Yesterday was the first big adventure of going to a potluck dinner. The first time, I packed up my $25 Magic portable blender, and went to a potluck dinner with about 30 people, and no idea what was going to be able to be pureed.
I knew that most of the people there knew I was a tube-feeder, so the anxiety of filling my tube around strangers was not there. Still, you never know . . .
The group were RYLA members, so I knew that if I had any issues, there were plenty of people to help.
The other question was going to be - HOW WILL A BUNCH OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS REACT? Most were good friends of my daughter. My daughter is very comfortable with my condition, so I'm sure her calmness helped. Turns out, she never even checked in on me, even though we were still in the same room.
Now the host family had a Ninja blender, and I knew I could use it, but I needed to prove to myself, I could do this on my own.
We brought a homemade coleslaw that my daughter made, which is not exactly the best thing to puree in a light-weight blender. But I knew there would be some "sweet" breads and brownies, so in a pinch I could have that.
When we walked in the door, I saw sliced vegetables and sliced fruit. So I was good. Fruit smoothies were going to be a no brainer. Most everyone would expect me to make a fruit smoothie to pour down my tube.
Now the most popular potluck dish in the Boston area is Italian pasta, and sure enough there were several styles of pasta there. Both with and without tomato sauce. including one dis with meatballs in tomato sauce on the side - perfect.
CHOCOLATE CHIP TOLL HOUSE COOKIES
But I get ahead of myself. My first puree was homemade chocolate cookies and strawberries. "Starting with dessert, Mr. Hoyland?" "Why yes, yes I am." Did I mention there were a bunch of high school girls there? I knew that those chocolate toll house cookies didn't stand a chance, and the possibility of me getting them late was slim or none.
In truth, I wanted to start with something that I knew would be calm in my stomach, and that I would not have an issue pureeing. Although let it be known that the small bits of chocolate chip at the bottom of the puree MIGHT clog the tube.
PAPER CUPS
Now the one thing that I have learned over the past summer is that you should carry "paper cups". with a paper cup you can pour the puree into the cup and look for potential large chunks that could cause clogging issues. The host had StarBucks small paper cups on the side,so I was good. The reason I recommend paper not plastic, is that you can squeeze the top of the cup a little to make it easier to pour into the tube funnel.
TEST ONE - APPETIZER
I sat in a comfortable chair, with my cup of puree, took out my 60 ml syringe bottom (that I use as my funnel), and proceeded to pour. Absolutely, no drama, no side-eye, just a "Is it delicious?"
TEST TWO - MAIN MEAL
After the appetizer, I washed up my blender, syringe and paper cup, and rejoined the conversation. when everyone was nearing the end of their meal. I decided to get bolder and added, meatballs, rotini salad, fresh peppers, and the inner part of a garlic toast to my blender. The older crowd in the kitchen took an interest in how I was picking items from different bowls to create a meal. DROP DROP DROP, and then enough water to puree. I gave it an extra minute or two of blending, to make sure everything was pureed well. and TADA, another successful puree. I made sure that the puree was thinner than I make at home, so I could avoid potential issues of a puree which was too thick
VOLUME
Between to two purees, I had made about 2.5 cups over a one hour period. Now the last meal I had before this was two hours before I arrived, so I wasn't worried about over filling my stomach. Part of the concern at a potluck, it that your measurements can be a little imprecise. For me, I know I can handle about 2/3 cups every two hours. That includes straight liquids to clear the tube, and liquids for hydration.
TEST THREE - DESSERT
The chocolate chip cookies were more of an appetizer than a dessert . . . . Especially, if a blueberry cheesecake it's the table. Oh sure, there were brownies, and blondies, and zucchini bread, and banana bread. . . . But seriously, if you can't make a little sampler platter of tasty desserts, you go with the cheesecake. Trust me cheesecake makes a great puree . . .
SUMMARY
SO, I had three different purees. I didn't spill a thing. I did not clog the tube. Please were interested in what I chose to puree. I think it was a successful night. I even got an exchange student volunteer to help me come up with a pureed meal from her home country of Chile.
COMMENTS
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I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors. Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address.
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