Port of Call: Back Home for the Holidays

Each month, participating affiliated communities we offer services in will host a Port of Call program. This program will take the residents to a different country or city through games, fun activities, and food!

December’s theme is Back Home for the Holidays, because there is no place like home! The residents will be celebrating the holiday traditions of their local communities with friends and family.

Back Home for the Holidays

The holiday season is a special time because it is a season of giving, spending time with loved ones, and honoring tradition.

There are many fun Christmas traditions that Americans will celebrate this year! Here are some special traditions many people will enjoy this year:

Giving and receiving presents
Decorating a Christmas tree
Going to church for a Christmas service
Baking cookies for Santa and other holiday treats such as fruitcakes
Watching holiday movies with the family
Placing an “Elf on the Shelf” around the house
Warming up by the fireplace
Enjoying a Christmas dinner with the family
Counting down to Christmas with an advent calendar
Sending and receiving Christmas cards
Building gingerbread houses
Decorating the yard with beautiful lights and decorations
Wearing Christmas sweaters
Drinking eggnog
Eating holiday sweets such as candy canes
Making wreaths for the door
Enjoying hot chocolate
Singing Christmas carols
Decorating the home with poinsettias
Writing letters to Santa
Going sleigh riding

Holidays and Family

The holiday season is a time for family to come together and spend quality time. Many families will have their own traditions and memories that they will enjoy and remember on Christmas.

We encourage you to reach out to your family members and loved ones this season. Plan a few fun get togethers and try new experiences to make new memories. Some ways you can get involved include looking for local seasonal events around town, volunteering, or planning your own fun activities.

The Christmas Meal

A big Christmas meal is a tradition that many people enjoy each year. The participating affiliated communities are planning on carrying on this celebration with the residents to give them a taste of home this season.

Here is the menu and recipes if you want to have the same dinner with your family! We wrote these for the communities we offer services in, but you can change the quantities to fit your family’s needs. The menu at participating communities is subject to change.

Broccoli, Parmesan, and Almond Salad

Ingredients:

15 lbs Broccoli florettes fresh cut small
4 lbs Red onion diced
5 lbs Sour cream
4 tbsp Salt
4 tbsp Pepper black ground
4 lb Almonds sliced toasted
1 cup Mustard dijon
1 cup Lemon juice
1 cup Red wine vinegar

Method:

Blanch broccoli in salted boiling water for 7 minutes, then shock in an ice bath until chilled. Drain completely. 2.
Combine the sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, seasoning and red wine vinegar, then whisk well
Toss broccoli in sour cream dressing and red onions then garnish with toasted almonds

Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy

20 lbs Turkey breast boneless
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Cup Soy sauce
1 lb Thyme srigs fresf

Method

Rinse the turkey breast under cold water and pat dry.
Combine mayo and soy sauce and mix well.
Rub all around turkey breasts with mix.
Lay turkey on a roasting pan with thyme around, and roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour and half covered.
Remove cover and keep roasting for 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 or up
Let it rest for 20 minutes then slice accordingly. Save all drippings and juice for your gravy.

Holiday Cake with Moccha Mousse

4 EA Chocolate cake mix box
3 lb Chocolate sprinkles
3 Quarts Heavy cream
3 lbs Butter unsalted
3 CL Chocolate chips
4 tbsp Coffee instant mixed with 5 tbsp of water
3 cups Sugar granulated
2 cups Powder sugar
3 TBSP Vanilla extract
120 EA Strawberry halves with stem for garnish
1 EA Pastry bag with star tip for mocha mousse
1 Quarts Milk whole

Method

Combine the chocolate cake mix and make according to box recipe. Pour into 4 sheet pan and bake.
Cool down then cut into 3" x 3" squares and set aside.
Combine 1 quart of heavy cream, vanilla, powder sugar and instant coffee, then whip until it is a good mousse peak. Transfer into a pastry bag with star tip. Refrigerate.
Combine milk and 2 qts of heavy cream in a large sauce pan and bring it to 125 degrees. Remove from the heat and add sugar and chocolate chips, and whisk well until creamy, then slowly add butter until a nice chocolate sauce is reached. Pour over chocolate cake and spread evenly.
Sprinkle chocolate sprinkles evenly over chocolate sauce and let it set in cooler.
Using the pastry bag, drop a rosette in middle of each chocolate cake and garnish with half strawberries and Green stems. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Activity Plans for Port of Call

Each month, the talented Life Enrichment departments at the affiliated communities will put together fun activities and games based on each destination. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the activities the Life Enrichment department is planning around the holiday season! The activities at participating communities are subject to change.

Rosemont Health and Rehab

At Rosemont, the residents will have a big photoshoot where they will use different backdrops to take pictures. There will also be a hot coco bar, along with the residents sharing their favorite Christmas memories.

Grand Rapids Care Center

At Grand Rapids, their staff and residents will plan on watching different Christmas movies each week. They also hope to have a Christmas décor day, hide an Elf on the Shelf, offer a hot cocoa bar, enjoy eating gingerbread cookies, and celebrate Christmas with their annual Christmas party with live entertainment and presents.

Centerburg Respiratory

The staff plans on offering 3 different baking activities for the residents that they serve. The Life Enrichment team also plans to design a Christmas around the world lesson to help educate the residents. Their programming hopes to encompass trivia games, fun facts, and coloring pages.

Twin Pines

The Life Enrichment team at Twin Pines plans on taking residents on trips to Herr’s Christmas light display twice a week for the month of December. They also want to offer a hot cocoa bar, a deck the halls contest, gingerbread cookie decorating, an Elf on the Shelf hunt, a crazy sock party, caroling in the halls, a Hanukkah party where the staff sings prayers and offers sufganiyot for snacks, and a big Christmas party.

Port of Call

Saber Healthcare is proud to encourage the Port of Call program in the communities we offer services in each month. We hope the residents at our affiliated communities enjoy the Back Home for the Holidays theme!

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long-term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

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