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Annual Renewals
Please watch your mailboxes for important information!
Over the next couple weeks we will be mailing partnership renewal information. Forms and annual fees will be due no later than December 31, 2011.
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Safe Handling of Frozen Turkeys
Frozen turkeys can be stored almost indefinitely, but once a bird is out of the freezer it starts warming up and bacteria that may have been present prior to freezing can start to multiply rapidly. Here are some hints for getting frozen turkeys from GSFB's warehouses to your consumers safely:- Turkeys should not be kept out of the freezer or refrigerator for more than 2 hours. If you must keep them out longer due to transportation or distribution time, place turkeys in coolers or cover with insulated blankets to keep them frozen.
- Store turkeys in freezers at <5° F or start the thawing process in a refrigerator at a temperature between 36° and 40° F.
- Instruct clients on the safe defrosting of turkeys. Turkeys can be safely thawed in 3 ways - in the refrigerator, the microwave, or a cold water bath. The longest, but recommended, method of thawing turkey is in the refrigerator. Thawing times will vary based on the size of the bird.
More information on the safe handling of turkeys can be found on the USDA's web site. |
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Tips for Freezing Broccoli
We have had an abundance of broccoli at the Food Bank of late, so here we offer you some tips to freeze and store broccoli for use all winter.
Separate into florets - Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you prepare the broccoli; you will need it later for blanching. Remove the bottom stalk of broccoli and reserve for soup or stir-fry. Using a sharp knife, divide the broccoli heads into 1 - 1 1/2 inch florets.
Wash broccoli - Fill a basin or sink with cold water and tumble florets into the water to wash. Avoid soaking broccoli in water for any length of time as this will result in loss of nutrients. Remove from water and place on a tray.
Blanch and cool - While waiting for water to boil, prepare an ice bath. A basin or large bowl of cold water with ice cubes works well. Working in small batches, lower broccoli into boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the ice bath. This will stop the cooking process and retain the vibrant color.
Drain and dry - Don't let the broccoli sit in the ice bath for long. After a couple minutes, remove and drain in a colander. After most of the excess water has drained, transfer them to a dish towel to dry more.
Repeat these steps with the remaining broccoli.
Package, label, and freeze - When broccoli is cooled and dry, package into meal-sized portions in sealable bags. Shuffle and gently manipulate broccoli so it lies in more or less one layer. Squeeze the air out of the bag as best you can without squishing the broccoli. Using a sharpie, label with date and freeze as quickly as possible.
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Lessons from the Feeding America Learning Conference
Kathy Helming, Agency Services Representative, Southern ME
In mid-October four Agency Services team members from GSFB attended a conference in Chicago sponsored by Feeding America, the national organization connecting food banks across the country. There we met with 400 other food bankers to learn from each other about improving agency capacity, introducing nutrition education, and enhancing programs for our member agencies.
Over the next several months we will talk with our emergency food providers about how we can better work together to make deeper inroads against hunger across all demographics and regions of the state.
All four team members who attended the conference were at the same time humbled and inspired, overwhelmed and energized, by what we learned. We look forward to working with our other team members to improve our outreach to all those fighting the immediate and long-term effects of hunger in Maine.
We are ever-mindful of the wisdom and experience of our agencies' volunteers and staff, and we will be gathering information and data from you to continue to measure the job we're doing across the state. You may notice a difference in the questions we ask during our monitoring visits, our renewal process, and even when we see you at the warehouses, as we seek to get a more accurate picture of how together we can better serve those in need. We thank you in advance for your help. |
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Agency Services Team
Jeremy Corbally-Hammond, Manager of Agency Services,
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Locations, Hours & Closings
Auburn Distribution Ctr. Portland Distribution Ctr.
3121 Hotel Road 111 Pine Tree Industrial Pkwy
Auburn, ME 04211 Portland, ME 04102
(207) 782-3554 (207) 761-0542
Hours: M-Th 7:30am - 4pm; Hours: M-Th 8am - 3pm;
F 7:30am - 1:30pm F 8am - 12pm
Brewer Distribution Ctr. We will be CLOSED on:
88 Stevens Road November 1 - Inventory
Brewer, ME 04412 November 11 - Veteran's Day
(207) 989-4672 November 24 & 25 -Thanksgiving
Hours: M 11am - 5pm; December 1 - Inventory
T-Th 7:30am - 3pm;
F 7:30am - 2pm
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Find us on the Web
Find information about the Food Bank's programs, upcoming events, and resources for partner agencies at: www.gsfb.org
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Recipes of the Month
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
4-5 cups cooked rice 2 chicken breasts - cooked 1-2 bunches broccoli chopped & cooked 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tsp curry powder 1 cup grated cheddar cheese slivered almonds (optional) 2 cans cream of chicken soup Place rice in the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan. Layer in cooked broccoli and chicken. Combine cream of chicken soup, mayo, and curry powder into a small mixing bowl and then pour over the layers. Sprinkle with cheese and almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cream of Broccoli Soup 3 tbsp butter 1 onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 3 cups chicken broth 8 cups broccoli florets 2 tbsp flour 2 cups milk salt & pepper Melt 1 tbsp butter in a stock pot, add onion and celery and sauté until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway. Hold down the lid of the blender with a kitchen towel and pulse several times to get mixture moving before putting it on puree. Puree in batches until smooth, return to pot. Alternatively, use a stick blender to puree mixture right in the pot. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Stir in flour and then add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, then add to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Looking for more recipes? We're adding recipes from Cooking Matters for Maine classes to our web site. Feel free to offer these healthy recipes to your clients!
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Kids Café Launches in Westbrook
On Oct. 20 Good Shepherd Food Bank announced that it would be launching Maine's first Kids Café at Westbrook's Mission Possible Teen Center. Kids Café is a nationwide program that combats child hunger by offering meals and nutrition education to low income children.
The teen center is hosting our pilot program, and the Food Bank's goal is to create a model that can be replicated at other after school programs across the state.
In addition to serving nutritious dinners every day, Kids Café makes sure children have a safe place where they can do homework and explore new interests under the supervision of adults they can trust.
Learn more about the Kids Café launch on the Food Bank's blog. |
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