The Comfort and Joy of Cooking
‘Tis the season for getting together with friends and family to celebrate the holidays. It’s not just about sitting down for the family feast, it’s also about communing in the kitchen. There’s nothing like baking cookies with children, or being part of an assembly line of helpful hands slicing, whisking, stuffing. Cooking with family is also a great learning experience. How else would you learn about secret ingredients or foolproof tips? There is great comfort and joy in preparing – and sharing – a meal.
Mom used to do all the cooking. She was a pro – with her pinches of this and dashes of that – and her recipe cards for everything were committed to memory. Her home was once the hub where we all gathered for family occasions. As her physical health declined and she moved into a seniors residence, she had to cut back on some of her favourite activities like cooking. She became more withdrawn and lost interest in food. Last year, we set up a table and picked up a few easy-to-grip utensils, and asked for her help. Although she was initially reluctant to pitch in (apologizing that she might be more of a hindrance than a help) she rolled up her sleeves and made the pastry for the pies and prepped the stuffing and vegetables. It all came back to her, and she had a great meal.
By making a few accommodations, cooking can be an experience that everyone can enjoy.
There are lots of adaptive cooking utensils on the market and tips on creating an accessible kitchen:
- Cooking with a Physical Disability, by Kitchn.com offers a list of tools, planning and cooking strategies.
- Adaptive Cooking has a list of cooking devices, and they also offer cooking classes.
- Here’s a great article about about Cooking with children with special needs.
- The popular AMI-TV show, Four Senses featuring Christine Ha, offers lots of great ideas and recipes.
- And Spinalpedia has an article on Wheelchair Holiday Cooking Tips.
- The Disability Feast in the United States Accessible Kitchen Tools and Devices
“Remember, ‘No one’s more important than people’! In other words, friendship is the most important thing–not career or housework, or one’s fatigue–and it needs to be tended and nurtured.”
― My Life in France
We, at Wheelchair in Motion, wish you a happy holiday season that is filled with good food, friends and family!
