Week One, Completed!

Yes, my first week flew by so quickly I am amazed!  Everything went so well, despite many strange little set-backs, I managed to provide two delicious and nutritious meals each day, and nearly on time for the most part, a bit early even on a couple of days!  Once all the machinery (oven, dishwasher, etc) are all working properly and I have my groove set I will have no problem setting the table promptly at 12 noon and again at 5:00pm each day.  I have already realized I need a few stand-bys on hand for last minute head count increases and days when one thing or another forces me to change the meal at the last minute.  A good stock of couscous and frozen veggies is definitely in the plan, as is miso, eggs and O'Brien potatoes (frozen)  for instant frittata and miso soup.

Today we had frittata, green salad and tomato soup for lunch and sauteed veggies, couscous and miso soup for dinner.

Now I am at Hamilton Meadows (my weekend job) and exhausted.  I plan to take a long, hot bath in the morning.  I'm working with Sam, Randall and Mark this week, not Kasie and Patti.

I'm about to pass out, so more later.

My Boy, the Pharaoh

My Ladies

Here are Kasie and Patti, the two Lifehouse clients I spend every other weekend with.

Kasey is a lovable curmudgeon that will love you one minute and fire you the next (although I have yet to be fired, by some stroke of luck, oversight, or miracle). She is a shopaholic kleptomaniac shoe fiend who works for PetCo. Like any teenybopper girl, Kasie is boy-crazy and loves clothes, shoes and bags, as well as adorable cartoon critters saying cute things. She is 38, I believe.

Patti is the cat-loving repeater who works at Marshalls re-hanging the lingerie after disrespectful customers toss it all on the floor or hang it in the wrong place. She has lost quite a bit of weight using WeighWatchers, and is very proud of it, but struggles constantly to get off "these last two pounds" to reach her ideal weight, so that she will no longer have to pay dues at the WW meetings. When Patti's not watching detective shows on TV or doing word-find puzzles, she spends much of her idle time worrying about her Whistlestop rides schedule. Patti is in her mid-60s.

Week One, Scrumptious Delights

So, week one at SCC has been amazing in so many ways.

I love my coworkers, I love the drive to work and so far (it's only been three days) I love the residents as well!

I love cooking for and feeding these people. They all make me feel really good about everything I have given them, and that is so wonderful. I was really worried they may not like having to eat healthy, but so far not even a grumble!

The 30-day menu plan I labored over for a week has been glanced at briefly once or twice, but one thing or another has meant changing plans completely each day. My oven was not properly adjusted (it was shooting cobwebs of soot all over the place when I turned it on) so I had to roast veggies in the stove down at the other house, which was not such a bad thing, but it threw me off a bit. I changed a few dishes so I wouldn't need the oven. I really have just been having a lot more fun going in and grabbing a few ingredients and just seeing what inspiration hits, and so far everything has been delicious and much appreciated by staff and residents so I am going to keep doing what I am doing until I feel the need to do otherwise.

Let's see, what did we eat this week?

Here are photos of some of the food I have offered.
Only at a couple of meals did I pause long enough to snap a few shots.

















Monday we had... I forget. Wow, I honestly can't remember! I only made lunch on Monday, as we were not yet open and so it was all staff, training and preparation day. Let me wrack my brain. I think maybe I made keema for lunch that day? But... yes I did. Okay, keema and white rice, plain pasta, green salad and I really can't remember what else.

Tuesday we had semi deconstructed shrimp and pasta salad (there was a great mix of various veggies, corn, avocados, red bell peppers etc in one bowl, the shrimp was in one bowl, the pasta in another--to accommodate the vegetarians and non-wheat eaters), brown rice and curried vegetables, and salad. We had sliced kiwi and pineapple for dessert.

Wednesday we had broccoli cole-slaw, fruit salad, three-cheese tortellini with pesto, stewed chicken over couscous with carrots, and roasted potatoes and veggies.

Today we had crab salad, Spanish rice, cabbage salad, fresh corn on the cob, fried polenta with mushrooms, basil, garlic and sun-dried tomato, and poached chicken salad with edamame, scallions, fresh basil and mint in a light vinaigrette.

I'm sure that I am forgetting a few dishes for the three days. Oh yes, I also made tuna salad, falafel and curried vegetables over brown rice and a few other small things for people with special dietary requirements or just requests.

Not sure what I will make tomorrow, but I am leaning towards chicken and cheese enchiladas, kichory, creamy mac-n-cheese, a couple salads and a fritatta.