Nine Northview, Ernest Ward Cheerleaders March In Disney Parade
November 25, 2016
Nine cheerleaders from Northview High School and Ernest Ward Middle School marched in the Disney World Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday in Orlando.
Each was named All-American and earned the opportunity during UCA cheerleader camp held during the summer.
The five Ernest Ward cheerleaders marching were (pictured bottom) Abigail Nelson, Hailey Harigel, Anna Adams, Mia Starns, and Shelby Rice.
The four Northview High School cheerleaders marching in Thursday’s Disney parade were Ashlan Harigel, Gabrielle Kline, Bailey Van Pelt and Briana Spruill (pictured below).
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Miracle League Holds Annual Turkey Fry
November 24, 2016
The Miracle League of Pensacola held their annual turkey fry fundraiser Wednesday at their park on East Nine Mile Road.
Volunteers with the Miracle League spent their day frying turkeys for a minimum donation, with all of the proceeds going to benefit the Miracle League.
The Miracle League provides physically and mentally challenged children a safe and spirited program in which they can hit, run, and catch on a baseball field – just like other kids. MLP offers a unique and memorable opportunity these children would not otherwise have. It is a place where every player plays, every player hits, every player gets on base, every player scores, and every player wins – every inning.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Average Cost Of Thanksgiving Dinner Down This Year
November 24, 2016
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 31st annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $49.87, a 24-cent decrease from last year’s average of $50.11.
The big ticket item – a 16-pound turkey – came in at a total of $22.74 this year. That’s roughly $1.42 per pound, a decrease of 2 cents per pound, or a total of 30 cents per whole turkey, compared to 2015.
“Consumers will pay less than $5 per person for a classic Thanksgiving dinner this year,” AFBF Director of Market Intelligence Dr. John Newton said. “We have seen farm prices for many foods – including turkeys – fall from the higher levels of recent years. This translates into lower retail prices for a number of items as we prepare for Thanksgiving and confirms that U.S. consumers benefit from an abundant, high-quality and affordable food supply.”
The AFBF survey shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.
Foods showing the largest decreases this year in addition to turkey were pumpkin pie mix, milk and a veggie tray comprised of celery and carrots. A 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix was $3.13; a gallon of milk, $3.17; a one-pound veggie tray of celery and carrots, $0.73; and a group of miscellaneous items including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour), $2.81.
“Due to a significant expansion in global milk production, prices fell to the lowest levels since 2009, leading to lower retail milk and dairy product prices. Additionally, this year’s pumpkin prices are slightly lower following the production decline and higher prices seen in 2015,” Newton said.
Items that increased modestly in price were a dozen brown-and-serve rolls, $2.46; two nine-inch pie shells, $2.59; one pound of green peas, $1.58; 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, $2.39; a half-pint of whipping cream, $2.00; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing, $2.67; and a three-pound bag of fresh sweet potatoes, $3.60.
The average price is down slightly from last year to $49.87. After adjusting for inflation, the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner fell to $20.66 – the lowest level since 2010.
Although the classic Thanksgiving meal priced by Farm Bureau is considered modest by some, “we’re fortunate to live here in America, where many people are able to enhance their holiday meals with another type of meat or additional side dishes or desserts,” Newton said.
The stable average price reported this year by Farm Bureau for a classic Thanksgiving dinner tracks closely with the government’s Consumer Price Index for food eaten at home. The most recent CPI report for food at home showed just over a 2-percent decline over the past year.
Volunteer shoppers checked prices at grocery stores in 40 states for this year’s survey. Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals, such as spending $50 and receiving a free turkey.
Shoppers with an eye for bargains in all areas of the country should be able to purchase individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages. Another option for busy families without a lot of time to cook is ready-to-eat Thanksgiving meals for up to 10 people, with all the trimmings, which are available at many supermarkets and take-out restaurants for around $50 to $75.
The AFBF Thanksgiving dinner survey was first conducted in 1986. While Farm Bureau does not make any scientific claims about the data, it is an informal gauge of price trends around the nation. Farm Bureau’s survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.
Turkey Time Cooking Tips
November 23, 2016
It’s Thanksgiving, time for family and friends to gather and give thanks. And time for cooks to ponder the correct way to prepare their turkey.
Today, we are taking a look at the proper way to cook your turkey with tips from Dorothy Lee, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for the Escambia County Extension Office.
Clean
Begin every meal preparation with clean hands, and wash hands frequently to prevent any cross contamination. As a rule, hands that have come in contact with raw meat or poultry should be washed for twenty seconds in hot, soapy water.
Separate
Raw meat and poultry products may contain harmful bacteria, so make certain that the juices from those products do not come in contact with food that will be eaten without cooking, like the salad. Also, never place cooked food on an unwashed plate that previously held raw meat or poultry.
Cook
Use of food thermometer should be a standard operating procedure in your kitchen and, when used correctly, will ensure that your turkey is cooked to perfection. To be safe, the temperature of a whole turkey should reach 180°F between the breast and the innermost part of the thigh.
If you stuff your turkey, the center of the stuffing must reach 165°F. If the stuffing has not reached 165°F, then continue cooking the turkey until it does. Let the turkey stand twenty minutes after removal from the oven before carving.
Chill
This is another important step because food-borne bacteria can grow while food sits unrefrigerated. Refrigerate or freeze perishable leftovers within two hours of cooking. To prepare your leftovers, remove any remaining stuffing from the cavity and cut turkey into small pieces. Slice the breast meat. Wings and legs may be left whole. Refrigerate stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers.
Use or freeze leftover turkey and stuffing within three to four days, gravy within one to two days. Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165°F, or until hot and steaming.
For more information, call the Escambia County Extension office, (850) 475-5230.
North Escambia County Baptist Community Thanksgiving Service Held In Bratt
November 21, 2016
The North Escambia County Baptist Community Thanksgiving Service was hosted Sunday night by Bratt First Baptist Church.
Carol Sears from the Florida Baptist Children’s Home was joined by multiple congregations and pastors Josh Long from Unity Baptist, Delbert Redditt from Bratt First Baptist, Nathan Brown From Ray’s Chapel Baptist, Ted Bridges from Walnut Hill Baptist, Tim Hawsey from Bratt First Baptist, Alan Thompson from Enon Baptist and Prison Chaplain Doug Sanders.
Photos by Marcella Wilson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Register Now For Century’s Boats And Floats Christmas Parade
November 21, 2016
Century’s 4th Annual Boats and Floats Christmas Parade is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 17.
The parade will line up at 5 p.m. at Century Auto Parts and travel south on North Century Boulevard (visitors must stand on the southbound side) to Showalter Park were there will be vendors and many more festivities. Winners of the boat/float contest will be announced at Showalter Park.
For more information, or to register to enter the parade, call Kim at (850) 256-3208.
Pictured: The 2015 Boats and Floats Christmas Parade in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Molino Community Thanksgiving Service Held
November 21, 2016
Multiple churches in the Molino joined together Sunday night for the annual Molino Community Thanksgiving Service at Highland Baptist Church. The service focused on unity the Church and Thanksgiving. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
November 20, 2016
The following students (pictured above) were named Students of the Month for October at Bratt Elementary School.
Raegan Abbott
Desiray Bagwell
Ryleigh Barnes
Isaiah Boatwright
Alysa Bryan
Luke Bryan
Jaxon Byrd
Chloe Criswell
Colton Criswell
Noah Faulkner
Audrey Franklin
Brody Hall
Anthony Johnson
Noah Luker
Mikayla McAnally
Walker Morris
Hunter Parker
Jonathan Patrick
Reagan Peebles
Ally Richardson
Dakota Richardson
Cassie Stilwell
Jeremy Thomas
Bentley Van Pelt
The students pictured below, Cassie Stilwell and Chloe Criswell, were chosen to represent Bratt Elementary School as Escambia County Students of the Month for October.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Operation Christmas Child Collection Week At First Baptist Bratt
November 18, 2016
Volunteers have been busy this week at the First Baptist Church of Bratt during “National Collection Week” for Operation Christmas Child. For the 23rd year, the simple, gift-filled shoe boxes will bring Christmas joy and evangelistic materials to children in over 130 countries across the world.
National Collection Week for OCC is November 14-21. The First Baptist Church of Bratt is the official OCC Relay Center for the north end of Escambia County, FL.
Pastor Tim Hawsey, Relay Center coordinator, said the shoe boxes are distributed by trained local pastors and volunteers around the world…right where the children live. The children that receive the box are invited to participate in a twelve step bible study called The Greatest Journey translated into their native language and taught by local people the children know.
Collection hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt will be:
- Friday, Nov. 18: 8 a.m. – noon, 4-6 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 19: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 20: 9 a.m. – noon, 4-7 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 21: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Operation Christmas Child boxes should be packed in a specific manner. For more information, call Hawsey at the First Baptist Church of Bratt at (850) 327-6529, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ, or call (800) 353-5949. Resources are available for churches that wish to participate.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Christmas Parade Set For December 3
November 17, 2016
The 14th Annual Molino Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, December 3 at 11 a.m.
The parade route starts at the west end of Crabtree Church Road and ends and the Molino Ballpark were Santa Will be waiting to visit with all the good little boys and girls.
To participate in the parade, preregister at Jimmy’s Grill or register the day of the parade. Registration fees are $30 for floats; $20 for vehicles, motorcycles, tractors or golf carts; and $10 each for horses. No 4-wheelers or go-carts. All proceeds go directly back to the community to help children in need.
For more information, contact René at (850) 255-3330 or Jimmy’s Grill at (850) 754-0041. Donations such as toys and non-perishable foot items can be dropped off at Jimmy’s Grill.
The rain date will be Sunday, December 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Pictured: The 2015 Molino Christmas Parade. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
