Need Practical help in Kitchen

[tellnhelen]

Im soo tired right now that I'll be brief. My leg weakness and fatigue has major impact on my ability to prepare meals. I live alone and have neither chick nor child. However I enjoy cooking and try to prepare meals 2-3 times a week.

I mostly do simple stuff...I use my Forman to grill chicken breast or lean pork chops. I add boiled white potatoes and somesteamed veggiese. Once in a while, I'll do something more elaborate e.g. choppingcuttimg or need to stand at stove or measure stuff or assemble a dish.

the PROBLEM is that I am losing the ability to stand at the counter or bend over at the refrig or go into a low/high cabinet etc. I get sooo weak in my legs/back that I MUST sit. My balanceis so bad that must use flat of my walker to move plate to eating surface or just eat on kitchen counter. Sometimes Im sooo tired that lifting fork to mouth needs effort.

I am INTERESTED in learning techniques for success in the kitchen...at lease some practical suggestions. For example, I know to get everything I will need close to me before I begin. Ive learned how to 'work' in my small kitchen. I have my rollator close so I cna sit down as needed. Im considering purchasing a rolling stool that I can sit on while preparing food. This will allow me to 'roll' rather that push a walker.

Susan (or others) What would you suggest for meal prep?...not frozen dinners but real food.

Thanks for listening (longer than I thought)

[Cat Mom]

Please bear with me, I know you're not blind so this may sound crazy... The Canadian National Institute for The Blind has so many kitchen "helpers" that makes life in the kitchen way easier.

Not everything they sell is strictly for visual impairments, although that's why I originally looked them up. They have an on-line catalogue including time/energy saving devices that may help you with your issues in the kitchen. They are also reasonably priced.

I love your saying, "... I have neither chick nor child.". I wish I could use it!
Jen

[aitch10]

I chop stuff at a little kitchen table and will move a chair to the fridge if I'm gonna be grabbing lots of stuff.

I have a family, but will make big batches of stuff to be eaten at more than one meal - soups, stews, rice or ground meat for burritos - all that stuff would be great for you.

[peatree]

I love cooking too. I bought a chopper recently to chop up onions and things. I think the actual cutting of vegetables can be fatiguing (but part of the fun is that prep part too). Tonight I purchased already diced up garlic in a container. I have a pot of basil on my counter to add freshness to ready made pastas and things so the food doesn't seem as pre-made. Just some things I have tweaked for myself

[kellygrn]

Youtube video's are wealth of info

She is a quad like me & I have learned a lot from her video's. See if there is anything you can use there. If not search for what you need to know about. Wheelchair cooking, seated cooking...


https://www.youtube.com/user/imbonnie/videos?view=0

[dlsal]

I Know How You Feel

What I did is purchase a high stool with a back so I can sit at the counter and stove. I thought about wheels, but my husband was afraid that it would roll out from under me. It helps a lot, especially when I'm making soups and have a lot of chopping. My husband likes to cook, thank heavens, but I like to get in there sometimes

[Mermaid Susan]

I also love to cook and cling to cooking dinner as the last remaining thing I can do to support my dear husband.

I divide the cooking tasks over the day. For example, in the morning I will take out all the utensils and pans and such I will need for the meal I have planned. Then after rest I will take out the ingredients. Then after more rest, do the mis en place, cutting and premixing. Then I will actually put things in pots and cook (after more rest of course).

For me, little bits of rest help, and having everything always organized for the next step allows me to feel more relaxed so I have less stress.

In addition, I do have places to sit down in the kitchen near the counters, the refrigerator, the stove. I have a refrigerator with the freezer drawer at the bottom, which is easier in my opinion.

Cooks, persevere. Don't give up.
Stay lifted,

Mermaid

[dunooncampbell]

suggestions

I use the Valdalia (sp)Onion thing from as seen on TV.....I would die w/o it. Even cut chicken nuggets into tiny pieces when my boys were toddlers. I prep stuff when I can, but with 3 boys I don't have time. I have been know to put a cutting board on the floor for prepping....I have a tall stool to use at the counter. I use what I call an adult sippy cup.....plastic cups with lid and straw....I miss my face often w/o a straw. I have a small stool too that I sit on and rest because I cannot stand too long. I make bulk meat and freeze for later. Or, I make 2xs what we need and save for later in the week. Buying prepackaged, cut up stuff gets pricey with 3 growing boy, but it is a pack up. I prep when I have energy...I hate cooking and eating so, it is hard for me to care about it. With 3 sons and a hubby though, I have to cook. Good luck, do what you can...try Sandra Lee's semi-homemade cook books...those are great.

[onlyairfare]

I am not especially fond of cooking, and after a long day at work, I am too tired, so I go to Dream Dinners once a month.

Dream Dinners is a "commercial meal preparation kitchen." I order 14 - 16 meals in advance on their website, each containing 3 or 6 servings. When I get to my scheduled session, everything is already there - cut up, measured out, ready to go. I just follow the recipe and put all the ingredients together in a ziplock bag or an aluminum pan, depending on the meal. Then I load them in my cooler and take them home, put them in the freezer.

Usually I take 3 meals out on Sunday night and put them in the fridge to thaw. They are very easy to cook, but they are also tasty and nutritious, much better than fast food or commercial frozen meals.

Dream Dinners will also assemble the meals for you for maybe $10 or $15 extra, then you just pick them up. If there is a Dream Dinners or similar near you, you might give that a try.

[Mamabug]

This sounds a little bit like an occupational therapy kind of question. I posted a link to your thread in Susan's Occupational Therapy forum: http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...32#post1403432 . Perhaps she will respond.

~ Faith

[baker98]

I really good knife make cutting veggies a snap and Tupperware made (not sure if they still do) a veggie steamer. We use it mainly for potatoes. Cube potatoes place in steamer use about a cup or so of water in the bottom and place in microwave for about 5-8 min. remove carefully. We have silicon cooking gloves or a really good oven mit to remove. I like this because it is not heavy just hot. I can sit it on the counter to cool a bit before removing the lid. I have also found a tool to help open pop tops like for cans of soup and the cat food cans and have another tool that helps open bottles of water as well as jar opener.

[poppydarling]

I refuse to give up cooking, either! I rest on the Rollator but can't cut from that position, so I try to "front load" all of my standing tasks when I have energy, then sit for others. I now cook double-batches of food so I'm only expending energy once and let my food processor, blender and stand mixer do the hard jobs. I have had to trade perfect dice for throwing quartered fruits and veg into the processor to mangle a bit, but I try to keep I cook or bake a couple of things when I feel stronger, and freeze them. I have a smoothie blender next to the fridge, with frozen fruit/spinach/bananas, almond milk and protein powder nearby, so if I'm wiped I can make something healthy and filling without straining! Sometimes it's all I can manage

[misslux]

poppy, it's like we are the same person! I love food SO much and love cooking (used to have a few food blogs) so I suffer through cooking a few meals a week and always double or triple.

[misslux]

She is a quad like me & I have learned a lot from her video's. See if there is anything you can use there. If not search for what you need to know about. Wheelchair cooking, seated cooking...

https://www.youtube.com/user/imbonnie/videos?view=0

She has great videos, thanks!

[Marco]

I no longer stand while cutting ingredients or cooking so I use a bar stool that puts me high enough for both the stove and counter top. The butcher at the supermarket will also help, when possible, with a special request. If I order a steak at a restaurant I will request the chef/cook cut my meat into bite size pieces. My physical therapist cautioned me about not putting the chair directly in front of the burner because if I fell forward my hands (or face) would go directly on the flame. She also asked if I wanted to schedule an occupation therapy session to help me in the kitchen, but I declined. Right now, the chair is enough.

In the bathroom I use like a science stool (taller) to sit and brush my teeth, shave or whatever takes longer than a few moments. Whatever energy is saved doing this is returned to more important things in life. Other people have given you much better advice, but I wanted to let you know you are not alone and simple/little things do add up to help make life easier/better. I am really glad you asked this question so we can all learn from each other. I wish you well ...