Brazos County Family and Community Health-Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

06/13/2026

A big THANK YOU to all the AgriLife employees who joined us today for Session 3 of Cooking Well: Texas Meets Mediterranean!

During our final session, participants learned how to build balanced, satisfying meals by incorporating healthy protein sources, whole grains, and dairy into a Mediterranean-style eating pattern. We discussed practical strategies for creating nutritious meals that support long-term health and wellness.

Participants also enjoyed a hands-on cooking experience preparing Mediterranean Chicken Bowls and Spicy Lentil & Quinoa Bowls—two delicious recipes packed with flavor and nutrition!

Special thanks to Dr. Flora Williams, who taught the series, and intern Reyan, who provided valuable assistance throughout the class. Everyone’s enthusiasm, participation, and commitment to healthy living made this series a success.

Thank you for investing in your health and wellness. We hope you'll continue using the skills and recipes you learned to bring Mediterranean-inspired meals to your table!

More photos to come!

06/09/2026

🍲 Cooking with Coworkers Friends– Session 3 Wrap-Up! 🍲
Today, Brazos County employees wrapped up Session 3 of our Cooking with Coworkers Friends Meal Prep Series with a hands-on lesson focused on Slow Cooker & Multifunction Meals. Participants learned how to create delicious, low-effort meals that save time while supporting healthy eating habits.

Dr. Flora Williams, Brazos County Family & Community Health Extension Agent, led the June 8’s session and sharing practical meal preparation strategies.

Participants prepared a hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew and discovered ways to make mealtime easier and more enjoyable.

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our outstanding interns, Rayann and Nolan, for their assistance throughout the program. Your hard work and support helped make this series a success!

Thank you to everyone who participated in all three sessions. We hope you gained valuable meal-planning skills, new recipes, and great memories with your coworkers.

05/29/2026

It was an honor to be invited back to the Second Annual Brazos County Master Gardeners Advanced Training on Herbs!

Dr. Flora Williams, CEA–Family & Community Health, had the opportunity to make 43 canning new friends while sharing techniques for preserving herbs through drying, freezing, and pickling. Participants learned practical ways to extend the life of fresh herbs while enhancing flavor, reducing food waste, and enjoying their harvests year-round.

Thank you to the Brazos County Master Gardeners for the invitation and for your commitment to lifelong learning and community education. It was a wonderful day of learning, sharing, and celebrating the many uses of herbs!

05/29/2026

On May 29, we made up the May 18 session of “Cooking Well with Coworkers” for Brazos County employees. This class marked Part 2 of our 3-part series, and participants learned how meal prep in jars can be a fun, convenient, and practical way to prepare foods ahead of time and enjoy them later.

The class was taught by Dr. Flora Williams, Brazos County Family and Community Health Extension Agent with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, who shared meal preparation techniques, food safety tips, and strategies for making healthy meals ahead of time.

A special thank you to the Brazos County Health District for allowing us to use your interns and meeting space to host this class. We greatly appreciate your partnership and support!

Today's delicious recipes included Country Chili, Cornbread, and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, Yummy! 😋

We look forward to completing the final session of this series on **June 8**. Thank you to everyone who participated and made this class a success!

05/28/2026

Great event!

05/16/2026

Another great day of learning at the Brazos County Extension Office! On May 14, participants completed Class 2 of our 4-part Pickling Series: Preserving the Harvest.

This session focused on the latest safe pickling and freezing practices, with hands-on preparation of Chayote and Pear Relish. Although our class size is small, participants are gaining valuable knowledge and practical skills they can confidently use at home.

A special thank you to Waller County Family & Community Health Agent Z’Aundria Warren, Family & Community Health volunteer and 4-H Food & Nutrition Ambassador volunteer Virginia Williams, and FCH Administrative Assistants Christina Perez and Leslie Reyes for assisting with the class and helping make the session a success!

We are excited to continue the series with two upcoming classes:
🥒 June 18 – Water Bath Canning & Cottage Food Business featuring hands-on canning of Pickled Bread & Butter Zucchini

🍎 July 10 – Water Bath Canning & Flavored Vinegars featuring Pickled Carrots and flavored vinegar preparation

Participants are learning the latest research-based pickling and food preservation practices while building confidence in safe home food preservation.

05/16/2026

Two sessions down and one more to go in the Cooking Well: Texas Meets Mediterranean series led by Family and Community Health Agent Dr. Flora Williams at the Brazos County Extension Office!

Participants have been exploring how the Mediterranean eating pattern can support overall health while adding a Texas twist to familiar foods and flavors.
✅ The May 8th - Session 1 introduced the Mediterranean eating pattern, its health benefits, and traditional foods while participants enjoyed hands-on preparation of Salmon Bowtie Pasta, Parmesan Asparagus, and Watermelon Salad.

✅ The May 15th - Session 2 focused on fruits and vegetables and how to incorporate more produce into everyday Texas meals. Participants prepared Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables and a Fig, Strawberry, and Arugula Salad.
This fun, interactive series helps participants:
🥗 Learn healthier ingredient swaps
🍅 Build balanced meals
🫒 Explore Mediterranean-inspired recipes
🛒 Practice smart food choices they can use at home
We are looking forward to Session 3 on soon, where participants will learn how protein, grains, and dairy fit into Mediterranean-style eating while preparing Mediterranean Chicken Bowls and a Spicy Lentil & Quinoa Bowl.

Thank you to everyone participating in this healthy living journey!

If you have a group of 10 or more and you’re interested in a class on Mediterranean cooking, give the Brazos County Extension office a call. 

05/16/2026

Family and Community Health Agent Dr. Flora Williams enjoyed presenting to two Head Start parent groups this month on helping children build healthy eating habits early!

📍 May 1 – Neal Head Start Healthy Eating Presentation
📍 May 13 – Bryan Head Start Nutrition Presentation

Parents learned practical tips for encouraging healthy habits at home, including:
🍎 Offering a variety of fruits and vegetables daily
🌈 “Serving a rainbow” with colorful foods
🥛 Choosing healthy drinks and limiting added sugars
👶 Introducing healthy foods early and continuing to offer new foods
😊 Managing picky eaters with patience, fun, and small portions
👨‍👩‍👧 Being positive role models through family meals and healthy choices

Healthy habits started early can last a lifetime! Thank you to the Head Start families for their participation and engagement.

05/16/2026

Family and Community Health Extension Agent Dr. Flora Williams had the pleasure of presenting to Amigos of the Brazos Valley for the first time on April 23, reaching over 100 participants with practical healthy eating tips for seniors!

The presentation focused on simple ways older adults can improve nutrition and support healthy aging. Topics included:
🥗 Adding more colorful fruits and vegetables to meals
💧 Choosing water over sugary drinks
🧂 Cutting back on sodium and highly processed foods
🌾 Increasing fiber with whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables
💪 Supporting strength and healthy aging with balanced meals and regular activity

According to the CDC, healthy eating patterns can help lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions while improving quality of life as we age. Thank you to Amigos of the Brazos Valley for the warm welcome and engagement during this important conversation on senior wellness!

05/08/2026

Legendary!

Don Renchie, Ph.D. longtime AgriLife Extension educator and statewide leader in pesticide safety training and compliance education, died May 5