[Ag-eq] off topic question

[nfoster at extremezone.com]

Michelle:

We'll have to talk; I'm a vegetarian.  I still use eggs and milk, but mostly my
own farm fresh eggs and fresh goat milk.

What do you BBQ?

I've noticed that a lot of the rehab teachers here teach the clients how to use
electric skillets, crock pots and george Forman Grills.  They think they are
safer than using the stove.  It seems very limiting to me.  I use my crock pot
and George Forman, but in addition to my stove.  I've never used an electric
skillet and really don't understand the advantages.  I also have a rice steamer
that I love.

I think you're right about people not wanting to touch the food.  I'm constantly
washing my hands, because I'm constantly checking out my food by touch!  I teach
baking work shops a few times a year at the center and the clients are so timid
about really getting their hands in the doughs and batters.

I don't teach cooking meat, since I really don't know how.  I always tell the
staff and clients that I might make someone sick since I don't know the
appropriate temps and such.

When I moved into my house it had a glass top stove, so I learned to use it. 
Now I'm so used to it I don't know why it made me nervous at first.  We also
have one in the training kitchen at work and most of the clients don't have to
much trouble with it.

You can email me at nfoster at extremezone.com

Thanks.

Nella


Quoting Michelle Creedy  <michelle.creedy at gmail.com>:

> Hi Nella and Tracy
>
> Actually, I have lots of cooking tips! I use all the ones you do and the
> ones rehab teachers frown on. Last week, I learned how to BBQ. I found the
> best way to flip things was to pick them up with a spatuler and then flip
> them with my hands and then put them back on the BBQ with a spatula. Putting
> your fingers lightly on the top of something is generally okay because you
> can feel the heat coming off it so if it's hot you'll wait a few minutes.
>
> I don't use much adaptive stuff either. I have the long mits but they seem
> very stiff.
>
> When I received training from World Access for the Blind we happened to be
> visiting somewhere where there was one of those stoves with a glass top. I
> learned how to feel where the heat was coming from and thereby know where
> the elements are. Of course, you can place the pan on cold too.
>
> Write me off-list if you have specific questions. Cooking is something I
> love and would actually love to teach the blind. The trouble is I'm vegan
> and someone asking me to help them cook meat would probably result in my
> losing whatever my last meal was.
>
> I too don't believe in simply easy dishes for the blind. That's
> unfortunately where a lot of rehab people go. It makes people very
> unhealthy. The biggest thing is practice and slow down.
>
> I've always been blind so don't really know how sighted folks do things but
> what I've noticed is that they are often not wanting to touch their food.
> They get worried about our fingers being in the way and us cutting
> ourselves. I
>
> Write me at
> Michelle.creedy at gmail.com
> If you want.
>
> Michelle
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> nfoster at extremezone.com
> Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 8:31 AM
> To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] off topic question
>
>
> Tracy, thanks, I'll have to check out the Blind Mice Mall.
>
> Sorry to hear about your terrible burn.  Fortunately I've never seriously
> burned myself, but have lots of tiny scars from very small burns.  I don't
> know how many times I've bumped my fore arm with a cookie sheet as I pull it
> out of the oven.  I guess that's why I should use longer mitts!
>
> I don't know how many times I've put the tea kettle on only to forget to
> turn on the heat; it's hard to burn myself that way!
>
> Like you I go by time a lot.  I do check some things with a fork or by very
> lightly touching with my finger.  I'm sure some of the rehab teachers
> wouldn't approve of my techniques.
>
> Nella
>
>
>
> Quoting Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>:
>
> > Hi Nella.
> > I have a braille timer.  Like you, I judge when things are done by
> > touch, smell, and sometimes just by time.  I know how long it takes to
> > cook spaghetti or boil potatoes, and, when the time is up, I figure
> > they're done. Sometimes I check with a fork, and sometimes not.
> > I recently bought some oven mitts from the Blindmice Megamall.
> > They're made of silicon, or something rubbery, and have a side textured to
> grip.
> > They're pretty thin, so it's easy to feel through them, but they also
> > insulate well.  My only complaint is they're pretty stiff.  Blindmice
> > megamall has a lot of cooking things.  Some sound useful, and others
> > sound gimmicky.  They also, I think, have videos called Cooking without
> Looking.
> > Before, I had a mitt I bought from QVC.  It has a gripper side, but
> > the rest is cloth.  I really like it, but it's getting old and holey,
> > so had to be replaced.
> >
> > I had a nasty accident with a gas stove several years ago, so we
> > bought an electric stove instead.  I was making tea, and forgot to put
> > the kettle on the burner before I turned it on, then I reached over
> > the burner to grab something, and the flame caught my shirt on fire.
> > I got 2 fun-filled weeks in the burn ward, and some really big scars.
> > It made me very nervous of open flame.  But I get on fine with my electric
> stove.
> > Tracy
> >
> > > I work at the Arizona Center for the Blind and one of my
> > > responsibilities is leading the women's independent living
> > > discussion, WILD for short.  WILD is a peer support group to discuss
> > > anything related to women, blindness or other disabilities.  I'm not
> > > a counselor, so I'm just a facilitator for the group.
> > > The group decides what topics they would like to discuss; I will
> > > give them suggestions if they can't think of anything.  We have
> > > discussed such things as organization techniques, women's health
> > > issues, physical fitness and transportation strategies.  This
> > > Wednesday we will be discussing personal safety and the following
> > > week cooking and food preparation.
> > >
> > > Some of the women have asked for easy recipes for people who are blind.
> > > This
> > > question makes me grit my teeth, since I don't think blind people
> > > need special recipes.  They have also asked for techniques and about
> > > special equipment for the blind.
> > >
> > > Now, finally for my question; do you have any suggestions that I can
> > > share with my group?
> > >
> > > I enjoy cooking, especially baking and use touch and smell a lot.
> > > I'm totally blind, so have to do everything without sight.  The only
> > > specialized equipment I have are a talking scale, talking
> > > thermometer and a Braille timer.  The only reason I really need the
> > > scale and thermometer are for making cheese and soap.
> > >
> > > I believe all of the women in the group have some useable vision.
> > > This may be the problem for a couple of them because their vision is
> > > so limited they can't depend on it, but they're not ready to stop
> > > trying to use it.
> > >
> > > I know rehab teachers teach methods for people that are low vision,
> > > but I'm not as familiar with them.  If any of you are low vision I
> > > hope you will share some of your strategies.
> > >
> > > Do any of you use specialized equipment, and if so what types?
> > >
> > > Some of the women have expressed concerns about using the stove,
> > > oven and handling hot dishes.  Some of them are older and have other
> > > health issues, which may be part of the concern.  The rehab teachers
> > > I work with recommend a certain oven mitt that is heavy and goes to
> > > the elbow.  When I've tried to use these, they were way too big for
> > > my hands and I felt very clumsy and unsafe with them.  Do any of you
> > > have a better oven mitt recommendation?
> > >
> > > I believe all the women have a basic knowledge of cooking, but
> > > learned when they were sighted.  Most of them are older and very
> > > fearful.  I lost my sight as a teenager and have been doing things
> > > as a blind person for so long I'm not always sure what advice to
> > > give.  I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
> > > I think there are some wonderfully independent blind women in this
> > > group and I'm always learning from you.
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > > Nella
> > >
> > >
> > >
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