Kitchen Confidential

Tips and tricks from our Women on Wellness Zoom group’s October meeting on Adaptive Cooking and Adaptive Eating. Notes by Helen Cave and Ranae Beeker, RN.

• One member has reorganized her kitchen to streamline the process of cooking. Here appliances are now placed with her physical needs in mind. Dishwasher is a drawer, oven is a wall oven, microwave is at a better level for her as well.
• One member worked with a Universal Design Expert. They recommended a drawer style refrigerator, dishwasher, and microwave. The faucet was a touch sensitive faucet. I
• We heard about an electric egg cooker that uses no water and can be used for other things as well.
• This tip is a safety focused tip. To boil something in water, put the pan on the stove, add the water by cup, pitcher… whatever works best for you. Bring to boil, use a long handled strainer to remove items from boiling water. When water is cool it can be drained in a manner best suited to you. Also use the boiling water for more than one need per meal, e.g. cooking noodles and then using the water to cook the vegetables as well.
• Healthy packaged food is available, which decreases the time in the kitchen. One recommended is Epicure (a Canadian company, it is thought to be available in the U.S. as well). The company was started in Vancouver, BC. There are gluten-free and nut-free varieties. They are a bit pricey, however there is a wide range of variety. Noted favorites are the pulled pork, Thai stir fry, and falafel.
• We heard that an air fryer is great. Also a convection oven is very helpful.
• Grocery shopping challenges were discussed. Noted shopping services such as Instacart or a personal aid who shops. Instacart shops for you and delivers for a fee. Using the scooter that the store provides is also helpful.
• Girl Dinner! A charcuterie board style dinner is easy and delicious…. You can switch out the themes for a different tasting experience.
• Noted shout out to Whole Foods. If something that is ordered online is not as requested, without question they remove the cost from the receipt.
• This tip is extremely unique and fabulous! One member noted many neighbors were exhausted from cooking. They all came together, worked out a plan on who cooks when and how much, and have a this info on a group calendar on who cooks when. They also know which family has food allergies and sensitivities. She and her family are now trying out different foods from her neighbors that they wouldn’t have otherwise. About every 4th day she cooks and she shares with everyone in the group. This helps her to conserve energy in many ways. This is a communal way of sharing burdens.
• We learned that some restaurants have pre-prepared meals, healthy meals. This member also encouraged us to not pass by the deli counter. They often have tasty items that can work for meals.
• For many of us, making large quantities and freezing in meal-size portions is a great option. One member noted the importance of labeling these freezer meals and the date it was made and frozen.
• We learned about Shorty’s BBQ, which can be frozen and reheated, and is quite tasty.
• We learned about a soup called Bear Creek, that is very tasty and modifiable.
• A fresh food service is also an option. Also known as a food service meal. E.g. “HelloFresh.” One member noted the salt content in a food service meal is similar to a frozen meal purchased at the grocery store.