Laughter & Cooking

We laughed a lot this weekend. It felt great. One such ocassion was when I asked Steve to take my picture as I was doing a post on cooking! Just saying me doing a post on cooking had us giggling. Now, I love to cook for entertaining. Give me 5-30 people to have over to our house, and I am loving creating a feast. The two of us cooking for dinner is just not so fun.

However, cookies were long overdue for a friend with a new baby so I pulled out the mixer and made cookies and a mess!  I thought I would share some of the tips that have helped cooking blindly be more enjoyable.  I remember prior to my first class at the blind center, I had multiple cuts on my hands and wrists from encounters with knives and lids and such.  I quickly learned that blindness need not be my excuse for not cooking.  It was an empowering experience to make that lemon meringue pie in class.   Some of the lessons that I have found to be most helpful in the kitchen are:

I try to use the tray method.  Basically keeping all the items on a tray = less items getting lost on the counter or being spilled.  When you are finished, it is easy to put items away and dishes in the sink.  I love my colored measuring cups and spoons.  The combination of them being bright/constrasting colors and stackable helps me to know which is the 1/4 cup, etc.  Eggs are measured into a separate bowl rather than directly into the main bowl.  Make sure to plug in the appliances near an outlet so that there aren't any hanging cord.  Organize the pantry.  A place for everything and everything in its place.  Many items with a small spout are put into a larger open container to avoid pouring.  In the pantry and in my closet are the two areas that I have found my braille labeling to be most helpful.  I try to clean it out on a regular basis so I  know what is in the pantry.  If it gets moved to a different shelf, it can be thought its not even there.   I am grateful that my family is super awesome to not leave the dishwasher door down (hits the RP shins) or cabinets open (hits RP forehead) ... generally when that happens, its me! 

I'm doing some cooking for a retreat this weekend.  I have some fun flowered plates for the ocassion and truthfully, most of it is being catered except for my slush!