Cooking for 50 Senior Citizens

[CaliPoutine]

The next meal is on Feb 8th.

I've already ordered 3 family packs of sausage( mild italian, English Banger and Honey Garlic). The sausage is on for 1.99lb. Each package has 24 sausages and cost about 11 dollars. I'm not sure how I'm going to cook them yet. Either boil and then bake or just bake. I also plan on doing onions and peppers on top of the stove. I'll also have the volunteers walk around with 2 kinds of mustard. The previous cook told me the seniors love the sausage but she fixed it with bottled bbq sauce. I'm going to make my apple cole-slaw as well. I havent figured out what kind of starch or veg or dessert. I need to do something Valentine themed for dessert.

Ideas are welcome.

[Kouign Aman]

Egg noodles?

Pickled beets, with a few cookie cuttered into heart shapes?

[Rebecca263]

Angel food cake with strawberry ice cream and a bit of berry compote is pretty, easy and fairly inexpensive. You can even spring for fresh berries and just use one or two as a garnish on each plate. Or, even add a heart shaped bit of chocolate to each serving. I know, it sounds plebian, but it IS delicious and I happen to enjoy delicious, even when it comes in a humble package. Am I still allowed on eGullet?

[zoe b]

a beautiful meal--you are doing good work, girl!!!

sausage and mashed potatoes with oniony gravy--I had that in pubs in England and I dream about it.

serve some kind of sharp greens in a salad with it

and apple crisp for dessert--oh, wait is that the V-Day dinner?

cupcakes are fun--you could make chocolate ones with pink frosting and sprinkles.

[Rebecca263]

AAh, you think that they might be sick of berries and inwant of cherries instead? Or perhaps chocolate cake this time around, with small heart shaped cookies alongside? Yipes, VDay ideas are way too abundant, aren't they? By the way, I've never had thousand island dressing, it looks rich, and good!

[Kerry Beal]

I like a nice mash of turnips and apples with a fatty meat like sausage.

[ruthcooks]

Mashed potatoes, definitely. Since the seniors like them, why not include potatoes every time they fit the menu? I think the onions and peppers qualify as a vegetable, especially if you are serving cole slaw, but perhaps some broccoli if you really need another.

Dessert: seniors seem to really like cookies. Large heart shaped sugar cookies frosted pink or red, if you have time. Or raspberry, strawberry or peppermint ice cream with chocolate sauce, perhaps a small candy heart on top. For that matter, any old dessert you feel like making, garnished with candy hearts.

[murraygrey]

You're doing a great job and I'll bet all the thought you are putting into your food selections are very much appreciated.

The seniors like potatoes, of course. I would guess partly because that is a familiar comfort food. However, don't discount the fact that nearly all older folks come to a time in their life where they need added fiber in order to help stave off some problematic digestive issues. I think sometimes that is a reason they don't eat as much rice (besides the problems foods with small particles can cause with dentures and bridges) as they do potatoes.

You're right on the mark with the potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables. Try to keep the word "FIBER" at the front of your thinking. Pasta and rice generally contain less fiber than do some other foods. That may be the reason the seniors shy away from basing an entire meal on them, even if they do like those dishes. You may serve your pasta dishes or the tried and true mac & cheese. Just make sure there is another good source of fiber on the table.

Yes, I've reached that age (sigh). As a suggestion, I grate carrots into my salad greens, eat small portions and take the rest home for another small meal later in the evening. It's not by choice. I've just had to adapt as my body has aged.

Talk to the folks. Ask for their ideas. If you do a written survey, also take time to talk to them in person. You might be surprised at how open the older folks will be with you when it comes to the foods they enjoy and the foods they can tolerate. They may say they "like" this or that, and "don't like" this or that, but usually it will boil down to an underlying health problem. Keep a very open mind. You're doing a great job under difficult circumstances. I think you'll do well.

edit in: squash, both winter and summer, is another great fiber food! And, you can be very creative with it. We both hated squash as our mothers used to fix it. Now, we look forward to a baked acorn squash with apples, maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, etc.

Edited January 30, 2007 by murraygrey (log)

[CaliPoutine]

I was perusing thru the grocery ads and noticed that pirogies are on sale. I think I might make those. I was contemplating mashed spuds, but I'll probably do those next time with the roast chicken.

I like my pirogies with sour cream and my spouse likes crumbled bacon on top. I'll get a 1lb of bacon and serve it as a garnish( diced).

Fresh Veg is so expensive right now because of the weather in Cali.( at least that is what all the signs at the grocery store say). 1 bunch of brocolli was 2.99. celery is 2.69. I refuse to pay that. I'd like to think that the peppers and onions are a veg, but the seniors wont buy that.

I think for the dessert, I'll do cupcakes and ice cream( with sprinkles). I wonder if I can get away with not frosting the cupcakes. I refused to use canned frosting and the only frosting I can think of making is a sour cream ganache( I know I can make buttercream, but time contraints....) I was told to allow only 1 cupcake per person.

It seems odd to serve ice cream when the weather is below zero( celcius)

[CaliPoutine]

I like a nice mash of turnips and apples with a fatty meat like sausage.

A friend's boyfriend is a farmer. He donated a 25lb bag of rutabaga and I planned to include that in my root veg bake last week. I couldnt cut the darn thing and neither could any of the volunteers.

[tammylc]

I think for the dessert, I'll do cupcakes and ice cream( with sprinkles).  I wonder if I can get away with not frosting the cupcakes.  I refused to use canned frosting and the only frosting I can think of making is a sour cream ganache( I know I can make buttercream, but time contraints....) I was told to allow only 1 cupcake per person. 

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For frosting, what about just a basic one? Whip butter and confectioners sugar with a bit of milk and splash of vanilla - ta-da! Very easy, top with sprinkles, and you're done. Growing up in Canada, that was the only kind of frosting I knew existed, so I bet it will be a nice familiar flavor for your group.

[K8memphis]

I think for the dessert, I'll do cupcakes and ice cream( with sprinkles).  I wonder if I can get away with not frosting the cupcakes.   I refused to use canned frosting and the only frosting I can think of making is a sour cream ganache( I know I can make buttercream, but time contraints....) I was told to allow only 1 cupcake per person. 

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For frosting, what about just a basic one? Whip butter and confectioners sugar with a bit of milk and splash of vanilla - ta-da! Very easy, top with sprinkles, and you're done. Growing up in Canada, that was the only kind of frosting I knew existed, so I bet it will be a nice familiar flavor for your group.

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Yes and you could use a heart shaped piece of paper to put over each one to shape a heart of the sprinkles then remove the paper. Either use the heart on top of an uniced cupcake & the sprinkles will adhere (might need to miosten with a quick brush of simple syrup) or use the piece of paper the heart was cut out of. 'Course if this is getting too complik8ed consider the source. Still could be done the day before. 50 could be fast & easy peasy.

Or this is also so easy if you have the stuff. Umm you need a brand new clean spray bottle. I get them at the drug store like the travel size. Or they sell edible color spray too. But you can lay a piece of lace on top of the cupcake, spray & remove the lace. Viola a lace cupcake. Wouldn't they (your diners) be stoked??

Umm, I use a bit of alcohol in with the food color. I use airbrush color. But probaly any color with the alcohol will work. Like lemon extract has high alcohol content.

I mean a coupla squirts and you've got a designer cupcake. Iced or not. You do want a smooth surface though.

Just some cupcake thoughts for your seniors....

[Lindacakes]

Perhaps I should be embarassed, but I second that butter/confectioner's sugar/milk/vanilla recipe for the icing.

Red cupcake papers.

Red velvet cake? Best not to, everyone will poop red and become alarmed.

White cake with pink frosting and a red cinnamon heart on top. A little nippular, though.

[ludja]

Vanilla ice cream with raspberry sauce. Pink rasberry macarons alongside.

Raspberry sauce (strained, please) is easy to make ahead and works well with frozen berries. (A little Triple Sec, even a budget brand adds a nice taste to the sauce.) *If* you've made macarons before they are quite easy and can be made ahead of time. Even filled with a raspberry flavored buttercream.

Here is a simpler cookie idea I got from "The Passionate Cook" Blog that you could serve with the ice cream.

Make regular meringues (tint them pink for Valentine's Day) and pipe them out to get uniform discs. Piping is quicker, too. Make a cinnamon butter mix using: sweet butter, confectionary sugar and cinnamon. Use this filling to sandwiich two meringues together. Although I am usually careful with how much cinnamon I use, you need a bit here for the flavor to come through. These cookies are so good; much more than the sum of their parts. I brought them to a Christmas party and made them at home and people were really wowed by them. These are very inexpensive to make, as well. For the amounts you would need it would still be very economical even if you don't use the yolks. May just need 6-8 whites to make plenty of cookies for 100-150 sandwich cookies.

Too time consuming to fill the cookies though? Not sure...

Another easy varient on this would be to pipe individual serving meringue disks, one for each person. Pipe a circle by starting in the middle and coiling around. Add ground almonds to the meringue batter if you like. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce on top of the crispy meringues.

This last might be the easiest and these look very pretty. (Again, you could tint the meringue disks pink.)

Edited February 1, 2007 by ludja (log)

[Marmish]

One of my friend's mom's easiest recipes is for cherry squares, which is basically an easy scratch white cake poured into a jelly roll pan, then cherry pie filling dropped into it. Bake and cut into squares, with the cherries in the center of the squares. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, they are pretty, and they don't take a lot of ingredients.

[CaliPoutine]

I went to Michigan today. I picked up a bag of conversation hearts( the large ones) and some pink and red sprinkles aka jimmies. I'm going to use the butter/powder sugar icing and reach into my own stash of vanilla beans for the flavoring. Hopefully, I can get the volunteers to ice them. I dont have time to pipe the icing on as I would normally do.

Thanks for all your ideas.

[ludja]

I was perusing thru the grocery ads and noticed that pirogies are on sale.  I think I might make those.  I was contemplating mashed spuds, but I'll probably do those next time with the roast chicken. 

I like my pirogies with sour cream and my spouse likes crumbled bacon on top.  I'll get a 1lb of bacon and serve it as a garnish( diced). 

Fresh Veg is so expensive right now because of the weather in Cali.( at least that is what all the signs at the grocery store say).  1 bunch of brocolli was 2.99.  celery is 2.69.  I refuse to pay that.    I'd like to think that the peppers and onions are a veg, but the seniors wont buy that. 

I think for the dessert, I'll do cupcakes and ice cream( with sprinkles).  I wonder if I can get away with not frosting the cupcakes.  I refused to use canned frosting and the only frosting I can think of making is a sour cream ganache( I know I can make buttercream, but time contraints....) I was told to allow only 1 cupcake per person. 

It seems odd to serve ice cream when the weather is below zero( celcius)

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Would sauerkraut work as a vegetable with the perogies?

(I see you're thinking of cupcakes for V-day; sounds fun as well. The meringue disk "sundaes" work well with many different flavors--ice creams, sauces and/or fruit compotes.

[zoe b]

about those recalcitrant rutabagas--poke holes in them and nuke em for a bit until they soften up to the point where you can cut into them--I do this for all of the tough root veggies.

[Nina C.]

Could you do a "decorate your own cupcake bar"? That way you could serve bowls of icing, the cupcakes, and bowls of the candy you bought, saving you and the volunteers time and providing a fun activity.

Or do the seniors not have that dexterity? I don't remember how old/able your crowd is.

[CaliPoutine]

Could you do a "decorate your own cupcake bar"? That way you could serve bowls of icing, the cupcakes, and bowls of the candy you bought, saving you and the volunteers time and providing a fun activity.

Or do the seniors not have that dexterity?  I don't remember how old/able your crowd is.

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Oh, I think I'd get some complaints if I did it that way. They want to be served!! And, I wont have enough buttercream to let ppl judge how much they think is a serving.

[zoe b]

CP--I was rummaging around the Net looking for soymilk maker info and found this site

http://www.ellenskitchen.com/forum/index.html

there are a lot of posts about large quantity cooking--and it's the kind of food you are working on.

Z

[tammylc]

CP--I was rummaging around the Net looking for soymilk maker info and found this site

http://www.ellenskitchen.com/forum/index.html

there are a lot of posts about large quantity cooking--and it's the kind of food you are working on.

Z

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Looks like a really helpful website. Thanks for the link! I've gotten used to cooking for 40-60 twice a month and am pretty good at making quantity estimates, but I forwarded it to the community email list, as it's clear that there are some cooks in our community who are less good at figuring out how much food to serve!

[CaliPoutine]

Tomorrow I cook for the seniors again.

Tonight I made the cupcakes for tomorrow. I wanted to pipe on the icing, but it was too stiff for the tip I had. So, basically, the cupcakes look like crap, but they taste good. I'm supposed to allow only 1 cupcake per person. I also bought 2 half gallon containers of black cherry ice cream. My very funny spouse thought I should use this heart shape cylinder mold I have and cut the ice cream into hearts. LOL. I would have had to do that 4 times as each mold can make 12 slices. Ummm, nice though, but no thanks.

I'm going to really laugh when I watch the seniors read the messages on the hearts. I bought the hearts at Target, I'm not sure if they sell them in Canada.

So tomorrow I have to make the coleslaw/dressing, cook the onions and peppers, cook the pirogies and bacon , make some sugar free jello and cook the saugage. Not too labor intensive. I still have to go to the grocery store for more items. I'm not going into work until 1pm since the cupcakes( most labor intensive item) are already finished.

more pics tomorrow night.

btw, I wanted to mention that the cost of fresh produce is outrageous. Last week I paid 50 cents for a cucumber. Today it was 1.29. Last week celery was 1.69, today I saw it for 3.99. Can you believe that, 4 bucks for a freaking bunch of celery?????

I'm hoping the grocery store has red/green peppers on the reduced rack in the morning. If not, I'm going to have to pay 3.99lb for red peppers.

Edited February 8, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[CaliPoutine]

I hate winter!!

The roads are closed and the dining program is cancelled for today.

I'll have to freeze everything that I can and buy all new produce in 2 weeks.

[K8memphis]

Oh no! So sorry, but I've been there too. No fun at all.