Southwest Florida’s Seniors Serve Up Family Recipes
Email US
Click to Email Us
Family recipes tell our life's best stories.
Sometimes, all it takes is a taste of home to unlock the warm, familiar feelings of being with loved ones. We continue to savor each bite of grandmas famous casserole as if it were the first time.
These special recipes are the ones we save over the years. Whether scribbled down on a piece of torn notebook paper or recited by memory, every family seems to have their favorite go-to meals.
Its what inspired Gulf Coast Village, a continuing care community in Cape Coral, to publish their own best crowd-pleasing dishes and dessert recipes from senior residents.
Its a piece of their past written down on paper, Bill Djerf said, an independent living resident at Gulf Coast Village. Its a recipe that warms their heart and brings back good memories.
Djerf is a firm believer that the way to a persons heart is through their stomach.
When he mentioned the idea of collecting recipes for a community cookbook, the residents, staff members and volunteers were excited to share their most cherished family meals.
Younger staff and volunteers would sometimes say, this looks so good, or Id like to cook this, Djerf adds. The older residents would then tell them about their family recipe they used to bake all the time that they learned from their mother.
In a matter of months ,Djerf and a small team gathered up 230 recipes and sent them to get published as their first Gulf Coast Village cookbook.
When life gives you lemons, make lemon meringue pie
Lemon Meringue Pie | Resident Dewie Robinson
1 9 pastry pie shell 2 cup Boiling water
1 cup Sugar 3 Egg yolks, beaten
6 Tbsp Corn starch 1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Flour 1 tsp Lemon peel ,grated
tsp Salt 3 Tbsp Lemon juice
Meringue
3 Egg whites 6 Tbsp Sugar
Good food has a way of bringing people together. We can feel immersed in exciting, new cultures or transported back to our fondest memories.
The best cookbooks are exactly the same. They can be our life manuals.
Inside Gulf Coast Villages cookbook, Our Favorite Recipes ,people find more than just delicious homecooked meals.
"I sold several books just because of the helpful hints in each section, said Djerf. I sold one to a lady who said she doesn't cook, but she liked the helpful hints so much that she bought it for that.
Between more than 100 pages of unique appetizers, dishes and desserts, each section is divided by a list of helpful tips.
For the main dish recipes section, the helpful hints include one pound of boneless chicken equals approximately three cups and scaling a fish is easier if vinegar is rubbed on the scales first.
"A lot of gals say they bought it for their granddaughters and great granddaughters for the recipes, helpful hints and bonus pages in the back, which cover tips for things like baking bread, added Djerf.
The last eight pages of the cookbook cover important pantry basics as well as tips for cooking measurements, terms and napkin folding.
Food for Thought
Icing will remain where you put it if you sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar first.
- Baking Perfect Cakes
From creating a community-inspired cookbook to popular resident cooking classes, its safe to say food plays a big part in life at Gulf Coast Village.
But creating the ultimate senior living experience is more than just food. Its focusing on the unique, special needs of each individual.
That's where the Gulf Coast Village Foundation comes in. Grouped into four areas of need general, benevolent ,educational and spiritual each fund of the foundation helps improve the lives of residents within the senior community.
The foundation provides a lot of things here for Gulf Coast Village. Just to name a few, they've bought specialized equipment for the care center, stuff for the gym and they just remodeled our caf, statesDjerf.
Proceeds from each $15 cookbook goes towards the Gulf Coast Village Foundation and providing the best quality of life for older adults in Southwest Florida.
To purchase the Gulf Coast Village cookbook, visit gulfcoastvillage.com.
Other Articles You May Like
Holiday Visits: Prepare the Home, Protect Your Peace
A warm welcome doesn't require a perfect house. Whether family is coming for an afternoon or staying a few nights, a little planning now can make holiday gatherings more comfortable for everyone.1. Have the conversation earlyConfirm dates, overnight arrangements, food preferences, and any mobility needs. Let guests know what works for you, including visit length and quiet time.2. Create a comfortable place to landFresh linens, a clear bedside surface, and an easy-to-reach lamp can make a guest space feel welcoming. No guest room? Agree on sleeping arrangements ahead of time.3. Make movement easierClear hallways and stairs, secure or remove loose rugs, and check lighting between sleeping areas and bathrooms. Keep frequently used items within comfortable reach.4. Put safety before tidinessStore medications securely, especially when children are visiting. Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions, and keep exits clear.5. Share the hostingInvite family to bring a dish, help with cleanup, or organize an activity. Keep meals simple and make room for breaks. Being together matters more than doing everything yourself.6. Make space for connectionSet out a few family photos, plan a favorite game, or ask guests to share a memory. Often, the simplest traditions are the ones everyone remembers.
A New Chapter Deserves a Thoughtful Beginning.
A New Chapter Deserves a Thoughtful Beginning.Choosing a senior living community is an important life decision. But what happens between making that decision and feeling truly settled?At Silk Road Connection, we work directly for you and your family, providing personalized planning, professional coordination, and oversight of the many details involved in transitioning to senior living.Our goal is simple: Less stress for families. More time to enjoy what comes next.Founder-Directed Team DeliveredSchedule a complimentary consultation. [email protected] silkroadconnection.org
Local Services By This Author
Gulf Coast Village
Independent LivingGulf Coast Village is the only continuing care retirement community in Cape Coral. Life at Gulf Coast Village is about empowering you to chart your own course for retirement. Engage in a life plan with our full continuum of care to protect your assets against future health care costs. Have peace of mind in knowing that even if you outlive your assets, this will always be your home. Enjoy our hospitality while you decide what to do today. With a catered lifestyle, chores like lawn care and housekeeping are out of the way, so you can do as you please - bridge, golf, church groups, volunteering - and whatever else you can imagine!What sets us apart from other retirement communities in Cape Coral, FL? Established 35 years ago, we have longevity of staff because they love to work with our friendly residents who become like family. What else sets us apart? Our beautiful wooded grounds and walking paths, a nature lover's delight; delicious meals which are chef-prepared with fresh ingredients, made from scratch. Residents can pursue their passions with a woodworking shop, a model train station, fitness and art classes. Our activities and events are designed with you in mind. Plus, we're close to everything you love about Southwest Florida, including the best of coastal living. After a busy day of fun, escape to your personal retreat. We offer a range of 14 beautiful, open floor plans with walk-in closets and screened-in lanais that run the length of your home, ready for you to add your personal touches. Come and see for yourself what our residents already know. The minute you walk through our front door, you will know too!
Senior Choice at Home by Gulf Coast Village (CCRC in your home)
Housing - Other TypesWhen you prefer to stay in your own home rather than move into a senior living community, Senior Choice at Home offers you a plan for life, in your own home. Our forward-thinking lifetime program makes it easy to plan for the future while continuing to enjoy the Florida lifestyle you worked so hard to create, as well as protecting your income and assets against the rising costs of healthcare. Senior Choice at Home is a proactive choice for vibrant and healthy senior adults, designed to protect you and your family from the uncertainties of future health care needs. Senior Choice at Home is the right choice if you wish to: have a plan, stay healthy and stay home, remain independent and in control of your options, relieve the burden from your family and loved ones, achieve peace of mind that every level of care is covered, when your needs change. Senior Choice at Home is the only program of its kind in Southwest Florida. Senior Choice at Home is a membership-based program designed to protect you and your family from the uncertainties of in-home and long-term healthcare services, at a mere fraction of what you would pay if you waited until you needed care. As a member, youll have access to a wide range of services based on your needs, preserving your right to choose. We make this available through a one-time membership fee, (based on your age at the time of enrollment), and an affordable monthly maintenance fee. With flexible pricing options, you can choose the plan that makes the most sense for your financial situation. The membership investment is significantly less than what you might pay for long-term care services separately. An investment in Senior Choice at Home now is a smart move to help protect your financial future. Each member of Senior Choice at Home is assigned a Personal Care Coordinator, who will get to know you, check in with you on a regular basis, is available 24 hours a day to arrange healthcare services you might need in an emergency or arrange personal care services in your own home. All it takes is a phone call and they will handle the rest no forms for you to fill out or claims to process. Well provide the services you require quickly, so youre never alone in your time of need. Plus, if at any point something changes and you want or need to move into assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing, your membership may cover those services too. Your membership will continue to increase in value because it provides complete long-term care protection for life. Ensure your lifetime of savings is secure while ensuring a lifetime of care!
