Saturday, November 14, 2009

Cooking with our Clients

Living in a city such as San Francisco, we are exposed to many cultures. Every nation has its own contributions and something as special as food should be shared amongst everyone.

On a recent trip to Ensenada, Mexico, I went on an excursion called "Taste of Mexico". This was a cooking course to learn what is popular in Mexican cuisine. One of the appetizers we learn to make was guacamole. At our center, we have made guacamole and salsa before, however, I learn that is is not hard to make it into a cooking class with our clients.

Here is the list of ingredients:

avocado
tomato
onion
cilantro
garlic salt
jalapeno (optional)

That is a simple list, but of course you can fine tune it anyway you like. Make sure you also have a cutting board and a knife (plastic can be okay).

The easiest thing is just to put all the ingredients together, one at a time. While you teaching the steps, give them a little history about Mexico and how independence day in Mexico is not celebrated on Cinco De Mayo.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Halloween at the Center

Halloween may appear to be a celebration for the young, but it is much more than that at our center. Beginning with the month of October, we decorate the center with lots of colored pumpkins, real pumpkins and the aroma of pumpkin pie. In addition to the orange-colored fruit, we also put up posters and hangings of witches, ghosts, and anything we relate to Halloween.

There are numerous activities one can plan for a group. To encourage cognitive activity, our center does a word game with "Halloween". To play this game, we give everyone a copy of the word, then have our clients find words that are three letters or more from one word. You may be surprise at how many words a client can come up with. For Columbus Day, we came up with over 120 words. Another activity using their senses, they can watch a pumpkin carving. We ask clients to draw a face on the pumpkin, and the staff will carve it for safety reasons. Next, we will have our clients take out the seeds, wash them, and roast them in the oven with a little salt. Another idea just for fun is the Halloween Party. Encourage your clients to dress up. Provide them with hats, capes, masks, or jewelry. Another way to involve clients is to ask them what kind of food and beverages they will like to have at the party.

Happy Halloween and be safe!