Did you know when you purchase from Amazon you can have them donate to Charlestown’s Benevolent Care Fund? This at no extra cost to you. Here’s how:
Roland Gray and Charlie Eichenlaub, BCF Supporters
The Black Swan Yacht Club (BSYC) began its sailing season on June 8th, five weeks beyond our planned start of May 4th. For the 2020 season the BSYC has nine active members who will be sailing our radio controlled model sailboats every Monday morning at 10 am, weather permitting.
John Ogaitis
Commodore,
Black Swan Yacht Club
Gloria Davis
John Chasse
Bill May
Janet Allan
John Oxenham
Dick Crebs
THANK YOU and congratulations Charlestown residents! With your support and generous donations, our 2020 Campaign exceeded the goal and raised a total of $218,266 for the Charlestown Scholars’ Program. This year’s campaign had the challenge of occurring in the early days of a pandemic outbreak, so while our participation was at its lowest amount this year (46%), we were thankful for a generous realized planned gift of over $28,800 from the estate of Connie Morrison to help us exceed our goal.
The Charlestown Scholars’ Program allows us to offer academic financial assistance to our eligible student-employees. This year we extended this program to include a One-Year scholarship to our staff for adult-learners who are looking to pursue their education in coursework related to the Charlestown scope of business. Traditional Scholars will receive up to $2000 per year for up to 4 years, sent to their school to offset their academic tuition expenses. The One-Year Scholars will receive up to $2000 for one year, sent to their school, with the potential option to renew.
On Saturday, June 6th the “Virtual” Scholars’ Ceremony aired on Ch.972, and then was repeated over the next week. If you did not catch it, be sure to log in to MyErickson, under Community Videos to view it there. The ceremony allowed us the opportunity to celebrate our incoming class of 31 new Scholars who will join the current 85 active Scholars. It was announced during this ceremony that we had 19 Charlestown Scholars earn their college degrees this past year!
In addition to the Charlestown Scholarship, the Scholar candidates had an opportunity to apply for additional merit-based Named Scholarships. The following Scholars received these special awards:
Eniola Osunnuga, The Andrew Murray Myers Scholarship ($2000)
Kaiyah Covington, The Fenton & Ted Robb Memorial Scholarship ($2000)
Niya Carroll, The Committee Recognition Award ($1000)
Justice Mitchell, Community College of Baltimore County 2-year Award for $250 each year ($500)
Lisa Peoples, Community College of Baltimore County 2-year Award for $250 each year ($500)
Named Scholarships are funded by individuals or groups, and are provided to the selected students in addition to their Charlestown Scholarship. This year we had a new Named Scholarship Award, The Fenton and Ted Robb Memorial Scholarship. This award was established by two sisters, Nancy King and Karen Robb, in memory of their parents, Fenton (Smith) Robb and Ted Robb, who also lived here at Charlestown. Special scholarships need not be memorials but can also be established as a living tribute to friends and/or family members. Imagine what a delight a family member or special friend would have to meet a scholar who will be benefiting from such generous giving. If you are interested in learning more about establishing a Named Scholarship to be included in our Scholars’ Program, please contact Lisa Zehring in the Philanthropy office for more information.
We are grateful to this year’s guest speaker, Greg Johnson, our Charlestown Manager of Customer Service and Communications. His theme of “I remember when” took us back to his first day at Charlestown in 1999 and his experiences on our dining staff, through college. He became a Trainer and Asst. Manager of the Chesapeake Restaurant, which, no doubt, helped him as the leader of the transitory Concierge program during this pandemic.
Again, we thank all who have supported this campaign to make it so successful. The gift of education can be priceless, and donations can be made year-round in many ways. You can give monthly via your Resident Account or Credit Card. Check and/or cash donations can be sent to the Philanthropy Office in Cross Creek. Checks may be made payable to the Scholars’ Fund. In addition, a new easy way to give to both the Scholars Fund and the Benevolent Care Fund, is online through your MyErickson page. You may also explore giving opportunities with the recent Cares Act, or Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), for both Benevolent Care and Scholars’ Funds. Contact Philanthropy for details.
As always, my sincere thanks of appreciation to our Scholars’ Committee members: Norma Goldberg, Roland Gray, Mel Milio, Marie Skane, Ed DeLong, Jackie Graham, Eugenia High, and Mimi O’Donnell, and also to the Philanthropy Department team of Patti Santoni, Emily Fowler, and Lisa Zehring.
Charlie Eichenlaub
Scholars’ Fund Committee (Chair)
MaCCRA elected officers for the next fiscal year starting July 1, 2020. Stephen Harders joins, President Ann MacKay, President as the new Treasurer. The returning officers are Lorrie Rogers, Collington, Grace Smearman, Mercy Ridge, and Dave Hall, Carroll Lutheran Village.
Fifty-six chapter delegates attended the Zoom meeting on June 6. A new member video was introduced, which is available on YouTube.
If you haven’t heard about MaCCRA, it is the only organization representing residents who live in continuing care retirement communities. The application form can be downloaded from MaCCRA.org. or CCICharlestown.org. Please join!
Submitted by Dick Crebs – Good tips on wearing a mask if you have hearing aids.
submitted by Dick Crebs and Naomi Benzil.
On Saturday, June 6th, about 50 Charlestown residents participated in a Black Lives Matter protest. We maintained social distance. There were no police and no rioting.
Pharmacy Non-Contact Pick Up Instructions:
1. Call CVS Pharmacy (410-737-8820) and speak with a staff member to place orders for prescriptions or over-the-counter items.
2. Inform the CVS staff member you would like to pick up your order.
3. Call the pharmacy before leaving to pick up your order.
4. When you arrive, pick up your order from the table inside CVS.
5. If other residents are in line, wait in the designated area practicing social distancing.
Important Reminders:
● Free delivery is still available for all orders.
● All orders must be placed in advance by phone. Shopping when you arrive will not be allowed.
● All orders will be charged to the credit card on file.
● All residents must be wearing a mask to enter.
submitted by Peggy Crebs with additions from Ed Piechowiak
Call Peggy for any recipes. They will be delivered via inner-community mail.
Uses for the 4-ounce Dole Fruit Containers
Other Uses for the Bourbon Sauce and Uses for Marinades
Marinade Sauce and Instructions
Sprucing up Delivered Soups– Tomato, Chicken, Mushroom
Using Delivered Foods for New Recipes, such as a Chicken Stew with a Nut Butter, Chicken Piccata, and Easy Meat Sauces
Opening the container: Having trouble? Often one can grab the extra-wide part of the plastic top, and pull it off from there. I usually place mine on the front lip of my sink, with the part I’m pulling away from me. Thus, when I pull, and the juices come squirting out, as they’re often bound to do, the juice goes into the sink, and not all over my clothes!
In many cases, you may want to drain as much of the juice as you can easily. This depends on how you’re using it, and what you’re mixing it with. Often the juices can be used in other sauces, marinades or stew-bases.
All the fruits are in the juices of white grape and lemon. We’ve been provided:
* Tropical fruit – Papaya (red and yellow), pineapple
*Mixed fruit – Pineapple, Peaches, Pears
*Individual Peaches, Pears, and Mandarin Oranges
Uses:
In breakfast dry cereals, with milk. Drain the fruit
* In our breakfast cooked oatmeal. Yum!
* An evening snack, or dessert for after dinner
* Along with the vegetables provided in our meals. You’d be surprised what a bit of sweet fruit will do for a veggie blend
* In the marinades, as explained along with the Bourbon Marinades
Keep in mind, what is in this sauce: Usually, the main ingredients are:
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar…. Sometimes honey, in addition
1/3 c. bourbon whiskey
Optional: garlic, ginger, whole grain mustard & red pepper flakes, to taste
Boil at least 5 minutes to thicken. Alcohol burns off as it is cooked, and leaves just the flavor
Add bottled Chocolate Fudge Sauce to the bourbon sauce to taste
Pour over Cake (Angel Food, especially)
Pour over Ice Cream
Bourbon Marinated Chicken: Use our delivered chicken breasts, and enclose it in a closed container.
Cover in some of the delivered Bourbon sauce. If you’re using two chicken breasts, (or other meats) place the 2nd one on top & add additional bourbon sauce. Store in the refrigerator for a day or two of your 3-day meal cycle. Then, place in skillet and simmer. (This recipe is often sold as Cajun recipe, although it does not originate there.)
Beef & steaks- do as above with the chicken, using the sauce as a marinade.
Pork & chops- do as above with the chicken, using the sauce as a marinade.
Open one of the 4-ounce Dole Tropical fruit containers, which have Papaya (red and yellow) and pineapple. Drain as much of the juice as you can easily. Add one of the Dole containers of peaches, also draining the juice in a similar way. Add a container of our provided Bourbon Sauce. Mix (or microwave, 30 seconds, to heat slightly) to taste. If you wish to add any more of any of the 3 mixtures, do so.
Use the marinade instructions above for the chicken.
Marinades with other Dole fruits
Experiment using the other fruits to go into sauces for your chicken or meats:
Mixed fruit contains Pineapple, Peaches, Pears, with both a white grape and lemon juices
Peaches, Pears, and Mandarin Oranges are each in white grape and lemon juices.
Raspberry Marinade: Use the juices from about 1 or 2 containers of any of the Dole fruits and add 1 Tbsp. or more Raspberry Jam, along with a shake or two of basil, and some minced garlic. Also, add 1/4th cup soy sauce and 1 tsp. vinegar. Mix and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Pour over Chicken as in the marinade instructions above, refrigerate for a day or two of your 3-day meal cycle. Then, place in skillet and heat until thoroughly heated through.
Lemon Pepper Marinade: Microwave for about 1 minute a quick sauce of approximately 1 tsp. lemon pepper, 1 tsp. dried rosemary, 1 clove garlic (or equivalent in minced or dried) pinch of dry mustard, a pinch of garlic, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 3/4th c. white wine. Pour over Chicken as in the marinade instructions above, refrigerate for a day or two of your 3-day meal cycle. Then, remove the chicken and set aside. Place the marinade in a skillet and heat thoroughly until the wine has begun to evaporate and thicken. Add chicken, and continue cooking until the chicken has come to temperature.
Great for Chicken:
Pineapple and Honey Mustard: Top a cooked chicken breast or thigh with one container, drained Dole pineapple, about 1 tsp. Honey mustard dressing, and consider fresh slices of red bell pepper.
Warning to folks with high blood pressure: Canned Campbell’s soups are high sources in Sodium. For example ½ cup of tomato soup has 552 mg. sodium; chicken soup has 474 mg.; and mushroom soup has about 455 mg.* Nutritionists recommend we older adults aim for no more than 1,500 mg. a day, and certainly no more than 2,300 for younger adults. Thus, as you see, even 3 servings of these soups would be our day’s limit on sodium!
* from the USDA Food Composition Database https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
However, if you add carbohydrate ingredients, such as diced potatoes, rice or pasta from our delivered foods, or order no-sodium soups from your grocer to add to what’s given to us, you can decrease the sodium per serving.
Note: all soups can be used to thin your homemade stews and casseroles, using our delivered meals. See more on Stews and Casseroles, below.
Add any of the following, or some in combination
Use some of the veggies, diced potatoes, rice or pasta from our delivered meals
Basil, Oregano Cilantro or Cumin flakes, garlic (jar of minced), onion (dried or jar of minced)
Purchased Salsa
V-8 Juice from delivered meals
Jar of chunky or crushed tomatoes, if whole, dice them yourself
Another brand of tomato soup with additions, such as T.Bisque
Crushed Nacho cheese Doritos, Sun Chips or Potato Chips from our delivered meal
Use some of the extra chicken, carrots, mushrooms or other veggies, rice or pasta from our delivered meals
Add Garlic (jar of minced), onion (dried or jar of minced),
Add a little lemon juice
Add a Purchased brand of chicken soup, such as one with cannoli or great northern beans and rice, plus some veggies.
Add Chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Add chopped hard-cooked egg when the base soup is hot on the stove.
Heat and add purchased Dried Crispy Fried Onions for on top, or chips to stir in.
Add chopped chicken from our meals
Add Thyme
Use some of the veggies, diced potatoes, rice or pasta from our delivered meals
Add your own Garlic (jar of minced), onion (dried or jar of minced)
Add your own matchstick-cut carrots
Add a 4-oz. pkg pre-sliced exotic mushroom blend (such as shiitake, cremini, & oyster)
The rice that comes with the meals is generally dehydrated after spending time in the refrigerator. Put a tablespoon of the chicken soup or the tomato soup over the rice before it hits the microwave to make it moist again.
The soups (beef-vegetable and chicken)that we received recently have really been good. But if you get overwhelmed with certain items and don’t know what to do with them here a few examples to consider.
Start with the red beet and onion salad – add celery, onion, carrot, and beef broth. Add some potato if leftover from a meal, or add a little instant potato flakes. Run everything through a food processor or blender. Serve cold with a tablespoon of sour cream (or plain yogurt) on top.
– (using what’s available). Start with the cream of mushroom soup and add the liquid and cut string beans from the 3-bean salads. Add a little beef broth and potato pieces. Typically one would add a slurry of milk, vinegar, and flour to make the soup slightly sour and thick, but depending on the consistency of the mushroom soup and the amount of liquid in the 3-bean salad you may not need to do that.
– Depending on how the tomato soup comes with the delivery consider adding dry milk to make it creamier, sautéed onion, and basil. And for an extra tasty variety and a little salsa or picante sauce.
Using the foods from our Delivered Meals:
• 6-8 oz. Chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
• Vegetables from our meal, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1-2 c. Sweet potato, potato, cut into bite-size pieces, OR pasta
• 2-4 c. Chicken stock, or chicken soup (or soup from Concierge)
Using the foods from our Concierge Service:
• ½ c. peanut butter, if you cannot get the almond butter – (per around 9 oz. chic. Breast) Can be omitted, but it gives this stew a creamy, decadent texture and flavor.
Using the foods from our Delivery Services, like Pea Pod, Amazon or InstaCart – OR omit altogether:
• Preferably ½ c. Almond butter, or cashew butter (per around 9 oz. chic. Breast)
• ½ onion, fresh, minced in a jar, or dried (and rehydrated )
• 1 minced garlic, minced in a jar, or dried (and rehydrated )
• 2 Tbsp. ginger (if available)
• salt and pepper, as needed
Preparation:
1. Combine the chicken stock or soup and anything frozen (like the onion and garlic), into a microwavable dish or stockpot.
2. Cook until hot, then reduce heat to a simmer and add all other ingredients except the nut-butter.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the nut-butter (preferably almond), and about ½ c. of the hot soup mixture into a thick paste. Stir back into simmering stew/ soup.
• 1 – 2 chicken breasts or salmon filets from our delivered meals, somewhat heated
• Pinch, minced garlic, from a refrigerated jar, or dried & rehydrated
• Veggie oil as needed
• 1/3 c. chicken broth
• 1/8th c. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. capers
• 1 ½ Tbsp. butter
Preparation:
1. Cook garlic in a bit of oil in a skillet
2. Add chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened
4. Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sauce by tilting the skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated.
5. Add the heated chicken, and spoon the sauce over it, smothering it in the sauce.
Recipes submitted by Ed Piechowiak
Put the chicken in an ovenproof pan and add the mushroom soup
Add some chopped onion and celery (sautéed)
Season with a little salt and pepper. T
Bake in the oven. The instructions given in the pamphlet that comes with the food delivery recommends 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes but it may take longer to get the chicken to 165F with the soup added.
If you are tiring of the salmon, you can use the plain salmon that comes with the delivery to make salmon cakes for a different taste option.
Break up the salmon in a large bowl (I used two pieces from the meal services)
Add the following:
one egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup each of finely chopped onion and bell pepper
1 Tablespoon of spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon (or more if you like) of Old Bay (or J-O or another seafood seasoning)
1/2 of a very finely chopped jalapeno pepper (Do not use seeds or membranes)
Mix thoroughly with your hands and form into cakes about 1/2″ thick (Yields about 8 cakes from 2 pieces of salmon)
If the mixture is too moist add a little more bread crumbs
(my preference) Fry in hot vegetable oil on one side ’til brown, flip to brown the other side and drain on a platter on a paper towel
(healthier choice) Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, flipping them over about halfway through.
Serve with crackers and additional mustard.
Effective Thursday, June 4, 2020, residents are now able to collect their own U.S. Postal Service and cubby mail as part of the administration’s Safer at Home phase 1 reopening plan. The following process has been instituted:
• Residents whose last name begins with A thru F are invited to collect their mail on Monday and Thursday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Residents whose last name begins with G thru N are invited to collect their mail on Tuesday and Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Residents whose last name begins with O thru Z are invited to collect their mail on Wednesday and Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 P.M.
Be advised that the mailbox area will be temporarily closed when the postal carrier is making his or her delivery, and the area will be thoroughly disinfected immediately after they depart. Additional disinfecting will also take place every two hours each day. Hand sanitizing stations will be installed at the entrance to this area for your use. Since social distancing is vital to our infection prevention efforts, directional signs and floor appliques will be posted and a mail area attendant will be on duty to assist you. Please follow these directional and social distancing guides when approaching and entering the mailbox area. We request that you do not congregate or socialize in this area to allow others to retrieve their mail. If you see a large line, please come back at a later time.
The postal carriers will retrieve all outgoing mail from outgoing mailboxes daily. We will no longer be picking up green outgoing mail bags from your door. At this time we request that all monthly Charlestown bill payments be dropped in an outgoing mailbox with a stamp or that you sign up for on-line bill pay. During our Phase 1 reopening, if you are unable to collect your own U.S. mail, please contact the front desk of your residential building. We will make arrangements with you to deliver your mail to your doorstep once a week, based on your apartment address.
Residents can put outgoing campus mail in the campus mail basket in each lobby desk area on their assigned mail pickup day.
If you have questions, please call administration.