Ecumen Pathstone Living Residents Vote on 100 Potential Menu Items
Darcy Stueber, the Dining Director at Ecumen Pathstone Living in Mankato, is always looking for ways to refresh the menu at the senior living community. But outright experimentation is risky. So she decided to organize a “dining fair” and let residents sample some new food products.
Last Wednesday, 11 local food brokers brought their offerings to the community. Residents had a chance to try 100 products and vote them up or down.
The fair was a big hit — as the smiles in the accompanying photos show. Darcy is still going through the comment cards, but there are some clear winners: cranberry wild rice bread, a new Swedish meatball offering, a new beer battered shrimp product and a flavored water with nutrients.
Darcy was especially happy to see that the blueberry filled pancake was popular. “Breakfast is the hardest meal to re-create,” she says. “There are only so many ways to make eggs.”
Putting on the fair and serving regular meals was quite a challenge, Darcy says, because the dining staff had to do their regular jobs, while sharing the kitchen space with the vendors who were cooking as well.
“But we all shared and made room,” she says. “My staff is fantastic.”
Routinely, Darcy meets with her Dining Task Force — an advisory group of residents who help with menu planning. The fall/winter menu is now in the works.
“We incorporate seasonal items to keep it interesting and switch things up,” she says. This summer, corn on the cob was a menu favorite. And this fall, a few of the winners from the dining fair will likely make the grade. 
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Ecumen Century Club: Happy 102nd Birthday Lillian Timm
Ecumen honors Lillian Timm, a resident of Ecumen Pathstone Living in Mankato, who is 102.
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Despite the almost 60 years difference in their ages, Kelly and Shelby are kindred spirits with a connection that neither can quite explain.
Residents at Ecumen Pathstone Living Find Their Inner Writer
With a little encouragement, a group of residents at Ecumen Pathstone Living have put their memories on paper and amazed their instructors with the beauty of their writing.
The residents are participating in a writing workshop partnership between Pathstone and Minnesota State University’s Good Thunder Reading Series.
In today’s Mankato Free Press, Feature Editor Robb Murray writes about the program and the people who have reached deep inside themselves to find and share what matters most to them.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 101st Birthday Bernice Peterson
Ecumen honors Bernice Peterson, a resident of Ecumen Pathstone Living,who is 101.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 104th Birthday Dolores Spreter
Ecumen honors Dolores Spreter, a resident of Ecumen Pathstone Living, who is 104.
Honoring Ecumen’s Longest Tenured Employee: Dawn Bolhuis, LPN, Kindhearted and Compassionate Nurse
Nurse Dawn Bolhuis, Ecumen's longest tenured employee, can't wait to start her next shift, and the residents she cares for can't wait to see her.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 101st Birthday Christina (Tina) Gray
Ecumen honors Christina (Tina) Gray, a resident of Ecumen Pathstone Living in Mankato, Minn., who is 101.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 101st Birthday Frieda Westphal
Ecumen honors Frieda Westphal, aresident of Ecumen Pathstone Living, who is 101.