January 2013 - Bartels Retirement Community

A Monthly Publication From
Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community
Bartels Residents dishing up new recipes weekly
I f you were to walk down the hallways at Bartels Lutheran
Retirement Community on a Monday afternoon around
2:00 you may smell the aroma of a fresh baked apple pie,
homemade chicken noodle soup on the stove or pizzas baking
in the oven. Those scents are coming from the kitchenette in
the Good Shepherd Chapel located on Bartels’ campus.
Every Monday at 2:00 p.m., Leisure Services Assistant,
Trisha Kaiser, hosts a baking group of residents who help
make new recipes. Kaiser started the group because of her
love for cooking and baking. She has always cooked for
family gatherings and enjoys sharing her love of cooking
with others. “I started baking when I was nine years old and
ever since then I wanted to bake and cook for others” said Kaiser. She continued, “Food warms the soul
and provides contentment and satisfaction. To watch the residents eat what they have helped create puts a
huge smile on my face. They miss those kinds of comfort foods.”
“Having this group allows the residents to be back in the kitchen like they used to be” said Kaiser.
“They enjoy telling their cooking stories from when they used to bake and cook for their families. This
group allows them to bring back those memories.”
Each week features a different recipe. Some recipes are picked at random and other times a resident
will suggest their favorite dish. Throughout the past three months, recipes featured fall, Halloween and
Christmas themes, and included Zombie Pizzas, Cranberry Apple Crunch and The Great Pumpkin Cake
and Christmas sugar cookies. In November, the residents helped fix a complete Thanksgiving dinner. The
menu included turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry salad and
homemade rolls.
The baking group meets from an hour to an hour and a half depending on how long the recipe takes.
Each resident is responsible for helping with a certain
part of the recipe; mixing, stirring, pouring
ingredients, spreading frosting, etc. When the
cooking or baking is finished, the residents each
enjoy their own serving. Their favorites recipes
include homemade chicken noodle soup with
home-made noodles, Tiramisu, and the Southern
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese frosting.
Kaiser concludes, “It’s been a lot of fun to watch
the residents take part in something I know they
used to love to do.”
Enriching lives through quality
services & Ch r i sti care. a n
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