Happy New Year!

Have a safe and joyous New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Have a very merry Christmas! Try to worry less about the preparations and enjoy the day more!

Holiday Ideas: Tray Favors

I have not seen this for some time, but that does not mean it is not happening somewhere or that it is not still a good idea.

When I first became a food service director many years ago, a local school make tray favors for the residents for the holidays. Other facilities in our company had similar relationships with local schools.

The residents really enjoyed the tray favors! It was something special for the holiday. It decorated the tray or place setting at the table. In addition, it gave the residents something to discuss.

If you have not done this, I encourage you to investigate it for 2011!

Holiday Ideas: Children’s Activity

This doesn't not relate to food, but it does relate to the holidays, and I am so thrilled with how well it worked that I want to share it!

Every few years I order Christmas cards from the American Humane Society. So, every year I receive samples of the the current cards. The samples are just the front of the card. I have been saving them and this year bought construction paper, glue sticks, markers, and peel and stick foam Christmas decorations. My husband and I had the grandchildren this weekend (ages nine and five). I suggested we make Christmas cards.

They loved it!!! It was so simple to take a piece of construction paper, fold it in half, glue a card sample to the front, and then decorate as desired inside and out. They were really proud of what they created!

I highly suggest this as a holiday activity for the young children in your life. If you do not have sample cards, cut the backs off last year's Chirstmas cards.

Holiday Ideas: Residents and Food Preparation

When residents are preparing food as part of an activity, it is important to be certain that they do not contaminate the food. Cross-contamination in an activity needs to be avoided just as much as in the kitchen.

This does not mean that food preparation activities should be avoided. Just be sure that the residents wash their hands properly, use utensils as much as possible when handling food, use gloves when utensils are not practical, and change gloves and wash hands whenever gloves become contaminated.

A simple activity that many residents enjoy is decorating cookies. If all the residents are doing is picking up cookies, frosting and decorating them, gloves work well. If someone in activities sets up their work area and gets them whatever they need, they will not be as likely to contaminate the food. Of course, the employees and volunteers assisting the residents must follow the same procedures for keeping food safe!

Holiday Ideas: Moderation!

There are so many great things to eat at the holidays! For anyone trying to eat healthy, it can be challenging.

Remember, though, that nothing in excess is good for us and nothing in moderation will hurt us. The tricky part is defining "moderation" and "excessive!" (A small brownie is moderate. Half a pan of brownies is excessive!)

Indulge in moderation!

Holiday Ideas: Ethnic Meals

Many residents' parents or grandparents immigrated to the United States. They brought with them traditional holiday foods from their home country.

Interviewing residents for these holiday foods and meals and then incorporating what you can into the menu during December is something that would be very special for the residents. As with last week's suggestion, let everyone know the resident and the country. And again, Activities/Life Enrichment can assist you!

Holiday Ideas: Resident Recipes

Many facilities do a resident-planned menu for Christmas and New Year's Day. Some also do resident-planned menus for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. These are great ways to involve residents and give them what they like. However, it is still a rather limited number of selections.

In addition to the holiday meals, you can do something along the "Twelve Days of Christmas" theme. Solicit favorite recipes from residents. For twelve days, feature one of the recipes for at least one meal. (If you can do it for noon and evening that doubles the recipes used.)

Work these recipes into the normal menu. It is not difficult to substitute dessert, salad, vegetable, and bread recipes into an existing menu. Even entree recipes can be substituted into the menu without too much effort.

Make copies of the recipes and include who submitted them. Distribute the recipes with the meal. It will give the residents something to discuss as well as provide additional variety for the meals!

Remember, you do not have to do this alone. Activities would probably enjoy helping to solicit and collect recipes. They can even copy and distribute the recipes that you use.

Holiday Ideas

This month's topic is a cornucopia of holiday ideas. Some are for your residents, some are for you. I hope you enjoy them!