MY FAVORITE RECIPES-Meet Heather Mathia, Colfax

Jana Mathia | Sep 02, 20100

Although Heather Mathia grew up in Spokane, she spent quite a bit of time on the Palouse visiting family members in Endicott.

“I’ve spent many a summer down here,” she said.

It was through her Endicott cousin, Melody Anderson, that she met her husband, AJ. AJ’s brother had invited Melody to a family event at Williams Lake, and Melody brought Heather along. At that time Heather was in her sophomore year at Washington State University, earning her pre-requisites for the nursing program.

When they reached the lake, Heather spent more time with AJ than her cousin. Afterward, Melody would pick up Heather for other events and the brothers often accompanied her. Eventually, AJ took the initiative and started to bring her on his own and the rest is history.

They were married in August of 2006 and moved to Spokane where Heather completed her nursing degree at Intercollegiate College of Nursing, WSU. She graduated from nursing school in 2007 and started working at Deaconess Medical Center.

While Heather worked at Deaconess, AJ was commuting to Colfax where he worked for LT Carpet Care.

“I can’t tell you how much AJ and I missed each other,” she said, noting their conflicting work schedules. They moved to Colfax in 2008 and Heather started working at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center.

“The nice thing about nursing is you can specialize,” Heather noted. In nursing school she wanted to go into pediatrics and was drawn to OB. While at Deaconess she worked in the oncology department. At WHMC she was able to be an OB nurse.

“End of the spectrum to the beginning of the spectrum,” she said of her work experiences.

Heather has been at WHMC two and a half years now. She has been able to form great relationships with co-workers and patients and help deliver many babies.

“I love coaching them through labor,” she said. She doesn’t like it when the ending is not happy, but fortunately, that doesn’t happen very often. She likes the labor because things are happening and going. The aftermath, when the focus is on everybody resting, can be somewhat boring in comparison.

Although her focus is on OB, Heather floats around a lot, helping out when there is no one in her wing. She floats to other patients on the floor and even into surgery and ER.

“OB is where I love to be,” she said. She added that the hospital just had a baby boom of 10—which is a lot for them.

When not taking care of babies and patients at the hospital, Heather’s own son Levi, 11 months, keeps her busy. She likes to scrapbook, crochet and quilt, but hasn’t been able to do as much since Levi became mobile. Usually she gets the stuff out to do it and then she has to go catch Levi who is all over the place.

Heather also likes to ride horses, visit family in Endicott and Spokane and travel. She would rather go somewhere on vacation than other material things, she said.

She and AJ like to play video games together and go out to dinner, movies and the park.

“It’s changed since we had a little one,” she noted. “Can’t do the same things you used to.”

Levi likes to go outside with mommy, whether it is to the park or just the yard. Their two dogs, Candy and Sam, also like to take trips to the park.

Although Heather grew up in the city, she loves the country. She would like to live in a house in a wheat field with a horse in the yard. She added that she loves the openness and space of the Palouse and plans on staying and raising their family.

Recipe:

Beef Stew

2 lb. stew meat

2 Tbsp. Crisco

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic

1 med. onion

1 or 2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

dash allspice or clove

6 carrots

4 potatoes

3 Tbsp. flour

Brown meat in Crisco. Add 2 cups hot water and Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, bay leaves, salt, sugar, paprika, pepper and allspice or clove. Cover, simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic. Add carrots and potatoes. Cook 30 to 45 minutes. Slowly blend 1/3 cup cold water into 3 Tbsp. flour. Stir into stew mixture. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook three minutes longer.