OCTOBER 2023

Greetings Tony,

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings,

as now in October."

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

TWO MILLION MEALS!!!!!

That's how many meals Kitchen Angels has prepared and delivered to our homebound neighbors throughout northern New Mexico since we first opened our doors 31 years ago.

Not only have close to 5,400 volunteers donated their time, energy and love preparing and delivering the two million meals, we've served 8,585 clients, keeping them in the safety and comfort of their own homes.

And now it's time to celebrate!

Come join us Thursday, October 26th from 5-7 pm here at the Coll Green Angel Depot at 1222 Siler Rd. We'll have food to enjoy and be giving tours of the facility as well as sharing stories and experiences from the past three decades.

Tickets for the event are free but you do need to RSVP by clicking the red button below.

Join in the celebration and help us toast two million meals.

Next Week is Kitchen Angels Bring a Delivery Buddy Week

We need drivers! Please share this request with a friend and bring them along next week when you drive.

Monday through Friday, October 9 – 13, invite your friends, neighbors, coworkers or family members to drive along with you to see how simple it is to make a difference in our clients' lives. We’ll have treats and additional enticements to sweeten the deal!

Greetings from Michelle Barnes - Client Services Manager

I feel fortunate to become part of the team here at Kitchen Angels. It doesn’t get any better than feeding people! I have ten-plus years’ experience working in Aging and Disabled Services - caring and providing for our elders and others in need is near and dear to my heart.

Along with my trusty traveling companion Sophie Cat, a very independent and opinionated tortoise shell tabby, I am a very recent transplant to Santa Fe from the beautiful and wet Pacific Northwest. The sunshine, landscape and friendliness are a few of the things that influenced my move to the Enchanted Southwest and Santa Fe specifically. 

Thank you for the warm welcome from those of you I have already met, and I’m looking forward to meeting all the volunteers, board members and supporters of Kitchen Angels.

"I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to you and the entire Kitchen Angels team for the incredible support you've provided during my recovery.

Your services have been a lifeline for me, delivering not only nourishing meals but also a sense of comfort and healing energy that words can't fully capture. It's safe to say that your dedication and the efforts of your volunteers have played a significant role in my recovery journey.

Thanks to the wonderful care I've received from Kitchen Angels, I'm regaining my independence, and [soon] I'll be able to go out and purchase my own food.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you and your team have done for me. Your kindness and generosity have made a world of difference in my recovery, and I will always cherish the memories of the delicious, lovingly prepared meals." ~Eric S.

What exactly is "pumpkin spice?" As ubiquitous as the term has become, especially during the fall, pumpkin spice was not always synonymous with overpriced lattes or fancy scented candles. In fact, as implied by the name, pumpkin spice is the traditional spice blend used to flavor pumpkin pies. These days, pumpkin spice tends to be premixed, but if you want to make your own blend, here is an easy recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

Traditionally containing cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and either cloves or allspice, pumpkin spice has been used to flavor pumpkin pies since the eighteenth century. We eat these heavily spiced pies during the holidays because spices used to be very expensive and could only be used for special occasions. Check out this link if you're curious about the history of pumpkin pie in the United States.

Come Shop KITCHENALITY

Getting ready for the holidays has never been easier with KITCHENALITY's remarkable and ever changing cooking and entertaining items. And things just got a little bit better. Their entire inventory of china will be on sale for 50% off the week of October 9 through October 14, 2023.

Store hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM and Saturdays, 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

It's never too early to start getting ready for holiday entertaining and also shop for the perfect holiday gifts. Come browse, chat with the store volunteers, and check out the latest items. You can follow KITCHENALITY on Facebook and Instagram.

Remember, one hundred percent of your purchases support Kitchen Angels' meal delivery program. It just doesn't get any better!

Kitchen Angels Recipe Box

Lauren's Tomato Fennel Salad

Lauren was blessed with a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and is eating tomatoes with almost every meal! This is her favorite recipe, borrowed from The Modern Proper. If fennel is not to your liking (or not available), no problem. Thinly sliced onions or shallots work well, too. She often substitutes basil for the dill with great results. The olives are a very nice touch, which make this dish special.

Serves 4

133 calories per serving

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh dill, plus more for serving
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1tsp stone ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
• 3 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (see suggested substitutions above)
• 1/4 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, halved
• Flaky salt for serving

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, garlic, dill, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper, until fully combined.
• On a large platter, arrange tomatoes and fennel in a thin layer, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with the olives and drizzle with prepared dressing. Finish with more fresh dill and flaky salt. Serve immediately.

* * * * * * *

If you'd like to contribute a recipe, send your selection to [email protected] by the 15th of the month to be considered for inclusion in the next month's Halo Headlines. Use the word "Recipe" in the subject line and tell us your name, how long you've been volunteering with Kitchen Angels, and what your volunteer job is. If it's a "borrowed" recipe, give credit. If you have a photo, send it along.

Continuing Education

What's All the Fuss About RSV?

In last month's Halo Headlines, we mentioned the availability of a new vaccine this year, for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). Since this is the first year the vaccine is available, RSV seems to be in the news quite a bit. It's a common illness that has been around for a long time and can hit young children and older adults hardest.

People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within 4 to 6 days after becoming infected. Symptoms, which usually appear in stages and not all at once, include runny nose, decreased appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever, and wheezing.

Most RSV infections go away on their own in one or two weeks. However, the virus can cause severe illness in older adults, especially those with chronic heart or lung disease, weakened immune systems, underlying medical conditions, and those living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. The new vaccine is designed to protect adults age 60 and older from severe RSV illness.

Preventing infection with RSV means doing all the things we already do to prevent the spread of the flu and Covid: wash your hands; cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; clean frequently touched surfaces; avoid close contact with others who may be sick; and stay home if you're not feeling well. Wearing face masks is always an option.

Please remember that nearly all of our clients are immune compromised or dealing with a chronic illness and that infection with RSV, Covid or the flu could cause them serious harm. If you, or a household member, have symptoms of any of these illnesses, stay home. If you're concerned about missing your volunteer shift, don't worry, we'll find a substitute.

If you want to learn more about RSV and the new vaccine, click here.

Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store?

We've all noticed that the price of groceries has risen significantly, especially since the pandemic. Saving money on groceries is even more difficult, especially since we all have our favorite brands and foods. To help, Taste of Home offers these tips for saving money at the store.

A suggestion that shows up often across various advice sites is to develop your meal plan before going to the store and make a list of exactly what you need. This allows you to organize your grocery purchases and limit any spontaneous spending.

Another way to save money is to buy the store brand instead of name brand products. In a lot of cases the quality and taste are exactly the same. Consumer Reports conducted a side-by-side taste test of some store brand products versus name brand products to help guide the selection process.

Personal preference also matters. Organic or sustainable products, gluten-free foods, or specialty items will, of course, change the way you budget at the store. But prices are going up for all of us and sometimes each of us can use a little help saving on our grocery bill.

Vaccine Availability Update

For folks looking for flu, Covid and RSV vaccinations, things may be a bit challenging for the next few weeks. Flu vaccine appears to be widely available but the RSV and Covid vaccines are still only available in limited supply and limited locations.

Albertsons pharmacies seem to have a full range of vaccines and appointment slots available in the Santa Fe area. CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacy websites currently show limited availability for Covid vaccination appointments due to low inventory. The New Mexico Department of Health has a vaccination and testing calendar that can help guide people to the nearest vaccination event but it's advisable to call the location in advance due to last-minute changes in vaccine availability.

So, what's the story with the spotty availability? According to a recent report from NPR, it's a combination of things. First, Covid vaccines are no longer being made available through the federal government so pharmacies have to purchase their inventory through their suppliers just as they do with all other pharmaceuticals. Some suppliers have stock and others don't and some pharmacies got their orders in early while others didn't, making availability inconsistent. While you maybe able to make a Covid vaccination appointment, you may not be able to get vaccinated.

Second, this is the first time that insurance companies, not the federal government, are covering the cost for Covid vaccinations (since the federal public health emergency declaration expired earlier this year). If you have private insurance, such as through your job or government-sponsored insurance such as Medicaid or Medicare, your vaccination should be free to you without a copay or other charge. But not all insurance companies have set up their systems for paying for Covid vaccinations yet.

Adults who are uninsured, as well as those whose insurance does not cover the entire cost of the new Covid vaccine, may be able to get their shots for free through the federal government’s Bridge Access Program. This is a temporary program that will run through December 2024. It will help distribute vaccines at local health centers and pay for doses for uninsured adults at CVS and Walgreens. A similar program already helps provide the vaccine to uninsured and underinsured children.

NPR reported that manufacturers say they have made sufficient supplies of their Covid vaccines and that the spotty availability should clear up in the next few weeks as pharmacies begin to receive their orders and insurance companies figure out how to pay for vaccinations.

Community Connections

Last month was exciting here at Kitchen Angels when we welcomed KOAT television anchor Royale Da and her team from the KOAT studios who did a special segment on our agency for the "Good News Files." Thanks to all of the volunteers who put on their smiling faces and represented our organization in front of the camera!

Thank You

We say it all the time and it bears repeating: we simply couldn't do our work and touch the lives of so many people without the tireless support of our volunteers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Congratulations to Peggy Rudberg and Michael Brendle, two of our kitchen volunteers. Crystal had the opportunity recently to give Peggy her 28 year Kitchen Angels wings and Mike his five year wings.

Thank you to Juli Horwitz Kite for filling in as a substitute volunteer for multiple shifts each week in both the kitchen and with the different delivery prep teams.

Thank you to Dave Bazell, Kenneth Schulz, Pauline Foral, and Marc Zeitschik – some of our illustrious kitchen volunteers who often come in on-call and work multiple shifts.

To our drivers, thank you to Rose Bramble, Karen Meador, Phyllis Bolen, Phyllis Bustamante, Paul Wilken, Jennie Sparks, and Judi & Phillip Huston, who all drive regular routes multiple times each week or who fill in for a route on different days.

A special thank you to Kay Jenkins who obsesses over the dots on the client slips every week to make sure each client receives the appropriate entrée and side-dishes,

Juliana Lujan and Ron Wieneke for being our Frozen Meal Program prep superstars, and to Marci Kilgore who has been bringing in all those yummy treats for everyone!

Finally, we want to welcome our newest volunteers, Jan Adler, Diane Borgia, Kimberly Valenzuela, Robin Clark, Marci Kilgore, Tracy Crelin, Laima Segur, and Lynnette Senzel. Thank you for joining the Kitchen Angels family.