My Favorite Recipes: February 27, 2020

Meet Leslie King, Thornton

 

February 27, 2020



Leslie King is currently the nursing director and standing administrator at The Courtyard. Soon this will change as the administrative structure changes to an administrator and a nurse manager with a nurse working underneath, at which time King will be the nurse manager.

King grew up and graduated from high school in Ferndale, Wash. Her family had a farm with cows and horses. After graduating high school she attended Bellingham Technical College and got her nursing degree at the age of 20. While King had originally wanted to be a physical therapist, she felt the need to join the workforce as a single mom with two sons. Nursing gave King the flexibility she needed to be there for her sons while raising them.

“I was able to work nights and evenings and work around their schedule, which isn’t something you can do as a physical therapist. People need to be awake when you’re working with them,” explained King.

Sixteen years ago when her sister, Angie Senter of Palouse, was having her first baby, King, who was looking for a place to move, decided on Whitman County to be closer to family. She moved to Colfax where she worked for two years at a nursing home where she met Lea Ludington. Ludington then started working at The Courtyard as a nurse and brought King to The Courtyard working part time a couple months later.

King said her biggest struggle with being a nurse was relying on her own knowledge and skill set.

“A lot of nursing is getting out there and doing it. Getting the experience,” said King. “There’s a lot you can learn from books and in the classroom, but with nursing it’s the practical application of it.”

With 27 years of experience as a nurse King worked in hospitals, home health, hospice and nursing homes before she joined The Courtyard almost 15 years ago. She eventually started working at The Courtyard full time and moved up within the business. Eight years ago Leslie became the nurse manager when Ludington took on the administrator position.

The Mellors and Millers established The Courtyard as an assisted living facility 16 years ago after buying the Wheatland Inn, a residential housing facility for those 65-years-old and above, and renovating it. The Courtyard now runs 24-7 with certified nursing assistants, three meals a day and a housekeeping staff with 47 current residents.

King enjoys crafting and painting and has done several works that she has displayed at The Courtyard.

She learned how to both knit and crochet from each of her grandmothers.

Recipes:

Stocking Hat Knitted Pattern

“My grandma made stocking caps, but she crocheted. She would through the year make them and have a couple hundred and donate them to her church that went to the homeless. So in her honor, I’ve been doing that,” said King.

Cast on 62 stitches.

Knit 2 perl 2 across.

Repeat until measures 6 inches, then knit two together- perl 2 across x 8 rows.

Perl 1 knit 2 together across x 8 rows.

Then knit 2 together perl 1 across.

Knit 2 together perl across until you are left with 8 stitches.

Bind together- cast off sew ends together to make hat.

Pie Crust

“In my family I’m the designated dessert maker and pies are something that I can make,” said King. She makes an assortment of pies for the holidays. Her favorite is cherry pie.

10-inches two-crust pie

2 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup shortening

7-8 Tbsp water

8 or 9 inch crust pie

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp

shortening

2 to 3 Tbsp water

Bake 475 for 8 to 10 minutes unless filled, then 30 mins.

 

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