Angry Popoto
[ADHD] 
Becca Stareyes
My mother who is NT (but has age-related disabilities) has been great for suggesting these things for me, and reinforcing that there's nothing wrong with me for using them if that's what I can manage.
miles you ass
oh.....important
N ᴇ ᴛ ʜ ◈◇◇
"that's basically punishing myself for having ADHD" o h
N ᴇ ᴛ ʜ ◈◇◇
that is a way to look at it that I haven't considered before
N ᴇ ᴛ ʜ ◈◇◇
I've been feeling bad for buying pre-cooked/seasoned/shredded packs of chicken last week bc they were pricey, but I actually ate them instead of it sitting in my fridge....
Infychu
This is why I get baby carrots instead of ones I have to peel. There's no way I have the spoons for that shit.
Lady Stardust
this is wwhy i buy all my veg frozen
Lady Stardust
aand also why I have all my groceries delivered
Lady Stardust
i have a supermarket app and I can edit the order many times before it's delivered
Lady Stardust
I'm no longer capable of going to a and coming back with 20 things that caught my eye and no toiilet paper
Lady Stardust
*shop
Lady Stardust
the saving in frustration and repeated trips is worth vastly more than the £3 I pay per delivery
swoleregard
see also why I have a solid repertoire of dishes that need little more than "dump stuff in a pot" and will serve as both lunches and dinners for multiple days
swoleregard
I'm a good cook and I like cooking but my body and brain don't always agree that I can or should so. dump stuff in a pot.
Doctor Ansem
I have someone who cooks the meals but you know what? I think this works.
swoleregard
I also have the "fuck it, I'm tired" version of some real recipes. like, I think I can make a decent chili from scratch, but I also discovered you can chuck in a thing of salsa instead of chopping a ton of veggies and it doesn't really taste that different. not different enough that it's not sometimes worth it, anyway. >>
swoleregard
and yeah I pay my version of the ADHD tax on some of those ready-made things but I can live with that
Pen Again
buying thing in pre-portioned packages makes waste a lot less for me. I don't have to remember when I opened a whole package or use it a set amount of time, because the portions mean each one is good for however long a closed package is good for.
juliette lives
YES, don't punish yourself for having adhd. buy the thing that's easier if you can afford it and will use it.
juliette lives
paying a tiny bit extra for the grocery app instead of spending all your spoons for the day on that trip to the grocery store which will end in forgetting things I need and buying things I don't? worth it.
Pen Again
also the appeal of the app is that I can add things to the cart/order as I think of them, instead of having to make a list
ʙɪᴛᴄʜɪᴍᴡɪʟᴅ
my mom had the habit of making lists, but forgetting to bring them to the store but now that we do online, we can use the list now.
ʙɪᴛᴄʜɪᴍᴡɪʟᴅ
online grocery shopping is a godsend, I'm never going back. esp rn in my state where it's a matter of politics of if you choose to wear a mask or not.
L'fuckingChaim
I have been eating microwave meals for lunch every day lately. Is it nutritionally wise? not really, but it has way more nutrition than "literally nothing, because I can't make myself make a SANDWICH, let alone anything more complicated"
L'fuckingChaim
also, if online groceries are not available to you, I recommend a whiteboard on the fridge
L'fuckingChaim
you can add things to the list as you think of them
Pen Again
I'd make the list on my phone and forget to add to it, or forget its there when I get to the store lol
Pen Again
the whiteboard is good especially since you can then just take a photo of it with your phone and have it at the store
Pen Again
my memory is terrible, so I am trying to train my roommate to text/plurk me with things she wants added to the grocery order, because she has a habit of telling me in the car where I cannot do it right then and I then I forget, she forgets, and it doesn't get ordered. So a bit of ADHD is training other people to help accommodate your needs in small ways
GAP DASAI
Damn that bit about the broccoli is a real eye opener
GAP DASAI
Literally me with heads of cauliflower.
L'fuckingChaim
I also skype back & forth with people in my household about tasks - that way there's a written record of what I need to do when
L'fuckingChaim
so I don't end up going "uhhh, I know I was supposed to do SOMETHING..."
ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫
i've been saying to myself, and others, a lot, if it works for you, it's worth it
GAP DASAI
I had never even heard of an ADHD tax before (though I’ve certainly paid it handily.)
sailor bii
this is all very useful
bluecanary
this applies broadly i think, or rather, i think non ADHD people could find it useful as well
bluecanary
i am finding it useful, thank you for posting
Infychu
It's good for anyone with limited spoons TBH
Infychu
Even if those spoons go towards something like being a parent or working overtime instead of disability or mental illness.
Ainsley ☄
I buy the ready to steam in the bag broccoli and that means we eat broccoli at dinner!
TeaMergency
Infychu
: It absolutely is.
𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤
While I’m here: Clorox Wipes and paper towels = house is clean
Pteryx
A non-food one from my own observations from outside: ADHD means rebates do not count as discounts, since those have to be redeemed within a limited timeframe.
Pteryx
So keep that in mind when pricing electronics and such. If a discount isn't up-front, you might be better off with a deal that is up front.
Revenge Guac
frozen pre-chopped veggies are an absolute godsend
Revenge Guac
so are the $8 "stick it in the microwave for 8 min, now you have 2-4 servings of Meal" meals that Vons has in the deli section
Revenge Guac
several of which include both protein and veg
Revenge Guac
(pandemic and burnout took my spoons, so I've stopped beating myself up for being spoonless and started finding food ways to accommodate spoonlessness)
juliette lives
Drops this list of 100 food ideas for when you can't handle cooking.
ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫
oh ty
milkycrown
unfuck your habitat is an old blog but it has similar advice, if you all want more support in this vein
Revenge Guac
UFYH is so good
Revenge Guac
they're still active on twitter afaik
ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫
they are yeah
ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫
and patreon, or ... at least they were up until this spring (not currently supporting so I'm not sure)
shrimp heaven
UFYH is super active on twitter and their cleaning journal that came out last july is fantastic
shrimp heaven
their tumblr isn't active anymore, but the community is still going strong on twitter and elsewhere
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
Birdseye has steam-in-the-bag pasta or rice premixed with sauce and vegetables that you can toss in the microwave for like 5 minutes.
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
I use those a lot
RobotApocalypse
Pteryx
: yeah the rebate thing is good to point out. this is the reason that i never factor the rebate into the pricing when i'm shopping for that kind of stuff, because i know i can't rely on myself to do it
Ainsley ☄
UFYH has a subreddit that's super helpful and non judgey
Ainsley ☄
there's also a subreddit for ADHD and one focused on ADHD for women
Ainsley ☄
both are excellent and well moderated
pastel ranma
Having a journal has been super useful for me for similar reasons. I don't use it every day, every week or even every month but if I want to remember something I can make a list or something in the journal, put a good title on the table of contents and always have it.
pastel ranma
Birthdays or really any date that's like a month or more out being a big problem for me to remember at all.
swoleregard
oh yeah belatedly but re: the "this works for anyone with limited spoons" -- that's what I meant by "my version of ADHD". it's really very all-purpose advice!
pastel ranma
Something I wish was in information easier for me to process, is how to do the basics of cooking and that the basics are okay. My example is cooking chicken thighs on a pan. Just adding some garlic and onion I've got a quick meal, but every recipe when I try to find something as simple as that has like 5 other ingredients.
Pen Again
yeah. cooking tries to be too fancy a lot of the time and while that's great, I want something where I don't have to buy 20 one use ingredients...because this isn't even ADHD, this is eating single: things go to waste like that
pastel ranma
Right? Like I'll give spices a pass because those take a while to go bad and are useful in a lot, but especially if it calls from something highly specific that you only use a small amount of for the recipe.
Pen Again
things like parsley or green onions or anything where I have to buy a whole bushel or it or whatever is a no. Spices I am all for. I love going sprinkle sprinkle with those little shakers over my food. I feel like I'm doing something
Infychu
"Sprinkle three tears from a unicorn on top as garnish."
Pen Again
I gotta buy the whole bottle of unicorn tears tho. D<
Infychu
It's not THAT expensive, gosh. Only 50k per ounce.
Pen Again
right right. I will buy that late into the game, when I am just rolling in every other kind of potion and tons of gil
Infychu
JRPG involving cooking? You have my attention.
JRPG involving cooking? You have my attention.
TeaMergency
Zelda BotW cooking dlc
snowbunnymoon
One of my mantras is "spend more money now to spend less money later"
TeaMergency
That's such a mood. Putting "simple" or "3-ingredient" sometimes helps.
TeaMergency
*in my searches
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
so, a simple thing I do when it comes to chicken or pork chops... seasoned bread crumbs are a great cheap alternative to brand name shake and bake... put the meat in a ziploc, dump enough bread crumbs to cover it about half way, then shake like crazy to cover the meat... stick the meat on a pan and bake until done
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
I usually get 4C italian seasoned
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
but, even if you get plain, you can add your own spices for whatever flavor you want
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
or even get those pre-mixed seasonings like what McCormick and Goya... or even Mrs Dash... they come in various flavor profiles and last a long time
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
I love to sprinkle lemon pepper on chicken and bake it that way... just lemon pepper... it really doesn't need anything else
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
pair with a premixed salad and a canned veg that you can heat up for like 3 minutes in the microwave... there's a full dinner
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
or even a frozen veg that's microwavable
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
I also like to cut up chicken or use ground beef and mix those with a Knorr rice or pasta side... Those are easy to do when you're low on energy and brain power. Again, toss in a canned veg like corn or green beans or carrots, and just let it all cook in a big skillet
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
15 minutes total cook time between prep and cooking
Pen Again
re JRPG cooking, NGL all I do in FF14 is craft and cook and stuff. If someone made a JRPG focused mainly on that, I would be all over it
RobotApocalypse
re: recipes, the big thing i've learned as a picky eater is that most ingredients can be safely ignored or substituted with something similar
RobotApocalypse
as long as it's not a core component that holds everything together, or the main ingredient (or baking, which is way more chemistry than regular cooking so this does not apply there at all)
RobotApocalypse
so for example if it's like, a stir-fry with tofu and 12 different vegetables, you can just cut half the vegetables and double up the tofu to make up for the lost volume
RobotApocalypse
it won't taste perfect and may not turn out how the recipe says, but a slightly different dish is still edible
RobotApocalypse
legit i've made stew before with only meat and potatoes in it. all you need for that besides the meat and potatoes is flour, water, seasonings, and bullion cubes (which are basically non-perishable anyway)
RobotApocalypse
this probably sounds heretical to people who actually like most foods, lmao. but if you don't wanna buy something for just one recipe that'll go bad before you get the chance to use up the rest, just, don't. if it's a key component, pick a different recipe, and if it's not, substitute something else or just leave it out
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
another option for stew is to buy broth and gravy
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
if you don't want to worry about having flour around
RobotApocalypse
eventually you develop a sense for what is and isn't a crucial component, too. like, if you have to mix an egg in before cooking, it's probably gonna fall apart without that, and if you have to put in flour, it's probably gonna be really watery without
RobotApocalypse
yeah a gravy mix packet will do the job if you don't have any flour, and you can buy them in single-use sizes so you don't have to worry about it
RobotApocalypse
the beef won't brown as nicely without a coating of flour but it still cooks just fine
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
Yeah. I usually dump a jar of gravy with the meat and broth and some canned vegetables in a crockpot and let it cook for several hours.
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
season to taste, of course
RobotApocalypse
tbh the main reason i use recipes at all is for a) seasonings, because i don't have a good sense of what seasonings go well together or well with a certain type of food, and b ) the actual cooking process itself
RobotApocalypse
and i would not consider myself a particularly skilled cook or anything, haha. i just had to learn how to make my own food if i wanted to safely eat a meal that i know won't trigger my ARFID sensitivities
RobotApocalypse
also what's been especially helpful for me w/my ADHD is when I find a recipe I like, I print it off and stick it in a binder that sits in my kitchen next to my cookbooks
RobotApocalypse
so that cuts out the step of having to find a recipe i like before i can start planning for the actual cooking part, because i can just flip through the binder for something that sounds good that night
RobotApocalypse
without having to filter through a bunch of recipes i know i'm not going to like to find it
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
I definitely print and save all the recipes I like
Nammah!
I keep a bookmark folder specifically for recipes that I'm interested in, one that I want to use recipes in the near future, and those that I made before and didn't taste terrible
𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠, 𝕤𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪
I print out all my fave recipes and shove them into a folder, lmao. I like having stuff on my phone, but I prefer something physical bc I don't have to keep opening my phone to look something over
RobotApocalypse
yeah having it in a physical form is much easier for me, my ADHD brain likes to shove a disconnect in between myself and the task if i have to go through a screen for it
Nammah!
Does anyone write down the recipes they find, or just print? I'm curious since I find it's easier to recall information if I write things down!
RobotApocalypse
i just print, but yeah i have an easier time remembering things in general if i write it down longhand
RobotApocalypse
since the recipes are for referencing though, i don't feel the need to commit them to memory
StupidSexyV⚠der
writing it down is easier but I tend to screenshot them and save in a folder for 'recipes'
Nammah!
absolutely fair! Different strokes for different folks! I mostly try to make sure I have enough of the thing lmao
Cerise ♢
Don't mind me, this is just a comment to log this plurk by because these are some good tips flying around... I can definitely get behind that "usefulness to your brain is worth the price" feeling.
StupidSexyV⚠der
Nammah!
: easier to remember but my handwriting is shot so!
Nammah!
ah, makes sense! Gotta do what's best for you!
swoleregard
oh yeah lmao I have also developed a knack for "is this ingredient actually necessary or can I handwave it since I forgot to buy it/it's annoying to prep/it's expensive". and I like food! but there's times for making Good Food and times for, like. feeding myself.
swoleregard
I'm slightly less lazy about it now that I'm living with someone but the other day my dinner plan got totally fucked up and I ended up... basically subbing everything for everything else except the main protein
Pteryx
As far as no-brainer proteins go? Frozen sausage crumbles are a good one.
ArtIsArt
They're good with eggs!
Nammah!
Funny enough, lately I've been making portions of cauliflower and freezing them if I can't use the full head
Ainsley ☄
and speaking of eggs, they sell hard boiled eggs in the dairy section. much less bother than boiling and peeling eggs, and great for doing snack boxes
𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖗!
The other thing that’s super great is the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker. I know unitasker appliances are kind of questionable, but this thing makes hard boiled and poached eggs and tiny omelettes with steam heat, and it plays an obnoxious melody when it finishes, so it’s basically impossible to forget.
𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠, 𝕤𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪
this is why I have an instant pot, literally take shit, throw it in, then turn it and it'll keep it warm for however long
𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠, 𝕤𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪
even better, it warns of the bottom of the pan burning and will shut itself off if that happens
pastel ranma
Yesss I need to get stuff for my favorite instant pot recipes but it's so good. The fact it can make some things without you babysitting them or take forever like their traditional versions really helps.
pastel ranma
Like Beef Stew takes some prep but it gets the meat super tender and you don't have to sit with it like you would if you were cooking in a pot.
𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠, 𝕤𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪
my fave recipe is a lemon spinach parmesan orzo. slap that shit together, leave it for 5 mins to cook, then it's done
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
Yeah. My crockpot has a timer, so I set it for a cooktime, and it automatically switches to "warm" to just maintain temperature until I'm ready to eat.
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
It's the best.
Winter❄️Blade🗡️
Also, that recipe sounds good...