Brown sugar is a pantry essential—perfect for cookies, sweet potatoes, sauces and countless holiday favorites. But anyone who uses it regularly knows how quickly it can turn from soft and fluffy to a solid, rock-hard brick. With just a little know-how, you can keep your brown sugar soft and usable, and even rescue it if it does dry out. And if you ever find yourself completely out, don’t worry—making your own at home is easier than you think.

If my Mamaw Jo could see some of the modern Christmas light displays, she would have said: “I swannie, I’ve never seen such new-fanged lights like these!” She wasn’t into technology. As for me, I recently discovered just how much I don’t know about Christmas lights either.

While some lower back pain needs to be treated by a specialist, chiropractors can help children and adolescents prevent and manage lower back pain. Most pain with no specific cause responds to rest, rehabilitation and identification of predisposing risk factors.

🎁 Yuletide Treasures Market. Saturday, December 13 🕘 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Heritage Park Farmers Market Pavilion

Spend locally on Saturday, December 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 pm at the Yuletide Treasures Market at the Heritage Park Farmers Market Pavilion.

Step into a festive wonderland of local gifts and holiday delights! The Yuletide Treasures Market is your one-stop shop for meaningful, gorgeous, handmade presents and delicious seasonal treats. From artisan crafts and baked goods to winter produce and value-added goodies, there’s something for everyone on your list.

It’s the final festive fling before Christmas! Join us for the Mistletoe & Makers Market at the Heritage Pavilion on Saturday, December 20, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, where last-minute shopping meets local charm! Discover beautiful handcrafted gifts, delicious holiday treats, and fresh ingredients for your Christmas table — all in one joyful, open-air setting!

The Union County Line Dancers, led by Janie Hamilton, visited the Maynardville nursing home Willow Ridge recently to entertain the residents. The residents enjoyed the dancers very much.

THE 2025 “Under The Tree” Toy Campaign is almost over. There are some exhausted Elves. These Elves pick up the Black Bags packed with toys each year from the local businesses that have trees: Mission of Hope Therapy, Janet’s Hair & Tan, Tolliver’s Market, Bookers Market, UT Extension, American Business, Commercial Bank, Union Discount Pharmacy, First Century Bank and Food City. They then process the bags making sure the children’s wishes are met. Some ornaments are not pulled off the trees and these Elves shop for those toys. They ensure every bag is complete.

We often come up with mind games to pass time with our grandkids on extended road trips, and being the Christmas season, we recently played a guessing game that involved plants and animals associated with Christmas. It was interesting enough that I decided to share the list and researched how certain plants and animals became synonymous with Christmas.

Christmas Tree: Germany is credited with starting the tradition of Christmas trees as we know it back in the 16th century but using evergreens for winter decorating goes back to early Roman times. Initially, trees were decorated with edible ornaments such as apples, nuts, and other foodstuffs. Candles were later used to mimic stars on a moonless night, which later went electric. It might interest you to know that in a survey taken in 2004 concerning favorite smells, real Christmas trees in the house came in 8th place.
Holly: the bright red berries and green foliage during the drab winter months helped holly become a colorful decorating tradition.

In December, the Union County Extension Office hosted a Simmer Pot Kit class, offering community members an opportunity to learn the basics of dehydrating fruits and assembling their own holiday simmer pot kits. The class was led by Abigail Thomas, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent.

Is there something that you don’t ever want to outgrow? For me, it’s my love of Christmas ornaments. Honestly, it’s kinda dangerous to let me loose by myself in a store that has them for sale. But I don’t always buy them for my own Christmas tree; I also love to give them as presents.