Join us for another exciting Tech connect Live. This time we have a special guest, Rose Visser, joining us. rose is an OT and CLVT who specializes in activities of daily living training. Join us as we discuss tips and products to make your Thanksgiving cooking safe and enjoyable.

Transcript 11:04:02 Welcome to vision, forwards, tech, connect, live, connecting you to the world of assistive technology. 11:04:08 And now here are your hosts Corey and Luke Hello, I'm. 11:04:15 Welcome by to another sighting talk. Live your number one show. 11:04:22 Fall learning about cooking today, at least. Yes, yeah. is your Mike on? 11:04:26 I hope so. Oh, okay, I don't know can anybody hear me Yeah, now, you're fine. i'd start Hello! 11:04:32 Everyone producer jonathan is out today. yeah so it's like we completely forgot how to do half of the stuff. 11:04:43 So it's only been that, like a few weeks since he stand up over doing that stuff as well. 11:04:46 Although last week we weren't on you we weren't I didn't have audio on Youtube, right Now that we can blame. 11:04:50 Well, let's blame producer johnny Why, don't blame. but today we should be good. hopefully. 11:04:57 We can't even monitor Youtube so we're hopefully There's a hopper. 11:05:01 Let us know if you can hear us. Yeah, so if you chat please do comment on Youtube, but we can't read them. 11:05:07 So just comment between each other You know that's that's what being social is all about. 11:05:11 You know what I is is related to social things. coin no Thanksgiving. 11:05:17 Yes, yeah, and you know what we're talking about today. 11:05:19 Christmas. exactly. Now, i'm guessing we're talking about thanksgiving. 11:05:26 Yes, today. we're going to be looking at how to safely, effectively, and tastefully creating tasteful. So there's a double meaning. 11:05:39 I like exactly creates your Thanksgiving meal, and to do so because Corby and I know nothing about well, anything really, but especially know nothing about cooking. 11:05:48 But luckily we have a accessibility, a cooking expert in the house. 11:05:54 Please raise your hands and give a firm run of applause for rose visa. 11:05:59 Hello, Rose, how are you today? Are you doing as you can see roses coming live from the Italian kitchen that we have here? 11:06:07 Yes, see, pretty specifically said, If I come on your show I must be in Italian kitchen. Yeah. 11:06:13 So we worked really hard to build. I did a great job thank you for just like I don't I mean i'm not exactly sure what makes a kitchen. 11:06:20 I made a I tried making a joke and realize quite quickly I said, Oh, I know it is. 11:06:28 Put an Eiffel Tower in there yeah you pointed out that that's right. 11:06:32 I don't know what makes an italian kitchen but well, I do. 11:06:34 What's that? if you have an italian person in your kitchen, Then it's an italian kitchen. 11:06:39 Good point that's true, so an italian kitchen can be anywhere. 11:06:42 Pretty much. Yeah, It's It's wherever you think It is Yeah, that's where it is. Do you have any Italian blood in you at all. 11:06:48 I do not know. I just like that. The kitchen is spacious, and lots of marble, lots of space to work, I guess nothing less. 11:06:54 And I can't we put this together, using ira so yeah, I built it. 11:06:59 He built my own thing again. Yeah. Only this morning this potatoes just this morning you did the carving of the marble. 11:07:09 Yeah, very talented for the moment. let's switch back to our view, because we have to, of course, do the all important job time. 11:07:15 We do just before we do the call. you recommended me. 11:07:20 A book in it was called Project Hale Mary. Yeah. by a gentleman by the name of Andy Weir. 11:07:25 That is correct, and he also wrote the Martian don't know if anybody has read the book. 11:07:28 All seen in the movie of the Martian i've been reading through the book, and so far I've been enjoying reading it. 11:07:35 But i've found the main character to be you know not not to my my shell. 11:07:42 No depth so it's definitely like we said before it's definitely a I don't want to say a fluff. read, but it's like a read for pleasure you're you don't you're not going to 11:07:50 walk away with any real deep. Yeah, but is a enjoyable to read on the lesson. 11:07:55 Query the I don't want to spoil the plot too much. 11:07:57 But during the course of his adventures our lead character comes across an alien and the alien that happens to be blind. 11:08:05 Yeah, and well, he whole species are you know it's not just him. 11:08:11 And yeah, But he is able to quote unquote, c. 11:08:13 Through the use of very advanced listening capabilities. Yes, almost echo location style. 11:08:18 Yeah, it seems like I mean, they know they ever really go super deep in depth about it. 11:08:21 But I mean there's points or he's listening across you know huge amounts of space. 11:08:28 So obviously he's got Yeah, some super yeah here definitely seems to be an echo location which reminded me of that guy who does the echo location. 11:08:36 I'm sure you aware of him yeah you know i've never been able to do like I under. I definitely use pieces of that traveling like you can sort of hear when you walk past something or doorways, but some people are like just amazing with 11:08:49 that echo location, and I know this makes those noises. 11:08:54 I forget his name subtly, but the he has a Ted Talk. 11:08:57 And yeah, he makes those noises as he goes around to help him navigate. 11:09:02 If any of our audience does that, then please let us know in the chat, because the chat is where we like to chat. 11:09:07 The chat is where it's air that's right as a as the kids are saying now, so please do put into the chart anything really but definitely your experiences with with cooking. 11:09:21 We would like to hear about those so sign a desperation. 11:09:26 Anything is good. If you have any cooking tips of your own, we would love to hear those. 11:09:31 If you yourself have read a project Hail, Mary you can put your thoughts about that into the chat, and obviously jokes as well, because we do like jokes on the show, and let's get over to the jokes. 11:09:43 Now Callie, Let's tell our Joke first of all Okay, this is not Thanksgiving related. 11:09:45 It's not time related. this Yeah, okay, here goes the joke everybody, and I was included. If you know the answer to the show grows in Feel free to to shout out here. 11:09:57 So here's the joke Why did the man stop eating clocks. 11:10:05 Why did the man stop eating box? i'm sure they were pretty tasty, so I can't think of any good reason why he would want to. 11:10:13 But attacker. Hmm! hands, body! Why, did the man stop eating clocks? 11:10:19 I don't know. Rose, to you we have any idea I have no idea where he ran out of time or something that's actually pretty good. 11:10:26 I'll say good not the answer but you're you're close, though. 11:10:29 Yeah, you're on the right you're on the right track track here? 11:10:33 Yeah time. The answer is because it was too time consuming. 11:10:42 Yeah, I get that you reached over for ourselves I was reaching that wasn't the button I was reaching that wasn't the button I was reaching, for since I got here in the chat said he had second thoughts and also in the chat 11:10:58 from Paula. What do you get when you cross a turkey with a ghost? 11:11:03 So Thanksgiving themed here to keep with the ghosts. 11:11:06 Someone was going to say a gobble. no yeah a paltry guy. 11:11:16 So i've forgotten all and follow thank you very always look forward to those. All right. 11:11:23 Well, what was we gonna be handing the the reins over to you, so to speak? 11:11:29 And I myself am just the worst chef on the planet. 11:11:34 And Corey. I know that you are the cook of your family. but I did disclose to me that you have the same meals on meditation every week, which is also what I do. 11:11:41 As well. Yeah, Well, that's a I know that rose is much best So we are in good hands, and we're going to start off rows. 11:11:47 We are going to be going through the process of making your Thanksgiving meal. So we need to start the start here, and the start is accessing the recipe. 11:11:59 Okay, yes. how are we gonna do it? So there's lots of different ways that you can do that for thanksgiving time. 11:12:05 A lot of us have our favorite family recipes that we follow. 11:12:08 Or maybe we want to try a new recipe this year, so we may. 11:12:12 We have to be able to access that recipe and there's lots of different ways that you can do that one way is to use a device called the Pen Friend. 11:12:21 I don't know if you've heard of the pen friend before, but it looks like this. 11:12:24 It's actually an odd labeler it's a very simple device. 11:12:28 And That's what I like about it there aren't a lot of buttons on it, so just a few buttons on the front. 11:12:34 They're bright yellow. So if you have some vision you can kind of see the contrast with them. 11:12:37 This device comes with some different labels. it comes with magnetic labels. 11:12:44 You also get some special stickers that have technology built into them that go along with this device. 11:12:51 So, for an example, how you would use this to record a recipe. 11:12:54 You could have your recipe written on a recipe card, or maybe in a recipe book, and then you would put one of your little stickers from the pen friend on the card, and then you can record a message or a 11:13:08 recipe. Maybe the name of the item you're trying to cook maybe some little tips about how to cook it. 11:13:13 You would record that onto that label i'm going to turn on my device and just show you there's a power button that you just hold down until it beeps makes a beeping sound i've recorded a 11:13:22 message onto this little Sticker and we're going to simply touch the device to that label, and we're going to listen to what we have recorded. 11:13:32 Betty Crocker, milk, chocolate, Brownie. 11:13:35 Mix 3 tablespoon's rock so I won't go through all of it. 11:13:40 But you can hear how it's listing all the things I recorded the ingredients, the directions any important information that you want. 11:13:47 So that's great voice was always gonna have a friend yeah I was gonna say, that was my voice something different when it's recorded. 11:13:56 Yeah, I would not. I was gonna say the same thing like, where did you download that problem? 11:13:59 Well, as I want you to just recall that every recipe, so everybody can have the pleasure listening to that. 11:14:04 I have to put my own work on hold while it's playing Rose? 11:14:10 Are you able to pause it you can't pause it so like if I were to hit the power button again, it's all or nothing. 11:14:18 Okay. So Yep. Yep. So if you wanted to do it one way, you could potentially do it if you wanted. 11:14:24 Steps would be multiple stickers. That right step. one step, 2 Yep. 11:14:27 So you could have multiple stickers on this recipe card or I've had some people that will have a little notebook with multiple stickers on it, and they just keep their recipes in that little notebook sure so that's a 11:14:36 great way to do it, too, yep so that's 1 one device I love it again. 11:14:41 It's a simple device, another way that you could access recipes, especially on food packages. 11:14:48 A lot of packages will have a recipe on the side. 11:14:52 I have some stove top stuffy mix here delicious things giving staple of the package. 11:15:03 It'll have the recipe so if you can't quite remember. 11:15:05 Can't see the tiny print on that you could put this recipe or this box inside of a ziploc bag and put a Penfront lab on the outside. 11:15:14 You also can use apps to access that print recipe So there's the scene. Ai app for iphones and the new lookout one is that the name of it? 11:15:25 Yeah, right for your android device. but that's a great way to use your phone to be able to read the print. 11:15:31 That's on a food package. if you have those apps though you do know that there's some quirks to them right? 11:15:38 Yeah, fine in the park code, you typically can be yeah, difficult or getting it to read. 11:15:42 Sometimes i've done that with seeing ai and try to read the directions, and it'll say like pre heat to. and then you know the numbers all messed up, you know nothing i'm supposed to preheat to 800 or 11:15:53 35. So sometimes you got to check a couple times yeah to make sure it's accurate. 11:15:58 Yeah, So there's some low quirks with that or if things are written in like a chart or a table. 11:16:05 The app doesn't not necessarily read down the chart right So it reads, Yeah. cross, and can jumble up your words. 11:16:10 We did a video past video. Jesus must be a probably over 2 years. 11:16:16 At this point. we need a video about accessing bar codes, remember. And one of the things we did was using a computer and the directions for me website, where you could look up bar codes or just type in the name of the 11:16:29 product. and then you got a nice if your screen read or user on the computer or magnification, you got all the instructions right there to review as well. 11:16:39 I like directions for me, because, like you said, it kind of lays out the recipe very simply. 11:16:43 It gets rid of all the visual clutter so if you're looking up a recipe online there's so many ads and visual clutter. 11:16:51 Yeah. So directions for me. keeps it really simple and If you have some vision as spaces out the lions nicely, too. it makes it easier to read. 11:16:59 So yeah, that's a good one. your digital assistance to can be very helpful for looking up recipes. 11:17:08 Your Amazon echo Google home all of those are great ways to look up a recipe as well, and I love those because they'll do. 11:17:14 And again we did a past session on it, but all 3 of them the home pod that Google home, the Amazon echo, will do the steps, you know. give you time to purchase a step. 11:17:28 And then you just say next, or whatever next step and it gives you the next step in the recipe. 11:17:31 So that's really cool to it doesn't just throw it all at you. 11:17:34 Yeah, that's a great way. great way to do it that I love the digital assistance. 11:17:37 They're greed in the kitchen you can Set timers and use them for a lot of different tasks. or if you're just trying to look up something quick like a measurement. 11:17:47 Conversion can be helpful for that, too, just to look up important information. 11:17:51 So they were great. video magnifiers are also helpful. 11:17:55 If you have a favorite cookbook at home, and you can't quite read the recipe you have some vision. 11:18:02 But you're having trouble seeing the words there are portable video magnifiers that you can get there's lots of different kinds. 11:18:10 But in general how they work is they use a lot of kind of higher technology. 11:18:15 They have buttons where you can magnify what you're looking at. 11:18:18 So this one it's. called the explorer 8 and you would rest it right on your cookbook recipe, and then you can make the print bigger or smaller. 11:18:26 But what's nice, too, is you can adjust the contrast of what you're looking at. 11:18:30 So if you prefer white words on a black background to really make the words stand out. 11:18:37 Something like this can be helpful and it's portable so it's nice to bring it into the kitchen. 11:18:41 Set it on your recipe book and just kind of slide it along, and just the magnification and content. 11:18:48 There are bigger versions of these called desktop magnifiers. 11:18:51 Those aren't as portable so you have to have them kind of resting, setting on a table in your kitchen. 11:18:58 But for those who get a bigger screen, so those can be very helpful with the place in your recipe book under the screen, and then doing the same things as the portable one, adjusting the contrast of magnification, so 11:19:08 i'm. I don't know if you guys have ever used those for recipes. 11:19:13 I never follow a recipe. So good. Question: Yeah. for like for me, for recipes. 11:19:19 If I look, I usually i'm doing it on the computer, and then I will put it from the computer. 11:19:25 I'll put it onto my phone, either in the notes app or something like that. And then just kind of follow it step by step, although I have been trying to use the echo more, because sometimes the problem with the video magnification or the phone 11:19:36 is at your hands, I have found cooking blind my hands are always dirty. I mean, i'm washing my hands a 1 million times as I'm cooking, and so trying to keep hands free is is helpful Yeah, So the voice 11:19:50 activated. Yeah, those are more helpful for that tough definitely. 11:19:53 And if you are cooking with vision loss, you want to get your hands and stuff right. 11:20:00 You can tell a lot about the texture. of the food and when you're mixing things up. 11:20:02 So yeah, voice activation is the way to go so let's talk about. Once you have your recipe now, you probably want to do some stuff on the stove or in the oven. 11:20:13 You want to cook some items. right? So safety with the stover oven is very important, and one of the big things is just making sure that you can identify your stover oven. 11:20:24 There are lots of different kinds of stoves or opens I go into people's, homes and help them with labeling, and almost every time I go into their home I see a new one that I haven't seen before so making sure that 11:20:36 you're your appliances, your small or large appliances are labeled properly, can help you to access all the little controls and dials and buttons. 11:20:47 And there's lots of different ways to label them and most appliances can be labeled in a way that somebody with vision loss can use them except mine. 11:20:58 I bought brand new ones when we moved and I can't it's all a it's all flat, and it's not touchscreen, basically, but it's a big flat panel and I put bumped off on 11:21:10 the specific buttons I need. But when you reach up to find those buttons you press all the other buttons. 11:21:16 Those are. So yeah, So I honestly, I all I can do is hit. 11:21:20 Bake and get it on at 350 and that's I have to cook everything at 350 unless I have someone come help me. 11:21:25 I know, so I know this. Get a whole you put well, you can get new oven. 11:21:31 Yeah, you put gloves on. and then you can find the bump doll. But it's not it's pressure sense, not capacitive. 11:21:39 Yeah, Yeah, yeah, so it's so it is but those bumped outs make a huge difference, even in that case i'm still able to at least do something which without bump dots. you wouldn't be able to do any i'm surprised you didn't buy a smart 11:21:50 cooker. Cory. I know I had. I really should have, but it was hand lockstart. 11:21:55 Anyways I regret not getting a more tactile or at least a smart Yes, dove, and now I feel because it's less. 11:22:03 It's a year old at this point I feel like I can't. I can't get another one. Yeah, the smart cookers are nice. 11:22:08 They're expensive, right it's still kind of a new technology. 11:22:12 But yeah, if you do have a stove at home you know as long as it's not Corey Stove. a lot of them can be labeled. The bump fats like you mentioned are great bump dots are basically 11:22:24 just raised up stickers. They come in lots of colors. A bright orange is a helpful color. 11:22:29 If you have some vision, it's a it's an easy to see color. 11:22:33 But if you have no vision, you can usually feel them and how we use these, is we put these on the different controls on our appliance. 11:22:40 So i'm holding up an example this is a picture of a dial, and how you would label a dial with bump dots. 11:22:48 You would put 2 different bump dots on one would be at your starting point, that you're going to line the dial up with, and then you would put a bump tut on your setting usually with things like your burner 11:22:58 dials. I recommend putting a bum tut on your medium setting. 11:23:02 That's right in the middle. Once you can find, the medium, you can usually figure out which way to turn it for your other temperatures. but the bump dots are heat resistant, too, which makes them better than maybe other tactile. 11:23:14 markings that you might just find out a hardware store glue doesn't melt away and fall off. You don't melt away and fall off unless your surface is greasy they can slide off so make sure your surface 11:23:26 is clean. How long do you think they would generally last, then, I mean, can they just last forever? 11:23:31 They can last a lot i've had not some on that i've been on for years now. 11:23:36 Stuff. Yeah, I mean, if you get them on right in a nice clean service. Yeah, they'll last for they will last a long time. 11:23:42 That's true. That was my pen friend going off in case you I've got I mean I've got bump dots all over the house from the microwave to the stove to the thermostat to the washing machine to I mean it really those 11:23:52 it. in my opinion. you know when you think about like what are the must have in anyone's house that's got a visual impairment. a pack of bump dots is yeah like you must have that in your house at all Yes, I 11:24:04 think almost every claim I work with. I recommend some sort of labels like bump dots. 11:24:08 They're very useful. Another useful labeling tool is called spot and line pen. 11:24:15 It's a tactile paint, it's very useful for a same uses as the bump dots it when it drives it creates a raised up surface, and it comes in a bright color like this bright orange but the nice thing about 11:24:26 this is, you can draw out something so you could draw out a symbol like a plus sign, or a minus sign or an arrow. 11:24:35 So there may be times where just a simple dot doesn't make sense to you. 11:24:39 So if you put a plus sign, for example, where you increase the temperature on your oven, that may make more sense. 11:24:45 You do have to let it dry ticks a little bit of time. but then, once it's dry, you can touch it, it's raised up. 11:24:52 It works really well. I like the spot in line Pen, because it has lots of uses. 11:24:57 You can label clothing. tags with it too, it's heat resistant again, as unless it's dry, you could throw it your clothing. 11:25:04 The washer and dryer it won't come off so, it's a very handy tool, Then you can kind of adjust how how thick it is to to a certain extent. 11:25:13 Right. If you're you maybe use a toothpick to make a thinner line, if you need or whatever you can. 11:25:17 Yeah, it's gonna build it up to make it bigger marking that's true. 11:25:21 And then there is something called Wiki sticks. Have you guys heard of Wiki sticks? 11:25:26 I used them. Oh, gosh, I use them that's how I got through high school, math geometry. 11:25:31 We used Wiki sticks to create the shapes and and all that stuff. 11:25:37 Yeah, yeah, they're really cool they're great they're so handy. And they're very low tech which is nice, and it's just their bendable craft. 11:25:46 Wax, basically, so you can bend them into different shapes. 11:25:49 You can cut into smaller pieces, press it on a surface, but then you can also remove it. 11:25:55 So it works really good for labeling things like boxed food. 11:25:58 Packages where you don't want to throw away an expensive label. 11:26:02 You could put a label on a box of Mac and cheese and be able to identify it. 11:26:07 I use this to label the popcorn button on my microwave, so I make in the shape of a P. 11:26:13 For popcorn, I think, about at least for my son it's a very so. 11:26:25 Those are just some ways that you can label your appliance. 11:26:27 Make sure you have it labeled properly before you start to even use it. 11:26:30 Make sure you can identify things on it. just a good back to popcorn for a second, and I only made popcorn in a pan for the first time. 11:26:40 Oh, with extra oil and yeah a few weeks ago but i've of course, like you know, having having not done it before I made the classic mistake and didn't put the lid on that was pop gone all over the key and a mess to 11:26:52 clean up other things with the stover oven, you know, thinking safety, you know, with vision loss. 11:27:02 Your tendency is to use that sense of touch a little bit more. 11:27:04 So making sure your hands are protected when you're interacting with the stove is important. 11:27:09 There's lots of different oven mits and gloves that you can get. 11:27:14 I like these ones. they're oven galoves. they look like the ones that you see on Tv is advertised. 11:27:20 But they're a little bit longer which is nice they really come up a little bit further down your arm. 11:27:26 This one also has some grippy surfaces on it, so it makes it a little bit easier to grab a pan from out of the oven. 11:27:33 Oven, Myths a lot of times are bulky Sometimes it's hard to wiggle your fingers and grab that pan easily. 11:27:40 So I really like this kind. I love the gloves to get way. 11:27:43 More dexterity and easy. Yeah, exactly. Is that a specific brand of glove? 11:27:47 There was it's called the oven gloves Oh, yeah, they went straight. 11:27:54 Yeah, just make as simple as possible. I don't know if there's a specific brand on this one. 11:27:58 But we do sell. sell it these in our store, but you can get them online as well. 11:28:03 They do make some that are shorter, though, so I do recommend getting the ones that are longer, and come up your arm a little bit further. 11:28:09 And this, and if i'm not mistaken you recommend that, so that when you open up the stove I have the stove? No, the oven. Sorry I just get the still when you open up the oven door. 11:28:22 And reach in. Yeah, you Sometimes that top rack you sometimes can bump your forearm on the actual top of this of the oven. 11:28:31 So if you've got it coming up a little bit more you're protecting that forearm in case right is that Yep, you're exactly right, because we sometimes forget about the top of that. 11:28:38 That oven. You can easily bump your under that I also recommend using it, too. 11:28:44 If you're a little uncertain, or uncomfortable about the stove top as well. 11:28:48 So when you're trying to search for a pan or find the handle for the pan. 11:28:52 But you're nervous about how to touch in search for that pan is put on your glove, and then you can easily move around and touch and find the pan. 11:29:01 Yeah, we actually yeah, we have a kettle that we put on the stove top. 11:29:05 But it's all made of stainless steel or whatever, and so the handle. 11:29:08 This gets really hot. Yeah. So yeah, that's tough that my pots and pans to my same thing. 11:29:16 The handle gets hot like I can't even even some that are supposed to be protected on the handle. 11:29:23 They still get hot. I found that when you talk about stove tops I have gas now in in in this house, so I don't have the flat top of my last house. 11:29:33 I had the electric flat F class type, and that can always be tough. 11:29:37 What I found hard there was, and maybe this is my technique. 11:29:43 So first I always put the pan on before I turned on the stove, because a lot of times you can sort of feel the burner part has some little texture or some grippy. so i'd line it up before I turned it on but then 11:29:55 if you had to turn it. if you had to take the pot off for any reason, and bring it back the way, I found I would sort of you kind of knew what corner to put it in right front back whatever it might be so i'd set it down there. 11:30:05 and then I would just use my hand very gently, not touching anything, but just feeling kind of the heat around it. 11:30:14 And you could kind of tell, Okay, this size got way more heat, because, you know, you could kind of feel the heat to figure out. 11:30:18 But you got to be careful that you don't touch the pan or bring your hand too close to the stove. 11:30:23 But yeah, and that's where the gloves could be handy. Yeah. 11:30:26 Or I like using a wooden spoon as like a replacement to your hand. 11:30:31 Oh, you can use that and just tap and find at least where the pan is. Yeah. 11:30:37 And once you know where the pan is, then you can do that circling around it to find where the heat is escaping. 11:30:41 But yeah, the gloves work fine for that, too. Lots of different techniques that can be helpful. 11:30:47 Another quick thing that for the oven there's something called oven rack guards, there are pieces of heat resistant, specially design fabric, and you just snap them on the front of each of your 2 oven 11:30:59 racks, and they can stay in the oven a lot of times. 11:31:01 People are like what you can get fabric in the oven. 11:31:06 This kind you can and once they're snapped on the front, it protects your hands. 11:31:10 If you should accidentally touch the front of the oven rack, but they also they're white in color, and most ovens are dark or black. 11:31:19 So if you have some vision, loss it's hard to tell where the front of that rack is, so this tells you where it is. 11:31:28 So. how hot does it get? you know when you're cooking how hot does does the Does the fabric get pretty hot or not? 11:31:33 Not too bad, I suppose, because doesn't there are some metal snaps, but they're kind of tucked inside. But Yeah, it's. This is very similar material that firefighters have in their in their outfit so 11:31:46 it's it's specially designed to take heat and Then you can easily unsnap it, and throw it in your washing machine, or dryer to clean it off. it's really cool. that's how a firefighter 11:31:55 drives the uniform. After washing it they put in the oven. 11:31:57 You have to stick in the old when they just put in the dryer. 11:32:00 Oh, yeah, I guess so. Did they put their turkey in the dryer. 11:32:06 Never go to a fire fight as high. So Thanksgiving, you had a drag off. 11:32:13 Foods done all right. So I want to talk a little bit about just some specific cooking tasks that you might do to prepare your Thanksgiving meal. 11:32:21 A lot of us boil things as we're getting ready to cook you know. 11:32:24 Boiling potatoes or things like that, and it can be tough to tell when water is boiling right. 11:32:30 So. the tendency, I think, is to lean in right. 11:32:34 So you're trying to see if the water's moving or trying to hear if that water is is boiling or moving, but leaning into that hot pot of boiling water is probably not real safe, right? 11:32:49 So there are some ways that can kind of keep you back a little bit, and still let you hear the water. There's a cool little disk. 11:32:56 That's a very low tech it's called a boil alert. Disk it's a little disk made out of ceramic. so it's porous and how this works is you you fill up your pot of 11:33:05 water. Then you put this disk in the water before you turn anything on, so you keep the burner off so you can fill up your water, Touch the pan, put your disk inside, and then you turn on your burner. 11:33:17 And then once the water starts to boil you're going to hear a little rattling noise like just very slight noise like that disk is is moving because of the moving water, and then, when your water's really boiling you really 11:33:31 will hear it kind of like really rattling on the bottom of the pan. 11:33:36 So such a low-tech invention. But it really kind of keeps you back and lets you know that that water is boiling. 11:33:43 And so here's a question so let's say i'm going to boil potatoes I mean. 11:33:49 Usually I would just open up a box of instant potatoes from my microwave. 11:33:53 But let's say i'm making let's say i'm making magic and scratch, which i've never done in my life. 11:33:58 Never it all the time really delicious, so you have to feature mash, retail from scratch. 11:34:03 I've never done never so easy just potatoes and then smash it. 11:34:07 Yeah. and then add some things in like book do you just leave the straight. 11:34:16 There's like no creativity today. Do you leave the boil alert, Pod, do you leave it in there? 11:34:22 Then when you pick your potatoes, or do you supposed to pull it out? 11:34:25 And if so, how yeah, I get that question a lot actually. So yeah, you leave it in there as it's boiling, because it's going to be hot. 11:34:31 The disk will be hot, and then at the end when you go to, you know. strain the water off in a strain, or however you remove the food you leave it in there. 11:34:42 And let it cool off. you can remove it either after it's cooled off, or you can take like a little scoop or something and get it out. 11:34:49 But don't touch it with your hands because it will be really hot. so it's safe to leave in while you cook you definitely. 11:34:54 Yep it's it's food safe yeah that's a nice ceramic flavor to your particular I just well, I can't tell you being blind and eating how many times i've taken a fork full of something I 11:35:04 had no idea, So I just sit down like I eat mashed potatoes. 11:35:09 And I think Sarah, like Jason, cooked this little ceramic flavor. 11:35:19 Other, you know, making sure that your food is cooked all the way, you know, cooking your turkey or your meat. 11:35:25 You want to make sure it's cooked correctly Oh, yeah and safely right. Oh, y'all toe ferkie I just like that. 11:35:33 Are you to Turkey. Yeah, sure that's true you turned up. 11:35:35 Yeah, Well, you know, introduction is never that's where you take All right. 11:35:41 I forget now, Turkey, a turkey and chicken. but I think you stuff. Yeah, what? 11:35:43 What one get stuffed, what the chicken gets stuck in the dark key. Oh, chicken! 11:35:48 Into the turkey, I think, and the duck and then duck into the chicken. it's all 3 of them. 11:35:52 Yeah realize i'm vegetarian I know you that's probably something you'll never have some I thought you maybe at least heard of that. Yeah, I could stuff tofu chicken into tofu turkey and I don't 11:36:03 think they do tofu duckler so i'd like Probably not. Yeah. 11:36:09 So yeah, making sure that your food is cooked all the way is important. 11:36:11 And I think a lot of times people tend, especially with meat. 11:36:13 They tend to overcook it because they're worried about it being undercooked. 11:36:18 So I don't want to do that with you thanksgiving turkey, because you don't want to dry it out for? No, you'll guess you ever saw Christmas national lapoons cream so there are some devices for making 11:36:31 sure it's cooked out the way timers you know always set some sort of a timer when you're cooking. 11:36:37 There's lots of different timers your cell phones have timers which are great because your cell phones are usually on you or nearby you. 11:36:45 I know I have to have mine right by me Did digital assistance again can work really great for setting timers. 11:36:52 What's nice about those is you can ask the digital assistant How much time is left which is very helpful. 11:36:57 I will say as well with the smartphone, if you have your hands. 11:37:01 Free voice assistance set up. Then you can use that basically the same as your That's Amazon likes all of it. 11:37:08 Yeah, exactly, definitely. if you prefer some of the lower tech options. 11:37:13 There are large print timers that you can get this is a great big one. very simple dial. so you just turn it. 11:37:20 It's got tactile markings on it you can feel the numbers has. 11:37:25 I think it has some, not braille, but tactile markings. 11:37:27 And then this one is white numbers on a black background, which again, that makes those numbers kind of stand out a little bit more. 11:37:35 We also have there's other simple timers this is just a basic digital timer where the numbers are slightly raised up. 11:37:43 And then we put some of those bunk dots that we learned about earlier on this timer to make it even more accessible. 11:37:50 Braille timers, too. yep braille there's talking timers. 11:37:54 Look, we have one here that has a I know our power. 11:38:01 Oh, I did have some time on that, So yeah, talking timers can be helpful, too. 11:38:05 So, if you like, some of those lower tech options they're available, but always set some sort of a timer when you're getting back into the kitchen and cooking. 11:38:14 More. There are also talking neat thermometers I don't know if you've ever used one of these before. 11:38:19 But these can be very helpful I I don't use that that kind. 11:38:24 I use the type that connect to your smartphone so I've used I grill before, and now my family for thanks. 11:38:31 Get it out for Thanksgiving my my family give me a present for things for Father's day. 11:38:35 They gave me a new one, called them meter and I think It's. 11:38:38 Me. A. T. V. is a yeah and this one what's so cool about it. 11:38:44 Is it connects to my smartphone, but it also connects to Amazon. 11:38:47 Echo, and so I put it. You stick it into the meat, and then on the app you choose what meet your cooking? 11:38:54 How thick it might be, and then it will tell you when it's done based on the correct temperature. 11:39:01 Oh, that's but then you can also track it But then you can also at the same time ask your Amazon Echo what the temperature is, and how much time is left, and all that. 11:39:10 Too. So So I mean it's a you know a high-tech version of the of the talking cooking timer. 11:39:15 But I have some extra features I like that you don't have to think quite so much like. 11:39:21 So with this one you have to know what's a safe temperature because it's going to tell you what the temperature of the meat is so if you don't know anything about cooking or you know what temperatures should it be you can always 11:39:31 look that up and that you can't leave in either right I mean that's got a plastic instances exactly. 11:39:38 You can walk it in. Yeah, test it and then remove it right away. 11:39:42 Got it, but it's again if you like something simple with just simple buttons. 11:39:45 It has a just 2 buttons really one is your on off button, and it tells you what you're doing the other side of that same button has a fast temperature. 11:39:57 Button, which once you press it, it's going to start beeping, and just telling you it's doing its thing. 11:40:01 And then i'll show you how that works can you take your own temperature with it. 11:40:04 Rose. No, yeah, let's put on your time to get anywhere else. and then on the top, up above is your talking button. 11:40:20 So once you let it go, then you hit the talking button or wait, and it tells you what what the temperature is. 11:40:29 The temperature in this room. It feels very caught me I can't be surprised. 11:40:34 Yeah, who knows it? But it's nice to you know with using these thermometers, too. 11:40:38 You can use the probe as a way to kind of poke around, too, and find the meat that you're trying to test and and search for it, using those you usually sort of like. 11:40:47 I try to find the edge and then yep make make a circle like, not outline it, basically, because then you really get an idea. 11:40:53 Okay, Now, I can stab in the middle exactly so that's the best place to put in into the middle. 11:40:58 I think you are put into the thickness right? Yeah. Yep. 11:41:00 And I do recommend to like once you find kind of where the middle is to poke all the way down until you touch the pan. 11:41:07 But lift it up right away. so because then you know that you're inside the meat. 11:41:13 But you don't want to rest it on the pan because then you'll get the temperature of the panel. 11:41:17 But that tells you that you're inside the thickness part Okay, What's the name of your I think meter me a Yeah, it's either. I think it's er yeah and it's quite it's quite accessible 11:41:29 a little recharger case that it sits in as many of these things you have to be somewhat skillful with you, although if you have a family member that sets it up, and you just want the Amazon echo piece, that could 11:41:44 work. Oh, well, I take that back because I think they have to set the cooking on the app. 11:41:47 You're right, you do need some if you only cook one thing every time. 11:41:49 The same thing. Maybe it would work that's kind of nice to know about a variety of tools, right so like the lower tech up to the higher text. 11:41:57 There's lots of options out there which is nice especially for timers, and we're hoping next year is one of our one of our shows. we'll be going to call his house in Korea is actually gonna do some live barbecuing I've 11:42:08 never grilled tofu before so you're gonna have to have. I've done bean burgers. 11:42:15 Those will be fine black, mean burgers. I did. so. Yeah. 11:42:17 Well, what we're gonna have to we're gonna see what it's like, Yeah, So hopefully, we'll get a live demo of the Meta at that point Oh, that'd be cool. 11:42:27 Yep. excellent other things you're cutting food for your Thanksgiving meal. You'll probably have to cut up some items. 11:42:31 Right. So I just like to interject my wife. The the thing she hates most in life is cutting anything. 11:42:37 Oh, really, yeah, I don't know why she has a deadly kind of obsession. Is she cutting? 11:42:42 Is she afraid of knives, that she just hates something? 11:42:45 She finds. It really boring I mean but it's not like you're coming for 3 h. 11:42:50 It's an activity it takes 10 s I have dialogue can be for for 10 s anytime. 11:42:57 We have a meal with with cuts, vegetables that always like cuts to the most minimum degree, like a cabot, just like cutting half, so she can stick in her mouth. 11:43:10 That is why she became a vegetarian cause she didn't want to let me ever. 11:43:16 But yeah, so caddy Make sure you're safe when you're cutting is important. 11:43:20 There are cutting gloves that you can get this is a cutting glove. 11:43:24 It's lined with stainless steel even though it doesn't look it, or feel like it feels like a comfortable like winter type glove. 11:43:33 But it protects your hand, especially the hand that's holding on to whatever you're going to cut the one that usually. 11:43:37 Yeah. Yeah. so it can be very, very helpful. You can throw this in the washing machine and dryer wash it easily. 11:43:46 Having a nice cutting board is important. Stabilizing Your cutting board is very important, so whatever kind you use, you know, having a nice big one is helpful, so that the food stays on the cutting board. 11:43:57 And then making sure it stays on your surface, either by putting it on a little towel, or you can also get non slip shelf liner and just cut out a little piece to set your board on you don't want that moving 11:44:08 around on you when you're cutting sharp knife to right isn't that the sharper the nice the better to stay for the matter exactly, because with a sharp knife it's going to go through the food much easier you're 11:44:22 not going to have to use as much effort because when you're using effort. 11:44:25 That's when you can split and yeah yourself and adult. 11:44:30 And I make some more dangerous injuries you ever don't remember the commercial. 11:44:34 Do you remember a rose? The your you and I are closer Luke's are too young. 11:44:38 But do you remember the ginsu? 2,000 commercials are the holidays? 11:44:44 So yeah, it used to be a Tv spot it was the ginsu knives, and they'd go on they'd cut a can, and then they'd cut a tomato and it's like who's cutting an aluminum 11:44:51 can look how sharp it is. You can cut a can like That's what I wanted to do. 11:44:58 True. I yeah, you don't want you want a sharp guy Exactly. 11:45:01 And I I do it recommend to, if you are if you haven't cut since losing your vision or you have a lot of that fear which a lot of people can have to get a little bit of training in some of those techniques, too, because 11:45:14 there are some techniques where you can use your sense of touch a little bit more, and making sure that you're not trying to cut too quickly. 11:45:21 Don't be like those shuffs on Tv at first. 11:45:25 You might get to that point. but start out slow and cautious, and take your time and just I want to show you this cutting board, too. 11:45:33 This is a low vision cutting board that's white on one side in black on the other. 11:45:37 So if you have some of that vision, if you're cutting, that white onion, cut it on the black side. bright tomato. cut it on the white side. So it really does stand out a little bit more makes it easier to see and Then there are 11:45:50 adaptive peelers that you can get because for thingsgiving. You're probably going to be peeling potatoes. 11:45:55 Another thing my wife hates to eat potatoes things like that she doesn't like peeling either. 11:46:01 It's a nice feeling. as well, it's like cutting anything. feelings like, just yeah interesting or learning new things here. I know i'm so happy that well, I honestly don't like peeling things either just because yeah, it does take 11:46:15 some time, and Peelers traditional peers are just hard to use. I'm sorry when I peel carrots at the end. 11:46:21 I just have this thin tea like i'm obviously feeling what way? 11:46:31 Too much, either doing it too hard. or too many times so like I got this nice big care in at the end. It's just this thin little might have been for Yeah, don't bother peel in the cows they don't need to be 11:46:41 peeled that's true. off all of the goodnesses in this. That's what they say. 11:46:46 I think I think parents just said that to get kids to yeah because they were lazy, and I with potatoes like if i'm making mashed potatoes I don't peel it because yeah, the 11:46:55 nutrients are in the skins and as long as you wash it nicely. 11:46:59 It's fine but if you are choosing to peel wanting to peel what makes an adaptive peeler versus just a normal pillar, what's the difference? 11:47:07 So it's an unknown peeler has a handle that you hold on to. 11:47:11 And then the sharp part comes off of the end of it so Sometimes it's hard to tell where that blade is. 11:47:16 It's kind of out in space out in front of you so it's hard to line that up with the potato, or whatever you're peeling the adaptive peeler it's called a palm peeler so 11:47:25 you wear it kind of like a ring Oh, it's blended in a little bit with my background, because it's great look at this. 11:47:34 You wear it like a ring on your usually your middle finger, and then kind of slide it down your hand, and then the blade is on the inside of your hand, on your palm. 11:47:43 Oh, so then, you're kind of yeah rubbing it almost okay. Exactly. so. 11:47:49 You always know where that blade is, and you also get a lot more feedback as you're doing that, so you can feel like how the peelings are coming off. 11:47:56 You can also use your fingers to feel what's the peeled side, or what's the unpeeled Sides, you don't get that skinny carrot like you always get gonna say you are 100% getting one of those from 11:48:08 me for Christmas. I can't wait yeah i'm ready to Palm Peel. 11:48:12 I'm gonna get you to seeking a woman either hand and That's that. 11:48:17 Sounds like it's a instead of freddie kruger exactly a new appeal. 11:48:20 They're walking around where the face of feeling well I like I bought one for myself, because my son likes to cook in the kitchen. 11:48:30 So it's a nice kind of a safer one for him to use, and then my mom has arthritis. so peeling is difficult. 11:48:37 So this is a lot easier to use. if you have some physical issues of your home. 11:48:42 I'm surprised. I haven't invented something where you can just drop into food that it just peels it for like spins. or i'm saying like, yeah, there might be some gadget out there that does something like, that Oh. 11:48:51 Yeah. So yeah, we were we've cooked all of our food. 11:48:56 So then, at the end of your thanksgiving, you want to eat it right? so? 11:48:59 No, just throw it away. You just wanna look at it I'm Just okay. 11:49:02 Throw it away at the end, throwing away most of the food I cook now, because hits most, because it's not edible. So you know, when you sit down at your table making sure that you can identify your food and your table studying 11:49:19 is important. if you have some vision bringing in some good contrast is important. 11:49:24 So a placement is a great thing to have, because you can choose place mats. 11:49:28 Oh, I have a green placement let's see through so having a placement that has some good contrasting color with your tableware. 11:49:38 So if you have a white plate having a dark placement, I like placements, too, that have some texture to them, so you can really feel where your space is using plates that are have raised up edges on them. 11:49:51 So that the food doesn't fall off your plate is important. That raised up edge also gives you something to push your food up against, so that you can get it on your utensil easier and up to your mouth. 11:50:03 You may also be going over to people's houses where you're not comfortable or familiar with their table setting as well. 11:50:11 So one method you can use to get familiar with where things are on your table. 11:50:16 It's called the low and slow method and all it is is keeping your hands low so like touching the table and moving them slowly around the table to get, you know, an idea of where things are laid out on your table without knocking 11:50:29 them over. So instead of reaching across and knocking over your wine glass, moving it slowly. 11:50:35 Yeah, I would imagine one of my greatest fears would be knocking over a drink, because I especially like with something like a wine glass. 11:50:42 Yeah, it could be very easy to do, because yeah, weight distribution Exactly. 11:50:46 We just had a dining in the dark fundraising event last week, and that was It's one of the kind of the tips we give is you got room of 250 people who have blindfolded themselves. 11:50:57 And trying to find wine, and water glasses yeah just keeping slowing, and then putting it back where you found, or even if it's not where you found, just make sure you're always putting it back in the same spot I find sometimes 11:51:06 if I forget to do that, i'll eat and then maybe I put my fork in it, i'm feeling it's a little messy from eating, so I don't want to just set it right down so I put it on the edge of 11:51:15 my plate. but then it kind of gets pulled into the plate. 11:51:18 If you're eating with the food and now, you look for your fork, and I got to dig your hands. And yeah, so just putting it back each time is Yes, exactly yeah, yeah, And then also like throughout the eating process you may have to just continue to 11:51:31 use that low and slow method, because yeah, things get moved around on you as you're eating, But yeah, those are some good little tips. 11:51:40 One other gadget I want to show you if you're trying to pour some drinks pour your holiday drinks. 11:51:47 Pouring can be tricky with vision loss. I do recommend pouring over like a tray or the sink. 11:51:54 So if you do spill it catches that there's lots of different ways that you can pour effectively, though one is to when you're pouring into a cup always line up what you're pouring from 11:52:05 the continue pointing from up to the cup so they're actually touching. So you can feel them so don't pour up in space. You don't know where that liquid is going so make sure they're 11:52:15 touching you can also stick your finger inside the cup when you're pouring as long as it's for you, and not for somebody else. 11:52:22 That's gross. But you can't stick your finger inside? What if it's a close family member Is I accept something that I think you ask them, Hey, Do you want to taste my finger and that They're like 11:52:34 no problem hands before. so don't you I mean I just drink right on the bottle like I don't even pardon in a cup that's not a good solution. Well, again, that's probably not the best solution but as 11:52:48 long as I don't mind yeah always I got to sit down for dinner, and I have a whole gallon of milk all over either. 11:52:59 So needs a repell it's right but as you're pouring to. you can notice differences in the weight of the cop. 11:53:08 The sound. A lot of times you can hear when it's filling. but if you're pouring like a hot drink, you don't want to stick your finger inside the cup, so there are devices that can be helpful 11:53:18 This is called the liquid level indicator. It has some metal prongs. 11:53:23 You hang it on the top rim of your cup with the prongs facing down inside the cup, and that it's operated by battery. and so you pour like you, like I just said with touching the 11:53:33 cup with your container. Listen to those audio cues. 11:53:37 When the liquid touches the metal prongs the device is going to make a sound something like that where it's beeping, and that tells you to stop pouring, and so it leaves a little bit of space at the top of 11:53:49 the cup, which is nice, so if you're in your hot drinks, your hot tuties and tea and coffee. 11:53:56 It's a great tool to use for that awesome Well, that's some fantastic tips there. 11:54:02 Yeah. and I feel like everybody now is going to be safer and more productive. 11:54:06 And what's the other word I used not tastier yeah he said. tasteful. 11:54:11 Yeah all day's. Fourth: thank you I feel like i'm yeah, I feel like going to excuses. now. 11:54:18 I feel like when I go to my wife's aunt's house, who makes all the food i'll be able to give her some pointers. 11:54:25 You can potatoes. Okay, yeah, oil. Yeah, you really need to be doing that. I will tell you right now. 11:54:32 I will make I will make. I will bring them in excellent with broccoli. 11:54:36 Okay, i'm slightly scared, but also looking for great. But now those are some fantastic tips whereas so thank you very much. 11:54:43 Yeah, and we hope everybody has a wonderful thanksgiving because in 2 weeks time we won't be here. 11:54:47 Yeah, We're off for Thanksgiving our next one so we're back in December. 11:54:52 Yeah fall. Is it the year it is with Sam? We will be returning with some Cv. 11:54:59 From the blind life to do a end of year. wrap up on assistive technology that we've used this year that we like, and that should be fun usually is a good left with some that sounds fun Yeah, for thanksgiving I will be in England 11:55:10 Now, Calli, do you know what I will be eating for? 11:55:14 Thanksgiving in England. any ideas well you're vegetarian Hmm! 11:55:21 So it will not be any kind of meat product, toe food, chicken, to toe chicken? 11:55:26 The answer is so because we don't celebrate thanksgiving so I felt like, Yeah, it was a trick question. 11:55:35 You're gonna eat something you will be eating thanksgiving I'm gonna make a i'm gonna make it specifically like I'm gonna fast on that day. 11:55:42 Now. No, I was not like a lot of work, just despite me. 11:55:46 I mean you hear the one suffering i'm gonna do that everybody we have a Youtube channel. 11:55:51 If you would care to go. There is Youtube com ford slash in no, it's not. 11:55:56 It is. wait. No, it is no Youtube com vision, forward tech connects. Thank you. 11:56:03 Youtube com vision for tech connects. We currently have a video up on the Arcs vision which we did to a tech talk. 11:56:12 So I like to connect live on as well the last one. 11:56:13 Yeah, Yeah, But if you were on Youtube, you couldn't hear it no. 11:56:18 If you want to check out the video, for sure it's a condensed video showing some of the features and with a few jokes thrown in there, so feel free to check that out. 11:56:25 And please do like and subscribe and hit the notification spell and all of that stuff as well, and we'll have a video releasing the weekend. 11:56:31 Thanks. no, we won't the weekend after the week after. No. the weekend Thanksgiving will have a video drop dropping, dropping. 11:56:38 That one's a flashback to 1,992. Yeah. 11:56:42 And a piece of assistive technology from 1,992 was a fun video. 11:56:45 I think it's turned out well, yeah it's a good fun. Little comparison between some modern devices versus some older ones, whereas if people need some cooking tips direct in person what is the best way to reach you 11:56:58 they can just call our main number main phone number 4, 1, 4, 6, 1, 5, 0, 1 0, 0. 11:57:05 They can ask to speak with Eli who's our program assistant, and then he can help get people started. 11:57:12 So I do one on one training in not only cooking skills, but other areas of daily living, cleaning skills. 11:57:20 Taking your medication, getting dressed, identifying items, lots of different areas. 11:57:25 But yeah, get in touch with Eli to get the ball rolling on, setting up some some training cool. 11:57:32 All right. Well, with that being sex. thank you. everybody, for joining us again. 11:57:34 Have a wonderful thanksgiving, and we will look forward to seeing you in 4 weeks time. 11:57:39 Thank you, Bye for now. Hi! Episode Notes

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