Pumpkin Shrimp Recipe

Recipe contributed by Luciana Mitzkun Weston,
Alexander Gardens Community Services Director

“Camarão na moranga” is a typical dish of the Brazilian south coast, delicious and impressive for special occasions. The recipe was created in 1945 in Ubatuba, a town along the northern coast of state of São Paulo. 
Pumpkin is a Central American vegetable very common in Brazil. It is versatile and is used to make a infinite number of sweet and savory recipes.

Ingredients

  • 5lbs flat pumpkin (sweet pumpkin)
  • For the prawns in cream sauce:
    • 2 lbs medium prawns
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 garlic clove chopped
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • 2 cups tomato sauce
    • salt and ground pepper or chilli pepper
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
    • 1 cup coconut milk
    • 2 cups cheese cream
  • Garnish:
    • large sized prawns
    • salt
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 1 shot cognac

Preparation method

Preparation of the pumpkin: 
1. Wash the pumpkin and cut the “lid” to make the pumpkin into a “bowl”. 
2. Scrape the inside with a spoon to remove seeds. 
3. Bake the pumpkin at 250° for about 1 hour, until the pulp is soft.

Preparation of the prawns in cream sauce: 
1. Sauté the onion and the garlic finely chopped in oil and butter.  
2. Add the tomato sauce, the bay leaf, salt, black pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the peeled prawns and cook a few minutes. 
4. Dissolve the flour in a little of coconut milk or whipping (heavy) cream. 
5. Add the whipping (heavy) cream, the coconut milk and flour dissolved to the mixture, a little at a time, and stir frequently until the cream is thickened. 
6. Season with salt and black pepper; remove and discard the bay leaf. 

To assemble the dish:  
1. Fill the baked pumpkin with the prawns in cream sauce and the cheese cubes. 
2. Bake the filled pumpkin at 350° until the cheese has melted. It takes about 15 minutes.
3. Decorate the filled pumpkin with prawns sautéed with olive oil and garlic and flambéed with cognac. 
4. Pumpkin is not only a bowl but is part of the dish so, serve the pulp of the pumpkin with the prawns in cream sauce. Serve with white rice. 

Yield: 4 – 6 servings.

5 Reasons to Join a Book Club When Living in Assisted Living

Senior Reading

The Book Club at Alexander Gardens Assisted Living is one of the many life-enriching activities offered to our residents. We understand leading a full and meaningful life is important at any age but when seniors move to an assisted living community a good life enrichment program will improve the quality of their lives.

Staying active in an Assisted Living community is vital in reducing depression and isolation, and book clubs are a great way of staying connected and engaged. Research shows that reading helps in retaining long term memory, focus, and concentration.

In her article, Being a Lifelong Bookworm May Keep You Sharp in Old Age, Marina Koren talks about giving our brains a workout. Reading and retaining words require more mental energy than, watching TV or playing Solitary on an IPad. According to Koren, “In particular, people who participated in mentally stimulating activities over their lifetimes, both in young, middle and old age, had a slower rate of decline in memory and other mental capacities than those who did not.”

No matter your age it’s important to read and these are some of the reasons seniors should join a book club.

1.    Socialization, in addition to giving your brain a workout, a book club can be social. It brings together residents in a group environment to share their ideas about the book they are reading. They may have so much fun and meet someone new.

2.    Expanding resident’ horizons beyond the walls in assisted living. Reading brings the outside world to the resident’s world without leaving the building. Books offer a glimpse into the lives of other people, different cultures, and current events.

3.    Practicing effective communication skills in a book club helps residents clarify what they have read in the book. Residents will question each other about ideas and opinions. In addition, they will provide feedback to each other when discussing characters and plot.

4.    Setting goals for reading is a good thing for residents.
Sometimes residents get over whelmed if they feel pressure to join an activity or group especially if they were not social when living in their home. But reading is an individual activity and can be done at one’s own pace. Whether the resident chooses to join the conversation or sit and listen it’s up to them, but both are better than staying in their room.

5. Getting out of their comfort zone. Sometimes residents get comfortable and won’t try new things. When they commit to joining a book club they may have to read books that they ordinarily would not read. And they may have to discuss topics they are not exposed to on a regular basis.

Improving long-term memory in seniors through the book club is just as important as exercising. The mental challenge of reading and retaining information helps delay the onset of dementia. A science advisor Dr. Zaven Khachaturian, to the Alzheimer’s Association published an article in USA TODAY, states, “ brain-challenging activities build a reserve of neuronal connections, making it take longer for the Alzheimer’s process to destroy enough neurons for symptoms to emerge.” As the residents read and discuss the material in the book they are retaining the information and helping the brain stay young. Reading no matter what your age is good for your brain. It helps improve concentration, focus and thinking skills. Coupled with a book club makes reading a positive and rewarding experience for seniors living in assisted living.

If you are looking for a book for your book club try reading, Happy for No Reason, by New York bestselling author, Marci Shimoff. Why not start your year off right and learn how to reset your happiness button. Take the Happiness Quiz from Happy for No Reason Questionnaire.

According to Aristotle, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim, and end of human existence.” Make this the year of the book and join the club.

5 Cost Free Gifts How to Give the Gift of Love

Attachment-1

How to Give the Gift of Love

5 Cost Free Gifts

By Mary Brook

If you are an average American consumer then you are expected to spend $942.00 on holiday gifts this season. 37% of Americans say they will spend $1,000 or more and 16% say they will spend less this year than last year. These are all record amounts of spending for this average holiday season. According to a Gallup Poll initial, it should be a good spending season for retailers.

But if you are senior or live on a fixed income these numbers can be overwhelming. How do you find a gift that won’t break the bank? What is the best gift you can give this year that doesn’t cost a dime? I believe it’s the gift of love. Love comes in all shapes and sizes and it may or may not be wrapped up and put under the Christmas tree. Love has different meanings to different people. But the true meaning of the holidays is sometimes forgotten. Take a moment to remember it’s not about buying presents but about giving.

What is the best gift you can give this year that doesn’t cost a dime? The gift of love. Love comes in all shapes and sizes and it may or may not be wrapped. Love has different meanings to different people. The Oxford dictionary defines the word gift, “as a thing given willingly to someone without payment, a present.

“The true meaning of the holidays is not about buying presents
but about giving.”

I hear again and again from seniors the number one gift they want for Christmas is to spend time with their family. Sharing your time, energy and unconditional love with no strings attached is celebrating the true meaning of the season. Visiting family because you want to not because you have to create good feels for everyone. Anyone can go to the store and buy a present, but if you take the time to visit with family it will mean so much more. The time you spend together will be a memory for that last throughout the year.

5 Cost Free Presents!

The Gift of Time: One of the hardest things to do is slow down and take the time to connect. Put down the cell phone, and listen to what the other person is saying is a gift of love.

The Gift of Nature: Take a walk together when you are outside with your loved ones it is a refreshing change of pace. Getting out of the house and into nature is good for everyone. The loving feeling of being together in nature will create a memory that will last.

The Gift of Play: Play a game together and have some fun. One of my favoritesScattergories, a creative-thinking based game that can be played in teams. There is a lot of laughter and a lot of conversation when you play together.

The Gift of a Handwritten Letter: Instead of buying a card that says I love you. Write a letter to your loved ones. Put into words your feelings and let that person know why you care about them. A letter is something they can keep and look at throughout the year.

The Gift of Kindness: Being kind to others costs you nothing but a smile or a few kind words. The effect of kindness makes you feel better and will let the other person know you care enough to connect. Being kind to strangers standing in line at the grocery can lift the spirits of everyone in line. When you ask someone how they are doing it may be their only social connection that day. For some seniors who live alone, it means a lot. Especially when they don’t expect it.

It’s challenging not to get caught up in the spending spree that has become part of the holiday season. But what will your family remember two days after Christmas? The store-bought presents or the time you spent engaging in meaningful activities and connecting. To give the gift of love at the holiday season is the best gift of all.

The Benefits of Having a Roommate in Assisted Living

The Benefits of Having a Roommate in Assisted Living

Roommates in assisted living can have several advantages that you should consider when choosing a room.  Having to decide to share living space with another person, often someone you have never met can be difficult for both the resident and the family.  Here are some valuable benefits to consider:

  • Saving Money – The most obvious of the benefits of sharing a room is sharing the cost of accommodations. The savings are approximately 30-40% on average.
  • Easing Transition– Having a roommate promotes socialization.  Having a roommate can provide the first person you get to know   Your roommate can give you advice on how to better navigate within the community’s unique culture.
  • Decreased Loneliness – Too much seclusion is not a good thing. It is easy for loneliness to set in. Many seniors will stay in their rooms most of the day sleeping or watching television.  This lack of socialization can sometimes contribute to loneliness and worse, depression.  A roommate can dramatically diminish the feeling of isolation and/or loneliness.
  • Additional Monitoring – You should consider the benefit of the additional monitoring that a roommate provides. Because they see each other every day, roommates can be the first to notice changes that occur in the health or ability of a senior. There is great value in noticing a pattern early that might otherwise go undetected for a longer period.
  • Longer Life Expectancy – A variety of social studies confirm that social relationships augment one’s quality of life and extend our life expectancy. Having a source of consistent companionship in the form of a roommate can increase mental and emotional stimulation and therefore contribute to overall health and longevity.

Roommates aren’t just for starving students or young people but can be beneficial for people of all ages.

When choosing a room in assisted living there are many options to consider, and a shared room or private room is worth considering.

Joseph Newlan, LVN, Associate Executive Director, Alexander Gardens Assisted Living

Exerts from Starlight Homes Assisted Living 2019

Comfort Foods and Cook Books

Cooking homemade turkey chili for dinner.

Comfort Foods and CookBooks

A Winning Combination in Assisted Living

By, Mary L Brook, Associate Executive Director

What makes comfort foods and cookbooks, a winning combination in an Assisted Living community? It comes as a result of the nostalgia it creates when residents, staff, and families remember their favorite foods. People are passionate about food, especially in an Assisted Living community. They are so excited to talk about and remember where they were and how the food smelled and tasted.
However, not everyone has the same favorite comfort food. As a child, I remember eating grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup on a rainy afternoon? I always looked forward to Thursday night dinner because it was always Tuna and Noodle Casserole with Potato Chips on top. Growing up I had a feeling of comfort knowing the rhythm and routine of my favorite food served at regular schedule date. But my comfort food may not be your comfort food.
Chicago Chef and inventor Homaro Cantu was an internationally recognized chef and leader in the field of postmodern cuisine and an inventor of futuristic food delivery systems. Even though his food inventions focused on the future, he knew about comfort foods and felt they are an important part of the food experience. He said, “Most of us have fond memories of food from our childhood. Whether it was our mom's homemade lasagna or a memorable chocolate birthday cake, food has a way of transporting us back to the past.” Read More. By Kieran Morris, “How a Homeless Child Grew Up to Become the Most Inventive Chef in History,”
Food can be creative as well as fun. It can bring about a time of joy and laughter that creating wonderful memories for the people at the table. If you want to awaken old memories go to your favorite comfort foods from your childhood to recreate the feelings of nostalgia. However, if you want to create new memories that can be associated with a certain time and place try a new recipe. Cooking or baking with grandchildren is one way to create new food memories that they can recall later in life. Food memories are meant to be shared with family and friends. By sharing food together with your loved ones, you develop a deeper connection with those around you. Whatever comfort food you remember connects you to family, friends, and your immediate environment. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside as you imagine the smell, taste, and texture of the meals you created. Best of all, these foods conjure up memories of a special time or place from a long time ago without a conscious effort.
 Susan Brauss Whitbourne, PH.D. ABPP, a Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is an expert in personality development. Her research includes a wide variety of subjects that focus on aging. In her post OF August 19, 2017, in Psychology Today, Entitled,  “What Your Earliest Food Memories Say About You,” she talks about the food you ate in childhood becoming an emotional memory and part of your sense of self as an adult. Her findings tell us, “Without realizing it, these emotional memories, associated with both the food you ate and the atmosphere in which you ate it, have become part of your adult sense of self.”
Family recipes are fun to share with others. We have created a Cook Book at Alexander Gardens Assisted Living giving our residents the opportunity to share their favorite comfort food while preserving our resident's history to share for future generations.
At Alexander Gardens the chef prepares a family recipe that residents have submitted for the AG Cook Book. By preparing his or her favorite recipe the resident is reminded of a time when they prepared the same recipe for a loved one. Sharing the recipe with the rest of the residents gives the person a sense of belonging and purpose. Each dish has a story and the resident loves to tell

Baby Boomer Burnout

Back Pain

Baby Boomer Burnout

The 5 Best Cures for Baby Boomer Burnout!

by Mary Brook Associate Executive Director
Burnout. It is real and it will creep up on you. It is insidious: You may not notice it until it arrives. It starts as a nagging feeling that something is just not right but you can’t fix it. You feel tired all the time and a little dark cloud hangs over your head. You tell people you are doing fine but smiling takes an effort, it feels forced, although you keep on going. Your head is hanging so low you don’t notice the small things in life anymore.
For the last 20 years life has been at high speed and suddenly your lifestyle isn’t working for you. You feel sandwiched between taking care of your parents, caring for your family, working too hard and never taking a break to think about yourself.
According to Joe Robinson, author, trainer, and keynote speaker,  “burnout is a serious medical condition that can set off other problems—depression, stroke, suicidal thoughts, breakdown. The last stage of chronic stress, burnout occurs
when all your energetic resources—emotional, physical, and mental—have been used up.”
The causes of burnout are different for everyone. Caregiver burnout from the task of caregiving is emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a baby boomer sandwiched between taking care of your aging parents, spouses, or the grandkids, caregiving burnout is real and needs to be recognized.
In addition to caregiving, work is one of the most common causes of burnout. If your work is monotonous, high pressured, and unappreciated stress may be a consequence of the work environment and constant stress leads to burnout.
Other causes of burnout are related to your own lifestyle and or personality traits. The pace of your life at high speed can cause burnout. Never taking the time to “stop and smell the roses” may leave you feeling empty and not connected with friends and family. Your own personality can cause you stress. If you have a need to be perfect or in control of every decision in your life, you may be at higher risk of burnout. Holding on to your high expectations can cause stress especially when life doesn’t go as planned.
Here are some of the symptoms of burnout:
  1. You wake up every day with an empty feeling in your heart and mind, or feeling totally exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally.
  2. You feel like you have nothing left to give to your family and those around you, and you don’t care about anyone or anything.
  3. You are not motivated to go to work, clean the house, or take care of yourself.
  4. Your vision of the world is heavy and dark, your fatigue blinds you and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
  5. You feel like there is nothing to look forward to in your life because your cup is empty, not even half full.
  6. When you reach the point of burnout you feel like you don’t know how to fix it.
  7. You wake up in the morning and the only thing you think about is wanting to feel better.
  8. You just want to get your life under control and get rid of everything that is causing you pressure.
If you have reached that point of burnout you know it is time to pause and hit the stop button. Take a deep breath, step back, and start taking care of yourself. Pushing through burnout can have serious consequences that will potentially manifest in the body in the form of illness. If you are feeling chronically stressed it is time to take a serious look at being burned out!
Taking the first step towards wellness doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Curing burnout doesn’t happen overnight. Take one day at a time. Stop and imagine what your day should look like and plan steps to make your day go as what you imagined. Write your plan down.
Set your goals for the day and prioritize your responsibilities by putting your goals first. Don’t make excuses about not having enough time or attending to someone who may need you. If you make the commitment to take care of yourself it is important to keep your commitment. In order to make it happen, you may have to get up an hour early or not watch TV at night. But if your goal is to feel better you must have the energy, desire, and motivation to take care of yourself.
The 5 Best Baby Boomer cures for Burnout!
  1. Let go. Quit trying to take care of everything by yourself. Ask for help. Ask your family, friends, church, work, neighbors, social workers, and anyone who can lend an ear or a helping hand. Don’t be afraid to let go. It will always work out in the end.
  2. Eat how you want to feel. Eating a healthy diet will make you feel better and lighten your mood. If you are stressed and eat candy, cookies, and cake you will feel heavy and sluggish. Making little changes in your diet over time will make a big difference in how you feel. Remember to take one day at a time.
  3. Exercise on a regular basis. Exercise doesn’t have to be an hour at the gym every day. It can be a walk outside or working in the garden. The feeling of being outdoors is freeing and invigorating. Park your car at the end of the parking lot and walk briskly to the door. Stand up at your desk if you have been sitting for a long time. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
  4. Mind your P’s and Q’s. Saying please and thank you can change the way you feel. When you are polite and on your best behavior you can trick your mind into believing you feel better. It’s mind over matter. Every day you have a choice when you wake up. Chose to feel better and do everything you can to make it happen.
  5. At the end of the day congratulate yourself and be grateful for what you did do versus what you didn’t do. Feeling grateful makes you appreciate what you did for yourself. If you take care of yourself you can take care of others.
Stress can cause serious problems with your health, personal life, and affect your view of the world. It's important to stop, take a deep breath, and start to take care of yourself.

Honoring 30 Years of Care

Honoring 30 years of Caring!

Lupe Vargas embodies the values and principles that provides a higher standard of care at Alexander Gardens Assisted Living. She has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant, at the Alexander Gardens community for the past 30 years. When she started at Alexander Gardens, Ronald Regan was President and a gallon of gas was 97cents. The Average Cost of new house $120,000.00, Average Income per year $27,450, Average Monthly Rent $420.00, Average Price for new car $15,350.00.

Things have changed since 1989, but Lupe remains steadfast in her loyalty and dedication to the Alexander Garden’s residents. Her responsibilities reach beyond the residents as she helps train new caregivers to the gold standard of lifestyle at Alexander Gardens. Lupe always arrives to work on time and ready to begin the day with positive energy. She is a support for the staff and families in times of need.

Lupe’s presence is felt throughout the community and can be seen in her Flora arrangements. The residents and staff enjoy the beautiful flowers each week and appreciate her arrangements in the offices and main living areas of the house.

Her attention to detail is felt in the resident’s room. When she makes a bed she you know Lupe has made it. It would pass with flying colors any class A inspection. As she hangs her resident’s clothing she takes her time and handles with care. She always wears her name badge and is dressed professionally at all times. Her integrity is a role model for others. Her talents and efforts help others achieve excellence throughout the community. The residents appreciate her as well as the staff and families.

In addition to her Alexander Gardens family, Lupe takes care of her family, a husband of 30 years, two grown sons and a teenage son, and grandchildren. She shares her love with all the residents.

Lupe’s vision for the residents is “nothing is impossible.” “ I want everyone to look nice and feel good about themselves.” Lupe gives her best with loving care in every aspect of their lives. Thank you, Lupe, for your 30 years of caring!

 

 

Senior Fraud and Cyber Security

Senior Fraud and Cyber Security
by Mary Brook
Julia was having lunch with a friend from work when her phone rang. She saw it was her Mom normally, she would wait to call her Mom back but this was the second time her Mom had called her during lunch “Hi Mom, what’s up?” she asked.
“Julia are you ok?” her Mom asked?  “ I had a phone call saying you had been in a car accident and are being held in jail. They said to send money for your release.”
Mom, “I’m fine don’t worry the person on the phone was trying to exhort money from you with a scary story.” Julia could hear the anxiety in her Mother’s voice and she tried to reassure her she was alright.
“But Julia, her Mom exclaimed, it felt real and I was so scared it was hard to think straight. But, I remembered you and I talked about phone scams and if someone calls saying to send money I was to call you.” ” Thank goodness you are safe and thank you for taking the time to prepare me for phone scams,” her Mom said.
What Julia and her Mom experienced is a very common and easy to do phone scam. An imposter calls an elderly person stating a family member is in trouble and asks the family member to send them money to bail them out of jail usually by wire transfer. To make matters worse many times a senior will not share the phone experience with a family member because they are too embarrassed.
Julia was proactive in helping her Mom overcome the desire to send money to strangers. By talking to her in advance about what may happen in a scam helped her Mom feel in control of the situation. But just talking may not be enough. Printing out a list of scams and placing them by the phone or computer is a visual reminder for an elderly parent about scams.
After reviewing what happened with her Mom Julia decided to set up Nomorobo , a Robo and telemarketing prevention application that blocks unwanted calls but allows legal calls through.
Whether it’s phone scams or cyber security fraud the cost to seniors is $328 million a year affecting one in five people, according to AARP and FTC. wwwaarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2018/grandparent-scam-scenarios.html
 There are many other types of senior scams. To see a complete list of Top Ten Financial Scams Targeting Seniors, read The National Council on Aging in-depth article, “Top 10 Financial Scams Targeting Seniors.”
How to prevent senior fraud to your family and friends. Maria Bass, store manager with Umpqua Bank in East Placerville, CA offers financial tips to help the seniors in her community.
Many families find it’s hard to talk with their parents about scams but having the talk is an important part of prevention. Parents can be stubborn but keeping open communication about the phone and computer will bring peace of mind to everyone.

That’s Amore

That’s Amore!

YouTube

What does Love mean to You? By Mary Brook

(In Napoli where love is king and when boy meets girl here’s what they say)

Dean Martin

When you pick a life partner the words “I Love You” have different meanings for each of you. Love isn’t always easy and many times it’s tough. But as time goes by love changes and evolves. It takes you in different directions, challenges your determination and makes you stop to think about what love really means. What type of love do you need for a full and meaningful life? Your love language may not have the same meaning to your life partner and understanding your partner’s love language is paramount to creating a long- lasting relationship.

Love can only take you so far until you realize as the years go by love can look and feel different. Love is different at every age, according to my daughter who is in her 30’s, Love is “a period of time when you change how you think, you start from the I then change to the we.” Your love grows to include a life partner and children. After 38 years of marriage to the same person this is what I’ve learned about love.

My husband and I don’t talk the same love language but what keep us together is more than love. When time passes and love gets blurred our values shine through the gray area of love and help us focus on what is important in life at the present

time and in the future.

Our support and appreciation of each other’s strengths and weaknesses are the glue that bind us together. When times get tough we are there for each other. We let go of the small stuff and forgive the big stuff. The respect and encouragement of our separate life goals as well as our goals together and working towards those goals work for us.

Audrey Van Petegam, contributor to The HuffPost, 2/13/14 talks about the book, The Five Languages of Love, by Gary Chapman,” The Secret to Love That Lasts”, 5 Languages of Love. “The premise of the book is that we all feel and know that we are loved by how people relate to us. There are five love languages that we can fall under that make us feel truly loved. They are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service and Personal Touch. We, of course, will fall into more than one category but one will resonate more than the others.”

Finding the right language is the key to helping a person feel loved. Love is not just for a spouse, partner or lover. There are other relationships that are filled with love, like love for a parent, girlfriend or child. ”
During this month of love stop and ask your friends and family what does love mean to them. You will be amazed at the different answers.

These are some of definitions of love from my co-workers, friends and family.

Joseph, “Truly loving someone means that their happiness and well being are just as important to you as your own.”

Ghita-“Love our Dreams”

Dalia- “Love is fulfilling, a journey and the key to life. If you have love you have it all.”

Jackie- “ Love is family, my daughter is the love of my life”
Bruce- “That one is easy. Love is something you give to receive.” Mitch- “ Love is peace and contentment”

Luciana-“Love, to me, implies connection. I believe we all have an inherent need to build connections, whether they are connections to a person, an animal, a place, or an ideal. Loving connections define us, anchor us, nurture, and sustain us. A person without love wanders in eternal search for his own soul.

And love is fluid, changes with us as we grow older, changes with time and distance. The fluidity of it makes every loving relationship even more precious and deserving of attention — although love is so strong that even a long forgotten and neglected love can be brought back to life within an instant, like a candle that lights itself back up again after it’s been blown off. Love keeps us out of darkness.”

Mary- “ Love is a feeling that brings passion to everyday life. It’s not a fleeting moment but a deep internal drive that keeps you moving forward.”

Love is: a physical attachment, someone’s inner beauty, closeness between family, friends and people, love is life and life is everything.