280015 Wed Sep 28 20:40:28 -0700 2005 33 31 Home Cooking 0 1486295 Just out of curiosity... What do you guys eat when you're sick or feeling yucky? No chicken soup replies, please, that's a cop out. :-) In my dad's family, they eat Corn Flakes in milk with crumbled arrowroot cookies. The cookies get all soft and soggy and the whole thing turns into a slightly crispy porridge. It's possibly one of the easiest meals to digest (read: no fiber whatsoever) and the sweetness makes it appealing to kids. Why my 65-y-old dad still eats it, though, is a mystery... Wed Sep 28 20:40:28 -0700 2005 0 piccola 1 1486299 aside from the chicken soup & ginger ale route... my mom always made me cinnamon & sugar toast when I was a kid. (probably a gauge to see how sick I really was.. I'd have been on my death bed not to eat that as it was a sought after treat in my youth). I usually eat it these days only when I'm feeling nostalgic. the alternate home cure (and one I still favor) is to "burn" the viruses out by eating spicy food.... usually either mexican food or thai... like spicy tortilla soup or tom ka gai (sp?) or any other really spicy thai curry. Wed Sep 28 21:05:23 -0700 2005 1486295 0 withalonge 2 1486305 Yeah, whenever I have a cold (as opposed to a stomach bug), I eat veg hot & sour soup. Clears those sinuses right up (but you have te be careful not to, er, drip in the bowl). :-) Miso works on the comfort level, but isn't as effective on the nasal passages. Wed Sep 28 22:13:28 -0700 2005 1486299 0 piccola 3 1486315 Taqueria food (pollo asado taco plate), pho, or wonton soup, even when my stomach is yucky, those are my go to foods. If I'm sad or angsty, then something rich, like homemade mac and cheese, or good chocolate and lots of wine. Thu Sep 29 01:31:25 -0700 2005 1486305 0 Candice 3 1486323 "Capisum - Helps increase blood flow to aid in detoxification, treats infection of the bronchial passageways and feelings of general exhaustion." With that said, I take tablespoons of hot sauce when I have a cold...and my comfort food is hot green tea poured on a bowl of hot rice with umeboshi, the pickled plum. Thu Sep 29 02:22:49 -0700 2005 1486305 0 Cynthia 2 1486326 Milk toast was a family standard for sick kids. Buttered toast with a little sugar on it in a bowl of warm milk. Thu Sep 29 06:06:39 -0700 2005 1486299 0 Sharuf 3 1486333 i know someone who liked to eat milktoast when they were NOT sick but with s&p instead of sugar...talk about gross! Thu Sep 29 08:48:24 -0700 2005 1486326 0 furryabdul 1 1486303 Years ago, as a 20-something wiped out by the flu, my Mom actually made jello and brought it to my apt. Now, I have to say that I always drink more tea when I'm not feeling well. In fact, if my husband sees me drinking tea, he asks what's wrong. Wed Sep 28 21:39:49 -0700 2005 1486295 0 Aimee 1 1486318 Macaroni and cheese. (often Kraft) Tomato soup with milk. Neither of these great for nasal passage clearance but comforting, nonetheless. Oreo cookies dunked in milk. Or the cream scooped out of five oreos onto a single wafer to make a "mega oreo." Pasta with butter and parmesan cheese. The shortcakes sold by the strawberries with some milk drizzled in to make them soggy covered and eventually mashed with Reddi-whip (hangs head in shame). Apple cider. Thu Sep 29 01:46:02 -0700 2005 1486295 0 Emme 1 1486319 I had my tonsils out when I was 15 and it was a horrible experience (they all most put me back in the hospital because I wouldn't eat or drink and was dehydrating - but I was in an immense amount of pain and swallowing was a nightmare). The whole 'ice cream' thing was a crock - anything cold really hurt so my mom had the brilliant idea of making a hot, fruit drink with jello. She boiled water, poured about 1/2 of a packet of strawberry jello in a large mug, filled it half way with boiling water and the rest of the way with warm tap water. This may sound SO bizarre, but it was wonderful. Warm and sweet and fruity and soothing. Still sounds great to me (although now I won't touch jello) - I drank this all the way through college anytime I was feeling sick. Thu Sep 29 01:50:16 -0700 2005 1486295 0 krissywats 1 1486325 when i'm ill i crave spicy food, particularly thai soup. strangely, though, when i'm starting to feel better, i crave mcdonalds. Thu Sep 29 04:30:02 -0700 2005 1486295 0 hobokeg 1 1486331 i know you said you dont want to hear this but dont knock it til youve tried it: cambells chicken noodle soup & fruit punch gatorade (no not mixed). i always feel better when i eat this. wasaslam! :) Thu Sep 29 08:45:24 -0700 2005 1486295 0 furryabdul 1 1486332 Eggs. Cheese (so long as I am not nauseated) of the non-stinky kind. Bread. Eggs, cheese & bread. In all sorts of combinations. Thu Sep 29 08:46:48 -0700 2005 1486295 0 Karl S. 1 1486337 Tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwich tea rice pudding scrambled aggs and toast Not all at the same time, of course:} Thu Sep 29 10:02:48 -0700 2005 1486295 0 macca 1 1486339 my girlfriend insists on chinese takeout broccoli with garlic sauce for a cold or flu me, I go for a (non cop out) homemade chipotle mexican chicken soup with orzo and cilantro, or takeout Gai Tom Kha spicy coconut soup or toast or saltines Thu Sep 29 10:04:08 -0700 2005 1486295 0 pitu 1 1486348 Chili - as spicy as I can stand it (which is usually pretty spicy when I am sick). It clears out the sinuses like magic. Thu Sep 29 10:59:58 -0700 2005 1486295 0 EAF 1 1486357 When I'm sick, I like to eat something I call cracker soup. You warm milk with some butter and black pepper, then crumble up saltines into the soup. It's kind of like oyster stew without the oysters. Thu Sep 29 12:05:26 -0700 2005 1486295 0 DumpCake 1 1486358 As a child it was cinnimin sugar toast and milky Consant Comment tea. I now do the same with my son. As an adult I still like the same with the stomache bug however with colds and the flu I prefer hot and spicy- the spicier the better. Things like hot and sour soup, spicy wontons in broth even chicken soup with some dollops of tabasco! Thu Sep 29 12:07:54 -0700 2005 1486295 0 foodiex2 1 1486363 Jook (or congee as it's know in some parts). With ginger, ground pork and scallions and a touch of sesame oil. Link: http://dcfoodblog.blogspot.com Thu Sep 29 12:24:11 -0700 2005 1486295 0 dcfoodblog 2 1486498 I agree- congee is really great when I'm feeling ill. Vietnamese soup (beef or chicken pho gha) is also wonderful. Thu Sep 29 21:08:29 -0700 2005 1486363 0 javagurl 3 1486563 Pho rocks as sick food. I love both pho and jook because they are perfect for an upset stomach. Link: http://dcfoodblog.blogspot.com Fri Sep 30 14:11:20 -0700 2005 1486498 0 dcfoodblog 1 1486367 Once I'm past the liquids-only stage, my first solid food is a frozen chicken pot pie - the small cheap ones that cost a quarter back when I was in college but over a buck these days. Always keep a couple in the freezer during cold season... Thu Sep 29 12:30:09 -0700 2005 1486295 0 James 1 1486391 Vanilla pud (made from a packet), poured over some savoiardi cookies, topped by three apricot halves from a - preferably homemade - compote. Need to train my partner to make me this, as I have a haaaarrible cold right now. Tons of tea w/milk. For bronchial colds & flu: Linden blossom tea with honey. Really helps. Thu Sep 29 13:31:24 -0700 2005 1486295 0 Sir Gawain 1 1486425 My husband makes me "puny soup" when I'm feeling puny: chicken soup with lots of onions, garlic, sliced ginger and noodles. Float a few paper thin slices of jalapeno on top and it'll fix you right up. Pho works wonders too. A good old egg salad sandwich like Mom would've served me is great comfort food. Thu Sep 29 15:53:30 -0700 2005 1486295 0 BeaN 1 1486432 A batch of homemade chiles rellenos is what I often crave, but since I'm the one who makes them and I'm usually not up to it at times like this, I make chile relleno omelets instead: one or two Ortega canned chiles for each, opened and dried and then heated with a slice of pepper jack cheese just until it melts. Then I make one-egg omelets, cooking until just barely set, rolled up with a pepper-cheese bundle inside of each one. Served with sour cream over the top and a drizzle of Pico Pica taco sauce. Or if I'm feeling REALLY hale I go out and find some menudo! Thu Sep 29 16:15:14 -0700 2005 1486295 0 Will Owen 1 1486439 I fall back on the things my mom gave me when I was sick as a child... hot water mixed with lots of lemon juice and honey. Lipton's pkged chicken soup with those short little skinny noodles and cheddar toasted cheese sandwiches. Now I go with the hot and sour soup crowd. What a great remedy. Tastes great and you can feel it working. Thu Sep 29 16:29:25 -0700 2005 1486295 0 oakjoan 1 1486489 Slippery elm food is a good bet. Reportedly tolerated by those so ill they can't keep anything down. Fresh carrot juice cures a lot of digestive troubles, so it's a really good fastbreaker. But for faster action Po Chai pills are like a miracle cure for gi tract issues. Thu Sep 29 19:59:25 -0700 2005 1486295 0 rexmo 1 1486492 Aunt Reba's toddy (the recipe came via my sis-in-law Reba): Into a qt. thermos of very hot water add: juice of 2 lemons and some zest if organically grown wild honey to taste large knob of fresh ginger root, minced generous pinch or two of cayenne 3 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced add a splash of whiskey or brandy if desired Let steep at least 10 minutes, then sip all day or evening I like this in the evening on a bitter cold night even when I'm not feeling poorly....it's delicious if you like spicey foods. It contains some good natural anti-bacterials and vitamin C, plus ginger to settle your stomach. Thu Sep 29 20:24:27 -0700 2005 1486295 0 toodie jane 2 1486679 Toodie Jane, we used to have this exact same elixir as kids for colds, flu's and general poorliness. Only difference is our solution was not in a thermos,(it was made in a pot) and didnt contain cayenne or whisky/brandy -Its. excellant and looks like Oakjoan also got some of this as a kid. Here are some more brilliant suggestions that had been provided in an earlier posting (quite some time back)on these boards: Pint of Guinness (preferably draught), followed by a glass of water to offset dehydration (for menstrual cramps) Prunes (as a laxative) Turmeric -preventative against alzheimer's diseased and against cancer. half a cup of plain natural yoghurt or cottage cheese with a couple of tablespoons of flax seed oil…..is supposed to purify the blood. Chocolate / Chocolate syrup -raises your blood sugar, which is depressed from the alcohol indulgence, and also triggers endorphin release to raise your mood. Cola nut Tea -Remedy for food poisoning, or bloated feeling. cranberry juice -Relieves pain caused by urinary tract infection Ginger capsules or ginger ale -Relief for motion sickness or nausea 1.tbsp. balsamic vinegar as a digestive for overeating Sat Oct 01 12:36:07 -0700 2005 1486492 0 Amin (London Foodie ''OrientRice@aol.com'') 3 1486758 Wellll...Reba spent 4 years in Scotland, maybe that's where she picked it up! I do know she said it was dreadfully cold up there at Aboyne (sp?) Castle. On another note, my English (London) mom and her sis used to fake menstrual cramps so Gram would send them to Chinatown for a jar of preserved ginger, their favorite sweet treat. (During the depression, treats were unheard of except at birthdays or the holidays.) BTW, mom's favorite comfort food is bloater paste, again, from her childhood. We used to use plain unsweetened yougurt and then boiled white rice when recovering from dysentary in Morocco. When we were kids, Mom used to scrape an apple with a spoon and feed it to use when we had "the trots." The only "solid food" she'd allow us to have. nice to hear your tidbits, I'll file them away! TJ Sun Oct 02 13:45:07 -0700 2005 1486679 0 toodie jane 4 1487440 ->->->We used to use plain unsweetened yougurt and then boiled white rice when recovering from dysentary in Morocco. When we were kids, Mom used to scrape an apple with a spoon and feed it to use when we had "the trots." The only "solid food" she'd allow us to have.<-<-<- unsweetened yoghurt with plain boiled white rice is excellent for the trots. Also black coffee with a squeeze of lemon without sugar or milk. Thu Oct 13 03:40:02 -0700 2005 1486758 0 Amin (London Foodie ''OrientRice@aol.com'') 1 1486505 Realized I forgot to list my own (besides the hot & sour soup). It depends on the type and phase of the illness, but some good old standbys are: Popsicles (banana or chocolate) - for sore throats/fever/nausea Popcorn - for upset stomach Kavli crackers - ditto Oatmeal with cinn. and raisins - for cold/flu Soft-boiled egg with toast soldiers - ditto And, of course, for all emotional yuckiness - icecream. :-) Thu Sep 29 22:49:27 -0700 2005 1486295 0 piccola 1 1486596 Lack of fiber makes things more difficult to digest not easier. Fri Sep 30 16:18:08 -0700 2005 1486295 0 fiber 2 1486648 actually, that's not true, since by definition fibre is what your body cannot digest. on the other hand, fibre makes it easier for food to, er, pass through your colon once the rest has been digested. thus the beige diet for invalids. Sat Oct 01 00:23:00 -0700 2005 1486596 0 piccola