Bread Elderly People Would Like?
Hi everyone! I work in a retirement home and there's a potluck the residents are hosting on Friday. Usually I never bring anything, because I'm just "the help", and the potluck is more of their thing. This time, however, I asked if I could bring something and the committee said I could bring bread/rolls. So what should I bring? (Oh yeah, and I will be making them..so I guess I'm just looking for recipes)
Lol, the residents have some of the WEIRDEST tastes I've ever seen! (Keep in mind they're 80+ and used to eating things back in the day made with lard/bacon grease) They eat a lamb's leg smothered in mint flavored jelly! What the hell is that about? And anything is covered in gravy. Veggies? Yes, they need gravy too. And the only "veggies" they like are corn, peas and potatoes ::) (how do they live SO long by putting that CRAP into them? I just assume they're a small population with very good genes who outlasted the other people who ate that crap and died at age 40). All of the residents are fully competent and not crazy, no Alzheimers, nothing. (It's a separate section of the retirement home for the competent people who only moved in because they wanted to be around other people they're own age/security/etc.)
I'm making Whole Wheat rolls (atleast they LOVE whole wheat things). Any ideas for something else?
(Oh and as a completely unrelated side note--optional to read--I HATE the kitchen! It completely decives the residents! On the menu we have listed "whole wheat" this and "whole wheat" that, when nothing is ACTUALLY whole wheat! It's just regular bleached, crappy white flour with "carmel color" added to make it appear as wheat. I wouldn't really care too much, except that I often hear the residents spouting the benefits of whole wheat as they devour whatever product. And they make a point to ask for "whole wheat" ____ whenever I offer the white version instead. It's blatant deception. Should be illegal.
And whatever we're serving has SO much fat in it it's rediculous. (NOT good fats either) One roll can contain 10+ grams of fat. That's not too much until you consider every vegetable is soaked in butter/gravey. Every meat is (naturally) fatty, every salad dressing is 14+ for 1 tablespoon, and every soup is "CREAM of ______" It's messed up. I talked to the nutrition coordinator about it and she said: "At this point in their lives, the residents are not concerned with their health. They are more concerned with the taste of their food." I retorted "For something to taste good, it doesn't NEED to be unhealthy. Have you spoken to the residents about what they want? Are they even AWARE of what they are consuming? " Of course she got really mad....I know what the residents actually want, because I'm around them everyday for hours and hours on end. Evil lady!
And one time we served Crab salad for lunch. Some resident recognized it was faux crab meat and got pissed off at the kitchen. "You can't decieve us like this blah blah" "I though I was eating real crab blah blah" "Don't ever serve this crap again" And so we've never served faux crab again. Lol, that's all I have to say for right now)
How about sneaking in some veggies with a veggie dinner roll?
My grandma, who'd kill me for saying she's 85, likes rye bread or pumpernickel. I'll agree she likes some wierd food too but I think it's because of growing up during the depression and having to eat whatever was available.
Banana muffins would be good! Also, you might want to keep the ratio of whole wheat flour to AP or Bread flour kind of low. If they're used to "whole wheat" bread, I'm not too sure if they'd like the real stuff.
I think you should try to get feedback from them re: health vs. taste. That would be interesting, and you *may* be able to make a change around there.
A soft bread, verry soft. My Friends at the home quite enjoy rye bread, they always ask foir it. Anotehr option might be cinamon bread or soemthing else out of the ordinary. Watch the sugar and the salt, you dont want too much!
I made this bread and it went over well with everyone, including the several elderly people (but you already have a yeast bread so maybe it isn't what you're looking for). Actually I've made it several times and it always turns out great with hardly any effort-- it's a beautiful soft dough.
Herbed Focaccia
3.5 c bread flour
1 envelope active dry yeast
1.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp sugar
1.25 c lukewarm water
3 tbsp olive oil + greasing
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs
Cornmeal, for sprinkling
Course sea salt, for sprinkling
Combine Dry ingredients in bowl. Make a well and stir in most of the water and 2 tbsp olive oil to make dough. Gradually add the rest of the remaining water, if necessary, drawing in all the flour.
Turn out onto lightly floured counter and knead. Transfer to a bowl and knead in herbs for 10 minutes until soft but not sticky. Wash bowl and coat lightly with oil.
Shape dough into a ball, put it in the bowl, and turn dough over. Cover tightly and place in warm place until doubled in volume. Sprinkle cornmeal over cookie sheet.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and knead lightly. Cover with bowl and let stand 10 minutes.
Roll out and pat the dough into a 10 inch circle about ½ inch thick and carefully transfer to cookie sheet. Cover with dish cloth and set aside to rise again for 15 minutes.
Using a lightly oiled finger, poke indentations all over the surface of the loaf. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over and sprinkle lightly with seas salt. Bake in a 450 preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
This recipe is from 1000 Low Fat, Salt, Sugar, and Cholesterol Recipes to Tempt Your Taste Buds. That book, while far from vegan, does have lots of vegan or adaptably vegan dishes. Good luck with the potluck!
Elizabeth
Make biscuits and veggie gravy.
I think they live a long time because even though they ate nasty meaty stuff it was primarily 'whole foods' way back when... none of this twinkie crap or the prefab fat laden crap the nutrition counselor is feeding them now.
I really like the cranberry zucchini bread recipe on here. Lots of fiber-y goodness.
I second biscuits. I worked at a breakfast place a few years ago and the senior crowd just couldn't get enough of the things.
Black bread (dark rye/oat flour) with broken sunflower seeds...bliss!
THANK YOU for confirming my suspicions that "brown bread" is just that--white flour and colouring. I know that "wholewheat bread" here is often white flour with a small (very small) amount of bran added after the fact.
How about this really very easy scone recipe? The reviewers have suggested a bunch of add-in combinations that would give you (and the seniors) many options. And it's basically a biscuit recipe.
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5767.0
So I remember hearing or reading about how people can call brown food colored white bread "wheat bread" because technically it's made out of wheat. But in order for it to be called "whole wheat bread" it has to contain whole wheat. So maybe it is illegal to lie about that.
Sorry I have no bread recipes, but if you want a biscuit and gravy recipe Chicago Diner Cookbook has a yum biscuits and gravy recipe!