@NoBoDe - yes, I am aware in how much pain you must have been in - it does get better: yesterday was the first day I had no more pain!!
soups: powdered soups contain a lot of salt and are basically a chemical concoction - just do what your Mum did, get a variety of vegs, including potatoes and put them in a pot and cook slowly - put some meat in as well - just cook it all for a long time, but slowly, so it doesn't burn and use 'my' timer. You can still put the powdered stuff in for extra flavour.
and look at the many herbs you've got growing in your garden, cook a few along as well - not too many though! Don't exaggerate!!!
Once you've got that pot going, you simply add fresh veggies every day and keep going that way - I have never done this but it was explained to me by a man I was 'going out' with for a time - he was Italian and he fed himself like this for weeks, only because he didn't want to cook 'proper'.
Get yourself one of those mats you can put on a gas stove under the pot, so it doesn't burn.
