The Family Caregiver's Cookbook: Easy-Fix Recipes for Busy Family Caregivers

By Harriet Hodgson

You’re in the caregiving trenches and barely make it through the day, let alone have the energy to prepare fancy meals. But meals don’t have to be fancy or hard to make in order to be delicious, nutritious, and healthy.

Harriet Hodgson, a dedicated home cook, former food writer, and family caregiver, wanted to fix delicious meals for her disabled husband. A creative cook, Harriet adapted favorite family recipes and created new ones for this book, reducing salt, fat, and sugar.

Personal stories add to the recipes and each one ends with “Caregiver Tips.” You’ll get tips on how to stock your pantry, speed shop for groceries, understand the effects of sodium, and practice food safety. The book is set in larger print that makes it easy to read. Treat your loved one—and yourself—to these easy-fix, delicious, and satisfying recipes. Make every meal a celebration of life!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WriteLife Publishing
• Release date: Oct 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781608081615

Book preview

The Family Caregiver’s Cookbook: Easy-Fix Recipes for Busy Family Caregivers

Copyright © 2016 by Harriet Hodgson. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, digital, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except for inclusion in a review or as permitted under Sections 107 and 108 of the United States Copyright Act, without either prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center.

The information in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional medical or dietary advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the reader’s sole discretion. The author and publisher disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of the information in this book. A health-care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Readers are advised to seek the guidance of a licensed physician before making changes to their health regimens. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is the most current, new research findings may invalidate some data.

Published in the United States by WriteLife Publishing, Inc.

www.writelife.com

978-1-60808-160-8 (p)

978-1-60808-161-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016940178

Book design by Robin Krauss, www.bookformatters.com

Cover design by Ellis Dixon, www.ellisdixon.com

Cover photo and author photo by Haley Earley, Photographer

Frances Armstead, NDTR, RD, Nutrition Consultant

Harriet Hodgson’s

The Family Caregiver Series

from WriteLife Publishing

www.writelife.com

The Family Caregiver’s Guide: How to Care for a Loved

One at Home

Affirmations for Family Caregivers

A Journal for Family Caregivers: A Place for Thoughts,

Plans, and Dreams

The Family Caregiver’s Cookbook: Easy-Fix Recipes for

Busy Family Caregivers

Visit www.harriethodgson.com to learn more about this busy author, grandmother, and caregiver.

Visit www.thecaregiverspace.org/author/hhodgson to read her caregiving articles.

Acknowledgments

John and Harriet Hodgson

Photo courtesy of the Post-Bulletin newspaper, Rochester, MN, and P-B photographer Elizabeth Nida Obert.

Thank you to nutrition consultant Frances Armstead for her appreciation of food and wise counsel.

Thank you to my granddaughter, Haley Earley, for her photography talents and technical help.

Thank you to Terri Leidich, President and Publisher of WriteLife Publishing, for believing in The Family Caregiver series. Although I’ve never met Terri, from working with her I can tell we are kindred souls.

Finally, thank you to my husband John, the inspiration for The Family Caregiver Series. You continue to amaze me and I love you more each day.

Contents

The Recipes

Preface

Stocking Your Pantry

Speed Shopping Tips

Chapter 1: Soup Today!

Lemony Artichoke Soup

Tomato-Basil Soup with Shells

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Quick New England Clam Chowdah

Fiesta Mexicano Soup

Mushroom-Ginger Soup

Cowboy Chili with a Jolt of Java

Minnesota Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

Chapter 2: Five-Star Salads

Chinese Noodle Salad with Pea Pods and Walnuts

Spinach, Orange, and Avocado Salad

Chopped BLT Salad with Blue Cheese

Pea and Cheddar Chunk Salad

Beefsteak Tomato and Feta Salad with Fresh Basil

Pear, Walnut, and Dried Cranberry Salad

Mixed Greens with Lemon and Oregano Vinaigrette

Lettuce Wedge with Roquefort Crumble Dressing

Sweet Carrot Salad with Blueberries

Muffuletta-Style Pasta Salad

Chapter 3: Meat Magic

The Best Meatloaf in the World

Easy Swedish Meatballs

Coffee Rub for Meat

Cube Steaks with Roquefort Sauce

Beef Burgundy

Teriyaki Skewers

Beef Picadillo with Mexican Rice

Lamb Burgers a la Athens

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Little Beef or Pork Sliders

Center-Cut Ham Slice with Citrus Sauce

Heavenly Wine Spaghetti

Grilled Steak Topped with Herb Butter

Chapter 4: Fish and Shellfish

Deviled Crab in Shells

Mexican Fish and Vegetable Packets

Confetti Tuna

Crispy Cod with Potato Chip Topping

Grilled Sesame Salmon

Bay Scallops and Garlic Pasta

Tangy Salmon Burgers

Shrimp and Pasta Delight

Drunken Shrimp

Holiday Oyster Stew

Chapter 5: Adaptable Eggs

Mini Breakfast Pizzas

Red Pepper, Onion, and Mushroom Frittata

Chicken and Mushroom Crepes

Sweet, Soothing Custard

Fried Rice with Scrambled Eggs

Buongiorno Eggs and Spaghetti

Curried Egg Salad with Cashews

Bacon and Cheese Strata

Eggs in Creole Sauce

Pastry Bread Pudding

Chapter 6: Poultry Dishes

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Chicken Paillards with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Cheese

Quick Chick Casserole

Chicken, Zucchini, and Orzo

California-Style Chicken Burgers with Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado

Turkey, Quinoa, and Grape Salad

Healthier Turkey Tetrazzini

Kentucky Hot Brown Turkey Sandwich

Stir-Fried Turkey and Pea Pods in Apricot Sauce

Country Captain with Ground Chicken or Turkey

Chapter 7: Vegetable Rainbow

Steak House Carrots and Onions

Thelma’s Rolled Mushroom Sandwiches

Fresh Tomato Sauce for Pasta

Baked Tomatoes Crowned with Spinach

Artichoke, Mushroom, and Red Pepper Casserole

Easiest Mashed Potatoes Ever

Red Pepper Dip for Veggies

Roasted Asparagus Bacon Bundles

Greek Vegetable Skewers

Pasta Primavera with Olive Tapenade

Orange-Glazed Carrots

Cheesy Spinach-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Chapter 8: Fabulous Fruits

Fragrant Apple-Cinnamon Galette

Brittany Pork Chops with Bacon, Apples, and Onions

Pears Drenched in Red Wine

Scandinavian Fruit Soup

Crunchy Pear and Chicken Salad

Red and Green Grapes in Sour Cream Sauce

Mandarin Orange Almond Chicken

Strawberry Trifle with Pound Cake and Jam

Fresh Fruit Compote

Apricot and Almond Rice

Chapter 9: Muffins and Breads

Surprise Corn Muffins

Chocolate Dessert Waffles

Pumpkin and Spice Pancakes

Granny Smith’s Apple-Dapple Muffins

Giant Herbed Popovers

Marmalade Muffins with Orange Drizzle

Cheesy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Very British Yorkshire Pudding

Parmesan Toasts

Chapter 10: Sweet Tooth

Fudgy Pudding

Raspberry Panna Cotta

Italian Biscuit Tortoni

Harriet’s Double Almond Cookies

Chocolate-Cherry Biscotti

Peruvian Hot Chocolate

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Old-Fashioned Coconut Squares

Orange and Cinnamon Dessert Sauce

Luscious Raspberry-Ricotta Parfaits

Appendix

A: Sodium Facts

B: Cooking Tips

C: Food Safety

Bibliography

About the Author, Nutrition Consultant, and Photographer

Index

THE RECIPES

This book is written by a family caregiver for a family caregiver—you. The at-a-glance recipe format helps you prepare meals efficiently. All of the recipes in this collection are original. I have added healthy fruits and vegetables when possible. The sodium, sugar, and fat have been reduced without compromising on flavor. Icons help you find your way through the pages quickly. Here’s a recipe map:

Recipe Title

Lead-In (personal story and/or information)

Prep Time (basics plus extra information )

Oven Temperature (if applicable)

Servings (normal size)

Ingredients (listed in order of use)

Method (includes bowl and pan sizes, cooking tools)

Caregiving Tips (from the author’s on-the-job experience)

Enjoy cooking healthy meals for your loved one and yourself!

PREFACE

The purpose of this cookbook is to help you prepare easy-fix, healthy food for the loved one in your care. It is based on my nineteen years of caregiving, decades of cooking, and love of food.

Although I’m not a professional chef, I was a food writer for the original Rochester Magazine, (when it started years ago in my hometown of Rochester, Minnesota), learned basic and advanced cooking techniques, and created many original recipes. I’ve made airy soufflés, gallons of soup, tossed a dizzying array of salads, baked French baguettes, turned our kitchen into a biscotti factory, produced thousands of cookies, made egg roll wrappers, flipped countless burgers, prepared a wedding dinner for seventy, roasted a Christmas prime rib as long as a log, entertained my physician husband’s patients, and made cookbooks for family members.

These experiences have been a culinary journey, and I have enjoyed every moment of it—even the recipe failures.

I’m a made-from-scratch cook, an approach that halted abruptly in 2013 when my husband’s aorta dissected. After three emergency operations, two months in the hospital, and six months in a nursing home for therapy, my husband John was released to my care. His dismissal was a nutrition wake-up call. For eight months I had been eating on the run. Instead of eating complete meals, I snacked and made poor food choices. Much as I hate to admit it, I often ate standing up due to time constraints. I visited my husband three times a day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and there was little time for anything else.

While my husband was recovering, I moved us out of our three-story home, and built a wheelchair-friendly townhome for us. Visiting my husband, monitoring construction, and clearing out the home we lived in for more than twenty years stressed me as I had never been stressed before. I was running in all directions and my unhealthy diet became worse. Dinner was a bowl of cold cereal or ice cream. I took over many of John’s tasks, ran the household, and managed our finances. Hurried and stressed, I often bought frozen meals and