Cooking, or not. How do you eat?

whistles

I think the cooker is out of fashion.

I do wonder if we will see a change to the microwave and air fryer, similar to what happened when cooker appeared. I have never used the oven, no need to. Sunday lunch just doesn't appeal. I like pasta, rice etc etc.

Catherine21

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/940464#Comment_940464

Me too I think ohhh I have that at weekend something really nice and weekend comes I open fridge think nah and will literally have microwave mash it's really bad buying so much food and throwing away .… in my mind it's all a treat that I don't end up having crazy

Catherine21

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/940465#Comment_940465

Same then I don't check cupboard and don't eat what I have I just buy more food my daughter on her own batch cooks writes shopping list sticks to it I'm like I'm on supermarket sweep my daughters like mum come on your not going to eat or like that I'm like mmmm oh yes I will it sounds so yummy get home leave chuck out I'm same with everything all or noting buying it's bad

Jimm_Alumni

I don't think the cooker will just disappear. I think too much still requires hobs and the oven. Though the air fryer is fairly close to replacing the oven I guess. There will certainly be hobs around for a very long time I think!

Steve_in_The_City

@Jimm_Scope I agree. I don't think cookers and hobs will disappear because if you have a family to feed an air fryer won't provide the space that you need for a tray of roast potatoes etc. Last year they aired a ridiculous program on I think C4 showing how Xmas dinner could be cooked for a family using an air fryer. They prog was well edited. RecipeThis, which is about the best air fryer blog in the UK also rubbished the programme. You just can't do it!

I live by myself and my oven and hob has been redundant since Jan 3rd 2023. I do turn on the hob very occasionally to brown a steak etc that has been cooked by other methods (sous vide). I blanch veg in the microwave and freeze them in portions for microwaving. But I need to stress that I live by myself and a microwave and air fryer are ideal for me. With careful planning I can feed a total of 3 people, anymore than 3 and I would need an oven and hob.

whistles

I think I could live with a camping stove 😂

JessieJ

You can actually get 32 litre oven style air fryers, room for a decent roast & spuds. I have a 12 litre & could spit roast a small joint with spuds underneath if I wanted, so a 32 would be very good.

older01

Personally I have a halogen oven, air fryer, microwave and gas hob. I also have a slow cooker. Cooking is made simple and easy during the winter months by making a casserole or stew in winter and any leftovers can be put into containers for either the fridge or freezer. In summer my main go-to is salad. I drink lots of flavoured water and have fruit regularly. I also top up with multivitamins.

I must admit that I should have more dairy.

Freesia123

Bread is my downfall. I eat a lot of sandwiches & toast.

Chocolate is another 🙄

Freesia123

Same here eeL too tired to cook and cheap! Although I dislike cooking anyway. So any excuse. As I live alone, I don't have to do it!

Boiled eggs on toast, melted cheese & beans on toast! Just buttered toast LOL.

Jimm_Alumni

I can't have too much bread anymore! Sadly if I have too much it can trigger my Crohn's. It also depends on the type of bread I've found. For instance I can have half a sourdough pizza (with relatively thin crust, NOT deep pan). However, I can't have more than 3 slices of white bread. Though I suppose thinking about it now, if you lay the 3 slices of white bread flat they make up about half a pizza size. So that actually matches up 😅 I guess I just never compared them that way until I was writing this.

Freesia123

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/942488#Comment_942488

Aww that is sad 😔But at least you can have some 😊 I have Diverticula and I find I can't eat too much fibre.

sben

How would Personal Independence Payment understand epilepsy, unconscious seizures, and physical fits?

Unconscious seizures and physical fits put me at risk of everything.

Jimm_Alumni

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/942543#Comment_942543

You have to explain the dangers and risk. There is actually a rather well known tribunal outcome where someone with epilepsy said they couldn't go out alone to cross the road because they could potentially have a seizure or fit while crossing the road and that would be an extreme risk. The DWP tried to argue that, although their epilepsy cause a seizure at almost any time, the 50% rule should apply because they can cross a road many times and not have a seizure more than 50% of the time. A tribunal ruled that the risk to life was great enough that the 50% rule shouldn't apply, the chance of it happening was enough that it meets the criteria.

sben

I have explained the risk and dangers, but Personal Independence Payment are not concerned, and they make the assumption that I am able to do everything, when I need care and support.

chiarieds

Hi @sben - from the Benefits and Work Guide 2018:

''Safety and supervision
….the DWP have argued that a claimant can only score points for being unsafe if harm is likely to occur on more than 50% of the occasions on which they attempt an activity.

So a claimant with epilepsy who has seizures twice a week would not get points for needing
supervision when cooking. This is because they could not show that it is ‘more likely than not’ that they will have a seizure on any given occasion when they prepare food.

However, on 9th March 2017, in CPIP/1599/2016 a panel of Upper Tribunal judges held that the DWP were wrong.

Instead, they said, the decision maker should look at whether there is a real possibility that harm might occur and also at how great the harm might be. The greater the potential harm, the less likely it needs to be that it would happen on any specific occasion.

So, if there is a real possibility that a claimant with epilepsy might have a seizure whilst cooking then then they reasonably require supervision for this activity, even though the chances of a seizure happening on any specific occasion may be quite small.

They should score points for needing supervision even if they don’t actually have anyone to provide it.
But the Upper Tribunal went even further than this.

They ruled that where a claimant is at risk all the time, then they may also be at risk when carrying out PIP activities that do not carry any additional likelihood of harm.

So, a claimant may not be at any additional risk of harm if they have a seizure when using the toilet or taking medication, for example. But, because they are at risk whatever they are doing, then we would argue that they still reasonably require supervision during these activities, because they cannot do them safely without supervision.''

So, it depends on the severity of any seizures, whether you get any warning beforehand, & the outcome of a seizure. Try & give a couple of recent, detailed examples for any of the activities as to exactly what happens, & any untoward consequences.

Jimm_Alumni

Thank you @chiarieds for finding the actual decision. I unfortunately didn't have it right at hand nor the time to search for it, so I really appreciate your finding and posting it 🙏

I was told about it by a tribunal judge, though they used the analogy of someone crossing a road with epilepsy.

chiarieds

@Jimm_Scope - it's a reference I've kept to hand for quite some time (years) as I believe it should help people with their PIP claims as far as epilepsy, etc may be concerned, tho I'd have missed sben's query without your reply to them!

whistles

Personally I have a preference for Bagels, croissants, au pains, french stick that seems to be called a baguette. It's just more interesting that a boring sandwich.

whistles

I actually gave up chocolate, Christmas is the main time I indulge. The mint chocolate orange is nice, I wouldn't bother with the milk or snowball.