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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   1117 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for April 5, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

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I'd normally ask this in the wellness thread, but it doesn't quite fit.

My father is going through chemotherapy, which has absolutely trashed his appetite, and he has some issues with swallowing due to previous radiation treatment. He's managing to keep his weight stable now by pounding shakes made from ensure, ice cream, protein powder, and peanut butter, but he doesn't exactly enjoy it.

I recently made him bread pudding from scratch (with homemade bread) and he nearly made himself sick eating it. I think part of it is that his usual staples aren't quite appetizing enough to cut through the side effects of the treatment, and he might have better luck with something new.

Cooks of themotte, can you recommend any recipes that are tasty, easy to swallow, and have absolutely degenerate amounts of calories in each serving? The doctor has said that all the usual rules about healthy eating are out the window here, if it tastes and smells good enough to give him an appetite, and it fattens him up, it's a win.

I have a bacon colcannon that might be of interest. Start by preparing some potatoes as you would if you were making regular mashed potatoes. Then, fry up some bacon, remove the bacon from the pan to chop up but leave the rendered fat in, and fry up some onion and cabbage in the bacon fat until they're as well-cooked as you like. Mix the vegetables, bacon, and bacon fat into the potatoes, and add salt+pepper to taste. Add more cream and/or mix in some grated cheese for even more calories. You could also bake this in the oven with a cheese or buttered-crumb topping.

Damn, I might make this for myself if he doesn't like it

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