MAKING VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP is a lot easier for me these days— all because of some household items.
Soup making is a Saturday project. I start with cutting my meat and then prepare the vegetables. I peel and slice carrots and potatoes, open cans of tomatoes (if I don’t have fresh ones), and slice some cabbage—tasks that can seem easy for many. But if you have arthritis, neuropathy, or MS, your hands might have trouble doing these seemingly easy activities of daily living. Your might have pain, weakness, and a lack of coordination, which can make you think twice before preparing the soup or doing any other activities.
Things got easier for me when I discovered a product that changed my (culinary) life. It was an OXO peeler, a gift from two work colleagues. I had shared some of my homemade soup with them. They asked for the recipe and wondered if it was hard to make. I told them it wasn’t but there was a lot of vegetable prep involved. They loved the soup, and for Christmas gave me my OXO peeler. I love it. It is easy to use and helps me peel my vegetables so easily. I had never heard of the OXO brand but started looking for their products in stores.
According to OXO, the brand was born of love. Founder Sam Farber designed the first OXO peeler for a pair of hands he loved more than his own. Sam and his wife, Betsey, were cooking together when Betsey’s mild arthritis made using an old-fashioned metal peeler a struggle. They knew there had to be a better way.
They created the now-iconic OXO handle—with its distinctive ergonomic form and signature non-slip grip—and paired it with a sharp stainless-steel blade. OXO was born, and the brand changed the way we prepare food—and many household tools— forever.
The design and engineering of each of their products goes through the lens of Universal Design. Universal Design is the process of creating products that are accessible to people with a wide range of abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics. The company says they are always on the lookout for ways to make everyday tools and tasks easier—even enjoyable. They say that if they can’t make something better, they don’t make it.
There are two other helps I use in my kitchen. One is a hands-free can opener, and the other is my Folgers Coffee container. My can opener is the Kitchenmuh brand, but there are several similar devices. I basically put the opener on top of my can, push a button, and it travels around the top of the can, stopping when it is finished. It pushes the sharp rim of the lid together so there are no sharp edges. I hear that these handsfree can openers are often used in restaurant kitchens. Another plus of the opener is it does not take up counter space. I store mine in my silverware drawer.
Another hand-friendly product is my large Folgers Coffee canister. It has a built-in easy-grip handle, which makes picking up the large sized coffee very easy. In 2006, the Folgers Coffee Company was awarded an Ease-of-Use commendation by the Arthritis Foundation for its AromaSeal™ Canister. The canister also added an easy-to-peel tin freshness seal (no need for a can-opener), a new “snap-tight” lid, and even a grip on its red plastic can.
I own a few OXO products, and all of them are made well and so easy to use. Besides being a company that makes easy-to-use products, they help the community. After 30 years of making everyday life better around the home, OXO joined the 1% for the Planet Community, donating 1% of their sales to environmental nonprofits that address the most pressing issues of our time. OXO also donates to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer (CFKC), an organization founded by two OXO staff members whose children had pediatric cancer.
OXO and many other companies make a lot of products: storage containers for the home, covered ice cube trays that do not spill water all over the place, kitchen utensils, and cleaning items.
So, look around online or in stores for a variety of user-friendly or easy-to-use products. They are out there, and your everyday life could become a lot easier!
Sister Karen Zielinski is the Director of Canticle Studio. Canticle Studio is a part of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, OH’s overall advancement effort and has a mission of being a creative center where artists generate works, products, and services in harmony with the mission of the Sisters St. Francis. She can be reached at kzielins@sistersosf.org or 419-824-3543.
