Thursday, April 25, 2019
Beans and Rice a la Bruce
Ingredients:
3 or so cups of dried black beans
brown rice
grated cheddar cheese
frozen peas - he loves them
Pace Picante sauce
diced sweet onion
The night before you want to eat them, use uncooked black beans - not the canned stuff - about 3 cups.
Sort out any stones or other stuff in the beans. In the cooking pot, cover them with lost of water, mix them around, then drain the water. then add a bunch of clean water and soak overnight. This is important to get the lectins out.
The next day, cook in an instant pot (which is the best way to get rid of the lectins) or in a crock pot, or on the stove.
Mix up add all the ingredients in the bowl that Lisa made in high school
Eat while reading a science fiction novel.
Pie Crust
Rather than trying to gild the lily, i suggest this recipe. It's got lots of info on the whys and hows, and it is easier and better than so many recipes that I have tried.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/06/print/old-fashioned-flaky-pie-dough-recipe.html
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie, Billie Boy, Billie Boy?
Cherry Pie for Brucie
Adapted from: Serious Eats
1. Prepare crust: see the crust recipe blog post.
2. Prepare Filling
28 ounces pitted cherries (5 heaping cups; 790g), from about 2 pounds whole fruit (6 heaping cups; 910g) from our backyard tree.
3. Make a top crust appropriate for the occasion - his favorite is the squid with the blueberry eyes.
5. Chill for at least 30 minutes
Adapted from: Serious Eats
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/06/print/fresh-cherry-pie-filling-recipe.html and
1. Prepare crust: see the crust recipe blog post.
2. Prepare Filling
28 ounces pitted cherries (5 heaping cups; 790g), from about 2 pounds whole fruit (6 heaping cups; 910g) from our backyard tree.
1 ounce fresh lemon juice (2 tablespoons; 30g) from 1 small lemon
7 ounces sugar (1 cup; 195g) needs to be a 1:4 ratio with the cherries
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 ounces tapioca starch (1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon; 40g). It needs to mention cassava by name on the packaging - some sourced from Asia are made from other plants.
4. Egg Wash (optional):
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 ounce heavy cream (1 tablespoon; 15g)
1/8 teaspoon salt
5. Chill for at least 30 minutes
6. Place chilled pie inn center of oven, on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until crust is golden, about 1 hour, then put an empty baking sheet placed on the top-most rack of the oven to serve as a shield. Continue baking until filling is bubbling even in the very center of the pie, about 15 minutes more. The time can vary considerably depending on the thickness and type of pie plate, the amount of top crust, how long the pie was refrigerated, etc.
Broccoli Tofu Pie
Recipes
Mama's Broccoli Tofu Pie
ingredients:
pie crust - optional - I think is tastier and healthier without with a crust, but go with what you like
10 oz of frozen, or preferably, about 2 medium fresh broccoli crowns
+/- 1 smallish onion - I heartily vote for the onion
1 container of firm or extra firm tofu
6-7 eggs
salt
+/- a little nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper (if you have a grinder) or just regular if you don't
minced clove or 2 of garlic
spices are free form - whatever sounds good - i love a lot of Italian style spices
cheddar cheese, grated
romano or parmesean, freshly grated if you have a grater (blessed are the cheese graters)
paprika or edible red paint
- prepare crust and bake - need a recipe for this?
- drain tofu, then smoosh it with your hands (or use a utensil if you believe in the germ theory)
- dice and then steam broccoli to al dente
- if you use an onion, sauté until translucent
- break up the tofu
- add the eggs and beat a lot. (Or if no mixer, beat the living daylight out of it by hand) *note: in my latest iteration I have stopped using the mixer. I think it tastes and looks more appealing if it is not homogenized.
- add steamed broccoli and onion
- taste mixture and season to taste. (the mistake that i have made most commonly is having it be too bland)
- add more cheese than you think that you should add
- mix it up and put it in a fluted 10 inch ceramic dish that you got as a wedding gift - unless you are not married yet. ;-)
- put grated cheese on top- maybe a first layer of cheddar followed by a layer of the romono or parmesan
- make a happy face with the paprika. It will be harder for you because Chase wears glasses, but well worth the effort.
- bake 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. I forgot to turn the timer on the last time i made this. it was without a crust, and baked at least 60 minutes. Eli and Bruce said that it was the best broccoli tofu pie EVAR.
- Take out of oven. (I couldn't tolerate an unlucky # of steps)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
100 % survival at 2 years from diagnosis... as of May 18th
Hello, dear readers:
Thanks for your patience. It's been over a month since the last blog.
Today, a milestone has been reached - 2 years since the original cancer diagnosis, and almost 8 months since the liver metastasis diagnosis. And I still get to be here, able to hike (3+miles today) and bike and go to yoga and do nice things for B and the kids, and.... Happy dance!! Celebrate!! Delight!!
It would have been fine if God had already taken me home ("To be absent in the body is to be present in the Lord".) AND YET, I am totally grateful to have had these 2 years on earth. 2 years to "walk by faith, not by sight, " To ride my mountain bike and hike and do yoga, enjoy the amazing crazy beautiful spring flowers and birds here - well, at least hypomanic beautiful. I got to be here for my son E, for his senior year of high school and first year of college. Now I get to relate to him adult to adult, and just enjoy his sense of humor, his caring heart, his singing, his continuing growth as a human. And to get to visit daughter L in Berlin, meet her friends and housemates there, see her growth as she finishes her master's degree, to pray for her, to enjoy great Skype conversations - turns out we get to talk a lot more, now that I am not working 800 hours per week. And daughter A, well, getting to spend time with her by phone and in person, enjoying her kindness, her quick wit, her amazing loyalty and love, her persistence in going to college while also working a very stressful nursing job at a prison....
And being able to live up here in Portland with B, after a year apart due to his job transfer and my need to continue to have health insurance. I stopped taking for granted being able to have him next to me at night. Even little things like doing dishes and folding laundry are no longer chores but rather opportunities to be kind to him.
Not to mention getting to bask in the love and support of my extended family and friends and former patients. So many calls, letters, emails, gifts, kind thoughts, prayers! It is humbling to be on the receiving side of such grace and caring and concern.
The final scheduled chemo cycle is June 15-29. No word yet on what happens after that, treatment-wise.
Every way I have come up with to say thank you to you all just doesn't express the depth of gratefulness I feel for you.
Thanks for your patience. It's been over a month since the last blog.
Today, a milestone has been reached - 2 years since the original cancer diagnosis, and almost 8 months since the liver metastasis diagnosis. And I still get to be here, able to hike (3+miles today) and bike and go to yoga and do nice things for B and the kids, and.... Happy dance!! Celebrate!! Delight!!
It would have been fine if God had already taken me home ("To be absent in the body is to be present in the Lord".) AND YET, I am totally grateful to have had these 2 years on earth. 2 years to "walk by faith, not by sight, " To ride my mountain bike and hike and do yoga, enjoy the amazing crazy beautiful spring flowers and birds here - well, at least hypomanic beautiful. I got to be here for my son E, for his senior year of high school and first year of college. Now I get to relate to him adult to adult, and just enjoy his sense of humor, his caring heart, his singing, his continuing growth as a human. And to get to visit daughter L in Berlin, meet her friends and housemates there, see her growth as she finishes her master's degree, to pray for her, to enjoy great Skype conversations - turns out we get to talk a lot more, now that I am not working 800 hours per week. And daughter A, well, getting to spend time with her by phone and in person, enjoying her kindness, her quick wit, her amazing loyalty and love, her persistence in going to college while also working a very stressful nursing job at a prison....
And being able to live up here in Portland with B, after a year apart due to his job transfer and my need to continue to have health insurance. I stopped taking for granted being able to have him next to me at night. Even little things like doing dishes and folding laundry are no longer chores but rather opportunities to be kind to him.
Not to mention getting to bask in the love and support of my extended family and friends and former patients. So many calls, letters, emails, gifts, kind thoughts, prayers! It is humbling to be on the receiving side of such grace and caring and concern.
The final scheduled chemo cycle is June 15-29. No word yet on what happens after that, treatment-wise.
Every way I have come up with to say thank you to you all just doesn't express the depth of gratefulness I feel for you.
L's Birthday! I thought I posted this in April! sorry about the delay
Happy mid-April!
Deepest La Nina in known history, I have heard. So we are still having high temps in the low 50's, and a lot of blossoms are delayed. This morning, there was sunshine for maybe 2-3 hours. Making the best use of it, I lay on the floor in a sunbeam. B asked if I was ok - so I purred.
Week 3 of 2nd 12 week chemo cycle. Harder this time side effect-wise. Maybe that 40% of liver was metabolizing things better last time. But overall, so so much easier than so many people! My memory, especially verbal and visuospatial, are sinking back into the pit again. and oh, attention... I can tell by the scores on the weekly cognitive testing that I cannot work now.
The hardest part for me that I have not really been contributing to other people much. I had really felt that my Arizona practice was helpful to others. I love how so many people with psychiatric issues get better and have major improvement in their lives if we can just get them treated. But how much was for the patients, how much was for me to feel better about myself or looking good, and how much was really serving God by helping others? Even our best attempts at doing good are not purely motivated. Grateful that I do not have to earn God's love and grace. Astonished that He would love me, despite myself.
The weather is so big and so rapidly changing. today on a 3 mile walk, it was sunny and bright, then by the turnaround point we were in dark gray clouds, then hailed and rained upon for the last mile. Just as I got got dried off, it became, you guessed it, sunny again. But we have been spared of the horrible tornados in the southeast that were the result of the atypical Spring - I grieve for the people who have lost family, and homes, and health...
My middle child, L, turned 24 today - how is it possible for time to go so fast? I just got a postcard from the Cliffs of Despair (think Princess Bride) from when she was in Ireland and Wales and England this last week. Apparently she had so much fun that she has not slept in 2 days. Should be interesting when she gets back to the lab in Berlin tomorrow. I cannot describe how wonderful it is to have her be so happy and doing good work and loving life and being adventurous. Life as a mommie doesn't get much sweeter than that.
My older daughter, A, is in the trenches currently, so life is not so easy for her - working too many hours at a prison. She is somehow giving excellent care in a crazy setting, and keeping good boundaries in the land of "what's a boundary?" Oh, and her schedule with college is all goofy, due to a local AZ hospital chain that used to rhyme with Bavaritan having suddenly cancelled or changed clinical rotations for more than one mursing program in the valley. Everyone is unsure if they will be able to progress and graduate on time. And her program has been doubling up on weekly classes, just to add even more stress. But she perseveres. An amazing woman.
My son, E. Well, he is having a great time in Flagstaff. Lots of good friends. He has not been, uh, burdened with the internal drive to get good grades and all right now. But the man is 19. Better to figure out who one really than to do work that you hate. Plus, he is not having to support anybody but himself now. I do get to see him next week for a visit up to the great northwest. I am so psyched!
And my son-in-law's band stayed with us last weekend - had a tour that led them through Portland. I had not heard them in 6 months. They were really well recieved here, and they earned it. It is wild how their musicianship, both individually and as a group, continues to grow. Usually bands either don't stay together long enpough to gel, or they stop growing musically, or both. I am darn proud of those guys. And so glad that got rid of their first drummer (me).
grape hyacinth - intense!
Daffodils getting bored of a lecture.
Deepest La Nina in known history, I have heard. So we are still having high temps in the low 50's, and a lot of blossoms are delayed. This morning, there was sunshine for maybe 2-3 hours. Making the best use of it, I lay on the floor in a sunbeam. B asked if I was ok - so I purred.
Week 3 of 2nd 12 week chemo cycle. Harder this time side effect-wise. Maybe that 40% of liver was metabolizing things better last time. But overall, so so much easier than so many people! My memory, especially verbal and visuospatial, are sinking back into the pit again. and oh, attention... I can tell by the scores on the weekly cognitive testing that I cannot work now.
The hardest part for me that I have not really been contributing to other people much. I had really felt that my Arizona practice was helpful to others. I love how so many people with psychiatric issues get better and have major improvement in their lives if we can just get them treated. But how much was for the patients, how much was for me to feel better about myself or looking good, and how much was really serving God by helping others? Even our best attempts at doing good are not purely motivated. Grateful that I do not have to earn God's love and grace. Astonished that He would love me, despite myself.
The weather is so big and so rapidly changing. today on a 3 mile walk, it was sunny and bright, then by the turnaround point we were in dark gray clouds, then hailed and rained upon for the last mile. Just as I got got dried off, it became, you guessed it, sunny again. But we have been spared of the horrible tornados in the southeast that were the result of the atypical Spring - I grieve for the people who have lost family, and homes, and health...
My middle child, L, turned 24 today - how is it possible for time to go so fast? I just got a postcard from the Cliffs of Despair (think Princess Bride) from when she was in Ireland and Wales and England this last week. Apparently she had so much fun that she has not slept in 2 days. Should be interesting when she gets back to the lab in Berlin tomorrow. I cannot describe how wonderful it is to have her be so happy and doing good work and loving life and being adventurous. Life as a mommie doesn't get much sweeter than that.
My older daughter, A, is in the trenches currently, so life is not so easy for her - working too many hours at a prison. She is somehow giving excellent care in a crazy setting, and keeping good boundaries in the land of "what's a boundary?" Oh, and her schedule with college is all goofy, due to a local AZ hospital chain that used to rhyme with Bavaritan having suddenly cancelled or changed clinical rotations for more than one mursing program in the valley. Everyone is unsure if they will be able to progress and graduate on time. And her program has been doubling up on weekly classes, just to add even more stress. But she perseveres. An amazing woman.
My son, E. Well, he is having a great time in Flagstaff. Lots of good friends. He has not been, uh, burdened with the internal drive to get good grades and all right now. But the man is 19. Better to figure out who one really than to do work that you hate. Plus, he is not having to support anybody but himself now. I do get to see him next week for a visit up to the great northwest. I am so psyched!
And my son-in-law's band stayed with us last weekend - had a tour that led them through Portland. I had not heard them in 6 months. They were really well recieved here, and they earned it. It is wild how their musicianship, both individually and as a group, continues to grow. Usually bands either don't stay together long enpough to gel, or they stop growing musically, or both. I am darn proud of those guys. And so glad that got rid of their first drummer (me).
Monday, April 4, 2011
Springtime without sunshine?
It has beeen the cloudiest, rainiest, coolest March on record. But still beautiful. Flowers, flowering bushes, flowering trees - as a dear friend of mine said years ago in Connecticut - "it's rather garish." I LOVE IT!
And with late March came our 30th anniversary, and my 55th birthday - same day. At the wedding, my mom softly sang to me: "she turned 25 in prison doin' life without parole..." But God has given us over 30 years to bounce off each other, break off the sharp edges, learn to show grace, and to love each other B. is much better at this than me. I am so spoiled. What a wonderful gift!
Oh, and particularly given the medical stuff, making it to 55 years of age is now a cause to celebrate - and I don't mean just the senior discount at Denny's.
Life right now is this weird mix of wanting to live every minute fully, and wanting to take a nap - the chemo started again, and the neulasta, which repleshes white blood cells so I don't get horrible infections, is kicking me in the behind... and my stomach, and my muscles. Only lasted 1/2 of yoga class. But the CEA (carcinoembrionic antigen - a tumor marker) went way down. YES!
Taking two classes about the Chrisian faith currently - for college credit, so it forces me to take the classes more seriously. One on "the Great Commission" has been a special delight. The professor spent over 25 years in Nigeria, and still goes there often. He lived with the people there, sharing their joys and sorrows, farming with them, having long talks with them, often under a tree, learning to really love the people and understand their culture better than so many. I see the new wave of the past 30 years of church missions as being a real revolution, based on the "native" missionary movement. Learning and respecting people's cultures and lifestyles. Falling in love with people from very different lives. Letting them see God's love in action through one's one life. Letting all people hear, at least once, the gospel, so they can make their own decisions. And supporting new local Christians who choose to build a local, self-sustaining and self-propogating, culturally meaningful church.
Wow, I sound like a radical.
But I cannot help but want to share the good stuff that I have been given. And for me, being a Christian is the very best stuff.
Hope you like the pictures of the trip to the coast for our anniversary.
Gotta go - B just repaired and replaced the parts on the electronic drum set for me - let's see what the neighbors say now!
And with late March came our 30th anniversary, and my 55th birthday - same day. At the wedding, my mom softly sang to me: "she turned 25 in prison doin' life without parole..." But God has given us over 30 years to bounce off each other, break off the sharp edges, learn to show grace, and to love each other B. is much better at this than me. I am so spoiled. What a wonderful gift!
Oh, and particularly given the medical stuff, making it to 55 years of age is now a cause to celebrate - and I don't mean just the senior discount at Denny's.
Life right now is this weird mix of wanting to live every minute fully, and wanting to take a nap - the chemo started again, and the neulasta, which repleshes white blood cells so I don't get horrible infections, is kicking me in the behind... and my stomach, and my muscles. Only lasted 1/2 of yoga class. But the CEA (carcinoembrionic antigen - a tumor marker) went way down. YES!
Taking two classes about the Chrisian faith currently - for college credit, so it forces me to take the classes more seriously. One on "the Great Commission" has been a special delight. The professor spent over 25 years in Nigeria, and still goes there often. He lived with the people there, sharing their joys and sorrows, farming with them, having long talks with them, often under a tree, learning to really love the people and understand their culture better than so many. I see the new wave of the past 30 years of church missions as being a real revolution, based on the "native" missionary movement. Learning and respecting people's cultures and lifestyles. Falling in love with people from very different lives. Letting them see God's love in action through one's one life. Letting all people hear, at least once, the gospel, so they can make their own decisions. And supporting new local Christians who choose to build a local, self-sustaining and self-propogating, culturally meaningful church.
Wow, I sound like a radical.
But I cannot help but want to share the good stuff that I have been given. And for me, being a Christian is the very best stuff.
Hope you like the pictures of the trip to the coast for our anniversary.
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