« October 2023

This is the newsletter for Androscoggin Retired Educators Association (AREA) for October 2023

President's Message

Hope everybody enjoyed slightly better weather this last month.

Don’t forget on October 11, we start at 10 AM so we have time to finish the auction. Bring lots of great things!

We have two quick items to get out-of-the-way before we start the Auction. First we need to vote on the constitutional amendment to the change the fiscal calendar and secondly we need a formal vote to change the amount for our scholarship to $2000 which the Executive Committee approved over the summer.

Many, many thanks to Crystal Ward for her Day of Caring work, providing supplies to the Store Next Door Project in Lewiston.

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See you soon
Dave Wing

Next Meeting - October 11, 2023 - 10:00 AM

Sixth Street Congregational Church

Auburn, ME

Our next meeting is our annual auction meeting - hosted by our master auctioneer, Rueben Cornelius

REGISTRATION FORM - Here you go! Download this form, print and send to Gina Fuller. Remember the meetings starts at 10AM on October 11, 2023.

October 11, 2023 - Registration Form

Treasurer's Report

from Gina Fuller

Here is the link for the Treasurer's OVERVIEW

Treasurer's Budget Overview

Here is the link for the Treasurer's Report for September 2023

Treasurer's Report

Special Column - Notes from Seniors Plus

Covid Tests - Beginning Monday, you can request four tests per household through covidtests.gov. The tests can detect the latest variants and be used through the end of the year. Please share this information widely!

Statewide Listening Sessions - On October 4, you have a great chance to express your views on life in Maine as a senior citizen. This could be very important for all of us. Click this link to learn more

Statewide Listening Sessions

from Mona Ervin

Here are some recent food recalls:

As the September 2 recall reveals, Missouri-based brand ConAgra Brands, Inc. is recalling 245,366 pounds of its "Banquet Chicken Strips Meal" products that were shipped to locations nationwide and sold online due to being potentially contaminated with "extraneous materials" — specifically plastic.

On Sept. 2, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Hillshire Farm, a St. Joseph, Missouri-based company, would be recalling about 15,876 pounds of blended meat and poultry smoked sausage products potentially contaminated with bone fragments produced on June 14, 2023, according to the FSIS, and bear the establishment number "EST. 756A" and use by date "Nov 11 23" on the front of the package.

What to Do with a Recalled Product

A food product that has been recalled due to a possible germ contamination or illness, can leave germs around your kitchen and contaminate surfaces, including the drawers and shelves in your refrigerator.

If you've already prepared a recalled food item in your kitchen or still have it in your refrigerator, it's important to throw out the food and clean your kitchen.

Wash all cookware and utensils (including cutting boards) with hot soapy water.

Clear off counters and refrigerator drawers and shelves and wash them with hot soapy water.

Then wipe any surfaces, shelves, or drawers and rinse dishes and cookware with a sanitizing solution and let them air dry. You can use a diluted bleach solution (1 TBSP unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water).

Products recalled due to an undeclared allergen may be a risk for anyone in your household with an allergy to that substance. If the product has never been served, throw it away or return it for a refund. If the product has been served, wash with soap and water any surfaces – plates, pots and pans, utensils, and counters – with which the product may have had contact.

Medicare Open Enrollment Scams

It’s open enrollment season, which also means it’s Medicare fraud season. Eligible beneficiaries have until December 7 to shop for the best deal for their health care dollar. Unfortunately, some of the deals out there won’t be deals at all. Many Maine seniors have received phone calls claiming to be from Medicare or from the 'health office.' The callers ask for the Mainer by name and appear to be offering seniors some sort of supplemental health insurance or prescription coverage. Never give any personal information to anyone over the phone.

Just like in other years, Medicare scams spike during open enrollment season with scammers posing as insurance providers calling and emailing about free gifts or limited time offers. These scams are designed to capture information to bill Medicare for bogus services and treatment.

Be suspicious of anyone who calls, emails or visits you promoting a Medicare plan. Legitimate health plans can only contact you if you’ve requested information. Don’t give personal information to anyone who calls or visits out of the blue and always review your Medicare summary notice or explanation of benefits statement for fraudulent charges.

Consumers with questions about Medicare can get more information from the Medicare offices at 1-800-MEDICARE.

Legislative Report

from Crystal Ward

There is the latest information from Augusta !! WE are going to lose money again!!!

Myself, Faith Campbell, MEAR representative on the MEABT and several MEA officers and staff members as well as state representatives were told that the legislation concerning the 5% increase in Health Insurance was passed with retroactivity to July 2023! This is what I passed on to everyone BUT here is the NEW information from Jennifer Kent, Executive Director MEABT.

“According to the State, nothing in the budget takes effect until 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session. Therefore the effective date of the budget is October 25, 2023. The State worked with the AG and the Revisors office and they are adamant that the change in the retiree health care plan, and all other changes in the budget document, do not take effective until 10/25 and for that reason, they will not increase the State contribution to the retired teacher health program until 11/1/23.

We asked why this was different from the prior change when the State increased from 45% to 55%,( they did apply the retroactivity) and they advised that change was a mistake. They advised that the effective date in law is trumped by the effective date of the legislation.”

Translation--- WE will NOT be receiving any money for the months we believed we overpaid for our Health Care Insurance since the law clearly states it starts July 1, 2023.

The new Lower Insurance Rate will take effect on 11/1/23

It is not a lot of Money but again we are losing something.

Crystal Ward , Legislative Chairperson

Fall T0-DO list

from Mona Ervin

In place of a quiz this month, check off all of the activities that are on the Fall Fun To-Do List. How many will you do?

___ Go apple picking

___Take a hike

___ Visit a pumpkin patch

___ Dress up for Halloween

___ Go leaf peeping

___ Buy Halloween candy for the “treaters”

___ Bake an apple pie

___Collect pinecones

___ Take a hayride

___ Tell a spooky story

___ Rake leaves

___ Roast pumpkin seeds

___ Drink apple cider

___ Make aThanksgiving table decor

___ Make an autumn themed craft

___ Smell the autumn air

___ Watch a football game

___ Donate to a food drive

___ Eat a candy apple

___ Make homemade applesauce

___ Bake pumpkin bread

___ Make homemade apple jelly

___ Make chili

___ Eat a cider donut

___ Go on a scavenger hunt

___ Make a scarecrow

___ Carve a pumpkin

___ Plant mums

___ Watch a Halloween movie

___ Gaze at the full moon

___ Break out your sweaters

___ Watch a Thanksgiving Day parade

___ Cozy up to a fire

___ Attend a craft/church fair

___Visit a corn maze

___ Complete harvesting the garden

___ Jump in a pile of leaves

___ Enjoy a warm glass of hot mulled wine

___Wear a scarf

___ Attend the AREA October auction

___Buy pumpkin flavored coffee

___Bob for apples

There is so much to do in the fall – as the saying goes, “If you are bored in Maine, its your own darn fault.”

Recipes

-EZEEEE KWEEEZEEEN

OK.. I know.. this is a repeat. But this recipe is so darn EZ, that it demands a repeat

No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

Here's the link

No Knead Bread

Here's the download PDF

No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

Here's the simple recipe

Ingredients

No Knead Rosemary Sea Salt Bread (Variation)

Instructions

Regular No Knead Bread

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. The dough will come together in seconds and come off of the sides of the bowl.
Allow the dough to stay in the bowl on the counter, covered with Saran Wrap or Press and Seal for 16-24 hours. I have done 24 hours with no problems.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees with the dutch oven in the oven when heating up. This is essential. I have preheated it up to 45 minutes and haven't seen a drastic difference in the outcome of the bread, so I just heat up in the oven as the temperature comes up.
While the oven is heating up, remove the dough from the bowl and form into a ball. It may be a bit sticky which is fine. Don't work it, just form a big ball. Depending on the humidity in the air, I will add a teaspoon or so of flour to get it to work into a ball. Don't over do it though.
When the oven is completely heated up, remove the dutch oven from the oven and place the ball of dough inside and cook for 45 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and cook an additional 10-15 minutes allowing the top to get a crusty brown color. Don't overcook as the outside will get too hard.

No Knead Rosemary Sea Salt Bread

Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is coming off of the sides
This will only take a couple minutes. Cover the dough with saran wrap or Press N Seal for 16-24 hours as it will continue to rise. Once it is ready to bake, preheat the oven at 450 degrees and place the cast iron dutch oven in the oven to heat up.
It is best to keep this in the oven 30-40 minutes to really make sure the dutch oven is extremely hot. This helps cook it from all sides and helps to resist the sticking! Roll the dough out and if it is extremely sticky, add a teaspoon of flour or so to just make it not so moist but you don't want it dry.

Remove the dutch oven from the oven and place the dough in the dutch oven and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on. Check on the bread and see how it's going.
At this point, I took the lid off and baked 20 minutes to make the outside crust crisp and yet have a very tender inside.

Notes

Sweetener: Most recipes for Dutch Oven No Knead Bread don’t have any sweetener in it and I have made this with and without and I also add the sugar for just a bit of sweetness. You barely taste it but I miss it when I don’t add it in! So if you don’t want to add it, please feel free to leave it out!

Cooking Time Tip: I would check your bread at 25-30 minutes and see how it is doing. If you want an outer crust that is crunchy and your oven tests low-go for the full time. If you like a crispy (not as hard) of an outer bread, go for the lower time and you might be happier.

Variations:

Rosemary and thyme to make a delicious Herb Bread
Cinnamon and raisins and you have the Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Craisins and orange zest for a great Cranberry Orange Bread
Blueberries and lemon zest for a Lemon Blueberry Bread
Thanks for our awesome readers, I want to note that if you want to use herbs you will use 2-2 ½ TBSP FRESH herbs or 2-2 ¼ TSP DRY herbs. Also you will mix that in with all the ingredients at the beginning!
Hawaiian Sweet Breat - Add some pineapple juice and a bit of brown sugar to replace the water or milk. (Roger's work around.)

Dense Bread: Most common answer is that there is too much flour in the bread. Remember, especially with baking, how important it is measure properly by spooning flour into a dry ingredient measuring cup and then leveling off. Don’t be tempted to SCOOP the flour out of the bag or container, that is a sure fire way to get too much flour into your recipe. The yeast may not have been good or old. The flour could be old. The last reason is that there might be too much liquid or moisture. The dough needs to be sticky but not out of control. If you need to add flour, add it by the teaspoon at a time but try not to overwork the dough either or it will get tough. I promise, this is an easy recipe but sometimes there might be a reason someone has an issue and I want to make sure we cover them all.

Freezer Friendly: Just allow the no knead dutch oven bread to fully cool, and then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight freezer container. The bread can store for 3-4 months!

Yeast: If you use active dry yeast, you just need to make sure to activate your yeast. By doing that you will just add your yeast to warm liquid, with a bit of sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. The yeast will begin to foam up, and that is when you know the yeast is blooming and active.

No Dutch Oven? As long as you have a pan that can heat up to 450 degrees and has a lid, you should be good to go.

Bread is Hard All The Way Through: It cooked too long. Make sure that your oven is calibrated to the correct temperature. Most of our ovens are off and having an oven thermometer really helps. I always suggest readers check recipes early and often when you aren’t sure and for first time recipes.