3 Recipes For The Senior Loved One In Your Life To Enjoy This Fall
It is the time of the year that the leaves turn and the cold weather befalls us and for many the perfect time to stay in and cook! Food is a great tool for bringing people together and has been for centuries, whether eating a meal with one another or creating those meals seniors love, side by side in the kitchen, share food with the senior loved one in your life this fall!
A Taste of Nostalgia
Did you know food can cause nostalgia? Much like smelling that perfume, you wore on a first date, eating certain foods can trigger memories of experiences and our relationships with people. For the senior loved one in your life, the dishes that bring back warm memories on these cooler nights might look to you a little different than a typical family dinner.
In the early 1900s marshmallows were considered very modern to have in the kitchen and quickly became incorporated into both sweet and savoury dishes. Try including this fall favourite made super simple at your next dinner together with your senior loved one.
Marshmallow-Topped Sweet Potatoes
3 cans (15-oz each) sweet potatoes, drained
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
15 large marshmallows
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F.
Spray 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place sweet potatoes in the baking dish.
Pour butter over potatoes. Sprinkle it with brown sugar and salt. Top with marshmallows.
Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are thoroughly heated and marshmallows are lightly browned.
Recipe courtesy of pillsbury
Nutrition First And Foremost
With the world facing a pandemic, it may not always be possible to cook or eat together so you may want to share the love with your senior loved one by preparing meals to drop on the doorstep. Remember, when cooking for seniors there are certain food types to avoid to ensure our senior loved ones keep in good health. Sunhealth Communities notes these following as foods to steer clear of:
Raw or undercooked eggs
Grapefruit
High-sodium foods
Foods with “empty calories”
Keeping nutrition in mind, why not make a batch of this popular 50’s soup for the senior loved one in your life to enjoy. Soups are one of those great dishes that can be frozen and reheated easily!
Easy Hamburger Soup
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 cup water
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
4 large carrots, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Preparation
In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the tomatoes, broth and water. Bring to a boil.
Add celery, carrots, barley, thyme and pepper.
Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.
Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home
Food Equals Love
An important thing to remember when it comes to the senior loved ones in our lives, a family member's or caregivers responsibility is to show respect and of course, compassion! Creating a meal with someone can form lifelong memories and cooking for someone when you cannot cook together is a generous way to show that they are worth your time and effort even when we are apart. Foods seniors loved as a child can be a great treat not only for the mouth but for the memory. This final recipe is a fun 60’s retro dessert that derived from a treat that has remained a staple sweet since the late 1800’s, Jell-o! This simple to make, wobbly delight became known as an elite ingredient in desserts in the 1950’s. This Jello Salad is sure to put a smile on the face of your senior loved one.
Cranberry Walnut Jello Salad
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
2 (3-oz.) packages lemon gelatin
1 3/4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8 1/2-oz.) can pineapple tidbits
1 (10-oz.) bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled (such as Sprite)
1 cup finely chopped celery
Preparation
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Place the walnuts on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 minutes. Set aside.
Toss chopped cranberries with sugar. Let stand.
Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water, then stir in the lemon juice and salt.
Drain the pineapple and reserve syrup. Pour reserved syrup into gelatin mixture and cool.
Stir in the carbonated beverage and chill until thickened.
Stir the cranberry mixture, pineapple, celery, and walnuts into gelatin mixture.
Spoon into a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 6-cup mold and chill until set, 4 hours. Unmold onto salad greens.
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
Whether you are able to cook together with your senior loved one or are showing you care by creating nutritious and delicious meals to drop off, find inspiration and nostalgia in food this fall! Contact Sylvia for meal prep tips and for more information on how Foothills Homecare Services can help your senior loved one in the kitchen.
