by Guest | Oct 19, 2022 | Recipes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces)
- 1 ¼ cups nonfat ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons basil
- ¼ teaspoon sage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 cup pasta sauce
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and place each on a baking sheet to cool.
- In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, spices and all but 1 Tablespoon of the cheese. Reserve the 1 Tablespoon cheese for topping.
- Spread pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish that holds all the shells in a single layer. Fill each shell with about 3 Tablespoons of pumpkin mixture and place shells close together on top of the sauce.
- Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes more.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes:
- Freeze unused pumpkin and add to soup, chili or pancake recipes.
Photo & Recipe Source: https://foodhero.org/recipes/pumpkin-ricotta-stuffed-shells
by Guest | Oct 18, 2022 | Being Well
Making a plan to get vaccinated as soon as possible is the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19, flu, and pneumonia, which could be even more important this year as we approach winter.
Data from the CDC shows that COVID-19 safety precautions have helped to keep individuals safe from the flu for the last two years, but that also means our natural immunity to the influenza virus has waned. To make predictions about our upcoming flu season, scientists use evidence about flu rates and severity from flu cases in Australia as they experience their winter when we are in summer. This year, Australia has experienced a rise in flu cases during their winter season and experts anticipate the United States will follow suit.
In addition, research has shown that immunity from COVID-19 vaccines (and COVID-19 infections) decline over time, and therefore it is important to get a booster dose to remain protected from COVID-19. The updated bivalent COVID-19 booster protects against the original strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 along with the subvariant Omicron, including BA.4 and BA.5. Health experts predict an increase in COVID-19 cases through November as we move into the winter months.
To help keep yourself and your community safe, Tillamook County Public Health strongly recommends everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot and anyone 5 years and older get a bivalent booster as soon as possible. It’s safe (and convenient!) to receive the flu vaccine at the same time you receive your COVID-19 vaccination or booster.
Immunizations such as flu and pneumonia are covered benefits for many insurance plans, including Medicare and Oregon Health Plan (OHP). COVID-19 vaccines are available at no cost. Please bring your insurance card and COVID-19 vaccine card, if available, when you plan to receive your immunizations.
You can schedule an appointment at any health clinic or pharmacy in Tillamook County for a flu or COVID-19 bivalent booster. You can also drop-by one of the upcoming walk-in COVID-19 and flu clinics this month and next month hosted by Tillamook County Community Health Centers. See the schedule below:
Central County Location: Tillamook County Fairgrounds Convention Center at 4630 3rd St, Tillamook
- Saturday, October 29th from 10 am to 2 pm
- Monday, November 7th from 10 am to 6 pm
- Tuesday, November 8th from 10 am to 6 pm
South County Location: Nestucca Valley K-8 school in the small gym at 36925 U.S. 101 S, Cloverdale
- Wednesday, October 19th from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm
- Thursday, October 20th from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm
For any questions, call 503-842-3940 or visit https://tillamookchc.org/
AUTHOR: Tillamook County Public Health
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Oct 12, 2022 | Recipes
Total Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ pound fingerling potatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or other herbs
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained, and rinsed) patted dry with a paper towel
- ½ pound green beans
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper (optional)
Directions:
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss potatoes with garlic, herbs, and half of olive oil.
- Place in a single layer in a roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- When potatoes are tender and starting to brown, add the chickpeas and green beans and roast for another 10 minutes.
- While that roasts, in a small bowl whisk together mustard, olive oil, vinegar, and honey to form an emulsified dressing.
- Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables and beans to a platter and drizzle with dressing. Serve warm.
Recipe Source: Adventist Health Blue Zones Kitchen, https://www.adventisthealth.org/blog/2022/july/recipe-roasted-potatoes-green-beans-with-mustard/
Photo Source: David McLain
by Guest | Oct 11, 2022 | Archive
You may be familiar with physical wellbeing or mental wellbeing, but what about financial wellbeing? Financial wellness focuses on our relationship with money and how we feel about the control we have over our financial future. If you’ve felt stressed about money, you’re not alone! Most of us experience a range of emotions when it comes to finances, and finding a starting point can feel overwhelming.
The connection between financial stress and mental and physical health led us at Tillamook County Wellness to focus the last few months on financial wellbeing. Thanks to a donation of time, Liz Carroll, Financial Life Coach at Mindful Money Coaches LLC, has provided insight and guidance for us to share on how to develop a healthier relationship with finances.
You may have seen some of the videos that Liz has created as part of a financial wellness mini-series that we have been sharing on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page this past summer. Each of the 15 videos are just a couple minutes long and cover a range of topics such as how to create goals & set guidelines, use different approaches for eliminating debt, set up “budget billing” where utility companies distribute your costs evenly over the year, and shift out of a negative mindset when it comes to organizing finances. If you missed some of these videos, don’t worry – we have all of them linked on our new Financial Wellness page at https://tillamookcountywellness.org/work-well/financial-wellness/
We are also excited to announce that we will be hosting three (free!) virtual webinars in collaboration with Liz Carroll for community members who are interested in diving deeper into their financial wellness journey. These webinars will be held on Mondays from 12 pm to 1 pm during the month of October:
- October 10th – Money Mindset: How we think about money matters (recording coming soon!)
- October 17th – Building a Budget: Managing spending habits
- October 24th – Financial Planning Fundamentals: Planning for the future and staying on course
These webinars are open to all community members – join for one or join for all! You can find the registration link here or on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page.
If you have any questions about the upcoming webinars, please reach out to Michelle at jenckmd@ah.org. We hope to see you all there!
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Oct 5, 2022 | Why I'm In
What drew you to partner with Tillamook County Wellness?
I worked in the legal profession where I saw so many situations that called for vibrant and accessible community health services. After I retired, I volunteered a lot in the community, focusing on improving connections and services with under-served populations. I’ve mentored a number of young people in prison and others in need of emotional support. Our community is in great need of services that connect people with each other on a personal heart-to-heart level and with essential resources. One day I volunteered at the Homeless Connect event, and saw firsthand the stark disparity of basic health services and human connection, and the need to inform the community on our many social and health needs. I’m a writer, so I have tried to increase that awareness through the telling and sharing of personal stories and available resources. The Wellness program is “boots on the ground” and focuses on actions that are evidence-based and effective.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
There’s an increased awareness of individual education and responsibility, of taking small yet significant steps to change lifestyles, to be pro-active, and to work collectively for social change on a community level. I’m interested in not just physical health changes, but also mental health action steps and services, serving everyone. “It takes a village” has become an accepted attitude in the community. The Wellness project has brought about an effective gathering of like-minded people who know how to get things accomplished.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
As Margaret Mead said, “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you?
I need to understand more about the role of trauma in our lives and in our work. Our individual and collective response to emotional and physical trauma is an overarching force in our lives, and we all need healthy tools to respond and heal. We need more trauma-informed care. Our schools are working on that, and we need to follow their lead.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing community health in Tillamook County?
I’ve been empowered and I realize that a small group of impassioned, committed people can change community attitudes and provide a collective and effective response to long term problems. Most solutions are found in small communities, and we can effectively work together to make a difference. The Wellness group doesn’t take “no” for an answer, and keeps exploring and implementing innovative, creative solutions. This work gives me hope and is an empowering positive force in our community.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Each member of the community matters. We each have something to offer. There is an enormous need for mentorship, and we underestimate the power of empathic, one-on-one relationships to change and heal lives.
