lovebenton0

Thanks for the link!

One thing I have found to be most helpful to me is to not allow the clock to dictate when I cook. Cook when she feels like she has the energy and stability to do it. Most hot dishes are great reheated. Cold dishes sit well in the fridge. Or prep everything when she feels like it, proceed to putting it together when she feels like it, and finish up the same. Plan to spend not more than 20-30 minutes at a time in the kitchen, take a break, then go back when she is able. Your dad may not be willing to be the cook, but he might be willing to be "imposed upon" to stick the dish in the oven or put it on the stove and then remove it from the heat source at a set time. Your mom should be aware to not cross her legs or ankles when she is sitting as that will tend to contribute to numbness in her hips and legs. You may not be able to replace the floor -- I certainly can't replace mine right now -- but cush pads with gripper backs in her work areas will help relieve the stress. Vertigo is tough and I really have to say that if she begins to experience vertigo while in the kitchen cooking she should just turn off the heat and leave the kitchen until later. Some days she will just have to say -- cooking? no way. It is very helpful for me to cook more than we plan to eat for two meals. Pack up the overage, seal it in a carton, mark the date and the contents, and freeze it. She can then bring it out in a couple weeks or so and have a delicious pre-cooked homemade dinner for those lousy days. Cook more one-pot meals (if she does not have a slow cooker she deserves one!). With the summer coming up she can also take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables that she does not have to cook over heat. Rice, pasta, potatoes, are all good foods for a foundation and are quick, easy, and take little time. All are great for a base for hot or cold foods. No shame in using pre-cut veggies or fruits, and bag salad. It is better that it is fresh for her. See if you can get your dad a little involved -- does he like to grill outdoors? If he does have him do six pieces of chicken instead of four at a time, or an extra steak, a couple chops, whatever, so your mom will have that to use for something entirely different the next night or so. I like to skip a night and then have "makeovers" that require little effort and great taste. Less stress -- tell mom not to worry about it too much. If she has to stop, she should just halt what she's doing and come back to it later. Start simple. Stay easy. This is off the top of my head for now, things that are helpful for me. We can go into this more when you see what you think about these for your mom. Ask again.

Please return for Parts Two and Three.

The Cooking with Disabilities course is up -- Part One presents today. Parts Two and Three will present over Thursday and Friday. You can check out the announcement in eGCI or you can go here to begin the course. Q&A is already up. As usual, the course will be available through the archives once the initial presentation period is past, and the Q&A will continue.

Wonderful! Now I really have to do the gazpacho -- if you can do it at the cabin I can manage it here. Where's the applause smilie?

Slugs love borage, it attracts them like beer. I grow my borage in pots with diatomaceous earth surrounding the base of the pot. They are only active at night so you might go out with a flashlight two or three hours after dark and check. If you find slugs kill them. If you see their trails put out some slug traps. I carry a large salt shaker with me and sprinkle them with salt which is an instant killer. Thanks, andiesenji, for the slug clue. I'll need help to spy on the slugs (vestibular disorder makes it very difficult to manuever anywhere in the dark!). But my mr is the other gardener in the house and will probably enjoy going out with a flashlight to find and kill slugs! I'll pot the next borage. Also enjoyed your next post. Our soil base is the opposite of yours -- we're near the "lakes" here (wide spots in the Colorado River) and have rocks and clay to contend with -- but climate in Central TX at the toes of the Hill country can be quite similar. (My two rosemary bushes are the size of VW bugs!) I have been concerned about planting my Bayleaf trees in the ground and still have them potted. We plopped them in larger pots again yesterday to give them one more season in protection. Mine are about five feet tall now. What do you do to protect your Bays over the winter?

Hill Country Pasta House (Austin area/ next door to Hudson's on the Bend) Restaurant has recently changed hands, atmosphere, chefs, and added a new focus on wine. They are now featuring private wine tastings, wine shows, and monthly wine dinners. We ate there recently and were pleasantly surprised with the new management and chef. Ciola's Italian-American Restaurant (Lakeway)

If it doesn't jess, it should! I know what you mean about wormy pests -- or something else I'm not catching in action. Several of the borage were coming along so well -- I snitched a few leaves myself the other day, yummy mild cucumber flavor. Today when I went out to check on the little tasties, they had been chomped to the ground. Something is at the top of my list. Nothing else in the same bed was even touched. Maybe they make good bait also! We topped the nectarine today. We had already composted her -- first order in the spring for everything -- and mr fed her along with the rest the other day even though she looks like a stick. I'm still hopeful.

I've wondered that myself. Have a brother that lives there -- he doesn't know either. With shrimp like that, fifi, you don't have to miss the crab! We skewer our shrimp and lay 'em out on the smoker grill after a leisurely rest in lemon juice, garlic, hot chili powder (whatever chilies I have dried and ground from the garden), and ginger. Wrapping them in a lemon basil leaf and then pickled ginger is also good; they cook too quickly to burn the moist ginger wraps but it gets a touch smoky (pecan is our favorite) and it falls off before you peel them so you can eat shrimp and basil/ginger together. We got that storm here before it hit you -- it was a hellraiser for sure.

Liz, thanks for the link. Tell us more about your new kitchen garden. How do you have it set up? And how are the the dwarf fruit trees doing? I think we lost our dwarf nectarine this year. We inherited it as a baby planted in the front yard when we bought the house five years ago (Central TX). I came to realize that it was planted in the poorest section of the property, but was not sure where to move it. So we have just helped her along and she was finally starting to look like a big girl (almost five feet tall and branching out)-- then we had snow just when she was budding out all over and nothing since then. I think we should cut her way back and see if there is any life left in her. Any one have suggestions?

Susan, I know you won't be able to resist putting in some annuals somewhere at least! We are spoiled down here -- hardly ever rake a leaf -- just chop it all up with the lawn mower on the next trip, which must be done year-round most years. I just plopped in some pretty veggies and some perrenial herbs in the front bed until I was sure which other indigenous perrenials I want to set in there. My mr dug up the rose bushes, transplanted them to a spot against a rock wall next to the giant rose bush, and I cut back the octopus arms of the honeysuckle that suddenly threatened to eat the whole front yard this spring. Put in all new dirt/compost there, edged with rock -- we have plenty of that also. Now it looks like the real deal and once all that is done and down for the season I can move in some more happy native plants. Time to decide and still enjoy getting dirty. So after the grand annual opening of the cabin, Susan, give yourself another treat and dig in with some short-lifers, at least! You desrve it after all the rock piling you've been doing.

Mustang grapes grow un tended and gloriously enjoyed by us on our back fence. I make "Back Fence Grape Jelly" every year. Last year's product was 15 pints. We also have some wild persimnmon -- aka TX cherries -- around here and are blessed with several around the yard area. They make a good but ugly jammy/jelly, as they are a very dark greenish black when ripe and each fruit has several large seeds which must be strained out. Epizote (for beans) and lemon horse mint (great to use in soups and stews -- as well as to cure bull nettle sting!) are abundant in Central TX. Wild onions and even garlic are often easy to find. They also grow all around my rock walls and we love them. By necessity my foraging must be close these days but I enjoy it anyway. How about mulberries? They are in fruit now and ready for a good cobbler with pears or pineapple added or just a good jam. They tend to pop up all over.

Thanks for the great Asian veggie link, fifi! It may be too late this year for sowing seeds but I'll look forward to ordering for next year. I've been gone for almost a week, returned last night; mr has been tending the green babies on his own, and doing a fine job. I got out into the yard a bit today; crawled around the garden beds and yanked some baby weeds. Herbs and veggies are growing! It is great to see how much they have grown over the past week while I was out of town. I had to pinch some lemon basil and used it tonight for scallops sauteed with purple onion, matchstick carrots, and garlic tossed with cappellini pasta. Yum! The basil is young but flavorful already. Serranos are making peppers, one purple eggplant so far and the squashes have zoomed into multiple blossom production. (Keeping my fingers crossed with the squashes! Maybe the new dirt will help.) Several Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are marble-size and the several Anaheims and sweet banana peppers are over two inches long. Two of the Tabasco plants came back to life and they are catching up to this year's new plants. The "puny" hot Thais that wintered over and are growing in the bed with the Tabascos are not so puny any more and are popping out peppers also. The fennel has tripled in size from last year and is about three feet in diameter, with lots of new bulbs all feathered out. Butterflies are beginning to appear. The mint is incredible -- what a change over the past week -- cuttings have really taken, are full of leaves now, and it smells minty great in that part of the yard. Far away enough from the heady honeysuckle for the mint perfume to drift up and hold its own. My new try this year, the borage is coming. Although it appears that I'm not the only one who likes to nibble on the tender baby leaves. The stalks and leaves really do taste similar to a mild cucumber. It is growing season here again for sure. The spring rains have been good to us. And yes, the bamboo is still growing on rock.

jschyun did you have any luck finding Asian veggies -- plants or seeds? Thanks to the big weather controller in the sky -- we finally have some sun today! Although the last week of rain has been great on the H2O bill. And the bamboo has been loving this rain. How are all your gardens growing? Blooming? Fruiting? I took a few shots the other day of the whole veg plot-- but the babies don't look very impressive at this stage.

My sympathies. Our little dwarf nectarine was just beginning to bud when it snowed and she has not recovered either. I'm sorry about your Meyer's lemon tree. However, my crazy peach tree has given us about four dozen peaches after all. Even though that is 1/4 the amount that were just starting before it snowed we are glad to have any of the little juicy jewels and amazed any of them lived through the snow we had.

We -- the plants, the two humans here, and our water bill -- are all loving this gentle spring rain, soft days, and a bit of sunshine thrown in. Did someone order this for us special delivery? Yellow brandywines, and Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are blooming, along with the eggplants (Ichiban and Snowy). All the plants have a load of buds and the basils and thymes have doubled in size. The new mint bed is also looking good. And the bamboo? Well it is just sitting there so far. We are happy. We still want to see a shot of those artichokes, jess mebane.

Smoked Salmon Spread This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI This is very good with french bread or crackers as a party dip, and makes delicious sandwiches when served on toasted bread with tomato and lettuce. 8 oz smoked salmon 6 oz softened fat free cream cheese 1/3 c sour cream 2 T minced fresh chives 1 T dill (dried) /2 tbsp if fresh 2 T fresh lemon juice 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp lemon pepper (to taste) 1/4 tsp garlic powder (to taste) Remove skin from salmon and discard, then break up salmon into several pieces. Put all ingredients into food processor. Quick Pulse, several times, on medium setting until throughly creamed, about 30 seconds total. Spoon into serving dish and chill for at least an hour; up to three days before serving. *note: the garlic powder gives an easy and creamier result than fresh garlic, unless you want to take the time to roast it and add it as a paste. Keywords: Side, Fish, Healthy Choices, eGCI ( RG997 )

Smoked Salmon Spread This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI This is very good with french bread or crackers as a party dip, and makes delicious sandwiches when served on toasted bread with tomato and lettuce. 8 oz smoked salmon 6 oz softened fat free cream cheese 1/3 c sour cream 2 T minced fresh chives 1 T dill (dried) /2 tbsp if fresh 2 T fresh lemon juice 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp lemon pepper (to taste) 1/4 tsp garlic powder (to taste) Remove skin from salmon and discard, then break up salmon into several pieces. Put all ingredients into food processor. Quick Pulse, several times, on medium setting until throughly creamed, about 30 seconds total. Spoon into serving dish and chill for at least an hour; up to three days before serving. *note: the garlic powder gives an easy and creamier result than fresh garlic, unless you want to take the time to roast it and add it as a paste. Keywords: Side, Fish, Healthy Choices, eGCI ( RG997 )

Sourdough Potato Skillet Bread This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. An easy to make skillet bread, that is a delicious change served with lunch or dinner. It is especially well suited to serve with grilled meats, and hearty soups or beans. This is not a strict sourdough bread, as there is the addition of yeast, due to the softness of the dough. But, you can enjoy it anyway. The recipe is very simple in its basic form and it disappears quickly. You can change the character for variety, by adding 1/2-3/4 cup of your choice grated cheese to the dough; either when you knead in the cornmeal at the end, or as a topping for your loaf. 3/4 c sourdough starter, set out in the morning 1/2 c warm water 1/2 c bread flour 1 T yeast 2 T sugar 1 large potato, boiled, and peeled, grated 1/2 c potato water, warm 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp lemon pepper 1/4 c light margarine or butter 2 c bread flour 1/2 c cornmeal **1/4 cup light margarine or butter for coating dough Combine first five ingredients for sponge; allow to set for 3-4 hrs in open bowl away from drafts. Boil, then cool and peel the potato. Grate potato; should be about 1 1/2 cups grated. Stir down the sponge; stir in grated potato and warm potato water with the garlic, salt, and lemon pepper. Stir through the 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix in with wooden spoon then knead by hand until a very soft dough. Knead in the cornmeal. Coat with softened light margarine or butter; cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Turn out into a well buttered 8 or 9 inch skillet. Coat again; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 35-45 minutes. Bake in 425 oven for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned on top and done. *You can find salt free lemon pepper if that is an issue, or reduce salt in the dough accordingly. **Butter flavored cooking spray is a good substitute for coating dough, and for buttering your skillet, that yields less fat, calories, and sodium. This is very good with french bread or crackers as a party dip, and makes delicious sandwiches when served on toasted bread with tomato and lettuce. Keywords: Side, Potatoes, Healthy Choices, eGCI, Bread ( RG996 )

Sourdough Potato Skillet Bread This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. An easy to make skillet bread, that is a delicious change served with lunch or dinner. It is especially well suited to serve with grilled meats, and hearty soups or beans. This is not a strict sourdough bread, as there is the addition of yeast, due to the softness of the dough. But, you can enjoy it anyway. The recipe is very simple in its basic form and it disappears quickly. You can change the character for variety, by adding 1/2-3/4 cup of your choice grated cheese to the dough; either when you knead in the cornmeal at the end, or as a topping for your loaf. 3/4 c sourdough starter, set out in the morning 1/2 c warm water 1/2 c bread flour 1 T yeast 2 T sugar 1 large potato, boiled, and peeled, grated 1/2 c potato water, warm 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp lemon pepper 1/4 c light margarine or butter 2 c bread flour 1/2 c cornmeal **1/4 cup light margarine or butter for coating dough Combine first five ingredients for sponge; allow to set for 3-4 hrs in open bowl away from drafts. Boil, then cool and peel the potato. Grate potato; should be about 1 1/2 cups grated. Stir down the sponge; stir in grated potato and warm potato water with the garlic, salt, and lemon pepper. Stir through the 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix in with wooden spoon then knead by hand until a very soft dough. Knead in the cornmeal. Coat with softened light margarine or butter; cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Turn out into a well buttered 8 or 9 inch skillet. Coat again; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 35-45 minutes. Bake in 425 oven for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned on top and done. *You can find salt free lemon pepper if that is an issue, or reduce salt in the dough accordingly. **Butter flavored cooking spray is a good substitute for coating dough, and for buttering your skillet, that yields less fat, calories, and sodium. This is very good with french bread or crackers as a party dip, and makes delicious sandwiches when served on toasted bread with tomato and lettuce. Keywords: Side, Potatoes, Healthy Choices, eGCI, Bread ( RG996 )

Apricot Nutty Rice This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. You can enjoy this as a baked rice side dish anytime, or, as we often do, baked in acorn squash halves. It is a family favorite at Thanksgiving 1 small box wild rice (1/2 cup) 1/2 c brown rice 3-1/2 c water 1/2 tsp salt 1 T butter Orange/Peach/Mango juice 3 T brown sugar 6 dried apricots, diced 3 T light margarine OR butter 1/3 c pecan pieces 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 large egg Bring to boil wild/brown rice together in water w/salt and butter, reduce heat to low and cover, cook for 50-55 minutes. Use kitchen shears or pizza cutter to dice apricots. Drain water from rice into measuring cup. Add enough orange/peach/mango juice or orange blend of your choice to make 2/3 cups. Add apricots and pecan pieces to rice. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, butter, and egg with juice. Pour over rice mixture. Stir lightly, scoop into 6 acorn squash halves or into a 1 1/2 qt casserole. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. 200 mg sodium 2 g fat (5 g fat with real butter) Keywords: Side, Rice, eGCI, Healthy Choices ( RG995 )

Apricot Nutty Rice This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. You can enjoy this as a baked rice side dish anytime, or, as we often do, baked in acorn squash halves. It is a family favorite at Thanksgiving 1 small box wild rice (1/2 cup) 1/2 c brown rice 3-1/2 c water 1/2 tsp salt 1 T butter Orange/Peach/Mango juice 3 T brown sugar 6 dried apricots, diced 3 T light margarine OR butter 1/3 c pecan pieces 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 large egg Bring to boil wild/brown rice together in water w/salt and butter, reduce heat to low and cover, cook for 50-55 minutes. Use kitchen shears or pizza cutter to dice apricots. Drain water from rice into measuring cup. Add enough orange/peach/mango juice or orange blend of your choice to make 2/3 cups. Add apricots and pecan pieces to rice. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, butter, and egg with juice. Pour over rice mixture. Stir lightly, scoop into 6 acorn squash halves or into a 1 1/2 qt casserole. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. 200 mg sodium 2 g fat (5 g fat with real butter) Keywords: Side, Rice, eGCI, Healthy Choices ( RG995 )

Simple Curried Sweet Potatoes This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI (Texture; hand dexterity; no cutting necessary; low sodium*; low fat**) 4 fresh sweet potatoes (not giants) 1 c lite coconut milk 1/2 c peanut butter (smooth works as well as crunchy; reduced fat is fine) 1 tsp curry powder (mild for younger or sensitive palates/digestion; we like it hot) Cook sweet potatoes until well done: bake @ 450 for one hour; OR boil for 35-45 minutes; OR pressure cook for 10-12 minutes. Cool a bit and hand peel; peels will slip off quite easily. Return to pot on medium low to medium heat. Pour in coconut milk. Stir/wisk to mash. Add peanut butter of your choice and stir to blend. Stir in curry to taste. I do not add extra salt to my serving, but you may salt to taste. You can serve as is or garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds or peanuts. (Remember to check sodium for the garnish, if that is an issue.) *sodium approx 30 mg per serving ** fat approx 4 mg per serving Keywords: eGCI, Healthy Choices, Side, Potatoes ( RG994 )

Simple Curried Sweet Potatoes This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI (Texture; hand dexterity; no cutting necessary; low sodium*; low fat**) 4 fresh sweet potatoes (not giants) 1 c lite coconut milk 1/2 c peanut butter (smooth works as well as crunchy; reduced fat is fine) 1 tsp curry powder (mild for younger or sensitive palates/digestion; we like it hot) Cook sweet potatoes until well done: bake @ 450 for one hour; OR boil for 35-45 minutes; OR pressure cook for 10-12 minutes. Cool a bit and hand peel; peels will slip off quite easily. Return to pot on medium low to medium heat. Pour in coconut milk. Stir/wisk to mash. Add peanut butter of your choice and stir to blend. Stir in curry to taste. I do not add extra salt to my serving, but you may salt to taste. You can serve as is or garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds or peanuts. (Remember to check sodium for the garnish, if that is an issue.) *sodium approx 30 mg per serving ** fat approx 4 mg per serving Keywords: eGCI, Healthy Choices, Side, Potatoes ( RG994 )

Cauliflower Parmesan This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities Course in the eCGI This is so easy and similar in consistency and taste to cheesy garlic mashed potatoes, but more nutritious. I love the fresh jarred, minced garlic; saves my fingers from the knife. 1 head cauliflower/cleaned, reserving the leaves/remove large stalk 1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese (OR Parmesan and Romano mixed) 1/2 c light margarine (OR butter) 1/2 medium sweet onion/ grated 1 cloves garlic/ finely minced salt to taste Steam cauliflower head or pressure cook until very tender/adding the leaves for the last 2-3 minutes in steamer or final minute in pressure cooker. Saute the grated onion and the garlic in margarine or butter, just until tender, but not browned. Mash with the cauliflower and cheese, adding cheese a bit at a time, salting to taste. Serve with the leaves as side garnish. *You can use your food processor to to prep the onion, if a hand grater is difficult for you. I have used both methods to equal success Keywords: Side, Vegetables, eGCI, Healthy Choices ( RG993 )