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How sweet it is! August meansorn on the cob -- food fit for the gods. Yes, I know, corn on the cob is available just about year-round nowadays, but to this child of the Midwest, late summer has always beenrue sweet corn time. When I was a kid, the season was terribly short, but as different varieties were developed and refrigeration improved, sweet cornasted from mid-July sometimes to late August. I remember as young married folks,en and I wouldrive from our hot apartment in Chicago out to the suburbs, which in those days were surrounded by farms, and buy sweet corn right from the farmers' stands, rush it home, plop it into a pot of boiling water -- and let the feast begin. More often than not, corn, plus some sliced, just-picked tomatoes were our whole meal.
Corn is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning grain of any kind. Zea mays, the Latin name for corn, is derived from the American Indian term, maize.aize is believed to have been cultivated firstn the Andes. Representations of maize plants appear on prehistoric Peruvian pottery. It made its way to North America via trade trails through the Southwest, with Arizona and Texas being primary routes.
Much delicious corn is still grown here. I noticed an ad in last week's Roundup for Hauser and Hauser sweet corn, picked fresh daily, in Camp Verde. We might just have to make a trip over there for some.
Corn is low in fat and sodium free -- until you spread it with butter and sprinkle salt on it. It is a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber, and provides 7 percent of one's daily requirement of potassium.
August has no major holidays in it, but if you are looking for things to celebrate, Aug. 3 is National Watermelon Day. Put on your dancing shoes for National Polka Festival Day on Aug. 9; Aug. 18 is Bad Poetry Day; you can Be An Angel on Aug. 22; and Kiss and Make Up on Aug. 25.
Payson Senior Center
Medicare Part D, Medicare's New Prescription Drug Coverage, will be explained at a meeting at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at the Senior Center, 514 W. Main St. This event is sponsored by Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens to provide an overview of the new prescription drug benefits and options that will take effect Jan. 1, 2006. For more information, contact William Spangler, Benefits Specialist at (928) 474-4876, or Rebecca Jennings, program director, at 1 (800) 293-9393.
Legal assistance for seniors is available starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9. This service is provided by the Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens on a donation basis. Advance registration is required.
Betty Pontious, a registered nurse, will take appointments for pedicures on Wednesdays during August. The cost is $20 for a half-hour treatment, which includes soak, cut, file, trim and massage. Call (928) 595-0183 for an appointment.
The August birthday celebration for seniors with birthdays this month is Wednesday, Aug. 17. The birthday lunch menu is pot roast, vegetables, salad, dinner roll, beverage, and, of course, birthday cake.
Jim Russell is volunteer of the month at the Senior Thrift Store, 512 W. Main St. Jim works in the receiving and storage area of the thrift store, and makes pick ups of donations. Volunteering is a way of life for the Russells. Jim's wife, Gerry, is a cashier at the store, and daughter, Debbie, helps out whenever she is in Payson from the Valley.
Volunteers are always needed both at the Thrift Store and the Senior Center. Call (928) 474-3205 to learn more about Thrift Store volunteer opportunities; (928) 474-4876 for the Senior Center.
Payson Regional Senior Circle
Monday, Aug. 8, is the date of the next "Doc Talk" by Dr. Clinton Street. Dr. Street is a retired psychologist and member of Senior Circle. Classes are free to SC members, $1.50 for non-members. Call (928) 472-9290 to reserve a seat.
Dr. Amalia Pineres willive a presentation on skin and Botox treatments, as well as other products like Restylane, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11 and again a.m. to 10 a.m. Aug. 15. Light refreshments and snacks will be available. To reserve a spot, call (928) 472-9290. If you are not a Senior Circle or Healthy Woman member, ask Sherri or Cory to register you over the phone.
A health screening which includes a lipid panel, HgALc, PSA and blood pressure will be offered free to Senior Circle members who have not had a screening in the last six months. Pre-registration is being taken until the date of the screening.
Senior Circle's August Member Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Circle building, 215 N. Beeline Highway. Cost of the meal is $4.50 for members; $5 for non-members. When you bring a friend, and they join Senior Circle, you and your guest will enjoy the August luncheon for free.
Pine-Strawberry SCAF
The August Community Potluck Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 20 in the Community Building at the Pine Cultural Center in downtown Pine. This event is free andpen to all ages and members of the area. To find out what to bring, call Cheryl at (928) 476-2151 weekday mornings.
The Senior Dining Room serves hot meals at noon Monday through Friday. A monthly calendar of menus is available in the dining room or thrift store.eals on Wheels also are available for those who are homebound.
July is a blind date with summer, andill beith her all through August.(Seasons by Hal Borland)
Payson Senior Center Menus
The Payson Senior Center serves a hot meal week days at noon in the dining room at 514 W. Main Street. No membership is required. Cost of the meal is $3 for members; $4.50 for non-members and those younger than 60. Meals also can be delivered to homebound individuals.
Reservations must be made one day in advance. For reservations, call (928) 474-4876.
The menu for August is as follows:
Aug. 3: Pork Roast with gravy, brussels sprouts, sweet potato, pears, stuffing
Aug. 4: Meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes, mixed fruit, biscuit
Aug. 5: Fish Fry, cole slaw, applesauce, pie, corn bread
Aug. 8: Chicken breast salad, corn, salad with veggies, fruit pudding, roll
Aug. 9: Eggs, sausage, potatoes obrien, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit
Aug. 10: Salisbury steak, carrots, baked potato, melon, roll
Aug. 11: BBQ brisket, potato wedges, green beans, fresh fruit, corn bread
Aug. 12: Hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, fruit cocktail
Aug. 15: Stir fry chicken, stir fry veggies, egg roll, rice, fresh fruit
Aug. 16: Ham loaf, sweet potato, asparagus mix, pineapple, roll
Aug. 17: Pot roast, stewed veggies, salad, pie, roll
Aug. 18: Taco salad, Mexicorn, pudding surprise, corn chips
Aug. 19: Baked Cod, spinach, berry assortment, twice baked potatoes, roll
Aug. 22: Lasagna, salad, green beans, yogurt, garlic bread
Aug. 23: Green chili stew, tomato slices, cottage cheese, berries, corn bread
Aug. 24: Chez chicken breast, baked potato, peas/onions, pie, roll
Aug. 25: Sauerbraten, scalloped potatoes, cabbage, cantaloupe, roll
Aug. 26: Chicken fried steak, gravy/mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, tropical fruit mix, biscuits
Aug. 29: Cheeseburger, salad, onion rings, strawberry pie
Aug. 30: Chicken Parmesan over spaghetti, broccoli salad, olives, carrots, tomatoes, peaches, garlic bread
Aug. 31: Pepper steak, stewed tomatoes, creamed corn, melon, rice
Pine/Strawberry Senior Citizens Affairs Foundation Menus
The Pine/Strawberry Senior Citizens Affairs Foundation serves a hot meal at noon weekdays in the dining room of the Community Building, Route 87, in downtown Pine.
Meals on Wheels also are available for persons who are homebound.
Members of SCAF pay $3.50 for lunch; non-members, $5. All lunches are served with a salad bar. On Fridays, Cod days, please ask for baked or fried. Advance reservations are required. Call (928) 476-2151 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays for reservations. If cancellation is necessary, please call 24 hours in advance.
Aug. 3: BBQ pork ribs, baked potato, veggie
Aug. 4: Marinated chicken breast, wild rice, veggie
Aug. 5: Salmon, au gratin potatoes, veggie
Aug. 8: Pork chops, mashed potatoes, veggie
Aug. 9: French dip, onion rings, ice cream
Aug. 10: Oven fried chicken, yams, veggie
Aug. 11: Baked spaghetti, bread stick, veggie
Aug. 12: Baked or fried Cod, scalloped potatoes, veggie
Aug. 15: Chicken Cordon Bleu, au gratin potatoes, veggie
Aug. 16: Italian Sausage 'n' peppers, rice
Aug. 17: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggie
Aug. 18: Pork loin, yams, veggie
Aug. 19: Salmon, wild rice, veggie
Aug. 22: Beef stroganoff, veggie
Aug. 23: Chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice, refries
Aug. 24: Pork chops, baked potato, veggie
Aug. 25: Roast Beef, mashed potatoes, veggie
Aug. 26: Chef's Choice
Aug. 29: Lasagna, bread stick, veggie
Aug. 30: Corned Beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes
Aug. 31: Ham, yams, veggie
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