Draper Rehab needed a fun activity for our skilled patients, and a cooking group fit the bill. Our first cooking group consisted of a patient’s secret family recipe for whole wheat waffles along with a fresh fruit salad. Not only was it delicious, but it provided eye hand coordination, upper extremity strengthening, standing balance while stirring and doing dishes, and cognition through the ability to follow a written recipe. We recruited one of our high level patients to do the cooking.
Our rehab cooking group is now a highlight of the building and looked forward to by all. Most of our Part A’s participate because they love to be there. Sometimes our activity person, Pam, joins in on the fun and the CNA’s can be found coming and going lured by the smell of wonderful food. Pam also was kind enough to embroider bib aprons with a cute little design for each participant. Along with hairnets and rubber gloves they all remind me of “lunch ladies”. Every seat is filled at our big rehab table on cooking day, usually 8-10 patients and residents. We discuss the next week’s menu with the patients and encourage them to provide their favorite recipes.
Some of the other cooking group menus have included:
- Ruth’s amazing potato salad
- Potato bar
- Chef salad
- Pancakes w/watermelon
- Cinnamon rolls with frosting
- Tacos with handmade tortillas
- Scones with homemade fresh strawberry freezer jam
The kitchen provides some of the ingredients and we buy the rest. We have compiled all the recipes from the past groups, took pictures and will publish a “Draper Rehab Cookbook” sometime early next year with hopes to use it as a fund raiser.
Who said rehab isn’t fun…and tasty.