Lupus Kitchen Coping Part 2

acoustic guitar, soft piano, restrained drums, shakers

Tools of the kitchen 
arena are just as 
important in energy 
conservation as the 
food we prepare. 
Of all the large, 
chunky handled 
kitchen tools 
available, I prefer the 
OXO Good Grips line. 
They have large 
diameter handles of 
soft rubber with fins 
at the thumb and 
index finger part 
of many of the grips.
I have found other,
less expensive hard
plastic or metal 
tools painful to use. 
The best prices I 
have found on the 
OXO Good Grips
is at Corning Ware 
Factory Outlet stores 
and occasionally in 
the clearance sale 
bins at kitchen 
specialty stores, 
Wal Mart, etcetera.

I spread the cost of 
buying these tools 
over several years 
and also ask for 
specific tools as 
Christmas or 
birthday gifts.

A good quality, sharp 
knife saves a lot of 
energy in chopping 
and slicing and is 
safer to use.

Look for pots and
pans with an easy 
to grip handle that  
are not too heavy to 
lift when full of food.

Consider a large 
handled fork and 
spoon. 
They decrease 
frustration and spills 
if your fingers have 
difficulty holding on  
to a thin utensil.

Use a steak knife 
instead of a table 
knife to cut meat and
dense vegetables 
on your plate with 
half the effort. 
Instead of a regular 
flat dinner plate, 
I use  a soup plate 
with a low rim or lip 
around the edge 
making it much
easier to load a fork
or spoon without 
spilling. 
If muscle 
contraction, 
cramping and pain 
in your hands is a 
problem, try using
warm to hot water
only when washing 
and rinsing dishes, 
to relax muscles, 
tendons and fascia.

A blast of cold water 
can make muscles 
contract and hurt 
more.

Finally, put a soft, 
padded area rug or 
mat in front of the
sink and stove. 
This lessens fatigue 
in leg and hip 
muscles and joints.

Try some of these 
ideas and enjoy having 
a bit easier time with 
meal preparation.

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Part 2 Meal Preparation In Part 1 Grocery Shopping I mentioned precut meats and pre- washed/cut vegetables. I want to take that further and include other items my family uses to ease meal preparation. These include prebaked, vacuum packed whole wheat pizza dough/crusts, multigrain pasta and bread machine mixes, bulk pack hamburger, chicken parts, precooked roasts, shredded broccoli or vegetable mixes in the salad section which can also be used for stir fry, precooked bacon. I find cooking in bulk easier. On a day when I am feeling good, I cook a large batch of something and freeze the extra in individual meal size portions which only need to be micro- waved on a day when I do not feel well. I reheat the number of meal size portions based on how many people will be eating at that meal. Tools of the kitchen arena are just as important in energy conservation as the food we prepare. Of all the large, chunky handled kitchen tools available, I prefer the OXO Good Grips line. They have large diameter handles of soft rubber with fins at the thumb and index finger part of many of the grips. I have found other, less expensive hard plastic or metal tools painful to use. The best prices I have found on the OXO Good Grips is at Corning Ware Factory Outlet stores and occasionally in the clearance sale bins at kitchen specialty stores, Wal Mart, etcetera. I spread the cost of buying these tools over several years and also ask for specific tools as Christmas or birthday gifts. A good quality, sharp knife saves a lot of energy in chopping and slicing and is safer to use. Look for pots and pans with an easy to grip handle that are not too heavy to lift when full of food. Consider a large handled fork and spoon. They decrease frustration and spills if your fingers have difficulty holding on to a thin utensil. Use a steak knife instead of a table knife to cut meat and dense vegetables on your plate with half the effort. Instead of a regular flat dinner plate, I use a soup plate with a low rim or lip around the edge making it much easier to load a fork or spoon without spilling. If muscle contraction, cramping and pain in your hands is a problem, try using warm to hot water only when washing and rinsing dishes, to relax muscles, tendons and fascia. A blast of cold water can make muscles contract and hurt more. Finally, put a soft, padded area rug or mat in front of the sink and stove. This lessens fatigue in leg and hip muscles and joints. Try some of these ideas and enjoy having a bit easier time with meal preparation.

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