GROWW E-Mail Newsletter

15 June 2003

Circulation: 538

Volume 1, Number 9

Editor

·     Pat Sirni

Associate Editor

·     Margot Hill

Newsletter Staff

·     Angela Dyer

·     Lori Petersen

GROWW Officers

·     Anne D’Ambrosio, Executive Director

GROWW Staff

·     Libby Morningstar, Director of Branches

·     Pat Sirni, Grief Recovery Room Manager

·     Rachel Frank, Message Board Manager

·     Phil D’Ambrosio, Director of Security

 

Message from the Executive Director - Anne D’Ambrosio

 

July is here, another holiday everyone had to survive.  This one meant more I think, a little more patriotic than the usual day off from work and cookout.  We all took time out to thank our troops who are fighting for us and putting their lives on the line for us.  It doesn’t matter where you live you can all relate to your loved ones serving your country.

 

We are lucky here at GROWW, how’s that for an oxymoron…we re lucky because we have met so many wonderful friends from all over the world and it doesn’t matter where they live or what their beliefs are.  We ALL grieve the same way, no matter where we live or what we do.

 

Of course everyone grieves differently, and that is something we need to remember.  Your loss is not worse than my loss or anyone else’s loss, our losses are just different, that’s part of the reason Judy started the special rooms for special losses.  She realized there was a need for people with similar losses, thank goodness for Judy’s vision, I thank her everyday for starting GROWW and seeing the need for it.  Let’s all remember to show compassion to all of our friends, we are all grieving and sometimes it’s hard to see the emotion in their type.

 

As long as I seemed to have gotten onto caring and compassion I would like to mention the following.

 

Help “Fund the Cure”

 

It would be wonderful if 2003 were the year a cure for breast cancer was found!!!  This is one message you will be glad to pass on.  The notion that we could raise $35 million by buying a book of stamps is powerful.

 

As you may be aware, the US Postal Service recently released its new “Fund the Cure” stamp to help fund breast cancer research.  The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland.  It is important that we take a stand against this disease that affects so many of our mothers, sisters and friends.

 

Instead of the normal 37 cents for a stamp, this one costs 45 cents.  The additional 8 cents will go to breast cancer research. (A “normal” book costs $7.40.  This one is only $9.00.)  It takes a few minutes in line at the Post Office and means so much.  If all stamps are sold, it will raise an additional $35,000,000 for this vital research.  Just as important as the money is our support.  What a statement it would make that we care.

 

Many of us know women and their families who lives are turned upside-down by breast cancer.  It takes so little to do so much in this drive.

 

I urge you to do two things TODAY:

 

  1. Go out and purchase some of these stamps.
  2. Tell all of your friends to do the same.

 

Until next month Good Grief friends.

 

AnneGD

 

Meet Your Host – GRHostAnnmarie

 

GRHostAnnmarie

A native New Yorker, Annmarie is one of our newer hosts, joining our host family in May of this year.  As a host in the main Grief Recovery room and also in Widowed, she is pleased to be able to give back to our members and to answer the questions of those who are new to grief.
Annmarie’s husband of 37 years , Bob, passed away in January 2002.  They have a daughter who lives in Florida, and a son who  lives not far from her in New York.  She also has two grandsons.  Her mother is currently living with her, after suffering a fractured hip.
Employed full time as a receptionist in an insurance company, Annmarie keeps busy with her  quilt guild and the exotic bird club that she belongs to.  She has four parrots, a cockatiel, a cockatoo, a red lored amazon and an African grey. She is usually awakened by one of them yelling "Good morning".  She says that caring for her birds helped her through the early months of grieving. 


Annmarie was fortunate to find GROWW a couple of days before her husband passed.  She credits GROWW and a friend, who had also suffered a loss, with helping her to survive.  She has many memories of her months in GROWW and like many of us, remembers how it felt to laugh again for the first time right here in our chatrooms. .  She also remembers a panic attack, and all of the "firsts", when cyber hugs were especially comforting to her.  But, the very best was when she attended last years’  Poconos Gathering, and received real hugs from people who had become her good friends.
When asked what advice she would give to someone new to grief, she replied "Be kind to yourself.  Grief is a really tough road that you have to travel.  You will need all your strength  for this journey.  This is no short trip, you have to work through it, you cannot go around it".


We are very pleased to have Annmarie as a GROWW host.

 

Message from the Director of Branches - Libby Morningstar

 

 

Hoping that July's newsletter finds everyone doing well.  We had the 4th of July, so how did you do?  Did you plan an activity different from one in the past with your loved one, or did you choose to do the same thing In memory of?  It is true that grief is unique to you the individual, and as such, it should be YOUR choice how you celebrate or not celebrate any day.  You will find that is why GROWW works for so many.  They may come, post on our message boards, send emails to heaven, or chat with others who can understand their dilemma of what to do. 

 

 Last month's article gave you an overall update on all the chatrooms and messages boards that we offer at GROWW.  This month I would like to highlight Reluctant Angels.  This very special chatroom is dedicated to those who have experienced the death of a loved one by suicide.  I am sure for some you felt this could never happen, and for others you had had warning signs, maybe even prior attempts and just could not prevent the end result.  Reluctant Angels give you that opportunity to talk about your feelings and begin the healing process in realizing that you are human and you did all you could. You may access Reluctant Angels by using the Chat Index and Site Map and then moving down the page to Branches.  Reluctant meets Sunday evenings 7:30 to 10:00 PM EST and Tuesday and Thursday evenings 8:00 to 10:00 PM EST.  You will find a wonderful group of people in that room.   You can select the Meet the Host and hear their stories as to what brought them to GROWW. 

 

Until we meet again next month take care of YOU.  We do learn through grief that is so important.   

 

Guest Columnist & Recipe – DavidR

 

Cooking for One and Basic Gas Grilling

 

          For those of you that do not know me, my name is David (aka DavidR) I do not have children and having to cook for one use to be a royal pain in the neck. So I have found a way to eat well with out having to “cook for one”. I have also found that the preparation time is about the same no matter how much you cook, so you might as well cook a lot one all at once.

 

What I usually do is cook on Sunday’s for the entire week. I make enough entrées for about 4-7 meals. I only cook the food about 90% done, so when I reheat them in the micro-wave, they aren’t over done. For vegetables, I cut up broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or what ever, and put them in refrigerator dishes, to be taken out as needed or eaten raw with a veggie dip. These also make a great healthy snack when you only want something fast and quick.

 

I cook on my gas grill about 95% of the time. Because of this I have had many people ask me about grilling. Enough so, that I wanted to write this article and explain some basic tips for grilling. Here are some guidelines and other shortcuts I have found to be useful.

 

  1. Preheat the grill before cooking, just as you would an oven or fry pan. Put the grill on high for about 5 minutes before cooking.
  2. Turn the grill off and apply a coat of a non-stick cooking spray to the grilling surface. PAM makes a great grill spray designed for the high temperatures of the grill. I highly recommend it. But please be careful when you spray this on, it may “flash back”. Stand to the side and spray as far away from the grill as you can.
  3. Relight it, and place your food on the grill.
  4. For just about any type of meat:
    1. You should sear both sides. To do this, keep it on high for about 1 minute per side. This will keep the natural juices inside the meat, and limit the change of grease fire during cooking.
    2. Once you have seared the meat, turn the temperature on low and let it cook slowly.
    3. If you are using a BBQ sauce, cook both sides about 70% and then put your sauce on for the remainder of the time. Most BBQ sauces use a lot of sugar, which will burn. That’s the reason for putting the sauce on last.
    4. Rule of thumb for the test of well doneness

                                                              i.      Cut into the thickest part of the meat and check for your desired “doneness” every now and then.

                                                             ii.      Each gas grill is different, and each cut of meat has a different thickness. So I’m not going to tell you how you should do it on your grill.

                                                           iii.      The best way to get to know your grill is experiment, experiment, experiment

                                                          iv.      But to get you in the “ball park”, I have found, an inch think London broil, for 10 – 12 minutes a side, gives me a nice medium rare. But again, this is what I have found for my grill.

  1. For chicken
    1. First, place a layer of foil on the bottom grill, then turn the grill on LOW.
    2. Coat the top rack with cooking spray and cook the chicken with the lid closed. The foil will catch all the grease from the top rack and keep it from flaring up. Plus the grease will smoke and burn, giving the chicken a wonderful flavor.
    3. Cook the chicken on LOW for about an hour and a half or until golden brown. This should be enough time for most of the fat to drip from the chicken.
    4. Then dunk each piece into BBQ sauce, and replace it on the top rack for another 10 -15 minutes.
    5. Again experiment with your grill for the right time and temperature.
  2. For fish and other seafood
    1. I have bought several grill accessories for seafood that makes grilling seafood very easy. One is a basket type thing that you put the fish into and close. Turning the fish is much easier this way because you do not have to scrap the fish off the grill.
    2. Cook on LOW and turn it half way through.
    3. As for meats, add BBQ sauce for the last 10 – 15 % of the cooking time
  3. For Vegetables
    1. I have found by making a “Spill Prof Basket” out of a good quality of foil is best.
    2. Put enough water, juice, wine, beer, or other liquid in that basket to steam the veggies and also to keep them from burning.
    3. Place the foil package on the top rack. Let it sit there for about 15 – 20 minutes on Low, depending on what you’re cooking. Remember to check it often the first couple of times.
    4. Corn on the cob (one of my favorites)

                                                              i.      Peal back the husks, but do not take them off.

                                                             ii.      Remove the “silk”

                                                           iii.      Replace the husks so it looks whole again and soak them in water for about 30 minutes.

                                                          iv.      Wrap each ear in foil and cook on top rack, on Medium for about 15 minutes.

    1. Veggie Kabobs (no foil)

                                                              i.      Cut veggies and put them on a skewer

                                                             ii.      Soak in water for about 15 minutes

                                                           iii.      Place on bottom rack and cook on Low until just before the desired tenderness

                                                          iv.      Coat the kabob with a Herb and Lemon type marinade, and finish cooking

    1. Zucchini Boat (another of my favorites)

                                                              i.      Get a large zucchini and cut it in half horizontally

                                                             ii.      Scoop out the some of the seeds and discard

                                                           iii.      Scoop out the “meat” and place it into a bowl

                                                          iv.      Mix in other things according to your taste and replace back into the boat

1.      I have used cherry tomatoes, garlic, diced onions, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and butter or olive oil.

2.      I have also used sausage or bacon with this, but again experiment to your taste

                                                            v.      Wrap in foil and cook on top rack for 15 -20 minutes

  1. To clean the grill
    1. Turn the grill on HIGH after you are finished cooking and burn the heck out of anything left on the grill.
    2. Then wire brush the charcoal off.
    3. Cleaning done.  J

 

I hope this will help you with your grilling experience. Summer is a great time to cook outside. So enjoy and remember to experiment, experiment, experiment.

Phil’s Corner - Phil D’Ambrosio

 

          Ok, how many of you out there know what American staple we celebrate in July? Give up? Well lemme tell ya pilgrim, its The Baked bean. That’s right that most under appreciated vegetable in the garden. The one side most mom’s and wives hated to put on the table for fear of its long term effects.

          Baked beans have been popular in North America since before the Pilgrims landed on the eastern shores. Although many people think of Boston as the birthplace of the recipe, according to the National Restaurant Association, the Narragansett, Penobscot, and Iroquois Indians created the first baked bean recipes.

          The critical ingredient, maple syrup, was discovered by the Iroquois. According to legend, a chief threw his tomahawk into a maple tree one winter evening. When he removed his weapon the next morning, sap began to flow. He tasted it and noticed a sweet taste, so he had his meat boiled in it that evening for dinner. When the sap was boiled the full, sweet maple taste was released. From then on Native Americans in the East set up “sugar camps” in the winter. The sap was collected in gourds, hollowed out logs, or clay pots. Then, according to the Montshire Museum of Science, the sap was boiled by dropping red-hot rocks into the containers.

          According to the Food Reference Website, Native Americans later created baked bean recipes that featured maple syrup and bear fat. The beans were cooked in earthenware pots that were placed pits and covered with hot rocks. Scholars believe that the Pilgrims learned how to make baked beans from the Native Americans, usually substituting molasses and pork fat for the maple syrup and bear fat. This dish was perfect for the Pilgrim household, because Pilgrim women were not allowed to cook on Sunday, because of their religious beliefs. The baked beans could be cooked the night before and kept warm until the next morning.

          During colonial days, Boston became the place that was famous for baked beans; hence the Boston Baked Beans that we’ve all heard of, and the reason that Boston received the nickname of “Beantown.” Boston Online says that the city was virtually drowning in molasses, and had to find something to do with them.

          Boston involved in what was called triangular trade: Caribbean slaves grew sugar cane, the sugar cane was sent to Boston and made into rum, the rum was sent to West Africa to buy more slaves to send to the Caribbean to work in the sugar cane fields. So if the molasses wasn’t being used for rum, it was being used to make baked beans. Today, there isn’t a single company in Boston that makes baked beans, and only a few places in the city still serve them. A piece of history seems to have been all but lost in Boston.

          July is also National Blueberry month, but nobody ever wrote a poem about Blueberries. You know the one I’m talking about; “Beans Beans good for your heart, well you know the rest.” It must be a guy thing I guess, see ya next month………

 

 

GROWW, INC.© Judy Divers
11877 Douglas Rd - #102-PMB101 - Alpharetta GA 30005

501(c)(3) Non-Profit EIN: 59-3445877

 

Recipes From Members

 

 

See Guest Column from DavidR above.

 

 

If you would like to submit a recipe for publication in this newsletter, please send your submission to newsletter@groww.org 

 

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