Someday I will stay up-to-date on my blog. Maybe someday starts today...maybe. Since I skipped out on all of last month, here's how we Klises spent a jolly July:
The Glorious 4th!
We enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July while eating strawberry shortcake and watching fireworks from the "Stadium of Fire" out on our front steps.
Heart Attack!
Robyn and Shane surprised me with a heart-attacked door to help get me through the last few days of my radiation.
Last day of Treatment!!!!!!
On my last day of treatment, the radiation technicians gave me a "Certificate of Completion" and some sparkling cider. Jeffrey and I went out to celebrate at the Cheesecake Factory. The next day, Robyn and Shane came over for a party and we reveled in funfetti cupcakes and sparklers.
Spa Day with the Girls!
We'd been wanting to do this for awhile, and it was well worth the wait! Rach, Bre, and I had such a girly time eating mini sandwiches and strawberry tartlets, painting our nails and tow nails, all while sipping cucumber lime coolers. I sent them home with little goodie bags that had facial masks, a new bottle of nail polish, and a cute file.
Today marks the day that I am officially half way done with radiation....only two more weeks (nine more treatments) to go. Then I will show you all what it was like.
But for now, we're celebrating! And Jeff, my brother Shane, and his fiance (fancy as they like to say) Robyn and I are going out to Pizza Hut and getting DQ Blizzards-just like children would. It was a toss up between Pizza Hut and Chuckie Cheese, but Pizza Hut won out due to less sanitation hazards.
You can celebrate too by making this delish salsa. These days I only have like 4 good dinners or recipes in me per week, so here's one you can treasure for the next little bit while I try to catch up to my usual self.
And it is a treasure, if I may say so myself.
Mango Salsa
This is lovely on top of fish or with grilled shrimp, but also quite delicious with tortilla chips. Oh and we also ate it with pulled beef tacos and, well, that was scrumptious too. The jicama gives the salsa a satisfying crunch and adds texture, but you could use a seedless English cucumber instead.
Ingredients:
2 mangoes, peeled and seed removed
½ small pineapple, skin removed and cored
½ small jicama, peeled
2 roma tomatoes
2 green onions
1 large orange
1 small jalapeno
1 avocado
¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ lime
Dice the mangoes, pineapple, jicama, and finely dice the green onions and put in medium bowl.
Cut roma tomatoes in half, remove the seeds and juicy stuff, then finely dice those as well and add them to the bowl.
Remove the peel and pith of the orange by cutting it away with a knife (cut off the top and bottom of the orange, then, starting at the top and working towards the bottom, cut away slices of the peel making sure to remove all white stuff (the pith)). Section out the orange, cut each section in half and put in bowl.Squeeze the section-less orange for about 1-2 Tbsp of juice.
Next, seed the jalapeno, and if you’re a wimp like me, remove the membrane as well. Very finely dice the jalapeno and depending on how much heat you like, use one half to the whole thing (I only used half).
Add the cilantro the bowl.
In a small bowl, mash the avocado and season it with ¼ tsp garlic salt, then add to the salsa and mix all of the ingredients until well distributed.
Jefferson and I live really close to a most beautiful park, complete with a giant swing set, two water fountains, and a little fish pond. Last Saturday after a sushi date (have I ever mentioned that we LOVE sushi?) we decided to continue on with the fish theme and try our luck at the fish pond.
Jeffrey, of course, caught the first fish. I waited patiently. And patience pays off.Then Jeff jeff caught another two...one of which was HUGE (for a sunfish anyway). Then I caught the last fish of the night after Jeffrey finally taught me how to set a hook, because apparently these fish creatures don't just hook themselves.
Things that DO NOT mix: -Oil and water. -Drinking and driving. -Jake Gyllenhaal and "The Prince of Persia". -Cancer patients and sunlight
{after my last chemo treatment, after having been in the sun for no longer than 7 minutes}
Things that MIX WELL: -Chocolate and peanut butter -Chocolate and more chocolate -Good music and roadtrips -Jeffrey and Rachel -Delicious food for your anniversary
{the celebration begins, Friday's dinner of steamed lobster, seared scallops with garlic, olive oil, and whole wheat pasta, and roasted asparagus...yum...}
On Saturday we went to this really fun sushi restaurant called "Ahh! Sushi" where Jeffrey discovered he loves endamame, and my love for the Philadelphia roll was solidified. Sunday, our actual anniversary day, we dined on aged new york strip steaks, expertly grilled by the grill master, Jeff, along with grilled curry shrimp and roasted potatoes. Cupcakes, outlet shopping, along with lots of relaxation and such, rounded out a fabulous weekend.
My neighbor is growing a gorgeous garden in a little quadrant of dirt between our apartment buildings. It's looking so good now, with tiny, spring-green sprouts starting to peek through the soil and tulips in bloom. She's a good gardener. But I, I am content for now to observe and save minuscule plants from my death-administering hand. Maybe when I grow up I'll give gardening a go, but for now I'm sticking to farm stands and a planter full of my favorite herbs (starting small is the idea here).
{the cast of herbs}
{planning, before planting} this is a tomato plant...not an herb but especially delicious as well
{planting, after planning} side note: it's best to either remove the plant fromthe jiffy pot prior to planting, or to tear away a significant amount of it. If leaving the pot on, also be sure to either poke a lot of holes in the bottom or completely remove it so the roots have growing space.
{the result of planning and planting}
Being relatively inexpensive-my plants were around 3 dollars each-a planter of fresh herbs is a great way to get creative. There are numerous herbs to choose from, so you can mix and match what you like and even throw in a few flowers for color. There are also many alternatives to a planter. You could make your own from scrap wood, paint a terra cotta pot, use a thrifted or an antique teapot, or even grow all the herbs separately in their own mason jars or large mismatched mugs.
The planter isn't the only way to get creative, though. Think of all the yumminess you can create with the fresh herbs! Rosemary roasted potatoes, tomato sauce with fresh parsley and basil, roast chicken with tarragon, thyme and rosemary, homemade pickles, caprese salad, oh the list goes on! I love fresh herbs!! And freshness is sooo in season right now :)
What do you get when you combine giant, ripe strawberries
{strawberries, large ones}
with luscious dark chocolate?....
{super delicious dark chocolate chips}
A whole lot of yum!
{yumminess}
However, when you happen to accidentally drop yummy dark chocolate chips on very nasty gross carpet, nothing yummy happens. You just lose the chocolate chips in the splotchy sea of brown.
I'm sorry to show you, but here is my notoriously known carpet. Let's play a game. Can you spot the chocolate chip?
It's snowing.... and sunny. That's what happens when you think Spring is here.
In honor of the weather's schizophrenia, I'm eating chocolate and if you'd like to join me, I suggest you make Chocolate Buttermilk Cake. Why? Because it's easy, delicious, and chocolate. Take that weather.
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake from Lion House Lite Recipes
1 2/3 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup nonfat buttermilk 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 375° F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in center of mixture. Blend buttermilk, water, oil, and vanilla. Pour into well in dry ingredients, stirring until smooth. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan.
Isn't it lovely?! I know, officially, the first day of spring was about a month ago, but it was snowing then and trees were showing no signs of flowering or even life.
Now, the trees are heavily laden and practically bursting in blazes of blossoms and I couldn't be more glad to see it. I brought some branches into my house-I just couldn't resist.
Maybe you'll agree with me though that this year is going by fast. Very fast. April is already almost over and I haven't even made pretzels!! Yeah, pretzels!! Wouldn't ya know April is not only American Cancer Society Month and National STDs Education and Awareness month, it's also National Soft Pretzel Month. You could take a baking break and twist up some homemade soft pretzels using either this recipe, or this one, or take the less involved route and pick up a ready-to-heat-and-eat box of Super Pretzels!
{photo credit: google}
Any way you go, just try to get it in before April ends. It will be more fun that way. I'll bet they'll taste better too...
This past Wednesday was my 6th chemo treatment, which means....I only have two more left! Thank goodness too because it's getting to be pretty tough. The quick update: 1. I'm on new nausea medication since I finally started to feel like a cancer patient and couldn't eat or move after my 5th treatment. So far this medicine seems to work :) 2. I STILL have hair! Cross your fingers for me....I have nightmares that it's going to fall out after my last chemo treatment or something. 3. The best news of all...since my cancer has stopped, yes STOPPED growing and the tumors are starting to shrink I have approximately 2 1/2 months left until I can be a normal person all over again.
Other things that are looking up... My cousin Rhett is organizing a 5k run and 1 mile walk for his Eagle Scout Project. The proceeds are going to go towards payment for all this nasty cancer treatment I've been getting. Check out the blog and sign up if you're feeling up for it. If you're not in Utah, my Mama is organizing a little something in Ohio. If you're interested, contact her or leave me a comment.
