Hi Jenny,
I do understand how difficult it is for u. I used to have to do the same thing when we were staying in the states, nursing bb and ferrying the older ones to and fro school, and cooking.
I think the issue w your happy call usage is that you have not figured out what heat and temperature to cook at. Some dishes need mayb small fire and others mayb medium fire. Some need warmer pans and for others mayb not impt. What I usu do is to drip jus one or two drops of oil into the pan and if i see tiny bubbles forming at the bottom of the pan, it usu means it is warm enough to cook most things n leave a crispy skin. We (my mom n I) practically don't add any other oil to our food since we started cooking using the happy call. I think the oil drip is due to too much oil being used and also u were cooking w the bottom side 1st right? try doing the reverse and also when u flip the pan, tilt it slightly towards u so that the oil stays in the pan n not leak from the vent.
How do u do ur french toast? Sounds to me it might be more of a marinating problem than the pan cooking. I have not tried french toast w the pan but ours is done w eggs, soya and sugar and dripping wet when we put into the pan. if u dare, taste the marinade before cooking w it to make sure there's enough taste.
For soups, can i suggest that u get a slow cooker? Pressure cooking is also good but still need a fair bit of stove time so in ur position, ur best bet could b a slow cooker. Pre-cut and prep your ingredients the night before when mayb hubby or someone is ard to help w the bb, pop into the slow cooker w water n put it on high heat for a while (when u see water boiling can alr) then put it on low to cook overnight or cook in the morn for the evening. U may jus go n clear off the froth if cooking w meat but the soup is usu done by 8 hours of cooking and u can turn off the slow cooker if u want or leave it on low for dinner.
multi-layer steaming is another thing u can also do.
I hope u'll b able to find ways to make food tt's nutritious and nice for u n ur family. Ur body needs good food to produce good milk for bb and strength for u.
Take care and Wishing u well!