WALK FOR ALZHEIMER'S

Tomorrow I am walking for Alzheimer's. If you can afford to donate; I would appreciate it so much! I am walking for my nanny who has been living with Alzheimer's for several years. 

Alzheimer's facts and figures

• Today, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – 5.2 million aged 65 and over; 200,000 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s. By 2050, as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease.

• Two-thirds of those with the disease – 3.4 million – are women.

• Of Americans aged 65 and over, 1 in 8 has Alzheimer’s, and nearly half of people aged 85 and older have the disease.

• Another American develops Alzheimer’s disease every 69 seconds. In 2050, an American will develop the disease every 33 seconds.

• Most people survive an average of four to eight years after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but some live as long as 20 years with the disease.

• On average, 40 percent of a person’s years with Alzheimer’s are spent in the most severe stage of the disease – longer than any other stage.

• Four percent of the general population will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80. But, for people with Alzheimer’s, 75 percent will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80.

Skillet lasagna

I love lasagna but it's a messy process, one pot to boil the noodles, another to brown the ground beef, a pan to bake it in. So I thought I would try this Kraft recipe I had cut out of a Spring 2009 issue of Food & Family. It wasn't bad if you need a quickie dinner, not as good as the old fashioned way of course, but okay.

Skillet Lasagna

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 green peppers (I only used about 1/2 of one) chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 c. water
1/4 c. kraft zesty italian dressing (I omitted)
12 oven ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 c. kraft shredded low-moisture part skim mozzarella cheese

Brown meat in a large saucepan; drain.

Stir in peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to a boil. Add noodles: stir. Cover

Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 minutes, or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min, or until cheese is melted.

Substitute: Substitute 12 regular lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces and increase water to 2 cups and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Sorry my picture doesn't look cheesy I forgot the picture until I was putting up the leftovers.

Please support me on my walk for alzheimer's. Today, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – 5.2 million aged 65 and over; 200,000 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s. By 2050, as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease.

Poorman's cookies

I was looking through some recipes I had bookmarked and came found this recipe for old fashioned spice cake A.K.A Poorman's cookies. It looked yummy and it was! My dad in particular loved them didn't even complain that I had didn't put in nuts... until the next day at least.

I halved the recipe and left out the nuts and baked it 30 minutes in an 8x8 inch pan. I can see the reason it's called both a cake and a cookie. The batter was more like a cookie dough than a cake batter and it seemed like a slightly cakey bar cookie. The flavors were better the next day as they had melded together.

You could probably change it up some, cranberries instead of raisins or if I think about it next time I might toss in some diced apples.

 

Old-Fashioned Spice Cake

2 1/4c. water
1 1/2 c. raisins
1 stick unsalted butter or margerine
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

    Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
    Combine water, raisins, and butter in a medium saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, remove the lid, and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
    While the raisin mixture is boiling, combine the dry ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl, whisking until thoroughly combined.
    Pour the slightly cooled raisin mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until mostly combined and moistened (the batter at this point will have the consistency of a paste). Add the beaten eggs and again stir with a spoon, until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
    Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until deeply browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
    Cool to room temperature before serving. If not serving immediately, cover with plastic wrap to keep the cake moist. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes 12 servings.

It would be great if any of my readers would support me in my walk for alzheimer's. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.