Come to an end :(

My blogging days are over and unfortionately this blog has come to end! I hope you have enjoyed reading my postings and I hope this has changed the way you think when you prepare/cook meals now!
Have a lovely day!
GOODBYE!

Blog Comments and References!

Below are the blogs I have commented on..

Kylie
Heath
Bree
Gracie

Below are the references I have used. Not all are from course material, but I have ensured to write a clear description for those that havent.

Aesthetics. (2011, October 19). Retrieved October 20, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetics

Crepeau, E. (1994). A way of thinking about occupational performance. Analyzing occupation and activity , 190.

Gibson, J. (2005, August 8). Affordance. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from Motive Glossary: http://www.motive.co.nz/glossary/perceived-affordance.php

 Visser, M. (2011, September 12). Participation in occupation 2. Food/labour .

Adams, C. (2011). Ergonomics. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from About.com: http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicbasics/a/ergo101.htm

AMBIENCE

Ambience is the “character and atmosphere of a place”. (Ambience, 2011). Thus meaning the feelings you get when you enter a particular environment. In relation to cooking, it could refer to the smells you get when you walk into a room. Ever came home from school and mum has made a delightful banana cake on your arrival home? Or some delicious chocolate chip cookies? And the amazing smell goes right up your nostrils before you can even lay your eyes on what will soon be in your stomach.

This, to me is the most amazing homely smell; just thinking about it makes me feel at home. The last time i experienced this was when I went home for the weekend. I had text mum when I left Dunedin to say I was on my way home (i live in Invercargill, not far from home) she did her usual mum reply with “k” as she is not a fan of texting! As we drove home I thought about the food that may be in our cupboards that I could steal and take back to Dunedin. I’m too poor to buy nice food for myself; the only time I had treats was after going home for a weekend! As we neared home I became anxious and hungry, I prayed mum had made some dinner but I wasn’t sure as I remembered it was Friday night - usually a “get your own night”.

After two and a half hours of travelling I was finally home! I grabbed my bag from the car and waved my friend who took me home goodbye. I neared the door, it couldn’t be true, the smell of fresh roast had filled my nostrils! I couldn’t believe my luck I had to pinch myself. What a wonderful day I thought to myself. I made it inside and dumped my bags on the floor. The smells surrounded me as I plonked on the couch with a big smile on my face and waited for my dinner. I had never felt so at home.

This story shows how the ambience (in this case smells) gave me a sense of feeling at home and feeling comfortable.

Ambience. (2011). Retrieved October 18, 2011, from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ambience

AFFORDANCE CONTINUED

Affordance continued on from last weeks tutorial. This time discussing the aesthetics, spiritualy and history of cooking.

"We turn the consumption of food, a biological necessity, into a carefully cultured phenomenon.  We use eating as a medium for social relationships:  satisfaction of the most individual of needs becomes the means of creating community" (Visser,2011). This is a fantastic quote said by Visser taken from a powerpoint in participation in occupation I. This states that, although food is a necessity, we use it as an excuse to bring people together, creating friendships etc, not for the pure reason of needing it for survival.

 “Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty.” (Aesthetics, 2011). In relation to food, this is obviously very significant as food can be portrayed as a form of art. From cakes to exquisite meals, food can be sculptured into a magnificent piece of artwork or set on the plate in an interesting way. Food, of course, has different flavors, smells etc. This is all the things that make it appealing to the person eating it. If these things don’t appeal to the consumer, they will not enjoy it. When preparing a meal it is important to take these factors into consideration as this is what will satisfy you.

Another factor is the environment. For both the cooking and consuming process, the environment is an important factor. The environment the person is cooking in can alter their performance. For example, if the person was to cook in a kitchen with no power and just a coal range when they usually cook in a fully functional kitchen, this will refrain them from cooking to the best of their ability. Also, the environment where the food is consumed is equally important. If the environment is noisy or loud making it uncomfortable, the people consuming the food will not enjoy it as they would in a comfortable environment.

If we were to look at spirituality when cooking or preparing a meal, the most important factor to me would be the sense of meaning it provides. Cooking a meal for someone is a way of showing them that you accept them and care for them as you are willing to provide nutritional support for their body. Meals can be prepared for people out of thoughtfulness, for example, for someone in bereavement, going through a divorce, ill etc. The person who prepared the meal will gain a sense of meaning as they will have helped someone in need. Crepeau describes it as the fundamental of a persons life; that which motivates and inspires that individual. In this case, the person giving the food will gain satisfaction and have more incentive to continue doing this.

I have had quite a normal history of cooking and preparing meals. Like many other people, my mother and my grandmother taught me how to cook. In my opinion, it is a very special thing to get the opportunity to learn off family members the ideas and personal ways they have when cooking/preparing meals. It is important because it allows traditions to be passed down generations with meanings behind them. For example, my great grandmother had a special recipe for banana loaf, this was taught to my grandmother who taught my mother and now my mother has taught me. This is a very special loaf that is only made on special occasions. I feel privileged that I have the opportunity to pass this on to my off spring (in a few years of course!).

Aesthetics. (2011, October 19). Retrieved October 20, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetics

Crepeau, E. (1994). A way of thinking about occupational performance. Analyzing occupation and activity , 190.

Visser, M. (2011, September 12). Participation in occupation 2. Food/labour .

AFFORDANCES

“Affordance is a term created by the perceptual psychologist J. J. Gibson to refer to the qualities of the physical world that suggest the possibility of interaction relative to the ability of an actor (person or animal) to interact.” (Gibson, 2005). This is the possibilities within your activity. The possibilities I will be discussing are communication properties, Moral properties and how the positive factors of cooking is connecting people.

Communication properties

The first communication property I would like to discuss is the need for communication when preparing a meal/learning to prepare a meal with another individual in regards to safety. The second is the importance of communicating effectively in order to prepare a meal properly.

In regards to safety, if you don’t communicate effectively when working alongside other individuals in the kitchen, it can cause accidents. It is important to inform others if, for example, you are carrying a hot pot from one destination to another. If people in the kitchen are not aware of others actions it will endanger their safety. It is important to speak up if you feel something you are doing is dangerous to others if they are unaware of it.

To prepare a meal correctly when working with another person it is important to communicate effectively. Meals could turn disastrous if there is a case of miscommunication! Ingredients can be doubled up, or worse, not put in at all! This will make the meal unenjoyable which will result in the mood changing when consuming the meal together. When humans indulge in a meal they enjoy, they will be happy and satisfied. When they indulge in a meal they do NOT enjoy, they will be annoyed and unsatisfied becoming slightly agitated as they could have eaten something else more enjoyable.

Moral properties + Connecting people

This is the good and bad aspects when preparing a meal. Let’s start with the bad and end with the good! There a not many bad aspects I can think of, apart from thinking of ideas to cook!! Living in a flat with 4 other girls, it is difficult to think of new and exciting ideas to cook. To make things more difficult, as we are students, we have limited money to spend on groceries each week so it is difficult to make anything too exciting! A good aspect however, is that it brings everybody together and connect as food is a “people magnet”. Preparing a meal for friends and family will bring them together at once and allow socialising and interaction to take place!

Gibson, J. (2005, August 8). Affordance. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from Motive Glossary: http://www.motive.co.nz/glossary/perceived-affordance.php

The last time I cooked..

The last time I engaged in this activity was an interesting experience. Living in a flat with four other girls and the end of the year nearing, it is important we use the ingredients we already have in our cupboards. I searched the cupboards for something magnificent to cook but nothing grabbed my attention! I knew I had to make something, but what?

Coming from a farm, I was lucky enough to supply my flat with meat for the year. There seemed to be a surplus of mince, so it seemed appropriate to start with mince. We also had pineapple, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, feta cheese and spaghetti pasta. I knew it was time to get creative! Pizzas!!

I decided to make two pizzas, one with spaghetti Bolognese as the topping, and the other would just be an ordinary topping consisting of bacon, cheese, pineapple and tomato. The hardest part was over, now I just had to make them! I whipped up some dough for the basis and rolled them into nice circles. Meanwhile, mince was browning in the electric fry pan ready for me to throw some pasta sauce in and season it. While that was simmering, I cooked my spaghetti pasta and grated some cheese for the pizzas. I used the left over pasta sauce to go on my pizza bases and sprinkled some cheese on. By the time this was completed, my mince and pasta were ready! I chose to mix them together as it would taste nicer and be more appropriate for a pizza topping. I spooned the mixture onto one of the pizza bases and spooned some salsa on top. I lay some nicely cut feta cheese on top and my first pizza was ready for the oven! On to the second... This pizza was simple and easy to prepare. I opened a can of pineapple, cut it into bite sized pieces and lay it onto my already cheesed pizza base. I the sliced some bacon and sprinkled that over also. I sliced a nice big tomato and lay it nicely on top, a squirt of tomato sauce and the second pizza was ready for the oven!!

In the oven both pizzas went and to the sink I went. The dishes piled high and flour everywhere, this was going to take awhile! I began the long hard journey of completing the dishes, what a mission! Finally the pizzas were ready, I called out to my flat mates and apologised for the interesting meal I had just prepared. Finally it was time to sit down and relax with my flat mates over dinner. This was usually the only time we were able to have a conversation and relax. Funny how food can bring people together, even interesting food like a spaghetti Bolognese pizza.....

ERGONOMICS

“Ergonomics derives from two Greek words: ergon, meaning work, and nomoi, meaning natural laws, to create a word that means the science of work and a person’s relationship to that work.” (Adams, 2011) This, meaning how the person can comfortably and efficiently complete the task with the resources within that environment.  Here, i will explain the ergonomics of the person, environment and activity when making a meal.

In regards to person, it is important the person has the means to complete the activity. By means, I am implying time, money and capabilities. It is important the person has sufficient time to prepare, cook and, of course, indulge in the meal. Knowing and allowing sufficient time is a skill the person must have, for example, if the person has limited time they will obviously not have time to prepare, cook and indulge in a roast. They will have to choose something easier and less time consuming, e.g. noodles or soup!

The environment is another important factor when cooking and preparing a meal. Obviously, meals are usually prepared in the kitchen! Power and correct equipment are essential to cook a proper meal. Another factor is the atmosphere. For example, if you are preparing a meal for a dinner party or are entertaining friends, there will be people socialising in the kitchen which will result in a change in the whole dynamics of the meal preparation process.

The activity itself involves steps the person must take to successfully complete the task. When making a meal, the end result will be expected therefore the same steps will need to be taken for every time that meal is made. For example; if the person is making a cheese sauce, the butter will need to be melted in the pot first, then the flour will be added forming a doughy mix, then the milk will be added and lastly the grated cheese. This is a simple recipe for cheese sauce that is followed in this exact order every time it is made.

I have just outlined what I think are the most important ergonomic factors in terms of person, occupation and activity when preparing a meal.

Adams, C. (2011). Ergonomics. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from About.com: http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicbasics/a/ergo101.htm

WELL HELLO I AM BACK!

Back for another semester of blogging, exept this time for Participation in Occupation II wahoo!! This blog will be a little different from the last! I will be blogging about a particular activity I engage in at least two hours a week. What is this activity I hear you ask??
COOKING!


The pure reason is my love for cooking and the meaning behind it. Cooking is something that i engage in often and is an activity that brings people together. To enable me to choose cooking as my activity, i must engage in it at least two hours a week which is easy as it is something i enjoy!

Why did i choose cooking?

Cooking to me, is a very meaningful activity as I believe food is an essence to bringing people together. For example, cooking a delicious feast for a group of people (could be family, friends etc) will welcome them and bring them together. Living in a flat with four other girls, we each are designated a night to cook during the week. Preparing meals for one another is a time consuming task as we usually put a lot of effort in and we are all aware of the importance of eating a balanced diet.

Meal time at our flat is important for us all, as we are all busy students, meal times are usually the only times we can talk and chatter together. Being young females, this is obviously very important to us!! 

How is it used in Occupational Therapy?

Cooking can be part of survival for a human being. Without it, substantial meals will not be eaten regularly and humans could not survive. Cooking is an important activity of daily living, it can be something as simple as putting a piece of toast in the toaster. During my placement, I was involved in kitchen assessments done by patients. This was not only to examine their mobility around the kitchen, but to test if they were capable of cooking a substantial meal for themselves. Cooking is a meaningful activity that most humans want to be capable of doing.

Practical Considerations

To be able to cook it is important to have the correct ingredients and cooking facilities. We usually do our flat shops together and decide what we will make for tea that week to ensure we buy the correct ingredients. As we are all given a night a week to cook, it is our own responsibility to manage our time and study effectively so we have time to make a decent meal for the flat.