Maybe menu selections by food committee?

Usually each summer turkey and dressing our taken off the menu. I thought that was because it's kind of heavy meal which is usually served in the fall closer to Thanksgiving, and sometimes Christmas – a holiday meal. I do know that it was not on the menu for the last two summers.

That's why I was surprised that today we had turkey and dressing for lunch. We also had puréed sweet potatoes and for some reason spinach. The meal in total was not that bad. I just think it's a lot of heavy food for June.

I would rather they would use the turkey another way. They could make turkey tetrazini, put it in a chef salad, or even turkey Devan would be good.

Dietary is hurting for help these days. One dietary aide is off because a family member is dying dying. Another cook, who used to be the dietary manager, is off on vacation. So that may be why we had the turkey dinner. The dietary manager may have wanted to serve it. It tasted good today because it was a bit chilly outside. We've had some unseasonably cool weather the last few days.

But I have to say, I thought it was a good idea that we skipped turkey and dressing for the summer months. That made turkey taste much better when we began to eat it again in the fall.

I think they need to figure out some other side summer menu dishes besides potato salad and macaroni salad.

I wish they would consider having chili dogs once in a while. Even though I'm not a big fan, it's a change. It is so easy for dietary to get in a food rut.

Since it's June, it would be so nice if we could get some locally grown strawberries. In all my years living in nursing homes, neither has ever served fresh, local strawberries during the month of June. I mentioned this to one of the aides the other day. She said no one would go pick them. I said they could make it a group effort and take the residents with them and let them help. But after I said that, that aide gave me an extremely funny look.

Our food has become humdrum. It looks like we are getting mostly heat and eat items. Even our breakfast juice (the apple juice anyway) is prepackaged in sealed four ounce containers. It's probably convenient for the cook and dietary aide. But it doesn't look very comforting or homey.

It's a challenge to keep the budget in order and feed us enough calories and nutrition each day while avoiding food that will make us fatter than we need to be.

After living here over six years, I still think this nursing home needs a food committee.