named Lawrence Weigel. He visited my classes each year in the early 90s to share tales about Volga German customs involving Christ Kind, Belznickel, and New Year wϋnsching (winching) traditions with high school freshmen. Nodding heads confirmed that some youngsters’ families still practiced these Old World activities.

At the same time, puzzled faces and blank looks revealed that others were clueless about such customs. My own Volga German family didn’t pass on these stories so I was thrilled to learn them. Every January 1, I think of Mr. Weigel’s anecdotes about families calling on one another on the New Year to share wishes for health, long life, good luck, peace and health, and eternal happiness after death.

As only a beloved grandfather figure can, our lecturer described a festive day of visiting, feasting, and a bit of tippling. Part of this practice involved parents teaching youngsters to recite a wish that ran something like this passage I found online, “ Ich wϋnsche euch ein glϋckseliges Neues Jahr. Langes Leben. Gesϋndheit. Fried und Einigkeit. Und nach dem Tod, ewig Glϋckseligkeit.” As families traveled door-to-door or farm-to-farm, children lucky to be the first visitor or a beloved relative earned a coin for their efforts along with a handful of nuts or sweets. I’ve listened to more than one elder tell stories of reciting this rhyme to collect spending money. Recalling such memories always brought a sparkle to their eyes and a lilt to their voices.

According to Mr. Weigel, this occasion was also a day for young men old enough to marry to court available local maidens. If I recollect correctly, he explained the Romeos announced their arrival with a shotgun blast to the sky. I’m not sure how romantic that was, but young women possessing several color-coded ribbons eagerly awaited noisy suitors. I can imagine girls biting lips and pinching cheeks to increase their rosy tint on an already cold morning. I’m guessing a certain amount of shy smiling and foot shuffling took place as well since adults and younger siblings stood nearby to supervise the show. Girls would pin their good will tokens on callers’ lapels, saving a particular color for a special fellow. I’d love to hear one of these stories firsthand.

Storekeepers certainly would’ve encouraged this custom since so many families produced much of their only holiday food rather than buying it. Despite their customers’ self-sufficient natures, demand for ammo and fripperies at the local mercantile would’ve increased merchant bank deposits during days leading up to this holiday.

This time of year on social media, I see folks sending one another this New Year greeting. I hope area families continue to share customs that crossed the sea and traveled overland with their ancestors. These are little traditions, yet they remind us of brave forebearers who left the familiar to offer descendants a better life. Many of us can honestly say this centuries old good luck wish has worked out well.

Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.

Many of us grew up with traditions we follow at holiday time. Time and location of family meals, when and how to open gifts, special activities such as caroling or church services, are some of the makings of holiday traditions.

In America, there are many different holiday traditions, as our “melting pot” culture has brought many nationalities and traditions together.

Feasting is a typical holiday tradition of every nation, and my family’s holiday food traditions are reflective of our melting pot of cultures, too. The Christmas eve buffet in my family includes Swedish potato sausage and ost kaka, a Swedish cheesecake dessert, borrowed from our Swedish neighbors in the Smoky Hill River valley between Salina and Lindsborg. My grandmother’s English heritage is reflected in the oyster stuffing, and my German aunt contributed dark brown bread and her delicious German potato salad made with dill pickles, green olives and tuna.

Why do we eat certain special foods at holiday time?

Roger Adams, a Kansas State University rare books librarian, has studied the history of traditional holiday foods, including the figgy pudding requested in “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” the drink referred to in “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” the sugarplums that danced in children’s heads in “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and the once-beloved but now much-maligned fruitcake- the “Rodney Dangerfield of the food world” that gets no respect.

Adams said the reason for the fruitcake’s devaluation in public opinion is because of the quality and type of ingredients that are used. Today’s recipe is nearly unrecognizable from the fruitcake of the past, said Adams, who can point to recipes found in cookbooks dating back to 1487 that are part of K-State Libraries’ Morse Department of Special Collections.

Fruitcake traces its origins to ancient Rome, where it included pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and raisins in a barley mash. By the Middle Ages in Europe, additional dried fruits were added, as well as honey and spices.

The original fruitcake was thoroughly saturated with alcohol such as brandy or rum, which acts as a preservative to keep the ingredients from spoiling or getting rancid over time. Adams said this focus on preservation is consistent with most traditional Christmas foods, which came from the need in older times to preserve foods through the winter.

This trend is also seen in jam cookies and sugarplums – the latter of which were considered an ideal treat for children because they did not contain alcohol, unlike many other traditional Christmas foods. This is likely why they were connected to children in the 1823 poem, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Mincemeat pie also was a preservation-focused holiday treat. Adams clarifies that the original pies did contain meat, as well as suet and dried fruits – especially raisins, which he said are a “must” in every mince pie.

The traditional puddings of England, including the figgy pudding we continue to sing about, were much different from the puddings that are popular in the U.S. today. The traditional puddings were more cakelike and often included raisins or other dried fruits – hence the figs in figgy pudding. These puddings were soaked in plenty of alcohol, usually rum. Families would gather during Advent and light the pudding cakes on fire to create a celebratory flaming dessert, like flambé.

Wassail, a warm Christmas punch, is a once-popular Christmas drink. Because of its warm serving temperature and its inclusion of alcohol, which warms the body, it was not uncommon in the U.S. as late as the 19th century to find people traveling around, visiting relatives and drinking wassail to stay warm.

Christmas is a good time to talk with older family members about the traditional holiday foods they ate when they were children. Dust off an old family or community cookbook and explore what past generations ate at Christmas. That will make holiday culinary traditions even more meaningful as family members continue to share them today.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

I’m not big on making New Year’s resolutions, but there are a few things I hope to do more of or become better at during this coming year.

I have to come clean about something. One of several reasons I began writing this column years ago was because it forced me to spend more time in the outdoors. With all the hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking, camping and outdoor photographic opportunities here in our state there are few acceptable reasons for not finding something to do out in the wild at any given time during the year.

Also I’m now retired, so the way I see it, aside from a sudden bout with scurvy or the Bubonic Plague, that fact alone removes all excuses. But yet I can get apathetic and lazy; it’s far too easy to just kick my shoes off and plant myself inside or to just stay in bed on Saturday mornings instead of turkey hunting, etc. Even with the several hunting and trapping seasons I take advantage of now, I barely scratch the surface, so in short I resolve to spend more time outdoors trying new opportunities.

Once again, I have to confess that I’ve grown a little complacent when it comes to pursuing interesting and unique outdoor stories. When I first started this column I’d root out different and off-the-beaten-path stories everywhere I went. As I get older, I’ve come to appreciate a good nap more than I used to, and I have had some lengthy home projects of late, but those are just excuses. If I’m gonna’ write this column, I’m gonna’ do it justice, so I resolve this coming year to try to rekindle my enthusiasm for unique and out-of-bounds outdoor stories here in Exploring Kansas Outdoors. Along those lines, over the years I have been given some great tips from readers about those kinds of stories, so by all means, don’t stop now. If you get wind of a fascinating person or an off-beat story that would go great in Exploring Kansas Outdoors please email me.

Fishing has always been my least favorite outdoor activity; first because many fishing opportunities are during the hot Kansas summers, my least favorite time of the year, and secondly because my sorry fishing skills are the stuff of (BAD) legends. Joyce and I can literally sit side-by- side with another couple, fishing over the same brush pile and using the same baits and lures as them and catch only one fish to their ten! Don’t laugh; it’s happened more than once! Anyway, this year I resolve to do more fishing. There is lots of fishing to be done in the spring and in the fall when temperatures are mild, and with all the private ponds and with beautiful spots like McPherson State Fishing Lake practically in my backyard, once again, there are few acceptable excuses not to wet a line. For example, the trout fishing is hot now at numerous spots around the state that will all be stocked with rainbows twice a month through March, and in some cases through April. Go to www.ksoutdoors.com to find the complete trout stocking schedule.

We get our deer processed at a local reputable meat processing plant, and as much as I’d like to say that processing our own deer is a resolution, it’s not; I don’t have the proper place, equipment, knowledge or desire to do so. We’re not big jerky fans so I’ve never bothered to make jerky before, but I can’t help but notice that the rest of the world seems to go bananas over homemade deer jerky, and that homemade jerky is great to give away to friends and family. I have a nice dehydrator so this year I resolve to learn and refine the art of making homemade deer jerky, and maybe venture into the world of snack sticks and summer sausage too. As usual, both the internet and YouTube are awash with information and instruction about all of it, and most outdoor sporting goods store carry an assortment of seasonings and equipment. A company named Walton’s has local stores in Wichita and advertises “Everything but the Meat.” Check them out online at www.waltonsinc.com.

Well there you have a few of my “New Year’s resolutions” so to speak. For everyone I suppose the biggest and best New Year’s resolution should be to take someone with you into the outdoors to learn what you do and to see why you do it as you continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

For Kansas legislators, the new year may not feel all that happy. Veterans and first-termers alike have to be wondering why they ran for the job. In the upcoming legislative session, they face a daunting task, brimming with political risk.

Brownback’s “Kansas experiment” has brought the state budget to crisis. Kansas lacks the income to pay its bills, and not by a little. By

hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions. The politically thankless task for lawmakers: either restore revenue to meet obligations, or chop up education, highways, human services, and public safety. Doing nothing will result in damaging service cuts by default.

In the current, already half-completed fiscal year, the general fund has come up $350 million short, even after huge one-time transfers from the highway fund and emergency budget cuts to Medicaid providers and higher education. Most lawmakers will feel obligated to address that immediate pressing problem before grappling with the much larger structural gap between income and expense in next year’s budget.

But they should not proceed in that order. Addressing the long-term structural problem in the Kansas budget must have the highest priority! That may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s a bit like the safety instruction you hear from an airline attendant, “If the oxygen masks come down and you are traveling with a child, put your own mask on first; then attend to the child.” Stabilize the budget structure first, and then deal with the current fiscal year.

Only financially awful alternatives exist to cure the $350 million shortfall. Lawmakers cannot logistically raise new revenue fast enough. So that leaves either sudden budget cuts concentrated at year’s end, or some kind of one-time patch. With the bank account empty and the highway fund tapped out, the “easy” one-time patches have already been used up, but insiders talk of selling something (tobacco settlement revenue, the turnpike), or paying bills late, or grabbing the unclaimed property of Kansas citizens, or somehow borrowing the money.

One-time patches do not solve the real problem. Without a long-term solution in place, selling assets or borrowing become just another hopeless component in the downward spiral of Kansas finances.

But if lawmakers can muster the political will to put a long-term plan in place first, Kansas has hope for financial stability. Then a $350 million patch solution in the current year becomes a “bridge” to a more hopeful future, rather than a step into deeper crisis.

Kansas simply must raise revenue to structurally balance the budget. Closing the LLC loophole alone will not fix the problem. Hopefully Kansans will give their legislators political breathing room to pass a broad revenue reform plan correcting the irresponsible decisions of the past. Otherwise, we’ll face damaging cuts to education and key services.

Lawmakers, make it a happy new year for Kansas. End the ill-fated experiment and structurally fix the budget. Do it early in the legislative session. Do it quickly.

Duane Goossen formerly served 12 years as Kansas Budget Director.

For-profit career colleges suffered major setbacks in 2006 as many students dropped out with huge debts and no degree. Students entering college in 2008 had a 55 percent rate of graduating college from public universities but only 27.8 percent among for-profit 4-year schools.

For the more than 100,000 students enrolled in the main online campus of University of Phoenix, that rate was only 17 percent, according to reporters Gordon and Ybarra at the McClatchy Washington Bureau. The same reporters found “…that by 2014 nearly 1.2 million current and former University of Phoenix students had borrowed $35.5 billion in federal student loans, far more than any school in the nation, and that 45 percent of the students who’d enrolled in its classes five years earlier had defaulted on their loans.”

According to a Boston University study, students at for-profits make up nearly half of U.S. student loan defaults but only constitute 12% of college students. While there is a cap on for-profit universities getting more than 90 percent of their revenue from government funds, an examination of the top 15 found that they are getting 86 percent of their revenue from taxpayer dollars. They target and get 37 percent of post-GI Bill dollars. Many for-profit schools spend big money for CEO salaries and marketing but little on “faculty” salaries.

Because they may inflate their job placement rates, the U.S. Department of Education has shut off access to federal student-aid. The collapse of the Corinthian system left huge numbers of students with loans and no degrees, a situation that resulted in a huge taxpayer bailout as well. The dominoes continued to fall. ITT failed in September. The U.S.D.E. has denied funds to Globe University and Minnesota School of Business. Career Education Corporation has spent $10 million to settle claims.

In a 10-3 decision in June, the federal National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity voted to shut down the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools for failing to provide oversight of such schools. This will limit access to federal student aid for over 800,000 students and continue the decline of for-profit mostly-online colleges. Unfortunately, some of the same quality problems exist for public universities that have adopted online programs; they can hide their lower-performance online course data within their larger face-to-face operations.

Meanwhile, U.S. public higher education faces a reduction in the number of high school graduates and further cuts in state funding. Many universities are heavily marketing to out-of-state students who pay higher tuition. And there is a growing reliance on foreign students. If all of our Chinese students were lost, the United States would lose a college student population equal to all of the students in all Kansas public universities times three!

Across the United States, foreign students (temporary visa holders) now make up 52 percent of engineering doctorates, 50 percent of math and computer doctorates, 36 percent of physical science and earth science doctorates, and 26 percent of biology doctorates. With living standards improving overseas, an increasing number of these new experts are going back home.

Meanwhile, one-third of U.S. millennials are now living with their parents at home. For the first time, the cohort of post-graduate-age students has a lower percentage of college graduates than the prior generation. And for the first time in recorded history, the U.S. newborn generation will have one month less life expectancy!

There has been a massive increase in college credit given for Kansas high school course work under the dual-credit or concurrent enrollment system originally designed for a few exceptional students. Beginning the fall semester of 2017, much of this will be curtailed due to the Higher Learning Commission’s requirement that teachers of college credit courses have a masters degree and at least 18 masters level credit hours in the topic they teach.

Facing a Kansas teacher shortage, some Kansas universities are providing instructors for high school dual credit courses. As college instructors of college courses, they do not have to have a secondary teaching credential. But if there are students in that class that are taking the course just for high school credit, that college instructor lacks a license. Unfortunately, there is no inspector from KBOR or KSDE; no badge and no enforcement of licensure requirements.

But there will be concealed carry of guns on campuses this upcoming July 1, 2017. Substantial majorities of faculty and students at Kansas public universities disagree with the law—but they are four years too late in their opposition.

Kansas higher education is also waiting for the Kansas Supreme Court decision on adequate funding for K-12 schools. With a court decision likely to require $350 million or more for K-12 schools, Kansas will be hard pressed to find that much money. Anticipating further cutbacks, several Kansas universities have already frozen positions and are not filling vacancies.

Tuition increases were formerly limited to no more than 2 percent above inflation. Last spring, the Legislature removed that cap. Will our lawmakers balance the state budget on the back of the next generation of college students?