Do you have a hint, tip or life hack to share with us?
Comments
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Welcome to the community, @Kimberley01!
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Use a slow cooker for everything! I buy chopped meat ready for stewing and throw everything else in. Press on and get on with the rest of the day. It saves a lot of time and stress ?
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Some great tips there guys ....most so simple but it needs someone to make you think about it...then " click " the light comes on ??
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Yep Sam ...I have found something simple that makes a difference to my life ....I have been married to her for 46 years ??? I hope she does not read this or I,m finished ) just my little joke guys ....I could not have managed without her in the last 20 years ...our plans were all on track , I was an engineer and planned to retire early and buy a wee place in the sun. I was also a driving instructor....and my health came crashing down ...that was our plans hit on the head .
Always have a plan B ( are you listening Theresa May ?.) ?? -
CharlieSingSong said:Use a slow cooker for everything! I buy chopped meat ready for stewing and throw everything else in. Press on and get on with the rest of the day. It saves a lot of time and stress ?Couldn't agree more! I'm not a very adventurous cook and with good reason after once setting fire to spaghetti , but the slow cooker never lets me down.And thank you for sharing @Seanchai, that made me smile!Community Manager
Scope -
Hello @Adrian_Scope Thanks for sharing. Had a few friends who could burn water lol..
Is there anything you wished to know.
Please ask me, always trying to put recipes on the forum.
Easy to do and some are full of cheats, tricks and tips.
Happy to help and be supportive.
Take care.
Community Champion
SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
Recipes -
I use a pizza slicer to cut meat like chicken into bite sized pieces during or after cooking as I find it easier and safer than sharp knives. My grip varies and I drop knives ouch.
My electric cooker has a timer I would be lost without it. I have used electronic timers in the past which are just as good and mobile. Microwave with continuous sound timer on end of programme.
Apps on my mobile phone have changed my life eg: medication reminder app with reminder to order. Alarms for everything I need like 4 in the morning for getting up, getting a shower, getting ready, going out. I do everything in stages lol. Calender app with reminders to suit. Step app for counting my steps which helps me overcome agoraphobia and feel achievement. Banking app, kindle app and so on.
Cordless iron so I can use either hand and no tangles on cord.
I wear mainly pull on off clothes as I struggle with buttons etc -
Do something you are a bit scared to do but would love to do every now and again.
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Hello @Sam_Scope More kitchen tips, tricks and time savers.
Buy hard cheese like Parmesan, Cheddar and others grate using food processor grater. Then to a plastic box one for fridge one for freezer.
Then does not go off. Any left over cheese like you might use whether grated or not in to a freezer box.
Great for toppings on Baked Potatoes add Lasagne or Pasta.
Have a jar of Pesto to stop from going off in the fridge when open. Add a thin film of olive oil.
To make dressing for salad easier and cheaper to have a screw top jar. Have Mayonnaise, Dijon Mustard, Lemon Juice as well as Olive oil. Extra Virgin is expensive ordinary Olive will do.
Use a screw top jar. Coat measuring spoons in Olive Oil . Prevents excess on the spoon and slides off. Use this with honey.
Any meat to use always remove a half hour or more to room temperature. From the fridge and leave. On a kitchen unit before cooking into pan.
Never from the fridge . Takes longer to cook straight from the fridge. This is because meat is cold and takes longer to come to room temperature. When in the pan.
Always heat your pan up and keep the temperature minimum. Some pans have a spot which goes dark red when pan is ideal temperature.
Fish if buying from pack remove from the pack onto kitchen towel pat dry and let it come to room temperature.
Grease and oil plastic storage boxes for storing food in the fridge or putting in the freezer. With tomato based sauces. Prevents staining of plastic boxes. Use Rapeseed or Veg oil or Olive. With a kitchen towel to wipe on a thin film.
Any left overs to cool down before storing in the fridge, add to a glass or Pyrex bowl. To a sink with cold water. This prevents hot food being stored in the fridge.
Causing bacteria problems in food. Then when cooled down. To a greased oiled storage boxes.
Hope that helps any body.
Take care.
Community Champion
SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
Recipes -
If you are looking to get your finances in order or just save some money I can recommend MSE (money saving expert) lots of great info and forums (and free to join).being a member has saved me literally £000's over the years.2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡
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Hello @Sam_Scope Another useful tip.. Having issues and problems. Doing the housework. Lack of motivation.
Made my favourite sandwich. Left it in the Kitchen.
Had some upbeat music on.
Clean sparkling and neat, tidy home.
Had the sandwich after. Peanut Butter on wholemeal bread.
Now rested back to the forum.
Works every time.
Community Champion
SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
Recipes -
Actipatch. An electromagnetic field pain relief device. Works on joints,not so good on soft tissue.
Constant field of electromagnetic wave pulses in to the joint and blocks the pain signal to the brain.
Can highly recommend it.
Long(tiny)battery life! 720 hours continued use. Can switch on and off.
Battery can't be replaced,new device needed to be bought. (That's how they make the money folks)!
Usually about £19 to £24 each.
Great for knee pain.
A pity they don't make one to fit the whole of someone's body! -
I like to make my own bread. I put all the ingredient into a plastic resealable bag and knead it in the bag. Hey-presto no sticky hands and easy to put it into the baking bread tray. Wash out the bag for your next batch.I can't get my kids in the oven, erm I mean bread lol. Because I can't bend down, so I get my kids to do it for me ( they are adults, still my kids though ). Working on a device to help with that one. I know there are bread making machine, but it's not the same as making it yourself.If you fight, you won't always win. But if you don't fight you will always always lose.
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Here are a few useful websites:
Looking for a hotel? try
https://www.trivago.co.uk/
https://www.hotelscombined.co.uk/
https://uk.hotels.com/?intlid=HOME+%3A%3A+header_main_section://All women are equal. Deeds, not words. -
Hey, I'm new to this community. c:
I'm on the spectrum, I used to find eye contact difficult.
I learned that the trick is to shift your focus between each of the eyes of the individual regularly. It makes maintaining eye contact easier for me.
It's a simple trick, but it seems to work for me. I'm not sure if it'll work for others on the spectrum or others who generally struggle with eye contact for any reason at all. I thought I'd share just in case.
I'm not even sure if this is considered a life hack, or belongs in this thread. But it's helped me so I thought I'd share. -
Cades, thank you for this brilliant tip. So appreciated and I will pass it on. X
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DEMENTIA Carer Tip 1 : if your loved one wants “to go home”
Hi folks, my tips are for anyone caring for someone with advanced dementia and come from my long experience of looking after my dad... I hope they help you.
When my dad wanted to go home (he was at home in the house he had lived in for 40+years) but I knew he meant his childhood home in Ireland. I learned that rather than try to explain or persuade him ...thus distress and agitate... I’d say something like “OK daddy let’s get our coats and shoes on.” (I would do that for him) and his mood would instantly lighten. Then I’d get him in the car ( no easy task) and drive around for a bit saying we were on our way to catch the boat train.
After a short while I’d point out places that used to be part of his life e.g. the church, the shops and so on until we were close to our house. If he was totally relaxed I’d say “we are nearly home now dad” ... if not I’d drive some more. Then at the gate “great were here, let get the kettle on”
Worked every time for me. I hope it works for you. It’s not always convenient, especially at night and when you are exhausted yourself but honestly it’s worth seeing the difference it makes to the sense of being respected and loved.
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DEMENTIA Carer Tip 2
I found putting a black mat on floor close to the front and back door was perceived as a hole ...therefore confused and delayed opening the front door (and going walkabout) that delay gave me enough time to say something like, “ kettles on, do you fancy a cuppa?” ..... I hope this tip helps you -
DEMENTIA Carer Tip 3. Encouraging eating/nutrition
I hope that sharing my years of experience caring for my dad who had advanced dementia will help you.
At the stage when my dad wouldn’t think about eating and would have to be promoted. I found that putting food out for yourself/others at the same time as my is helpful. (Poss connected to good manners ? copying ?). I would say things like “ mmm I like this (whatever) what do think of it dad?” ... “have you tried the carrots”. Eating with others helped for quite a while.
Later when he forgot how to use a knife and fork and how to feel hungry I worried about getting enough nutrition into him and I wanted to help him maintain the last vestiges of independence. I found that to get him involved and to think about food was helpful. I’d make a batch of buns with as many eggs as I can get in the mix (sneaking in ground almond) and ‘I need your help daddy’’ (stir the mix ) and when they were in oven I’d say things like “let’s have a cuppa while they are baking..(give him a biscuit with chocolate on) .keeping him in the kitchen and chat “nice biscuit..... wait for him to bite ... mmm they’re good etc......... oh wow don’t those buns smell great ? nearly ready”..... “ does the smell of those buns cooking make you feel as hungry as me?” Etc. He could pick up and eat a bun (I’d remove the cases) later I’d give him a half a bun with a cuppa, Then another and so on. ..as much as poss throughout the day whilst trying to not over-face him.
Id try add as much protein as bun mix could hold ... more eggs than necessary, a tablespoon (more) of ground almonds. I didn’t dare let him see me add grated carrot ?
Other finger foods such as pieces of sausage roll, half a scotch egg, a strawberry, slice of orange (dipped in sugar ?) . I figured any food is better than no food and little and often helped maintain health.
I hope that is useful to somebody. -
These are my top tips for parents of disabled children
1- Take a notebook and a pen to all appointments and prepare a short list of questions to ask them too. Make sure that you trust your doctors. Request second opinions if you need to.
2- Encourage your child to develop independence. For our family this means letting my son fill out paperwork and forms. I always print off two copies of the form one for practice and one that will be sent off. This is a good way to develop their literacy skills.
3- Be a good role model from the start. Stay positive and praise your child. Oh and do take time off for yourself as well. My partner watches my son and daughter whenever I am in the shower or napping.
4-Ask for help. I was ashamed at first but now I am grateful for our social worker. There is nothing terrible about requiring additional assistance at all. It makes my life easier.
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