A very allergic guest

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Dec 06 2024, 2:11 pm

amother Linen wrote:

Did she actually say no fruits or vegetables? Because that's different from no fiber. Can she have a blended vegetable soup? Or poached fruit?

Yes she did.

tichellady

Fri, Dec 06 2024, 2:30 pm

Granita made with juice

amother

↑ OP

Fri, Dec 06 2024, 2:59 pm

tichellady wrote:

Granita made with juice

I want granita made with juice!!! But it don't think I can learn how to make it in less than an hour and a half, especially if it requires special equipment. On the other hand, we will.have her again for sure and I will definitely figure this put before next time.

PS
An aside: there are times on imamother when I feel like a very unimpressive cook. I literally have no idea how I would make granita, or store it for shabbos.

amother

↑ Linen

Fri, Dec 06 2024, 3:03 pm

Serve her the tea and tilapia. Anything else, she will likely refuse, and may feel bad about it. She has given you instructions. There is something wrong here, but you know that. There's not much to do.

You can throw some basic juice ice pops into the freezer that the kids and adults can have as an option for dessert. When the time comes, ask if she can have/wants; she will likely say no. But if she might say yes, you'll want to have the container the juice came in on hand so she can read it.

amother

Tangerine

Fri, Dec 06 2024, 3:30 pm

Reminds me of this girl

zaq

Fri, Dec 06 2024, 3:45 pm

I'll bet she's anorexic, in which case there's nothing you can do because the problem is mental, not physical. Don't bust your kishkes, serve her a nice tall glass of water and the tilapia and leave it at that.

max

Fri, Dec 06 2024, 4:01 pm

I know someone with severe allergies who doesn’t eat anything outside her home for that reason. Surprised she will eat the tilapia. She brings her own food or simply sips a beverage. Make her an elegant tea service with a pretty cup and saucer at her place and the tilapia on a plate and stop worrying about it.

Iymnok

Sat, Dec 07 2024, 12:02 pm

Granita is basically fruit juice that you put in the freezer and mix with a fork every hour until it's totally frozen. It ends up as refreshing shaved ice.
I'm sure that real Italian granita is a bit more than that.
You could probably freeze it solid then uce a strong metal spoon to scrape it to serve.

amother

Dill

Sat, Dec 07 2024, 1:47 pm

I have many allergies. And I am underweight.

As a kid, I had more allergies than this. Thankfully my allowed foods ahve expanded. Doctors think I have some kind of mast cell disorder (like MCAS, but a different one) - these can cause allergies to most foods.

However, I absolutely do not have an eating disorder (really, ask my therapist, who also thought I had one and then apologized to me later when she realized I actually didn't). I am shocked by how many of you jumped to say that she is probably anorexic or has an eating disorder. I have spent my whole life with people thinking I have an eating disorder or treating me like I do and it has been awful. Don't assume she has a problem unless you know it is there. You can't imagine the impact of this.

If she said she eats tilapia and tea, she can eat tilapia and tea. People like me with very restricted diets are thrilled to have someone just cook us something plain and simple and not have to do it ourselves for once. And we aren't usually uncomfortable watching other people eat other food, we are used to it - my whole life has been watching people eat food that I can't, but it isn't worth me feeling sick over it (or dying from anaphylactic shock), so I don't really care. Usually, my hosts are much more uncomfortable than I am, but honestly what makes me uncomfortable is that my hosts are uncomfortable. I'm going to eat whatever limited foods I can regardless of whether I'm eating at someone else's house or not, and I'd certainly rather have company than eat alone, and I definitely don't want to be pitied or speculated about how I'm feeling or assumed I have an eating disorder. Just treat her normally, enjoy your meal, let her enjoy hers, and spend some nice social time together.

sub

Sat, Dec 07 2024, 6:23 pm

amother Tangerine wrote:

Reminds me of this girl

Thank you for this very important information. It puts everything the op said into the correct perspective.

saltandvinegar

Sat, Dec 07 2024, 6:50 pm

OP how was Shabbat?

↑ strawberry cola

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 4:33 pm

Did it all work out, OP? Was she comfortable and happy?