Hilltowns Senior News for Thursday, July 14, 2016
I collect recipes. The problem is, I now have about 2,000 (at least) patiently waiting for me to try them out. This wouldn’t be a major problem if I didn’t live alone. (The cats will only try new foods that begin with tuna, and even then they’re not terribly adventurous). I only get one cooking magazine a month, and I haven’t really clipped anything from that, because (of course) I save the whole edition.
I used to think that I would be more inclined to do something with them (the recipes, not the cats) if they were better organized, instead of the lemon cake being mixed in with the Moroccan tajine entrees. (I don’t have a tajine, but I’m sure I can adapt something to make do). So on several occasions, I have separated the clippings into file folders, except that I keep running into classification problems. Do little meatballs go with appetizers, beef, pork, or Italian entrees?
I once tried putting everything into a cookbook on the computer, which provided weeks of amusement as I scanned, formatted, chapter-ized, and then corrected all the measurements that didn’t scan well. Now, in addition to the two (3-inch-thick files of new clippings), I have two volumes of printed and organized recipes sorted by category. Amidst all this, have you noticed that nowhere have I mentioned actually cooking anything?
Another issue is that all those possibly-luscious new ventures are portioned for a family of four, at least. What if I hate it? I think olives and chicken might be tasty, but what if it’s awful? I’ve wasted a whole chicken, and those Kalamata olives aren’t cheap. Not to mention the recipes that begin “take two pounds of crabmeat….”
So, I could just eat the disasters, but I don’t look forward to it very much. I once made an absolutely lovely entree featuring sea bass with a light egg-cream Hollandaise-type sauce; that was when I discovered that sea bass tastes nothing like largemouth bass (I suppose I could have tried that one on the cats, but I was worried about the bones).
I could invite some people over to try the experiment with me, but then I’d have to clean the entire house, which I hate, and which would take even more time. I know, if they are friends, they aren’t coming to look at the dust under the bookcases, but I’d hate them to know what an absolute clutter-bug I am. And what if the recipe is lousy? Then I’ve subjected not only myself, but my friends to the fiasco, which hardly seems fair.
But I’d really like to try some of those possibly-delectable dishes. I suppose I could sort through them, and only keep the ones that really sound good, but then I’ll just have a smaller file, and I still won’t have actually tried anything...
What if I just start at the top of the pile, and make whatever comes up? That might work, but I’m afraid that the stack is rather heavily weighted toward the dessert category, and even cake with fluffy frosting can get to be too much after the first couple of weeks.
I could stop clipping so many recipes, but I’ve been trying to do that for several years, and, even at a reduced rate, they still pile up. I suppose I could try to stop “cold turkey” (no pun originally intended). It would be hard, but I always have those three bookcases of cookbooks to fall back on. Do you think that maybe there’s a “Recipes Anonymous” program out there somewhere?
Coming up
However, if you want a good lunch that requires no work at all, come to the Helderberg senior lunch every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. See friends, play games, and get out of the heat for a bit. Doors open at 11 a.m., and lunch is served promptly at noon
We may not be celebrating all of the holidays, but July is Eye Injury Prevention Month, National Horseradish Month, and National Parks & Recreation Month. The week of the July 15 to 21 is Rabbit Week, Everybody Deserves A Massage Week, and National Zoo Keeper Week. The 17th is National Ice Cream Day and Wrong Way Corrigan Day; the 20th is International Cake Day and Moon Day; and the 22nd is National Penuche Fudge Day, and Rat-catchers Day.
On Tuesday, July 19, the Helderberg senior lunch program will have Preventive Moves and Actions for Health, presented by physical therapist Brian Thornton. The 22nd will be chair yoga with Laurel. Coming up on July 26 will be a session on hydration, covering the advantages of drinking more, and what can happen if we don’t.
The Altamont seniors are taking a Hudson River cruise on Wednesday, July 20, including lunch at Mariners Harbor.. The cost is $45 for village residents, and $55 for all others. Call Kathy at 861-6258 to grab a seat.
Menu
The menu for the upcoming week is:
— Monday, July 18, chicken parmesan, spaghetti, Romaine salad, wheat bread, citrus ambrosia with whipped cream, and milk;
— Tuesday, July 19, roast turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted squash, stuffing, applesauce cake, and milk; and
— Friday, July 22, baked ziti with cheese, Italian blend vegetable, wheat roll, applesauce, and milk.
Please call Linda Hodges 24 hours in advance at 872-0940 to reserve lunch, or email her at: , or sign up when you come in. Tell us how many are coming, your name, and your telephone number. If you’d just like to come and help out, give Mary Moller a call at 861-6253, or email her at , and put volunteer in the subject line.
Congregate dining is provided by Helderberg Senior Services, and funded in large part through support from the Albany County Department for Aging, the NYS Office for Aging, and the Administration on Aging. Additional support for this program comes from donors and community businesses like you. The Hilltown Senior Center is located at 1360 Helderberg Trail (Route 443) in Berne.