Senior Care Manhattan NY
Spring is the perfect time to add something special to your senior care journey with your loved one by planning a special get-together with friends and family. Whether you want to host a simple brunch with just a few people or have plans for a large family reunion picnic, this social interaction and seeing people that she loves is a wonderful away to give your aging parent an emotional boost and keep her mind sharp and strong.
While planning your menu for your get-together you can create dishes that are not just delicious and satisfying, but also ones that can help you to pursue your care goals with your parent. Many seniors deal with feelings of depression, anxiety, and isolation as they get older and are facing special events. They feel that they are no longer relevant because they are not able to be as involved as they used to, and they may start to worry that their families will not remember them. By encouraging your parent to get into the kitchen with you and help you prepare a special dish, you can ward off these negative feelings. Cooking together also stimulates her mind and improves her memory skills.
This recipe is for a traditional Southern dessert that people often simplify with shortcut and convenience ingredients, but is always far better when prepared from scratch. Have your parent help you with measuring and mixing, and give her the confidence of knowing that this simple but extraordinary dessert will be something that her family always remembers.
What You Will Need
• 1 twelve ounce box of vanilla wafers
• 3 medium bananas
• 1/2 of a stick of butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 3 cups of milk
• 1 cup of sugar, separated into 3/4 of a cup and 1/4 of a cup
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of tartar
• A medium bowl
• A double boiler
• A stirring spoon
• A small bowl
• A 9 by 9 inch oven proof baking dish
• A large bowl
• A sharp knife
What to Do
• In the small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and sugar
• Slowly add milk to the sugar and cornstarch
• In the top of the double broiler, add the sugar, cornstarch and milk mixture
• Cook over medium or low heat
• Stir the mixture constantly until it thickens, making sure not to leave unattended
• In the medium bowl, add the eggs and slightly beat them
• Add the eggs to the hot custard and stir well
• Cook for 2 minutes inside the custard pot
• Remove the custard from the heat
• Add butter and the vanilla extract to the custard pot
• Allow the custard to cool
• Use the sharp knife to slice the bananas
• In the baking dish, alternate the pudding, wafers and bananas, beginning and ending with pudding
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• In the large bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar
• Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form
• Slowly add sugar, while beating, until the peaks become stiff
• Spread the topping over the pudding mixture
• Place in the oven
• Allow to bake until the topping is golden brown