On April 11th, it’s officially national cheese fondue day. For elderly people this can be a great opportunity to celebrate! As a caregiver, your parent’s health and happiness is a priority, and you can take care of both those things on this day. Cheese is a great source of calcium which can help your senior to strengthen their bones. The fondue can be used with a great variety of dipping food such as apples, bread cubes, grape tomatoes, and other veggies that add a boost of good vitamins to your parent’s diet.

Cheese Fondue

Here’s a simple recipe for some delicious cheese fondue:

½ pound shredded Swiss cheese

½ pound shredded Gruyere cheese

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 peeled garlic clove

1 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. cherry brandy, like kirsch

½ tsp. dry mustard

Pinch nutmeg

The directions for this recipe are simple. Sprinkle the cornstarch onto the cheeses in a bowl and set aside. Take the garlic clove and rub the entire inside of your fondue pot with it, and then discard. Over medium heat in a pot, bring the wine and lemon juice to a gentle boil. Then add the cheeses and stir until smooth. Lastly, add the brandy, mustard and nutmeg.

You can serve this with dippers in bowls or on a lazy Susan by the fondue pot. Some serving ideas are:

• Cubes of pumpernickel or French bread
• Granny smith apple pieces
• Blanched veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus
• Small tomatoes
• Whole wheat crackers
• Some people even like fresh fruit such as strawberries, with cheese

Social Opportunities on National Cheese Fondue Day

Why not share a fondue with some family and friends? Your elderly parent might be lonely. Even with the help of a caregiver or senior care services, it’s nice to be with friends and family. The socializing that your elderly parent needs can bring together a group of people to share in good food and company. You can make this April 11th a wonderful get-together to make memories and improve your elderly parent’s quality of life.

Organize with your parent’s caregiver the transportation, timing, meal plans and other details for this day so that they can be with your parent when they need the help. Make sure that everyone involved knows what’s going to happen and they can even contribute to activity ideas. There’s no reason why grandchildren can’t join in on the fun – have some low key games like card or board games or something that your parent can do with the children. Take into consideration your particular senior’s abilities and struggles when planning the day and everything that goes with it. A great way to build happy memories!