Lawrence Community Matters December 2018

Commun ty Matters Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

Presbyterian Manor on U.S. News and World Report Best Nursing Home annual list Lawrence Presbyterian Manor is on the U.S. News and World Report Best Nursing Homes 2018-2019 list. The senior living community received the highest score of High Performing to make the list, available at www.usnews.com/ best-nursing-homes/search.

The U.S. News and Report list uses information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the government agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. CMS assigns one to five stars to each community for how well it performs in health inspections, nurse staffing and level of quality care.

U.S. News now uses the CMS star rating for staffing rather than the overall star rating to determine which communities are given the High Performing designation. This LIST, continued on page 4

December 2018

Cherished Christmas memories Here are a two favorite Christmas memories shared from residents of our community.

We hope you continue to make joyful Christmas memories of your own.

The Anderson Family Christmas Eve

By Phil and Pat Anderson

The Anderson family has had a tradition of the Christmas Eve smorgasbord dating back to Phil and Pete’s grandparents. Dorothy got recipes from Ken’s mother, but they were written in Swedish. Ken drove to Lindsborg to get Swedish sausage, brown beans, cheeses and pickled herring.

After taking home economics as a seventh grader, our son Ken decided he should make the Swedish potato sausage. I found a Sunset Swedish cookbook and “Keneta the Swedish Chef ” began his production. Dorothy and I were his assistants, holding, tying the links, and cutting when necessary.

I put together the meats for the Swedish meatballs and whoever was in the kitchen got to roll a few. The rice pudding has always been a major part of this with the person who gets the almond buried in the pudding getting a prize. Pete will tell you that Phil somehow always got the almond when they were kids, and Phil has carried this on making sure the youngest in our family would get the almond.

CHRISTMAS, continued on page 2

Discover your new favorite holiday recipe Tis the season for baking and cooking up feasts for family and friends. Here are just a few favorite holiday recipes and memories shared by our staff.

Holiday Cheeseball 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream

cheese, softened 2 packages of thinly sliced meat,

pastrami or beef works best 2 teaspoons Worcestershire 2 teaspoons Accent Salt 3-4 green onions, chopped finely Mix all ingredients together and form into ball.You can roll in chopped nuts if you want. Serve with crackers.

Oreo Truffles 36 Oreo cookies, finely crushed, divided 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream

cheese, softened 4 pkg. (4 oz. each) Baker’s semi-

sweet chocolate, broken into

pieces, melted Reserve 1/4 cup cookie crumbs.

Mix cream cheese and remaining cookie crumbs until blended; shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min.

Cover rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Dip cream cheese balls in melted chocolate; place on

CHRISTMAS, continued from page 1

Christmas of 1939

Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Lawrence Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Christie Patrick, executive director Angela Fonseca, marketing director To submit or suggest articles, contact afonseca@pmma.org.

Telephone: 785-841-4262 Fax: 785-841-0923 Address: 1429 Kasold Dr., Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

LawrencePresbyterianManor.org

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Community Matters December 2018

By Barbara Moser Schaible My Christmas memory goes back 79 years to 1939. I was five years old. In those days, we weren’t sophisticated enough at that age to have stopped believing in Santa Claus when there weren’t older siblings to spoil the fun. My parents and I had moved to another house that autumn, and it had a fireplace.

Why wouldn’t I believe?

That Christmas morning when I ran from my bedroom into the living room, I remember searching excitedly for what Santa had left me, and found it not just under the tree but almost hidden behind it—a small cardboard suitcase filled with

prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

“These are easy but standard recipes my family loves around holiday time.” —Christie Patrick, executive director Holiday Cinnamon Hard Candies 1 cup water 3-3/4 cups sugar 1-1/4 cups light corn syrup 1 teaspoon red liquid food coloring 1 teaspoon cinnamon oil 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar RECIPES, continued on page 3

clothes for my doll.I was ecstatic!

Fast forward to 2003, the year our mother turned 90. I came up with the idea of putting together a collection of 90 of my special memories of her. Among them was the story about the Christmas doll clothes-filled suitcase.

Mother told me later that reading my memory of that particular Christmas had brought tears to her eyes. Having the expense of purchasing a new house, there hadn’t been anything extra to spend on Christmas gifts, so she had made all of those doll clothes, feeling sad as she sewed that she and Dad couldn’t be buying me something special. If they had bought a present, I wonder if I would have remembered it forever.

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‘Tis the season for holiday parties Mark your calendars for these holiday parties happening at Lawrence Presbyterian Manner this month.

Independent Living Christmas Luncheon: December 6 at 12 p.m. Sign up at the business office for transportation.

RECIPES, continued from page 2

Assisted Living Holiday Party: On December 19, there will be musical entertainment at 11 a.m. followed by a traditional holiday meal at 11:45 a.m.

The Prairie House Holiday Party: On December 19, there will be musical entertainment

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil; butter the foil and set aside.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine water, sugar, corn syrup and food coloring. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Cover and cook for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals.

2 egg yolks

2. Uncover; cook on medium-high heat, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hardcrack stage), about 25 minutes.

Remove from the heat; stir in cinnamon oil (keep face away from mixture as oil is very strong).

Immediately pour onto prepared pan. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

sprinkles (optional)

3. Break the candy into pieces using the edge of a metal mallet.

Sprinkle both sides of candy with confectioners’ sugar. Store in airtight container.

“I have such great memories of making these cinnamon candies at Christmas time!” —Mallory Lauber, office manager Spritz Cookies 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter Like us on Facebook

3/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) flour 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt food coloring (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a nonstick baking sheet in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking.

2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg yolks and extracts and beat on medium-high speed for another 2 to 3 minutes until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix on low speed until dry ingredients are just incorporated. If coloring, divide dough in half and add food coloring and knead until color is evenly distributed.

4. Place desired design disk on

at 11:30 a.m. followed by a traditional holiday meal at 12 p.m.

Wheatlands Health Care Center Holiday Party: On December 12, there will be music and entertainment at 10:30 a.m. followed by a buffet at 11 a.m.

end of cookie press. Fill tube with dough, then screw on lever top.

5. Remove cookie sheet from freezer. Place cookie press flat on cookie sheet surface, press lever, pause for one second to allow the dough to freeze to the sheet, then gently lift press. Repeat with remaining cookies, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies. They won’t spread very much so you should be able to fit an entire tube of dough onto one cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle cookies with sanding sugar.

6. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until tops are set and edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Let cookie sheet cool, then freeze for 10 minutes before pressing out the next sheet of cookies.

7. Spritz cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

“I always loved Christmas time because my Grandma would make these cookies. I always had fun with all the different shapes she would make.” —Angela Fonseca, marketing director Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

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Lawrence Presbyterian Manor 1429 Kasold Dr. Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 Return Service Requested

LIST, continued from page 1

Homes list.

decision reflects expert opinion on the importance of staffing in quality of care, as well as the availability since April 2018 of more accurate data on nurse staffing levels in each community or center.

All Medicare- and Medicaid-certified health care centers were evaluated

by U.S. News. To be eligible for an overall rating, a center must have received an overall star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in July 2018 and a staffing star rating in either April or July 2018.

More than 4,300 nursing homes received CMS’ top rating of five stars, while just 1,844 nursing homes earned the top Overall rating issued by U.S. News, according to the U.S. News website.

This is the eighth consecutive year Lawrence Presbyterian Manor has appeared on the U.S. News and World Report Best Nursing

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Community Matters December 2018

To learn more about the U.S. News and World Report rating system, visit their FAQ page: https:// health.usnews.com/healthnews/best-nursing-homes/ articles/faq-how-we-ratenursing-homes.

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