Tag Archives: caregivers

Mealtime Variety with Two Quick Healthy Recipes

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Crisp, cool air reminds us autumn is here. For our family we search for quick, healthy foods that offer nutrition and variety to match the changing seasons.
With little cabinet space and less time, I am always on the lookout for meals I can prepare quickly without much cleanup. I enjoy finding recipes that use foods on sale. For instance, shredded cabbage this week was ½ price. My family turns a nose up to traditional coleslaw but  found this new cabbage  dish quite tasty.
Apple Cabbage Salad (easy to double/triple)
Mix together ½ cup walnuts-broken in small pieces, 1 cup tart apples-chopped, and 1 cup cabbage-shredded.
To vegetables add just enough mayonnaise (or yogurt or sour cream) to moisten. Dress it up: scoop onto a cabbage or lettuce leaf, sprinkle with paprika.
Personalize the recipe by adding craisins, sunflower seeds, or pineapple tidbits. Experiment with finely chopped green onions, celery, peppers, or other veggies your family enjoys.

Here is a tasty warm casserole using shredded cabbage and apples.
Apple Stuffed Cabbage
1 medium head cabbage (about 2 pkgs. shredded)
2 cups hot water
5 tablespoons bacon crumbles
salt and pepper to taste
Mix above ingredients together and bake in lightly greased casserole dish at 375 for 20minutes.
Peel and core 3 large apples. Remove casserole from the oven, make indentations in cabbage mixture for the apples. When apples are nested in cabbage, add 1/8 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon vinegar to center of each apple. Dot with butter and return to oven for another 30 minutes. Will serve six.
You know already that I have another idea for this one. Instead of using the apple whole, I like to cut the apple in thick slices and arrange them on top of the cabbage. Mix the vinegar and brown sugar and sprinkle on top, dot with butter and finish baking.
NOTE: If you have space for a food processor and a little time, you can shred your own cabbage; for my schedule and space, pre-shredded works well.
Either of these dishes are easy to make; fun and nutritious. Cabbage is rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and fiber. Another good use for shredded cabbage is tossing it in soups and stews.

For more recipes, check out my e-zine articles under the Articles for Caregivers  tab at the top of this page.

Hugs and happy, healthy eating,

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Refreshing Wisdom from a Young Caregiving Mother

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My thanks to Ashley Haupt for today’s article. I appreciate her insight; I hope this will be an encouragement to all caregivers, whether for wee ones or the elderly.

My toenails depress me.

They aren’t particularly problematic. They’re perfectly functional, average toenails. But you see, I like them to be painted and pretty. Unpainted toenails, or at least MY unpainted toenails, depress me. I’m not one to get regular manicures or pedicures or even to have frequently painted fingernails. In fact, the only pedicure I’ve ever had was before my wedding seven years ago. But I do like to keep my toenails painted so that when I take off my socks and tootle around the house barefoot, they look cute instead of resembling winter mushrooms shocked by a sudden spring.

So why do my toenails depress me? Because I haven’t had time to paint them. No, that’s not entirely true. I haven’t had uninterrupted time to paint them when I felt like it and when they had time to dry. That’s more like it.

I am a stay at home mom with three kids 5, 3, and 1. I am the primary caregiver. Caregivers for the elderly or the young have much in common: constant, time-consuming responsibility that is both physical and emotional, need for respite or shared stress, and lack of time to tend to themselves.

In the grand scheme, painted toenails are a small thing, what we call a “first world problem.” But small things can add up to a broader picture of self neglect which if untended, can lead to depression. The word “depression” means “to lower in worth or value.” On one hand, we know that to serve others above ourselves is the very concept Jesus lived and died by. But on the other hand, when we lower our own worth to the point of becoming depressed, we are increasingly unable to ministry and serve others. We serve best when we have balance, loving ourselves and others, tending to both. Anne Lamott writes, “I get thirsty people glasses of water, even if that thirsty person is just me.”

Painting my toenails, eating a meal while it’s still hot, reading a book just for fun, these are small pleasures that represent pieces of the composite ME. If I deny myself everything I like, I become wasted and thin, weak and withered. I must fill up in Christ, in personal time, in small pleasures received by faith, in order to love others and serve them richly.

If you are a caregiver with primary responsibility, consider scheduling some small pleasures into your week. As you enjoy them, remember to love who you are and fill up on the love of your Creator who loves you, too. You might find yourself more refreshed and ready to serve as a result.

Read more of Ashley’s comments on her blog: 

Hugs,

My Mother My Child will make a thoughtful gift book for all ages. I am grateful for  testimonies from young and older who have been helped and encouraged.

5 Tips for Healthier Family Meals and Time Savers

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Mothers, caregivers of the elderly, homemakers, we all have one thing in common—feeding our families. Are you, as most of us, caught up in the fast-food trap? We want to serve healthy, nutritious meals but we feel there is not enough time to get it all done so we go through a drive-thru on the way home.

For years I purchased “healthy” frozen options for our needs. They are most appealing with their colorful photos of good vegetables and lean meats. I urge you to take time to read the contents before buying; most are filled with sodium, fats, sugars and ingredients we cannot identify.

At the end of this article are a few tips that have helped me along this path.  Someone has rightfully said that without a plan to succeed, we plan to fail. I want to help you succeed in providing great inexpensive and healthy meals everyday. This is an important part of caring and in the end, provides great benefits both to you and to your loved ones.

Also, I want to introduce you to an exciting e-book I have found helpful. Although it is called Healthy Recipes for the Elderly, I can tell you from experience, the foods  will be pleasing to your entire family and give them a real boost along the nutrition journey.
Click Here!

Learn how to create your shopping list, prepare foods for storage, and dozens of helpful hints as well as great, easy to prepare recipes that will save you time and dollars.

Now, here are those promised tips:

1. Plan ahead. One thing you can plan on, you will have meals to fix every day. Rescue yourself from the hassle of last-minute shopping or grabbing a quick-to-fix meal by having your refrigerator and pantry stocked with healthy choices.

2. Know your nutritional needs; especially sugar, salt and fats. How much is too much? What are some good options to replace sugar or salt? Did you realize a cup of cottage cheese or 1/2 cup tuna fish can often contain more than a daily allowance of sodium?

3. Purchase in bulk. We use cinnamon in our cereals and many other dishes. Look for local bulk stores near you; I save about one half to two thirds on cinnamon by purchasing at our local Amish store. Is there another family that will share large packages of produce or other perishables?

4. Try new recipes. There are some wonderful alternatives to our old, familiar recipes that incorporate more vegetables and fruits and less fats and sugars.

5. Don’t forget storage items. I have wasted too much food by not having a container, bag, or aluminum foil handy to properly store leftovers. When cooking in bulk and freezing portions to use later, it is imperative that you have ample materials on hand to wrap and label properly (and date each item).

In Recipes for the Elderly I found exciting recipes for everyone which were not only nutritious and healthy;  my family really liked them. That in itself is a real plus!

Happy cooking and eating and have a great week.

Hugs,

Click here for more information Click Here!