I don't talk about it much, on here, but my mum passed away from complications resulting from end-stage kidney failure. It's a disease that took my grandmother's life, and may posslibly someday, take mine.

I won't go into all the details of kidney failure, other than to say that it's a difficult diseases, usually at some stage requiring patients to be hooked up to a dialysis machine--which pumps out the bad stuff from their bodies, recycles it through a machine, and pumps it back in again--several times a week, often for about 3 hours, spent keeping still in a reclining position. Afterwards, the patient may feel weak and listless. Patients also can lose bodily functions, have damage to internal organs and other complications, get sick to their stomachs and often lose their will to eat, because they have no appetite.

People with kidney disease also have a very restrictive diet. Besides avoiding salt--which is common with many diseases--kidney failure victims must also postassium and other things, as well.

Cooking for a kidney patient, I can tell you from long-term experience, is often difficult--not only does th patient's appetite change daily, but also his or her tastes and cravings. What a kidney patient may want on Saturday, may me an abbohorance to them, on Sunday.

Here are some recipes for holiday meals, that I pulled from the National Kidney Foundation's website. I support the National Kidney Foundation, who was so incredibly helpful to us, during mum's illness.

If you or someone you know, has kidney failure, I hope that you will also consider supporting the foundation--who does so much to help those patients in need, most especially patients with limited means.

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HEALTHY HOLIDAY MENU, SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION www.kidney.org

Roast Turkey with Fresh Sage
1 teaspoon canola oil
1-12 pound fresh turkey
½ yellow onion diced
1 bunch fresh sage (.75 oz)
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Remove giblets and turkey neck from the cavity. Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any pinfeathers from the skin. Sprinkle the cavity with poultry seasoning and place the diced onion and fresh sage in the cavity. Oil the bottom of the roasting pan and place the turkey inside. Bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours; the juices should run clear when you stick your fork between the drumstick and thigh bone. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and let rest 20 minutes before serving.

Analysis
3 oz serving of white meat without the skin , calories 134, total fat 2.8 g, saturated fat 0.9 g, monounsaturated fat 0.5 g, polyunsaturated fat 0.7 g, cholesterol 59 mg, calcium 16 mg, sodium 54 mg, phosphorus 186 mg, potassium 259 mg, total carbohydrates 0.0 g, dietary fiber 0.0 g, sugar 0.0 g, protein 25 g

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Poultry Gravy
½ teaspoon canola oil
1 ¼ cups (4 oz) ¾ inch diced onion
1 cups (4 oz) ¾ inch diced celery
1½ # chicken wings
4 cups water
¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
¼ cup Cornstarch
½ cup Water

In a heavy bottom pot, add vegetable oil, onions and celery and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add chicken wings, water, poultry seasoning and sage. Simmer for 1 ½ hours. Strain and save the liquid. Refrigerate over night. Remove from the refrigerator, scrape any solidified fat off the top and heat the liquid to a boil. Add white pepper and bouillon. Mix cornstarch and water into a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering liquid. It will thicken very quickly and keep stirring until you have reached your desired thickness. Remove from the heat and serve.

Analysis (subjective to the amount of fat in actual gravy)
8 - ½ cup servings , calories 113, total fat 6 g, saturated fat 1 g, monounsaturated fat 2 g, polyunsaturated fat 3 g, cholesterol 72 mg, calcium 26 mg, sodium 199 mg, phosphorus 138 mg, potassium 221 mg, total carbohydrates 6 g, dietary fiber 0.5 g, sugar 0.8 g, protein 5g

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Braised Red Cabbage
½ teaspoon canola oil
6 ½ cups (1 #) Red cabbage, washed, cored and shredded
½ (1/5 oz) Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 cup Cider vinegar
1/3 cup Splenda (sugar substitute)
White pepper to taste

In a non-stick fry pan; add oil, cabbage, diced apple and vinegar. Cover and cook over medium heat until cabbage is wilted. Add Splenda and white pepper to taste before serving.

Analysis
4 - 1 cup, servings per recipe, , calories 51, total fat 0.8 g, saturated fat 0.1 g, monounsaturated fat 0.4 g, polyunsaturated fat 0.3 g, cholesterol 0.0 mg, calcium 53.5 mg, sodium 31 mg, phosphorus 37.3 mg, potassium 309 mg, total carbohydrates 13.7 g, dietary fiber 2.3 g, sugar 6.1 g, protein 1.7 g

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I also pulled these from the Divita website, which is a website devoted to renal-friendly recipes:

SLOW COOKER TURKEY BREAST WITH CARROTS AND CRANBERRY GRAVY

Ingredients
18 ounces boneless, skinless turkey breast
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or powder
1 cup cranberry sauce
1/3 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cups carrot pieces

Preparation
Place turkey breast in slow cooker and sprinkle with poultry seasoning and bouillon granules.
Spoon cranberry sauce on top; add celery, onion and carrots.
Cover with lid, turn heat to high and slow cook for 4 hours.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 216
Protein: 18 g
Carbohydrate: 25 g
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 36 mg
Sodium: 183 mg
Potassium: 373 mg
Phosphorus: 187 mg
Calcium: 43 mg
Fiber: 2.4 g

ALMOST MASHED POTATOES (MASHED CAULIFLOWER)

6 cups cauliflower (1 medium head
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Cut cauliflower into pieces and rinse with water.
Place cauliflower pieces in a microwave safe dish, cover and cook on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft.
Drain off moisture from cooked cauliflower.
Carefully place hot cauliflower in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add cream cheese, garlic, and pepper. Blend to combine ingredients.
Remove from blender and serve hot.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 94
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrate: 6 g
Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 19 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Potassium: 198 mg
Phosphorus: 54 mg
Calcium: 22 mg
Fiber: 3.4 g

CARROT CASSEROLE

cups carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/4” rounds
12 Ritz® low-sodium crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
Place carrots in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and boil until soft enough to mash. Drain and reserve 1/3-cup liquid.
Mash carrots until they are smooth.
Stir in crushed crackers, onion, butter, salt, pepper and reserved liquid.
Place in a greased small casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 94
Protein: 2 g
Carbohydrate: 9 g
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 13 mg
Sodium: 174 mg
Potassium: 153 mg
Phosphorus: 47 mg
Calcium: 66 mg
Fiber: 1.8 g

RED WINE VINEGARETTE ASPARAGUS (posted here in honour of my mum, who adored asparagus)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette dressing
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Add asparagus pieces; stir to mix.
Add red wine vinaigrette dressing and pepper. Stir and heat an additional minute.
Remove from heat and serve.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 58
Protein: 2 g
Carbohydrate: 6 g
Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 70 mg
Potassium: 154 mg
Phosphorus: 51 mg
Calcium: 19 mg
Fiber: 1.9 g

EASY PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Ingredients one 9-inch Nabisco® ‘Nilla® wafer crumb pie crust
1 egg white
two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
8 tablespoons Cool Whip® frozen nondairy topping

Preparation
Preheat over to 375º F. Brush pie crust with egg white and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350º F.
Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with mixer at high speed until smooth.
Beat in egg substitute. Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and blend until smooth.
Pour pumpkin mixture into pie shell and bake 40 to 50 minutes until center is set. Cool pie, then refrigerate.
Cut into 8 slices. Serve each slice with 1 tablespoon Cool Whip®.

Nutrients per serving Calories: 365
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrate: 29 g
Fat: 25 g
Cholesterol: 58 mg
Sodium: 245 mg
Potassium: 126 mg
Phosphorus: 66 mg
Calcium: 11 mg
Fiber: .7 g

APPLE CRISP

Ingredients
5 cups of sliced apples
1 cup white sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons white all-purpose flour (divided use)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (divided use)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Spray a 9" x 9" pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Peel, core and slice apples.
Combine 1 cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Add sliced apples and toss to coat.
Pour apple mixture into prepared pan.
Mix oatmeal, remaining 1 cup white flour, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Cut butter and vegetable shortening into this mixture with a pastry blender or a fork.
Pour topping over apples.
Bake for 1 hour.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 308
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 54 g
Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 11 mg
Sodium: 45 mg
Potassium: 155 mg
Phosphorus: 56 mg
Calcium: 32 mg
Fiber: 2.0 g