Melinda Winner's Page

A Complete Illustrated Guide to Cooking with Arthritis
Are you one of the millions of people that suffer from arthritis, a chronic disease, or a physical injury? Is cooking your passion or, at the very least, a necessity?

Come along on a culinary journey around the world with Melinda Winner in her second cookbook, A Complete Illustrated Guide to Cooking with Arthritis, which will bring the millions of physically challenged individuals back into the kitchen pain free and fearless. As a physically challenged individual herself, Melinda shares techniques for creating mouthwatering recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, as well as delicious rubs, sauces, and jellies.

An Illustrated Guide to Cooking with Arthritis is packed full of delectable, original recipes sure to delight any palate and is a must-have for any cookbook collection. Each easy-to-read recipe is written for use by anyone, physically challenged or not, and includes an informative section of kitchen terms, culinary resources, and basic tips to help make everyday life simpler.

“If you have arthritis and love to cook, you must have this book! Even if you don’t have arthritis, you will love the great mix of traditional and modern recipes.”
Gayle Long Ward
Wilmington, NC


Melinda Winner has had a passion for cooking since childhood. She has five forms of arthritis and a birth injury that left her right arm with very limited use, but Melinda still attended culinary school and now enjoys preparing food of all types from simple Southern to fine cuisine. Melinda has won several national recipe contests, cooked off on a major television network, and published her first cookbook, Yankee Cooking with Southern Charm, in July 2008. In her spare time, Melinda enjoys horseback riding, swimming, traveling, and hiking. She has three grown children and five grandchildren. Melinda enjoys life to its fullest each and every day!



ENDORSMENTS FOR MY LATEST BOOK:
A COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO COOKING WITH ARTHRITIS
As a nurse, it is so inspiring to see someone like Melinda who does not let her disease define who she is or set limitations in her life. Melinda does not let pain stop her; it is merely a hurdle that she chooses to jump over. I once read that "the pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change and the realist adjusts his sails." Melinda is a realist. While being dealt more than her fair share of obstacles, she has adapted and persevered to fulfill her dreams.” Elizabeth Jenne, RN “

Melinda has created a unique recipe, physical therapy, and inspirational book. If you have arthritis and love to cook, you must have this book! Even if you don’t have arthritis, you will love the great mix of traditional and modern recipes.”
Gayle Long Ward, Cape Fear Garden Club, Wilmington, NC

Melinda Winner has rheumatoid arthritis. The thirty-five years that I have practiced rheumatology have seen incredible advances, but rheumatoid arthritis is still a terrible disease. The therapeutic goal has gone from delaying confinement to a wheelchair to achieving remission. Even when treatment is less than completely successful, the relentless progression toward deformity and debilitation can often be halted. However, these treatments come at a high cost, both financially and in terms of risk. Not everyone responds well. Damage already done cannot be reversed. Pain and fatigue still disrupt lives. Disability, starting with employment and then intruding into everyday activities, threatens the capacity of patients to care for their families and themselves. There are good days and bad days. Even on good days, courage is required to make plans, to take on responsibilities, to get involved, because on bad days it can be hard—really hard—to so much as get out of bed, much less to lead a normal life. Such has been the life of Melinda Winner. There are pills. There is counseling. Adaptations and attitude adjustments help some people cope. And then there are people like Melinda Winner who do not merely make peace with their adversities, but, by the example of their lives, extinguish our fears as well. The healthy and the ailing alike are made better by them. Anything really is possible. Thank you, Melinda. May all your recipes contain a little of the spice that sustains you and enriches the lives you touch!
John C. Huntwork, M.D. Arthritis blog


Here is a recipe from the books dessert section :

Southern Slaw Cake ( Red Cabbage cake )

12



Ingredients

2 ¼ c. all purpose flour

1 ¾ c. sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. kosher salt

3 eggs

¾ c. buttermilk

1 c. canola oil

3 tsp. Vanilla extract

½ c. shredded carrots.

1 c. shredded (like for cole slaw) red cabbage

¼ sun maid raisins

¾ c. pecans + ¼ cup for topping.

1 c. Breakstone’s sour Cream

Cream cheese icing and glaze recipe to follow



Prep

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 9 inch round cake pans with non stick baking spray. In a medium bowl sift together flour, sugar baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside. Next in your stand mixer bowl on medium speed mix together eggs, butter milk, oil and vanilla. When it is mixed well add the dry flour mixture to your wet. Start mixer on low then scrap sides and beat on medium high until creamy about 30 seconds to 1 minute or so, then add the sour cream and mix until creamy about 20 seconds to 40 seconds on medium high. Next by hand mix in carrots, cabbage and ¾ cups chopped pecans and raisins Mix well. Pour into three round 9 inch cake pans and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand in pans for about 10 minutes then Turn out on cooling racks allow cooling completely. Ice and decorate with the remaining ¼ cup pecans

Cream cheese icing

2 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened

¾ c. butter

2 T. whipping Cream or milk

1 ½ T. vanilla extract

7 c. confectioners’ sugar

In a mixer cream together cream cheese and butter. Then add whipping cream mix on high for about 30 seconds then put mixer on low. Then add vanilla while mixing and slowly add confectioners’ sugar mix until creamy and spreadable.