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Score Big with game day snacks
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Family Features The game is on, and your home is filled with friends decked out in those familiar colors, ready to cheer their team to victory. Now there’s only one more thing you need to make this game day gathering great — a feast of delicious, easy to enjoy goodies. Whether your team consists of spice fanatics or sweets enthusiasts, Blue Diamond offers a huge variety of delicious snack almonds perfect for every preference or craving. Complete your game day spread with delicious dips — and don’t forget the dippers. Add variety and color with sliced up carrots, bell peppers and broccoli to serve alongside tasty Blue Diamond Nut Thins, a perfect, crunchy dipper that’s also gluten-free. Get in the game with these recipes and more by visiting www.bluediamond.com.
Bacon Avocado Dip Servings: 1 cup • 1 large avocado, peeled and mashed • 1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped • 1/3 cup Blue Diamond Jalapeño Smokehouse Almonds, chopped • 1/4 cup diced red onion • 3 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped • 2 tablespoons sour cream • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • Juice of 1/2 lime • Salt and pepper, to taste In small bowl, mix all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite flavor of Nut Thins.
A chef for those in need By Bradley Hartsell bradley@newnan.com
What started as a childhood love for cooking for Tammy Jones has turned into providing meals for 60 senior citizens in Coweta County who are in need of such kindness. Jones i s Ser v Sa fe cer t i f ied , trained in food and beverage safety in a program administered by the National Restaurant Association, and she devotes her skills to community outreach, making Jones a “chef for those in need.” Jones is the kitchen manager at Bridging the Gap in Newnan, which pa r tners w it h Mea ls on W heels Coweta County. For 60 seniors, five mea ls a day, Jones prepa res 300 meals a week for Meals on Wheels to deliver. In fact, Jones wants to cook even more meals; 360 meals a week, to be exact. There are 12 people on the Meals on Wheels waiting list, and by being able to increase the output to 72 people, no more seniors will be on a waiting list for meals. A 12-person increase may not sound like a lot, but Bridging the Gap and Wheels on Wheels, two organizations mostly comprised of volunteers, need more resources and/or more personnel to accommodate the increase. “Seventy-two is the key number because then there won’t be anyone on that waiting list, and that’s what I’d love to see is that no elderly person in Coweta County has to wait for a meal any longer,” Jones said. When the two community outreach organizations began partnering in 2013, Meals on Wheels served 4 8 s en ior s – del iver i n g 1 1 1 , 6 3 5 pounds of food – through their first year together, but expanded to 60 seniors upon getting a new kitchen at Bridging the Gap on First Avenue in Newnan. If the two organizations can find ways to stretch 12 more residents i nto its mea l deliver y prog ra m , Jones will be waiting eagerly to cook a few more meals. Jones says she started baking when she was 10 years old. Her passion for cooking has never let up. “I just love to cook. I love to take recipes and create something new, like if there’s something I’m not a big fan of, I like to take it out and
add something else. I love to bake cakes, which I don’t get to do very much for Bridging the Gap, so I like getting to do that for my family and friends,” Jones said. Jones ha s been w it h Br idg i ng the Gap for a year-and-a-half after meeting Alison, executive director of Bridging the Gap and her husba nd , Kev i n . Jones h a s been employed as the cook at First United Methodist Church in Newnan for 10 years, cooking Wednesday night dinner s for t he c hu rc h . It was there Jones and the Wallaces first met and with Bridging the G ap re cent ly pa r tn er i n g w it h Me a l s o n W h e e l s , Wa l lace called Jones a nd a sked her to come to become the k itchen ma nager at Bridging the Gap. “Alison knew I was a good cook and knew I was good with people. Since being h e r e , e v e r y d a y, I ’ m humbled, because Bridging the Gap does so much in the community,” said Jones. During the recent holiday season, Jones says Bridging the Gap and Meals on Wheels got Christmas Eve and Christmas off, but that meant on Dec. 23, their 60 recipients received three meals. So while Jones had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, her meals were prepared ahead of time and was still able to be enjoyed by those in need. “I remember when I f irst came to Bridging the Gap [former board cha irma n for Mea ls on W heels Coweta County] Lizabeth Andrew said to me, ‘I like to eat everyday and [our senior citizens] do, too.’ That’s always stuck in my mind, and it means so much to me that they’re getting to eat every day,” said Jones.
Tammy Jones provides daily meals for nearly 60 senior citizens in Coweta County.
Lt. Col. Patrick Almond receives a medal to commemorate his promotion to lieutenant colonel.
Newnan native promoted to Lieutenant Colonel Almond served in the army since 1988 By Bradley Hartsell bradley@newnan.com
The meals prepared by Jones always contain a meat, a vegetable, a starch and a dessert. For instance, a tray could contain pork tenderloin, green beans, a roll and peach cobbler. Not only does Jones try to fill a plate for good-tasting food, but she says she also tries to ensure it’s always appealing to the eye. “I t r y to m a ke ver y del icious meals; something I would like to eat together myself and make sure to touch all the food groups, but also I want it to be pretty in the tray,” said Jones. “I want them to think that looks good and it’s also delicious.” Jo n e s s a y s s h e ’s h e a rd f r o m
Though he’s been all around the world serving in the Army since 1988, Lt. Col. Patrick Almond’s heart has always been in Newnan. Almond and his family – wife, Stephanie (also in the military), and sons Caleb, Joshua and Patrick – live on a base in San Antonio, Texas, and on the day before Thanksgiving, Almond was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Friends and family of Almond from all over the country – including his cousin and close friend from Newnan, Vernon Strickland, and cousin and former Denver Broncos defensive back from Senoia, Chris Young – came to the ceremony in San Antonio. With more than 60 people in attendance, they came to show support for Almond, who grew up in Newnan and attended Newnan High School. “It was a really good trip for all of us and a really good ceremony,” said Strickland. “While out there, we got to meet a number of the people on his team who’ve made it possible and
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