Well, Ann T's tuna casserole was decadent. My kids never had tuna casserole before and they were a little weird about the breadcrumbs on top. When we were kids growing up in my house, we fought for the toasted buttery crumbs! However, I think our casserole was made with a creamy soup from a can and often had crumbled potato chips on top. The chicken pot pie was pretty good, too. It was from a magazine and was supposed to be a light version of pot pie. I'm not sure how light it was but it was made with a white sauce and lots of veggies and shredded chicken. The kids and DH were fighting over the leftovers. lpink -- I recently mashed some leftover butternut squash and added it to some homemade tomato soup (made with canned whole tomatoes and pureed). It added a different dimension. The puree reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld's wife's cookbook for families where she makes lots of purees one day a week and adds them to various meals to up the nutritional value. I don't want to hide veggies from my kids but I wouldn't mind getting more into them when they don't even know they are there. Split peas continues to be a big favorite - but I don't think of baked beans at this time of year. So many comfort foods, so little time. Tonight, I made a horrible meal! It was supposed to be shrimp with feta over pasta. We forgot to buy shrimp. I substituted turkey bacon. I like turkey bacon by itself but it didn't taste very good as the base of a pasta dish. Then I added misc. veggies from the fridge - zucchini, grape tomatoes halved, lima beans, red peppers. Don't try it. It was not a pleasant combination! It wasn't like a soup that is very forgiving. Comfort food is Tried & True. The experimental was just too weird this time around. Kari

I agree on the bread. I wouldn't really worry about making much else beyond bread, soup and a dessert. I recently did the same thing (friend even had the same surgery) and all my friend was capable of eating was a piece of toast and half a bowl of soup before climbing into bed, nauseated from the anesthesia and wiped out from the pain meds. Have her eat before taking the pain meds if possible. One other thing you might bring: soothing tea and/or ginger ale. My best wishes for your friend's complete and speedy recovery. ~Amanda

I make this recipe often. The rivels and the diced hard boiled eggs in this to make it a very different chicken soup. Amish Chicken Corn Soup Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours Ingredients: * Soup: * 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces * 2-1/2 to 3 quarts water, or as needed * 1 large onion * 8 to 10 black peppercorns * 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste * 8 to 10 threads of saffron, or 1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron (optional) * 10 ears of corn, or 4 cups frozen corn kernels * 3 celery stalks, diced with leaves * 6 ounces wide egg noodles, packaged egg barley, or Rivels (see below) * Freshly ground white pepper * 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley * 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped * . * Rivels: * 1/2 teaspoon salt * Pinch of ground white pepper * 1 large egg, beaten * 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour, as needed Preparation: To Make Soup: Place chicken5 in soup pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and skim foam as it rises to the surface. When it has subsided, add onion, peppercorns6, salt, and saffron7. Simmer gently but steadily, partly covered, for about 1-1/2 hours or until tender. Remove chicken. Trim and discard bones and skin, and onion. Let soup cool, then skim fat from surface. Tear meat into spoonable pieces and return to soup. Cut kernels from 4 ears of corn, then grate kernels from remaining 6 ears, catching all milk and pulp on foil or waxed paper. If using frozen kernels, puree half in a food processor or blender, adding a little soup if liquid is needed. Add whole kernels and grated or pureed corn to soup8 along with celery and noodles9, egg barley, or rivels. Simmer gently until corn and noodles or rivels are cooked. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Stir in parsley and serve, garnishing each portion with chopped hard-cooked egg10. This soup freezes well, but do that before adding the noodles, barley, or dumplings. Prepare those when reheating soup. To prevent scorching during reheating, place the pot over an asbestos mat or on other insulating plate. To Make Rivels: Stir salt and pepper into egg and add 2/3 cup flour and beat. Keep adding and beating in flour until mixture is crumbly but a bit sticky. Rub between hands or pinch off pea-size pieces and drop them into simmering soup. Cover loosely and let cook for about 15 minutes or until rivels solidify. To make the rivels ahead of time, cook them in lightly salted boiling water or some extra soup stock and then drain and reserve them to be reheated in the soup just before it is served. Yield: 8 to 10 first-course servings; 4 to 6 main-course servings Recipe Source: The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup11 by Mimi Sheraton (Warner Books)

Since I had lessons from Bubbe ( Renee A) I do it this way. Like Ginger...a whole chicken cut up plus about 2 pounds more of wings. Place in a stock pot, add a quart of chicken broth and enough water to cover the chicken by 2 inches. Add 2 slalks celery in half ( I could copy and past ginger here!) Large onion, cut in quarters but unpeeled...there is a flavor in the skins. 2 carrots, washed 1 large or 2 small parsnips A sweet potato, washed and cut in half. A generous handful of fresh parsley...I don't bother to chop. 1 Tsp salt 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, whole 1 tsp of whole pepper corns Bring to a boil, skim the foam, turn the heat down to a bare simmer and simmer for an hour. Remove the breast, legs and thighs of the chicken, remove the skin and refrigerate Continue to cook the rest in the pot at a very slow simmer....very slow for at least another 2 hours, 3 is better. Strain the broth through through a couple of layers of cheese cloth....pressing hard on the solids.....and discard the bones, skin, mushy veggies etc. Chill the broth enough to remove the layer of fat that rises to the top, and return the broth to the soup pot. You should have 2 quarts of broth....if you wish you can add a couple more cups of canned broth at this point. Heat the broth and add about 2 cups sliced celery one large onion chopped ( or 2 small) about 2/4 pound of carrots peeled and cut into buttons, 2 or 3 parsnips peeled and cut in 1/4th length-wise and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. taste and add salt as needed ( you will need to add probably a scant teaspoonful) Cut up some of the reserved chicken to add to the soup....all of it if you like a meaty soup and serve with a crusty loaf of bread. I don't put noodles in my chicken soup. Or this is a bit different: Called Gypsy Stew...but I make a few alterations...in parenthesis. Gypsy Stew..Pink Adobe, Santa Fe 1 large frying chicken cut into pieces 3 yellow onions peeled and quartered 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved ( I chop!) 2 cups dry sherry 1 cup chicken stock ( I use 2 10 oz cans....low fat, low salt, no MSG broth) 12 medium hot chilis like poblano, roasted, peeled and seeded (or use canned)( I use 2 small 6 oz cans of chopped green chilic, drained) 6 large ripe tomatoesÂ(Again I use whole canned plum tomatoes if I don't have garden freshÂ.cut in 4thsÂpull apart using 2 forks and add the juice in the can to the pot) Salt to taste and ½ pound grated jack cheese Put chicken, onions, garlic 1 cup of sherry and the broth in a large heavy kettle ( add more broth to cover if neededÂ..simmer one hourÂ.cool somewhat and remove skin and bonesÂ.I also cool the pan juices somewhat and skim the fat.. Put chicken tomatoes, chilis and rest of the sherry back in the pot and simmer about 45 minutes. To serveÂplace cheese cubes in the bottom of bowl and ladle hot soup over the top. Good made ahead and reheated. Linda C