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kittyruth

I loved cooking but find it very difficult now. I stopped cooking because cleaning it up put me of making it. I saved and bought a tabletop dishwasher enough for the dog and me. I have a small plastic jug I use to fill it with water and a container it empties into.

Using the oven is often difficult because the height it is at so if I am making stuff in it make sure it is turned off before it is completely finished as it will stay there until it has. cooled shepherds pies etc...

I use electric tin opener, have help from my p.a and have to plan in advance a lot of the time and am slow doing it. I am not bothered if I have to use scissors to cut up food or have to eat out of my microwave mugs with handles.

I make batches and it is normally a one pot wonder that can be frozen and could make about 8 dinners. I love to cook and wish i could do it how I used to be able to but am glad I can do what I can.

I would like to say I haven't had cream crackers and houmous for dinner because it is easiest or a tin of tomato soup. I have been keeping more fruit in my kitchen and have a soup maker that you can saute in (ready chopped frozen onions) and thrown in a few other frozen veg and a stock cube with boiling water and make soup that will cook it at the same time.

What do you like to cook or how do you manage mealtimes? Is there a really simple dish you like to cook? What are your best tips for cooking? Or have you a gadget you couldn't live without. My favourite is groceries within two hours and being able to have toilet roll delivered every month on repeat (sorry am going off topic). But equally as important. People have suggested I eat frozen ready meals or told me they order takeaways but don't realise I live on a budget. But that my stomach and bowel problems would also not thank me for these things and would require weekly orders of above toilet rolls instead of monthly lol.

I keep trying to find new solutions to overcome problems and any ideas other people have would be great. I like finding out how other people find good ways to manage **** problems. I get a lot of negative input and people making faces at my leg braces or comments or questions like what's wrong with you which make going out hard to do or people not being very understanding that asking them about these kind of things feel impossible or them not understanding to the extent I am in pain (that I am grateful for in a small part) but find them not verynunderstanding about a lot of my life and why I have to give and lie down or the opposite where I am pitied.

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JessieJ

I low carb to keep diabetes in remission, so have to cook fresh from scratch & on a budget. Depending what I'm having, then I nibble away at prepping, as I can't do it in one go. My only oven is an oven style air fryer & is brilliant, I couldn't live without that. I don't have a microwave & my 'hob' is two single induction hobs. Two singles as something fell out of a cupboard & broke my 2 plate so then had to chuck it. Induction brings things to the boil so quick, it saves standing time & energy, also don't need a kettle, as a mug of water takes seconds to boil. To cut down on washing up, I re use foil trays & then line them with foil, as they're light to use & work perfectly in the air fryer. I have various other little kitchen gadgets, couldn't be without a stick blender, perfect for when I make a pot of soup, blend it up, let it cool then portion it for the freezer.

As for the world about us. Unless people have a disability or have relatives/friends that do, then they wouldn't know how chronic pain & health problems affects people & their lives. What they don't give a thought to either, it could actually one day be them in our position.

Kimi87

My Mum has found a perching stool super helpful in the kitchen, I'm seriously tempted to get one myself.

I have to really time food prep when I have enough energy, often prepping for multiple meals in one session, chopping veg, grating cheese etc.

kittyruth

I have an airfryer and find it great to cook and not worry about forgetting I put it on, anything with a timer. I think covering stuff in foil is great but I always forget to get tinfoil. I have one glass door on my oven because I dropped a dog fish and broke the outside glass on it. I drop loads of things because of my spine or so I am led to believe or why my arm keeps being uncooperative. I am waiting on a ct nerve block. Many a kitchen item has been lost to my kitchen woes. I dropped a ceramic slow cooker on my own head because I had stored it for winter and it fell and hit me in the face then hit my foot. That's another good idea ( never store anything heavier than you don't want to drop on your own head above what you can reach on a bad day) I really love the idea of foil trays in the air fryer. I use fresh and frozen when it comes to veg Jessie J I never seem to find a broccoli that lasts longer than 2 days so buy it frozen. Budgeting is the only way to do it and batch cooking.

kittyruth

Kimmy87 perching stool is great for sitting but due to limited space in my kitchen I found it difficult to manage with because I found it too heavy to move around and it was in the way with my washing machine etc... and being able to clean. Of you can keep it in one place it is great or if you can find one that is light enough to move also. I had no choice in the one I got but it only got in the way. I need something lower to sit on to get laundry out of my washing machine so now use my kitchen bench and sit at the table to chop. Try your mums perching stool Kimmy it could be perfect for you and help. I hope it does.

JessieJ

Morning @kittyruth

My primary disability is spinal & I keep only light things that are unbreakable & can be hooked with a grabstick in high cupboards. The thing is, with disabilities, our super power is the ability to adapt to get things done. I s'pose it keeps our brains ticking over too. Hope your nerve block appt comes round soon.

I have a perching stool, but it jars my nerves, which is a pain in more ways than one. I'm very lucky & my disability grant adaptations are soon to start (I've been waiting nearly 3 years!), one of the things the OT came up with is a height adjustable kitchen work top. I already have one with nothing underneath & that is going to be changed for an electrically adjustable one, so I'll be able to sit in my wheelchair or stand, making life so much easier.

kittyruth

Hi Jessie J, hope you are well today and keeping warm. Nerve block for artery pressing my trigeminal nerve us less than 2 was away but the ct spine one hasn't been sorted yet. My cervical spine is affected and does my arms a mischief but being hypermobile has done my knees in that I have damaged and had surgery on along with my ankle that had multiple fractures. My face twitches and light, wind. Sound drive my face nuts and feels like a mix of sinisutus, toothache, earache and a punch in the head. I am hoping while I sit and wait in hospital for all the appts can msg on here to pass the time.

Best cup is black and blum gor coffee because it keeps hot or cold and you can tip it inside down in your pocket on a dog walk when it is closed with no leaking. It also means spills are less. It's my go to cup for coffee. It also has replaceable parts but its another thing I had to save for.

I had some adaptions and they were great but some I am leaving until a later date. I am currently plodding on with mostly use the knee braces but any distance had to be a crutch or rollator.

Unbreakable is also in my home as much as possible. I got picnic plate and bowl set from Primark for the dogs dinner. They are cheap and cute come in really nice colours.

When I am stuck indoors I come up with plans. I have washable rugs because of the messy dog and they go into the washing machine. It also helps save on some hoovering. I hate it so so much because I can't breath afterwards and sound like Darth vader lol.

How is your little dog today?

How are you? :)

kittyruth

@Ranald I have also been prayed over and very weird woman cane into me while I was waiting for a colorectal procedure and did weird tapping on my head. I was also asked were my leg braces decorative and I just did no. I have told people I hurt them doing parcor, ski diving kick boxing, bungee jumping, dancing on tables, breakfasting and any number of other things that can come into my head. My favourite was saying it was parcor to my little nephews and when they were little I also sent them a photo of me with my head photoshopped onto robocop. They laughed so much and I liked they thought it was funny. My little nice told me I was a good girl for wearing my knee braces because even though they were a bit sore I used them to wall so I didn't fall or make things worse. She gave me a gold star sticker and put it on my leg brace. It made my day.