Ross,
We haven't been able to access the Internet for about a month now due to a computer glitch. We missed what-all happened with your dental surgery. How long did you have to stay on the vent? I tried to find the posts, but our system is still a bit slow, and it looks like we'll just have to buy a new computer. If your mouth wasn't so sore, I'd just rather call. Thank God you're all right, and we'll be praying for you.
I had to be on a liquid diet for a month after my gastric bypass surgery. I was TRYING to lose weight, though. I also used to be a CHEF (that's right, chef; it was a high-class place) as well as a cook, and naturally some of our patrons were on pureed and liquid diets. I have some suggestions for you.
1. A soft-cooked or poached egg with buttered toast in pieces and soaked in the toast and a little salt tastes pretty good.
2. Nothing wrong with the ol' "milquetoast", or toast with butter and cinnamon sugar toasted under the grill for about a minute, and soaked in the milk.
3. If you have a meat grinder or mixer with grinder attachment, run everything through the grinder and mix it with gravy or broth. Maybe you won't have to get a food processor.
4.Scrambled eggs, cooked soft, with onions that have been cooked and mashed, go down pretty well.
5. Ground poached chicken or other finely ground meats make a nice meal when mixed with a lot of mayo, yogurt, or salad dressing.
6. You can put a lot of stuff in jello, including fruit purees and veggie purees. Meat purees like pate are frequently packed in gelatin, but aspics (like tomato) were big in the 50's and 60's and are simple to make. If tomatoes bother you, there is lots of other stuff.
7.Nothing wrong with a souffle, and even though it might seem odd, almost any souffle tastes good with cream or half and half poured over, and this liquifies it.
A friend of mine who made his living as a chef (the real McCoy, went to CIA and did his apprenticeship in Frankfurt, Germany) had to make his wife's food for 3 months while she recovered from extensive jaw and reconstructive surgery which included wiring her jaw shut. She did not feel deprived at all and I could try to get some recipes from him. A friend of mine in medical school was in a MVA and had to have her jaw wired shut for 2 months. She actually gained weight on the liquid diet, which was a good thing for her.
Get better, Ross. We hope to be able to keep in touch.
Beautiful fall weather in Idaho,
-Laura