Round Two

*DING DING*

Life is crazy sometimes.  One day you can be shopping for baby clothes, buying the last minute things you need before your little boys arrive, including some pretty sweet fox pants that they probably don't need, and the next day you can can the second worst phone call of your life.  I thought hearing the words, "Emily,  you have cancer" was bad enough the first round, but hearing the words, "Emily, the cells found are the same from the original breast cancer" by far surpasses the initial diagnosis. Recurrence.  Shit.  Apparently God must think I'm pretty tough because now I have to fight this again.

Rewind a few days ago I've been only able to sleep on my right side, it's the most comfortable being 35 weeks with twins and I woke up with a stiff neck, thinking I slept on it wrong, the area was a little swollen.  I had Chad feel around and nothing felt crazy, but me being the Li Fraumeni hypochondriac opted to contact my breast surgeon and get in.  She felt around and decided the "better safe then sorry" option and ordered an ultrasound, which led to a biopsy.

Like everything the anticipation was the worst part, the Radiologist was AMAZING with numbing up the area, and soon he was getting the samples he needed, followed by inserting a clip to mark the node.  The appointment wasn't very long, and I left with an ice pack and some steri-strips to keep things from bleeding too much.

That was Friday.

He said he'd call me today (Saturday) sometime with the results.  The first time around I got a call at 10:30AM with the shitty news, this time while I was nervous more time was passing, so I figured it was a good thing.  

Lesson learned.

I cried. Chad cried.  We called our moms and rounded up the family to come over.

I don't handle uncontrolled situations very well, and knowing that they can't really do anything until the boys make their arrival was scary, because we all know that the sooner it's taken care of the sooner I can move forward with my life.  I contacted my OB who moved up my c-section to this coming Wednesday.  So one good thing out of this is we get to meet our little monsters a few weeks earlier then we thought. 

From there I hope to have the lymph nodes removed, more than likely have a port put BACK in (damn), probably do a few rounds of chemo, rock a bald head for a while and do what I have to do, because besides having my family as my reason to fight, my sweet baby boys need their mom.

You know the crazy thing in all of this, they say dogs can sense cancer, labor and all sorts of things.  The hubs and I were under the impression that maybe they were predicting I was going to to into labor....I guess they maybe knew something else because this is how they have been the last week.  Every where I go, they go, they smother me, love me and won't leave me alone....I guess I know why now:

Please send lots of cancer kicking positive juju to myself because I do not intend on going anywhere anytime soon.  Besides, the boys need someone to embarrass the hell out of them when they are teenagers.

I'm going to have my moments, but like I always do I will pick myself up, dust myself off and do EVERYTHING I have to do.

Canning 101

This fall my mom and I did some canning.  Needless to say I'm addicted.

 

 

I even tried making my own salsa.....

My husbands only complaint is that the salsa is NOT spicy enough.  Game on.

 

Any recommendations on canning recipes??

Corn on the Cob Bar

I LOVE me some corn on the cob.  The hubby celebrated his 30th birthday last weekend and for that I wanted to have some for everyone to enjoy. 

I love different toppings, so for this bar we had a variety of cheeses, seasonings and infused butters.

Cilantro Lime Butter:

• 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes, zest and juice
• Sprinkle of salt

Combine all, mix thoroughly and let set up in the fridge overnight. (it can be made just before, but better the night before to let the flavors incorporate)

Old Bay + Hot Sauce Butter:

• 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of hot sauce
• Sprinkle of salt

Combine all, mix thoroughly and let set up in the fridge overnight. (it can be made just before, but better the night before to let the flavors incorporate)

Roasted Garlic and shredded Parmesan Butter:

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 3 small heads of garlic (or 2 medium sized heads of garlic) roasted
• 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
• Sprinkle of salt/pepper

Cut off the tops of the garlic, exposing the tops of all the cloves of garlic.  Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then wrap in tinfoil.  Put in a 350 degree over for approximately 45 minutes to one hour, or until the garlic is soft and roasted through.  Let rest and cool off some, then squeeze the garlic out and place in a bowl.

Combine all, mix thoroughly and let set up in the fridge overnight. (it can be made just before, but better the night before to let the flavors incorporate)

Other toppings used could be:

• Goat Cheese
• Shredded Parmesan
• Hot sauce
• Old bay seasoning
• Pepper
• Salt
• Regular unsalted butter
• Cayenne Pepper
• Red Pepper Flake
• Mayo
• Any other cheeses that you like

A few hours before the party bring the butters out and let them get to room temperature. It makes it easier to spread them on the corn.

For the corn, I boiled them all in a big canning pot and cut into thirds.  I found long wooden sticks and cut them in half, and inserted them into the middle of the corn.  In order to keep them warm I used chafing dishes and sternos.

Viola corn on the cob bar! 

Sriracha Muffin Tin Meatloaf

I love making ordinary dishes with a twist.  For lunches during the week, along with afternoon snacks, smaller portions of family meals make things SO much easier!

What you need:

• 2 lb lean ground beef (this mix will make a TON of them)
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 medium green pepper
• 1 medium red pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• salt/pepper (sprinkle)
• 1 tbs x 2 Red pepper flake
• 1 tbs x 2 Garlic Powder
• Parsley (fresh or dried)
• 1 tbs Curry (I know, not typical but it's amazing)
• 1/2 cup Sriracha Sauce
• 2 cups ketchup

The Meatloaf:

Take the ground beef, turkey, chopped onion, green pepper, red pepper, eggs, breadcrumbs, red pepper flake (1 tbs), garlic powder (1 tbs) and parsley and mix in a bowl until everything is incorporated.

Take a non-stick muffin pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Load them up, and don't be shy.



The Sauce:

Take the ketchup, sriracha, garlic powder (1 tbs), red pepper flake (1 tbs), curry and parsley and mix together in a bowl and set aside. Easy enough.

I then put them in the oven, 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I brought them out, put the sauce on top then put them back in the oven, 375 for about 15-ish minutes.

Add some mashed potatoes and roasted carrots and you have an super easy weeknight dinner!

Skinny Bow Tie Chicken Mushroom Spinach Alfredo

I love pasta...and I love Alfredo sauce, but I hate the calories.

My mom introduced me to the light Alfredo sauce and it is so creamy, so tasty and absolutely delicious.  I put together this dish and it has WAY less calories, doesn't taste like it does and is SO quick and easy to put together!

What you will need:

Bow tie pasta (1 box)
4 chicken breasts, cubed.
1 15oz jar of Classico Creamy Alfredo **Light**
Fresh spinach (three hand-fulls)
Sliced mushrooms (1 lb)
Shredded Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup + extra for topping)
Red pepper flake
Salt/pepper/oil/garlic powder

**What I LOVE about the Classico Creamy Alfredo sauce is that each serving is only 45 calories!!  I had to do a double take when I first saw this**

Cook the pasta per the instructions on the box.

While the pasta is cooking, heat up some oil in a pan and once hot, add the chicken.  Add garlic powder, red pepper flake, salt, pepper (any seasonings that you like to use on chicken would work) and saute till all the chicken is evenly cooked through. (5-10 minutes).  Once cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan add in a little more oil and toss in the mushrooms.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flake and saute until all/most of the moisture is cooked out of them, strain any extra water and put back in the pan.

Toss back in the chicken, add the strained bow tie pasta, spinach, and the Classico Creamy Alfredo sauce and toss until all combined.

Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the spinach is wilted, then toss in a handful of shredded Parmesan cheese, mix and you are ready to serve!

Enjoy!!

Corn Salad

I found this AMAZING corn salad recipe that has been an absolute hit. It is SO addicting and everyone that I know that has tried it cannot get enough of it, so I'm sharing it with you. I found the original recipe here, but have made some subtle changes, aka no measuring and different cheese. When I cook, I taste test until I have it how I like it!

What you need:

• 4 cans of sweet corn-drained
• 1 cob of grilled corn (corn taken off) (only if you feel the need for it-sometimes a little bit of grilled corn adds a ton of flavor, but without it, the dish won't be ruined - just add another can of corn)
• 2 medium jalapenos seeded and diced
• Bunch of cilantro chopped
• 1/2 cup of mayo
• Chili powder to taste.
• Goat cheese (the 1/2 containers)
• Juice of 1 lime (optional)

Add the corn to the pan once it is hot and cook for approximately 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, add in the diced jalapeno and cook until slightly soft (5-10 minutes).

 

When done, strain the water that accumulates from the pot and then add the corn/jalapeno to a bowl. 

Add in all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the goat cheese, mix thoroughly and toss in the fridge to cool.  When adding the chili powder, add in approximately 1 tablespoon at a time until it's how you like it.  If your like me and accidentally put in WAY too much chili powder like I did below and didn't realize it until it was mixed together, you can just rinse off the corn/mayo/chili mix and start over.

This dish is tasty warm but great cooled down.

Once completely cooled fold in the crumbled goat cheese and viola Mexican Corn Salad!!

 

 Enjoy!!

Taco Dip 101

Everyone has their own recipe for taco dip. It's a party favorite and whether you add beans, no beans, salsa, sour cream, onions, or whatever you think makes it great, what really makes a dip amazing is the base. The good stuff. Over the years I've perfected my taco dip and I'm sharing it with you!

This recipe is super simple but the trick is to make the base for the dip the day before so all of the ingredients can meld together.

What you need:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup salsa (which ever you prefer-Pace was on sale)
• Shredded cheese
• Shredded lettuce
• Diced tomatoes
• Sliced black olives 
• Two packages of cream cheese
• One large container of sour cream
• Taco seasoning
• Green onions
• 1 medium chopped onion

You can obviously lessen the calories but using low/no fat sour cream and lite cream cheese, but I don't make this that often and I find that the base gets really watery and loses a lot of flavor unless you go with the regular ingredients.

Let the cream cheese soften and take both packages and the container of sour cream at mix in a bowl. Once mixed add in about a 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of salsa and add in taco seasoning till you get the flavor you like (I probably add around a 1/4 cup.)

When it is all mixed up it should look similar to this, then cover it and toss it in the fridge overnight.  (It can be made last minute and still tastes amazing, but I prefer to let it sit overnight.)

The day of the party grab your biggest cookie sheet pan and spread out the entire mixture evenly.

Then layer everything else on.  In order I add, lettuce, cheese, black olives, tomatoes, onion, and green onion, but obviously it's all a preference.

Just be prepared for this to go fast and be a mandatory dish you'll have to bring to every party!!  This was practically licked clean!

Pan Fried Frog Legs

I know, I know.  You're probably thinking, "has the chemo made this girl go mad? FROG LEGS"....no I haven't gone mad, I grew up eating these and they are delicious!!

A few weeks ago while at the store I saw some frog legs.  I haven't had them in years so decided to give them a whirl!

What you need:

• 1 package of frog legs
• 1/2 of a yellow onion rough chopped
• Salt/pepper/favorite seasonings
• 1 tablespoon of diced garlic
• Butter
• Olive Oil

Start out by putting about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a pan.  Once melted add the onions and garlic and sprinkle with a little salt.  Let them sauté for approximately five minutes.  While the onions are cooking season up your frog legs with salt, pepper, and any combination of your favorite seasonings.  I find that garlic powder and a jerk seasoning work pretty well. 

Once that is done add them into the pan and cook for approximately 4 minutes on one side and 3 on the other (give or take).

I plated them and tossed the onions and any pan drippings on top for extra flavor, then sprinkled with a little parsley!

 They were delicious! The hubs loved them and kept going back for more!!  This is one dish that may sound a little weird, "hey family I'm making some frog legs for dinner", but trust me they are yummy!

One Pot Chili

It is definitely starting to get cooler at night.  What comes to my mind is comfy pants, a sweatshirt and a big warm blanket.  But there is something missing.... Chili.  When its cold out I instantly want a big bowl of chili! It is total comfort!

My recipe is so easy.  One pot, filled with tons of goodness and is perfect for those cold Wisconsin afternoons when you don't want to leave your house!

What you need:

• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 2 green peppers
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 can (6oz) tomato paste + 6oz of water
• 2lb lean ground beef
• 1 16oz can of petite diced tomatoes (basil/garlic/oregano)
• 1 16oz can of petite diced tomatoes (green pepper/onion)
• 2-16oz cans of whole kernel corn
• 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 30oz can dark red kidney beans
• 1-16oz can of chili beans
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• Chili powder/salt (to taste)
• Sour cream
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Macaroni noodles (if you like noodles with your chili)

I start out by rough chopping the two green peppers, the jalapeno pepper and the onion and sauteing them with butter and oil for about 10 minutes or until they are soft. 

I then add in the minced garlic and the lean ground beef and cook until the beef is browned.

Once the meat is browned, add in all the remaining ingredients (minus the sour cream and cheese) and let it simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If your impatient you can eat it once everything is warmed through, but the flavor intensifies and I think gets better the longer it cooks.

If you like noodles with your chili cook them up per the instructions on the box and add them layered in with the chili!

I top mine with shredded cheese and sour cream!   This one pot chili is delicious, not too spicy, but has just enough heat and is absolutely perfect for those "chili" Wisconsin afternoons!

My Mom's World Famous Chocolate Malts!

Since I was young my mom has always made THE best chocolate malts.  They were perfect, weren't too heavy, not too soupy...just perfect!!



What you need:

• 2 squirts of chocolate syrup
• 4 heaping tablespoons of original malt powder
• 1/4 gallons of Vanilla Bean ice cream
• Skim milk
• A blender
• Whipped cream
• Straws
• BIG mugs!
• Empty stomach

Take the malt powder and chocolate syrup and put it first into the blender, followed by the ice cream.  Once all of those ingredients are in there, pour the milk into the blender till it is amount 2 inches below the top (so the cover can fit on).  Blend until smooth!

***Remember when adding the malt powder, USE THE ORIGINAL KIND NOT THE CHOCOLATE MALT POWDER, only because the key to making these "chocolate malts" taste so delicious is not overdoing it with the chocolate! Sounds crazy but trust me!!



In the two mugs, take some Reddi Wip and put it in the bottom of the jar, then followed by the blended malts and then add more whipped cream on top!

These malts are a cure all. Literally!  They aren't heavy like some other malts where you need a Bobcat front end loader to scoop out the malt!  I love these malts and they are a comfort to me when I'm sad, happy or just hanging out with my mom after Chemo and I hope they can become your cure all and comfort!

Enjoy!

Penne & Clams in a Parsley Butter Lemon Sauce

This is a recipe that my mom makes ALL THE TIME and is perfect for dinner after a long day at the office or a nice weekend dinner with family!  It's quick, easy and really healthy!

What you will need:

• 3- 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams and juice from two of the cans
• 6 Cloves of garlic
• 2 bottles of spray butter
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice (add to taste)
• 1 1/2 boxes (16oz each) of Penne Pasta
• 1/4 cup of parsley
• 1/4 cup of chopped dried onion
• Salt/Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese
• Matcha Powder (optional) 1tbs

Start out by filling a big pot with water, generously salting the water and covering it to boil.  While you're waiting for it to boil mince 6 cloves of garlic.  Once the garlic's done, put it in a pan with 2 tablespoons of the spray butter and soften under medium heat (but do NOT burn). 

 Once softened, put in the remaining butter, parsley, lemon, pepper, clam juice and chopped onion and return to the heat.   I usually add the lemon to taste, most of the time I end up with around a 1/4 cup, but I start out adding a little at a time and tasting till it's what I like. 

** I wouldn't recommend using "real" butter for this, it tends to get greasy tasting and doesn't have the right consistency**

Bring the heat up to medium-medium high and bring to a soft boil then turn the heat to low until the pasta's done. 

**DO NOT PUT IN THE CHOPPED CLAMS YET-OTHERWISE THEY WILL GET OVERCOOKED AND RUBBERY**

At this time the water should be boiling so put in your penne pasta and boil until done (8-10 minutes usually). 

*** AT THIS TIME ADD THE CLAMS TO THE PARSLEY BUTTER MIXTURE TO LET WARM THROUGH***

 Strain the pasta and put it back into the pot it was boiling in.  Then add the sauce to the pasta and mix thoroughly.

Take however much you want out put it in a bowl and sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and ENJOY!!

The pasta tastes great right away, but EVEN BETTER the next day once the pasta soaks up some of the sauce!!