Have you or someone you know lost some vision?

Had some loss for some time and want to gain more independence?

Whatever your circumstances, you can shop for groceries on your own independently with very little help. Wouldn't that be awesome?

There are many ways to shop for groceries when you have vision loss, all with varying degrees of monetary costs and help involved:

Many cities and even small towns have a delivery service / taxi service that can make small deliveries. I would only recommend this for the occasional item that you need "now" - such as a missing recipe item. 

Another similar service that you may want to know about is UberEats for food delivery from restaurants that don't offer delivery.

If you live close to a grocery store, consider walking there, you'll get good exercise, orientation and mobility (O&M) practice, and get familiar with your neighborhood.

The same goes for public transit, take a bus tour of your area and find a grocery store that's convenient on your route. Some advice, the best grocery store on your route may not even be the closest one to your home - pick a store that's easy to stop at and has a return route without many "exchanges" or long wait times.

Some grocery stores have shopping fulfillment services - you call or fill out an online form with your shopping list and can just pick it up at the customer service department. Wal-Mart offers this service in some places and will even put the groceries in your car for you. So use a ride-share service like Uber or Lyft, or your taxi and just have them wait while you go in and claim your order. No long hassle of searching for items on rows and rows of shelves.

If your local grocery store doesn't offer a fulfillment service, you can call ahead and request a personal assistant - an employee that will walk with you and either read you prices and items, or fetch them for you. This also saves time hunting around for items when you can't see things well.

Shop in bulk when you have a ride with a friend or relative. Grab all the big bulk items like toilet paper, paper towels, canned food, pantry items like flour, sugar, coffee, etc. This way you won't have to struggle with getting these heavy or awkward-sized groceries home on your own - whether you're walking, taking the bus, or ride-share. 

​This way you have -

• Reliable transportation
• A large supply of goods stocked up
• Savings
• Less expended energy
• A friendly helping hand
• 
  

Another new service you may want to check out is Amazon Fresh.  A produce and grocery service offered by Amazon.com. They offer an unlimited service for only $14.99 a month and the food is delivered right to your door!

For some extra savings, use these promotional codes when you shop on Amazon:

15% off Peet's Coffee k-cup packs - 15BRAZIL32CT
20% off Gillette Venus Women Razors with Olay - 20VENUS
20% off Gillette Fusion Gel - 20GILLETTE
$30 off Tiger JAX rice cooker - 30TIGEROCT
20% off Global Pet Nutrition soft chews - 20GPN

So, there's many ways to shop when you have vision loss and without losing your sense of independence as well. 

​What other ways do you do for shopping? Share your experiences!

Last Christmas, I got an air fryer from my folks and have loved it since.
​
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that “fries” food but with little or no oil used at all. It does this by circulating hot air around the food. It’s like a tabletop convection oven. Most models come with a basket that looks like a deep fryer basket, but without needing all the heavy oil.

My air fryer is an Actifryer from T-fal, it’s rated #3 on YourBestPicks.com. Check out the link for all the pros and cons of each air fryer brand.

Like I said, most air fryers come with a basket, but mine doesn’t. the Actifryer comes with a paddle that slowly stirs the food around. A great advantage over the other models as those require you to stop midway and stir or shake the food midway through cooking. With the paddle, the food gets stirred and flipped over for nice even browning and crispiness.

T-fal has two models, the larger model not only can hold more food, but comes with a grill plate to grill food as well. I’ve got the classic model which suits our family of 4 just fine.

You can cook a wide variety of food – vegetables, meats, fish, seafood, snacks and even desserts. I believe the food is tastier and it sure is healthier than “traditional” frying.
​
Here’s our favorite French Fries recipe:

*Courtesy of the T-fal Actifryer Cookbook (included with Purchase)
​
Feeds about 4 People
Prep Time – 15 minutes
Cook Time – 40 minutes

2 lbs. Potatoes
1 spoon of oil (Spoon is included with Actifryer – equivalent to 1 TB)

1. Wash and cut potatoes into fries.
2. Put all fries into a bowl of cold water and soak for at least 10-15 minutes. (This is my special trick – not from T-fal)
3. Drain & Pat dry the fries
4. Put the fries all around the Actifryer. Pour the oil evenly over the fries.
5. Cook for 40-45 minutes (depending on thickness of fries).
6. Spread on serving plate or large bowl & sprinkle/toss with salt (or salt substitute).

 
My special trick of soaking the fries in cold water for several minutes seeps out the starchiness of the potatoes and you end up with soft fluffy centers while retaining a crispy exterior.

​For other awesome T-fal Actifryer recipes check out The Skinny Actifryer Cookbook from Amazon.

Another advantage I’ve discovered with using an air fryer is that it’s GREAT for a low vision user like myself!

As much as I love my cast iron pans (Southern girl going on 11 years here), I find it hard to fry when I can’t see that well.

There’s the danger of:

• splashing oil while trying to see up close or flip food.
• undercooking or overcooking food from not being able to see. (No such thing as “peeking” underneath when you can’t see well.

The advantages for blind and low vision cooks are:

• Putting in the food cold. No danger of burning oneself while prepping.
• No need for flipping the food, the Actifryer does this for you. (With other models, you just need to shake the basket)
• No splashing or burning oil while retrieving food. You simply lift the basket out of the fryer and dump the contents onto a plate or into a bowl.

​How awesome is that? I love the peace of mind I get with my air fryer!

Also, cleanup is a snap! Just load the pieces into the dishwasher. Done!

This is what some websites listed as disadvantages:

1. Food gets overcooked
2. Food can dry out
3. Tastes different
4. Takes longer to cook
5. Appliance takes up room
6. Not for large families or events

Let me dispute those for you:

1. I check my food about 5-10 minutes before the recipe’s recommended time and then cook in short increments after that until I’m satisfied.
2. Again, I use the above method to make sure everything’s okay.
3. Some people may not like the taste due the lack of heavy oil. Well then that’s where the spices come in. I rather have a “clean” taste and the health advantages of 80% less oil in my food than the heavy fried taste.
4. Sure, a big batch of fries may take about 40 minutes as opposed to 5 minutes in a deep fryer. But how much harder is it to work off that deep fried batch that’s now resting on your hips? I say the time difference is a lot better.
5. It may take up room, but it’s a lot safer and cleaner than lugging a hot pot of oil.
6. The “classic” Actifryer works great for my family of 4, the larger model can feed more. Yes I agree you can’t make large meals in it. But you could either cook in batches (which you would have to do with a traditional fryer anyway), or use a different cooking method.

So, can you tell I love my air fryer? So excuse me while I try out a Cinnamon Apple recipe.

​Ever wonder why sometimes our food doesn’t look or taste as good as someone else’s? Or even be different from the last time you made it?

​Whether you’re a beginner or have been cooking for years, there’s plenty of cooking mistakes we make over and over again.  

Here’s what we’re doing wrong:

1.  We don’t read the recipe all the way through:

​We look at the recipe, get the ingredients and then get started. What we don’t do is read the recipe all the way through to see any prep work that needed to be done beforehand.

To avoid this, read the recipe all the way through and look for things that need to be done. Does anything need to be at room temperature? Does anything need to be brined, marinated, or pre-soaked? Do all your chopping first before cooking.

2. We put too much into the pan:

We try to do everything in one go. The problem with overcrowding the pan is that instead of browning and searing the meat, we steam it. Steaming the meat doesn’t lock in the flavors, get a nice char on it, or keep it juicy.

Instead, either use two pans or cook in batches. Allow a few inches between the meats to allow heat to circulate. If you’re cooking in batches, put the first batch on a plate or cooking sheet in the oven at a low temperature.

3. We’re Not Preheating the Pan

We don’t let the pan get hot enough to cook properly. When this happens, food sticks to it, doesn’t brown properly, and can get soggy.

To be sure the pan’s preheated, just sprinkle a few drops of water in and watch for it “dancing” across the surface. Then you can add your butter or oil. When the butter starts bubbling, or the oil starts shimmering, the pan is ready for your food. If you’re using a non-stick pan, put the butter or oil in first before heating it up as an empty non-stick pan releases contaminants when heated.

4. We’re not tasting while we’re cooking

We throw all the ingredients in according to the recipe, but we’re not tasting the food as we go along. Food ends up being either bland or too spicy.

While chopping, taste the food (except raw meat) to see if it’s fresh. Taste the pot for flavor combos and saltiness.

5. We’re not letting food rest

​We pull the meat out and cut it up and serve it right away. We take out casseroles and other dishes out and bring it to the table.

When this happens we end up with dry meat or a runny casserole. Allow time for the meat or dishes to rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes to adsorb juices and to firm up.

6. We’re turning the food too often

We have a tendency to turn, flip and poke our food before it’s ready. When we do this, the food won’t get a nice sear, get crusty, sticks to the pan, or lose its coating.

When you poke the meat with a fork or prongs, this releases the juices and thus the meat gets dry.
Leave the food alone in the pan for the stated amount of time. It’s ready when you can slide a spatula clearly under it without sticking.

7. We check on the food too often

When the food is covered, or in the oven, we open the lid or oven door to check on the food often. When this happens you lose precious heat or steam. Food then ends up being underdone.

Save the checking to only once or twice closer to the end of the cook time instead.

8. We’re doing the math wrong

When the recipe has a large serving size, such as serves 6, but want to cut it down to only 3 servings, we often get the measurements wrong.

Fractions sometimes throw the best of us off. To remedy this, look up and print off a recipe fraction chart, such as this one from Pinterest.

9. We’re overcooking

We tend to overcook our food. Overcooked vegetables tend to get mushy, lose their flavor and color. Overcooked meat gets tough, chewy and chalky.

To preserve vegetables fresh flavor, taste a bit throughout the cooking time, also most vegetables can be eaten raw, so it doesn’t hurt to leave it a bit on the firm side.

To ensure meat is cooked thoroughly, but not overcooked, is to use a meat thermometer. Pull the meat off the heat when it’s a few degrees underdone. The residual heat will finish it off.

10. We’re not using fresh ingredients

We sometimes wonder why our recipe taste alters the different times we’ve made it. 

This can be due to not using fresh ingredients. Frozen vegetables doesn’t offer the same taste or texture as fresh ones do. Sometime vegetables that aren’t so fresh have lost or changed their flavors.

Sometimes our spices on our spice rack don’t get used as often and becomes stale and that alters the taste of the food too.

To avoid this problem, keep an eye on expiration dates, use fresh food quicker, and even use fresh herbs and spices instead.


Following these tips will go a long way to having a great meal experience and less surprises.

Tracy,
​​"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon

Hubby brings home a lot of various kinds of cheeses that were donated to his Agency. State law maintains that any food cannot be served past it's expiration date. Well to us, the expiration date is a "suggestion" and a lot of food is "still good".

One day he brings home a whole bag of "Blueberry Vanilla Goat Cheese", just look at them all!

So, off I go to Pinterest and search for recipes and found one for Goat Cheese Sugar Cookies. Well it's really "Blueberry Vanilla Goat Cheese Sugar Cookies" now, but that's too long....

Goat Cheese Sugar Cookies
Makes about 36 Cookies


2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/3 Cup (3 oz.) Goat Cheese, room temperature
6 Tablespoons Butter, melted
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Large Egg
2 Tablespoons Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (Since there was already Vanilla in the cheese, I halved this, if you're using regular goat cheese, use 1 teaspoon)
Nonpareil sprinkles or sanding sugar (optional)

Note the "f" and "s" on the containers, just a low vision trick I use to differentiate the flour and sugar.

Yeah, doesn't look appealing here.....but patience my grasshopper....

Hang in there, almost done....

There we are!!

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use foil and spray nonstick on it.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
In mixer bowl combine the sugar, goat cheese and melted butter until smooth.
Mix in oil, milk, egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
Fold in flour mixture until no dry mixture remains.
(Optional Step) Pour Sprinkles or Sugar into a small bowl.
Dough should be soft but workable. Scoop out about a Tablespoon of dough, roll in the sprinkles/sugar and arrange on baking sheet with 2 inches of space between cookies.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until just set and slightly cracked.
Cool on baking sheet for about 3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!!

Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon

Here we go! My first posted recipe! I had a bunch of carrots left from other dinner recipes and didn't want them going bad so I looked up recipes to use them in. I came across this recipe and it's soooo good! Tastes just like a carrot cake would, but not dry or crumbly like some carrot cakes are.

You'll notice the ziploc bag with some "black stuff" in it. I didn't have ground cloves, just whole ones, so out came the ziploc bag and the rolling pin *snicker*. Hey I only needed a dash of it!

I used my Kitchen Kutter from KitchenCraft. These are great products and I'll blog about them later.

Kind of goofed here, I didn't need to roll them into balls. Just scoop about a Tablespoon out.

Tadaa! I left them unfrosted as we don't have that much of a sweet tooth and basically I just didn't have any cream cheese!

Cookie Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl or in your Kitchenaid Mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and mix well.
Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, salt and combine well. Stir in carrots (and raisins and walnuts if you are using them). Place spoonfuls of dough on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a rack.

Frosting Directions
Cream butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add more or less powdered sugar for how thick you like your frosting. Spread over cookies and add chopped walnuts on top too if you'd like.

Enjoy!

Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon