MW nursing home dietician's care 'shows in the food,' says she is blessed to serve
Jan. 2—MINERAL WELLS — Sometimes, you know you're in the right place.
"I stay around the food," Amanda Edmonds said, describing her routine as director of food and nutrition at Mineral Wells Nursing and Rehabilitation.
The Mineral Wells native often can be spotted milling about the cafeteria as meals wind down, asking how everything tasted.
"We get a lot of comments," she said. "It makes you love it more."
Edmonds, 44, has been at the SW 25th Avenue care center, with one short stint at a Weatherford center in between, since 2014.
Starting out as a dishwasher, she worked her way from sink duty to stove command and now supervises a kitchen staff of nine.
"I guess I just always had a passion for food," she said. "And, once you get here, you fall in love with your residents."
The phrase "institutional food" sounds a little impersonal. The way Edmonds pulls if from the oven, though, draws a crowd.
"I believe people eat with their eyes first," she said. "If it doesn't look attractive, they are not going to eat it. ... They definitely are happy to get from their hospital to us."
Those residents discover gnocchi soup to rival Olive Garden's famous version, other soups from scratch, contest-winning breakfast bowls and Philly cheesesteak on menus Edmonds plans five months ahead.
Tamales will help usher in the new year. Edmonds also relishes her fried chicken with buttered turnips and fluffy rice pudding.
"We don't do average," she said. "You've really got to care to be here, and it shows in the food."
Word has spread beyond the home's residents to their families.
"We have a lot of family members that like to come up here for meals," she said, after indicating it's the residents who get all her attention. "It's a blessing to know you were able to give them what they want."
Human Resources Director Kamii Minchew said care is Edmond's secret ingredient. So are her professional skills.
"Amanda worked her way up to her current position and is a true success story," Minchew said. "And we can say that she has reached the elite level of (Certified Dietary Managers) in our company by completing our annual Achievement Tiers Reward for 2023 by completing 12 additional tasks to go 'above and beyond' and will be attending an Awards Cruise next year sponsored by our owners Gary and Malisa Blake."
Looking ahead, Edmonds plans to continue her learning curve and earn further certifications. The home's parent company, Creative Solutions and Health Care, is spread across the Lone Star State.
But the daughter of Deborah Schierenbeck and Samuel Edmonds has no plans to leave her hometown, where she also loves making cookies with the three grandchildren whose photos brighten her office.
"This is my home, this is right where I need to be," she said. "I love food, and I love to eat food, and I think I'm in the right place."
