Ask Lynn: Holiday baking

Dear Lynn,

In preparation for the holidays, I spend most of my weekends baking delectable treats. I enjoy sharing my Christmas baking with family and friends. As my vision slowly deteriorates, I find it more and more difficult to measure liquid ingredients like oils, milk and water, using a glass measuring cup. I am no longer able to see the measurements on the cup unless I use a magnification aid. Do you have any ideas that will make this task easier?

-Mismeasures in Mississauga

Dear Mismeasures In Mississauga,

In the past you probably used a glass Pyrex measuring cup when measuring liquid ingredients. In fact, your home economics teacher most likely told you that this was essential when measuring liquid ingredients. The problem is that it is virtually impossible to use glass measuring cups if you are unable to see the level of the liquid in the measuring cup or the markings on the glass.

Nested measuring cups can be used for both liquid and dry ingredients. With nested measuring cups, the cups stack on top of each other making it easy to identify the different sizes.

When using nested measuring cups to measure liquids, place the appropriate measuring cup in a bowl. Rest your finger at the top of the cup when pouring the liquid. When the liquid touches your finger, stop pouring. The bowl will catch any overflow.

If the bowl is a contrasting colour to the measuring cup (e.g. white bowl and black measuring cup), it will be easier to see the cup in the bowl. You may like to refrigerate your cooking oils so you can feel the liquid more easily when pouring.

If you would like to learn additional adaptive kitchen skills, contact Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada. Happy baking!