Mar 19th, 2024

Author: donich_admin

Stocking up

Last time I was semi-incapacitated (with my arm in a sling), we had to live on a combination of R’s cooking and ready meals. Now don’t get me wrong – within his area of competency, R is a good cook and I wouldn’t knock him for trying, but his range is very limited. Also it doesn’t seem fair that R should end up with all the cooking as well as his demanded day job. Inevitably there are going to be parts of the household tasks he has to do for a while, but I am trying to minimize these. I don’t mind M&S meals, but we can’t easily get them here, and the ones from ASDA/Morrisons are frankly nasty, plus packed with salt and ultra-processed ingredients.

Some things are clearly not going to be possible from a wheelchair, even allowing for the fact that I can stand on my right leg. Hoovering and cleaning out the cat loo are two things that jump to mind. Laundry and at least some cleaning/tidying I can do. Cooking falls into a bit of a grey area; I can reach the microwave, kettle, sink and coffee grinder from the wheelchair. I could prepare veg etc at the kitchen table. However, although I could balance on one foot to use the main cooker, I don’t think this would be easy, comfortable or safe.

So I have prepared a contingency plan for my incapacity period, which may also prove useful in the case of a small nuclear war (provided we get enough solar to power the freezers once the grid has gone). I will be out of action for a minimum of six weeks – 42 days. So at two main meal portions per day for R and I, this is 84 meals. I also calculated on a roll each per day.

I’ve now made most of them, many using my new friend the slow cooker. Here they are – 66 of them so far, plus 52 home baked rolls. As can be seen, I moved all the day to day food out of the main chest freezer into the other two, in order to dedicate the space to the stock pile.

I think the freezer will just accommodate the whole 84 and breads but it will be close.

Here are some of the delicious meals awaiting us.

Chili con carne

Steak and sausage pie

Pepper pot

Rolls