Together We Care is the largest Senior Living conference in Ontario, bringing together industry professionals from Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes. Not only does Seasons Care sponsor and present the Culinary & Nutrition sessions at the conference, we also go all out exhibiting at our booth. We like to have fun and make a splash by leaning into the conference dinner theme and this year is no exception. With Jimmy Buffet on our minds and a cold *insert drink of choice here* in hand we were inspired to share inspiration for a Margaritaville Hydration Cart.

The hot months are on the horizon and many older adults are more susceptible to dehydration due to;

  • Swallowing difficulties

  • Chronic illnesses requiring medication that can contribute to dehydration

  • Not feeling thirsty until they are already dehydrated

  • Not having the ability to communicate that they need a drink, or the ability help themselves to a drink

Here are some fun and festive ways to increase hydration and engage with your Residents with a Margaritaville Hydration Cart!

Whether serving them stiff or mocktails instead, a tasty drink can entice Residents and help increase hydration. We’ve linked our favourite recipes to inspire you!

Margarita – Keep it simple with a pre-made mix or go the extra mile with freshly squeezed lime juice

Sand-Gria – Use the fruit you have on hand to steep your wine or grape juice – think citrus, pineapples, melon, grapes and more!

Parrot Punch – Combine your Residents favourite juices, top with a splash of gingerale for a fizzy finish

  • Cocktail Recipe: Using the mocktail recipe as the base, add your favourite clear liquor to taste.
  • Mocktail Recipe: thebusybaker.ca

Do not overlook water on your hydration cart. Canada’s Food Guide suggests you make water your primary drink of choice. Have fun creating Margaritaville inspired infused water flavours – some of our favourites are classic lemon-lime, mango-raspberry-ginger and strawberry-lemon-basil.

Snacks are another great addition to your Margaritaville cart, even better yet popsicles and other high fluid recipes can help increase hydration too.

Mango Smoothie Pops – Blend frozen mango, frozen peaches, yogurt and coconut milk for a sweet and cool tropical treat

  • ¼ cup Frozen Mango
  • ¼ cup Frozen Peaches
  • ½ cup Yogurt – any yogurt will do but use Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for extra protein
  • 1/3 cup Coconut Milk

Blend all ingredients together until smooth, add a bit more milk if needed to thin. Pour into popsicle mould and let freeze at least 4 hours before serving.

Southwest Pinwheels – Spread your favourite southwest toppings (think salsa, guac, cheese) over a tortilla and roll, slicing into small rounds before serving. Even better served warm!

  • 1 large Whole Wheat Tortilla
  • 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese – plain or flavoured cream cheese work great here, you can even flavour cream cheese yourself with some taco seasoning. A laughing cow triangle could also be used.
  • 2 Tbsp Shredded Cheese
  • 2 Tbsp Salsa

Spread cream cheese evenly over the entire wrap, sprinkle with shredded cheese and top with salsa. Roll the wrap tightly, wrap with saran and store in fridge to set. After at least 30 minutes, slice wrap into 6 rounds.

Tip: Pinwheels can be made with any combination of your favourite ingredients, start with a tacky base (cream cheese, hummus, guacamole) and top with complimentary ingredients that are diced small enough to roll the tortilla tightly.

Key Lime Parfait – Layered lime pudding, graham cracker crumbs and whipped topping are all it takes to make this stunning snack

  • ½ cup Vanilla Pudding
  • 1 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • ¼ cup Graham Cracker Crumbs – if graham cracker crumbs are not on hand, any other blonde cookie blitzed into crumbs would work great.
  • Whipped Cream – we don’t believe in measuring whipped cream topping around here 😉 add as much as your heart desires
  • Lime Zest – for garnish
  • Mix the pudding with the lime juice until combined. Layers graham crumbs and pudding 2 times, top with whipped cream and lime zest.

TIP: There are lots of great ready-to-use products available as well, such as tropical flavoured wafer cookies or citrus sorbets.

 

The dollar store and Amazon have lots of great options for decor. Try searching “Hawaiian” or “Tropical” as your key word (Amazon Decor Idea)


Get dancing with the “Margaritavilla” or “Beach Songs” playlists on Spotify, or checkout margaritaville.com for their online streaming radio station

Make a splash with bright coloured clothes, Hawaiian shirts, leis and sunglasses

We hope these ideas and recipes will inspire you to host your own Margaritaville themed event!