How difficult is it to cook? On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being highly difficult. For me, cooking is about 8 right now, but I'm getting better all the time. If you have the right kitchen tools and appliances, organization is the key to successfully using these items to make cooking less of a struggle.
The first thing I did was get a couple of cookbooks. I am already an avid watcher of Food Network. After watching this show for eons, I knew I needed more kitchen stuff. "Oh no," I thought. "I have to go shopping."
Kitchen Stuff
After taking stock of what I had in my kitchen. Out went the old unused and in came the new. Yes, I ordered a few things to help me cook better. Boxes started appearing at my door. First from the mail man, then Mr. UPS man. It was like Christmas. I felt exhilarated. Okay, this might not be as hard a challenge as I first thought. Here are a few of the kitchen items I got first.
Lock and Lock HPL20BS 20-Piece Polypropylene Food-Storage Container Set
These are amazing, fabulous, wanna-cry great!
Lock and Lock Pasta Box Food Container, Tall, 8.3-Cup, 67-Fluid Ounces
I loved these Lock and Lock, I got more.
KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Empire Red
Okay, this was a bit of an extravagance, but I wanted one for years and years. I decided now is the time, and I am so glad I did. It makes cooking a breeze. A real breeze!
Nordic Ware Baker's Half Sheet with Storage Lid, 13 by 18 Inch
I make enchiladas. My grandmother's recipe. But I always had to cover the sheet with plastic wrap to store in the refrigerator. The second sheet (I always made plenty for family and friends), well if I put the second sheet on top of the first, the ench's on the first smashed down. This one comes with a sturdy cover. Excellent. I should have got 4. Maybe later.
Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, 56MM (4 Tablespoon)
I know what you're thinking, and no this is not to scoop up mounds of ice cream, which is not good for a diabetic. I got this scoop because it is BIG. The perfect size for keeping control of the size of such things as hamburger patties, meat balls, tuna salad. You know. Portion control is important, and this scoop works great! I got a smaller one later.
Kitchen Organization
My Pantry Got a Face Lift
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| You should see it now! |
I had ordered Lock and Lock storage containers. If you have never heard of these babies, you have got to get one. I got a box of 16, and I loved them so much, I bought another box and several individual pieces. They are awesome. I still new a few more so I put them on my Wish List.
I not only put my flour, sugar and other similar staples in these airtight containers, but I got some for leftovers as well. My thinking is that since I am cooking for a diabetic, any leftovers when properly stored would allow me to pull diabetic meals from the freezer, micro and eat healthy without having to prepare an entire meal. It worked!
Now, you can see from the pantry we have in our home, that we store other things, too. I organized the pantry with food on the shelves on the left, and cooking supplies on the right. This saves me mucho time. I now have a completely organized pantry. I did the same thing with the cupboards, the freezer, and the refrigerator.
I went a bit farther with the freezer. I took inventory. I mean our freezer was a disaster. I had crab toes in there that must have been two years old. I would have never eaten them being that old.
After I took everything out, I trashed the old food items. Then, I documented on a small tablet what I did want to keep, and organized the shelves in the freezer with the same food types. For example, on one freezer shelf, I store breads. On another, meat is stored. Frozen veggies and so on.
Learning to Cook
Most people know what they like to eat and what they don't. I think they develop preferences from an early age. I have my likes for sure, but diabetes changed things. I had to learn to cook all over again. New menus and new ways to eat and cook was and is a challenge. Being organized certainly helps.
Once I had my kitchen organized, I felt comfortable taking the next step. Cooking.
I made over 21 meals in three weeks time, and I hated them all. I was so depressed, and upset with myself. My honey kept praising me, telling me how good the food I cooked tasted. But I didn't like the taste, so although I felt wonderful that I had such a great husband, I was sinking into the blues. My cooking was not what I wanted it to be.Cookbooks
Recipes for Diabetics
I bought a few more cookbooks. Now, mind you, I already had a nice assortment of cookbooks, maybe 25 different ones including one about setting the Tablescape. Very cool. Another one I enjoy is Entertaining With Ease. Love it.
But all the cookbooks I owned from good old Betty Crocker to the big fat edition published by Better Homes and Gardens, these wonderful cookeries were all loaded with fat-filled and sugar-loaded recipes. No longer good for me to eat, so why try.
I am not a very frugal person, but I am quickly learning to be. Unfortunately, I did what I should not have done. I jumped too quickly and in two months I had nine cookbooks on my shelf that were all dedicated to cooking for a diabetic.
I thumbed through them tirelessly. I followed some recipes to the "T". But no luck. I could not find recipes that I enjoyed and that I felt comfortable serving to my honey (who by the way does not have diabetes).
I kept trying. Never give up is my motto. Well, low and behold, I found the perfect cookbook. It inspires me. I get watery eyes just thinking about this wonderful, wonderful cookbook. It's called, da ta da da, Diabetes Meals for Good Health: Includes Complete Meal Plans and 100 Recipes
What I love about this cookbook is it includes complete meal plans, gorgeous photos and recipes. The author is a certified diabetes educator, so I can trust the nutritional information. Plus, the pages are color coded. There's yellow for breakfast meals, green for lunch meals, blue for dinners, and the edge of the pages that are purple are snacks.
I know my likes may not be the same for you, but if you are learning to cook for a diabetic, this cookbook is a gem. It truly will be a welcome addition to your cookbook library.
How Difficult is it to Cook and Be Organized?
Being a good cook -- at least a cook that makes food people want to eat -- is a process. It does take some time and dedication. Everyone needs to know what's going on with food, food at the grocery store and how to take care of food so it doesn't spoil before you eat it. I keep up-to-date with news about food, kitchen acesssories and related ideas for diabetics. This new interest makes it easier to get excited about food, buying the best food and cooking food. Storing food correctly before and after it's cooked... and having an organized kitchen changes things a lot.