Had a vision to sketch, so here we are… Nick with his obsession of missile launchers.

The fore-mentioned vision is yesterday’s post:

Since my addition this post did so well, I'm here to tell you a little bit more about cooking with pre-prepped ingredients and my history with low-spoons cooking and cooking on a limited budget.

When I started Tastes of Tamriel in January 2017, I was not the best cook. The blog was a place for me to dump my depression recipes, and to encourage me to cook more, especially as I knew I'd be doing that every day when I moved to the UK that September for university. I am the first to admit that some of my earlier recipes aren't that good, and I'd like to revisit them eventually and improve them. But that's besides the point for now.

When I arrived in the UK, I was suffering from severe mental illness, and was unable to work on top of studying. My family would send me a bit of money every month, but most of it went to rent and medication, which meant I had to get creative with food most of the time. In fact, several of my recipes between late 2017-2018 contained ingredients I'd found while dumpster diving or scavenging for leftover/expiring ingredients at local restaurants, or the butcher. IT IS OKAY TO MAKE DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.

In 2018, my now ex-husband moved in with me, and I was delighted to have a second pair of hands in the kitchen with me. I didn't realise at the time just how delibitating it was being a spoonie and running this blog on my own whilst also studying. So, my point here is that if you're able, ASK FOR HELP IN THE KITCHEN. Whether it's chopping onions, grating cheese, whatever, it's okay to ask for help if it takes the strain off cooking. This is especially applicable to those of you who are also mobility impaired or have little energy.

Being low on time and energy and money meant that I was constantly wasting fresh ingredients because I didn't have the spoons to cook them in time. IT IS OKAY TO BUY FROZEN INGREDIENTS. I'm not sure about in other countries, but in the UK they sell spinach in these frozen pucks that are a small serving each. These changed my life, after wasting so much fresh spinach (we know that stuff turns to liquid in three days). Likewise, pre-chopped frozen onions and mixed veg were a life and time saver as a student and after I started working.

And of course, IT'S OKAY TO BUY PRE-PREPARED INGREDIENTS. Garlic and ginger paste in tubes and jars are fantastic and keep for ages in the fridge. Dried, powdered herbs and spices are your friends! These things exist for a reason! Use them! Please follow the instructions on dosing them though, as concentration varies from brand to brand and I don't want anyone hating me for recommending twice the amount of garlic paste called for in a recipe (please don't hate mail me in general thanks).

For those of you with mobility impairments, if you're able to afford them, I really recommend KITCHEN TOOLS. Blenders, electric mixers, garlic presses, vegetable slicers (which can also be used for blocks of cheese btw!), and even coffee grinders/bullet blenders are all super useful to have. On days after work where I had zero motivation to cook, I especially loved my garlic press if I was out of garlic paste. Brilliant invention, that.

Things that I always had in my pantry as a student and minimum wage worker included but are not limited to:

Frozen/chopped veg (spinach, onions, paprikas, and mixed veg)

Frozen mince, fish, and chicken (bought fresh then immediately frozen; be sure to check expiry dates please)

Garlic and ginger paste

Garlic and onion powder

Dried and/or ground herbs and spices (cinnamon, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, cumin, cardamom, tarragon etc)

Passata/concentrated tomato paste jars and tubes

Shredded cheese (also a great midnight snack straight from the bag because I'm a goblin)

Dried pasta

Frozen puff pastry

Dried fruit (apricots, mangoes, raisins etc) and nuts; all great additions to dishes but also a healthy snack

Another fun hack is, if you're able, to GROW YOUR OWN WINDOWSILL VEG. I grew several chili variants between 2020-2024, and sticking a spring onion in a glass of water means unlimited spring onion greens! I did this in a little flat, and just put the pots along the windowsill where they got the most sunlight. Of course, this is only for those who have the room for it.

However, there are unfortunately a few things I will personally not cut corners on, such as fresh eggs (egg powder and carton eggs in my experience have not worked well for me), fresh milk/cream (I am not a fan of long shelf life milk), real butter (I HATE margarine), and specialty cheeses (I am a cheese connoisseur). IF YOU'RE SUBSTITUTING, I'M NOT JUDGING YOU! This is just a personal preference :)

If you're lucky enough to be able to splurge on fresh ingredients and have the time and energy to make them, GO FOR IT! It definitely helps make for richer flavours and textures, but using cheaper or pre-prepped ingredients isn't going to necessarily result in worse food!

The most important thing about cooking is that you are nourishing yourself. Savour every bite. Make extra if you want to meal prep. Do what you need to do to stay fed, healthy, and well. If you need any tips, feel free to DM me (ask box is still closed). I'm always here to help.

Hey look I did something that's not Josh, TES or an elf...