Hello Brains , so I'm standing in a kitchen which is not something you see very often because this actually really intimidates me
I do like to cook, but if I'm gonna do it
I want to do it from a recipe so I can make sure it tastes good
And then it's overwhelming because it's a really complicated recipe and there's so many ingredients
And I don't obviously have those ingredients because I don't cook often enough and then have to go to the store get all these ingredients
bring them back and then prep them and then cook them and then actually clean up and by then I spent 60 dollars and the
Entire day and I'm supposed to do this every day?
It's like these cooking shows and cookbooks are not designed for the ADHD brain if only I knew somebody with ADHD
Who is also comfortable in the kitchen!
Hello
It's me Hannah
Jessica: Hannah, thank you so much for having me in your kitchen
Hannah: Yeah, thank you for being here! Jessica: How do I feed myself? Hannah: Oh, okay
Hannah: So what is it that intimidates you about cooking and being in the kitchen, walk me through your kitchen experience
Jessica: Okay alright. So it's like this
Jessica: I'm hungry
Jessica: There's nothing to eat
Jessica: Takeout or I'll cook something. ooo Spatchcocking a chicken!
Jessica: I'm gonna have to cut out the backbone first. I need a chicken. I need a chicken
Hannah: Okay, so first of all you want to spatchcock a chicken. Jessica: Yeah! Hannah: What is that?
Hannah: Uhhh. No no no.I would say the problem is twofold one you want to feed yourself, so you're hungry
And two you know you want it to be something that maintains your interest. Let me ask you this do you think cooking's boring?
Jessica: I think it can be exciting
Hannah: It can be exciting ok Jessica: Only if there's like something interesting only if ther.. only if there's something interesting about it like if I'm gonna learn something new
Hannah: Aha! well
These are the ADHD sound alarms that go off my friends and loved ones. I too have been like this
We're in a recipe is only
Interesting if it's novel only if it's the first time I've ever tried something new so I don't know if this is how it is
for you But for me I wound up with a kitchen full of odds and ends ricers and spaetzle makers and nothing that was actually useful
Jessica: I have arrowroot. I've used it for exactly one recipe
Hannah: Until you've built up your confidence in the kitchen I would say starting from the basics is in your best interest
Jessica: But that's boring Hannah: It is boring! So that's the question for us ADHD Minds. How do we make the basics interesting?
Jessica: Can you? Hannah: Yes Yes you can you can start by taking basic ingredients and doing them in complicated ways
Okay, right, so you look now. You're interested now. You're intrigued here's something
That's helpful for me when I'm trying to control my beautiful ADHD brain. Let's set some limits
Okay, if you're gonna make a meal start. Just limiting your tools. You're gonna be using a skillet in and
Like a pot you
Can make a lot of different things with a single skillet in a pot right? You can make a lot of different things with just
A skillet limits will force you to think creatively to problem-solve, okay, okay?
Jessica: I like this idea of limits, and I can even see how I can turn that into a game where I'm just like okay
I am going to make food with only these ingredients Hannah: There you go!
What's in your fridge name five things that are in your fridge Jessica: pickles? Hannah: Okay? Jessica: Whipped cream? Hannah: Ok?
Hannah: Are you comfortable in a grocery store? Jessica: hahha
I treat a grocery store like I treat the Internet where I'm like what's over here this looks exciting
I'll put this in my cart
Hannah: What was really helpful when I was trying to establish a kitchen that I felt comfortable in was establishing a
Grocery list that I felt comfortable with so for me. I always run out of turkey meat. I love having turkey meat
I love having bananas
I love having cheeses, and I love having eggs so no matter why I'm gonna go to the grocery store this week
And I'm gonna get the stuff
I know I'm gonna eat
And then I'm gonna think of my one creative meal Jessica: So then the big question is like what do I put on my basics list?
And like how do I figure out? What's make from that Hannah: Great! Let's say, let's answer that question
I will get a pen and paper, and we'll start making your basics list
Jessica: Ooo this is exciting
Jessica: Mumbling Hannah: Okay. Hey! what are you doing!?!
Jessica: Nothing! I didn't just think of a recipe that needs a whisk!
Hannah: Okay, Jessica Kitchen basics
Kitchen basics question number one. Are you a meal person or a grazer? Jessica: Grazer
Hannah: You're sure. Jessica: Yeah, I could move on Trail Mix.Hannah: Trail mix? Do you like trail mix
Jessica: sometimes
Hey, hey, you can tell I don't want to commit. Hannah: I can Jessica: like I don't know what I can cook with trail mix
I don't want to commit it to my Basics List Hannah: Can you guys graphically tick off like every ADHD stopping point
So you have to remember this is temporary buying trail mix once doesn't mean that you're gonna
Buy trail mix every single time you go because hey guess what if you don't eat it
You don't need to buy it again
Jessica: Ooo Hanah: if you really do run out of it then maybe it should be something you always get
Jessica: I like it! Hannah: Yeah! Jessica: So let's do nuts and raisins Hannah: so you like nuts and raisins
Umm Yeah, it's dinnertime, and you have everything that you need and you want to make something
But you don't want to wash a lot of dishes. What are you gonna? Make? Jessica: I hav- I have everything
I need Hannah: Yeah
You have everything you need Jessica: I would probably look up a new and interesting this
Hannah: Okay, back up back up your kitchen is totally empty, Jessica: okay?
Hannah: But you don't have any time to learn something new what is something that you're gonna make just to be a crowd pleaser Jessica: uh
It's totally empty then nothing. Hannah: Okay here we go
You mentioned pasta earlier, would you say that jarred red?
Sauce is something that you like having a new kitchen
Jessica: Yeah! Hannah: Great! so let's just start with that
Jessica: But I'm usually out of it Hannah: You're usually out of it isn't that a good reason to put it on your staples list.
Jessica: It is yes yes, it is Hannah: Okay
So you like red sauce, ground turkey and pasta Jessica: Do you put stuff on the list that you already have? Hannah: For this purpose of this exercise
We are putting stuff on the list that we already know you will eat
Jessica: So are you saying that a good way to start a basic list is write down things that you already would know what to do with?
With to turn it into food Hannah: mm-hmm Hey look geez are you starting to see the method to my madness. Jessica: hey i like this!
Hannah: Do you eat any fruit
Do you ever find yourself grabbing stuff in- Jessica: bananas and little grapes and cuties. Hannah: Cuties!
Jessica: Apples and peanut butter Hannah: Apples and peanut butter! peanut butter is great
It'll last a long time so this lists nuts and raisins red sauce ground turkey pasta, and bananas cuties Apple's peanut butter
This is already a grocery trip
Jessica: It's a grocery trip, but here's the thing except for the one thing that I know how to make everything else is snacks
Hannah: That's fine, because you're a grazer
Jessica: Ohhh
Jessica: So being a grazer is okay Hannah: Yeah! ninety percent of the stuff on my grocery list my basics
Grocery list is grazer food except for the meals that I want to make and that is when I go to the grocery store for
The ingredients for the meal if I'm going to the grocery store to get my basics
I'm not making my big meal the basic grocery list is not about meal prep the basic grocery list is about you
Not being hungry when you're in your house if you have
Apples and cheese or peanut butter or tortillas always available you're not gonna have so much pressure on your meal
You have to understand you're cooking for pleasure think of your meal as an event you're throwing an event for yourself
It's okay to spend one day cooking a meal cuz that's where you're at right now
Jessica: So I just get to be me Hannah: You get to be you so first step acceptance you know
But I'm really I really mean it accept that it's gonna be an event if you're gonna spend half a day cooking
That's where you're at right now and slowly
But surely the familiarity of these tasks will start to shorten the amount of time you spend on them Jessica: So you're basically saying
Separate feeding yourself from cooking? Hannah: Yes! Yes! Yes, yes that is exactly what I'm trying to say yes. Yes yes!
Yes, I'm so happy!
And how are we gonna do that? Jessica: I don't remember?
Hannah: I'll tell you right now by having a basic grocery list by getting your basic grocery list
and When you go out to make a meal thinking of it as an event
Giving yourself the permission to take as long as you need because you're not gonna be super hungry when you get home if you are
Then you have basics that you know how to use and you can just eat something Jessica: This almost feels too simple
Hannah: Ah, I know it's simple, but you will make it hard
Jessica; haha i will!
Jessica: Last question Hannah: yes Jessica: uhh cleanup
Hannah: Never heard of it
Jessica: Hannah , thank you so much for being here and sharing all of this advice of all these brains
I love the way you think if you guys are interested also like how Hannah thinks I believe you have a book Hannah: Ah I do!
Oh, my goodness! This is buffering unsure tales of a life. Fully loaded. There's an entire chapter in here about my journey
Discovering I had ADHD the chapter is called "Hocus Pocus" and talking about medication therapy etc etc
So you can get this at buffering book calm, and thank you so much for having me! Jessica: As always
Thank you to my brain advocates and all my patreon brains for making collabs like this possible if you haven't seen it yet we made
You guys a special Patreon video with Hannah where she answered your questions check it out, and I'll see you next week. Together: Bye Brains! Jessica: ooh
The commitment on this one Hannah: I'm committed
Jessica: Hey! if you want to see Hannah
And I talking about fidget toys check out this snazzy video on her channel click all the things and subscribe
Not the dislike.. Everything, but the dislike