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Saturday, March 30, 2013

An Easter Blessing

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Happy Easter to all of my followers!

A prayer for you, as you celebrate Easter with family and friends. Feel free to print out and read before your Easter meal.

"Dear Lord, we thank you for bringing us your Son, our savior Jesus Christ. As we celebrate His resurrection with our loved ones, we ask that you bless those who cannot be with us.

We are thankful for being able to share this meal with our family and friends, and ask that you bless this food we are about to eat.

Jesus is the light of the world and we pray that He continues to guide us, letting His light shine through us so others may come to know Him through our actions and in our words.

Thank you Jesus for giving us a very special gift... the gift of one another. Help us not to take for granted the love of those around us, the time shared among us, and the food you set before us. Amen."  

-  Laura Yagelski

Click Here for a printer-friendly version of this prayer.
                 

Monday, March 25, 2013

My Hospice Journal - "Pleasantly Confused"

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"Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received; and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work." - Mother Teresa


For selfish reasons, I am never instantly happy to hear when one of my hospice patients passes away. My mind starts thinking about our visits, how I am going to miss seeing them, talking to them, feeding them, etc. 

This last hospice patient was a lovely elderly lady who was feisty, kind, and "pleasantly" confused. That term, pleasantly confused, was the description I received from the hospice organization I volunteer for when they sent me the details on this precious lady before I ever went to visit with her.  From now on, I am referring to all my Alzheimer's patients as "pleasantly confused". Love it! I only had the chance to visit with her three or four times but I know I will never forget her.

Having Alzheimer's, she often talked to herself and held conversations with people not present. Sometimes I was glad they weren't present because it was obvious in a few of her conversations, she was upset with them. Most have already passed before her, but that didn't stop her from instructing me to go into the other room and tell someone to "shake a leg" since she was ready to go and needed to get home before dark. 

Most of the time she was in pain, but with Alzheimer's, she forgot she was in pain until she felt the pain again. This doesn't make much sense to us who aren't so confused (until now) but it eases the caregiver's mind, knowing a patient in pain often times forgets the pain when their mind/thoughts are back in the garden, taking a walk, or visiting unseen loved ones.

Her favorite thing to do when I was there was to hold her "baby." This was a battery-operated stuffed animal that when activated, will repeat everything you say. To her, this wonderful little buddy offered just the right conversation by repeating everything she had just said. She could remember the last sentence or two she spoke, so when repeated back to her, it was a nice two-way conversation that held her attention and made her giggle. She was only confused during the times the stuffed animal was silent, not realizing it was only because she had not said anything for it to repeat. What a precious memory I have of her holding it close to her face waiting for it to talk to her and after about three minutes of silence she would bring it up to her nose and say "Boo!" to wake it up. When "boo" was repeated back to her, her soft laughter was something I only wish I could have captured on film. I will have to lock that away in my memory and smile every time I think of it.

I cherish the short amount of time I get to spend with these patients. It's a small reminder to me that time waits for no-one. We all have one life to live and the ability to care for those nearing the end of theirs. It's an honor and a privilege and one I will continue to do until I am "pleasantly confused."

R.I.P. my sweet hospice patient. †

Low-Point Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

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Seared to perfection and sealed with a great-tasting honey ginger glaze, this Mahi Mahi recipe is full of flavor and very low point!!

Low-Point Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

Ingredients:

- 2, 5 oz. Mahi Mahi fillets 
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbs honey
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 2 tsp. Mirin (Sweetened Saki) or soy sauce
- 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- salt to taste

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat and add garlic. Saute' for a few minutes. In a small bowl combine honey, ginger, Mirin, and balsamic vinegar. Coat fish with honey mixture and place in skillet. Pour the rest of the mixture on top. Sear fish for about three minutes on each side, sprinkle with salt, and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

Total servings - 2
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 3.7
Points plus per serving - 3.8

"People may not always tell you how they feel, but they'll always show you. Pay attention." - Anonymous

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Oatmeal Casserole

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Start your morning out with a wholesome and healthy oatmeal casserole! The amazing combination of fresh fruit, oats, pecans, and chocolate chips fills you up and jump starts your day!

Ingredients:

- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup fresh raspberries (any berries will work)
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 2 cups 1% milk
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbs butter, melted 
- 1 Tbs vanilla extract
- 1 ripe banana, cut into slices


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray a 10 1/2-inch by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, pecans and half of the fresh berries. (Save the other 1/2 cup of fresh fruit for the top of the casserole). In another bowl, whisk together milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.

Add the oat mixture to the baking dish. Arrange the remaining 1/2 cup of fresh fruit on top and add the banana slices. Pour the milk mixture over everything, gently shaking the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle with a tablespoon of extra brown sugar. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.


"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." 
- Arthur Ashe