For most of our adult lives, our bodies are predictable machines. Year after year, we fuel them with the same favorite foods, catering to our cravings, confident that the only adverse effect will be an overly full belly. All of that changes, however, as we approach our golden years. With the onset of old age, the standard meals that have been fixtures on our menus for decades can suddenly become health hazards. For me, this became painfully apparent only recently, when I saw my elderly father's nutritional needs experience a major shift.
When I first made the decision to care for my elderly father more than 10 years ago, I pretty much gave Dad free reign of the kitchen. He ate all of the dishes he'd always enjoyed, including spicy foods and pre-packaged high-sodium meals. But after we contracted the services of Dad's current private caregiver, I realized I'd been doing him a big disservice by failing to closely monitor his meals.
Based on what I've learned about the changing dietary needs of the elderly, I've compiled some tips for other baby boomers who are caring for an aging parent. Whenever possible, incorporate these strategies to increase the overall health and well-being of your "patient":
o Watch the fat. Since elderly people tend to be less active and don't exercise as much, they start trading muscle tone for added body fat. This can increase their risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. I make sure Dad's meals don't contain too much fat, and that he gets some form of physical activity a few times a week.
o Keep it balanced. As our parents age, it's more important than ever that they get all of the vitamins and nutrients they need-especially calcium, which helps to ensure bone health. Plan a menu that includes all of the food groups: lean meats, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy, and breads and grains.
o Go dry. Seniors need a steady supply of calcium to prevent bone fragility. Nonfat dry milk is an excellent calcium source, and also contains plenty of vitamins A and D. Use it as a smart milk substitute for most any meal. Dry milk remains fresh for several months when stored in an airtight glass container.
o Limit the sweets. Cookies, cakes, and other fatty desserts are empty-calorie treats with little to no nutritional value. Do your best to reduce the frequency of these treats for your aging patient.
o Meet daily requirements. Older adults need the recommended amounts of essential vitamins and minerals based on their ages and lifestyles. I plan Dad's meals to make sure he's getting plenty of zinc, iron, and fiber through lean red meats, dried beans, seasonal produce, and whole-grain breads.
o Control your inventory. It can be tempting to take advantage of discounts by buying in bulk, but then you'll have to find room to store it all. Plus, the surplus could go to waste if it's not used before the expiration date. Buy only what you know will get used. When you must purchase foods in larger quantities, divvy it up into individual containers and freeze it to be consumed later.
o Turn one meal into four. Cook for larger portions and then save the leftovers for future meals. Some foods, such as lasagna, meatloaf, and casseroles, are better suited for reheating than others.
o Master smart storage. To extend the freshness of non-refrigerated foods, keep them in tightly sealed glass mason jars. For best results, put them in the freezer for a night before transferring them to the pantry.
This storage solution works well for pasta, rice, flour, cereal, dried milk, and other shelved staples.
With some careful planning and the guidance of a trusted doctor or caregiver, you can help ensure that your aging parent receives fresh, healthy meals that provide both satisfaction and sustenance.
Labels: Changing, Elderly, Nutritional, Parents
Old Fashion Apple Recipes - California Fresh Apple Cake and Homemade Applesauce
0 comments Posted by Dehaas at 7:44 AMApples are celebrated in everything from song to the dinner table. Apples have long been a staple in a well-stocked kitchen. From picking apples in Grandma's back yard to buying them at country fruit stands, we can always find a way to enjoy this delicious fruit. Here are a couple of old-fashion recipes that use these wonderful fruits. The California Fresh Apple Cake is simple, easy, and delicious. The Homemade Applesauce is great and is especially good when you add the old-fashion cinnamon "red hot" candies while simmering the apples.
CALIFORNIA FRESH APPLE CAKE
This old recipe is from West Covina, California.
4 cups coarsely diced apples
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup chopped nuts
2 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix apples and sugar thoroughly. Add the oil, nuts, eggs, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; add to the apple mixture. Combine mixture well. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until cake shrinks from the edge of the pan. Decrease heat to 250 degrees if you use a glass pan.
HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE
6 large Granny Smith and/or McIntosh apples
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
Peel and core apples; cut into chunks. In a 3-quart saucepan combine the apple chunks and the cider or juice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the apple chunks are very tender. Stir in the sugar and the cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook 2 minutes longer. Mash while still in the pot or cool then puree in a food processor. Cool; store in clean jars. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Add 1/4 cup old fashion red hot cinnamon candy drops, if desired when you simmer the apples.
Yield: 4 cups
Enjoy!
Labels: Applesauce, California, Fashion, Homemade, Recipes
Sumachifer sleepovers tend to end up messy.
Labels: Lotion, Popcorn, Toothpaste, Whered
"Granny, how does Mommy get presents when she's way under water?"
The child was always full of questions. How was Claire supposed to answer this one? And why did her daughter have to join the reserves anyway? She knew she wanted to give back, but please, she had a husband, a son, and now she'd miss Christmas with them all.
But even as she sighed, she still felt a sense of pride. Her only daughter, Mandy, had always been like that- always giving. She'd even done mission work during her college summers and then joined the Peace Corps for a few years before meeting her husband. So, it really shouldn't have been a surprise when Mandy joined the Navy reserves several years ago. One weekend every month, and once a year for four straight weeks, she relieved a Submarine's full time Doctor. Claire thought it nothing more than a giant tin can, but her daughter and grandson thought it was cool. Still, it scared the daylights out of her knowing how far away, and how far below her daughter was.
"Granny, are you listening to me? How can Santa climb down the chimney when the submarine is under water? I bet they don't even have fireplaces where mom is," the boy continues.
"Jake, honey, let's ask your daddy when he gets here. That sounds like a question for him" says Claire.
"Thanks Mom", says her son-in-law standing in the doorway. "Glad to know you think I'm so wise".
They chuckle together as he sits down for a home-made meal. Once a month dinners have become something of a tradition whenever Mandy is out of town.
This month-long stint would be hard though. Because this trip came during Christmas. He'd never spent it without her- not since they'd married 6 years ago. And he worried that he'd fail miserably while she was gone. His wife was always the one to make the holidays special. She baked cookies, decorated the house, bought all the gifts, wrapped them up, and even ordered a tree every year. But she wouldn't be here this time, and with Christmas fast approaching, he was unsure of himself. That's when his son asked again? "Dad, how will Santa get to mom?"
That's when he got the idea. The way to answer his son's question, and still let his wife know they were missing her over Christmas.
"Son- we need to send Santa a gift with our letter this year. That way we know Mom will still get all the presents she's due, even if she's a thousand leagues under the sea."
The next day, they wrapped up a pair of Scuba fins, a snorkel and one little underwater flashlight. John explained that the snorkel and fins were for Santa, while the light was for Rudolph (just in case his nose wasn't waterproof). Since the Reindeer were magic, and could fly anywhere, on land, above air, or under the sea, these few things were all Santa needed to help find the right sub his mom was on.
That seemed to satisfy his four year old and they wrapped up the gifts with a letter to Santa. Since Jake couldn't yet read or write, John wrote the note, but included some hand-drawn pictures from Jake.
On Christmas Eve, a package several miles under the sea was opened by a mother missing her family. You should have seen the joy in her face as she pulled out the gifts and read her husband's handwritten words.
"To my precious mermaid- We love you and miss you. These fins represent how I try to stay afloat while you are gone. The snorkel is to help you remember that I never take one breath without thinking of you. And the light- that is what you are to our Family! A love so bright and pure, that even in your absence, we shine, steadily burning awaiting your return. These pictures are from Jake. He wanted to make sure his mommy wasn't forgotten by Santa Clause. Merry Christmas! We will be here when you pull back into port!" love, your husband and son.
Granny and Sharon go shopping.
Filling Weight Loss Foods - Fabulous High Fiber Snacks and Desserts
0 comments Posted by Dehaas at 7:30 AMThere are many delicious low-fat, high-fiber snacks and desserts available these days in grocery stores and natural food stores. The new nutritional labeling makes it easier than ever to know what is in a product. Be sure to look for filling low-calorie foods. Also be on the look out for trans-fats! Many store bought products have this unhealthy fat lurking inside them. Usually the most filling foods have high fiber content. High fiber is key for making the hunger pains go away and for sweeping your digestive system. You also want to look for a low sugar count as well as low sodium. Too much sugar or sodium in a food will cause you to retain water and make you feel bloated.
Some of the absolute best choices are just about any kind of fruit. Strawberries, bananas, blueberries and apples are some of the most filling fruit. Mix the fruit with a cup of low-fat yogurt for added calcium and acidophiles.
Vegetables are also great to eat with hummus or a yogurt dip. Sugar snap peas, celery, carrots and cauliflower are all easy to pack and eat. A little bit of peanut or almond butter is tasty and nutritious on celery stalks.
Homemade snacks are great too. It's easy to make homemade applesauce. All you do is peel and cut apples (Granny Smith is great because they are tart), put them in a baking dish, add honey or agave syrup and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Mix well and bake in the oven at 350* degrees for about ½ hour or until tender. Delicious!
Cookies are easy to make healthy! Old Fashioned Molasses cookies are a fantastic treat and so good for you to! So are Chewy Oatmeal-raisin cookies. The best way to make a cookie healthy is use honey or agave syrup for the sugar substitute. Also, use unbleached flour or whole wheat pastry flour instead of bleached white flour. Applesauce or yogurt is a good substitute for oil and or butter.
For desserts, a fruit crisp or cobbler is easy and delicious! If you like chocolate, these Dutch cocoa fudge brownies will surprise you with their rich chocolate flavor and fudge like texture. They're a fast and simple treat. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 egg, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla in a bowl and mix. Then slowly beat in ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and ¾ whole-wheat pastry flour. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350* degree preheated oven. Quite a treat!
The human body requires eight glasses of water a day. Consuming water helps aid the process of weight loss and keeps the body fit and healthy - even when one is on a diet. If you do not like the taste of water, try adding a slice of lemon to each glass you consume.
Drinking eight ounce glasses of water is key not just for weight loss, but for subsequent weight maintenance. It is a mistake to think that you can cut off water retention by cutting back on your daily intake of water. When you do that, the opposite occurs. The more water you drink, the more your kidneys are stimulated. When that happens, the kidneys work to reduce the amount of water retention. The body then burns more calories.
Drinking water is a much healthier alternative to the consumption of diet soft drinks. For one thing, water has no caffeine and no calories. Artificially flavored beverages in general should be avoided. When one eliminates sweet drinks from their diet, then natural foods and drinks begin to taste sweet over time, thus lessening one's dependence on these unhealthy forms of sustenance. Within one or two weeks, you will no longer have any desire to drink unnaturally sweetened beverages, as natural beverages and foods will taste very good to you. The problem with diet drinks is that they tend to turn one's appetite on and lead people to overeat. Drinking water is a great solution. Whenever you have a craving for sweet foods or drinks, have a glass of water instead.
What's more, instead of having snacks and desserts, try eating fruit instead. High calorie foods that boast high degrees of fatty acid sugars should avoided. Try nibbling on fruit throughout the day. Nearly every single kind of fruit is healthy and safe for those on a diet. Psychologically, you can help yourself by keeping fruit in plain view on the dinner table and on the counter. Next time you go to the grocery store, pick out two kinds of grapes, some tasty Granny Smith apples, nice oranges, peaches, bananas, papaws, kiwis, and cantaloupe. Integrate fruit in to all your meals as a dessert substitute for sweets like cookies, cakes, and pies. The successful reliance on fruit is a big step in losing and maintaining one's weight.
Be weary of snack food and junk food in general. The big companies that manufacture these types of food are dependent on people to get "addicted" to them - otherwise they would not make any money. These companies make a huge fortune by keeping people fat with these artificially sweetened products that boast no nutritional value whatsoever. Overcome your addiction to these products by making healthy lifestyle choices and saying "no" to gaining more weight. It can be difficult to cut these types of foods out of your diet, but if you really want to lose weight, then you can do it. And the process starts with the most simple substance of all - water.
Labels: Weight
Moving on. Any help would be appreciated, like how to get Granny to give me more cookies or somewhere else to pick up "skull containers" (pardon the reference again).
I found the prospect of becoming a grandmother somewhat daunting. I was younger than I thought a grandmother should be when I got the news that I was going to become one myself. I admit, it was not a role that I was emotionally ready to embrace. I had been a young mother, and had certainly hoped my daughter would not face that same challenge. I remarried when she was a teenager, then had two more children. On getting the news that she was expecting, I remember thinking "What do I know about being a grandmother - I haven't even finished raising my own kids yet!" I don't like to be unprepared, so I read a few books about grandparenting. That gave me a little help, but I was still uncertain. I thought about other grandmothers I knew, and got a few ideas I liked and a few more that I didn't. But I couldn't quite figure out what kind of grandmother I wanted to be. Then I thought about my own grandmother, Granny, as she's known by most people, and I knew I had the answer.
I didn't realize it until that moment, but my own grandmother was the example for the kind of grandmother I wanted to be. I am fortunate that I got to spend a lot of time with my grandparents when I was a little kid. Here's what I learned from my Granny:
Grandmothers always have a cookie jar. For my entire life, Granny always had a cookie jar full of cookies. When I was a little tiny girl, just at eye level with the counter, Granny would get the cookie jar down for me. When I was a little older I learned how to pull the chair over so I could reach. As I got taller, if I really stretched, I could reach the cookie jar with my finger tips and move it close enough to get it down off the counter to find out what kind of treat was inside. Always the first thing I did when I went to Granny's house was check the cookie jar, and there were always cookies in it. Many years later, I'd drive my own children to Granny's house and the first thing I'd do is get us all a cookie. So grandmothers must have a cookie jar, and on my granddaughter's first Christmas, my daughter bought me my own cookie jar.
Grandmothers are creative. When I was little, there weren't a lot of toys at Granny's house, but we never lacked in ways to entertain ourselves. Granny had a coffee can full of pop bottle lids - the metal kind that required an opener to remove them from the glass pop bottles. Those provided hours of entertainment! I'd sort through them and pick out the ones that weren't bent too badly and build a castle with them. We also did crafts, like making beautiful flowers from tissues, and when I was about five or so, she taught me to crochet. No matter how much I messed up, she always praised my efforts.
Grandmothers know how to have fun. Time at Granny's was never boring. She always had lots of fun things we could do. I could wash dishes as long as I wanted, and even rinse them, but never when the sharp knife was in the sink. She'd put a kitchen chair for me to stand on right by the sink, fill it with warm - but never too hot - sudsy water on one side and warm water on the other side to rinse in. I could wash dishes for as long as I wanted to. If the water got cold, she'd warm it back up for me. If I accidentally splashed water all over the place, she'd let me clean it up with the towel. She always told me I was doing a great job.
She let me help in other ways too. We made the most delicious desserts. We'd take a box of graham crackers, break the crackers in half, then put icing between the two halves. Graham cracker cookies we called them. Another treat we fixed was peanut butter mixed with butter and syrup. We'd spread it on a piece of white bread and I thought it was delicious! As a child, I could not imagine anything could taste better, or be more fun.
Sometimes we'd go to the park and I'd get to spend the whole day playing with all my cousins. On hot summer nights we'd go to the ice cream shop, and Granny and Grandpa waited patiently while I chose exactly the flavor I wanted. Sometimes all we'd do is go for a ride in the car. In those days there were a lot of old abandoned houses around, and I really wanted to go inside one, so Granny decided to take me "spooking". I was so excited! Armed with flashlights, even though it was daytime, we went inside one of the old houses. I made it about as far as the front door then got too scared and started crying and Grandpa had to carry me back to the car. We decided we wouldn't go "spooking" any more.
Grandmothers are magical. Granny had the amazing talent of being able to pull a penny out of the wall at any time. I would point to a spot on the wall and she could always pull a penny out. No matter how hard I tried I could never find those pennies and get them out of the wall. She let me keep the pennies too, and even gave me an old powder box to put them in. I still have that powder box.
Grandmothers are patient. One of my favorite things to do as a little girl was "fix" Granny's hair. She would sit and let me brush her hair, part it however I wanted to, and adorn it with various bobby pins and hair clips. She always told me it looked beautiful, and sometimes she even wore my attractive hairdos in public. She'd also let me play nurse and rub lotion on her arms and legs - she probably had the softest skin in town!
Other times, she and Grandpa would pack up the fishing gear and take my brother and me fishing. They'd bait our hooks over and over again after we cast our lines badly and lost the worms. Every now and then we'd catch a fish and it was always a beauty. One time while attempting to cast my line I accidentally snagged my brother's neck. Grandpa just unhooked my brother while Granny packed up the fishing gear, then took us home to clean him up. She didn't even scold me.
Grandmothers never disappoint. Thanksgiving has always been a big deal for me because for most of my life the way we celebrated was an unwavering tradition in our family. We always had Thanksgiving dinner at Granny's house. Even as an adult with my own kids and then grandkids, we went to Granny's house for Thanksgiving. Then six years ago, Grandpa died the day before Thanksgiving. I can't even describe how sad we were. No one even wanted to have Thanksgiving that year, but we went to my mom's house for dinner anyway, and my grandparents weren't there, for the first time in my life. I still get a lump in my throat thinking about it. The following year we were going to start a new Thanksgiving tradition and have dinner at my mom's house. I knew it made sense to do that, but emotionally I didn't want to make that change. The worst part was, Granny said she wasn't going to come since it was near the one year anniversary of Grandpa's death. I told my mom she had to, and she said "Well, she won't". About a week before Thanksgiving, I was at Granny's house and brought up the subject. We had a lengthy discussion and I did my best cajoling, but she said "Christy, I'm too old now." I clearly remember standing in front of her saying "But I'm not old enough" as tears rolled down my cheeks. She wrapped me in her arms then, as she'd done so often when I was little, even though I was now a full grown woman with my own grandchildren, told me that she loved me and that she'd be there for Thanksgiving. And she was.
Grandmothers love unconditionally. Thinking back on a lifetime of memories of Granny, the thing that stands out for me is that in my whole life, Granny never once said mean words to me. I don't recall ever thinking she was mad at me. I know I wasn't a perfect child, but I always felt like to her I was beautiful and everything I did was wonderful. She believed in me. Even as an adult she still treats me that way. How lucky I've been to have a lifetime of love, praise and encouragement like that. I visit Granny as often as I can. Sometimes we play cards, sometimes we watch TV, sometimes we just talk. When I'm traveling I call her to pass the time while I'm driving. Sometimes I call her when I'm sad or frustrated. She always encourages me and does not judge me. I know I am so very lucky to have had a grandmother for 47 years. I also know that's not nearly long enough.
With my own grandchildren, I've fallen short on most of the lessons I learned from Granny. I've got a cookie jar, but it's never had a cookie in it. It does have old Halloween and Christmas candy in it though. I don't really like to have my hair brushed because no matter who does it, it pulls, and I don't sit down long enough to be lotioned. I still don't bait my own hooks, let alone someone else's. But of everything I learned from Granny, what I am determined to carry on to my grandchildren is loving them unconditionally; believing in their unique abilities and encouraging and praising them in whatever they do. If I am able to maintain the relationship with them that my grandmother has with me, I'll feel like I lived up to Granny's example.
Labels: Cookie, Grandmothers
sm9103619 How the hell did this get n nicosound and niconico? xD ---------------------- Yes I finally got my ass working and made a full verison of this song xD It's horrible but it's just good fun~ Lyrics and song by Me FFFFF *Cringe* Swedish lyrics: Hej Hej Pappa, kom med saften! Hej Hej Mamma! Hej Hej Mamma! Du vet de där kakorna som jag åt förut? Jag kan liksom inte glömma smaken... Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ För jag är Sverige! Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Tänk på att vi delar jord, Vi är ju Sverige! A-ah~ Jah är så lycklig. För det den vackra värld som vi lever i~ Nu låt oss dansa runt våran gran. Sverige! A-aah.... Hungrig... Behöver mat... Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Jag är ju Sverige Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Tänk på att vi delar jord, vi är Sverige! A-ah~ Vi är inte många, men vi delar på vårt avlånga land. Från syd till nord, det är vårat land. Vi är Sverige~ Hej Hej Mormor, gör mig kakor! Hej Hej Morfar, Fotboll Fotboll! HejHej Faster... Plocka blommor? Hej Hej Farbror... EH? Aaaahhh~~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Gör en cirkel, det är jorden~ Jag är ju Sverige! A-ah~ Vår himmel lyser, och vi unnar oss i vårt djupa blå. Vi är inte så många ändå, I Sverige~ A-ah~ Vi är inte många, men vi delar på vårt avlånga land. Från syd till nord, det är ...