Mom's teeth are not great, so hard stuff like carrots are OUT. Still she eats best if she can pick up some of her food instead of using a spoon or fork.

There are "chicken stix" that sort of look like french fries and "jumbo popcorn shrimp " that have no tail or shell. she will pick up some of her fruit if you tell her it is alright, like hunks of watermelon or cantalope.

I would really love more ideas about "finger foods".

AND, I wouldn't mind a review or two if any one has ever tried the forks and spoons that have the padded handles .

Thanks. Mom is not overweight and can handle the fat if I use the right kinds. OR oven fry. I do a lot of that. We do fix deviled eggs some times, that does work.

This will get you, LOL, who remembers "finger bowls"? When I was young they would be on the table (small bowls of water with a slice of lemon or a sprig of mint) for each place IF you were using linen napkins and serving foods to be eaten with the fingers. I have had a hard time getting through to the rest of the team that when Mom has a finger food meal, she really likes to have a finger bowl. They think I am crazy. I don't think the youngest one has ever had dinner with a cloth napkin.

Op, I am gonna like that site, thanks for the link. Not just the croquette recipes but the whole thing. croquettes will be a nice addition to the meal plans.

It makes me think of a commentary in Gourmet from one of the editors. She confessed she ate everything she could with her hands, including salad if no one was looking. How much more approval could there be? :-)

(Croquettes of any kind would probably be nice. They freeze nicely for reheating in the oven, though they are a fried food and so might be too fatty for everyday.)

Holy Smokes! I went looking for an online recipe and found the croquette motherlode. I'm going to have to try some of these.
http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/...ry:Croquette_Recipes

Forgot to mention that I made them in one of those mini-muffin pans. Just sprayed some Pam in them, then lined them with dough and put whatever filling in them and baked it. Sometimes it was just browned hamburger meat with a little BBQ sauce added in.

EDIT: Had another inspiration while making lunch. What about deviled eggs? Fat a little high, but it's a good quality protein.

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Thanks TORP. Mini meat pies sound interesting. I can throw more benefiber in while I puree the meat. She eats a lot of fruit, but might need more protein. For a while, she refused any pasta, rice, or bread (except spoon bread), but since we started helping her clean her teeth, she will eat those things again.

She wouldn't tell me what was bothering her, but I finally figured out she would get some things between her teeth. Now we have those little sponges on a stick and I have special picks the dental hygienist gave me to do a good job. She is willing to eat more things again. Likes a grilled cheese sandwich quartered, no crust. (only when the bowels are moving well, we are stingy with cheese). Meat pies or quiches would not have been an option last year, but I think now that they are.

I love things that I can make in big batches and freeze. salmon patties and potato pancakes work really well.

My MIL eats better with finger foods as well. Her favorites are sandwiches cut into quarters. Most requested is pimento cheese, but you can put almost anything through a food mill (roast beef, ham, whatever) and make a meat spread.

When my kids were little, they enjoyed it when I made little mini meat pies and quiches. I used refrigerated croissant dough (the kind in the can) to make the crusts, then put whatever filling into it and baked it. The leftovers freeze really well and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.

EDIT: Well, actually her FAVORITE is deluxe nachos from Taco Bell. (Or anything else from Taco Bell. LOL)

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I am not the power tool addict because I hate the noise, but I still love the hardware stores, the bigger the better. Mom would sit in the bathroom and knock her head on the rack that puts shelves over the toilet (what the heck do you call them). I put a length of foam pipe insulation there. She still throws her head back and the whole thing hits the wall. Scares the heck outta folks but Mom's head is safe, the wall is another matter.

I use morter pans for litter boxes... bigger, cheaper, durable. Home Depot or True Value, I love it, wonder about and see all sorts of things to use for all sorts of things.

DANG BC! I never thought of that! Thanks for the imagination!

Thanks BG, the is looped handle is interesting and the removable foam grip.

I might just see what the smallest foam pipe insulation is and try that. LOL, off to Home Depot.

BTW, I saw a lot of stuff on that site you linked me to, that looks interesting. I hope others will take a look.

I think pretty much anything that is soft that you can cut up is fine for "finger foods" BC
I do alot of melons peaches mangos cheeses muffins veggies that are cooked al dente like zucchini (if she likes that kinda thing) fresh string beans not so much but the canned ones are easy on them.
ANd with adaptive silverware pastas like bow tie macaroni are easy for them to masticate
Im guessing shes having a little difficulty with her hands as well?
Theres a product that you can slip on the regular everyday utensils their foam rubber grips that are a lot less expensive, also there is adaptable silverware thats used for arthritic patients as well as quads etc. that you can slip her fingers into to grip *kinda like a looped handle
check out this site:
http://www.flaghouse.com/Foam-...ter-Handle-item-9166