how to make mashed potatoes for when your hands are numb or achy:

Dump a bag of taters into the sink.  run cool (or slightly warm) water into the sink.  Soak the taters for a couple of minutes (this is a good time to drink a cup of hot tea or coffee).  Put two socks over your hands, rub the taters a little to get rid of dirt.  Drain the water.  Let the taters sit a minute or two to dry some.

Put a big cookie sheet into the oven shelf.  put the taters on the cookie sheet - big taters on the edge, little taters on the inside.  Bake at 400 for an hour or so.

When taters are soft to a push, turn off the oven.  Take the taters out (if you need to not pick up the sheet, just take them out one at a time).  Put on a towel and roll them a little with another towel on top.  Slice the taters and squeeze the insides out into a large bowl (If you cannot squeeze them, put them in a bowl, use another bowl and squish them.  Then, use a big spoon to separate the potato from the skin.  Save the skins (more about that later).

With a stand mixer, start mixing the taters on low.  Add butter (chunk up the stick if you are using real butter).  Add water (hot) so things start to smooth down.  Add some milk, sour cream, and/or some cheese.  keep mixing until at a consistency you like.  Add salt to taste.

Now - those skins - On the cookie sheet you baked the taters, layer out the skins.  Sprinkle with spices of your choice and then sprinkle on shredded cheese.  Put them back into the oven at 450 until crispy looking.

So, now you have mashed potatoes (without having to peel, cut, boil, drain, etc.).  You have potato skins.  And, there are very few dishes to do.  YAY!

Adapt to your environment or adapt your environment to you... In other words - how to do what you want regardless of physical challenges

Regarding Cooking...

When you have a chronic illness or a physical challenge, sometimes little things ... oh like, say, cooking... become impossible.

Wait - let's look at that sentence again.  

Cooking becomes impossible...         ... the way you used to do it.

However, humans are endlessly inventive.  And, we have created ways around everything - including gravity.  We have transcended the boundaries of our world and walked on the surface of the moon. 

So - what can we do about these basic, essential parts of life?

First - break it down.  

What are the component parts of the task?  What is causing problems? For example - sometimes (often) my hands are too numb to hold a knife.  Why would I need to hold a knife - I peel veggies, I cut veggies/meat into smaller pieces.  

Second evaluate the tasks:

peeling - does the item HAVE to be peeled? - 
    No... ok, scrub it and leave the peel.  Better nutrition anyway.
    Yes - Ok options?
              1.  What about those scratchy gloves that you just rub the peel off?
              2.  What about a peeler - can put a cloth around the handle to make it easier to hold
              3.  Got someone else to ask?  Sounds like a good day for some help!
              4.  Had a good day a couple days ago, took advantage of that day, and peels some of the veggie.  Got it in the fridge/freezer.  So, going to use those. (This would be advance prep).

Chopping/cutting - does the item have to be neatly cut? 
   No - drop it into the food processor and hit pulse.  If it is meat, maybe use kitchen shears.
   Yes - this seems like a job for another day. (Pick your battles).

Third - SATISFICE:

To satisfice is to look at all the requirements and to pick the best solution that fills the majority of the requirements.  While the choice may not be the best for ANY SINGLE requirement, it is the best of ALL the selected requirements.  This is not settling for second best.  It is expanding the idea of WHAT IS BEST.

If you cannot stand while you are cooking:

So don't STAND to cook. Get a stool to perch on.  Sit at a table, in a recliner, lay in bed. A bucket with a little water to drop the veggies in. A trashpail for leavings. And then put it all into a crock pot. The goal is to have a meal - does not matter how it gets done.

A little crock pot with some noodles, some water, frozen diced veggies, and a can of canned chicken makes a nice soup in a couple hours and literally takes 3 minutes to drop into the pot. Better yet, you can take out the little crock, put the lid back on it, and put it in the fridge after you have cooked the meal - so no extra work, no extra dishes.

Also, can use an electric skillet or griddle at the table or even sitting on the floor. Anything with peels can be scrubbed (bucket and the floor) and then dropped through a food processor or into a blender and pulsed if you do not have the energy to chop it. Then into the crock pot. 

Meat - the grocery stores will chunk it if you ask them. does not cost you more and then you don't have to chunk it. Also, I find kitchen shears easier to use than a knife on not-so-good hand days.

Finally, on good days - chop and store extra stuff. Freeze pre-cut onions, chopped carrots with a damp paper towel will last for several weeks in the fridge, you can pre-cut and pre-cook meat and freeze them. Soups can be frozen in ziploc bags. Casseroles can be portioned and frozen in ziploc bags. 

There are lots of ways to make food prep easier on yourself - but eating is essential.

So - when you have challenges

Break it down.  Evaluate.  Satisfice.  

Prep when you have the energy.  Store what you can.  Use gadgets if you can.

And remember - you are smarter than your challenges...  

You may not be able to remove your challenges, but you CAN work around them!

Adapt your actions so that you can live your life in a way that is valuable to you!