A Word From… Bryan Graven, Executive Director This is an exciting time to be in the healthcare technology industry with all of the innovation and advancements taking place. I recently attended the Consumer Electronics Show with the intent to experience many of the industry’s current offerings, but quickly became captivated by the glimpse into the future of healthcare IT: the introduction of the concept of “digitizing humans.”

Mobile devices are already a tremendous part of our lives and physician practices. However, in the near future we will see the industry evolve and take it to another level. Smart phones with embedded sensors could be the center of communication between patients and their physicians. These devices will be loaded for medicine with the ability to display vital signs in real time, acquire ultrasound images, perform lab analyses, and even decode one’s DNA. There was even a mobile device accessory to your iPhone that took saliva samples to decode your DNA along with microscopic sensors that would be implanted into your body to track changes in your DNA. I got to see firsthand how some of these devices operate and was truly amazed to see them in action.

The information these devices gather from your body will create a real time feedback loop from the patient to the provider. The data about your body will be analyzed to provide mean-ingful results to the provider for preventive care and give valuable insight to treat patients better. Our bodies will essentially become “digitized.”

There are likely many legal and other logistical details that will need to be worked out for these kinds of advancements to be used for meaningful purposes, but it is fascinating to see that this technology has already been developed. These medical diagnostic devices will become commercial realities sooner than we all think; providers adopting EHRs is just the start to jaw-dropping technological advancements that will impact patient care in ways that were mere fanciful fiction just a few short years ago (especially with the continuous develop-ments with nanotechnology, which utilize the smallest of devices that actually work from within the body at a cellular level).

Technology innovation is thriving in healthcare like no other industry as our lives become

even more infused with these advancements. Doctors will have so many more tools to de-

liver patient care and conduct research at a level never previously contemplated. What was

once considered limited to the imagination of science fiction is rapidly developing into reality

– a very promising, exciting and potentially

revolutionary reality with respect to medical

technology.

-Bryan

In This Issue:

A Word From the

Executive Director

P.1

2011 Meaningful Use

Incentives P.2

When a Stranger Calls P.3

What is Population Health?

P.5

Proper Care of Your Laptop or

Tablet P.5

The Meaning of Log Off

Windows P.6

Meaningful Use P.7

The Month of February P.7

Legends of St. Valentine P.8

Valentine’s Day Fun P.9

Valentine’s Day Dinner P.10

CPS Recipe Corner P.11

CT Physicians’ Services

Winter Newsletter 2012

CT Physic ians ’ Services

2011 Meaningful Use Incentives Paid $2.5B Alyssa Lynch, Manager, Clinical Operations

The Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record

program has paid more than $2.5 billion to physicians

and hospitals in incentive payments for all of 2011,

with December contributing to the steep growth

curve.The final 2011 data will not be in until early

March because physicians can register and attest in the

Medicare program until the end of February to receive

payment for calendar year 2011. According to the

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

States also can take weeks to submit their final Medi-

caid incentive data. Medicare incentives for demon-

strating meaningful use of EHRs reached $1.38 billion

for the year, while Medicaid payments for providers to

adopt, implement and upgrade their EHRs were esti-

mated at $1.15 billion, for a total of $2.53 billion.

In 2011, 176,000 providers have registered in total for the Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs, said Robert

Tagalicod, Director of CMS’ Office of eHealth Standards and Services, which advises the Office of the National

Coordinator for Health IT.

“December was a strong month for performance, not only in terms of providers who registered, but were paid and

came to our website to attest. We’re seeing an upward trend, and that’s good news,” he told the Jan. 10 meeting of

the Health IT Policy Committee.

More Medicare providers beyond the earliest adopters are expected to sign up for the incentive program in

2012, and more states will launch and start making payments under the Medicaid program. In 2011, 41 states

launched their incentive programs but only 33 were far enough along to distribute payments since they have started

at different times, said Jessica Kahn, Technical Director for health IT at CMS. Medicaid will also start issuing pay-

ments for meaningful use demonstration in addition to updating their systems.

Source: http://healthcareitnews.com/news/2011-mu-incentives-paid-25b

Page 2

When a Stranger Calls Lee Seidman, Manager, Technical Services and Customer Support

I recently directly experienced a deliberate attempt at a scam. My wife received a telephone call from someone with an

Indian accent claiming to represent Microsoft’s “Technical Department” (caller ID could not identify the source of the

call) and offered to help repair her computer’s so-called “system errors.” He claimed that her PC alerted Microsoft’s

“core server” to problems because she clicked “send error reports” to Microsoft, which notified them of the issue to

repair. My wife was naturally suspicious (after all, she’s married to me) and gave the call to me knowing full well I was

going to make a spectacle of this attempt at phishing for information (and payment) and spreading malicious infections

if I gave Microsoft’s “Technical Department” access to my workstations.

The call begins pleasantly enough, except it is rife with inaccuracies:

1. He claimed that the error reports that get sent to Microsoft

contained my wife’s name, our address, and telephone num-

ber, which is how they knew who to reach. No Microsoft

product will automatically share any personal information

with the company; they honestly do not care where you are

nor will they attempt to call you (on a Sunday no less) unless

you have opened a ticket with them first. How would Micro-

soft receive our telephone number? It is more plausible that

Microsoft would have a record of my IP address than my

telephone number; even then, that’s stretching the scope of

believability. Microsoft does offer error reporting, but its

contents are entirely about the machine and software: system

information (processor, hardware, and operating system) and

application information (which can contain some personal in-

formation) kept in memory around the time of the crash.

2. The fellow on the phone explained that he needs to get access to my computer to fix it and the method he was go-

ing to use was via remote connection software at www.teamviewer.com. He explained that they prefer to use this

tool and insisted it was the only way he would be able to troubleshoot the complication. There is no reason why

Microsoft’s “Technical Department” (what the heck is a “Technical Department” for a software company?) would

look to use an unaffiliated third party product to remote to a system. Microsoft built its own remote capabilities

into Windows operating systems since Windows XP. Also, the standard support protocol for Microsoft’s actual

assistance is to request e-mailing or submitting specific log files for analysis via a web submission form. Microsoft is

not willing to risk intruding on customers’ privacy so blatantly with a remote connection to one’s home system.

3. To gain my confidence, he instructed me to go to the computer’s event viewer and read him the errors or warnings

that were there under the application log. The Windows application log is usually peppered with warnings and a

handful of errors, so these really are not of great concern, but this “Microsoft agent” really made them sound devas-

tating. He then asked if I could “delete” a log entry. When I informed him I could not (you can only clear an entire

log, you cannot pick and choose log entries to “right-click and choose delete”), he gasped with dramatic fervor

“your computer is infected with a deadly virus that is going to destroy your operating system and hardware” (a ludi-

crous statement upon examination)! He then insisted that I allow him to remote to my system so he can now install

a “licensed Microsoft security product” to fix the issue. Any “deadly virus” is not going to be addressed by software

licensing. Additionally, Microsoft released their free Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus product for any authen-

tic (not pirated) Windows customer in 2009. The “licensed” product to which this caller alluded seemed intent

requiring payment, which is definitely nothing in Microsoft’s present anti-malware offerings.

Continued on page 4

Page 3 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

When a Stranger Calls (Continued from page 3)

4. I asked him what did the error report that Microsoft’s so-called “core server” received say was the problem?

After all, if my wife’s computer submitted reports on difficulties she was having with her operating system,

those submissions must contain some data. His patience started waning and he again directed me to allow him

to remote in (“just click on the button on www.teamviewer.com and I will take care of everything for you”). I

refused saying I wanted to be sure he really was from Microsoft before I did anything; he then shared his con-

tact number 302-721-5254 (research indicates it is really out of Delaware, which does not appear to have a Mi-

crosoft office) and e-mail support@microsoftsupportusa.com. Quick online research of that phone number via

Google confirmed already what I suspected: others reported this scam and foretold what the endgame is: sub-

scribing to their “security service” for one hundred dollars ($100)

per year (“but more years equal very generous discounts”). I

asked him if this includes a “monitoring service” that keeps track of

my computers’ health; he said Microsoft will call me once per

month to check on things. Why would Microsoft need to call me if

if their so-called “core server” communicates with my computers

all the time as it had already supposedly done?

5. Being the caustic character I can be, I feigned interest in their

monitoring service for all my workstations and asked about

whether it covered virtual systems. Virtual computers essen-

tially are operating systems running within a singular host oper-

ating system. CPS engineers rely heavily on virtual technologies to test and evaluate system changes and new

software; Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate offer this under the marketing guise “Windows XP Mode” – so

it essentially is a Windows XP “computer” running as a program on a Windows 7 system. I also inquired about

supporting an Xbox I do not actually own (Microsoft’s competition for the Sony Playstation 3 gaming console).

The phisher on the phone informed me that only official Microsoft products are covered by their service. All

the aforementioned consumer items are official Microsoft products.

Most computer-related phishing assaults are passively e-mailed; this was the first I heard of a direct intrusion

from an organized attempt at posing as Microsoft. Online research shows this scam has been around for some

time; mostly looking to victimize the citizens of the United Kingdom, but apparently these nefarious activities

have now made their way to the United States (see http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/

windows_xp-security/phone-call-from-windows-is-this-a-scam/1164b6ee-e441-41bf-b210-2e293cab96c5?

page=5&tm=1328672828569).

Page 4 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

What is Population Health? Cindy Denno, Application Systems Analyst

Population Health has been defined as “the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group.” These groups are often geo-graphic populations such as nations or communities, but can also be other groups such as employees, ethnic groups, dis-abled persons, prisoners, or any other defined group. The health outcomes of such groups are relevant to policy makers in both the public and private sectors. Population Health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of an entire population. One major step in achieving this aim is to reduce health inequities among population groups. Population Health seeks to step beyond the individ-ual-level focus of mainstream medicine and public health by addressing a broad range of factors that impact health on a population-level, such as environment, social structure, resource distribution, etc. An important theme in Population Health is the importance of social determinants of health and the relatively minor impact that medicine and healthcare have on improving health overall. In compliance with Meaningful Use standards Allscripts 11.2 Stimulus Set offers Population Health Management (POP Health Management). POP Health Management allows patients to be clinically tracked and placed into groups for man-agement (i.e. males over 50 who have not had a colonoscopy). This new functionality allows users to search patient popu-lations, generate a query based on a patient population, and create or edit action set. From within these functions the user can refine searches by filtering to conduct a narrow, comprehensive search of their patient population. Once these patients have been identified, they can be contacted via phone, mail or through the patient portal to schedule follow-up appointments, refill medications, get lab work done, etc. This new functionality within Allscripts enables pro-viders to generate patient lists in an efficient and user-friendly manner.

Page 5 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

How to Take Proper Care of your Laptop or Tablet Bill Hall, Customer Support Specialist

Although highly portable tablet devices like the iPad and the Kindle are taking the business and

home markets by storm, laptops have become more affordable and popular than ever. When it

comes to maintaining your laptop or your new tablet the do’s and don’ts are the same. Here are

some helpful steps to keeping your equipment in tip top shape.

Keep Your Laptop at Room Temperature

Don’t leave your Laptop in the car overnight in the winter. If you do then when you get to the

office, take it out of your bag and let it sit for about 10 minutes to warm up gently. The operating

temperature specification for most laptops is from 32 to 95 degrees. If it is below freezing there is

a risk of condensation building up inside the hard drive or on the system board. We all know how

water and electricity don’t mix.

Find the Right Carrying Case

Before taking it on the road, pack the laptop properly. Depending on your carrying preferences, find a carry case that has a padded

section that is specially designed to carry a laptop. For those who want to stay away from the Orthopedic doctors consider a back

pack as it provides the best weight distribution. The suitcases with the wheels are not recommended as many of them do not provide

proper protection for going over the bumpy sidewalks or through snow banks and puddles.

Inside Story Headline

“Log Off Windows” - What Does that Mean?

Richard Charron, Customer Support Specialist III

In the endeavor to bring everyone up to minimum se-

security requirements as defined by HIPAA, CPS

has been placing everyone on Active Directory

(AD) within their company’s unique domain. Al-

though most of you have been on AD for quite

some time now, there is a need to explain some of

the terminology that is being tossed around.

What is Active Directory?

The short definition is, “Active Directory serves as a

central location for network administration and se-

curity,” as listed in Wikipedia. Which further de-

scribes AD as “being responsible for authenticating

and authorizing all users and computers within a network of Windows domain type, assigning and enforcing security

policies for all computers in a network and installing or updating software on network computers.”

For the CPS community of users, this means that you need to “log in” using your own individual credentials (username

and password) on your company’s established domain (i.e., oahctmd, cmgmds, cpsmdit, etc.). Logging in as generic cre-

dential on the computer itself is a no – no in the AD world.

Security

One of the main objectives of using AD is security. It allows for individual login (unique usernames and passwords or

credentials). Once logged in everything you do is under your account, thus, the need to “log off” when you are leaving

your work area for any length of time. This will prevent another individual from accessing your work, surfing the

internet or doing any other unauthorized activity on that computer under your AD account.

How do I “Log Off”?

This is very simple process.

Save and close all active windows.

Click on the start button in the lower left hand corner of your screen.

Click on “Shut down.”

In the drop down menu where “Shut down” appears, choose “Log off [your

username]” and click OK.

What this process does is force anyone who tries to use this computer to “log

in.” Without the proper credentials they will be unable to use the device. The next time you go to use the PC you will be

required to log in with your credentials.

There are many other advantages to AD that are mainly used as back-end administration, such as maintenance, applica-

tion “pushes,” device inventory, and others.

But, for now, the main objective here is to encourage everyone to “Log off” when away from your work station for any

length of time (such as at the end of the day).

Page 6 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

February is African American History Month

As a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, like W. E. B. Du Bois before him, believed that

truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. His hopes to raise awareness

of African American's contributions to civilization was realized when he and the organization he

founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced

Negro History Week in 1925. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that en-

compassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was over-

whelming: Black history clubs sprang up; teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils; and

progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to endorse the ef-

fort.

By the time of Woodson's death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African

American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the

celebration. At mid–century, mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History

Week. The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African Ameri-

cans about the importance of black history, and the Civil Rights movement focused Americans of all

color on the subject of the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture.

The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation's bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford

urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black

Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” That year, fifty years after the first cele-

bration, the association held the first African American History Month. By this time, the entire nation

had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then

each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations. And the associa-

tion—now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)—continues to

promote the study of Black history all year.

(Excerpt from an essay by Daryl Michael Scott, Howard University, for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History)

Page 7 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

Meaningful Use: Race and Ethnicity

Bob Volz, Application Systems Analyst

In order for practices to provide a way to prove “Meaningful Use” of an Electronic Health Record (E.H.R.) as outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Centricity Group Management and Allscripts have updated the selections for the Race and Ethnicity Fields. These changes conform to the guidelines set forth by the Office of Manage-ment and Budget (OMB). Within Group Management, practices now have the option to require these fields at the time of patient registration. In addition, practices have the option to default these fields to one of the selections. During the Group Management update, race selections for current patients were converted to conform with the OMB guidelines. There also is the ability to require and/or default a value for Primary Language

The Values for Ethnicity now include Hispanic or Latino, Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino, Declined, Unknown or Blank. The Values for Race now include Black, African American, Asian, White, American Indian,Other Pacific Islander, Un-known or Declined. Please contact Customer Support if you would like to require and/or default the fields for Ethnicity, Race and Primary Language.

The following links detail the guidelines for categories of ethnicity and race: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_1997standards/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/information_and_regulatory_affairs/re_app-a-update.pdf

Legends of Saint Valentine

Mari Skarp-Bogli, Executive and Technology Assistant

Early Christian history indicates the presence of at least two saints named Valentine. Some scholars, however, say

that there were as many as seven saints credited with the name of Saint Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom lived in

the third century and apparently died on the same day. Given here are some of the most popular of all legends of

Saint Valentine:

Saint Valentine of Rome - I

According to one very popular legend, Valentine was a priest in Rome who lived during the reign of Emperor

Claudius II. Under his regime, Claudius is said to have engaged Rome into several bloody battles. To strengthen his

army, the Emperor continuously needed to recruit soldiers. However, Claudius found that not many soldiers were

keen to join the army because of attachment with their wives and families. In order to sever the bond of attachment,

Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine - a romantic-at-heart priest, defied this cal-

lous decree of Claudius by secretly arranging marriages of young men and women. When Valentine's defiance was

discovered by the Emperor, he was brutally beaten and put to death on February 14, about 270 AD.

For his martyrdom and dedication for the cause Valentine was name a Saint after his death. By the Middle Ages,

Saint Valentine became popular as the patron saint of love and lovers in England and France to the extent that Pope

Gelasius declared February 14 as Valentine's Day on 498 AD and put an end to pagan celebrations. Thus, Saint Val-

entine's martyrdom day became an occasion to celebrate love.

Saint Valentine of Rome - II

Another famous legend on Saint Valentine states Valentine was an early

Christian in Rome who was very popular amongst children. But during

the time when Valentine lived, Roman regime was not in favor of Chris-

tianity and it even persecuted Christians to make Rome free of the fol-

lowers of Christianity. In spite of this strict law, Valentine continued to

practice his faith and refused to worship Roman gods. This enraged

Emperor Claudius II and he put Valentine into prison.

Valentine is said to have spent a year-long imprisonment during which he was missed a lot by children. They began

to toss loving notes and flowers between the bars of his cell window. To the extent, this legend may explain the tra-

dition of exchanging notes and flowers on Valentine's Day.

Some scholars believe that during his stay in prison, Valentine made friends with jailer's blind daughter who at times

brought to him notes and flowers from children. Whenever, possible Valentine also replied to the notes. Days before

his execution, Valentine prayed for the jailer's daughter and she regained her sight. Before his death, Valentine is

also said to have written a farewell note for the jailer's daughter and signed it "From Your Valentine”. This expres-

sion is popular to date.

Some scholars believe that Valentine was killed because he tried to help Christians escape from the Roman prison as

they were being tortured and beaten. Yet another set of scholars say Emperor Claudius II was impressed by Valen-

tine's kindness and good behavior. He even stated that Valentine could be freed if he agreed to worship Roman gods.

Valentine did not just refuse he even tried to convert the Emperor to Christianity. This made Claudius very angry

and he ordered his execution. Valentine was beheaded on February 14.

http://www.stvalentinesday.org/valentines-day-fun-fact.html

Page 8 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

Valentine Heart Necklaces

Cindy Denno

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

extract 1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 1/2 cups sifted all-

purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

3 drops red food coloring

2 1/4 ounces colored candy sprinkles, 60 long red vine licorice

Cream 1 cup butter or margarine and 3/4 cup white sugar together.

Blend in egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and grated lemon peel.

Sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and baking powder. Add

to creamed mixture and blend well. Cover and refrigerate dough

for approximately 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use a

floured heart shaped 1 to 2 inch cookie cutter and cut dough into

heart shapes. Place the cut-out hearts on greased cookie sheets.

Using the drinking straw, make a hole at the top center of each heart

before baking. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until very lightly browned.

Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

To Make Butter Frosting: Mix 3 cups confectioners' sugar and 1/3 cup

butter together. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 table-

spoons milk. Beat until smooth making sure frosting is of spread-

ing consistency. Stir in food coloring to create a pink or red colored

frosting, if desired.

After cookies have cooled, frost and decorate them with nonpareils,

sprinkles, dragees, or colored sugar. Use a toothpick to dislodge

the hole, if necessary. Let the frosting dry.

To make a necklace, tie the ends off of two pieces of red colored lico-

rice with a knot. Thread it through the hole at the top center of the

cookie. Tie the other ends off with another knot to create a

"chain." Makes approximately 30 heart necklaces.

Paper Love Bugs! Cindy Denno

What you’ll need:

Empty toilet paper tube

Pink paper

Scissors

Glue

Pipe cleaners

Pen, marker, crayons or pencil

Instructions:

1. Paint or cover an empty toilet paper tube with pink paper to make the body of the bug. 2. Cut two hearts from construction paper. 3. Attach these with tape or glue on either side of the body. 4. Encourage your child to draw a face on the top of the tube. Pipe cleaners make great antennae.

Write a cute message on the wings such as

"Valentine, you make my heart flutter."

Page 9 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

Page 10 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

Valentine’s Day Dinner

Alyssa Lynch

Veal and Artichoke Involtini

These involtini, or rolls, are made with veal which is considered a special

occasion ingredient in Liguria, Italy. The region is rocky and rugged, so land

for grazing animals is scarce.

6 medium artichoke hearths, cooked

3 oz Asiago cheese, thinly sliced

2 Tbs. chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley

1 1/2 lb veal cutlets, pounded 1/4 inch thick

Salt and pepper, ground, to taste

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Put 2 tbsp artichokes, 2 slices cheese and 1/2 tsp parsley on each veal cutlet. Roll veal around filling; secure with a toothpick. Gen-

erously season with salt and pepper.

Preheat electric skillet to medium-high heat. Spread flour on plate. Lightly dust veal rolls with flour; shake off excess. In skillet, melt

1 Tbs. butter with oil. When butter foams, brown veal rolls on all sides, 6-8 minutes total. Transfer to plate and loosely cover with

foil. Pour wine and lemon juice into skillet; scrape up browned bits. Bring to simmer, then turn off heat. Add 3 Tbs butter, stirring

constantly until melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Strain through fine mesh sieve. Remove toothpicks from rolls, top with

sauce and slice crosswise. Serves 6.

Valentines Day Word

Search!

CPS Team

Chocolates Love Gifts

Candy Sweetie Cupid

Roses Friendship Arrow

Flowers Heart Remorse

Romantic Candles

Ball and Chain

Valentine’s Day Massacre Drink Recipe

Mari Skarp-Bogli

Did you know…

The Saint Valentine's Day massacre is the name given to the 1929 murder of 7 mob associates as part of a prohibi-

tion era conflict between two powerful criminal gangs in Chicago: the South Side Italian gang led by Al Capone and

the North Side Irish gang led by Bugs Moran. Former members of the Egan's Rats gang were also suspected to have

played a large role in the St. Valentine's Day massacre, assisting Al Capone.

Ingredients: 1 oz Smirnoff No. 21 vodka Directions: Add Smirnoff No. 21 vodka,

3 oz tomato Juice tomato juice, red and green hot sauces,

2 shots red hot sauce, 2 shots green hot sauce Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, pinch salt/

1 dash Worcestershire sauce pepper. Pour back and forth between two mixing

.5 oz lemon juice glasses and strain into an ice-filled highball glass

1 pinch salt, 1 pinch pepper garnish with celery, lime. Enjoy!

1 celery stalk, lime

Lindt Ultimate Hot Chocolate

Mari Skarp-Bogli

1 quart (liter) milk

1 Madagascar vanilla bean, split

1 stick cinnamon

3/4 tsp black peppercorns (whole)

2 bars Lindt Excellence 70% cocoa

(chopped)

Heat the milk with spices in a saucepan over medium

heat until it reaches a boiling point, but do NOT allow

to boil.

Add the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Remove from heat and let rest 25 minutes to release

spice aroma, strain and reheat before serving.

4-6 Servings

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Cindy Denno

Ingredients:

16 oz milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

1 lb fresh strawberries with leaves

Directions:

1. Insert toothpicks into tops of the strawberries.

2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occa-sionally until smooth.

(Editor’s note: You can also melt chocolate in the

microwave, combine chocolate and shortening and microwave 1 cup at a time for 1 minute, stopping at each 10 second burst for a few seconds before continuing. Stir softened chocolate with a spatula to blend after 1 minute)

3. Holding the strawberries by the toothpicks, dip into the chocolate mixture.

4. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick end held into a Styrofoam block for the chocolate to cool. Another option would be to lay the strawberries on wax paper lined cookie sheets placed in the refrigerator. The bottom will not be as pretty but they will still taste just as delicious!

Enjoy!

Page 11 CT Phys ic ians ’ Serv ices

CPS Recipe Corner

Editors: Bryan Graven, Lee Seidman, Alyssa Lynch

Newsletter Design and Layout: Mari Skarp-Bogli www.mariskarp.com