Anxiety for the most inane reason

[Suzanne]

When I get anxious, I cannot eat, due to complete lack of appetite, but this anxiety relates to going out or someone coming to see me etc and goes as soon as the event has passed.

Not sure what is going on, but for the last few weeks, that anxiety has taken on a new "voice" and there more often than not and only get slight relief occasionally. But, my appetite is non existant and when I have no appetite, it is very hard to cook, but I am married and have a husband who works very hard and needs to eat and my anxiety goes into panic and depression, because of the thought of cooking and unable to do so.

I spent the entire day so anxious, I wanted to fall asleep and not wake up and all because of the panic that I could not muster up the motivation to cook and so, feel mortified that my husband returns from work and has had to fend for himself.

I know it is related to cooking, because as soon as he so very kindly said not to worry and had a cold tin of chilli, my anxiety went away and he has also said to do him extra sandwiches in the day, so he can eat those in the evening and I wonder if that will help my anxiety to disappear?

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

Could you cook things in large quantities and then freeze them in meal sized portions for easy reheating?

 

[GadAbout]

I think you have rejected this idea before, but medication and/or psychotherapy related to anxiety might be fruitful for you.

 

[Suzanne]

Could you cook things in large quantities and then freeze them in meal sized portions for easy reheating?

Have to cook before that happens. I cannot, at the moment, even do that and my husband tends to have a huge appetite, so it is rather hard to cook up a lot.

 

[Suzanne]

I think you have rejected this idea before, but medication and/or psychotherapy related to anxiety might be fruitful for you.

I have rejected, because of side effects, but seeing my psychiatrist weds and am going to ask for strong anxiety tablets, as this is ridiculous what I am going through.

 

[Judge]

Sometimes you must make compromises in terms of what a medication can do for you, versus the side effects it can do to you.

I was once at a point where I would do anything to alleviate that level of anxiety I had, particularly at work. I took the meds and they helped me at a very tough time in my life. Eventually a few years later I realized that my metabolism had changed to where I no longer experienced anxiety at such high levels, and chose to wean myself off the medication. Though with that particular medication I was left with occasional bouts of premature atrial contractions which eventually became infrequent and barely noticeable.

You may have solutions as well as options. Just don't expect or demand them to be perfect. Odds are they won't be. But hey, if it remedies such anxiety....

 

[Aspychata]

Sorry to hear you are so anxious right now. I know you will get past this somehow. I have had task anxiety. It's difficult for some reason, and l have no idea why. My task anxiety was so bad l coudnt do the task. And it took me time to see l was so uptight. And it took gentle persuasion and self-talk from myself over a couple of months. But if meds help, you don't have to take forever, just a little while.

 

[SimplyWandering]

I would say start with some easier tasks like just making salads or things that don’t need to be cooked (Tuna, cold cuts, etc.) maybe you would find those less stressful. Another thing might be to have a conversation with someone you confide in, that is non judgmental, about your stressors and ask their advice about it.

It’s not exactly a psychiatrist or social worker, so it may be easier on your anxiety levels.

 

[Progster]

I would cook simple meals that don't need much preparation, or even get takaway or supermarket meals on days when your anxiety is bad, and on a day when you are not so anxious you could try to cook a meal, in a large quantity so you can freeze portions. Perhaps you could cook together with you husband at the weekend when he is not working? It might not seem so daunting if you don't have to do it all yourself.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Roasting a chicken takes hardly any effort. Just make sure you take out the innards, put it in the oven in a pan and roast it. Voila, you have a meal. You can put potatoes in the pan around the chicken if you want more than just the chicken for your husband- all you have to do is wash them and coat them with olive oil. Hardly cooking but can be delicious. Don't let yourself think about it or you won't do it- just go through the motions one step at a time. Hubby can carve it and serve himself. I think it's even easier than making a sandwich!

 

[Mary Terry]

Like LuccyPurrs said, it is easy to make a sheet pan dinner in the oven. You can put chicken pieces, hamburger patties, or even fish on the pan, drizzle with vegetable or olive oil, salt and pepper, and put it in a preheated oven till the meat is cooked and its juices run clear. Add some potatoes, carrots, onions to the pan to cook at the same time as the meat.

If you have a slow cooker or InstantPot, it is easy to make soup. Use canned chicken or beef broth, add some chopped veggies and leftover meat if you have it, and let it cook on low all day long. Add some pasta for the last hour so it can cook in the liquid. You can just put in a package of frozen vegetables from the store if you don't want to wash and chop fresh veggies.

If you are just going to have sandwiches, try wrapping them in foil and heat them in the oven. A warm sandwich makes a fine dinner, I think. I love tuna melt sandwiches made with canned tuna and slices of cheese melted on top.

Do you have more energy and focus at certain times of day, such as in the mornings? Maybe try to do your cooking earlier in the day so all you have to do at night is heat it up when your husband comes home.

 

[Progster]

Roasting a chicken takes hardly any effort. Just make sure you take out the innards, put it in the oven in a pan and roast it. Voila, you have a meal. You can put potatoes in the pan around the chicken if you want more than just the chicken for your husband- all you have to do is wash them and coat them with olive oil. Hardly cooking but can be delicious. Don't let yourself think about it or you won't do it- just go through the motions one step at a time. Hubby can carve it and serve himself. I think it's even easier than making a sandwich!

This is something that seems simple, but isn't...

Take out the innards: yuck! some people might not like to do that.

Then, put in a pan. What kind of pan? A non-stick one, a ceramic one, a metal one, a glass one? Does it need to be greased beforehand? Covered with foil?

Roast it: at what temperature? How long?

Wash the potatoes: need to peel them first? Or wash them and then peel them? Put them in as they are, or cut them into smaller pieces?

Do you need salt and pepper, or any other herbs/spices?

 

[Mary Terry]

This is something that seems simple, but isn't...

Take out the innards: yuck! some people might not like to do that.

Then, put in a pan. What kind of pan? A non-stick one, a ceramic one, a metal one, a glass one? Does it need to be greased beforehand? Covered with foil?

Roast it: at what temperature? How long?

Wash the potatoes: need to peel them first? Or wash them and then peel them? Put them in as they are, or cut them into smaller pieces?

Do you need salt and pepper, or any other herbs/spices?

You're right that what seems simple to people who know how to cook is fraught with issues for non-cookers. I love to cook and I know I am guilty of that!

If the innards are gross to you, then just buy chicken parts precut by the butcher. Skin on, bone in chicken tastes better than boneless, skinless chicken parts. I like thighs and drumsticks better than breast meat. And they are cheaper.

Any kind of oven-safe pan will work. It needs to be large enough to hold all the meat (and any vegetables you add) with a little space between each piece. You want it to roast, not steam, so don't crowd the pan. You can line the pan with foil which helps cleanup later. Or not, and just scrub the pan clean.

The pan (or foil if you line the pan) should be oiled so the food won't stick. The easiest way to do that is to put all the meat pieces and veggies into a large bowl, pour some oil, salt and pepper, and any other spices, on top of the food, mix it up so every piece gets coated but not drowning in oil, and dump it onto the pan, spread it around so everything has space to roast. I'd use about 1/4 cup of oil for 6 chicken thighs.

You always need salt and pepper. Other spices I like to use on chicken or pork chops include cayenne pepper or dried red pepper flakes, garlic and onion powders, sage, or mixtures of Italian flavors like rosemary, oregano and thyme. The spices are endless so figure out what you like to eat by experimenting.

Don't cover the pan with foil on top. That would steam the food, which is not what you want to do with chicken or pork chops or hamburgers or sausages. You want the food to slightly brown on top, flip it over halfway through cooking and brown on the other side.

Wash the potatoes and carrots in cold tap water and use a plastic scrubber on the skin. You do not have to peel them. I rarely peel potatoes or carrots because I scrub them clean before I cook them and there is a lot of nutrition and flavor in the skin. Cut the washed potatoes and carrots into chunks of equal size so they will all cook at the same time. If I were roasting chicken thighs, I'd cut the potatoes and carrots into about two inch pieces, which would cook at the same rate as the chicken so everything would be ready at the same time.

The oven temperature should be hot and you need to preheat the oven before you put the pan in. I roast chicken parts and pork chops at 400 degrees F. I don't know what that would be for Celsius in the rest of the world. I'd roast the thighs and veggies for at least 30 minutes for small ones and maybe as much as 60 minutes for really large pieces of chicken. You want the juices from the chicken to run clear (no blood) to know that it is thoroughly cooked. I like my chicken well done.

So, I apologize for information overload!

 

[the_tortoise]

You're right that what seems simple to people who know how to cook is fraught with issues for non-cookers.

I know how to cook and something like roasting a chicken with veggies will never seem simple.

For me it is not an issue of knowledge but of processing issues like sequencing and working memory and focusing difficulties.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Roasting a chicken takes hardly any effort. Just make sure you take out the innards, put it in the oven in a pan and roast it. Voila, you have a meal. You can put potatoes in the pan around the chicken if you want more than just the chicken for your husband- all you have to do is wash them and coat them with olive oil. Hardly cooking but can be delicious. Don't let yourself think about it or you won't do it- just go through the motions one step at a time. Hubby can carve it and serve himself. I think it's even easier than making a sandwich!

I don't know how they sell whole chickens in France (where Suzanne is) but in the USA, they are usually sold with a bag inside the cavity containing the "innards." If you are squeamish, use some disposable gloves and just pull out the bag and dump in the garbage. That way you don't have to handle them.

You can roast the chicken in cut up pieces like Mary Terry said but it's even easier to roast it whole. Use tinfoil to cover the pan which should be big enough for the chicken and some veggies or potatoes around it. You can clean the potatoes with a nylon scrub brush like she said and don't have to peel them. Use smaller red or gold potatoes and you don't even have to cut them up. Drizzle olive oil over all (chicken and potatoes). If you want to use seasoning just sprinkle it all over the chicken but even without the seasoning it's good. BTW, you don't need to cover the chicken while roasting.

I can't abide undercooked chicken so I cook mine until the leg pulls off very easily. Probably about 30 minutes per pound at 400 degrees. If you use a fryer( smaller chicken than a roaster) it's about 1.5 hours in a 400 degree oven. Start with the chicken's breast down (that's the side that isn't flat) as the juices will baste the breast meat which can get dried out. When the flat side facing up is browned, turn the bird over so the other side (breast side) can brown. You can put about 1/4 cup of canned chicken broth in the pan and baste the bird if you want but I don't bother. Mary Terry's way will work also but is slightly more trouble than cooking the whole bird.

Spices that work well: salt and pepper, garlic powder or finely minced garlic ( I put this under the skin if I use it), fresh rosemary (put in cavity), paprika, poultry seasoning (put in cavity), freshly squeezed lemon juice over the bird when the bird has about 20 minutes left to cook. To test doneness, put a fork into the leg and pull- if it comes off easily it's done or if the juices running off are clear. It's hard to over cook chicken as long as you don't burn the skin. If cooked properly , the meat should practically fall off the bones.

 

[Progster]

If the innards are gross to you, then just buy chicken parts precut by the butcher. Skin on, bone in chicken tastes better than boneless, skinless chicken parts. I like thighs and drumsticks better than breast meat. And they are cheaper

Yes, this is how I buy it, if I do. I've never cooked a whole chicken before. I'm always scared in case I don't cook it long enough and give someone salmonella poisoning. I tend to overcook food (sometimes on purpose, sometimes because I get distracted and forget about it!)

 

[LucyPurrs]

I know how to cook and something like roasting a chicken with veggies will never seem simple.

For me it is not an issue of knowledge but of processing issues like sequencing and working memory and focusing difficulties.

Tortoise, you CAN do this. It's just not hard. Use the steps below:

Turn oven on to bake. Set temperature at 400 degrees.

1. Take a pan that has about 2" sides and cover the inside with tinfoil wrapping it around the top of the sides so no cleanup.
2. Unwrap the chicken and pull out the bag of innards and toss in garbage.
3. Place bird in pan flat side up.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and smear it all over (using those disposable gloves).
5. Take some small red or gold potatoes and wash. These usually don't need scrubbing like baking potatoes. (No need to peel as the skins are thin and soft.)
6. Place around the bird in the pan. Drizzle them with olive oil.
7. Place pan in oven and set timer for 1/2 way (using 30 minutes per pound)
8. When timer goes off, take out bird and turn over using a long cooking fork. drizzle some olive oil over top of bird and put pan back in oven.
9. Set timer for balance of time needed for cooking
10. When timer goes off, pull out oven rack- if bird is browned stick cooking fork in between leg and body of bird and pull down on the leg. . If the leg comes down really easily or if the juices run clear, the bird is fully cooked.
11. Remove from oven, put bird on platter and let sit a few minutes (5 minutes) before carving.

If you don't know how to carve the bird, watch a You tube video to see what to do.

 

[the_tortoise]

Tortoise, you CAN do this. It's just not hard. Use the steps below:

Turn oven on to bake. Set temperature at 400 degrees.

1. Take a pan that has about 2" sides and cover the inside with tinfoil wrapping it around the top of the sides so no cleanup.
2. Unwrap the chicken and pull out the bag of innards and toss in garbage.
3. Place bird in pan flat side up.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and smear it all over (using those disposable gloves).
5. Take some small red or gold potatoes and wash. These usually don't need scrubbing like baking potatoes. (No need to peel as the skins are thin and soft.)
6. Place around the bird in the pan. Drizzle them with olive oil.
7. Place pan in oven and set timer for 1/2 way (using 30 minutes per pound)
8. When timer goes off, take out bird and turn over using a long cooking fork. drizzle some olive oil over top of bird and put pan back in oven.
9. Set timer for balance of time needed for cooking
10. When timer goes off, pull out oven rack- if bird is browned stick cooking fork in between leg and body of bird and pull down on the leg. . If the leg comes down really easily or if the juices run clear, the bird is fully cooked.
11. Remove from oven, put bird on platter and let sit a few minutes (5 minutes) before carving.

If you don't know how to carve the bird, watch a You tube video to see what to do.

Thank you but I never said I couldn’t.

I said I know how to cook but that it is not simple and never will be.

I cook for myself regularly (a variety of things), but it takes me way longer than typical people and to me it is not a simple thing.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Cooking fork:

Baking pan:

Or you can buy a disposable aluminum pan in the supermarket baking section , wash after cooking and reuse.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Oh Tortoise, I'm sorry, I misunderstood- I thought you were saying you didn't cook because of the challenge of recalling the steps. Well, hope you cook a bird because they are so good to eat!