For those of us with problems swallowing

sweetblood22
sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I started my blog up on this site and posted a few recipes that I can actually swallow for any one that is interested. Just keep in mind that they are developed for my 'tastes' which is not much taste at all. Lol. Things still taste like salty wall paper paste to me.

I also have two great kitchen tools that have made my life better. A small mini chopper which minces my vegetables into pieces that I can swallow. It saves some chewing on my poor teeth and my mouth and tongue that is still in daily pain. I also have an emulsifier. It blends stuff down to a liquid and is great for purée and soups. I have a Montel Williams one and it was a great time saver this year for my dad's tomato sauce as well. You just literally throw the entire plum tomato in there and whiz them up. No blanching and skinning or deseeding necessary. Saved hours.

I've been making my own thick veg stock with my emulsifier as well. If your mouth can tolerate fruits it makes awesome fruit and veg smoothies. Better than any blender I've owned by a long shot.

Sweet

Comments

  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #2
    Emulsifier? Cool
    I have a "good" juicer (Breville), but there's still a lot of "pulp" rejected. Now I'm really jealous, hearing of your dad's tomato sauce. Most of my paste tomatoes are small, and it's a hassle to go through the blanching, skinning and straining for seeds. To get thick veg stock, do you use a certain setting, or do you cook it down?
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
    Hi Sweet

    I too still have problems now and then swallowing, good idea about chopping it up to mini bite and even doing liquid sometime as I hate to sit at the table and chew for hours.

    Take care
  • Pumakitty
    Pumakitty Member Posts: 652
    #4
    Thanks for this post
    Hey Sweet,

    My dad is like Hondo and still has some issues. This might be really helpful.


    Puma
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #5
    Pam M said:

    Emulsifier? Cool
    I have a "good" juicer (Breville), but there's still a lot of "pulp" rejected. Now I'm really jealous, hearing of your dad's tomato sauce. Most of my paste tomatoes are small, and it's a hassle to go through the blanching, skinning and straining for seeds. To get thick veg stock, do you use a certain setting, or do you cook it down?

    To Pam
    I have a juicertoo and I miss being able to use It. I cannot find fruits that my tongue and mouth can tolerate yet. That's the thing about the emulsifier, it keeps all the fibre in. I'll tell you it was worth it to buy for doing tomatoes alone. I wish I had it the year I was clueless and decided to do a garden and I planted 96 tomato plants!!!!!!! True story. When I told my father his mouth hung open and I didn't understand why. He then said, "what are you going to pack for Furman's?!" (tomato sauce company). That summer I myself, alone, made 50 gallons of sauce. Plus my ex helped me with a few gallons of a garden veggie version because I also planted 86 pepper plants. I was a city girl. What the heck did I know?! I also gave away 24 bushels of tomatoes.

    The thicker veg stock I do cook it first. Then I put it in the emulsifier. Stock needs to cook a while to pull the goodness out of what you put in there. You can make a veg or tomato soup right in the HealthMaster tho. You set it for like 8 minutes on high or something like that and it makes hot soup right in there. I made a curry, apple, carrot soup and a fresh tomato soup with cream right in there. It's also great to make apple sauce in there. I really like my machine. I swear you could probably throw a brick in there and it would liquify it.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #6
    Pumakitty said:

    Thanks for this post
    Hey Sweet,

    My dad is like Hondo and still has some issues. This might be really helpful.


    Puma

    Hondo and Puma
    Mincing the veggies was really a turning point. I'm so glad I bought that thing. Why force my mouth to do work it doesn't have to when it's so hard to eat to begin with. You know digestion starts in the mouth and when you don't have the saliva to break your food down, well you are starting at a disadvantage already. Also giving myself permission to 'overcook' my vegetables helped a lot. I never ate them soft. Always raw or still kinda crunchy.
  • micktissue
    micktissue Member Posts: 430
    #7
    Awesome
    Thanks Dawn for posting that. hopefully I'll be trying out these delicious recipes in November!!!

    Can you give any product details on your emulsifier? I'm searching and could use some guidance.

    Best,

    Mick
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #8
    micktissue said:

    Awesome
    Thanks Dawn for posting that. hopefully I'll be trying out these delicious recipes in November!!!

    Can you give any product details on your emulsifier? I'm searching and could use some guidance.

    Best,

    Mick

    Mick
    Absolutely. It's http://www.myhealthmaster.com for the link to the official site. I think I paid like $200? For mine. I saw it on an informercial on tv at like 4am. When I googled to get the link it said that QVC Has them for $169. But I don't know if it is the one I have because I'm on my iPhone right now and the picture wouldn't come up on the page. My friend got a used one on EBAY for like $50 but I am too afraid to do stuff like that. Honestly, I feel I have gotten my moneys worth out of my healthmaster already. My cost per use is at about a dollar right now. The mini chopper I use every day. That's at pennies per use. I got the emulsifier when all I could swallow was liquids and was getting sick of icecream shakes every day.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #9
    sweetblood22 said:

    Mick
    Absolutely. It's http://www.myhealthmaster.com for the link to the official site. I think I paid like $200? For mine. I saw it on an informercial on tv at like 4am. When I googled to get the link it said that QVC Has them for $169. But I don't know if it is the one I have because I'm on my iPhone right now and the picture wouldn't come up on the page. My friend got a used one on EBAY for like $50 but I am too afraid to do stuff like that. Honestly, I feel I have gotten my moneys worth out of my healthmaster already. My cost per use is at about a dollar right now. The mini chopper I use every day. That's at pennies per use. I got the emulsifier when all I could swallow was liquids and was getting sick of icecream shakes every day.

    Cravings
    I had been getting cravings for chicken and dumplings. So yesterday I was commited to making a chickenless version. So I came up with a Vegetable Stew with Cilantro & Scallion Dumplings. I posted the recipe on my blog. I have eaten three bowlfuls since last night. I weighed myself today and I was 98lbs. :) I almost can't button my size one pants! My zero's don't fit!!
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #10
    sweetblood22 said:

    Cravings
    I had been getting cravings for chicken and dumplings. So yesterday I was commited to making a chickenless version. So I came up with a Vegetable Stew with Cilantro & Scallion Dumplings. I posted the recipe on my blog. I have eaten three bowlfuls since last night. I weighed myself today and I was 98lbs. :) I almost can't button my size one pants! My zero's don't fit!!

    Thank you Sweet!
    Please bring on more of your cooking tip's etc! I am going to take a peek at your blog! I am open to any suggestion's plus appreciate the tried & true recipies. I have a juicer & it is a fiarly good one. I remember planting my first garden I figured Go big or stay home!
    What a pain in the butt! Zucchini plant's all over the place etc. It sure kept me out of trouble. I am eating fairly good but get bored with the same old! Thank you again!
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #11
    sweetblood22 said:

    Cravings
    I had been getting cravings for chicken and dumplings. So yesterday I was commited to making a chickenless version. So I came up with a Vegetable Stew with Cilantro & Scallion Dumplings. I posted the recipe on my blog. I have eaten three bowlfuls since last night. I weighed myself today and I was 98lbs. :) I almost can't button my size one pants! My zero's don't fit!!

    Thank you Sweet!
    Please bring on more of your cooking tip's etc! I am going to take a peek at your blog! I am open to any suggestion's plus appreciate the tried & true recipies. I have a juicer & it is a fiarly good one. I remember planting my first garden I figured Go big or stay home!
    What a pain in the butt! Zucchini plant's all over the place etc. It sure kept me out of trouble. I am eating fairly good but get bored with the same old! Thank you again!
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #12
    rozaroo said:

    Thank you Sweet!
    Please bring on more of your cooking tip's etc! I am going to take a peek at your blog! I am open to any suggestion's plus appreciate the tried & true recipies. I have a juicer & it is a fiarly good one. I remember planting my first garden I figured Go big or stay home!
    What a pain in the butt! Zucchini plant's all over the place etc. It sure kept me out of trouble. I am eating fairly good but get bored with the same old! Thank you again!

    Zucchini
    Yeah, my dad only had two zucchini plants and that was plenty! I am going to miss the fresh zucchini because it's easy to cook and slides right down to swallow.

    I will have to find some winter veggies that are easy to swallow.

    Tonight I am making zucchini with garlic and basil with EVOO tossed with angel hair pasta made with jerusalem artichoke flour. Yum. Thinking of stuffed French toast for my after dinner snack. French toast with nutella and banana inside. :) getteing hungry now:)
  • Greg53
    Greg53 Member Posts: 849
    #13
    sweetblood22 said:

    Zucchini
    Yeah, my dad only had two zucchini plants and that was plenty! I am going to miss the fresh zucchini because it's easy to cook and slides right down to swallow.

    I will have to find some winter veggies that are easy to swallow.

    Tonight I am making zucchini with garlic and basil with EVOO tossed with angel hair pasta made with jerusalem artichoke flour. Yum. Thinking of stuffed French toast for my after dinner snack. French toast with nutella and banana inside. :) getteing hungry now:)

    Um um good
    Sweet,

    Recipes look awesome. Can't wait to try them. Thanks!

    Greg
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #14
    Greg53 said:

    Um um good
    Sweet,

    Recipes look awesome. Can't wait to try them. Thanks!

    Greg

    Added a broccoli and pasta
    Added a broccoli and pasta recipe. My family has eaten 'broccoli and macroni' as a Friday staple since before I was born.

    Also been drinking coconut water. I have still been struggling with low potassium and coconut water is a good source plus I am trying to cut back on some of the milk I am drinking. It doesn't hurt or burn my mouth. I copied and pasted one of the many sites i've been reading on it.

    I was even able to eat some spaghetti and meatballs today! Makes me happy. :)
  • micktissue
    micktissue Member Posts: 430
    #15
    sweetblood22 said:

    Added a broccoli and pasta
    Added a broccoli and pasta recipe. My family has eaten 'broccoli and macroni' as a Friday staple since before I was born.

    Also been drinking coconut water. I have still been struggling with low potassium and coconut water is a good source plus I am trying to cut back on some of the milk I am drinking. It doesn't hurt or burn my mouth. I copied and pasted one of the many sites i've been reading on it.

    I was even able to eat some spaghetti and meatballs today! Makes me happy. :)

    thanks Dawn
    Pasta and broccoli never sounded so delicious! I'm trying this soon (I hope).

    Best,

    Mick
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #16
    micktissue said:

    thanks Dawn
    Pasta and broccoli never sounded so delicious! I'm trying this soon (I hope).

    Best,

    Mick

    Added a couple new things to the blog
    I added a few juicer recipes and a very moist apple cake recipe. I am headed out today and I thought I would buy some local apples for home, and to take some to New York for my aquaintance since I will be staying at her home. I don't remember any apple orchards on Staten Island, so I thought some farm fresh apples would be a treat. I think I will even write down the recipe and give her that too. Apples are great this time of year. :)
  • Njohn
    Njohn Member Posts: 2
    #17
    sweetblood22 said:

    Added a couple new things to the blog
    I added a few juicer recipes and a very moist apple cake recipe. I am headed out today and I thought I would buy some local apples for home, and to take some to New York for my aquaintance since I will be staying at her home. I don't remember any apple orchards on Staten Island, so I thought some farm fresh apples would be a treat. I think I will even write down the recipe and give her that too. Apples are great this time of year. :)

    swallow therapy
    Hey everyone, i think its great that everyone is exchanging recipes and ways to make eating/swallowing easier. I was wondering if anyone has tried swallow therapy or seen speech pathology? A friend of mind was recently referred to speech pathology and they have been helping her with swallowing exercises and maneuvers that make eating and drinking a little easier. She was not referred to speech pathology until she made a big deal about her swallowing not improving after 8 months post radiation treatment. Also, I wanted to share some information about this great clinical trial that she is considering enrolling in. The research is at many hospitals around the U.S. Check out their website estimclinicaltrial.com or google "e-stim for head neck cancer" Keep eating and drinking and Good Luck!

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