Finally I Can Eat My Power Breakfast Again after Oral Surgery

 

Barb's Power Breakfast, author photo

Back to My Normal Power Breakfast

I had an infected tooth extracted 13 days ago, and it wrecked my usual diet. Liquids and soft foods can get boring fast. For the past few days my breakfast consisted of mashed bananas mixed with smooth peanut butter and an Orgain Clean Protein Shake, my favorite. 

I like the Orgain chocolate protein shake because it tastes better than other brands I've tried. The milk comes from New Zealand cows that feast on grass. If I decide to have scrambled eggs for breakfast for variety, I save the protein shakes for later in the day when I want a quick nutritional boost. 

I usually buy the shakes at Costco, but I see that Amazon also has them on the subscribe and save plan for those who enjoy them as much as I do. The price is almost as good getting them at Costco and I won't need to worry about running out. Costco is thirty miles away. 

My power breakfast is super easy to fix. Just combine about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of your favorite brand of uncooked oats (I use Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats), with about 1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts, half a small apple chopped, and about 1/3 cup fresh blueberries. Today I used bananas to sweeten because I'm not allowed to eat apples yet. The goat milk I add at the end also adds a bit of sweetness. 

Up until yesterday I wasn't cleared to eat oats or blueberries, either. Normally I sweeten with chopped dates or a combination of cinnamon and Xylitol. (See my review of Xylitol here.) I'm not too fussy about the amounts of each ingredient I use. 

You can also substitute other fruits or nuts, unless you are still on a soft diet like I am. I'm just gradually working back to normal food. I still have to be careful. I can have Brussels Sprouts, but not broccoli. I'm also allowed to add seedless grapes to my diet, but not anything citrus.

I still crave crunch and usually live on nuts for snacking. Now I may now eat cashews and walnuts, but not almonds or peanuts, unless in butters. 

Other Soft Foods I Enjoyed Eating

Staples of my diet have been eggs, cheese, yogurt, pudding, applesauce, avocados, and  yellow cling diced peaches in 100% fruit juice with no added sugar. This made a delicious lunch about three days after my tooth was pulled.

Eggs scrambled with plain yogurt, feta and cheddar cheeses; diced peaches; and salted mashed avocado sprinkled with lemon juice. Author photo.

 I usually eat my evening meal while watching TV, which is why this isn't on a plate at the table. I used a lap desk on my reclining chair. This lap desk was also a lifesaver after I had foot surgery and needed to do all my computer work with my feet up. Not only will a laptop fit securely here, but I can also write letters and pay bills the old-fashioned way in comfort.

Looking Forward to Eating Crunchy Foods Again

I'm glad I can eat mashed avocado from the shell with lemon juice and salt, but I like it better on toasted sourdough or a tortilla chip than on a spoon. I crave almonds in my dark  dark chocolate. I crave trail mix. 

Favorite crunchy snacks from Costco. Author photo.

What are your favorite soft food diet foods? What crunchy foods would you miss most?

Pomegranates: A Beautiful Autumn Gift

Pomegranates Are Stunning Stars of the Autumn Garden

When many flowers are beginning to disappear, the bright red fruit of the pomegranate tree adds a burst of color to a flower bed. I found this tree in my neighbor's flower garden.

Pomegranates on the Tree, © B. Radisavljevic

I only wish I'd been around with my camera when this pomegranate tree was in bloom. I've never seen it blooming. I must have been too busy to walk in that direction during spring. I'll make a point of going next spring, God willing. I'm sure it will be a show worth seeing.

I did find this photo of a pomegranate blossom on Pixabay. It shows me what I missed. Imagine a tree filled with these flowers! You can see one of the forming fruits peeking out beneath a leaf a bit higher than the flower.

Pomegranate Flower Image Courtesy of Pixabay

Here's how the tree looks in the garden among the flowers. I believe those are roses below it.

Pomegranate Tree in a Garden, © B. Radisavljevic

Pomegranates Make Lovely Tree Ornaments

As I gazed at the tree, the pomegranate fruits looked like Christmas tree ornaments.  I decided to put some on Zazzle ornaments. They come in many styles and shapes. You can get large ceramic ones as hearts, squares, circles, or ovals -- the only ceramic shapes I recommend. You can also get smaller premium ornaments with metal edges, like this one. (Also available as square.)

Ripe Pomegranate Ornament
by barbsbooks

These ornaments from Amazon feature open pomegranates that display their delicious seeds. Even the seed color is red to contrast with the green of the trees.

Sur La Table Pomegranate Glass OrnamentOrnaments to Remember: POMEGRANATE Christmas OrnamentOld World Christmas Pomegranate Glass Blown Ornament

Pomegranates Are Tasty and Healthy Fruits

Pomegranate seeds (also known as arils) are packed with nutrients. Just one cup contains 7 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. They are also good sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, and potassium. They contain powerful antioxidants, as well.

 If that's not enough, they also fight inflammation in the body and may help defend the body against breast and prostate cancer. That's just the beginning of the pomegranate's virtues as a nutrient.  Read more about the healthful effects of eating pomegranates at Twelve Health Benefits of Pomegranate in the Healthlines Newsletter.

Of course, to get the health benefits, one has to actually consume the pomegranate arils. They are tasty, tart and sweet together. The reason more people don't eat pomegranates is that they can be expensive if you don't have a tree, and they aren't the easiest fruit to eat. All the tasty nutritious arils are buried in a tough bitter membrane and it is hard to remove them by hand. I just discovered there is a better way to get at them instead of digging them out while staining your fingers with that lovely red color. There is a handy tool for getting them loose.





Some people still think that's too much work, so they just buy pomegranate juice. It's also packed with nutrients and phytochemicals your body needs, but you can't get the fiber from the juice. This book will tell you more about why pomegranates are considered by some to be so useful in wellness.

Do You Eat Pomegranates?

If you do eat pomegranates, do you dig the seeds out by hand, use a tool, or have a different method of getting them loose? If you don't eat them, what is the main reason why you don't? Have you tried them and not enjoyed their taste? Or does it just seem like too much work to eat them? Do you eat or drink them in products such as juice or jelly? I drink a white tea in which pomegranate extract is one of the ingredients used to add flavor.

Of course there's more one can do with pomegranates than eating the seeds or drinking juice or tea. This book celebrates the pomegranate and contains seventy different recipes that include it. I'd like to try the syrup and some of the main dish recipes.



In addition to explaining how to use the seeds or juice them, the book also illuminates the cultural history of the pomegranate, which has been prized since Biblical times. Some scholars believe this is the forbidden fruit Eve ate, but some others believe she ate a fig or apricot. Apples didn't grow in the Middle East that far back in time.

Do you have a favorite pomegranate recipe? How do you most enjoy getting your pomegranate flavor? Have you ever had a pomegranate tree in your yard?

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