#Helpful #Kitchen Hints....(and a couple of my favorite recipes) for #Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Beginning with one of my favorite blogs..The Pioneer Woman...love the way she cooks...down home, hungry-man food.  Check out her pizza crust when you get a chance...it's easy and wonderful.  I had never tried my hand at homemade pizza until I watched her.   One of Ree's tips....always use block Mozzarella and grate it yourself.   You need the moisture content instead of using packaged, grated type.  And if you're thinking, "I don't want to go to all that trouble, here is my tip.   Buy yourself the most wonderful kitchen gadget ever....a SALAD SHOOTER, by Presto (Professional size is a must, not any heavier than the regular).   Most stores don't carry them any more, but you can get it on line.  Takes seconds to grate cheese.   I use it for everything.....I grate carrots, bell pepper, celery, onion, etc. directly into the pan for cooking.    It's so easy and for those friends who have #Rheumatoid Arthritis, it is virtually PAIN FREE.

"The Pioneer Woman", Ree and her family

Here is Food Network link for #The Pioneer Woman pizza crust: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/basic-pepperoni-pizza-and-four-cheese-pizza-recipe/index.html

When you are afflicted with #RA, every movement is a chore.  I do try to cook every night, but some days that's a difficult task.  Most every day chore for someone with #Rheumatoid Arthritis is gut wrenching.  I had to whittle down my kitchen tools to some degree.   I cooked with a heavy set of Calphalon for years and now I find it's too heavy to handle easily.   I gave it away and went to the cheaper version of cookware.   You do what you have to do.   On holidays, I have reverted to the disposal pans for casseroles, not too lovely, but it's all about flavor anyway.   I think your guests won't complain when there is good food in a not-so-lovely container.  Politically Correct doesn't fit into my vocabulary or my life anymore.

Keeping my KitchenAid stand mixer on the counter is a must.  There is no lifting that heavy monster anymore so it sits proudly beside my toaster.  They are so colorful now...great addition to the counter.  Mine is 25 years old and the original "white".   I ordered vinyl red polka dots and it is really wild now.

A good set of knives is a must for RA patients.   Trying to tackle chopping, slicing and dicing with a dull knife is a disaster waiting to happen.

A Mandolin is a must-have kitchen gadget.   Easy to slice cabbage for cole slaw and for grating small amounts of cheese, spices, etc.

Opening jars...a real nightmare.   I still haven't found a gadget that really works, except my husband!!
Even twist ties on bread are painful some days....Try the magnetic clips for chip bags....I use them on bread, crackers pasta, anything that is reused and opened frequently.  I even use these on frozen vegetables.  Life savers.

Rearranging kitchen cabinets is a must.   You will definitely need help for this, but it makes a world of difference.   Since I can't fall to my knees anymore rambling through a cabinet for a skillet, put the items you use every day up close and to the front.  Try putting a 5 lb. bag of rice in a small, manageable container.   Keep baskets on your counter for onions and potatoes (they need the air circulation anyway) so they are easy to reach.  It keeps your frustration level down.

The little, everyday things we always did without thinking are the chores that send me through the roof.   Of course taking #Prednisone, everything sends you through the roof.  Trying to be pleasant and taking that medicine don't go hand-in-hand.  I now have to think before I pick up a skillet or pan or before walking up a step.  Here is a tip I learned from a Physical Therapist...going up and down stairs.....if one of your knees is the worse than other...to go up steps lead with your good leg and down with your bad leg.  Way to remember this "Up to Heaven....(with good leg)......down to Hell (with bad leg)...it makes a huge difference.  

Living with #RA is difficult, depressing and scary.   I wonder every day what part of my body will it affect.  There is no simple explanation of this disease and if you tell someone you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, you know what's coming next....."well, I have arthritis in my knees, my grandmother had that, you need to exercise, and on and on").....they don't know a damn thing about it and neither do I for that matter.  It is a blessing that there are new drugs to help, but it is sooo complicated and if you read or listen to the side effects, you wonder, which is worse?    I cry...

250 TIPS for making life easier living with RA....follow this link.  It is a wonderful website, chocked full of information:

http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-book-review/

Let's get to some food!

"Dot's" Spaghetti Sauce.   My mother put a little twist on spaghetti sauce and it is a wonderful addition to your pasta dishes.  Beware, I don't cook in small quantities.  This sauce freezes well and is great the next day.

Ingredients:

3 pounds - ground chuck
1 - medium yellow onion
1 - green bell pepper
3 - large carrots
13 - T - Worcestershire Sauce
1 - T - Tabasco
1 1/2 cups - HEINZ (no substitutions) Ketchup
1 - small can Tomato Paste  (7 oz)
5 or 6 cans cold water (it will cook down)
salt and pepper

PULL out the Salad Shooter!!

Brown ground chuck in a Dutch Oven....along with grated onion, bell pepper and carrots (all grated right into the pot with the Salad Shooter..add 1 T salt and 1 tsp pepper....drain off grease.

Add rest of ingredients...stir and let simmer for 30 minutes (taste test for salt and add more if necessary).   Serve over al dente Vermicelli...delicious (Your kids eat vegetables without knowing)

I serve with my Grandmother's (no mayo) cole slaw

1 ---1/2 head of cabbage
1 - carrot
salt
canola oil
apple cider vinegar

USE SLICING BLADE on Mandolin and slice cabbage finely into glass bowl.
Use carrot peeler and peel carrot onto cabbage

Sprinkle 1 T salt (I know it's a lot of salt, but trust me on flavor)
This next step is key to flavor....3 heaping T Canola oil and  1 heaping T apple cider vinegar...stir and serve...The mixture of salt, oil, vinegar and carrots makes this cole slaw.  It's chemistry!!!!

"Lobster" - sold

"Dazed and Confused" - sold

 

#New Orleans in a "Nutshell"!

Been shy about posting since my first, wondering to myself, who would want to read this?

Good news is my husband has been sober since October 2, 2006.   Guess I should talk about life in New Orleans from 2007 until November, 2012.  Met so many colorful characters in our time there.  Always something happening in New Orleans, seemed like every day there was a parade for some occasion. When we first moved there, I had been diagnosed with #Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2005, only taking Plaquenil, folic acid and Lexapro.  Still felt OK...could maneuver pretty well at that point. Very hard financially since we lost everything,  and all I could do was worry, but we made it.    We busied ourselves with AA meetings every day, lingered in coffee shops and found our favorites in the neighborhood.  (in case you were wondering how we paid rent, we were living off of what was left of our 401k)  We both looked for jobs to no avail.  Dealing with depression, anxiety, shame and embarrassment were the daily chores for both of us. 

Magazine Street

"The Blues"...sold

Pat Conroy and me at book signing at Garden District Books

Pat (my husband driving buggy) and Red

Julie Smith (great New Orleans writer) and me

Amzie and me

Toni jamming on sidewalk in NOLA

Mr. Okra a New Orleans tradition

Danny and Dewain

St. Charles Streetcar

Mississippi River Bridge

Robert playing on the Square

Mardis Gras attire

Everyone walks their parrots?

Seems like everyone in New Orleans had a story, tales of hard lives, misunderstood individuals and colorful pasts.  I guess we fit in pretty well.

 My husband decided he would take the history courses at the Cabildo, since he is somewhat of a history buff.   He later admitted that every trip we took to New Orleans, he thought about driving a buggy and giving historical tours.  Well, on his job hunting he came across an ad for "buggy driver" and the rest is history.  He began working for Royal Carriage and found his niche.   I knew he would be a wonderful tour guide (one of the few who actually gave a historical tour, although he did throw in the not-so-historical view of New Orleans) not only because of his love of history, but his gift of gab!!!   It was very hard work....he was responsible for hitching up the mule and spent many long hours in the sweltering heat and freezing temps, not to mention the crazies on Jackson Square and the tourists.

Meanwhile, back at the house, I was still searching for a job.   Had been a legal secretary for many years and interviewed for a clerical position in the legal department at Tulane University, but didn't get the position.   In the meantime, I began working at a neighborhood coffee shop as a Barista.   Considering my plight of having a hideous disease known as #Rheumatoid Arthritis, I handled it.   Definitely could not work full-time, because for those of you who are also suffering from this disease, the more you use the joints that are affected, the more "flares" you have.   Considering our financial situation, we qualified for health care through LSU and after one year, was able to seek medical treatment from a wonderful #Rheumatologist.  God was watching over us and I am grateful.  The doctor kept me on the Plaquenil, folic acid regimen but added #Methotrexate (pills) and I have also been taking thyroid meds for years, and at last I had some relief.

And if this wasn't enough, I continued to play slot machines.  I used this addiction as a release, a self-medication, if you will.   I absolutely hate talking about this because we had enough on our plates without me throwing money away.  I used the slot machines, the monotonous rhythm of the sounds of a casino to escape.   I would catch myself looking around at the other idiots doing the same thing I was doing and I felt even worse.  It was like drugs, when a win would come, it was a huge high and then back into the depths of depression.   Believe me it only threw me directly

Pink Vase

"Dancing in New Orleans"...sold

"Flavor of New Orleans"...sold

into the depths of hell. 

I busied myself with painting again and through friends we had made there found myself painting again and showing my work at various venues.  Painting is a passion, but is hard work and dealing with the usual artistic slumps can be truly difficult.   I came across a book by #Julia Cameron, "#The Artist's Way"...a truly wonderful self'-help book.  It is not only a book for "blocked" artists, but for any professional, young or old, male or female who is having trouble focusing and healing deep set wounds.  I formed a small group at the coffee shop by putting a sign-sheet on the counter for anyone interested in studying the "Artist's Way" and lo and behold, found myself with a group.  We

"Sonny's Cher" - sold

scheduled our group meeting once a week and the rest is history.   Here was a group of strangers (I did know a few of the people), who bonded and set out on this journey of healing together.   What a wonderful time.   We were given weekly homework and our daily assignment was "Morning Pages".  Morning pages were such a fabulous spiritual journey for everyone.   Julia Cameron described the pages as "brain drain" and it truly was.   They must be hand-written (no computer), 3 pages and written the first thing in the morning....NO night-time pages.   There are no set rules for the content, in fact, let it GO.  NO ONE is allowed to read your pages, not even you!   You can (and should) say anything that is on your mind.   These pages are some of the best therapy I have had.  All I can say, is go pick up a copy and begin your journey.   In fact, it's time for me to bring out the well-worn, scribbled-in copy and start over. I NEED IT NOW.

Everyone in the group found themselves opening up at our sessions and feeling at ease talking about feelings that have been hidden for years.   What a relief to feel secure enough with a group of people, some of which you have never met and know you can speak freely and confidentially and discover old wounds and put them to rest.

I have rattled on and if you are still reading this, Bless your Heart (a favorite southern expression and it has several meanings!).   I promise when I am finished spilling the beans, we will go on to brighter topics, #painting, #crocheting, #decorating, #reading and some cooking.  

"Marilyn ?" hijacked by my daughter, Liz