Organizing My Kitchen Cupboards

This is what my kitchen looked like when I started!

Yesterday, I spent the day organizing my cupboards for the hundredth time since I moved here. Sad to say, but they were a disaster! They aren't as tall as I need, since many of my bottles and jars are taller than store bought product ones. I have such a hard time reaching up into a cupboard due to it hurting my shoulders. Plus I am pretty short. So I usually have to stand on stool. A small one about a foot off the floor with a wide top. I am very careful when on it. The last thing I need is to fall. 

The lazy Susan when I first moved in. 2018

Apartments don't offer the best cupboards, but mine are not too bad. Especially considering I have a large lazy Susan built it under the counter and next to the stove. I use it for spices and seasonings on one side and ziploc bags, foil and parchment paper on the other side.  The bottom shelf on it has large bulk cans of various things I use. It is very handy and I love that thing.

The kitchen in my old house.

After living so long among chaos at my house, when I moved here in 2018, I promised myself that would never happen again. I knew as long as I lived alone it would not happen and would never have happened before. Sometimes things are beyond your control. Now it is not. I loved having a pantry in my house, I just did not like what it looked like. It was the original pantry in the house but it badly needed work. I used it but it was frustrating to say the least. Here I do not have one but I have used some ideas I used in the pantry.

I knew there was a way to organize these cupboards to make best use of the space. I just had to figure it out. Younger people, taller people or people without any disabilities don't understand what I go through trying to get something out of a cupboard. Many times I just give up. Now I think I have it organized in such a way that I can find everything. Probably have to use the stool to get something on the higher shelves but I can usually do that. 

Putting foods in large mouth canning jars is one of those. I had a lot of products that were in bags with zip locks on them. Trouble is those zip locks did not zip tightly. So I have put all those items in the canning jars. It is important to use wide mouth ones so you can get your hand inside to the bottom of the jar. Then label the outside of the jar with a label and use a marker to write what is in it. If I need the directions, the ingredients, recipes or any nutritional information, I cut that off the bag and tape it to the back. 

It took me the whole day to do this job but it had to be done. I know I could have waited and had my aide do it or help me. But I knew in my mind what I wanted to do and didn't want to hurry through it. I took a lot of breaks and sat down and put my feet up a lot. So it took me longer but now it is done the way I wanted it. The next job will be the lazy Susan. 

Copyright © 2021 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2021  Kathleen G. Lupole

Stocking Up and Using Dehydrated Foods

 

One thing I have found as a person cooking for only myself is that I have trouble using up all the fresh produce I buy. I buy it with good intentions but buy too much. The reason I do that is because I might not get to a store soon enough to restock. I can go to the store near me with my mobility chair but sometimes due to the weather I cannot. I am trying to remember when I make out my grocery list not to put too much fresh produce on it. Something happens to me when I am shopping and I buy too much. That is if I buy items that are not on my list. Sticking to the list is the main thing to do.

I really hate any type of waste and especially food waste. I lived too many years not having enough money for groceries to ever want to be like that again. As an ex-homesteader and prepper I know how important it is to have a food supply. That applies to everyone regardless of age, where you live (city or country), rich or poor. Whoever you are your food is a necessity. As is water also. I mentioned before that I can have a freezer here if I wanted one. I don't really have room for one since I do not want to get rid of any other furniture. Only so much room in this small studio apartment.

I used to buy from an emergency preparedness company and one of the things I still have and use is the dehydrated vegetables and fruits. Lately the company I used to buy from is always out of stock. So I looked at Amazon to see what they had. Well, they have a lot of various products. No surprise there! Not all are in the large cans but that is okay with me. I bought some dehydrated bell peppers. Red and green peppers both, which is the kind I like. I also bought dehydrated onions, soup vegetables, celery stalks and strawberries. I will still have to buy some fresh produce for salads or eating fresh. Onions is something I buy a lot of but also end up throwing some out. So I will still buy one or two when I go grocery shopping but for cooking I will be using the dehydrated ones. That also saves me from the work of chopping them for cooking. You just put a handful or two in what you are cooking and it will be good. 

The dehydrated vegetables have a lot of flavor. I remember the green beans and corn tasting like it was freshly picked. The advantage of using dehydrated foods for a person living alone is that the food is so easy to use in whatever you are cooking. Cooking can be a chore when you are having physical disabilities. For me, standing at the sink, counter or stove is difficult. I need to take a break after a few minutes of standing in one spot. The dehydrated vegetables taste good and take up very little space compared to frozen or canned. 

Carrot Dices

I add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the dehydrated vegetable to whatever I am cooking. Depending on how much flavor you want from it. The onions are pretty strong so you should experiment with it adding less when first using it. You can soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes if you would rather put a soft product in. I never do that. They come out great for me since most of the time I use the Instant Pot for cooking. None of the products mentioned here are anything I have an affiliation with. I no longer do that. I buy from Amazon or Walmart online due to the convenience. 

Copyright © 2021 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2021  Kathleen G. Lupole

Is Someone Bullying You, A Senior Citizen?

 

Being on social media you cannot help but see how people cannot get along. No wonder there are always wars going on. Crimes being committed. Electing people who lie and cheat to get into office. Is it really human nature? Even churches fight, gossip about each other and lie. Is nobody to be trusted? Or has it been that way right along? Maybe so. That is why there is so much divorce and families splitting up. Putting yourself out on social media draws you in to which position (whatever topic) you want to embrace. It seems you always must choose sides. Another thing I see, especially on forums, and the well know social media platforms, is that nobody knows how to be tactful. Tact does not exist anymore.

This is not just happening online but in real life too. Neighbors, families, friends, everyone is against each other. If you are not the same as me then you are fair game to be attacked. Ganged up on if they can get other people to join them in their attack. The so called experts tell us socialization is good for you, yet it is so hard. Life is hard enough as it is. Bullying is especially popular. Yet there is a big movement to stop bullying..........but the reality is that bullying is alive and well, right in our own government. People see it happening there and say, "Oh yes, bullying is not right for children but for adults it is the thing to do." And they do. They even encourage it. Reward it.

I am an introvert by nature, but I try to put myself out of my comfort zone to make friends. Pretty soon, I am like the turtle, withdrawing further into my shell. I would rather stay safe and alone than to be part of the group doing the bullying. It has been like that where I live presently. Taking sides against others. Of course, I have resolved to stay far away from this situation and the people instigating it. Nope, not getting involved. Even though I was involved not by choice, but by circumstances. People will fabricate whatever to make others take their sides. For me, knowing the people is all I need. I do not believe things are always as they appear. I have the ability to see below the surface.

You see for me, being alone in my apartment is not a bad situation. I actually prefer being home than going anywhere. I used to enjoy going out to eat but even that is not that enjoyable anymore. Due to dental problems and having to wear a mask I would much rather get take out and bring it home or have it delivered. They say there is a silver cloud for every situation. Maybe mine is that I love my home and living here. I can cook and now I have food. After having many years of trying to stretch food and not having any money for a food budget, my life is a dream come true. 

What makes people start trouble or bully others? I don't know what the psychologists would say to that. My opinion is that it comes from people who are miserable or troubled in some way. I might be the center of their attack, but it is not really about me. I get that. Others will say you should offer them help of some sort or try to be friends with them. Nope. Not me. Not doing that. If I could not do that for my niece when I tried those tactics, I am not ever doing it again for anyone. No matter what. 

How to deal with those individuals when your paths must cross? 

1. Do not argue, cry, raise your voice or lose your temper with the bully.

2. Leave the encounter as quickly as possible but not as if you have given in to the bully.

3. By staying in control you make the bully get madder and look silly to others.

4. Speak if you must say hello, but do not make conversation with the bully. 

5. Do not spend any time worrying or crying about the bully. The bully is not worth it.

For a senior citizen, especially for one who is alone, you are vulnerable to being bullied. If you want to make friends in a community and are new, sometimes you are the one targeted by the bully and their group. Or maybe you are new and you see the situation going on but do not want to be the target. So you become friends with the bully and her group. I can see that. When the situation runs it course though, you may end up isolated from the others who were not a part of the bully's group. Most times bullying is related to narcissism and it is best to remember that when dealing with one.

For me, as an introvert, it doesn't bother me to not interact with the others. I miss my friends but I will survive. Heck, I lived many years without any friends, I can do it again.

Copyright © 2021 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2021  Kathleen G. Lupole

Memories Are An Important Part Of Our Lives

 

As you get older, your memories become pretty important. You remember past relationships and wonder what happened. Or what would have become of it if you had done this or he had done that? Maybe your life would not have turned out the way it did. Though it could have been worst instead of better too. We all make mistakes along the way in this journey of our life. I myself, have made quite a few. Now as I reflect on it, my life and my memories, I think my life has been fairly normal. My memories are good and when I think about them I like to write them down (I have to write everything down). That way I will have them just in case I can't remember them later on. 

Mom at our first house

I was not aware of being any different from others, but I seem to have a much better memory than most people. Someone asked me what was my earliest memory and I didn't even have to think about it. I was still sleeping in a crib! My mother came in to ask me what kind of doll I wanted Santa Claus to bring me. I think it was Christmas Eve and we lived in our second house, which we have always called the red house. I told her a Jeannie doll and must be that was what I got. My crib was upstairs in our house and there was a big blackboard at the top of the stairs that my father took out of the old schoolhouse he bought on the property next door. I didn't remember using that blackboard but it was always in my memories and dreams. Years later, my parents spoke of that particular blackboard and how my father removed it from the schoolhouse for our house. I thought to myself, "Oh yeah, that's the blackboard in my memories."

Me, making memories!

Yet there are times when I meet people that I knew in my past and I don't remember them now. How embarrassing is that! I blame it on my age. In truth, some relationships were more meaningful than others so I think that is why they are still clear in my mind. Often people block a memory because it was a bad one and they just put it out of their mind. I haven't had to do that so much. Most of my memories I can live with just fine. It is just that I have so many. One problem is that I remember things exactly how they happened or when and others don't remember it like I do. I just say what I remember and leave it at that. I know most people have a distorted memory or they change it a bit to make it more interesting or to make their part in it bigger or better.

I worked for a lot years in nursing homes and some of the residents did not know their family members or their names. Yet they could tell you in detail about their early years. A lady I took care of never spoke. She would just nod her head for yes or no. One time her medication got messed up and nobody noticed. I took her in for a shower and sitting in the shower chair she spoke! Then she started talking nonstop. I wanted to ask her everything I wondered about. Of course as soon as her medications were straightened out I never heard her talk again. That was why I liked to play the big band music CDs during their dinner hour. Some residents who never responded to anyone or anything would start tapping or moving their heads to the music.  A few would even singing along. I loved it. Just play Led Zeppelin for me! 

My parents, 1942

My parents had gathered a lot of memories over their sixty years of marriage. My mother would share them with me often. They both had a easy, good nature about them and humor was key to their happiness. My father was always telling a joke and he always had a new one to tell. He took care of my mom when she got sick with Cushing's Syndrome around 1976. I would hear them laughing over something together. Once my mom was crippled from the disease, her memories became even more important to her than ever. She had done a lot of physical things in her life and the memories of them gave her comfort the best they could. Being forced to a life of medications,walkers and beds she found other interests but it was never the same. 

Copyright © 2021 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2021  Kathleen G. Lupole

Applesauce in the Instant Pot is Simple & Easy

Food Boxes

The Office for The Aging recently contacted the manager of the apartment building I live in to offer food boxes for the senior citizens living here. The boxes came yesterday. Two boxes for each apartment. It was a good assortment of healthy food, produce and other items. One of the produce items was a bag of local apples. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep these apples fresh as long as it would take me to eat them all. So I decided to make them into applesauce.

Preparing Apples

I have not made applesauce since I was cooking it all day on a wood stove. I thought it would be a good thing to do here. I researched some recipes and decided on doing it in the Instant Pot. In the end I didn't really follow a recipe. You will find many recipes if you search for "applesauce recipes." Include "no sugar" and/or "unpeeled" if that is how you want to make it. I wanted a simple recipe with no sugar added. Apples don't really need sugar added. 

Two bags of apples

For many people my age, peeling apples can be hard on your hands and fingers. So not peeling them is a big step in making this easier to do. Standing in one place for a long period of time isn't good either. I take breaks. My break is longer than the standing time! lol  This was an easy to do recipe due to much of the prep work being eliminated. I washed the apples and then cut the core out and sliced them into chunks. Leaving the peel on. I put 1 cup of water into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. 

Apples Prepped

When I was slicing them, I put them right into the inner pot, up to the max line. I sprinkled 1 tsp. of cinnamon on the apples and mixed it into the apples. Next I made sure the gasket was on the lid, then fastened the lid on. Turned the knob to sealing (NOT VENTING) and closed the lid. Press the manual button (on my model, your model may be different, manual is the same as high pressure). Set the time for 6 minutes. Now you are done for now. 

Apples are cooked and are soft!

When it is done cooking, wait for the natural release. The apples will be very soft but need to be made into sauce which doesn't take much work. Using an immersion blender I blended it for a few minutes until it was smooth. 

Applesauce is smooth and no sign of the peels!

I finished with two 1 quart canning jars of applesauce. I am storing them in the refrigerator but it can also be canned. Use the search engine for the recipes and I also found it could be canned using the water bath method (for fruit) in the Instant Pot (not using pressure). I might try that sometime in the future. To be honest, as much as I loved canning, at this time in my life, I do not want to do it. I don't need more work. Less work but good food is my new motto! My apartment is small and I really don't have the room needed to store canning jars of food. Not now or ever again. 

Mmmm!

 

Copyright © 2021 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2021  Kathleen G. Lupole