A complete guide to cooking with arthritis: PREPARING FOR SUMMER PARTIES AND PICNICS!

Monday, May 18, 2009

PREPARING FOR SUMMER PARTIES AND PICNICS!

Good Morning All!

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends. This morning I would like to talk about preparing for the summer gatherings. As you know the family picnics are right around the corner as is all the work to prepare for them. Lets imagine you have 40 people coming for a picnic this Saturday, and you are expected to prepare the food. It is Monday morning and your joints are aching, your body is tired, your may thinking I surely have to feel better by the weekend. As we all know when you have arthritis there is no guarantee that you will feel any different on Saturday than you do on this day. However; there are things you can do. Start your day off with a nice long hot bath or shower, dress in lose fitting comfortable cloths and most importantly pace your self. You have to find a happy medium between your daily act -ivies and rest, never allow yourself to become completely exhausted. Next make a plan! Sit down and plan out your week. For example Monday shopping for the picnic or party, nothing else on this day just shopping! Tues gathering all decorations and supplies needed and so on. Plan your menu with plenty of make ahead dishes. Delagate authority! give other family members jobs to do. Ask some of your close friends to pitch in with the preparing of the meal. The day of the party or picnic allot time to rest between activies, Then enjoy your guests. When I have to prepare alot of food my hands swell. I will let you in on a little pain reliving swelling reducing secret. I fill a thick square glass with ice cubes and a cold drink while I am visiting with my guests I wrap both hands around the drink . This helps with the pain as well as reduces the swelling and no one is the wiser. When it is time to clean up, inlist every spare hand. Do not be a hero, when your friends ask to help LET THEM! I know you are saying I am the host I need to do it all, not anymore you don't. Your friends and family know you have arthrits and its OK to accept thier help. So the next time you are planning an event follow these few rules and your event will be less painful.

Its even OK to ask the kids to help prepare the food, You may or may not want to serve it to your guest but you will create an ever lasting memory as I did above with my grandkids. Have a wonderful pain free day!

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20 HELPFUL TIPS TO EASE LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS

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Twenty tips for living with arthritis in the kitchen For people with arthritis, simple kitchen tasks—mixing, chopping, handling heavy pans and bowls, and even shopping—can be difficult. The following are a few helpful suggestions to help you out along the way. 1. Store things such as flour, sugar, coffee, and tea in glass containers with lightweight lift-off lids on your countertop. 2. To accomplish your cutting and slicing needs, purchase an ergonomically designed knife with a large handle. This allows you to have leverage and stability using your body weight to maneuver the knife. 3. Store your pots and pans on wall hooks or a pot hanger from the ceiling. This will eliminate unnecessary bending. 4. When filling or emptying large pots of water, follow the method in this book. Use a plant stand for transport and a small plastic measuring cup to transfer the water. 5. When you have a lot of prep work to do, sit at the table instead of standing. 6. Purchase a rubber mat to stand on when you are cooking at the stove. The padding helps prevent back and leg pain. 7. Use a small kitchen funnel to separate egg yolks from the whites. Simply place the funnel over a glass. To separate the egg, crack the egg into the funnel. The white will slide into the glass while the yolk stays in the funnel. 8. Learn to incorporate other parts of your body in the lifting process. For example, use your shoulder to help get the platter on the top shelf of the refrigerator. 9. Purchase arthritis friendly tools: a food processor, standing mixer, lightweight utensils, electric jar opener, and rubber-bottom mixing bowls for stability, just to name a few. 10. Many times when you buy a bottle of sauce, it needs shaking before opening. Don’t shake it, roll it. If your hands are sore, use your forearm and the weight of your body. 11. Sometimes I have trouble opening doors, especially doorknobs. I replaced most all of my knobs with handles. This allows me to use my elbow and forearm to get the door opened. However, there are a few doors that do not have that option, so the following is my solution. Simply tie a pretty ribbon or scarf on the closet bi-fold door and the refrigerator door. When you cannot pull it open with your hands, hook your arm through the ribbon and use the weight of your body to open the door. 12. To cut and peel apples and vegetables, use an apple corer. Simply place the corer over the item you are cutting, place your forearms on the fruit, and use the weight of your body to push it through. To peel, lay the slice on its side, hold the slice in place with a fork and cut the outer skin with a pairing knife. (Method # 5) 13. Arrange your kitchen cabinets so that lighter, easy-to-handle things on the upper shelves and the heavier items are on the lower shelves. 14. Place your spices and canned goods on lazy Susans. This allows you to easily spin to find those needed items instead of moving heavy canned goods around or having to move ten items just to get the spice you need. 15. Try washing your dishes by hand. It is a welcomed relief to soak in the warm soapy water. This will also help with joint mobility. 16. Freeze fresh herbs and spices in tablespoons, teaspoons, and half-teaspoon measurements. Freeze in water, milk, tea, and cream. Also, freeze tomato paste. Use an ice cube tray for the perfect measurement, once frozen, place in marked bags in the freezer. The next time you need a teaspoon of basil, just grab a cube. This is a time saver as well as an energy saver. 17. To fill water baths, fill the bath pan while in a cold oven and then just preheat the oven. This will also bring the bath water up to temperature. 18. Removing trash bags is a tough job. Buy a smaller can and bags that have handles. When it is time to be emptied, just slip your arms through the handles and pull the bag out. 19. Having problems whisking? Substitute a whisk for a hand-held electric drink mixer. They are lightweight and have thick handles. 20. To wipe off counter tops, buy thick sponges. They are easy to hold and relatively inexpensive. They also hold up well in the wash. Therefore you can get one week out of each sponge. Use for two days and wash. Also make sure the sponge is stored where it can air dry after use.

COOKING TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS:

c. = cup
T. = tablespoon
tsp. = teaspoon
lb. = pound
lg. = large
Pinch = app. 1/8 of teaspoon

Allemande: one of the four mother sauces. It is an egg-enriched velouté. A velouté is a white stock-based sauce.
Al dente: usually referring to pasta—slight crunch to the bite.
Au jus: the drippings released from meats as they are slow cooked.
Bake: to cook food in the oven, usually with little fat or liquid. Also refers to the cooking of baked goods.
Bard: the process of wrapping meat in a thin layer of fat to retain moisture.
Baste: to pour or spoon liquid over food while cooking.
Béarnaise sauce: an emulsified butter sauce made with egg yolks and clarified butter, seasoned with tarragon, shallots, and vinegar. Usually served with steak.
Béchamel sauce: This is also one of the four mother sauces. It is a white sauce made from a butter and flour roux. There are hundreds of sauces that start with this classic white sauce.
Beurre blanc sauce: a classic French sauce made from a wine and vinegar reduction finished off with butter.
Blanch: to immerse food into boiling water briefly to par cook. The food will then be finished using a second cooking method. This method is also used in the canning process of fruits and vegetables to remove the skins.
Braise: to simmer foods on the stovetop in a very small amount of some form of fat to brown.
Break: usually means a cream sauce has separated during the cooking process.
Butterfly: to cut food in half but not all the way through; when completed, it will resemble a butterfly with open wings and will lay flat on any surface.
Caramelize: to cook food over a fairly high heat until the foods’ natural sugars are fully released, and the food turns caramel in color.
Chiffonade: to roll leafy vegetables and cut into small strips.
Chutney: an Indian condiment made from fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices; usually spicy and sweet.
Confit: usually refers to duck or goose that has been slow cooked in large amounts of fat and stored in the fat until service.
Deglaze: to use liquid to remove the remits of the item cooked in a pan, such as meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables. Wine is usually the first choice for deglazing—some use stocks, broths, and water.
Egg wash: equal parts of water and beaten egg used to brush on baked goods for added color during baking and to seal pastry before baking.
Espagnole: one of the four mother sauces. It is a brown stock-based sauce used to make various other sauces. For example, to make this sauce you could start by using a beef stock and finish with seasonings and slurry.
Fillet: To remove the bones from fish, meat, or poultry.
Ganache: a creamy mixture of melted chocolate and heavy cream used over cakes and desserts.
Julienne: to cut vegetables or any food into small, even strips.
Leaven: the act of rising in baked goods. This usually happens when leavening agents are used such as baking soda, baking powder, potato starch, air, and whipped eggs.
Marinate: to soak foods in a seasoned liquid to enhance flavor.
Mince: The procedure used to chop food in tiny little pieces. This is usually performed with a chef’s knife.
Mirepoix: celery, carrots, and onions that are chopped and used as a soup base and to season other foods while cooking.
Mother sauce: There are four basic sauces that are referred to as mother sauces simply meaning they are the base sauce where many other sauces are created from them. Some believe there are five, the fifth being emulsified sauces such as mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce.
Pipe: This is when you are decorating cakes, cookies, and pastry using a pastry bag and a decorating tip. It is also when you are filling foods with a filling using a pastry bag.
Poach: to cook food in liquid.
Puree: to puree, grind, or mash solid foods to a smooth consistency.
Reduce: to boil liquid to concentrate its flavor and thickening.
Render: to cook down, melt the fat in meat.
Roux: flour and butter or any fat mixed to form a paste. Used to make a base for sauces or stews.
Sauté: to cook food quickly on the stovetop over high heat with little fat.
Sear: to brown quickly over high heat.
Simmer: to cook food over low heat for long periods of time.
Slurry: a mixture of cornstarch and water used to thicken soups, stews, and sauces.
Stir-fry: to cook food in a wok over very high heat, stirring constantly.
Sweat: add salt to vegetables and a lid to draw the liquid out of vegetables.
Trinity: sometimes referred to as Holy Trinity. It is a mixture of onions, celery, and bell peppers used for soup and stew bases. Very famous in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Velouté sauce: a white stock-based sauce made from butter, flour, and white stock. It is also one of the four mother sauces.
Water Bath: A water bath is simply a pan slightly larger then the pan going into it. The water should fill ¾ of the pan with water.
Zest: To remove just the skin in tiny pieces from citrus. Citrus holds a great deal of flavor in the outer skin. The skin has essential oils, which add tremendous flavor and fragrance to whatever dish it is added to.

ENDORSMENTS FOR A COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO COOKING WITH ARTHRITIS

As a nurse, it is so inspiring to see someone like Melinda who does not let her disease define who she is or set limitations in her life. Melinda does not let pain stop her; it is merely a hurdle that she chooses to jump over. I once read that "the pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change and the realist adjusts his sails." Melinda is a realist. While being dealt more than her fair share of obstacles, she has adapted and persevered to fulfill her dreams.” Elizabeth Jenne, RN “Melinda has created a unique recipe, physical therapy, and inspirational book. If you have arthritis and love to cook, you must have this book! Even if you don’t have arthritis, you will love the great mix of traditional and modern recipes.” Gayle Long Ward Cape Fear Garden Club Wilmington, NC Melinda Winner has rheumatoid arthritis. The thirty-five years that I have practiced rheumatology have seen incredible advances, but rheumatoid arthritis is still a terrible disease. The therapeutic goal has gone from delaying confinement to a wheelchair to achieving remission. Even when treatment is less than completely successful, the relentless progression toward deformity and debilitation can often be halted.However, these treatments come at a high cost, both financially and in terms of risk. Not everyone responds well. Damage already done cannot be reversed. Pain and fatigue still disrupt lives. Disability, starting with employment and then intruding into everyday activities, threatens the capacity of patients to care for their families and themselves. There are good days and bad days. Even on good days, courage is required to make plans, to take on responsibilities, to get involved, because on bad days it can be hard—really hard—to so much as get out of bed, much less to lead a normal life. Such has been the life of Melinda Winner.There are pills. There is counseling. Adaptations and attitude adjustments help some people cope. And then there are people like Melinda Winner who do not merely make peace with their adversities, but, by the example of their lives, extinguish our fears as well. The healthy and the ailing alike are made better by them. Anything really is possible.Thank you, Melinda. May all your recipes contain a little of the spice that sustains you and enriches the lives you touch! John C. Huntwork, M.D.

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Cooking with arthritis

WELCOME TO COOKING WITH ARTHRITIS. A BLOG WHERE YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO TALK ABOUT ARTHRITIS AND COOKING .SHARE YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES MAKE FRIENDS WITH OTHERS WHO ALSO HAVE PHYSICAL CHALLENGES OR FRIENDS WHO SIMPLY LOVE TO COOK!

Are you one of the millions of people that suffer from arthritis, a chronic disease, or a physical injury? Is cooking your passion or, at the very least, a necessity?

Come along on a culinary journey around the world with Melinda Winner in her second cookbook, A Complete Illustrated Guide to Cooking with Arthritis, which will bring the millions of physically challenged individuals back into the kitchen pain free and fearless. As a physically challenged individual herself, Melinda shares techniques for creating mouthwatering recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, as well as delicious rubs, sauces, and jellies.

An Illustrated Guide to Cooking with Arthritis is packed full of delectable, original recipes sure to delight any palate and is a must-have for any cookbook collection. Each easy-to-read recipe is written for use by anyone, physically challenged or not, and includes an informative section of kitchen terms, culinary resources, and basic tips to help make everyday life simpler.

“If you have arthritis and love to cook, you must have this book! Even if you don’t have arthritis, you will love the great mix of traditional and modern recipes.”
Gayle Long Ward
Wilmington, NC

Melinda Winner has had a passion for cooking since childhood. She has five forms of arthritis and a birth injury that left her right arm with very limited use, but Melinda still attended culinary school and now enjoys preparing food of all types from simple Southern to fine cuisine. Melinda has won several national recipe contests, cooked off on a major television network, and published her first cookbook, Yankee Cooking with Southern Charm, in July 2008. In her spare time, Melinda enjoys horseback riding, swimming, traveling, and hiking. She has three grown children and five grandchildren. Melinda enjoys life to its fullest each and every day!

A complete guide to cooking with arthritis

Monday, May 18, 2009

PREPARING FOR SUMMER PARTIES AND PICNICS!

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A complete guide to cooking with arthritis

Monday, May 18, 2009

PREPARING FOR SUMMER PARTIES AND PICNICS!

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20 HELPFUL TIPS TO EASE LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS

COOKING TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS:

ENDORSMENTS FOR A COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO COOKING WITH ARTHRITIS

Cooking with arthritis

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