October is National Vegetarian Month and October 1st is World Vegetarian Day. What better excuse than this to put down the steak knife and have a day dedicated to vegetable-based meals?  

 

Moving forward, Kitchen Angels is hoping to initiate "Meatless Mondays" for our clients. Meatless Monday is a global initiative started during World War II, then launched again in 2003. By going meatless at least one day each week, we can improve our health and the overall health of the planet.

 

We encourage all of our volunteers to join in the cause. Here's a collection of 31 scrumptious vegetarian entrees that will satisfy your cravings and get you eating more meatless meals. Enjoy!  

 

 

October 17th is National Pasta Day, but we don't really  need an excuse to eat this deliciously versatile Italian speciality. With over 600 different varieties, you could eat unique noodles for almost 2 years without repeating yourself. Why not try a few of these 40 essential pasta recipes. Buon appetito!

We always welcome new volunteers! Here are our current opportunities, mostly starting later in October:

• Tuesday Driver, Route 6 (Miguel Chavez)
• Tuesday Driver, Route 12 (Pacheco St.)
• Tuesday Driver, Route 17 (S. St. Francis Dr.)
• Wednesday Driver, Route 1 (S. Rufina St.)
• M-F Delivery Prep (2-3:30)
• M-F Kitchen (both AM & PM shifts)

 

The seasons are changing and so are our bodies! According to Dr. Mike Roussell, our bodies undergo change, just as the seasons do. The waning amount of light actually affects our circadian rhythms, which leads to changes in hormone levels, weight gain, and insulin sensitivity. There are some practical things we can do to help our bodies during this time of change.

1. Supplement with Vitamin D to boost

   	Laura, John, Morgan, Ann and Jean - all bundled up and ready for the cold

   immunity, avoid bone loss, and lose weight.
2. Stay committed to Exercise. Gentle daily exercise boosts mood and helps to maintain proper weight.
3. Monitor weight changes. People tend to gain pounds during the transition from fall to winter. By paying attention to our body's changes, we can make adjustments accordingly.
4. Increase carb intake. This might appear to go against the previous suggestion, but taking in more healthy carbs has been been shown to bolster mood for people who experience seasonal affective disorder.

You can read more about these suggestions by clicking here.  

 

Peter delivers meals to earn credit for his class at Santa Fe Prep. His sister drove for us as well, years ago.

So far this year, we've had 170 new volunteers! Lots of people evidently heard about us through the New Mexican's article on our 25th anniversary. Thirty-six percent of this year's incoming volunteers have been completing community service hours for school, confirmation, or the courts. Our program is one of just a few in Santa Fe that allows people to volunteer for this type of service "credit." Last year we welcomed 65 community service volunteers, many of whom decided to stay and continue volunteering with Kitchen Angels. We'd like to think our environment is welcoming and our more experienced volunteers are good role models for some of our younger volunteers. We're tremendously grateful for all of the volunteers we get to meet through these programs. 

We're happy to announce that the kitchen renovation is clicking right along as planned. Walls are up and are being painted, new equipment is arriving and moving into place, and we will be able to move back into the kitchen late in October or early November. Once details solidify, we will pass that information along to all of the volunteers. We just can't wait to spread our wings in the new, better equipped kitchen! Thanks so much for all of your patience. 

As we approach completion of Phase One, we'd like to honor some of the people who have helped it proceed with very few hitches.

	Brenda and Art doing the meal counts - precision work!

We can't thank our volunteers enough for your flexibility and accommodating nature. We know the kitchen at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center has been cramped, but you all are making the most of the situation. You've offered your expertise and advice, which we value more that you can ever know! Drivers have been reliable and plentiful, and our new delivery prep volunteers have really expedited the meal packing procedure. Thanks to each of you!

A word of thanks goes out to the entire Longhorn Construction Services crew who are doing a top-notch job. They have been kind, courteous, efficient, professional, and have respected our ongoing programmatic needs the entire time. Thanks also to our architect John Padilla for his expert design and coordination which have helped move the process along smoothly. We just couldn't have asked for a better experience with this enormous undertaking.

And Behind the Scenes . . . 

A special thanks to the people who are working behind the scenes, fine-tuning our diet tracks and recipes. Our expert nutritionist Kathy Moore, has updated our meal categories based on the latest and best nutritional guidelines. She has catalogued all of the meats, fruits, vegetables and carbs that each diet

Kathy is polishing up our diets and recipes!

track can or can't contain, which will be a huge help in the kitchen. Jeanette is updating the database with our new information and making sure each client is in the correct diet category. Lauren is creating new structures and updating our forms with all of the latest information. Tony is project managing the entire affair, while offering his 24 years of experience to ensure the newest changes are in line with our mission and Five Year Strategic Plan. Joe is doing an amazing job of getting up to speed and lending his many years of experience in food service to bring delicious new recipes to our clients.

Before we know it, the renovation will be finished and we'll have an amazing facility that reflects the excellent work we do every day for our community.