Posts Tagged Cooking
October 19, 2017 at 12:39 pm · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia ·Tagged activities for men with dementia, activities for reminiscing, Alzheimer, Alzheimer Disease, alzheimer s association, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's chicken, alzheimer's disease, alzheimer's statistics, Brain, Caregiver, caregivers, caregiving, Chore, Conditions and Diseases, Cooking, cooking with dementia, definition of dementia, Dementia, dementia activities, dementia facts and figures, dementia in the elderly, dementia reminiscing, dementia statistics, dementia vs alzheimer's, Disease, elderly, geist, Health, mary ellen geist, measure of the heart, Mental health, United States, what is alzheimer's, what is dementia, woody geist
This activity idea comes from Measure of the Heart, a novel by Mary Ellen Geist, recounting her personal experience of returning home to Michigan to help care for her father who is diagnosed with dementia. Her father, Woody Geist, also appears in the HBO documentary “The Alzheimer’s Project”. The Geist’s resilience and candor in the face of this devastating disease is truly inspirational.
The following excerpt is taken directly from the book:
Alzheimer’s Chicken
- whole chicken, about 4 pounds
- 1 green apple, washed and cored
- 3 stalks of celery, rinsed
- 1 yellow or white onion, skin removed
- several sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, rinsed
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse a 4-pound roasting chicken, removing and discarding the giblets from the cavity.
Place the green apple, celery, onion, and herbs on a large chopping board. Hand a not-so-sharp knife to the Alzheimer’s patient, depending of course on how far the disease has progressed. It may not be wise to do this for Alzheimer’s patients who’ve been living with the disease for more than ten years, but my father can still safely use a knife if I stand next to him and make sure he isn’t holding it upside down.
Let the patient chop up the fruit, vegetables, and herbs however the hell he or she wants to, without hovering and explaining how to do it! Don’t say: “No! Do it like this!” Remember: It doesn’t matter what the chunks look like or how big or small they are. The process can be liberating not only for the patient but also for you.
Open the cavity of the chicken and have the Alzheimer’s patient help you stuff the bird with a big wooden spoon. Put the chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish or pan. Pour the red wine, olive oil, and a little water over the stuffed bird. Cook it in the oven at 350 degrees F for at least two hours, until the temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. Have the Alzheimer’s patient help you baste the bird often. Let it sit a bit after you’ve taken it out of the oven; then slice and serve.
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July 10, 2017 at 8:00 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia ·Tagged activities, activities for reminiscing, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's disease, cookbook, Cooking, cooking with dementia, Dementia, dementia activities, dementia reminiscing, dementia vs alzheimer's, meaningful activities
Do you and your loved one love cooking? Maybe baking is what makes you feel at home. In either case, there is something to be said about the feeling you get when taking your first bite of a home cooked/baked treat.
Creating a cookbook with your care partner can be a fun way to reminisce and leave a legacy for generations to come. It can be as simple as compiling old recipe cards or as intricate as creating a recipe book online complete with pictures. Keep in mind that this project doesn’t have to be finished overnight. It can simmer for days, weeks, or months to come!
Step 1: Choose your recipes
What are your family’s trademark recipes? Is there anything that has become a traditional birthday dinner, holiday dish, or rainy day snack?
Step 2: Choose your Methods
You might want to talk with your loved one and decide on a type of cookbook that will best combine your creative style with your skill set. You could write out individual recipes on index cards to insert in a scrapbook, create a larger more intricate scrapbook, or use online websites (e.g. Shurtterfly.com) to make one digitally. Feel free to exercise creative freedom, engage others in the process, and make changes based on skills and abilities.
Step 3: Write your book
Try making the dishes as you go! Talk about the smells, colors, and textures of different foods. Use this time to reminisce and identify fun memories associated with your recipes. Feel free to include these stories in your book! Additionally, if your loved one needs more assistance in the kitchen, be sure to break down each task into clear simple steps.
Step 4: Share your book with others
A cookbook made with you and your loved one is a beautiful representation of your family’s traditions, history, and relationships. You can use this book and its recipes to share your story with other family members and friends.
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December 21, 2015 at 1:00 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia, Activities for Severe Dementia ·Tagged Alzheimer, Alzheimer Disease, alzheimer s association, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's disease, alzheimer's statistics, Brain, Caregiver, caregivers, caregiving, Christmas and holiday season, Cooking, cooking with dementia, Dementia, dementia activities, dementia facts and figures, dementia in the elderly, dementia reminiscing, dementia vs alzheimer's, gift in a jar, Health, holiday season, United States, what is alzheimer's, what is dementia
I seriously cannot be the only person who has not done their holiday shopping yet…right? Well, if you’ve procrastinated like me, or if you have a few people still remaining on your gift list, consider an easy, do-it-yourself present that your person with dementia may enjoying helping you with. In searching the internet, I encountered dozens of potential ideas for this post, from diy christmas ornaments, to cookie recipes, to personalized coffee mugs and more. If you are reading this and not already familiar with Pinterest, let me just say….I LOVE Pinterest! I’m actually what you would call pin-sessed. Not only is Pining a fun (and addicting) past time, but there are a plethora of activity and recipe ideas which you and your person with Alzheimer’s may enjoy trying. Just saying!
So after doing my research, I finally settled on a “gifts in a jar” theme. These really appealed to me because of their versatility (did you know you can make so many different gifts in a jar??) and their easy execution. Chances are, you probably have many of the things needed for this activity already in your home.
In the example below, this diy gift in a jar contains a “fudgy brownie mix”. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to receive that as a present? Your person with dementia can assist in this activity by dumping in the different layers of ingredients, one at a time. This will probably be easiest if you offer guidance and supervision throughout the process. For instance, you could pre-measure the quantity of flour needed for the bottom, position a funnel over the mouth of the jar, then assist your person in pouring the flour in through the funnel. It may work best to repeat the process of pre-measuring, funnel, and guided assistance with the remaining layers. Of course, the amount of hands on supervision you provide will vary depending on what stage of the disease your person in living with. Your person may also enjoy nibbling on the chocolate chips (which are added to the jar last), or reminiscing about pleasant memories involving food and baking. Many older adults experience a great deal of fulfillment from sharing their stories with others, and it is important to offer opportunities which encourage this.
Below I’ve included the ingredient list for this gift in a jar, as well as recipe instructions for the recipient of this gift. For more details, please visit the SixFiguresUnder official website. Happy Holidays everyone! 🙂
Homemade Fudgy Brownie Mix
- 1 cup + 2 tbs flour
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions for Using Homemade Brownie Mix
Mix contents of the jar with:
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 2/3 cup oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
Pour into a greased 9″ square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
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June 8, 2015 at 1:00 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia ·Tagged activities for men with dementia, activities for reminiscing, Alzheimer, Alzheimer Disease, alzheimer s association, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's chicken, alzheimer's disease, alzheimer's statistics, Brain, Caregiver, caregivers, caregiving, Chore, Conditions and Diseases, Cooking, cooking with dementia, definition of dementia, Dementia, dementia activities, dementia facts and figures, dementia in the elderly, dementia reminiscing, dementia statistics, dementia vs alzheimer's, Disease, elderly, geist, Health, mary ellen geist, measure of the heart, Mental health, United States, what is alzheimer's, what is dementia, woody geist
This activity idea comes from Measure of the Heart, a novel by Mary Ellen Geist, recounting her personal experience of returning home to Michigan to help care for her father who is diagnosed with dementia. Her father, Woody Geist, also appears in the HBO documentary “The Alzheimer’s Project”. The Geist’s resilience and candor in the face of this devastating disease is truly inspirational.
The following excerpt is taken directly from the book:
Alzheimer’s Chicken
- whole chicken, about 4 pounds
- 1 green apple, washed and cored
- 3 stalks of celery, rinsed
- 1 yellow or white onion, skin removed
- several sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, rinsed
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse a 4-pound roasting chicken, removing and discarding the giblets from the cavity.
Place the green apple, celery, onion, and herbs on a large chopping board. Hand a not-so-sharp knife to the Alzheimer’s patient, depending of course on how far the disease has progressed. It may not be wise to do this for Alzheimer’s patients who’ve been living with the disease for more than ten years, but my father can still safely use a knife if I stand next to him and make sure he isn’t holding it upside down.
Let the patient chop up the fruit, vegetables, and herbs however the hell he or she wants to, without hovering and explaining how to do it! Don’t say: “No! Do it like this!” Remember: It doesn’t matter what the chunks look like or how big or small they are. The process can be liberating not only for the patient but also for you.
Open the cavity of the chicken and have the Alzheimer’s patient help you stuff the bird with a big wooden spoon. Put the chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish or pan. Pour the red wine, olive oil, and a little water over the stuffed bird. Cook it in the oven at 350 degrees F for at least two hours, until the temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. Have the Alzheimer’s patient help you baste the bird often. Let it sit a bit after you’ve taken it out of the oven; then slice and serve.
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May 11, 2015 at 1:00 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia ·Tagged activities for reminiscing, Alzheimer, Alzheimer Disease, alzheimer s association, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's disease, alzheimer's statistics, Brain, Caregiver, caregivers, caregiving, Chore, Conditions and Diseases, cookies, Cooking, cooking with dementia, definition of dementia, Dementia, dementia activities, dementia facts and figures, dementia in the elderly, dementia reminiscing, dementia statistics, dementia vs alzheimer's, Disease, elderly, Health, Mental health, no bake cookies, United States, what is alzheimer's, what is dementia
No-bakes can be whipped up in less time and with fewer ingredients than most traditional cookies. In fact, you probably have everything you need right in your pantry. Low maintenance recipes (like this one) are ideal, as this may prevent confusion and frustration from occurring. Simple AND scrumptious? How deliciously perfect! 🙂
As the person’s dementia progresses, certain abilities will fade. Therefore, it is important to provide the right amount of supervision and hands on assistance in order for the person to be successful. For instance, someone who is in the early stages of dementia may be able to manage several steps of the recipe without a lot of help. However, someone else that has progressed to the middle stages of the disease, may do better with a 1-2 or single step task, such as dropping spoonfuls of the cookie mixture onto a prepared baking sheet.
Each person is different. Be observant to how YOUR person is reacting to what he/she is bring asked to do. If we notice confusion or anxiety, that may be our cue to simplify instructions and/or slow down the pace of the activity.
The recipe below was taken from a foodnetwork.com entry. I’ve seen other recipes that include shredded coconut, candy pieces, or other little surprises mixed in. You could also try ‘lightening up’ the recipe will fat free peanut butter or sugar alternatives. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 stick (8 tbs) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbs pure vanilla extract
- Large pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment.
Bring the sugar, milk, butter and cocoa to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then let boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, and stir to combine.
Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and let sit at room temperature until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/peanut-butter-chocolate-no-bake-cookies-recipe.html?vty=recipes/chocolate-peanut-butter-no-bake-cookies-recipe.html&oc=linkback
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November 10, 2014 at 1:00 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia ·Tagged activities for men with dementia, activities for reminiscing, Alzheimer, Alzheimer Disease, alzheimer s association, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's disease, Caregiver, caregivers, caregiving, Cooking, cooking with dementia, Dementia, dementia activities, dementia in the elderly, dementia reminiscing, dementia vs alzheimer's, trail mix, what is alzheimer's, what is dementia
I love trail mix. And one reason I love it as much as I do… it is so easy to make! I mean literally, just throw different ingredients together into a bowl and ta-da! It doesn’t need to get any fancier than that. Another amazing thing about this treat? You can totally make it your own and add whatever you think will go great together. Many trail mixes contain a combination of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and (most importantly) chocolate. If you or your person has a nut allergy or an aversion to chocolate (weird), again, totally customizable.
Depending on how progressed your person’s dementia is, you can choose to involve him/her in different ways. For instance, someone in the earlier stages may be able to create a shopping or ingredient list with you and measure out individual components. Someone who is further progressed may have a difficult time thinking of ingredients that are not visible to them (too abstract). For those folks, it might help to set out a bowl of nuts, dried fruits, etc., and then ask the person to chose from what’s right in front of them. So basically, it’s nice to provide choice where we can, but we want to be careful not to overwhelm the person with too many options or abstractions. Someone in the later stages of the disease might enjoy taste testing or feeling the different textures by using their hands to mix everything together.
Ready to get started? Try out this recipe below or change it up however you like! My recipe is actually a variation of this one that I found.
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup Candy Corn
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup of your favorite mini pretzels
- 1 cup Honey Nut Chex cereal
Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Eat and enjoy!
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October 20, 2014 at 1:00 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia, Activities for Severe Dementia ·Tagged activities for men with dementia, activities for reminiscing, Alzheimer, Alzheimer Disease, alzheimer s association, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's disease, Caregiver, caregivers, caregiving, Chore, Cooking, cooking with dementia, Dementia, dementia activities, dementia in the elderly, dementia reminiscing
I was inspired by this idea when a friend of mine actually demoed a simple guacamole recipe for her mom. She thought it would be fun to pretend to be cooking show host while her mom was the ‘audience’. My friend went through the recipe step-by-step, provided tips on how to prepare the world’s best guac, and gave her mom a taste of the finished product at the end. It reminded me of Mario Batali’s cooking show (featured above) where he describes the ingredients, the process of putting it all together, and (best of all) gives the audience members sitting at the bar a taste of what he’s prepared.
I think this activity can be readily adapted for someone with dementia with a little bit of creativity. For example, you could hand the person the garlic or cilantro to smell the aroma. Have them taste just the plain mashed avocado before other ingredients are added. Ask the person to help stir the ingredients together in the bowl. Or ask them to lay out tortilla chips on a plate for dipping. Say you are trying our a new recipe and it would really help if they could be your taste-tester. Be flexible and find what works for you and your person!
I like that it gives the ‘audience member’ the option to interject comments or otherwise add to the interaction, but they are not pressured to do so. Depending on the person, they might be involved more passively, however, they are still being engaged throughout the entire process. But be ready in case your person would like to jump in and have a suitable activity in mind (such as the suggestions above). Do most of the prep work in advance before getting the person involved, so it is mostly a matter of assembling things together (e.g. chop garlic beforehand, open and scoop out avocado) — make sure your mise en place up to par! It is also best if you can use a clean and clutter-free counter space for this activity. Set out only the items that you will be using, and remove anything that will just get in the way or create clutter. Simplify, simplify!
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September 15, 2014 at 1:00 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia, Activities for Severe Dementia ·Tagged activities for reminiscing, Alzheimer, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's association, alzheimer's care, alzheimer's disease, caregiving, Chore, Cooking, cooking with dementia, Dementia, dementia activities
Fall is in the air! Temperatures are dropping and days are becoming shorter. What better way to welcome in the season than with a delicious Fall cooking staple? The wonderful, nutrient packed apple! Baked apple desserts are undeniably yummy, and they require relatively little prep work. This is a great choice of activity for individuals who have cooking experience, as it may conjure up fond memories of being in the kitchen. Make an effort to reminisce with the person throughout the task. Even individuals without a cooking background will surely enjoy the enticing smells of apples baking alongside aromatic cinnamon and vanilla (these recipes will make your whole house smell amazing).
Try this recipe or make modifications to suit your tastes.
- Choose a variety of apple that is ideal for baking, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Fuji. Any firm, non-mealy apple will do.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel, core, and slice 6 apples. This process can be simplified and expedited with an inexpensive apple peeler.
- Grease a baking dish with butter.
- Mix 2 tbs brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1tsp nutmeg, and 3 tsp ground cinnamon in a bowl.
- Layer 1/3 apple slices in greased baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the sugar mixture. Repeat twice.
- Bake apples uncovered for 30 minutes, then add 3 1/2 tbs water to the dish. Bake 15 minutes more or until tender.
Or, try the less prep intensive microwaved version
- Peel (or don’t), core, and slice 1 apple.
- Place apple slices in a freezer bag with 1 tsb sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cornstarch, and 1tbs water. Shake the freezer bag to coat apple slices with mixture.
- Open the freezer bag just slightly to vent. Microwave for 2 minutes or until apple is tender.
- CAREFULLY remove apple slices from microwaved bag. Enjoy plain or over vanilla ice cream.
Want to mix it up? Opt for baked apple chips. These could not be simpler to make.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- Remove apple core from 2 apples.
- Thinly slice apples (Be mindful of safety and consider who is best to do this).
- Place apple slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and bake for 2 hours. Flip slices over after 1 hour of baking.
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October 25, 2012 at 1:55 pm · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia, Activities for Severe Dementia ·Tagged activities for reminiscing, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's disease, Cooking, cooking with dementia, Dementia, dementia activities
So, in reality, you could really bake or make anything. Cooking in general is a great activity because it is easily modifiable/broken into smaller steps as needed based on the person with dementia’s remaining skills and abilities. Those in the early stage might just need a recipe and a few check-ins to make sure everything going smoothly (the stove is preheated, the timer is set, they don’t skip any ingredients, etc) while those in the moderate stages might need tasks broken down into individual steps with everything necessary to complete the job in front of them (example: measure 1/2 cup flour, with the measuring cup and flour in plain sight), while those in the late stages may only be able to do simple tasks with help (such as stirring, taste testing, etc). Be sure to be flexible and jump in to prevent frustration, but step back to let the person complete what they can independently. Remember, this is an activity blog, so the point is the process, not necessarily the outcome or the speed in which you’re done.
That being said, this is why I think break, out of all the cooking/baking options in the world, is a particularly nice option to try if you’re new to the world of cooking with dementia.
1. It’s pretty cheap to make, so if you mess it up, it’s not a huge financial loss.
2. It’s not a main course, so if you mess it up, you the whole dinner plan isn’t out of whack.
3. It’s not dessert, so you won’t be super disappointed if it turns out wrong (or is that just me who gets sad when I burn the brownies?).
4. Making bread may be a long-term memory, and therefore more familiar than other tasks.
5. It smells awesome when cooking, and smell is a great memory trigger for reminiscing.
6. Kneading break is very soothing and can get out some aggression.
Now, I won’t bore you with a recipe for bread. I’m sure you can find one that sounds good to you. But I will say that buying a pre-formed loaf or tube of biscuits doesn’t count!
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October 10, 2012 at 4:38 am · Filed under Activities for Mild Dementia, Activities for Moderate Dementia, Activities for Severe Dementia ·Tagged activities for reminiscing, alzheimer's activities, alzheimer's disease, Chore, Cooking, cooking with dementia, Dementia, dementia activities
These “old fashioned” peeler and corers are a fun and easy way to prep a large quantity of apples in a hurry. Whether you’re looking to make a pie, a crumble, or a big batch of applesauce, this contraption somehow make it but easy and fun! Even better, once an apple is place in it, even those in the late stages of the disease can move the handle to peel and core the apple perfectly every time. So get peeling (and cooking and eating!)
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