Serving Up Love with Chef Melissa Bernstein, OT, FAOTA

Gather around the kitchen with Chef Melissa C. Bernstein, OT, FAOTA, for meals that warm the heart and welcome EVERYONE to join in the joy and fun of food and festivities that nourish the mind, body and soul! <br />Chef Melissa blazes a special culinary trail! As an occupational therapist, her kitchen vision was one founded on love – an inspiration that began at a very young age. Join us, as we talk about the magic of food, how it unites, serves as a soothing salve, and can be the epicenter of well-celebrated living and sustenance beyond the belly. <br />We start the show in the opening, talking about the love of food, since the dawn of time! Yes, everyone loves food! And the kitchen is where the action is, the heart of the home, and food preparation is an important facet of mealtime. Making the meal is filled with enriching connections while engaging all our senses and creating wonderful feelings of joy and appreciation. Regardless of skills or challenge, Melissa has opened the kitchen and is Serving up Love!<br />Her book, Power of 5 Test Kitchen Cookbook: Caregiver Edition, is a special one as is her kitchen, Power of 5 Test Kitchen! Melissa recognized the challenges of cooking for loved ones battling neurodegenerative illnesses as well as the importance of keeping them engaged in meaningful activities. So, she set out to find ways to keep everyone safe and engaged during meal preparation! Using her skills as both a veteran occupational therapist and certified chef, she answered the call providing recipes, helpful hints, tools and even “Melissa’s Modifications.” Her book is a hit for caregivers and care recipients as well as anyone who enjoys uniting in the kitchen to the fullest capacity seeking healthy fare. But she also takes it a step further and talks about Adaptive Kitchen Equipment, with photos, provides an Abilities Inventory to assist in determining the level of abilities, and we even discuss specific challenges one may have with regard to swallowing, chewing, tastes and more. <br />Instead of bri