Mom’s Kitchen: Culinary program pays tribute to the enduring spirit of a remarkable resident

Janet L. loved cooking and spent most of her life perfecting recipes. In March of 1981, the Sanford Herald highlighted Janet as the Cook of the Week and featured her recipes for Hawaiian chicken and banana bread. She spent the bulk of her married years hosting parties and cooking for her growing family, always having a warm meal on the table for her husband Sandy and their three children.

Almost four years ago, Janet was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia that can strip away the many joys of life as it progresses. She moved to The Watermark at Vistawilla, where associates created mindful moments of connection, discovery, engagement, and growth by integrating Janet into the rhythms of daily living.

In celebration of Janet's 91st birthday earlier this year, the community launched "Mom's Kitchen," a program aimed at capturing the love of cooking by recreating the experiences of shopping, cooking, and enjoying a meal together. The sights, tastes, and smells evoke nostalgic memories, allowing residents to reconnect with cherished moments from their past.

The recipes the community selected for Janet to prepare were the very same signature dishes featured in the Sanford Herald in 1981. Nayas helped Janet compile a grocery list, go shopping, and prepare the meal in the company of her two daughters – Mary Jo R. and Amy H. “It’s probably been five or six years since mom has been in the kitchen,” said Mary Jo. 

The community helped Janet rediscover her lifelong passion, something that truly meant the world to her children. Just one month before Janet passed away, her daughters joined her for the most special meal; one their mother prepared with love in The Watermark's kitchen.

Janet's legacy lives on through Mom's Kitchen, a program that has become a testament to the strength of community, the warmth of shared moments, and the unbreakable bonds that form around a table. 

Kim continues to collect special recipes from family members of residents in The Gardens, the community's Memory Care neighborhood. "The recipes are ones they still remember and bring back fond memories for them. I hope to put them together in a book along with pictures of residents actually making the dish. The sales from the 'Mom's Kitchen' recipe books are to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association®." 

Mom's Kitchen has been a meaningful way for other residents to get back into the kitchen and experience the nostalgia of preparing a cherished recipe. Janet's passion for cooking sparked a tradition, one that continues to nourish the souls of her friends and neighbors, and brings families closer together around the dinner table.