by Guest | Dec 14, 2023 | Featured, Uncategorized
By Kitchen Maven, Judi Berman-Yamada
https://www.facebook.com/Creativepenandpantry/
A person with a definite sweet tooth, as a pre-teen I went on my first diet and reportedly cried out for
“chocolate cake” in my sleep. True story. And don’t get me started on pie, baked my first that same year.
Intent to have my cake and eat it too – whenever the craving arose. Thanksgiving breakfast at our house is
always my homemade Maple Pumpkin Pie, crowned with Chantilly cream and blackberries, a definite holiday
morning indulgence. But the pie contains no sugar, just 2/3 cup real maple syrup and the crust is wholewheat.
My dad had a real love-hate relationship with sugar, fat and all baked goods, resulting in heart disease and my
father-in-law, who also loved sweets, suffered from Type 2 diabetes. Taking a hint from them and an interest
in living a reasonably healthy active life, as a “foodie”, inspired me. Researching recipes and finding ways of
adapting and crafting healthier slightly less sweet versions turned into a favorite pastime.
Granted, keeping in mind the variety of dietetic restrictions at our celebratory tables can be daunting, but
these straightforward, easy dessert recipes could be the crowning glory of the meal and a success with
everyone at your table. How sad it would be if anyone had to go without their holiday dessert.
FROZEN FRUIT BERRY COMPOTE
This slowly simmered virtually all berry compote bubbles away into syrupy goodness a day or two before the holiday gathering. Top some vanilla ice cream with a dollop and sprinkle with toasted almonds, chocolate chips, coconut or sprinkles – whatever floats your boat.
- 32 ounces mixed frozen berries
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup real maple syrup OR other natural sweetener (Agaves nectar, honey, sugar)
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-quart saucepan
Put frozen berries, water, maple syrup and salt in saucepan. Set heat at medium, stirring every 15 minutes
until all berries are defrosted and floating in liquid. Stir every 15-20 minutes. Once the fruit and liquid simmer
constantly, turn heat down to medium-low, stirring every 5-10 minutes or until no watery liquid remains and
the berries are suspended in syrup. When you draw a wooden or silicone spoon across the bottom of the
saucepan, the syrup will separate showing the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Allow compote to cool to slightly warm and refrigerate in a closed container. Delicious on vanilla ice cream,
white or chocolate cake and over pancakes, waffles, or plain yogurt. 8-10 servings as a topping.
LIGHT LEMON CHEESECAKE CUPS
When it comes to both thriftiness and weight loss baking individual sweet and savory treats is
really a great idea. Whether it’s dinner rolls or tarts, biscuits, frittatas or cheesecakes, minis
set easy limits on overindulging. And individual treats go farther because diners know exactly what a serving looks like. This makes 12 mini cheesecakes, but doubling is easy as long as you
have two muffin pans.
- ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs – about 5 sheets (regular or gluten free)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, nonfat or low fat
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted OR gluten free flour OR corn starch
- 2 large eggs, room temperature & lightly beat
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Line the 12-cups of a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, stirring to combine well.
Distribute crumb mixture evenly in the 12-cupcake liners. Press down the mixture in each cup.
Using an electric mixer, combine softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the applesauce, yogurt, lemon juice, zest and flour until mixture is well blended. Add eggs. Beat just until eggs are well blended into mixture. Give the batter one last stir and divide it into the cupcake liners.
Bake in a preheated oven from 20-28 minutes (depending on your oven), or until the cheesecake centers are almost set. Cool to room temperature and then cover the entire pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove cakes from pan using a small offset spatula or fork.
Enjoy with toppings of your choice. May be served in the liners or removed from liners onto small plates.
12 servings
Original: Kitchen Maven
SPICED CARROT COOKIES
This easy, tasty little rationing recipe can be served, simply, as written with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or turn them into thumbprint cookies by rolling the balls of cookie dough in chopped nuts or unsweetened coconut, pressing in a thumbprint, and filling them with jam for a colorful presentation. Either way, this
is a great recipe to make with kids and will certainly have them looking at carrots in a different way.
Grease cookie baking sheets or line with parchment.
Preheat oven to 390 degrees F.
- 2 tablespoons margarine OR butter (Earth Balance for vegans)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoon grated raw carrot
- 12 tablespoons all-purpose OR whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg
- 1-2 tablespoons water, as needed
- Nutmeats or raisins, optional
- Confectioners’ sugar
Cream the margarine and sugar together with the vanilla extract
Mix in the grated carrot
Whisk the flour together with the dry ingredients
Fold the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture. If mixture is too dry, stir in the water
Drop dough by Tablespoon sized scoops onto greased or parchment lined cookie baking tray
and press the dough down a little
Top each with a nutmeat or a few raisins, if using
Bake in oven for 10- 15 minutes. Cool on racks
Sprinkle or toss with confectioners’ sugar, if using
Yields Two dozen cookies/Easily doubled
CHOCOLATE DEPRESSION CAKE (a.k.a. Wacky Cake)
This is a well-used and well-loved old recipe that became popular during the hard times of the 1930’s and through the war times of rationing. Very likely, over the years, it made many a child smile. Although it uses minimal ingredients, it’s still a great tasting, frugal, recipe today. And it’s vegan. If desired, sprinkle top of cooled cake with powdered sugar, top with whipped cream or frost with ganache and decorate with berries.
- 1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour OR white whole wheat flour OR all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar OR white vinegar
- 1 cup cold coffee OR cold water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray or oil only the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan
or 9-inch round cake pan.
Sift together the dry ingredients into a medium bowl. If you don’t have a sifter, use a fine metal
strainer. Sifting the dry ingredients helps make the cake light.
Combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl or pint liquid measuring cup. Stir well to combine.
Then immediately pour liquid over the dry ingredients. Whisk or stir to combine, just until no
dry ingredients show. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30
minutes. Test with cake tester or toothpick after 25 minutes. Only a few crumbs should cling.
Allow cake to cool completely on a cooling rack (one to two hours) before cutting.
Historical Recipe/Original Source Unknown
FRESH OREGON APPLE TART a la JACQUES
This utterly simple tart is homage to my favorite chef, Jacques Pepin. My adaptation of his
recipe (Maman’s Tarte) isn’t low calorie, but it boasts more fiber and less sugar than the
original. As with the original, it’s delicious, quick, economical and contains commonly available
ingredients. Use whatever apples you have. They don’t have to be perfect, just juicy. This
rustic tart goes well with some sharp Cheddar, melted a bit, with vanilla or rum ice cream and
with whipped cream. Serves 6 – 8
CRUST:
- Butter for baking pan
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour OR
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour + ½ cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, room
- ¼ cup milk, lukewarm
- 1 large egg, beaten
FILLING:
- 3 large apples or 6 small apples:
- Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith or what have you – peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
- 2 Tablespoons butter OR margarine, melted
- 5 teaspoons granulated sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon OR 3 Tablespoons warmed apricot jam
Butter a 9-inch ovenproof glass pie plate OR 7” x 11” glass baking dish OR 9” tart pan. Preheat
the oven to 400 F. Position rack in center of oven.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 Tablespoon sugar, salt, and baking
powder. Add 1/3 cup shortening into the dry ingredients. Mash it into the dry ingredients with a spoon or spatula until smaller clumps form. Then, using your fingers, rub the shortening into the flour mixture to produce the texture of coarse sand.
Add lukewarm milk and egg. Stir until just combined. Press the dough together with your hands, and transfer
to the pie dish or baking pan. Press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. A sheet of
plastic wrap and bottom of measuring cup are helpful to press evenly and keep dough from sticking. Don’t
leave the dough too thick around the bottom edge and up the sides.
Refrigerate until firm, around 30–35 minutes
Remove crust from refrigerator. Arrange apple wedges, over crust, overlapping slightly in straight rows or in
circles pressing them evenly over the crust. Cube extra apple wedges and fill in spaces. Brush apples, evenly with melted butter. Combine 5 teaspoons granulated sugar and ground cinnamon and
sprinkle evenly over buttered apples OR melt apricot jam and brush over apples. Place tart on center rack of oven. Lower oven heat to 350 F. Rotate tart halfway through baking. Bake until crust is golden, and apples are tender when poked with a knife, 40-50 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven. Cool for at least 15 minutes, on cooling rack, before serving. Delicious as is, or
with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or melted thinly sliced Cheddar.
6-8 servings.
Adapted from original: Chef Jacques Pepin
Many recipes in my posts are found in my cookbook, “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging
Times”. The book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. All (100%) of
author royalties from retail sales of my cookbook go directly to the Oregon Food Bank,
Tillamook Services, to assist families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Purchasing
the cookbook will benefit not only the recipient of the cookbook, but people in need, as well.
Living near Tillamook County or even in Portland, you can purchase the book through Food
Roots Farm to Table Marketplace for a sale price and all proceeds will go directly to that non-
profit organization.
Amazon.com: Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times: 9780578310763: Berman-Yamada, Judith, Berman-
Yamada, Judith: Books
Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times by Judith Berman-Yamada, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
(barnesandnoble.com)
by Guest | Dec 7, 2023 | Being Well, Featured, Why I'm In
Why are you “IN”?
The Tillamook County Wellness “Why I’m In” interview series highlights our community partners and what has inspired and motivated them to work toward the common goal of improving community health.
“WHY I’M IN …” An interview with Janeane Krongos, Prevention Specialist, Tillamook Family Counseling Center (TFCC). Janeane is the co-chair of the health and promotion committee.
What drew you/your organization to partner with Tillamook County Wellness?
Janeane: Being part of the Tillamook County Wellness (TCW) Health Promotion committee was a natural choice for me, because TCW and I have a shared goal of improving community health through increasing protective factors. Protective factors are characteristics or attributes that can help to lower the risk of negative health outcomes such as diabetes, substance misuse, underage substance use prevention, problem gambling, and suicide prevention. Examples of protective factors include access to basic needs (food and housing), social connections, connection to the community, access to resources, access to healthcare, coping skills, and problem-solving skills.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Janeane: One change that I have seen since I have been part of this group is an increased focus on prevention topics (substance misuse, problem gambling prevention, and suicide prevention) and mental health in TCW content on the website and social media. I think this is a beneficial change and I hope to see more content on these topics.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Janeane: I am relatively new to the Tillamook County, I moved to the community in March 2020. Being part of the committee has allowed me to learn about Tillamook County directly from committee members who know the area well. In the monthly meetings I had opportunities to meet with people who are active in the community. Additionally, I have learned about local places that I can go to exercise (local parks, hiking trails, beaches, & facilities), local organizations, community resources, and community events.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Janeane: The organization that I work for (Tillamook Family Counseling Center) has played an active role in TCW since its inception. I hope that they will continue to play an active part in TCW. As for myself, I hope that I will continue to play an active role in TCW. I am the current co-chair of the Health Promotion committee. I enjoy having this role. I respect the members of the group, enjoy the meetings, and enjoy having opportunities to share prevention messaging and share helpful resources in TCW content. Since I have been part of this committee, I have had opportunities to write blogs on a variety of topics including problem gambling prevention, safe medication practices, suicide prevention, and mental health.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing community health in Tillamook County.
Janeane: One hope that I have for the future, is for more community members to get involved in TCW. Currently TCW has around 80 partners who volunteer their time and skills and around 50 community partner organizations who allow staff to attend the meetings. A person can get in TCW in whatever way that works best for them. Examples of ways a person can get involved include: joining a TCW committee(Health Promotion, Access to Care, Access to Physical Activity, and Workplace Wellness), participating in TCW campaigns(This Way to Well-Being), attending TCW programs(walking groups, workshops, or events), sharing your ideas by filling out surveys, following TCW on social media, engaging with TCW social media post (like, share, and comment), subscribing to the TCW newsletter, or making a donation to TCW on the website.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing community health in Tillamook County?
I hope that TCW continues to have strong partner support and continues to generate relevant and trusted health inspiration content.
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 | Nov 30, 2023 | Being Well, Featured, Uncategorized
The seventh annual Tillamook County Giving Guide was delivered to every mailbox in Tillamook County the week of November 20th. The Guide features profiles of over 45 nonprofits and includes a list of over 120 organizations that are doing amazing charitable work in our communities. The Giving Guide is distributed to encourage year-end giving, and to provide information about the valuable resources and services available from the diversity of organizations. There are many ways to give, and so much good work throughout the county.
Interested in animals? Check out Animal Haven by the Sea, Tillamook Animal Shelter or Tillamook K9 Rescue. Organizations that support children – Bay City Arts Center, CASA, Coast Kids, CHILD and many more. Seniors – we have information about Senior Meals Programs in North County, Rockaway Beach and Tillamook. Health, Environment, Recreation, Social Services – there truly is something for everyone. Their missions cover all the sectors of our society: health and wellness, sustainability, environment, conservation, food security, women, children, animals, and arts and cultural. One of the most valuable things you can give is your time. Volunteering will also provide well-being benefits that “something missing” connection to your community.
All things connect and the 2023 Tillamook County Giving Guide provides many opportunities to connect with your community to support with your dollars and your time, these vitally important organizations. Your generosity is needed and appreciated!
The “Tree of Life” paintings featured on the cover, and throughout the Giving Guide, are from Sitka Center’s Youth Program and visually show how we are all connected to each other, our community, and to nature.
We know the people who people our local nonprofits work hard to provide a wide variety of services, that enhance our lives here in Tillamook County. Besides their various services, our local nonprofits add other value to our community by providing jobs, a trained and inclusive workforce, volunteer opportunities, internships and training, and places and events where we gather socially. And more subtly, but no less importantly, because they work together, they are helping to create a culture of collaboration, partnerships and communication.
How about a donation in the name of your family member or friend to a local nonprofit? Or a membership in one of the organizations that will give your gift recipient all kinds of benefits throughout the next year? The donation will benefit many in our community.
Here is YOUR opportunity to give back. Donate time or money or simply share these valuable resources and services with those that need them. If you don’t see your favorite nonprofit on a page, check the list, and if you don’t see a local nonprofit please contact us to add it to the online list. We thank you in advance for your support of our local nonprofits that enrich our lives and community!
Fulcrum Community Resources’ (fulcrumresources.org) mission is to foster the transition of the Nehalem Bay community to a sustainable future. Our volunteer group initiates and coordinates local programs in north Tillamook County on the north Oregon Coast. We also sponsor others’ projects that fit with our mission and goals. We see Fulcrum, not as a hub, but as an enabling node – one of many groups locally who are organizing and creating projects. Our guiding philosophy is that the most effective and innovative projects are initiated at the grassroots community level.
The Tillamook County Giving Guide is produced in partnership with Fulcrum Community Resources, and Tillamook County Pioneer. The Giving Guide is mailed to every address in Tillamook County around the Thanksgiving holiday. Additional copies are available at Tillamook County Library branches and other locations throughout Tillamook County. It is available online at the Tillamook County Pioneer (www.tillamookcountypioneer.net) or North Coast BBQ (www.northcoastbbq.com).
Author: Laura Swanson, Board Member, Fulcrum Community Resources
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 | Nov 22, 2023 | Being Well, Featured, Uncategorized, Work Well
For many people, the holiday season is filled with opportunities to gather with family and friends. Some gatherings may have alcoholic beverages as a drink option for adults who are the legal age to consume alcohol. If you are the legal age to consume alcohol and are offered an alcoholic beverage, I encourage you to take a moment to ‘Rethink the Drink’. Rethinking the drink will allow you time to reflect on the role alcohol plays in your life, plays in the lives of those around you, and will allow you time to consider if there are any changes that you would like to make concerning alcohol.
Drinking alcohol can be harmful to a person’s health. Alcohol use has both short-term and long-term health risks. Examples of short-term health risk include poisoning, accidents, and unsafe sexual behavior. Examples of long-term health risk include memory problems, increased risk of cancer, weakened immune system, and mental health problems. According to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), “More than 2,000 people in Oregon die from alcohol-related causes every year”. The OHA adds that the number of people who die from alcohol-related causes is three times higher than the number of people who die from other drug overdoses. To address this concern, the OHA created a campaign called ‘Rethink the Drink’. The target audience for this campaign are adults who are at the legal age to consume alcohol. One of the main components of this campaign is a website. People who visit the website can learn about excessive alcohol use, health consequences of excessive alcohol use, and learn where to get support for excessive alcohol use. The campaign’s website is www.rethinkthedrink.com.
My top takeaways from this campaign are:
- Excessive drinking includes underage drinking, drinking while pregnant, binge drinking, and heavy drinking. According to the OHA, 1 in 5 people in Oregon drink excessively. Excessive drinking increases a person’s risk of an alcohol use disorder, certain cancers (colorectal, prostate, breast, cancers of the mouth, etc.), heart disease, and liver disease.
- Excessive drinking includes both binge and heavy drinking. Binge drinking for a male is five or more drinks on one occasion. Binge drinking for females is four or more drinks on one occasion. Heavy drinking for a male is fifteen or more drinks per week. Heavy drinking for a female is, eight or more a drinks per week.
- Not all drinks have equal alcohol content. Alcohol calculators can help a person understand how many standard drinks are in each drink. For more information about standard drinks, review the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at www.niaaa.nih.gov.
- A person can become more aware of their behaviors involving alcohol by utilizing the track, count, and shift method. Step 1, track the number of drinks, step 2, calculate the total alcohol in each drink, and step 3, get advice and/or shift to healthier options.
- Alcohol treatment services are available to help individuals explore how drinking impacts their life. The campaign’s website has an alcohol treatment navigator link. This link will take you to the NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website. On the website community members identify resources in their area. The resources featured on the website include alcohol treatment programs, counselors, therapists, and doctors. One local provider located on the navigator is the Tillamook Family Counseling Center, to learn more call (503) 842-8201.
I encourage adults to spend time this holiday season having conversations with youth about the dangers of excessive drinking. These conversations can make a big impact in the prevention of underage alcohol use.
Tips for having conversations with youth about alcohol:
- Learn about the harms of underage drinking. To learn about this topic, I recommend the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) website to review ‘Get the Facts About Underage Drinking’. The website can be accessed at www.niaaa.nih.gov.
- Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) website and review the ‘Talk. They Hear You’ campaign. This campaign can be found at www.samhsa.gov.
- Have conversations with youth early and continue the conversations into early adulthood.
- Integrate topics about alcohol into everyday conversations.
- Educate youth on the harms of underage alcohol consumption.
- Help youth feel confident declining alcohol by roleplaying scenarios that they may be offered alcohol.
- Let youth know that they can come to you if they have questions about alcohol.
Author: Janeane Krongos, Tillamook Family Counseling Center
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.
