Ever have those days when chewing hurts? And you were sick of eating yogurt and pudding? Maybe you are recovering from dental surgery and can't eat solid foods just yet. What if I told you there was a way to still eat your favorite junk foods like pizza, tacos, and chili dogs? Nutrition is important to healing. But so is a positive attitude. Being able to eat familiar food is very comforting when you are dealing with a physical trauma, as I discovered from personal experience. This book was born from necessity. In 2015, on my 61st birthday, I had 21 teeth pulled and immediate dentures placed in my numb, bloodied and abused mouth. I was in no shape to chew! The post extraction instructions from the dentist advised a diet of liquids and soft foods while my mouth healed. The sheet suggested foods like broth and yogurt. That's all well and good if you are talking about a matter of days, but I was looking at a matter of weeks! I was fortunate to have the help of my husband Rick as my "denture co-pilot". He completed endless circuits of the grocery store, searching out food that I could eat without having to chew. He experimented with ways to cook and prepare regular food so it could be consumed without much effort on my part. He "sympathy ate", sharing my mushy meals. Together, we created this compilation of "Chopper Optional" meals for the recently toothless and their copilots. The recipes go beyond the usual soft foods to include such taste-tempting delights as "Shrimp Scampi" and "Chicken Enchiladas". There is a delicious selection of smoothies, made with protein powder. I've also included a section on dessert; because "you Got to have dessert!" For those who would like to read about my personal experience, that journey is chronicled in "Denture Adventure: The year I got teeth for my birthday." That is the second book in our series "The 7 Stages of Teeth-Dentures Demystified." Upcoming books in the series will be available on Amazon. I hope you find nourishment here for your soul as well as your body. To paraphrase a popular quote, "keep calm and chew on!"
