Illinois: Kitchen Tours at Villa St Benedict

Chef Jeremy took groups of residents on their first kitchen tour. He started off by showing them the fresh produce he had just picked up from the Green Earth Institute Farm which included purple haze carrots, candied striped beets, snow peas, garlic scape, tri-colored swiss chard, and red romaine lettuce. The residents are looking forward to seeing these vegetables in upcoming menu items. Jeremy then took them around the kitchen to explain what we did in each area including how their orders came in and were executed, how the dish area worked, and where they prep certain food items. They were very intrigued by the whole scene and how much they did not know about what the chefs did to make their meals. Everyone had a great time with their newfound knowledge of food service and now have a greater respect for all that we do!

Liz Blume

Hospitality Manager

Villa St. Benedict

Illinois: Newcomers Dinner at Westminster Place

On June 27th, we held our quarterly assisted living newcomers' dinner at Westminster Place.  Carol Tatarowicz, Director of Marketing for the Highlands, and Chef Kyle planned the beautiful evening for five new residents and fourteen board members.  The theme for this evening was "Summer Nights."  The dinner started with wine and conversation and ended with a "Night Cap," drunken Michigan blueberries, butter crumble and torched meringue.  The new residents who have moved in within the last year were thrilled with menu and ambiance of the entire meal.  Carol and the residents look forward to the next dinner in September.

FIRE STARTER grilled jumbo shrimp | cocktail sauce | lemon caviar

QUICK REFRESH watermelon gazpacho | micro basil

HOT & READY wilted spinach | charred tomatoes | brioche croutons | hot bacon vinaigrette | manchego cheese | local greens

MIDDLE OF THE  ROAD Bourbon peach sorbet

MIDNIGHT SURF broiled lobster | braised beef short rib | smoked parsnip risotto | Parmesan dust | toasted edamame

NIGHT CAP drunken Michigan blueberries | butter crumble | meringue

Michigan: AMITL at Gilbert Residence

 

The Gilbert Residence had its best turn out so far, with our Meal in the Life Social.  We had Crab Cakes with Mango Salsa, Sweet Potato and Banana Casserole, Plantain Chips, Tropical Fruit Salad, Rum Pineapple Upside down and topped it off with a Tropical Punch.
The following week we did our meal and it was a huge success!  BBQ Rum Ribs, Jamaican Jerk Salmon, Rice and Gandules, Pomegranate Glazed Carrots, Sweet Island Brussels and Spanish Style Rice Pudding....... Yum! What a good time.
      

Teresa Clark

Director of Dining Services

Morrison Community Living

Gilbert Residence

Michigan: Brecon Village Art Show

Residents at Brecon Village Memory Center displayed their wonderful works of art and crafts for family and friends. A harpist  played beautiful mood music in the background while guests enjoyed an artful spread of food. 

The menu included ricotta pizza with blackberries and basil, cauliflower and chard tartlets, red beet hummus bites, bread and cheese boards.

Janet Nichols, CC  l Executive Chef l Morrison Community Living

Illinois: The Longest Day

Each year, on the summer solstice, the Alzheimer's Association holds "The Longest Day" event to bring awareness to those with Alzheimer's. Events around the country go from sunrise-to-sunset, symbolizing the challenging journey of those living with the disease as well as celebrating their caregivers. Westminster Place, a Presbyterian Homes community, utilizes their NuStep machines and asks residents and employees to donate their time with either 15 minutes or 30 minutes of "stepping." Paul Stoddard, GM of Dining at Westminster Place, donated 30 minutes, 3100 steps, as well as contributed $100 from Morrison and the dining team.

I wanted to support this amazing cause because my grandfather, Richard Yarnell, was lost to this disease a few years ago. It was great to be able to support the people and family's that have to experience this disease, as I know firsthand what it's like.

If you have not already and are looking for a great organization to donate to, feel free to follow this link to my page to donate:  http://act.alz.org/goto/Stoddard

These events are great for the community, not only to bring awareness, but to also bring the residents, staff, and client together!

  

Paul Stoddard

Operations Manager | Presbyterian Homes

Indiana: Hoosier Village Strawberry Festival

Hoosier Village Retirement Center hosted their annual Strawberry Festival on June 11, 2016.  Morrison Community Living employees prepared and served over 500 guests during lunch. 

Led by, Regional Executive Chef Camden Cox, all strawberry themed menu items were homemade and prepared on Hoosier Village Campus. Regional Executive Chef Camden Cox carved watermelons to create beautiful centerpieces for the event. Guests reacted with astonishment to the carved watermelons and many photographs were taken of the display. 

Strawberry Festival 2016 was a major success with all the hard work and dedication from the employees and staff. We would like to thank all the gracious hands that assisted our team making this event phenomenal.

Michigan: AMITL at Huron County Medical Care Facility

A Caribbean Meal in the Life at Huron County Medical Care Facility

This month’s featured meal was a group effort at HCMCF. Normally most of the meal is prepared by the cooks and assistants but for this meal anyone who had a bit of extra time in their day helped to prepare the special Caribbean meal. The team happily worked away while listening to Jimmy Buffet and sharing personal stories of vacations to the Caribbean.

Before Showtime:

Our Caribbean meal featured Jamaican Jerk Chicken with fresh Pineapple Salsa or a Grilled Cuban Sandwich, Creole Lima Beans, Orange Spiced Carrots, Black Beans and Rice, and Pepper Pot Soup. The desserts offered were Key Lime Pie and a Tropical Fruit Salad with a Honey Lime Dressing.

During Showtime:

Everyone looking forward to sampling the meal during Showtime.

After Showtime:

As you can see it was well received and the team was able to inspire the residents to try something new.

Andra Shier| Assistant Director of Dining Services | Huron County Medical Care Facility

Indiana: ReFuel U Smoothies at Hoosier Village

ReFuel U
Fueling the Lives of Seniors

Going Green
The most nutritious of all the smoothies. Bananas, ice,
strawberries, orange juice, kale and spinach; all blended
together to make a very tasty and very nutritious snack. This
will Refuel all of the Vitamins and Minerals needed to take
on the day!

Chocolate Peanut Butter
Our fan favorite!!! This smoothie taste great, consisting of
bananas, skim milk, chocolate syrup, nonfat yogurt and a
small amount of peanut butter. This smoothie is sure to
Refuel YOU!

Pineapple Passion
A taste of the Tropics, with this delightful tropical treat. This
smoothie is very simple. Pineapple, Nonfat Yogurt and Ice.
Even people living on an island need to be Refueled!

Blueberry Spinach
Blueberries, spinach, banana, honey, kale and ice make up
one of our best tasting smoothies. Its like a salad in a cup.
Well.....a very sweet and tasty salad. Salad or not it is sure
to Refuel You!

Strawberry Banana
The most classic of our smoothie flavors. It consist of
strawberries, bananas, orange juice and nonfat yogurt. Get
classical, get refueled!

Michigan: Weekly Nutrition Prompts for June

Monday, 6/13 is the start of Men's Health Week and #BlueMonday, which began in Michigan last year. Here is a link of a local organization (and personal to me) that's doing great things! http://www.miumenshealthfoundation.org/  

Dana Lutz | RD, Regional Clinical Nutrition Manager | Morrison Community Living |­ Evangelical Homes Sterling Heights

JUNE 2016 NUTRITION TIPS

Add these tips each week to your weekly menu, newsletters, zipthru connect emails, LCD screens or websites!

*Note: Please don’t print this document as is for your customers. Please copy and paste these to other documents that you are currently using.

June 6^th – June is National Fresh Fruit and Veggie month!  The café is celebrating this month long event with our Eat Your Veggies campaign.  Kick start your way to a summer filled with fresh, seasonal produce, while introducing new and delicious ways to eat your vegetables. Look for a rainbow of fresh fruits and veggies in the café today!

June 13^th – Celebrate Men’s Health Week!  There are a number of easy ways for you and your loved ones to get healthier: exercise the recommended 2 ½ hours each week, sleep 7-9 hours a night, manage stress, quit smoking and eat nutritious meals including a variety of colorful vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains.  For more information on how to make healthier choices visit www.cdc.gov/men/nmhw.

June 20^th – Cutting back on red meat is a common recommendation for health and sustainability reasons. This month’s Eat Right Live Well newsletter discusses the benefits of incorporating more fish high in omega-3s into your diet and which fish are the best choices. Find this month’s newsletter in your café for more details.

June 27^th – Melons are a superfood! They are a good source of vitamin C and are a great choice during hot weather as melons can contain up to 94% water and help us stay hydrated. Enjoy this superfood cut up or in dishes like salads, parfaits and chutneys. Cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, crenshaw or watermelon – try one of these varieties in the café today!

Indiana: Care Partner Training

Morrison at Four Seasons in Columbus, IN held two sessions to complete the Care Partner Training program! The training was taught by Dietitian Yu-Han Huang, Director of Dining Services Nathaniel Ruse and Health Center Manager Krista Montgomery. The Care Partner Training program is designed to educate staff on the importance of creating a homelike environment for residents and giving the residents more opportunities to make their own choices. During the sessions we covered topics such as food handling, sanitation, hospitality and diet education. These sessions were a great opportunity for staff to learn more about resident rights and professionalism! We look forward to holding more sessions in the future!

Michigan: AMITL at Fountains

We held our AMITL Asian Pacific dinner at the Fountains at Franklin.  The food was great & some of the residents even used chop sticks!  We served Teriyaki Chicken with Hawaiian Rice and Sesame Broccoli and the Korean Beef with Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Szechuan Green Beans.  For dessert we made the Mango Rice Pudding. We made Pina Coladas, so everyone was in a festive mood as well.

Cheryl Naftel, CDM| Director Dining Services | Morrison Community Living| The Fountains at Franklin

Illinois: May Diversity at Weinberg

On May 30th we celebrated Memorial Day at Weinberg Community with a 50s theme.  We talked about acknowledging our team who work hard every day to keep the food service process working so well.  No matter what level you are at on our team, manager or dishwasher, each position is just as important to achieve great food, great service, and a clean place to work.  Working together as a true team will help attain great success.

Alan Miller

Weinberg Community

Monday Motivation from Elly Kosteck, Illinois

Michigan: HCMC Celebrates Nursing Home Week

Each day a theme was held with staff wearing costumes, fun events, games, and parades for the residents to enjoy. Dining Services provided meals and snacks for the employees as well. 

 The week started with a Kentucky Derby Day. Staff wore their finest attire and fancy hats. Dining services provided a Derby themed meal with Kentucky Hot Browns, Cheese Grits, Mint Julip Fruit Salad and “Run for the Roses” Cookies that were inspired from the Derby Pie. Our Gordon’s Food Service rep even came out to help serve with us. Later that day the staff held a hat parade for the residents who also enjoyed snacking on the special Derby cookies.

Decade Day staff dressed in the style of any decade. Dining Service staff represented the 40s, 60s, 70s, and 80s in style! That day the meal was a classic diner style meal that is good in any decade which included comfort foods like meatloaf sliders, bacon mac & cheese and cheesecake.

On Fictional Character day we had many characters including Ninja Turtles, Darth Vader, Clark Kent, Batman & Catwomen roaming the halls along with Chef Boy-Ar-Dee, Minnie Mouse and a fairy working in the kitchen.

On Scrabble day staff wore “tiles” to spell words for points. Dining Services spelled Queazy with a Z in an effort to earn higher points. This is a word we never want to hear after a meal we prepared is eaten!

 

The week-long celebration ended with a “sports” challenge with residents and staff participating in games like wheelchair ring around the rosey, an eating contest where residents got to feed blindfolded staff and a race to see who can assemble foot rests on wheelchairs the fastest! Our Dietitian Gina Knoblock didn’t win but she gave a good effort!

It was a week full of fun and appreciation for our staff for all their hard work. It was enjoyed by residents and staff alike!

Andra Shier| Assistant Director of Dining Services | Huron County Medical Care Facility

Michigan: Sterling Heights Superfood - Nuts

How do you incorporate this month's Superfood for mechanically altered diets? Make Cashew Vanilla Cream! This decadent topping is great as a fruit topping! Participants in the dietitian's Mindful Monday event  at Evangelical Home in Sterling Heights were treated to this delicious treat with or without fresh apple slices.

Cashew Vanilla Cream
yield 6, 1/4 cup servings

8oz, cashews
1 cup, water
2 tsp, vanilla extract
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Soak nuts in water for 1-2 hours. Place in a blender and add vanilla and sugar. Process until very smooth and cream. Garnish with sprinkling of ground cinnamon. Serve cold.

Dana Lutz | RD, Regional Clinical Nutrition Manager | Morrison Community Living |­ Evangelical Homes Sterling Heights

Michigan: Congrats Brenda!

 

Yesterday one of our morning Servers, Brenda Moody, was sworn in as an American citizen! She is originally from the Philippines and has made a great connection with some of the residents who severed in her country in World War II! We wanted to congratulate Brenda on becoming a citizen of the United States of America, no better way that with a red, white & blue cake to celebrate!

Katie VanderStraaten

Dining Services Director I NorthPointe Woods

Illinois: Melting Chocolate Domes at Smith Village

On Tuesday, May 17, 2016, Smith Village held a marketing luncheon for 50 guests.  The highlight of the lunch was Pastry Chef Michelle Sandifer’s melting chocolate dome.  Hidden underneath is a  round of chocolate cake, layered with chocolate rum mousse and fresh berries.  We poured a hot rum caramel sauce over the top and everyone loved it.   The marketing department, residents and invited guests were very impressed and in awe.

Art Youkerd | Director | Morrison Community Living

Monday Motivation from Elly Kosteck, Illinois

Illinois: New Resident Dinner at The Moorings

Over the past year we have had over 50 new residents join us here at The Moorings of Arlington Heights. The Dining Services Team along with the rest of The Moorings staff welcomed them with open arms and a great feast. The New Residents Party has become a yearly tradition from us with each year being better than the last. We kicked this years party off with an open bar and passed appetizers which included Ancho Chicken Empanadas with avocado sour cream, Caprese Skewers, and Deviled Egg Salmon Roulades. After Cocktail Hour ended, we began the Welcome Dinner. Our first course consisted of a Chillean Sea Bass on a bed of spring greens. Our main course was a Cabernet Beef Short Rib with Potato-Celery Root Mash and Roasted Spring Vegetables. Finally we finished the meal off with an Apple Charlotte Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Lisa Baumgartner
Dining Room Manager
Moorings of Arlington Heights

Monday Motivation from Elly Kosteck, Illinois