As you may know, we had our annual pie & cake ice cream social yesterday afternoon. I think people had a good time and enjoyed their desserts.
In the past, sometimes the ice cream has gotten rather soft by the time our servers got toward the bottom of the pail. Rather than toss the “soupy” stuff (or try to re-freeze it and hope it isn’t too crystallized), I’ve been known to make “cherry supreme.” This is a family favorite recipe we enjoyed as kids. You make a crumbly crust and serve the dessert with hot cherry pie filling (see recipe below). Shelly (our Activity Director) was too efficient this year and got the ice cream back in the freezer.
Next time your vanilla ice cream gets a little soft, you might want to try out “cherry supreme” – it might become a family favorite of your own.
Cherry Supreme
(9 servings)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream (softened)
Heat oven to 400. Mix butter, sugar, flour, and pecans. Press evenly in bottom of un-greased baking pan – 9X9X2. Bake until light brown (about 12 minutes). Crumble with spoon. Cool. Reserve 1 cup of the crumbs, press remaining crumbs evenly in bottom of pan. Pack ice cream on crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top and refreeze for at least 4 hours. Just before serving, heat a 21-oz. can cherry pie filling and serve ice cream dessert with hot cherries on top.
This past week, we planted a little vegetable garden in a soil-filled bathtub on our west patio. But did you know that gardening is actually considered “moderate cardiovascular exercise” by the CDC, according to one online article. It burns calories (200-300 per hour) and doing so several times a week can be a good way to fight obesity, according to this same source.
They also noted that, according to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, “gardening can benefit people who are recovering from physical illness by retraining their muscles and improving coordination and strength.” Gardening is also good in that it causes you to stretch and move around. It is a form of exercise which is easier for people with certain health challenges that make more strenuous exercise not practical, according to the below-mentioned CNN article.
However, nextavenue.org suggests that one change body positioning frequently to avoid “overusing or overburdening any one area of the body.” Proper bending technique (using the knees rather than the waist) is also recommended to avoid problems.
According to care2.com, gardening can increase your muscular volume and strength., An article by CNN cited some less tangible benefits of “getting down in the dirt,” including stress relief, fighting depression, and possibly even decreasing risk of dementia. They say that a bacteria found in soil can increase serotonin in the brain.
I started gardening with our residents last spring as a fun activity for them to enjoy. I don’t expect much of a vegetable yield from such a small space, but I do hope it yields the fruit of improved mood and a sense of accomplishment.
Did you know that about 87% of Americans have ice cream in their freezer, according to icecream.com, and we eat an average of six gallons of the stuff each year. Interestingly enough, this same source quotes that about 9% of the milk produced in our country goes for ice cream. They also say that it takes 50 licks to finish off a single-scoop ice cream cone. According to another online source, Immigrants at Ellis Island ate ice cream for their first dessert in the U.S.
Americans, however, are not the only ones who enjoy this tasty treat. Italians are known to love their “gelato,” but they didn’t have it until Marco Polo had ice cream and China and brought the idea back to his homeland. The French were a bit later in their acquisition of this dairy delight; ice cream became available to the general population in France only in 1660, according to this same source.
Some people in Ancient history are known to have enjoyed precursors to ice cream. For example, Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) loved snow flavored with nectar and honey. Also, one Roman empire almost 2000 years ago “had ice and snow brought to him from the mountains, which he stored in special rooms under his palace.” He would top it with fruit to enjoy.
Here in Grand Forks, we’re no different; we love ice cream, too. In fact, each June, St. Anne’s Guest Home has a pie & cake ice cream social. Not only do we provide our guests with ice cream, but we also serve tasty desserts (their choice of pie or cake). I will probably be baking a couple of rhubarb cakes for the occasion. I hope you can join us Sunday, June 142or this event. It runs from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. And if cake, ice cream and good company aren’t enough, Chuck Gust & Friends can entice you with some old-time accordion music as well!
From as early as mid/late May until into October, St. Anne’s Guest Home receives donations of Rhubarb. Sometimes I feel like having rhubarb parties (that is announcing, enticing, organizing, and supervising our residents to cut rhubarb) is my summer hobby or part-time job.
Although we may refer to it as “the North Dakota State Weed,” it does have many uses. You just want to mistake burdock (which really is a toxic weed) for rhubarb, which is technically part of the vegetable family.
Did you know that the court system actually ruled that it be considered a fruit for legal purposes because of its customary uses. Its roots in our country date back to a gardener in New England in the late 1700s, who got some from Europe. Rhubarb was actually used in China for medicinal purposes as early as 2700 BC.
I’d like to share a couple of interesting stories from its long history. In the mid-to-late 500s, it was given to an emperor of the Liang dynasty. According to http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/history, this was only after he was warned that “rhubarb, being a most potent drug, must be taken with great moderation.”
About 500 years later, “a Christian sentenced to a hard punishment is pardoned after using previously collected rhubarb to heal some soldiers.” I guess rhubarb can be handy to have around.
You’ve probably heard of Marco Polo, the famous explorer…He was well acquainted with Rhubarb from the East and relayed a lot of information when reporting on his travels.
Besides the above-mentioned medicinal and culinary uses, rhubarb (leaves) can also be used in your compost pile as they break down quickly, according to another online source. That same article also suggests that rhubarb can be used as a pink hair dye. It also suggests that its leaves can be used as a cleaner for your pots, adding a shine. They add a warning, however, which I have known for years: the leaves are poisonous so you need to be careful not to ingest them.
I learned another tidbit of helpful information when looking for a rhubarb cake recipe to use for our upcoming pie and cake ice cream social; one pound of rhubarb yields three cups of cut, raw rhubarb, or a little more.
I just wanted to get some feedback from people…What would you be interested in reading about on the St. Anne’s Scoop? Are there topics you’d suggest or other feedback that I could use to make this a better blog for my readers, as well as to encourage new readership as well.
Would you please let me know by posting a reply here or emailing me. Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy getting “The Scoop!”
Three-fourths of our residents are 65 years of age or older. Therefore, it seems appropriate that we mention May’s observance which recognizes and honors our seniors.
Each year, the government’s Administration for Community Living sponsors “Older Americans Month.” This dates back to the Kennedy administration in 1963, when May was originally named Senior Citizen Month. It honors “older Americans and celebrating their contributions to our communities and our nation.” (See www.agingkingcounty.org/olderamericansmonth/)
This year, the agency is encouraging older Americans to Get into the Act, take charge of their health, be engaged in their communities, and make a positive impact in the lives of others, according to online materials they provide.
An interesting hypothesis they also provide is that “by the year 2020, more than 55 million U.S. adults will be over the age of 65.”
This month can be both a time to recognize the invaluable gift that older Americans are to the rest of society and a time to encourage them to engage in healthy habits and community engagement.
This month, why not thank an older American for who they are all they have done. And, why not stop by St. Anne’s and spend a little time visiting with our older Americans.
I just wanted to help get the word out: we are looking for another nurse to assist with the care of our residents. If you, or someone you know, is interested in the positions, I’d encourage you/them to visit: www.stannesguesthome.org/employment.html or stop by to fill out an application.
Click here to view and print a job application which may be turned in at St. Anne’s front reception desk. If you would prefer, the MS Word version can be completed and emailed to stannesguesthome@gmail.com.
It’s wonderful to again be able to take our residents for an “outdoor walk!” During the winter, we confine ourselves to walking the first floor halls of St. Anne’s. While they are spacious, it’s not the same as getting some good, fresh air. I am looking forward to seeing the blossoms on our flowering ornamental crab tree someday soon when I walk with them. I’ll probably even pick some to set on the reception desk here.
Trees, in fact, are very healthy. According to a study cited in a Huffington Post article, 850 lives were saved and almost 700,000 acute repertory symptoms were prevented in a single year by their mere presence. Did you know that trees actually remove pollution and make the air healthier to breathe, especially for people living in the city? This same article would have us believe so. It also shared the fact that polluted air can cause difficulty breathing for asthma victims as well as cancer, birth defects, lung injury and brain/nerve damage. Oxygen gained from a breath of fresh air can help energize you as well.
Stepping outside can be beneficial, even to one’s immune system. Being in close quarters with other people “exposes you to all sorts of germs,” according to . Exercise stimulates numbers of “natural killer cells.” Also, the scents of flowers can help your mood, and even pine can help with relaxation and lowering stress. Actually, with greater oxygen intake, more serotonin is produced, which also helps your mood and sense of well-being, according to yourstandardlife.com.
Fresh air actually cleans your lungs and gets more oxygen to your cells, improving your lungs’ cleansing action. Breathing fresh air can help your mental clarity. Your brain, in fact, uses 20% of the body’s oxygen. Fresh air also helps with effective food digestion, according to this source. Consequently, according to goodrelaxation.com, fresh air can even help you lose weight. Furthermore, it is noted, that blood pressure and heart rate are improved by fresh air.
So, be advised, don’t just stay indoors all the time, breathing the same air over and over. According to yourstandardlife.com, “breathing this stale air will not supply your body with enough oxygen to keep your cells fueled and functioning properly.” When you get a chance, get outside and enjoy some fresh air and exercise. If you live in the area, you could even take a walk over to St. Anne’s and visit our residents!
Here at St. Anne’s, we have two dogs for our residents. In honor of April’s “National Pet Month,” a well-qualified friend of ours wrote an article about the positive effect of our canine comrades:
Our lab Gracie gives “kisses” to a resident.
Article by Judy Jacoby, RN, MSN, HAB, PHN
Dogs have been around for 15,000 years. Dogs were used to assist people with chores, to round up cattle and sheep, to monitor the surroundings of a home and to pull carts for the American Indians. 12,000 years ago, in Northern Israel, a human skeleton was found holding a puppy.
In the earlier years of civilization, dogs provided special duties. As early as the early 1800’s, dogs were used to assist police stations regarding high crimes. A dog was used to sniff out a criminal who could not be found a police search team. Due to the lack of police officers on a police force, dogs were used to do security rounds to ensure the security within towns.
During the last 55 years, we have seen benefits that affect the human body regarding the ownership or relationships with dogs. Paws for People, is an organization that explains the benefits of dogs in therapy. Physical benefits include how dogs assist with lowering the blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, releasing endorphins which cause a calming affect and diminishing physical pain. A dog can facilitate motivation in a person to recover faster in reducing loneliness. The act of petting a pet, produces an automatic relaxation response in humans and reduces the amount of medication that was previously required to relieve pain.
Studies indicated strong emotional benefits for people with depression when being around dogs. Interactions with dogs lifted spirits and lessen depression, decrease the feelings of isolation and alienation. In addition, dogs encouraged communication, provided comfort, increased socialization, reduces boredom and lowered anxiety. Studies done with children who have speech and emotional disorders showed that dogs helped resolve speech and emotional disorders. In children, dogs have been shown to help children focus better and improve literacy skills.
The dog provides an avenue for non-stress, non-judgmental and unconditional love. This produces self confidence and reduces self consciousness. Dogs in physical therapy with humans can assist with increased joint movement and improve the recovery time with walking. This maintains or increases motor skills and provides motivation to move more, stretch farther and exercise longer.
Studies conducted in the elderly, demonstrated that patients with chronic illness and cardiac issues have prolonged life due to owning a pet. Owner of dogs or those who are close to a dog find an avenue of physical health benefit with their companion. The presence of a dog in a room helped decrease blood pressure. Decreased depression and anxiety are also benefits that have been associated with having a dog close by.
As I pondered the benefits of walking my dogs, each morning and night I realized that I walk at least 2-3 miles a day. This daily routine with my dogs, has improved my health, increased my strength, made me realize how fortunate I am that I can smell the Spring air and watch the morning light wake up the mountains around me.
This week, Americans celebrate National Volunteer Week. I thought this was noteworthy for us at St. Anne’s since we are blessed by the kindness of volunteers throughout the year and on special occasions as well. This commemoration has been recognized by the government and is also honored by various organizations on the local level. Not that our volunteers do this for selfish reasons, but according to an article on this week, volunteers can have the added benefits of “increased satisfaction, improved sense of belonging, lower blood pressure, increased protection from Alzheimer’s, and decreased mortality.” Who hasn’t felt the gratification of having lent a hand and getting a job done?
At. St. Anne’s, we will be honoring our volunteers at a special gathering in May, but I’d like to take the opportunity now to thank all those who volunteer at St. Anne’s in various capacities. For more information on our volunteer program, please visit: https://stannesguesthome.org/Volunteers.html.
On a personal level, I am grateful to the ladies who fill in for me, doing reading hour and Bible Study for me when I am away at times.
There are so many ways that our volunteers help us and we appreciate it!
If you are a St. Anne’s Volunteer, I’d be happy to share your thoughts on volunteering; please let me know!
