Disability Friendly Cooking – Tin Can Cook

Posted on by SingleRheum

Tin Can Cook: 75 Simple Store-cupboard Recipes

1 June 2019 Format: Paperback

This is the 5* review I’ve also posted on Amazon & Goodreads.

Anyone who follows me on twitter will know I’m a big fan of Jack Monroe & her recipes, this is the third cookbook of hers I’ve bought & it’s already loved!

So impressed with this cook book. Written in Jack’s inimitable and endearing style it was intended to help those living on food bank parcels or with very limited budgets to create simple, nutritious meals in a short time and it does this beautifully. Pitched at the novice cook but in no way patronising for those with more experience it’s a lovely read and I already know I’ll be using this lots!

For me personally it hits another sweet spot though, and that’s in spoonie friendly cookery. For those of us living chronic life, suffering from disability and severe fatigue, cooking is a massive energy drain and often impossible. With rheumatoid arthritis in my hands food prep itself is a challenge I could do without, even with years of experience as a chef.

As someone who’s spent years ‘cooking from scratch’ it’s been a big adjustment to buy pre-prepped food without losing control over what’s in it (see ready meals – useful but not every day!). So discovering Jack on Twitter a couple of years ago felt like fate was smiling. I now happily eat tinned potatoes, olives, mushrooms, lentils, chickpeas, fruit, along with frozen peppers, stir fry veg, and spinach. Often cheaper, nutritionally sound and so easy as it’s already peeled \chopped\sliced and often partially cooked, it’s helped me cut down on wastage and save pennies! I also make my own wholemeal seeded bread and pizza bases – with a stand mixer and a slow cooker bread is an effortless wonder.

Additionally as I’ve followed Jack’s books and picked up more of her vegetarian recipes I’m only eating meat a couple of times a week, good for the environment and my budget! Highly recommend this, a fabulous variety of breakfasts, breads, soups, meat and vegetarian main courses, plus desserts will not leave anyone wanting for variety.

I’d highly recommend buying a copy for your kitchen, & if you can afford to donate one to your local food bank too it will be very gratefully received, or you can donate the cost of a copy to Jack’s GoFundMe & she’ll get it delivered through the Trussell Trust.

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My Autumn Soup…

Posted on by SingleRheum

I’ve been asked a number of times to share #spoonie friendly recipes. I’m pretty sure this is my first. But what a great one to start with!

For me there is nothing that says Autumn more than a gently spiced root vegetable soup. It’s comfort food, a cuddle in a bowl. It’s healthy & warming. And so incredibly easy to make! I’ll give rough guides to quantity, but I rarely weigh or measure anything, most of my cooking is about being creative, and using what I have in the fridge/pantry.

It’s also about ability on any given day, & using short cuts where possible. For example I can’t chop hard veg anymore, my hands won’t allow, so my basic food processor is an essential kitchen tool. I sometimes buy pre chopped veg & other prepped foods – it’s often the difference between me having a meal of some sort or eating toast!

(I will try to remember to do a follow up post about some fab kitchen shortcuts if you’re disabled &/or low on energy).

So…. My Autumn Soup

  • 4 parsnips
  • 5 carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 4 pieces frozen spinach
  • 1 tsp garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 good pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 good pinch of black pepper
  • 1.5 pints hot chicken stock (veg is fine too)
  • 1/3 cup of split red lentils
  • 1/4 to 1/2 pint of skimmed milk
  1. Use the food processor to chop or slice veg, (except spinach) it doesn’t matter which, we’ll be blending at the end
  2. Warm the oil in a large saucepan, stir & gently fry off veg & onions for a few minutes. Add in the spices, stir through well then add in the hot stock, and the frozen spinach (it defrosts in the pan).
  3. Bring to a simmering boil, throw in the lentils, stir then cover & reduce heat. Simmer gently for approx 25 minutes. Stir in the milk then remove from heat.
  4. Allow to cool, then use food processor to blitz to a thick soup. That’s it. All done! Easy right?

Today this has made me five portions, at approx 147 kcals each. It freezes beautifully, meaning on low energy days I can have homemade soup in a few minutes using the microwave, and that’s a definite win.

Changing it up

Any combo of root veg &/or squash works brilliantly, I don’t think I’ve ever had one fail me and I’ve been cooking variations of this soup for years.

I love lentils, & they’re a great source of protein, fibre & potassium. If you don’t like them I promise you won’t know they’re there, but for me they add a lovely thickness to the soup. If you really don’t like them you could add a couple of potatoes instead, they thicken well too.

Spices are fun to play with, I love the North African flavour of cumin, turmeric & cinnamon. It just adds a little kick without being ‘hot’. But you could easily swap for ground ginger, smoked paprika or chilli, don’t be afraid to experiment a little.

I like to keep this pretty healthy hence the skimmed milk, you could use full fat or even cream & croutons if you’re feeling decadent!

This easily changes to vegan by changing the stock to veg & leaving out the milk. I’ve heard coconut milk is a nice addition but I’ve not tried it yet.

Comments welcome as always, let me know if you try making this 😊

Simplifying Part Two – Vacations 

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I’ve always loved to travel, even the word conjures up a wonderful jumble of images in my mind, from fictional journeys I’ve taken such as old fashioned steamer trunks and the ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe (Little Women*), bustling Caravasarai for travellers along the Old Silk Road through Syria, Persia and onwards (see Physician*), as well as times I’ve spent abroad over the years, the scent of the spice markets of Marrakech, the taste of fresh cherries in southern France, the beautiful work of artisans in Cuba, the timeless flavours of mezze in Cyprus, the Fairytale castles and landscapes of Bavaria, the majestic beauty of mountains in Austria, the cobbled streets and squares of Belgium with the obligatory Moules Frites! 

As you may have gathered for me travel is not about finding a good beach, but wandering local streets, finding tiny coffee houses populated by ancient men who seem part of the furniture, stumbling across cosy restaurants with food you remember years later, churches and mosques and town halls with amazing architecture, bustling souks with women in brightly dressed kaftans and djellaba haggling, always haggling. 

Nowadays all of that sounds quite exhausting! So how on earth do those of us with chronic illness and disability and fatigue even contemplate travelling? For me (yes, here’s the theme) it’s about simplifying. And to simplify you need to plan a little. Yes, this may take away a smidge of the spontaneity of previous journeys, but they were taken in days when I didn’t need to know where the nearest toilet was at all times and whether I could park within 20 feet of my destination! 

So, how to simplify travelling? By reducing both physical exertion and stress. I’m going to talk about holiday type travel here, but I’m sure some of these tips could apply to other journeys too. 

  • Simplify the airport. My number one tip is book assistance at the airport. It’s free and it’s the best thing ever, especially if like me you travel alone. Once you get yourself to the meeting point in the airport you can almost stop thinking. You get comfy in a wheelchair and often sail past queues at passport control and check in. I can already hear some of you saying hang on, a wheelchair?! Yes. Gatwick airport – 1.2 miles to North terminal from check in. JFK 0.7 miles. Zurich 1.27 miles. I can’t walk that far, and you really do not want to arrive at your destination in an exhausted and painful heap. Use the wheelchair. Of course if you have your own wheelchair or even mobility scooter the airline will carry these free of charge, just make sure you let them know in advance. 
  • Simplify your meds – yes, it’s a fact of chronic life that like me you’ll probably need a bag just for your meds. If you pack it carefully you’ll have no problem at security. Don’t decant into pill sorters, take them empty and do it when you arrive. Ensure every med has its box or bottle with pharmacy labels, and carry copies of prescriptions or a print out of your repeats list as back up. I’ve had my meds emptied out at security more than once, but I’ve never had them queried. If you’re carrying sharps let the airline know in advance, you may need a letter from your GP. NB – always carry on, never put meds in the hold, we’ve all heard tales of missing luggage…. 
  • Simplify your packing. It’s taken me a while to master this, but actually taking as little as possible is so freeing! Because of my fibro I tend to stick to soft jersey or linen, and I swear to you three pairs of trousers, five tops, a jacket or cardi and a scarf or two and I’m done. One of those tops will be one I can dress up a little if I do end up having an evening out (I’m usually on the bed watching TV by evening these days!). I spent years lugging clothes abroad that came back unworn, and I know I’m not alone. 
  • Simplify your accommodation! How? Check access to your room, and access to what makes your holiday enjoyable before you book. Once you know your booking is for a ground floor room, within 40 metres of the town square/beach and there are four good restaurants/bars nearby you can relax about your arrival & enjoy your stay. 
  • Simplify your decision! What are you really travelling for? Forget everyone else for a minute, what do YOU want out of this holiday? Whether it’s time to meditate daily, swim, lay on the beach every day or learn to paint make that the focus of your booking. If you have children book a holiday with a kids club or crèche facilities, if they spend half a day there while you swim/read in peace it means you have the downtime you need to save spoons for time with them in the afternoon, or vice versa. Remember this is your holiday too. 
  • Simplify your expectations. Probably the hardest lesson I’ve learned but the most important. Be kind to yourself. It’s OK not to see every tourist attraction in the area. It’s OK to have a siesta in the afternoon. It’s OK to have early nights. It’s OK to just sit and have a glass of wine while you watch the sunset. It’s OK to spend a whole morning drinking coffee and reading a good book. It’s even OK to spend a day in bed. (What!! But I’m on holiday, stuff to do, places to see! A day in bed when I’ve paid to be here?!!) Yes, it’s absolutely OK. Think about it. You’re on holiday, a vacation, a rest. If you can’t give yourself permission for a day in bed if you need it when can you? Doing this while I’ve been away in the past couple of years has been essential, I couldn’t have had the up days I enjoyed without listening to my body and taking a day or two to rest. 

I would love to hear any tips you have for simplifying your travel plans. 

The two books mentioned are both ones I’d recommend. A relaxing holiday read maybe?  

*Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

*Physician by Noah Gordon 

Simplifying Part One – Living Space 

Posted on by SingleRheum

I’ve not done this before, but I’ve just come up with an idea for a few linked posts around the theme of Simplifying. It’s a term we hear a lot, especially in chronic life, of course simplifying makes things easier! Sounds obvious but is it? 

So what exactly do we mean by simplify – common synonyms include to make easy, make plainer, remove the complexity from, or make more accessible. Whilst the latter here would appear at first glance to apply to ‘us’, because accessibility is often at the forefront of our minds, the rest are certainly appealing to me too, who doesn’t want things easier or less complex?! 

So we agree simplifying stuff is good. Where do we start? The first one I’m writing about here is in the home, our living space. Whether it’s a palace, a bedsit or my own little bungalow there are definitely things we can do to make our daily lives easier.

And immediately one of the biggest challenges for a lot of people raises it’s head – where to start! When you have a houseful of things that you may have had for one year, five years or even thirty years, it’s very difficult to at least partially detach emotion from belongings so you can make sensible decluttering decisions with a clear head. But it’s really important that you do. Stuff is just that, stuff. Good memories live on in our minds and our hearts. 

Often this is where you can enlist help from a practical friend or family member, they may help you keep a clearer head. Keeping a pearl ring because it was grandma’s is a lovely momento. Keeping an odd sock she knitted in 1963, or a chair she sat in once, not so much. 

I’ll admit I find this easy, as I’ve never been very attached to things, I believe it was because my lovely mum was a…. collector 😊 so I’ve just gone the opposite way. I always remember the mild but tangible panic in our house the day before family visited, piles of stuff (from magazines to ironing) that had mysteriously grown were hidden upstairs or squeezed into cupboards before actual cleaning could commence. Don’t get me wrong, it was never dirty, it was just always cosy and cluttered.

I’ve spent a number of my adult years married, so it’s only really in the last five years I’ve truly discovered my own decorating style, and whilst not stark it is a little minimal. I’ve had friends comment how tidy I am. I’m truly not, I just don’t like clutter so I put things away. They have a place, and that generally means I can find them!

But yes, even I had a challenge downsizing from a three bed bungalow to a small one bed bungalow eighteen months ago.  And I’ve cleared out again since, because I still brought too much with me. With every room I’ve had a rule, if it’s not truly beautiful (to me) or useful it goes! Using a combination of local selling sites have netted me money for a lot of bits and pieces, and charity shops have benefitted too. I just sold a mirror today for £20 😊

So how do you simplify YOUR living space? My top tips

  • Pick a room. Never attempt more than one room at a time, you’ll get disheartened and give up. Once you’ve chosen a room split it mentally into sections. So if you’re doing the bedroom for example, break that down into the chest of drawers, the bedside cabinets,  the dressing table and the wardrobes. This way when you start running low on spoons you’re never in the middle of a big clear out, so it’s manageable to finish one task at a time. 
  • Wherever you’re cleaning grab three bags, crates, boxes, whatever is suitable. Then label these (mentally is fine!) Sell, Donate, Trash. Anything you’re keeping simply stays in the drawers/wardrobe etc – easier to sort it when you’ve got more space. One rule here – items can swap boxes but they can’t come back out, be strict with yourself! 
  • Stay organised. If you get help to stash boxes in, say the garage, until you’re finished make sure the donate/sell piles are separate, and the trash goes directly in the trash bin. 
  • Be as unemotional as possible, and as ruthless as you can stand. If you’re finding it hard, think of the money you could raise, the good you’ll be donating, and how lovely it will be to have your nicer things accessible, clean and tidy!

If you’re still feeling up to it, once you’ve cleared a room and before you start the next give a once over with a critical eye. Does the layout work easily for you? Can you move or lose a cabinet or table now you’ve cleared it to give you more space? Will that chair be nicer by the window? Trust me, this is addictive, I promise once you’ve done one room you’ll be itching to start the next!

Just remember, small manageable chunks, spread out your spoons. Keep reminding yourself you are simplifying, making things easier for YOU! 

So how am I doing? Good so far, slowly but surely, I even raised enough from selling last year to buy a new (second hand) sofa! I have just three spaces left to tackle. First is my bedroom, it’s almost finished, just the wardrobes to do now, which I keep putting off. I never said I was perfect! Next is my cloakroom cupboard. I know I have coats, shoes, boots etc I’ve not worn in over a year and they need to go. Last will be my ‘office’ cupboard in the hall which will be the easiest by far. Some of this simplication will definitely bring me a little money. Now I just need to dig up the energy!