by Guest | Dec 22, 2020 | Recipes
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small diced onion
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 8 oz wild rice
- 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the water and chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Add the rice; cover and cook according to package directions; usually about 50-60 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add in the toasted almonds and cranberries; use a fork to mix together.
Recipe Source: https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/wild-rice-with-cranberries-and-almonds.html
Photo Credit: Peter Papoulakos
by Guest | Dec 17, 2020 | Being Well
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the school system as teachers learn to provide education virtually, students adapt to an online environment, and families balance working and learning all within the same home. It is easy to forget that school systems offer far more than just an education; they provide meals, childcare, transportation, supplies, peer interaction, and a network of support staff. As a Speech Language Pathologist for Tillamook County’s Early Intervention program, Kaylie Seymour provides support and guidance to families with children who need extra help learning to communicate, specifically those ages 0 – 3 with speech delays, communication disorders, autism or down syndrome, or who are nonverbal. Like many of those within school systems, the transition to virtual work was not easy as some families are uninterested or unable to meet virtually. Yet, there has been a silver lining with families who have been able to meet through Zoom: the removal of travel time between households has freed up more space in Kaylie’s schedule so that she can meet with families more frequently. This increase in interaction time, even if virtual, has led to stronger emotional connections being built with families in the community – something that is much needed in today’s world.
Although Kaylie has been able to support families more frequently through working virtually, the adjustment has also come with its own personal challenges. When the stay-at-home orders were set in March, Kaylie had just returned to her relatively new position within Early Intervention after taking maternity leave. This meant she was still learning to navigate the policies and procedures of the organization as she was also transitioning to working from home and caring for a new baby. When work and home become the same environment, it is challenging to draw a line between the two. As Kaylie pointed out in the balance of work and caregiving for her son: “You’re working and thinking of him or playing with him and thinking of work. I really had to sit down and decide to carve out family time where I wouldn’t check my phone or email.” It can be extremely difficult to set boundaries within any aspect of life, but COVID-19 has created even greater challenges. Kaylie and her family of 3 have maintained a tight bubble, and they have been hesitant to physically spend time with extended family members who have not taken as many precautions. Within these circumstances, Kaylie has felt torn: “Either I feel guilty that I’ve broken our close-knit family COVID-19 rules or I feel guilty for not letting my parents see their grandson.” As the holidays are upon us, these are the feelings that many of us are grappling with as we try to prioritize the safety of our families while also not losing those crucial connections.
Within this socially-distanced world, communication is a vital aspect of well-being. Kaylie relies on video calls with extended family and regular check-in text messages from close friends as a method for making it through each day. She also points out that navigating parenting in a pandemic is a new challenge in itself, and acknowledging and communicating stress limits is a form of self-care. More recently, Kaylie and her family have been trying to recreate favorite activities from before the onset of COVID-19. For example, planning a craft night with friends over Zoom where everyone gathers supplies ahead of time to work on the same project together, or recreating a movie theater by making buttery popcorn, dimming the lights, and turning off cell phones. These last few months have been challenging as we adapt to a virtual world and learn to set healthy boundaries, but a little creativity with the help of a few loved ones has the potential to go a long way in finding moments of joy.
AUTHOR: Ariel Slifka, Tillamook County Wellness AmeriCorps VISTA
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
by Guest | Dec 17, 2020 | Recipes
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Ingredients
- ½ pound lean ground meat (15% fat)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans with liquid
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with liquid
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
Instructions
- Brown meat and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat (350 F degrees in an electric skillet). Drain fat.
- Add undrained beans, tomatoes with liquid and chili powder.
- Reduce heat to low (250 F degrees in an electric skillet), cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Serve with shredded cabbage, low fat sour cream, cilantro or grated cheese.
- Add other vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, celery, and corn, if desired.
- Add dried cumin, oregano or red pepper flakes in Step 2 for extra flavor!
Recipe & Photo Source: https://www.foodhero.org/recipes/quick-chili
by Guest | Dec 16, 2020 | Being Well
We’ve been sharing ways to #CopeWell during stressful and uncertain times. Because mental health is connected to our physical well-being, health care services are increasingly offering mental and behavioral health services in conjunction with primary care to effectively address root causes of health concerns. This Wellness Wednesday tribute goes to Adventist Health Tillamook and their providers who share information about these vital services.
What are some of the more common issues for which people are seeking help right now?
We are definitely seeing an increase in individuals struggling with feelings of anxiety and depression, but anxiety seems to be the predominant emotion at this time. It is important to recognize that anxiety and depression affect children as well as adults. It is estimated that about 7.1% of children, ages 3-17 experience these conditions. There is also a lifetime prevalence of 28.8%, with the average age of onset around age 11.
What are common warning signs for this condition?
Common warning signs people should look for include excessive worry, restlessness, insomnia, racing thoughts and fear of the future. If any person is experiencing these symptoms, it is important to schedule a visit with their primary care provider who will work with their care team to support their mental and physical health needs.
What are some of the specific services your organization provides that help individuals with these concerns?
As a first line of treatment, patients are provided counseling or behavioral health treatment. Typically, this is a form of talk therapy where a person gains insight into their thoughts and how they are affected by anxiety, and then develops an understanding of how to best cope with it. There are also more specialized approaches that some therapists utilize such as somatic experience, movement, or Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) to name a few. There are also medications such as SSRI’s which can help reduce a person’s feelings of anxiety, which would be prescribed by their medical provider.
Are these services covered by insurance and/or do you offer a sliding scale for payment?
Adventist Health Tillamook accepts insurance for behavioral health services, and if someone does not have insurance, the hospital has a financial assistance program to help those who otherwise might not be able to afford these services.
With multiple behavioral health providers working within the Adventist Health system, you can find one that fits your needs. And just like with medical care, if your provider does not suit your needs, it is your right to switch providers. Having a provider you feel shares a connection is vital within behavioral health care.
To schedule an appointment, call (503) 842-5546. You can also go to https://www.adventisthealth.org/tillamook/services/behavioral-health/ to learn more.
by Guest | Dec 10, 2020 | Recipes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup non-fat or 1% milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef (15% fat)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 teaspoon or cube beef boullion
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Put diced potatoes in saucepan; add enough water to barely cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until soft (about 15 minutes.).
- Drain potatoes and mash. Stir in milk, cheese, salt and pepper; set mixture aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Brown meat in a large skillet. Add onion powder, if using. Stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add vegetables, bouillon and water. Cook 5 minutes until bubbly.
- Spoon vegetable mixture into 8 inch square baking dish. Spread potato mixture over vegetable/meat mixture.
- Bake 25 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Recipe & Photo Source: https://foodhero.org/recipes/superhero-shepherds-pie
