My husband and daughter have been very patient for the past week. I could not eat, so I did not cook. Part of the reason was psychological - I had no interest in planning meals when I couldn't enjoy them. Part of the reason was physical - I didn't have the energy to be on my feet in the kitchen.

My family didn't starve. They ate out some. I fixed soup, salad, and other simple meals. Both my As like raw vegetables. Chopping carrots, cucumbers, celery, and broccoli sticks was easy for me and healthy for them. My daughter helped out a lot.

Breakfast, especially, became pretty boring and routine. One night I had a burst of energy and made peach muffins. My daughter walked through the kitchen, smelled them baking and said, "You made me muffins!" There was no mistaking the joy in her voice.

I stumbled across one meal preparation shortcut that will become part of my repertoire.

Yesterday I dramatically increased the complexity and variety of foods I was eating. I bought a salmon filet for dinner. I had a meeting that would keep me away from home right as I should have been cooking. I left the vegetables for my daughter to prepare. I put the salmon in a glass baking dish with a lid and left it in the oven on a timer.

The best salmon is when I smoke it in the back yard. This was a close second. Being covered, the salmon didn't seem to dry out the way it often does when I just bake it in the oven. It was very moist and tender. I didn't use any seasoning at all, yet it was very flavorful.