Providing healthy home cooked meals is one of the many ways that make Casa Teresa more like a home than a shelter. Today on the menu, I have added a special salad consisting of spiraled zucchini, ribboned carrots, shredded purple cabbage, julienned red bell peppers, minced green onions, sprinkled with sprigs of cilantro, garnished with diced dried chili mangoes and nutty pepitas. Are you drooling yet? The colors are beautiful and the ingredients are simple, but the presentation states, "let’s have fun with our veggies!" Once dinner is prepared, I welcome a parade of waddling pregnant women into the kitchen to start our house meeting. House meetings are Casa Teresa’s version of a family meeting. We have monthly house meetings in both the Parenting and Transformation programs. House Moms plan and prepare home cook meals for our residents to gather around to review program guidelines, express their concerns and share laughter while dining together. In addition to receiving a nutritious meal, house meetings provide a model for healthy habits in the areas of diet, communication, and problem solving. Some of our moms are motivated to learn how to cook, some of our moms step out and learn how to voice their opinions confidently, and some of our moms realize they have the answers to challenges they face. The thoughtfulness that we as House Moms dedicate in planning our meals convey that Casa Teresa is a safe home that provides security, comfort, and support at the end of the day. It’s these small details that we attend to here at Casa Teresa that allow our organization to make a big impact in transforming the future of our moms and babies. Written by a Casa Teresa House Mom
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