Merrill Gardens Retirement Community Blog

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Spring has sprung! And what better way to celebrate than with fun outings and great friends? This month, the gang at Merrill Gardens went on outings, hosted entertaining community events, and helped celebrate our annual Top Chef competition. Our spring time is already filled with warm memories and we cannot wait to make more.

Here is a look at what we’ve been up to:

We’ve Been Making Tasty Treats

Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre (WA) celebrated National Pretzel Day with some tasty treats. The Renton Centre community made delicious chocolate covered pretzels. The day was even profiled in the Renton Reporter. To read the article and see more photos, click here: http://bit.ly/11WsTMw

We’ve Been Celebrating Our Nurses!

This month, the team celebrated Nurse Marie during National Nurses Week with a special lunch party! Cheers to our great team of nurses at each and every community. Merrill Gardens at Manteca (CA)

We’ve Been Brewing!

Merrill Gardens at Greenhaven (CA) residents are brewing up some fun…and some beer! They recently completed a beer class that included a local brewer sharing his expertise. Then came the best part – the tasting contest at a local restaurant where people raved about the home brew!

We Hosted Our Annual Top Chef Competition

We’ve Been Instagramming!

One of our new favorite sites is Instagram. The Merrill Gardens team has been updating the site daily with great shots from all our communities. To follow Merrill Gardens and see our photos, click here.

We’ve Been Honored!

Merrill Gardens at Apple Valley (Apple Valley, CA) has been voted once again “Best of the Desert” by the readers of the Daily Press! Congratulations to the hardworking team! We appreciate all that you do.

More fun is yet to come! To stay updated on more Merrill Gardens events and activities, tune into our Facebook page here.

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Brand new, conveniently located senior living in downtown Campbell! Our newest location in Campbell, CA is in the final stages of construction and will open in August! Merrill Gardens at Campbell will offer retirement living, assisted living and memory care options.

A look at the progress!

Merrill Gardens at Campbell is connected to a retail center and the community will also feature its own salon and wellness center. Good Samaritan Hospital, El Camino Los Gatos and Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers are all nearby.

Atmosphere

Most apartments feature full-size kitchens, washers and dryers and private patios and balconies. Common areas include a well-appointed library, comfortable living rooms, a theater and plenty of social gathering areas. A private dining room is available for special events and garage parking is available for residents and guests.

Merrill Gardens at Campbell senior housing offers:

-147 senior living apartments
-Choose from studios, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments
-Independent retirement living, assisted living and memory care
-Take advantage of personal care services if needed
-Anytime DiningSM
-Enjoy fresh, restaurant-style meals served on your schedule – 7 am to 7 pm – 7 days a week
-Active LivingSM
-Pursue physical, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual interests
-In addition, Merrill Gardens at Campbell will offer concierge services, scheduled local transportation, weekly housekeeping and much more!

Neighborhood & Activities

The following attractions, activities and conveniences are close by:

-Campbell Community Center and Heritage Theatre
-Campbell Senior Center
-Campbell Public Library
-Monthly Friday ArtWalk, Saturday Festivities and Downtown Campbell Sunday Farmers Market
-John D. Morgan Park (horseshoe pits, picnic tables, tennis courts and more)

Call today to learn more! To stay updated on the progress, checkout our Facebook page.

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The winners are in for Top Chef!

Our residents got the chance to sample some wonderful dishes at our annual Top Chef competition. Everyone came out to meet the chefs, and vote for their favorite dish. Today, we announce the winners.

*Drumroll Please*

The winners for 2013 Top Chef are:

Congratulations to these excellent Dining Teams and to everyone who participated! Our third annual Taste of Merrill Gardens/Top Chef was the most successful to date with great community involvement. Thank you to all our chefs and community members for helping make Top Chef a success this year!

Have you tried any of the recipes at home yet?

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Last week we launched our annual Top Chef competition. Since then, we have had a lot of fun in our communities and the competition is already stacking up!

Will it be the Mango Chicken, the Maple Chipotle Glazed Salmon or the Dr. Pepper Braised Brisket in the winner’s circle?  You get to be the judge?

Here are a few pictures of the entries. Mmmm!

Mango Chicken

Dr. Pepper Braised Brisket

Maple Chipotle Glazed Salmon

Voting is easy. To vote for your favorite recipes, click here.

Have you voted yet? Top Chef runs until April 17th. Don’t miss out!

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It’s finally here, the moment we have all been waiting for: Merrill Gardens annual Top Chef Competition! This year we are celebrating our third year of Top Chef and can’t wait to share our delicious recipes with you.

Help us pick the ‘best of the best’ in the following categories. The winning recipes will then be featured in all Merrill Gardens communities or you can try them at home. Voting is now open and runs through April 17th, 2013. Click the links below to view, vote and print these amazing recipes!

Salads

Spinach Salad with Red Currant

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Soups

Wild Mushroom Soup

Shrimp Posole with Sweet Yams

Entrees

Maple Chipotle Glazed Salmon

Dr. Pepper Low Sugar Braised

Mango Chicken

Desserts

Red Velvet Brownies

Green Apple Creme Brulee

Which recipe is your favorite?

Vote for your favorite by clicking here or on any of the links above.

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It’s almost here! The long awaited, community wide Top Chef competition is right around the corner. This year, Merrill Garden’s third annual Top Chef Competition will take place on April 17th, 2013.

This annual event gives our community dining teams a chance to showcase their amazing culinary skills.  And you can participate too!  We will be sharing recipes and allowing everyone to vote for their favorites.  You can make them at home and see which ones you like best!  From appetizers to desserts, this tasty event is filled with some of the best dishes around. Help us pick the ‘best of the best’ of fine cuisine at Merrill Gardens. 

Who will we crown in this year’s Top Chef? Stay tuned to join the fun.

We are excited to get started! Will you join us in voting this year?

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This week we’re celebrating a very special birthday at Merrill Gardens at Citrus Heights (California) – Millie turns 101!

Millie Wells was born in 1912 and has lived most of her life in Southern California. Millie had the blessing of having one son, one daughter, five grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

Millie moved to Sacramento about five years ago with her husband of seventy and a half years. In addition to working as a high school teacher, Millie had the opportunity to travel to many places such as China, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

Looking back on her life, Millie has a few words of wisdom. She says that one must never keep their mind idle. She keeps her thought processes active through reading, focusing on current events, and Shakespeare. As she likes to put it; “watching ‘Dancing with the Stars’ every night is not going to help you.”

Millie describes the happiest moments of her life being the time she spent raising her children and traveling. Today, Millie lives at Merrill Gardens and enjoys the company of family and friends during her “golden years”. Millie is a magnificent lady who represents why we are so thankful for all of the women in our lives!

Happy Birthday Millie! We wish you all the best and many more to come.

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We recently had a visit from a local celebrity at Merrill Gardens at Cordata (Bellingham, Washington).

Gabe the Bulldog put on a show for our residents by performing his famous tricks; riding a rocking a horse, a scooter and a skateboard.

Gabe has been on America’s Got Talent and Late Night with David Letterman.

Gabe with David Letterman!

Our residents really enjoyed having him visit and he even autographed movie posters. Gabe then posed for pictures with the grandkids that came to watch. The fame hasn’t gone to his head yet – he’s very humble. Here are a few photos of the fun!

Thanks for coming Gabe! We hope to see you again soon.

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Over the last few months, our communities across the country have taken a variety of fun trips!

Last month, Merrill Gardens at Queen Anne (Seattle, WA) went on a “Mystery Trip”. Prior to the trip, the residents had no idea where they were going! The trip took them into the heart of Seattle – to the Last Resort Fire Department Museum in Pioneer Square.

About The Last Resort Fire Department Museum
On July 12th, 2008, in conjunction with the 2008 Pioneer Square Fire Festival, a new fire museum was created in Seattle when the Last Resort Fire Department moved a portion of its collection of apparatus and artifacts into Seattle Fire Department Headquarters in the heart of Seattle’s Pioneer Square.  The station, built in 1928, is a four-story, ten-bay facility, that for eighty years, had been the home of both Seattle Fire Department Headquarters and Fire Station #10.

They had a fun day looking at the trucks and learning more about the fire department’s past and present. Here are a few shots from the day!

Our residents can not wait for next month’s “Mystery Trip!” Where do you think they will go next?

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Over the past year, our community in Albertville, Alabama has been playing Bingo to help those in need!

Each Monday the residents of Albertville play Bingo for quarters. Many of those who participate donate their quarter prizes back to the “pot”.

Turns out those quarters can add up to something pretty special!  With the money raised, the community sponsored two children in the local Christmas Coalition. The residents bought Christmas gifts for two under privileged children. The photo above shows many of the wonderful gifts the community was able to purchase.

Bingo continues every Monday with a weekly turnout of 15-25 residents.   It takes all year to collect enough quarters to sponsor two children and get the everything they need. The gifts included clothes, (socks, underwear, warm coat, pj’s, jeans shirts) toys and bicycles!

The community is abuzz with Bingo every Monday and everyone is looking forward to helping out again this year.

Way to go Albertville! We admire your giving and can’t wait to see this year’s gift.

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