September offers a chance to reset, refocus, and reorganize. There is a ‘back to school’ feeling as we settle back into our work routines after the summer vibes wear off. It can feel like a mini–New Year and we often attempt to make changes or try new things.  It can be as simple as cleaning your refrigerator, organizing your work schedule, adding fall events to a calendar, and evaluating your year.

Set yourself up for success in September! Who’s ready?

• Evaluate your 2023 goals – How have you done so far this year?  Have you added any new goals since December?
• Reset your work routine – Make a plan for each day starting with a task that you know can be accomplished.  Target at least two key items that you deem important and follow through to completion.
• Reset your home routine – Do you follow Brunch with Babs on Instagram?  If you don’t, look her up and check out her “Babs Bootcamp”.  She tackles meal planning, school lunch ideas, cleaning tips, and throwing a great fall party.

Take the time to reflect on 2023 and make your plan for the last few months.

September’s employee spotlight is Patricia (Pattie) Montiel, Project Supervisor for Field Services.

Prior to coming to Stratosphere Quality Pattie worked at Revere Plastics in plastic injection molding. She
ran five machines each night, inspecting and packing each part. Pattie has been in production for over
32 years.

Pattie began her career with Stratosphere as a DQI in November 2017 in the Kansas City Region. She
learned the processes and found that she loved the work. She converted to a full-time Quality Inspector
in March 2018 and was promoted to Team Leader in May 2018. In December 2020, Pattie was
promoted to Project Supervisor. She continued with Stratosphere and in May 2021, Pattie joined the
Field Services team.

Pattie loves the work she does and learning new things every day. She believes the work at
Stratosphere is worthwhile and knows it’s part of a much bigger picture of what we can do. She loves
being part of the Field Services team and says it feels like a family with members who can learn from
each other. When out on the road she doesn’t feel alone. Her team members are always there for her
whenever she needs them. She has learned so much more than she could have imagined and enjoys
meeting and training people. She shares the knowledge that she has learned over the years as part of
the Stratosphere family.

Pattie enjoys working in a work environment that changes often. Being in Field Services challenges her
to learn new things and overcome some fears (scaffolding steps). She enjoys experiencing different
work environments and learning about the different products and processes. The more we learn, the
stronger we are.
Pattie would advise new employees not to give up. There will be crazy and hectic days, but hang in
there. Follow the SOPs and continue to learn the processes. If you like what we do and learn to love it,
advancement possibilities are endless. Every day is a new day, make the most of it. Try to learn
something new every day.

What should you know about Pattie?

Pattie is addicted to coffee (LOL). She travels with her own Keurig and K-Cups. She’s married to Gabriel
and has two sons, Gabby and Alex. Her family is the love of her life. She is also mom to two dogs,
Maveric and Nevaeh. When home, Pattie, her husband, and their sons enjoy cooking together. They
also love traveling. Pattie has had the opportunity to see the Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Miami, South
Beach and Key West, FL, Washington D.C., New York City, Mount St. Helen and Mt. Hood while traveling
with Field Servies.

If Pattie could change the world for the better, she would provide better care for our Veterans. Her
father was a Navy Veteran and seeing many of our veterans homeless and without health benefits hits
close to home for her. She would improve health care, and provide housing and food for our veterans.
Thank you, Pattie, for your dedication and hard work!

Do you have a favorite recipe from your childhood, a recipe for a dish that everyone wants you to bring to a pitch in, or maybe a favorite from online? We would love for you to share your special recipes with us!

Send them in to sqnewsletter@stratospherequality.com 

Chicken Tikka Masala- From Kevin Kelly- Quality Containment Engineer

Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish found is most Indian restaurants in the States, though it is not generally found in India. Its origin is a subject of controversy, but it was likely invented by an Indian or Pakistani chef in England. Many Brits consider it the national dish of Great Britain. Dozens of variations exist – this is mine.

Marinade:

• Combine the following in a large bowl-
• ¼ Cup Plain Yogurt
• ¼ Cup Olive Oil
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• 3 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp. Ground Coriander Seed
• 1 tsp. Ground Cayenne
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 2 T Paprika

Add 2 ½ to 3 lb. of Chicken – I like to use boneless, skinless thighs, but you can use whatever you like – just be sure that if you plan on not using the skin, get rid of it now, before you put the meat in the marinade. Add chicken to the bowl and coat thoroughly. Put all of this into a zip-lock bag and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight is better.

After marinating, grill until there is a nice char on the chicken – the point is to cook the spices; if the chicken does not get thoroughly cooked, don’t worry, that will happen in the pot later. Alternatively, you can lay out the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet and throw it in a ripping hot oven (500 F) for 10 or 15 minutes until you see that char. Set the chicken aside for now.

Sauce:

• 2 medium Onions, chopped
• Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 5 large cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1” chunk of fresh Ginger, grated or very, very finely minced
• 1 tsp. whole Mustard Seed
• 1 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
• 3 tsp. Paprika
• 1 cup Heavy Cream

Cook onion over medium heat in a couple tablespoons of olive oil with a teaspoon of salt. After they cook down and start to brown slightly, add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Make a well in the center, add a little more oil, crank the heat up to high, and add the mustard seed. Cook for a minute or so until they pop, add the ginger, cook a couple more minutes, drop the heat back to medium, add the tomato paste and paprika, and cook for a couple more minutes.

Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces, add to the pot, and stir until coated. Add 1 quart of Plain Yogurt (minus the ¼ cup that went into the marinade earlier) and the heavy cream. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 to 45 minutes until hot.

Serves over, white, brown, jasmine, or basmati rice.