Well I do love to cook but now with my husband needed more help not much time
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40193)
Canada
July 29, 2010 2:51pm CST
My husband has als and is getting worse and now he cannot be left alone. Now I have always been one who would rather cook and if i buy a Tv dinner it would be just for Sundays, but now I feel like I have to buy them all the time. I am thinking of those one pack dinners like frozen lasagna, spaghetti with sauce, macaroni and cheese, and those diet dinners that for some reason are a bit more expensive.
Trouble is I would feel a little guilty about depending on them now and the ones that are on sale are usually the ones that have the most salt, etc.
So I was wondering how you resolve this issue? I have enough oven glass containers for two or more cups, but not enough for 1 cup or for a single serving. I have always cooked for four or more, as I only lived alone for a short time. Most of the time, I was boarding and even when first married, we had company a lot.
2 people like this
8 responses
@hvedra (1619)
•
30 Jul 10
Just a thought as you are a church-goer. Could you ask if folks at the church could do one extra portion of their dinners and freeze it for you while you are unable to do much cooking yourself? You could offer to pay for your serving which shouldn't be more than you pay for a TV dinner but you at least will get some "real" food.
Other than that, don't feel guilty about not cooking or letting go of anything else right now, you have more than enough on your hands looking after your husband.
3 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
31 Jul 10
The trouble is they have done so much for me already and I hate to impose There has been a few who hAve been or are nurses and they have offered to help so ican make supper or have time to do other things . However it is now vacation time and. A lot of them are on holidays so there are not. That many that can help
1 person likes this
@MommaOfAllTrades (969)
• Canada
31 Jul 10
I'm not familiar with your story hun as I've been away for three years but this really touched my heart. You are strong - Don't forget that!
I didn't read everyone's reply but I did notice you said you have friend coming over. Have you ever heard of Cooking once a month? Do you have any friend that can help you cook?
With 16 pounds of ground beef (you can substitute for ground chicken or turkey), I can easily make 38 meals for four. And the whole thing costs me less than $300 (Canadian)
If you're willing to eat frozen dinners (yuck in my opinion), create your own. Purchase one and two serving dishes you can freeze and microwave. Then make some lazagnas, shepphard's pie, meatloaf, cabbage roll casseroles... soups, gumbo... This all freezes very well. If you spend ONE full day making all of this, you'll be laughing for the next month or so. Even if you use your big glass containers, once the meal is cooled down, you can seperate it into plastic containers by servings.
But don't just stop at ground meat. Stir frys freeze well. One large roast can easily make 4 meals (roast dinner, BBQ roast pie, Hot beef sandwich, stir fry, etc...)
Also remember to add some greens; a small salad with a serving of lazagna or asparagus with a grilled sandwich.
Hang in there!
@GardenGerty (160491)
• United States
29 Jul 10
You have too much to carry around to be adding guilt about not cooking to your burden. Do what is easy, and forget the rest. Ask for more respite care so you can cook one day a week.
Get a monitor like a baby monitor so that you can listen when you are out of the room to hear if he is having trouble. I will remember to pray for you. I wish some of your friends would just bring in some food for you.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
30 Jul 10
When our house was renovated, they changed the closet so it is a walk through from the bedroom to the computer room, so I am able to type and see if anything is wrong.
And now his voice is so low that one cannot hear him unless one can see him. The kitchen is not near the bedroom.
I do love to cook, that is the problem. And I do not like buying processed food all the time. We are getting more respite so that will make it easier for me, but i am just not used to cooking just for one person.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Aug 10
My husband raises his eyebrow for yes, and shakes his head for no. We also have an alphabet board where he points to the letters, but sometimes he gets me confused. I sometimes feel I have to read his mind. Oh and he can not even squeeze anything. Now he is finding it hard to breathe and his tongue goes back and chokes him unless he has his head forward.
The nurse thinks it will be a matter of days or weeks before he goes.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
30 Jul 10
Excellent idea with the monitor. 
I did not think about that when I responded. 
I did not think about that when I responded. 1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
3 Aug 10
Why dont they give him Hydros tht kills the pain fster .
also they have my mom on a morphine patch and now they have cut it to half and she stil feels pretty good.
Yup same way with my hubby I bought a new SUV in Sept.
an we had planned to go to family eunion in June but in MArch we were told he had cancer and that he needed Chemo. SO with every thing they were putting him thro we culdnt go.
He never got bed redin but lots of trips to the hospital and had to stay 48 hours each time.
One week we had him in there 3 times.
Blood clots were bad filled up him leg bag afast and I would have ot call ambulance again for him he lasted 9 month!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Aug 10
My husband is now bedridden so the nurse has to come to him. He is now on Pallative Care which is for those who want to stay at home and die at home. It would cost a lot for him to go in the ambulance each time. It also depends on what is allowed for pain up here. I not know abut the Hydros, but one probably has to be in the hospital for that or in a full care home. And since it is hard for us to get a doctor's visit, we do not know if it is allowed. Also since my husband has ALS, it might make things worse sooner.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Aug 10
Wish that were so but he has been going steadily downhill . The nurse is talking about days or weeks now
He is completely bedridden and has to take Tylenol 3 for pain , I guess it is something like the old 292 we took when we got a severe headache. I feel a little sad because we planned to do sone mire traveling but couldn't .
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
30 Jul 10
Hello suspensful, I can see what you're saying. I am living alone at the moment, and to make matters worse, I only have a bar size fridge, which makes shopping expensive also. With your sutuation, would it be possible to say, cook for four, sreve and freeze the other three serves for later. Just a thought.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Aug 10
I do that already but I would like a little mire variety then the usual chili., spaghetti and meat sauce , stew , etc . And not all recipes are freezable For instance I picked up the 400 cal magazine , thinking it would it would help but no.
Many if not most were for 4 people and you had to eat it immediately . That does not help me much.
1 person likes this
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
3 Aug 10
I was thinking more of roasts. Next week when I house sit in a large home, I will cook a roast, and then use the cold meat over the next few days. Some I will cut for, and make sandwiches for several, and maybe make a curry to freeze. Living alone on a very tight budget has taught me how to make my food bill stretch.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
29 Jul 10
Honey you are doing the best you can and know that you will be extra Blessed for that. If it is bothering you so much than cook once a week any leftovers freeze and serve the following week.
Your husband needs you right now ant that is where all your energy and focus is going these days. It sure is a Blessing that you are concerned about him all around.
God Bless you and your husband and may the Lord make him as comfortable as you try daily!
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
29 Jul 10
We are having friends over to look after him and I am looking for the quick cooking recipes. I do love chicken so that is no problem. I will have to make some chili probably tomorrow and freeze most of it.
I do not know what to do for the rest of the weeks. I do have a cooking for one recipe book, but is from Australia, and even though I know some of the terms, for instance rocket is arigula, and chilli is chili, there are terms that I am not sure of. It does have illustrations and much of the stuff is available here in Manitoba.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
30 Jul 10
We are getting more respite so I can cook more and get out more. I am looking for easy recipes, but not anything that is bad for me. Our Superstore does offer frozen meals and sometimes try to make things easier by selling already mixed hamburgers, meatballs, etc. but I do not exactly like them. For one thing I prefer to mix my own. I do not have trouble with cooking the right amount of pasta for one, but when it comes to mixing all the vegetables and meats with it, that is where I get into trouble and instead of being a single serving, it winds out being for two.
And I did look on the net for recipes. They do cut them down in Allrecipes and other cooking sites, but then they forget about the containers. So I find recipes for lasagna that has now the ingredients for two people but they are still using the 10 x 12 baking pan.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
30 Jul 10
Now that my children no longer live at home I know the feeling about cooking for smaller portions. I don't know where you live but there are Jewel osco stores where they sell smaller pans and evern the dollar stores.
Once again Lasagna for instance is a great dish to freeze and you can for up to two weeks. So it would be a great idea to do so if you really want to make lasagna.
Good Luck
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
29 Jul 10
Make up a regular amount that you usually cook for and put in individual containers and freeze. You can make your own freezer dinners. Then all you have to do is pull it out and have your own healthier cooking.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
30 Jul 10
I did find a cooking for one, and it was from Australia at our local bookstore. It is ironic that there is none here in Canada. But now I have to learn Australian that is a little different from Canadian and American English. Some of what they call the food is a bit different from what they call it here. Now all I need to do is to get more individual containers. It is just that well I would have to buy more stuff to get more variety and also having the time.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Jul 10
I know what you mean about the salt. I was flabbergasted-no other word for it!-when I started looking at the sodium content of prepared/frozen foods!
Can you get someone from your church to stay a couple of hours while you cook? Or maybe you could pay someone to cook a couple things for you and wrap them individually in 2-serving portions? Or one serving if your husband can't eat it. They would make a little money, you would have less to buy at the grocery and everyone would be happy. Have a cooking party at your house--you'd all have a good time chatting, your husband would be looked after and everyone would have something good and nutritious to take home! 3 or 4 of you could get together and make big batches of family favorites. Would that work?
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
31 Jul 10
We are getting someone to come over, but they will be on holidays in September so they will find someone else to look after him. So that is taken care of. It is just that well there are some recipes like Lasagna, and Spaghetti and meatballs, and Stews, Chili Con Carne that can be cooked and frozen into separate containers. There are also some dishes that cannot. I got a magazine about that 400 calorie diet (400 calorie a meal) and I figured "Okay A-- you can find some good ideas from this magazine) but the ones I liked with the fresh vegetables, salads, a lot of them were four or more servings and you all had to eat it immediately.
I mean not everyone in our family had to go on a diet - I had a tall and skinny brother and he could eat and never gain weight.
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