I have issues following other people's recipes. Like huge run-away-and-jump-into-bed issues, and toss-a-frozen-pizza into-the-microwave -while-weeping kinds of issues. But, like all problems in life, a solution can be found, so here's my recipe to non-overwhelming cooking:
Get a patient person to show me how to make something delicious, then write down, step by step, every single thing/step needed to make the recipe as they walk me through actually making it (...my last recipe was 26 steps long). I also used OneNote 2010 to record the audio of the whole cooking process so I could look back if I missed anything in my notes and get confused. OneNote is awesome as it actually ties your recording to the actual words you type (so I could click on Step 22, and hear exactly what I was being told as I jotted down that exact step). Bango, presto, I made a spaghetti Squash with Lime Cashew Sauce like a pro, and I'm looking forward to the next time I make it using my fool proof (they'd have to be) instructions.
Yes, that was time consuming. Yes, it may feel like overkill for some. But this is one of the techniques I use to deal with the intense procrastination urge and eventual overwhelm I get from cooking (or even thinking about starting!) difficult recipes due to my special mix of ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder (SID). I think this method catches the essence of the difference between using ADHD as an excuse to not do stuff vs as a launching pad for finding new and wacky ways to learn to do things - eventually. The excuse approach would be "I can never cook" (and boy, have I used that approach enough!), while the launching pad approach says "It's more difficult for me to cook than for you for x, y, z reasons, but let me work at it for a while, and then use loads of tools and crafty methods to make you a great meal - once I figure out how".
Have you found any similar cooky (catch what I did there?) methods to make your life go round? If so, post them below; the people need to know!
Yes, that was time consuming. Yes, it may feel like overkill for some. But this is one of the techniques I use to deal with the intense procrastination urge and eventual overwhelm I get from cooking (or even thinking about starting!) difficult recipes due to my special mix of ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder (SID). I think this method catches the essence of the difference between using ADHD as an excuse to not do stuff vs as a launching pad for finding new and wacky ways to learn to do things - eventually. The excuse approach would be "I can never cook" (and boy, have I used that approach enough!), while the launching pad approach says "It's more difficult for me to cook than for you for x, y, z reasons, but let me work at it for a while, and then use loads of tools and crafty methods to make you a great meal - once I figure out how".
Have you found any similar cooky (catch what I did there?) methods to make your life go round? If so, post them below; the people need to know!
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