You probably don’t know her (unless you’re Dutch), but what happened to her is honestly quite tragic.

She melted.

On Dam Square.

It was in all the papers. The heat, you know…

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37°C

I think I know exactly what she must have felt like, as she slowly melted into a puddle, because as I’m writing this, it’s 37 centigrade outside. (And you can bet your arse that I’m not going anywhere near Dam Square.)

But as my friend said:

Where most of my healthy, able-bodied fellow Dutch citizens are warming up for our first-ever super heatwave, I’m looking at my weather app willing it to reverse this meteorological disaster.

But it won’t budge. Keeps showing me those Numbers of Doom.

Oh, I’m not complaining. Yet.

Temperatures in my living room are still at a comfortable 24 centigrade. I can still focus on my writing. But since it’s only June, I can’t help but wonder: how will the flat behave once summer is in full swing?

I guess time will tell.

My Home In Summer

Meanwhile, if you’d like to find out how I try to keep my flat cool without air conditioning, you might like to read My 93m² Spoonie Home: Summer In My Wheelchair Accessible Flat.

I’m sharing my heat management strategies, with special emphasis on how to keep the kitchen from overheating.

Summer in my Spoonie Flat

Also:

• Summer Recipes

• Long Days, Short Nights

• The Annoying Parts of Summer

  • Screen Glare

  • Pollen Allergies

  • Creepy Crawlies

• My Home is Still My Castle

And a photo of my gorgeous Rafaela 🐈‍⬛.

New Hummus Recipe

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I love hummus. And since hummus is perfect for summer, I decided to share another of my favourite hummus recipes on my blog: Easy Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus.

Because every Spoonie deserves to eat well. Even on mind-meltingly hot summer days.

Easy Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Thank you for being here.

If you enjoyed this piece, a ❤️ below really helps others find it.

From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can buy me a coffee (or tea). Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

Buy me a Cuppa

PS: You can also find me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook if you’d like more Spoonie kitchen content between posts.

That’s the dream.

The reality?

My garden hates me, and who can blame it? I’m a natural at killing plants.

And yet… here I am.

Trying again

I’m growing plants from seeds. Indoors, no less. Why am I doing this to myself?

Honestly, I’m not doing this out of hobbyism. This is simply me trying to build a better system to feed myself without constantly wearing myself out.

Shopping for groceries is a major energy drain for me, and grocery delivery brings its own problems. Like the minimum spending threshold which is quite a bit higher than my budget allows.

Sure, I could order for two weeks at once, but fresh produce won’t miraculously last that long. Which is actually already an issue even when I do just the one weekly shop.

That, and Spoonie life interferes with the best laid plans, meaning those lovely fresh mushrooms might end up in the compost, anyway. Shrivelled and smelly.

Enter Windowsill Gardening

A large edible garden would drastically reduce my grocery bill and prevent food waste. But that’s not going to work for me.

I can, however, try to grow at least some of my own food. In a controlled environment: my kitchen windowsill. (OK, and my bedroom windowsill, too.)

I’m not trying to become the next Eliot Coleman or Gaz Oakley, but… I just want food—fresh, wholesome food—on my table. Not in the compost. And as a Spoonie, that’s easier said than done.

Accessible Windowsill Gardening

So basically, this is me trying to fix a legitimate problem by (hopefully) solving a different one.

Just trying to design a system that works reliably when my body won’t. One where my east-facing windows and low indoor temperatures won’t destroy the food I’m trying to grow.

It won’t be perfect, and outcomes will vary. But that’s OK. As long as I manage to keep the odd plant alive long enough to make it to my table a couple of times, that’s perhaps the best I can hope for.

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A Reliable Setup

But can someone with a thumb as black as a moonless night even hope to succeed at growing food?

Well, not without failure, that’s for sure. But there are ways to help even people like me achieve at least a certain measure of success.

I bought self-watering pots (an investment, for sure) because with my horticultural history I know exactly what happens without them: I’ll let my plants go thirsty until they’re almost dead, only to then drown them. Hopefully, my self-watering pots can at least extend their lives.

And, because I’m cautious, I started small. Real small. Just two pots. Two became three, and currently, I’m up to ten.

Not all of them self-watering, so fingers and toes crossed.

If things go well, I might even invest in some grow lights. Later. Right now, I’ll just wait and see.

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Reality check

Right now, I’ve still got this pot where I sowed my chives six weeks ago, and still nothing to show for it. I suppose, by now, I can safely assume those seeds won’t germinate. Ever. But hey, at least my parsley has come up. Reluctantly, but definitely there.

As for my spinach: the first baby leaves were fine. Then the dratted things got leggy. Still ate them. Just threw them in with my pasta e fagioli soup.

Honestly, I’ve no idea if this whole indoor gardening thing is going to work out at all, but at least I’m trying—and learning. That alone is already a win.

BTW, if you’re interested, I’ve got a blog post about the setup of my windowsill garden, and another one about cooking dried beans in the Instant Pot without burning through all your spoons.

Accessible Windowsill Gardening

Cooking Dried Beans in the Instant Pot

Thank you for being here.

If you enjoyed this piece, a ❤️ below really helps others find it.

From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can buy me a coffee (or tea). Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

Buy me a Cuppa

PS: You can also find me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook if you’d like more Spoonie kitchen content between posts.

There will be cakes again. Slow-cooked comfort. Spoonie shortcuts and stories.

But right now, my autistic brain has shifted gears.

If you know the rhythm of creative cycles—the way one passion rises and quiets the others—you’ll understand. At the moment, I’m still cooking. Only now, the ingredients are light, colour, texture, and space.

Instead of creating my next new recipe, I’m obsessing over floor plans, cat furniture, book spines, acoustics, and the exact shade of autumnal green that whispers, you’re safe here.

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Gourmet, Redefined

At first glance, redesigning a room might not feel very ‘Gourmet Spoonie.’

But the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes: I’m still cooking.

Creating a flavourful palette of colour, light, layout and texture, using paintbrushes and power tools.

The end goal is still the same.

Comfort. Warmth. Nourishment.
Not for the body, but for the soul.

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The Grand Vision

My neglected cat room/music room will become something else entirely:

• A home library

• A music room (the two pianos will stay)

• A cat sanctuary (with dignity-preserving hidden litter solutions)

• A fully wheelchair-accessible sanctuary

• A workspace bathed in soft, natural daylight

All in one room.

A healthy person might knock this out in a couple of months.

I am not that healthy person.

I’m an autistic, wheelchair-dependent spoonie with hEDS and a body that loves acting up at the most inconvenient times. Add limited funds into the mix, and this is no quick makeover.

This will take years. A careful layering of small, manageable sub-projects.

And that’s fine with me.

Cats, Books & Acoustics

The first build will be a custom cat condo. Tall perches, proper scratching surfaces, hidden pull-out litter compartments (ventilated, of course), and easy cleaning access. The cats keep their kingdom. I keep my sanity.

Then comes the wall of books. Real bookcases. Built by hand. Wrapping the room in stories and sound absorption. And of course, it also needs to house a faux fireplace and my hi-fi system.

📚 Books for beauty.
📚 Books for storage.
📚 Books for acoustics.

Perfect!

Light & Colour (Because Sensory Matters)

If you’re an autistic spoonie, you know: lighting is not just decorative. It’s survival.

No harsh ceiling glare, please.

We need layered light.
Shelf lighting. Wall sconces. A desk lamp. Maybe a standing lamp if space allows.

And the colours? Inspired by my Virginia Creeper in autumn. Warm, earthy, grounding tones. The ones that feel like a caress.

A room that invites you in: ‘come, and rest for a while’.

But What About the Cooking?

The kitchen cycle will return. It always does.

There will be cakes again. Slow-cooked comfort dishes. Lazy oven dinners. Spoonie shortcuts and stories.

Right now, I’m building the room where those recipes will live.

A space where I can relax, listen to Handel, sip tea, read poetry, and share that tranquil comfort with a cat in my lap and you on the other side of the screen.

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The full picture

If you’d like the full story—including hand-drawn layout sketches, design details, and the reasoning behind every spoon-conscious decision—feel free to read the original post Accessible Home Library Design: Creating a Gourmet Spoonie Sanctuary

Accessible Home Library Design

And if you don’t have the time or spoons right now, that’s okay, too. This is the heart of it.

A Gourmet Room.
Built slowly.
One careful spoonie step at a time.

Thank you for being here. Please ❤️ (below) if you enjoyed this piece. It really helps others find it.

From my hearth to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

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I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can buy me a coffee (or tea). Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

Buy me a Cuppa

Originally published on Gourmet Spoonie. Adapted for Substack readers.

PS: Did you know I’m also on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook?