Eileen's One Pot Veggie Mash..........

Did you ever have dental work that requires no eating anything but soft foods for about a week or so  or how ever long it takes for the jaw to heal?  Well, last Thursday was the reason for me trying to figure out what to make that was soft to eat, and still be good for me.  I had a tooth pulled and than a partial bridge put in.  They told me it would take about 6 months for the socket in the jaw to heal.  The next day I was ready for it to be healed that day!!!! The first couple of days, the yogurt and pudding held me over. Maybe some cottage cheese, cream of wheat, soft bread.  Oh,,,,, I couldn't drink anything hot either. So there went my hot tea or coffee in the morning. Besides the tooth pain, I had the pain of not eating some comfort food.

Got to thinking what could I make that would be healthy yet easy to chew or gum it.  I came up with a plan.  Went into the refrigerator and saw all these fresh fruits and vegetables that I had just gotten in the beginning of the week.  Cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, etc. etc. But they were all hard and would be impossible for me to eat.

 

 

                                                                               
Pulled some potatoes out of my potato basket. I can always find something to do with potatoes.

Next a couple of carrots. Also got the potato peeler and sharp knife out, while I was near the drawer.

A small head of broccoli looked pretty good and add some coloring.

 

Found some of the frozen shredded zucchini in the freezer from the summer. More green color.

 

 

 

An onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Always a staple in my home.

And last but not least, Some chicken broth.

Okay have all the ingredients so what can I make with them that would be easy for me to eat and also be something my husband would eat.

After giving it some thought and some chopping of the vegetables, I came up with an idea.!  I will call it "Eileen's One Pot Veggie Mash"!!! Good for what ails you!!

I put all the ingredients in the pot and cooked them until soft.  Than mashed them with a potato masher to make it easier for me to eat.

I cooked everything in one pot, which saved tons of pots and pans. And enough veggie mash to last for a couple of meals. And I did not feel slighted that I had to eat soft foods for a while yet.

Wanted to do something different for lunch today with the leftovers. So put the mash in a baking dish, sprayed with Pam.

 

Tooks some Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese out of the freezer.

And sprinkled it on top of the casserole.

Spread it on the top so that it would cover the whole dish.

Baked it in the oven on 350 degrees for about 40-45 mins. until the cheese was bubbly and the mash heated through.

 

Another good dish, fixed a little different with the left overs. I was thinking , bacon bits would go good on top. But remember I am trying to keep it soft!!

Was so glad how this turned out using all vegetables and something good and soft  to eat.  This may be an idea for you if you or someone else in your family has to be on a soft diet. Maybe putting what vegetables you like and cook them together. It could be put in a food processor for a baby or an older person. Making it without the texture of just the cooked vegetables.

Wanted to add some fruit to the meal. Again, how to fix it so I could eat it. So I cut up the apples and pears and put them in a glass bowl.

 

Added a couple of pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon and vanilla extract. Also a little bit of water.
Covered the dish  with wax paper and put it in the microwave for about 35-40 minutes on high.

When they were cooked to the softness I wanted. I took them out of the microwave and mashed them a little . Almost like an apple sauce.

Well, got through a couple of meals anyhow. Now what to fix the rest of the upcoming weeks?

Seems like different health issues can throw a curve in your life with every day things. We just have to sit and ponder what can we do with what we   have in order to survive the ordeals!!  :-)

Hope everyone has a good upcoming week. And hope this recipe that I made up can help you in some way in the future.

                                                                             hugs, Eileen

Addie's Birthday Party.....

I love this flag that Jill and her family brought back to us from their trip to Tennessee. And how true the statement it makes.!!

We had a nice Labor Day weekend with them. It was actually two occasions to celebrate. One the national holiday of Labor Day and Addie's birthday party.

Our granddaughters, especially Hayley, are into the American Girl Dolls.  About a month ago, Hayley had called and asked if we could do a birthday party for one of her American Girl Dolls, Addie.  Addie is 12 years old and Hayley had read her story .(there is a story about a time in History of each doll). I just love Hayley's imagination !  She asked if we could make a full turkey dinner for Addie with all the trimmings.  Since they live a distance from us, she asked me if I could buy the food and she would help cook it when they got here. 

Everything was bought and waiting for them to get here. The day of the party Hayley set the table for all of us for the special occasions. She had access to what ever she needed.

 

 

 

                                                        

Hayley did a great job on setting the table. She brought her own vase with artificial flowers and a bow on it.  She used some of my favors to put candies in for everyone.  And she added a special touch of fresh plums on the plates.  I just love how she used the plates and folded her napkins.

                                                            

She set up a little store in the corner of the living room. She even pulled out the sleeping sofa for the sleepover later that night for her, Kathleen and Neve. Everyone was invited to come and buy a gift for Addie.

Addie was given a place of honor at the head of the table.!  One gift already in place.

            
Our dear neighbor/friends across the street from us, heard about the birthday party so Inez made this hula hoop with balloons tied all around it to use as a decoration. Hayley put it behind Addie's chair. It was precious.

          
Doesn't Addie look so happy!  What little girl wouldn't love all this attention.!

               

Hayley was also so happy that all that were invited came to the party.  It was the perfect day for Addie.

Our family loves mashed potatoes so that was on the list. We must have peeled 10 pounds if not more of potatoes.  Hayley and Neve dished them into the bowls. And we had gravy to go with it.

 

                Everyone enjoyed the turkey dinner. Even Aunt Kim and Uncle Brent. The dinner was turkey, mashed potatoes, fresh  green beans, fresh corn on the cob, cranberry sauce, biscuits, and sugar cookies made by Hayley.

 

 

 

            
We all sang Happy Birthday to Addie, and than went around the table and each of us gave her a special Birthday wish. Wishes from Jill, Jerry, Hayley, Kathleen, Kim, Brent, Neve and Nana and Pop Pop.  And from Inez and Charles who were unable to make it but sent their love to all.

Granddaughter Neve brought her pink guitar and sang a song and played a tune.



What a special time we had. Everyone using their imagination and having family time together.
Sometimes it is good to just ~Take the Time~ to let go and do something fun and different. The birthday party was loved by the girls and the adults that were there. And that our friends made the special decoration to add the festivities.

The next day was the Labor Day celebration. And we had a house full than. It was supposed to be a cookout, but wound up being a cookin because of the weather being iffy with rain. And the yellow jackets were out in full force.  There were about 26 of us . Adults, teens, children, and a toddler. It was also a fun day.  A very busy weekend to be sure.  My husband and I took a long nap after they all had left to go home.  lol 

Life can be so full of every day things. Sometimes it is just nice to ~Take the Time~ to let loose and go into the magical world of imagination and fun.