Angels Take Out is an easy way to support both Kitchen Angels and our partner restaurants who have endured great hardship during the pandemic. If you would like to donate on the day of the event, ask for a donation envelope at the restaurant. You can dine out for each meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner! Not interested in eating take-out? Purchase a meal for your coworker, neighbor, or special someone.

We are excited to celebrate National Volunteer Appreciation Week recognizing our most prized assets - our volunteers! During the week of April 18 - 24 we will be celebrating YOU! As a token of our appreciation for all you do to make Kitchen Angels the outstanding organization it is, we are offering each of you a Kitchen Angels treat that week. But we're not telling you what it will be . . . at least not yet.

We'll be handing the treat out at each shift. It's the least we can do to let you know how special you are to us. Thank you all!

Some scheduling issues have arisen within the past few weeks that warrant mentioning. With more volunteers traveling, we want to make sure shifts don't get dropped accidentally.

Regarding delivery, we're hearing that many of our drivers are physically handing meal bags directly to clients or going inside client homes to leave the meals. This is strictly against our COVID-safe protocols! Even if you are vaccinated, we continue to utilize the "knock (or call) and drop" method. This is to protect you AND the client. If one of our clients expects this of you, please let the office know so we can remind them of the protocols.

Thank you all for your continued dedication and reliability! It means the world to me personally, and to our homebound clients.

As spring emerges in New Mexico, it’s time for us to shake off the winter doldrums and embark on new culinary adventures. Heard of the viral video app TikTok? Well, if you haven’t, this writer has you covered. TikTok is the newest destination for food lovers and the cooking obsessed, but the thirty to sixty second video recipes aren’t always the easiest to follow. Fortunately, Parade has compiled all the best TikTok recipes for your perusal. These recipes are fun and creative and a perfect way to re-energize your love of cooking.

One of the most viral recipes is also one of the easiest: baked feta pasta. Using cherry tomatoes and a block of seasoned feta cheese, this dish is baked until creamy and then mixed with your choice of pasta. It would probably taste even better with some of that local Tucumcari, New Mexico, feta cheese (shockingly affordable and delicious).

Feta pasta is also just a great starting point for other baked dishes. Well + Good has already come up with four variations on the viral feta recipe that would taste delicious atop any grain, potato, or pasta. Lauren tried the first recipe with rave reviews from her entire pasta-loving family.

Later this month, on April 22, we recognize Earth Day. Like all great holidays, we should probably celebrate Earth Day with delicious food! A few years ago, Bon Appetit compiled twenty-three of their “greenest” recipes for celebrating Mother Earth. Strozzapreti with spinach and preserved lemon is happening in this writer’s kitchen.

If you really want to get all that good spring produce, consider signing up for the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market CSA (community supported agriculture), where once a week you pick up a box of fresh, local produce. Your CSA subscription goes directly to the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market and to the farmers of Northern New Mexico. There are still some spring boxes left, but they go quickly.

We welcome new volunteers. Our kitchen crews are filled, but we are building a substitute list and placing folks on the waitlist for a permanent spot. Things change quickly in the spring, so don't hesitate to sign up, even if we don't currently have an opening.

Here are our delivery needs with arrival between 3:15 - 4:15pm:

We are looking for individuals who are interested in helping with our bag sanitization program. The task takes most people only one to one-and-a-half hours to complete. Thermal bags are sanitized, and clean bags are placed in order, ready for the delivery prep crews. Contact Lauren if you are interested in helping with this very important task. Thanks!

Still at the top of the country’s vaccine distribution list, New Mexico has entered a new phase in the vaccination schedule. As of April 5, everyone in Phases 1A, 1B, and 1C, as well as Phase 2 (16 and older) are now eligible for the vaccine, meeting the President's goal of having all adults eligible for the vaccine by May 1. Although this is excellent news, people are still having to wait to be scheduled for a vaccine appointment.

The most important things to do right now is register for the vaccine at vaccinenm.org and be patient. You can also check out the website, Dr. B, which will search for available vaccine.

In other heartening vaccine news, a new CDC study of vaccinated healthcare workers found that one shot of either Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccine can give people up to 80 percent immunity after two weeks. Although two shots are recommended, upping the effectiveness to 90 percent, the study bolsters the argument in this country that everyone should get at least one shot instead of focusing on some groups getting two shots. Regardless, it is still imperative that people show up for their second shot and continue to wear face masks and maintain physical distancing practices. People who are un-vaccinated and those with compromised immune systems are still very susceptible to COVID.

Thanks to all of our volunteers for keeping up the good work with COVID-safe practices while we slowly move closer to herd immunity!

Santa Fe Connect continues to expand the network of help in Santa Fe County. Everyone is welcome to fill out a form or call 505-995-9525 (city limits) or 505-992-9849 (county) to speak to a navigator who will conduct an intake.

Over 60 agencies are collaborating, with a focus on assisting people impacted by COVID. CARES Act funding is scheduled to arrive shortly. Assistance with past due utilities, rent, mortgages and other bills, is available as well as help finding food distributions, rides, case management and other support services. Many navigators are bilingual and services are available to people who are undocumented.

Jeanette is a navigator with Santa Fe Connect and has helped many people access the resources they need - especially during COVID.

These folks deserve a shout out for showing up and keeping the line of cars moving right along: Susan Mooney, Colleen Carias, Dan Knobeloch, Scott Werner, Lisa Leyba, Maggie DePond, Bob Horwitz, Rui Wheaton, and Meg Blissell. We appreciate your steady, friendly presence which connects the inside world of Kitchen Angels with our drivers who are out in the world. Much gratitude to you all!