Oh if only someone could come up with a powdered version. I'm hooked on that stuff. It's horribly bad, I know, but I can't stand my regular coffee without it. I drink my lattes with soy...I wonder if your creamer would work with soy milk? As for eggs...those sold in grocery stores are pasturized, no need to worry about raw consumption. It's the home-grown, fresh, delish eggs that are the problem.

This has always been my favorite recipe to use for buttercream frosting. I almost always make the pure white variation for decorating and it tastes very good. It is a bit stiff, but you can thin it by adding more water or corn syrup to get the desired consistency. Just replace the milk called for with water or corn syrup and use all Crisco. Recipe Box Buttercream Icing (Medium Consistency) Ingredients: 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.) 2 tablespoons milk In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using. YIELD: Makes about 3 cups. For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk. For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes. NOTE: Changes in Wilton's traditional recipes have been made due to Trans Fat Free Shortening replacing Hydrogenated Shortening.

From time to time I've seen little specialty genuine Italian ice places open up but they usually don't stay in business long. The price is too high and too much competition from the cheapo soft serve and other places. Not enough Italian ice connoisseurs out there and not spread around the US. I'm sure there are some places but none near my radar screen. It's hard enough nowdays just to get a good hard ice cream cone or even some at the grocery. A couple of our famous and delicious local and regional dairies have shut down, long prior to the pandemic so the supply even at the grocery store is limited to a few brands and the same at every store. Back in the day a lot of small towns had local ice cream dairies, including mine, and then two ice cream shops that sold it in many confections. Those day long gone, sigh . . . My aunt met my uncle when he was on a road trip from a nearby college, at our local home town place, long lost to the mists of time. I used to ride my bike out to another regional dairy store and get a wonderful cone as a fun way to spend time and allowance during the summer. That too is gone . . . We do have a drive through Dairy Queen that does a brisk business . . .

Thank you for the suggestions! Yes, I will blend the gazpacho-- at other times I would enjoy it chunky but i will need it to be smoothish for the near future. And sorry, no yogurt-- though depending on the recipe, i could just skip it. There have been so many ideas here-- I am surely set. I will likely lean towards the most simple just because I won't be up to much. I am very seriously considering getting a vitamix to assist with easy, simple, healthy options. I have been considering it for many months now-- but balked at the price. Truth is the cost is a drop in the bucket of the cost of the whole process-- and in a few years, I will need the same bone grafts on my bottom jaw bone. I think it's a good investment. I just need to find the time to select a model/price shop. Many thanks to you all--- especially for the well wishes. This surgery is the least of the previous 2. I will be fine and the recovery should be pretty easy. I just want to keep foods fresh and healthy.