Anchorage Archives and Photos
May 2012-Anchorage:
Strawberry Delights from the Iron Chef Challenge

The Anchorage Pioneer Home sponsored another fun and delicious Iron Chef challenge. To welcome Spring, many luscious and tasty deserts along with ice cream recipes were made from strawberries. The event - the latest of several Iron Chef challenges the Home has hosted this year - featured delicious entries from residents, including the ADRD wing, and their families, staff and volunteers. Patty Wilkinson and ADRD representatives, Barbara McIntire and Diane Yaggi tied for first place. Robert Montague, recreation and volunteer services director, took second and third place.
From left to right: Diane Yaggi-APH staff, Patty Wilkinson-APH staff and Barbara McIntire-APH volunteer. Click on photo to enlarge.
February 2011
Valentine's Day Iron Chef Challenge
Bob Montague, activities director at the Anchorage Pioneer Home, won the Home's Valentine's Day Iron Chef challenge with a gorgeous raspberry cake surrounded with rose petals. All entries were beautifully decorated for the occasion.
December 2011
Christmas Cookie Iron Chef Challenge
Bob Montague, activities director at the Anchorage Pioneer Home, won the Home's Christmas-cookie Iron Chef challenge with a chocolate macadamia coconut cookie. The event - the latest of several Iron Chef challenges the Home has hosted this year - featured beautiful and delicious entries from residents, including the ADRD wing, and their families, staff and volunteers. Follow this link to view the goodies and competition!
Master Gardeners honored for their service
December 9th, the Anchorage Pioneer Home honored Judy Christinson and Mary Shier for their 20 years of volunteer service at our home through the Master Gardener Program. They were responsible for all the beautiful flowers in the front of our home each summer for the past two decades. They have grown the flowers from seeds, planted and cared for them each summer and prep everything for winter. Both Judy and Mary have volunteered thousands of hours of their time over the years taking care of the Anchorage Pioneer Home's gardens. We can't thank them enough.
From left to right, Judy Christinson and Mary Shier are presented their awards.
Anchorage Pioneer Home resident turns 100

Mabel Didrickson was born in Sitka on May 27, 1911. She is Tlingit, of the Raven moiety and Beaver clan. A lifetime member of Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4, she is mother of six children, four living; aunt to many nieces and nephews, grandmother to 12, and great-grandmother to 15. She is a member of the Russian Orthodox faith. Mabel worked part-time in the housekeeping department of the original Pioneer Home in Sitka that opened in 1913. She later worked full-time in the Home's current building that opened in the 1930s, until she retired. She eventually lived in the Sitka Pioneer Home for a time, before coming to Anchorage to be closer to her oldest daughter. She has lived at the Anchorage Pioneer Home since 2000. Her joys include her family, eating salmon, playing Bingo and talking with people. Along with her family, the Pioneer Home residents and employees wish her a wonderful birthday!
The 1st Iron Chef or Skillet Competition
Anchorage - Winifred Freddie Erickson, Anchorage Pioneer Home resident, recently won the very 1st Iron Chef or Iron Skillet competition Breakfast Gravy Cooking Competition at the Anchorage Pioneer Home. The Iron Chef competition is the Anchorage Pioneer Home's unique cooking competition which includes both residents and staff who submit their special recipes. The residents are the judges and conduct blind taste tests of all the anonymous recipes.
Freddie made outstanding gravy which was voted the best by residents. She was awarded the APH Iron Chef Skillet Award and now holds the coveted title of APH Iron Chef Champion! The Anchorage Pioneer home extends a special thanks and appreciation to all the contestants for taking the time to share their cooking talent and recipes as well.
Freddie with her award, which was presented by two other aspiring Iron Chefs - Rich Saville, Administrator APH and Josh Shaver, Assistant Administrator APH.
New Sign and Awning, 2010
Anna Hill, 2009
Anna Hill at an Anchorage Pioneer Home luau. In her youth,
she was on the hit TV show "Hawaii Five-O".