Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 8, 2011

13

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 8, 2011 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Today’s Subject: 

Recipe of the Week:

Activities: 

 Unless listed differently, all activities are at the 
Hart Memorial Park (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

Red Wine Beef Stew With 
Potatoes & Green Beans

PERFECTIONISM

Lunch Program: Monday- Friday at the 
Intervale Café -12:00 Noon-Call (626) 
355-0256 to make your daily reservation. 
Suggested donation $2.00 for seniors 
(60+) and $3.75 for visitors.

MENU BELOW

Monday: Center & City Hall Closed 

 on January 17th

1:00 pm to 1:45 pm: Strength training 
with Lisa Brandley. FREE class of 
stretching with light hand weights while 
you sit.

Tuesday:

2nd Tuesday of each month FREE blood 
pressure checks by Methodist Hospital; 
11 am to 12 noon 

1:30 pm to 3:30 pm: BINGO; cards are 
only 25 cents each so stop by & play 

5:30 pm to 7 pm: Yoga; $7.00 - 50 & over. 
Please call 355-5278 for more information

Wednesday:

11 –11:45 am: Balance Class with Teryl. 
FREE class designed to improve balance 
& refresh the joints

2nd Wednesday of the month: FREE 
Legal Consultations: 10-11:30 am. 
Appointments call 355-7394

Wii Wednesday - 1:00 pm or call the 
senior desk at 355-7394 to arrange 
another time & day to learn how to play. 
No previous experience or skills required 
and it is great exercise.

Thursday:

1:00 to 3:30 pm: Game Day. Join us for 
UNO and Poker with Bridge on the 2nd 
& 4th Thursdays; so please call for more 
information.

5:00 pm to 6:30 pm: Yoga; $7.00 - 50 
& over. Please call 355-5278 for more 
information

Friday: 

 City Hall Closed on January 14th & 28th 

Saturday: 

11:30 am: Senior Club brown bag lunch 
and BINGO at 12:30 pm

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds beef chuck for stew, cut into 1-inch 
cubes 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

3 tablespoons butter 

4 medium carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 
1-inch chunks 

3 small onions, diced 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium beef 
or chicken broth 

2 cups dry red wine 

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes 

3 sprigs fresh rosemary 

2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, 
peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 

2 handfuls green beans, ends trimmed 

DIRECTIONS:

Season the beef cubes lightly with salt and pepper. 
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 
6-quart pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter 
starts to turn brown, add half the beef and raise 
the heat to high. At first, the beef will give off some 
liquid, but once that evaporates, the beef will start 
to brown. Cook, turning the beef cubes on all sides 
until the pieces are as evenly browned as possible, 
about 5 or 6 minutes after the water has boiled off. If 
the pan starts to get too brown at any point, just turn 
down the heat a little. Scoop the beef into a bowl and 
brown the rest of the beef the same way using the 
remaining butter.

 Scoop out the second batch of beef, then add the carrots 
and onions and raise the heat to medium-high. 
Cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 
5 minutes. Stir in the flour until it has been worked 
into the veggies and you can’t see it any more. Pour in 
the chicken broth, wine, and crushed tomatoes, and 
toss in the rosemary. Slide the beef back into the pot 
and bring the liquid to a boil.

 Turn down the heat so the liquid is just breaking a 
gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook 50 
minutes. Stir the stew several times while simmering 
so it cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom.

 Stir the potatoes into the stew, cover the pot completely, 
and cook until the potatoes and beef are tender, 
stirring occasionally, about another 45 minutes. 
Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes until 
the green beans turn bright green and are cooked 
through but still have a nice snap to them.


We all know what this means. It is that 
parallel road that runs beside us, representing 
where we want to go ,and someday 
become. (If we can only get it right.) 
As we are all too easily reminded, we are 
not "there" just yet. So, on we struggle. 
What to do? Try harder? Be even more 
demanding than usual? Surely, there must 
be a solution.

Self-Talk

At the heart of the change game lies the 
desire within us to be fully alive. Perhaps 
the biggest misconception we entertain is 
that we are our habits. When we say, "I am 
fat" or "I am lazy," there is no distinction 
made between what we do and who we are. 
This leaves very little room for improvement, 
due to the critical nature of internal 
dialogue. In time, discouragement sets in 
which can lead to becoming even more 
self-punishing in our behavior.

Compassion

Kristen Neff, of the University of Texas, Austin, is one of the world's leading researchers on 
the topic of self-compassion. Her research indicates that, contrary to the belief we need 
a high degree of self-criticism to effect change, long-term change is more likely with self-
compassion. In a 2007 set of studies published in "The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology," 
Neff found that those who tested high on the self-compassion scale were less upset 
by their failures and less likely to obsess about them. Those who were harder on themselves 
were less resilient after setbacks and were prone to anxiety and depression. Essentially, this 
suggests that being compassionate about our shortcomings and failures allows us to become 
more resilient, healthier people. In that respect, our failures offer us opportunities to grow.

Discipline

Usually, when we think of discipline, we visualize a tough love approach. But, what happens 
when the inevitable failure occurs? Instead of pushing harder, we might use this as an opportunity 
to acknowledge our accomplishments to date, remind ourselves that we are whole, 
and, with compassion intact, continue on.

Here's to a compassionate New Year! Dr. John

Dr. John Talevich, D.C. has practiced in Sierra Madre 
for thirty years. His clinic, LifeWorks! Chiropractic, 
offers patient-specific approaches to the alleviation of 
pain and individually tailored wellness programs. 

LifeWorks! Chiropractic Center

Individually Tailored Wellness Programs

31 S. Baldwin Avenue Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

626-355-4710


Sponsor Bingo Prize

Pasadena Highlands, an independent 
and assisted living 
community, is proud to provide 
a special gift basket on the first 
Tuesday of each month. Accredited 
In-Home nursing care will 
provide a special prize on the 4th 
Tuesday of each month. Bingo 
takes place every Tuesday at 1:30 
pm in the Hart Park House / Senior 
Center in Memorial Park. 
The game begins at 1:30 pm but 
those wishing to play must arrive 
10 minutes before to secure 
your Bingo cards. Join us on 
the 1st & 4th Tuesday of each 
month for your chance to win 
these special prizes. 

January Birthdays

Loyal Camacho, Becky Evans, Roberta 
Rahmanian, Louise “Sandy” Thistlewaite, Sue 
Watanabe, Ruth Wolter, Mary Tassop,


Meals are delivered to home-bound 
seniors by volunteer drivers through 
the YWCA Intervale Lunch Program M-F (with 
frozen meals for the weekend.) Call the YWCA 
at (626) 214-9460 or Darlene Traxler at (626) 355-
0256 for more information.

Meals-On-Wheels


DIAL - A - RIDE 
TICKETS

Tickets can now be purchased 
at:

Sierra Madre City Hall

Hart Park House / Senior 
Center

Sierra Madre Library

MEALS-ON-WHEELS NEEDS 
VOLUNTEERS TO DELIVER MEALS TO 
OUR HOMEBOUND NEIGHBORS 

**ONCE A MONTH OR WEEKLY** 

Please contact Darlene Traxler at 

626.355.6220 or (626) 355-0256.

Save the Date

AARP SAFE DRIVING CLASS

Next class: February 23 & 24 

9 am to 1 pm both days. 

$12 for AARP Members 

$14 for Non-members

Please call the Senior Desk at 
(626) 355-7394 to register in 

advance or for more information.

WHALE WATCHING 

Saturday, March 12th 

9 am to 4 pm; $25 

We are using a NEW boat 

company & the excursion will be 
narrated by an Aquarium of the 
Pacific staff member.

FEBRUARY EXCURSION 

February 17th - Bower’s Museum - Benjamin 
Franklin: In Search of a Better World - join us 
as we travel to Santa Ana to take a special tour 
of this exhibit which includes an original of the 
1776 "Pennsylvania Constitution" as well as explore 
the museum. Cost is $21 per person for 
transportation & the tour (lunch will be 
on your own at the museum).

9 am to 3:30 pm

To register, please visit the Senior Center or 
go online to www.cityofsierramadre.com/
onlineregistration.


*All meals also include low fat milk, whole grain roll with margarine and dessert (fresh fruit or pie). Also, on the 
2nd Tuesday of the month the Café hosts a special “Birthdays of the Month” party with cake & ice cream.

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com