A Healing Table: "Plan A , B, and C"
(Part four in a series on finding simplicity when living with chronic pain/limits; the full series can be found here)
This multiple plan idea that was inspired by sweet Sabine some time back...and it's worked out really well. The idea is to have different versions of things when possible. For example, take quiche (recipe in a previous post). I find its cheaper, and a nice change too, to have diced potatoes and the harder type veggies in a quiche...so thats plan a, the plan that help would be needed with (for the chopping). But when there is no help i turn to a plan b instead, like was in the recipe shared...using frozen corn rather than the diced fresh potatoes, and using softer veggies that i can handle chopping, like tomatoes, mushrooms, zuchhini etc. Then there are the times when i am in the middle of a serious flare up and also there is no help. Then, quite frankly, not much cooking happens, and its plan c....turning to anything thats been made ahead of time for the future, like frozen soup portions etc; or eating more non-cook stuff , such as: hummus or bean puree on sourdough toast (even yummier if can put some fresh herbs on it), cornbread with cultured milk, yogurt with some banana and/or unsweetened cocoa powder, fruit with cheese or nuts, salads and the like.
If doing some cooking during the better moments during a flare up, i try and choose things that can be eaten cold or room temp if needed, things like quiche, some soups, some cassaroles. That may not sound appetizing to some, i know. But the reason is that not having to heat things up means less dishes and clean up, which can be pretty important when your pain level is high. For that hot nourished feeling, one can still have some nice hot tea along with the meal....i find that really helps.
To me this "plan c" type stuff also applies in the very hottest days of summer...whether the pain is flared up or not. Heat wave days are just not the time to cook...unless you have nice cooled down evenings to cook in, or a not too hot climate.
(Image from Gode Cookery)
(Part four in a series on finding simplicity when living with chronic pain/limits; the full series can be found here)
This multiple plan idea that was inspired by sweet Sabine some time back...and it's worked out really well. The idea is to have different versions of things when possible. For example, take quiche (recipe in a previous post). I find its cheaper, and a nice change too, to have diced potatoes and the harder type veggies in a quiche...so thats plan a, the plan that help would be needed with (for the chopping). But when there is no help i turn to a plan b instead, like was in the recipe shared...using frozen corn rather than the diced fresh potatoes, and using softer veggies that i can handle chopping, like tomatoes, mushrooms, zuchhini etc. Then there are the times when i am in the middle of a serious flare up and also there is no help. Then, quite frankly, not much cooking happens, and its plan c....turning to anything thats been made ahead of time for the future, like frozen soup portions etc; or eating more non-cook stuff , such as: hummus or bean puree on sourdough toast (even yummier if can put some fresh herbs on it), cornbread with cultured milk, yogurt with some banana and/or unsweetened cocoa powder, fruit with cheese or nuts, salads and the like.
If doing some cooking during the better moments during a flare up, i try and choose things that can be eaten cold or room temp if needed, things like quiche, some soups, some cassaroles. That may not sound appetizing to some, i know. But the reason is that not having to heat things up means less dishes and clean up, which can be pretty important when your pain level is high. For that hot nourished feeling, one can still have some nice hot tea along with the meal....i find that really helps.
To me this "plan c" type stuff also applies in the very hottest days of summer...whether the pain is flared up or not. Heat wave days are just not the time to cook...unless you have nice cooled down evenings to cook in, or a not too hot climate.
(Image from Gode Cookery)