Chicken and Grapefruit Stir-fry

I tried a new recipe last night. I thought it was very good. These are the ingredients ready  for Chicken and Grapefruit Stir Fry. A pdf version of the recipe can be found on the Health Eating page or by clicking here.

Ingredients

1 grapefruit, peeled

1# pineapple chunks in unsweetened pineapple juice

¼ cup cornstarch

2 tsp. sodium reduced, soy sauce

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1# boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut across the grain into slices

1 cup snow peas, trimmed

4 scallions, sliced diagonally

Directions

Peel the grapefruit and cut into sections, holding the fruit over a small bowl to catch the juice.  Drain the pineapple well, reserving the juice.  Put the pineapple juice and grapefruit juice into a measuring cup and add enough water to equal 2 cups.  Add the cornstarch and soy sauce and stir until smooth.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and chicken. Cook until internal temperature of 165°F. (around 8-10 minutes). Add the snow peas and cornstarch mixture; stir-fry until the sauce thickens and boils.  Add the grapefruit, pineapple, and scallions; stir-fry until heated through.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: 1 cup

Calories: 165   Carbohydrates: 20 grams    Protein: 14 grams

Fat:  3 grams      Cholesterol: 31 mgs.          Dietary Fiber:  3 grams

Sodium:  82 mgs.

  • All the ingredients ready to go.
  • Added garlic and chicken to hot oil.
  • Cooked the chicken to internal temp of 165 degrees.
  • Added snowpeas and corn starch mixture.
  • Cooked until sauce was boiling and thickened.
  • Added grapefruit, pineapple, scallions and cooked until heated through.
  • Read to serve.
  • I had 1 cup of stir fry over 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of local strawberries – so sweet no sugar was needed and 1 glass of skim milk!

Where did all the plants go?

With the second attempt, I had an abundance of plants. More than I could use so I have shared them with some staff and asked them to update on how they are doing. I’m also going to try some as container plants in the office.

First Cataract Surgery Patient

If he hadn’t of come here (Calais) I don’t know when I would have gotten this done,” says Dennis Jones of Pembroke when speaking about his recent cataract procedures.   Mr. Jones was the first patient treated by Vision Care of Maine’s Dr. Curt Young when he began providing cataract surgical services at CCH last month.    Mr. Jones was so pleased with the results he came back last week for Dr. Young’s second CCH surgical day to have his other eye completed. 

Dennis Jones of Pembroke was the first cataract surgery patient at CCH.  He is pictured above with Dr. Curt Young of Vision Care of Maine.   Cataract Surgeries are now available monthly at CCH.
 

Mr. Jones described a positive experience with the CCH surgical staff and Dr. Young – and a great outcome of tremendously better eyesight.  

Other patients treated last week described very similar experiences:

“Before I even got out of the chair I could see.  It was unbelievable.  This has opened up a new world for me.”  —  John Baxter, Eastport.

“I had no vision before and can’t believe how well I can see now.  They are an amazing bunch of staff and doctor.”  —  Richard Petty, Waite.

Along with Dr. Young, community members can expect to see the familiar faces of CCH Surgical nurses caring for them as well.   The CCH Surgery Department staff worked diligently over several months preparing for this service and is excited to add cataract surgery to the list of offerings available locally.    

“We have found our model of bringing this state-of-the-art surgery closer to home for our patients invaluable in restoring vision and profoundly convenient,” stated Cristy Hewitt, RN, Director of Clinical and Surgical Services for Vision Care of Maine. “Dr. Young and the rest of our physicians proudly look forward to offering surgical consultations and surgery now in Calais.”

If you have questions about the services available in the CCH Surgery Department call 454-9230 or, for information and appointments for cataract services call Vision Care of Maine directly at 945-6200. 

Grow Your Own

Mona’s plants are progressing nicely and she has prepared her garden for planting time!

Four days after planting life can be seen! When first seeds sprout, prop dome open. When all seeds have sprouted removed dome and place in sunny location.
Mona’s getting her garden ready for planting.
Mona’s plants continue to show progress at Day 14.

Fiddlehead Squares

A pdf version of the recipe can be found on the Health Eating page or by clicking here.

2 cups cooked fiddleheads (To cook,  put raw fiddleheads in boiling water. When it comes to a rolling boil again, cook them for at least 15 minutes.)

½ cup onions

4 eggs

1 cup low fat or nonfat buttermilk

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Dash hot pepper sauce

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

1. Sautee onions in a small amount of olive oil.

2. Mix together cooked fiddle heads and sautéed onions and set aside

3. Blend together eggs, buttermilk, flour and hot pepper sauce. Set aside

4. Mix the 2 cheeses together

Lightly oil a 9” X 13” casserole pan.

Layer as follows:

1/3 of the cheeses (1 1/3 cups)

½ of the fiddleheads (1 cup)

1/3 of the cheeses, (1 1/3 cups)

½ of the fiddleheads (1 cup)

1/3 of the cheeses (1 1/3 cups)

Pour egg batter over mixture in casserole dish

Bake at 350 degrees until thermometer inserted in center reads 165 degrees (usually takes 30-45 minutes)

For information on properly cleaning and cooking fiddleheads you can go to :https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4198e/

This makes a nice luncheon meal served with a tossed salad that is full of different colored vegetables.

Grow Your Own – Take Two!

My seedlings did not make it.  Guess my office has been too cold for them . My fellow gardeners have assured me it is still not too late to try again . So I am going to be planting once again . Would love to hear how other gardeners seedlings are progressing and any tips for me would be greatly appreciated. On Tuesday, May 21 I decided to plant
seeds in the jiffy pots that  I had planted in March and that I did not have success with.
By Thursday May 23 I saw some green 🙂
I also planted tomatoes,peppers,zucchini, summer squash, chives, parsley, and basil in the new Jiffy pots.

CCH Bylaws Updated

At a special meeting of the Calais Community Hospital (CCH) Board of Trustees, proposed changes to the organization’s by-laws were approved.   Twenty of the thirty-seven voting members were present for the vote.

The most prominent and substantial modification was the addition of term limits for the Board of Directors.   Prior to this change there were no term limits.  With this update, Directors may serve for three consecutive three year terms, then, must have at least one year off as a Director before being eligible to serve again.  The new term limits will be staggered in to ensure the entire Board of Directors is not stepping down at once.    “The new term limits will allow enough time for people to learn the organization, be connected and be able to make meaningful contribution,” stated Board Chair Ron McAlpine.  “But not so long that we don’t have the opportunity for new people to join at the Director level.”

These changes bring the organization more current and in line with the Maine Non-Profit Corporation Act: Title 13-B.   A national study by the American Hospital Association on health care governance showed how hospitals are rising to meet tomorrow’s challenges through redefining roles, responsibilities and board structures according to AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack.   Coincidentally, increasing the number of boards with term limits was listed as an opportunity for improvement.    The CCH Board of Directors and Trustees is working diligently to be as current as possible with the changes in healthcare.

Try Something New

Freezing Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are an early spring treat in Maine. Nearly all ferns have fiddleheads but not all fiddleheads are edible. For information on safely harvesting , cleaning, cooking, and preserving fiddleheads, please  refer to  Cooperative Extension University of Maine Bulletin # 4198.Like all foods fiddleheads have to be handled correctly to decrease risk of food borne illness. https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4198e/

Cleaned fiddleheads must be boiled or steamed according to instructions in Bulletin # 4198. They should not be cooked by sautéing, stir frying, or microwaving. Fiddleheads should be boiled or steamed as directed in Bulletin # 4198 , prior to use in other recipes that call for sautéing, stir frying, or baking.

I was lucky this weekend to have been given a very generous portion of fiddleheads. They were cleaned at the site and most of the brown sheath was gone. I cut off the ends and  cleaned them per directions of Bulletin # 4198.

I froze seven packages(2 cups each) of fiddleheads this weekend. Per the Cooperative Extension Bulletin these are the steps I did in freezing my fiddleheads. Pictures of each step can be seen at the bottom of the post.

1.        Initial cleaning was done at site

2.        Final cleaning of fiddleheads

3.        Blanched fiddleheads in small batches for 2 minutes in boiling water. I had water boiling when I placed fiddleheads in it. Timing started when water comes to a rolling boil again.

4.        I removed fiddleheads from boiling water and immediately placed them in an ice water bath for 2 minutes. (ice water bath was ½ ice and ½ cold water.)

5.        I allowed  fiddleheads to drip dry  before packaging.

6.        For my freezer containers I used 1 quart freezer zip lock bags.

7.        I labeled, and dated bags and placed them in my freezer.

To use frozen fiddleheads, thaw in refrigerator. After they are thawed, place in boiling water. When water comes a rolling  boil again, boil  for at least 15 minutes.

Workforce Update – May 28

Patient health and safety is our number one priority. The claims that patients are unsafe receiving care at Calais Community Hospital are completely unfounded. There are no staffing issues that should cause ANY concern for patient safety and our staffing ratios are at industry standard. Our staff receive training and updates yearly, as all clinical specialties across the nation do. In addition, at CCH union members even have access to monies each year to take additional trainings of their choice – however they rarely utilize the funds available to them. The union seems to be using the term “patient safety” as a smoke screen to unfairly worry our community members, as the standing issues on the negotiating table currently have nothing to do with staffing levels or training. Our staff are competent, compassionate, well trained and educated clinicians. They provide great care to patients, and community members should not hesitate to receive care at CCH.

The current realities the hospital, and the healthcare industry, is facing cannot be ignored. Sound financial management is critical to our ability to provide high quality health care to our patients and to keep jobs in the community. We are in this together and only together can we strengthen the hospital’s financial position so we can continue to provide great care to this community. We ask the Union members to join us in putting our patients first.

Visit www.staging.calaishospital.org/workforce-updates for more information.