donuts and coffee, fall-style

Between our busy schedules and Andrew spending every free moment working on our patio (almost finished!), we haven’t really gotten out for a proper ‘date’ in awhile. Sure, we go grab lunch or dinner pretty frequently, but there have been no leisurely walks around the neighborhood, no care-free drives to see the colors of fall. We don’t park ourselves in front of the television on weekends to watch college football, nor do we have people over to enjoy the Bills games, or even rake leaves together on mild afternoons. Nope, for the past two or three fall seasons, Andrew (with or without me) has been toiling away on whatever project we had going on, or injured (let’s not forget those Achilles’ injuries).

So, this Saturday, we took the day off. (Or, I intended us to, but somehow Andrew managed to talk me into letting him work outside for a couple hours…so I busied myself inside with food prep for the week ahead.)

After my morning run and a quick pancake breakfast together, we did our usual ‘separate-but-home-at-the-same-time’ thing for a few hours, and then headed out to Mayer Brothers Cider Mill, a local apple cider producer. They have a small store and the line on beautiful fall days starts at the door and weaves throughout the store, from donut pick-up in the beginning to apple cider slushies and check-out at the end.

Donuts. Yes, I said donuts. While you inevitably pick up a gallon of cider to bring home, you actually go to the cider mill for their fresh cinnamon donuts. It was Andrew’s idea and I was 100% on board. Not sure what’s gotten into me lately…I’m on a donut-kick of some sort. (Promptly taking myself OFF the donut train as of this morning, thankyouverymuch.)

We grabbed a gallon of cider, a small jar of apple butter, a bag of cinnamon apple chips (a favorite of mine), an apple cider slushie (better than it sounds, I promise) and headed to a nearby Starbucks to enjoy our treats. We got a mix of the traditional cinnamon-sugar-dusted and a couple for me to try (cream cheese frosted, caramel frosted), and I think a whopping SIX may have been consumed in total. (I may not have felt guilty about enjoying those delicious donuts, but I certainly didn’t feel great afterward, either.)

While our fall date was no walk in the park (literally) or pumpkin patch, it was a few hours in which we forgot about the to-do lists, spent time together and enjoyed a fall tradition. Perhaps we’ll make it back to Pumpkinville next year.

I got a (real) job!!

I certainly did.

Kaleida Health is the largest healthcare provider in Western New York and operates five hospitals in the area of varying sizes. I did a month-long internship at Buffalo General, and also spent time at Women’s and Children’s Hospital earlier on in my time as a student. I was always impressed with the professionalism of the dietitians and the thoroughness with which they practiced.

OK, enough rhapsodizing about my new employer. Let’s get back to the story.

Clinical (i.e. someone who works in a hospital with acute-care patients) dietitian jobs are REALLY hard to come by here in Western New York. As in, I’ve only SEEN two or three positions come open in the past year, and I’ve never even gotten a call for an interview, even though I have a pretty strong resume (albeit with limited ‘real’ experience). We simply have too many dietitians in this area, despite all the healthcare facilities here.

So, you’ll appreciate how shocked I was to receive a call from Kaleida HR just one day after applying for this particular job. Within a week I had an interview with HR, and as I sat in my chair, the rep made my next interview with the Clinical Nutrition Manager for the next Thursday afternoon. The next morning, I got the call offering me the job!

I didn’t even know how much I wanted the job until I started interviewing…so I’m very thankful I got the opportunity to go back into the hospital!

The job, in particular, is at DeGraff Memorial Hospital, as a clinical dietitian. It’s 20 hours a week, which is perfect for me since I already work part-time at Buffalo State College’s health center doing nutritional counseling with students. Plus, DeGraff is pretty small (only 60 beds!), so the RDs there only work part-time and are usually responsible for the whole hospital themselves during their shift. (A far cry from Buffalo General, where there may be six or seven RDs working full-time each day!)

One caveat: my job is temporary. I’m filling in for an RD taking 6 months maternity leave, and I’m hoping that when she returns in February I’ll be able to find something part-time or per diem (like substituting) within Kaleida.

I started Friday by shadowing the woman for whom I’m filling in and will be with her for the next couple shifts before she’s on maternity leave. I’m still getting back into the swing of things, but thankfully I have experience with their electronic medical record (the computer program we use to write notes and access information) and I have some time before I’m flying solo.

DeGraff is north of Buffalo and sounds far away (gasp! North Tonawanda!) but is approximately 30 minutes from my house and is almost all highway and no traffic, praise God. Shifts are 8am-1pm, which is perfect for me to continue nutritional counseling at Buffalo State and teaching some classes at the YMCA.

I’m thrilled to get some real clinical experience under my belt, build my resume and excited to see what will be in store for me six months from now!

and we’re open!

The East Aurora Co-op Market opened today with a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m. (Too bad I didn’t make it–my doctor appointment ran late and I rushed in at 11:20. Boo. But Andrew made it, so at least one of us was there to represent!)

Andrew and I have been members of the co-op since we moved here in 2011, and it’s been a looooooong project that many people have worked very hard on for the last five years or so. For more information about the co-op, including it’s history and how to become a member (we always need more members!), go to their website at http://eastaurorafood.coop/.

The co-op is located on Main Street here in the village; this is the view from Main Street:

Side view (once you pull into the parking lot):

View of the store as if you were entering from the Main Street entrance; store in front of you and the prepared foods section is to the right of this photo:

The co-op carries the same things as a regular grocery store, such as salad dressings, condiments, baking supplies, fresh and frozen foods, as well as bulk bins for grains and even spices. While you won’t find Campbell’s soups, you’ll find Amy’s and other high-quality brands throughout the store. Annie’s dressings and crackers and macaroni and cheese, Newman’s Own cookies, Udi’s gluten-free bread and Barbara’s cereals are just a few of the common brands you’ll find at the co-op. Looking for your best value? Try Field Day, which is like the ‘store brand’ for co-ops. Great quality at great prices!

The produce section will feature as much local food as possible. With the co-op just having opened, it may take a little while to maximize local sources, but that is the goal. With summer finally here, it shouldn’t be long for the shelves to be full of local produce!

I love the interior design of the co-op, done by local artist Alix Martin. The walls are bright green and orange for energy, with soft blue skies and clouds to balance it all out. The wood floors are perfect for the ‘natural’ feel, and exposed beams and electrical give the store a modern vibe.

I’m excited! If you’re local, give the prepared foods department a try and sit out on the patio on a nice day. Pick up some of your favorites to bring home for later. Consider becoming a member today!