I think I've decided to have both of my gum grafts done at the same time, so that I only have to endure one week of restrictive recovery, rather than two. But that means that I'll have a week with no chewing permitted at all, since I'm having one graft done on each side of my mouth. So I've been doing a lot of brainstorming about foods I like that I would still be able to have.

I've been offered the loan of a dishwasher-safe food processor large enough to puree a couple servings of something (refried beans, smoothies, etc.) in one go, instead of dirtying lots of dishes every time I prepare a meal. I've also been offered the loan of a hand blender for the smaller stuff, but this needs to be cleaned by hand & that might discourage me from using it, especially if I'm not feeling tip-top.

I also figure I can cook a few servings' worth of jook, dal, etc., at once & then refrigerate the leftovers for later meals.I can do some of this stuff in advance. I can even freeze some of it for defrosting later in the week, and there are a lot of foods I could get at Trader Joe's that would only need to be heated up. Again, I'm figuring that anything I can do to make things easier will help a lot.

JUNK FOOD
chocolate (let it melt in my mouth)
rice pudding, tapioca pudding, chocolate pudding, etc.
Jell-o
ice cream or frozen yogurt
ice cream sandwiches (let the "sandwich" part dissolve in my mouth before swallowing)
milkshakes
Slurpies/Slushies
custard/flan
pumpkin pie, cream pies, etc. (not the crust, obviously)
light, fluffy cake (let it dissolve in my mouth before swallowing, possibly soak in milk)
pancakes (lots of syrup, let them dissolve in my mouth before swallowing)
very mushy bread pudding (with whipped cream or ice cream)

NUTRIOUS FOOD
smoothies (can add lots of extra nutritious stuff: veggies, nut butter, yogurt, etc.)
applesauce
nutrition drinks
mashed banana (maybe with Nutella, nut butter, etc.) - could also heat up for variety
oatmeal
hummus (can be made with various additions and seasonings for variety)
nut butter (especially Nuttzo!)
really ripe avocado
guacamole
light, fluffy cornbread (let it dissolve in my mouth before swallowing)
chopped liver? (not sure if I like this - I've never tried it - but it might satisfy a meat craving if I have one)
plain jook
tomato soup, split pea soup, miso soup, egg drop soup, cold cucumber soup, and lots of different kinds of pureed soups
very mushy refried beans (maybe with cheese melted on top)
mashed potatoes (maybe with gravy and/or a side of smooth cranberry sauce)
soft scrambled eggs (maybe with melted cheese, seasonings like pesto, etc.)
soft polenta (maybe with melted cheese, non-lumpy tomato sauce, etc.)
mushy dal (lots of different flavors possible)
tons of Ethiopian dishes (lots of different flavors possible)
soufflé
cheesy grits
milk-soaked bread
baked, mashed sweet potato


Edited to Add: Note to self: Talk to periodontist about my chronic anxiety issues, as these may be an issue during the surgery (as they were during my second cataract surgery). This may influence what kind of anesthesia he gives me.