Cooking with Arthritis
helping the physically challenged regain their independence in the kitchen
Open Discussion page , Chatter room / Recipe Contests
| Forum Home > Tips to ease the pain when living with arthritis > Helpful tips for living with arthritis and chronic pain | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Site Owner Posts: 851 |
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 plastic 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, that is at chest level. This will eliminate unnecessary bending. 4. When filling or emptying large pots of water, follow the method in my latest 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 . 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, store spices on the counter in a spice rack or in a kitchen drawer. 14. Place your large spices and canned goods on lazy Susans when stored in a cupboard. 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. Purchase a stove with controls on the front. 20. Purchase chip-clips instead of twist-ties to recluse open food in bags. | |
|
-- Keep on cooking real memories are made in the kitchen - Melinda Winner
| ||
|
Member Posts: 537 |
Wow, great tips! Thank you! | |
| ||
|
Member Posts: 232 |
absolutely great advise | |
| ||
|
Member Posts: 487 |
I really had not thought about the benefits of soaking your hands while doing the dishes. This is great. Our fingers and wrists are soooooooooooo delicate with our conditions. I like that. Plus, it makes doing dishes a treatment, rather than a chore if you look at it the Melinda way. Nice. | |
|
-- Love is the only thing that heals us. But Drugs help!
| ||
|
Member Posts: 436 |
Great tips. I will be hanging ribbons on my doors. Pretty and helpful. I have some thick Victorian ribbon that would be perfect. I may decorate them to jass it up even more. Thanks Mel, perfect ! | |
| ||
|
Member Posts: 436 |
I just added one to my fridge, looks nice. | |
| ||
|
Member Posts: 33 |
kudos | |
|
-- StealthScout
| ||
|
Member Posts: 227 |
these are GREAT tips !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
| ||
|
Member Posts: 537 |
I buy and wear shirts that do not have to be buttoned , there are alot of really nice tops. I also try to wear pants that do not button when at all Possible | |
| ||
|
Member Posts: 467 |
great tips ! | |
|
-- ALOHA !
| ||
|
Member Posts: 370 |
really great tips ! | |
|
-- May your life be filled with good friends and good food !
| ||
|
Member Posts: 467 |
Tke many breaks and drink plenty of water ! | |
|
-- ALOHA !
| ||
|
Member Posts: 376 |
nice post helpful | |
| ||
|
Member Posts: 436 |
grt | |
| ||
You must login to post.
Book mark or share this web site
Share on Facebook
Food Buzz
ARTHRITIS SURVIVORS NETWORK - JOIN TODAY HELP BRING AWARENESS TO ARTHRITIS !
Chat instantly with other members here simply type and talk
FAVORITE QUOTE :
NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE OR CONDITION
IT IS NEVER TO LATE TO BECOME
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN !
Foodie Blog Roll
Recent Forum Posts
Featured Products for sale
-
Autoimmune Arthritis Bracelet
$54.00 -
Emile Henry
$210.00 -
Original Bed Buddy Hot Cold Pack
$12.95 -
The Stick
$0.10
Upcoming Events
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.
Recent Videos
Send to a friend
Post & Promote (digg, etc.)
Conversion Charts
Metric Conversion Chart
US Canadian Australian
1/4 tsp 1 mL 1 ml
1/2 tsp 2 mL 2 ml
1 tsp 5 mL 5 ml
1 Tbl 15 mL 20 ml
1/4 cup 50 mL 60 ml
1/3 cup 75 mL 80 ml
1/2 cup 125 mL 125 ml
2/3 cup 50 mL 170 ml
3/4 cup 175 mL 190 ml
1 cup 250 mL 250 ml
1 quart 1 liter 1 litre
Weight
1 ounce 30 grams 30 grams
2 " 55 " 60 "
3 " 85 " 90 "
4 " 115 " 125 "
8 " 225 " 225 "
16 " 455 " 500 " (1/2 kilogram)
Temperatures
Fahrenheit Celsius
32 degrees 0 degrees
212 " 100 "
250 " 120 "
275 " 140 "
300 " 150 "
325 " 160 "
350 " 180 "
375 " 190 "
400 " 200 "
425 " 220 "
450 " 230 "
475 " 240 "
500 " 260 "