[Ag-eq] off topic question

Tue Jul 30 14:08:52 UTC 2013

Hi Tracy

Well besides the usual things you could do like veggie burgers you can do
vegetables on the BBQ and even sandwiches. I do them with onion and tomato.
I've done portobella mushrooms as well with garlic. You can put things on
skewers as well.

Michelle

-----Original Message-----
From: Ag-eq [mailto:ag-eq-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2013 5:05 AM
To: Agricultural and Equestrean Division List
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] off topic question

I am vegetarian too, but of the laziest sort--veg, dairy, eggs, some fish. 
I grew up cooking meat, but haven't done it for quite some time.  I'd like
to know more about vegetarian grilling, too.
Tracy

----- Original Message -----
From: <nfoster at extremezone.com>
To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] off topic question

>
> 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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>> > >
>> >
>> >
>> >
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>>
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