On, On

I woke up this morning and told myself that today I was going to find one thing to make me happy.

Just one thing that would make me smile.

Just one thing that would lift my shoulders up and make me walk ever so more lightly.

That's not too much is it?

I picked up my CSA share yesterday and could not believe how much beautiful, fresh food was packed into a bushel box. So much that there was a second box filled with tomatoes and peaches that could not fit in the original. Watermelon and Muskmelon, beets, romaine, leaf lettuce, yellow beans, green beans, nectarines, assorted peppers, cilantro, eggplants, to name a few items.

So today I am happy to have an abundance of fresh food in my house. I may even cook something.

Each of our three children spoke at their dad's (TBHITW) funeral. The three of them stood up and with their arms around each other, read a piece that paid tribute to this cherished man.

They all spoke of the love TBHITW and I shared and how we showed them what marriage should look like. They spoke of how happy we were. In addition,

The 20 year old spoke of shared races and their relationship evolving as he became a man himself.

The 18 year old spoke of the love and special relationship between her dad and herself, his only daughter.

The 16 year old reminded us all of how this content, joyful and peaceful man would have wanted us to live:

He read:

"You can shed tears that he is gone,

or you can smile because he has lived. 

You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back, 

or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him,

or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,

or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You an remember him only because he is gone,

or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close you mind,

be empty and turn your back.

Or you can do what he'd want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on."

TBHITW always called out to runners, "On, On." When ever we went to see him run a race when he ran by, we'd call out, "On, On". It was our whole family's rally cry.

So today, I am saying to myself, "On, On". 

Today I will find one thing to make me smile.

On, On

Lazy Days and Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Lazy Days.

Well, for some of us. The others have been very busy.

Construction projects of the IMPORTANT kind.
 (No Stimulus Money was used to build this sand castle)

Look at the attention to detail

Yes, that is a crab claw sticking out of the sand wall (ahem)

These sandwiches pack beautifully. So grill the vegetables the night before, assemble them in the morning and find yourself a sunny beach to enjoy lunch. 

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches: (makes 4 sandwiches)

One eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices (the long way, not rounds)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

sea salt

4 slices provolone cheese*

4 slices cheddar cheese*

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 cup mixed greens

4 Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats (100 calories and 5 grams of fiber!)

Marinate eggplant in balsamic vinegar for 5 minutes. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until soft. Sprinkle with sea salt, place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. 

To assemble sandwiches:

Place one piece of each type of cheese* on bottom slice of bread. Top with 1 slice eggplant, grated carrots and mixed greens. Drizzle a little more balsamic dressing on the greens and top with last slice of bread. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and pack in a cooler. 

Kowabunga! 

*use your favorite cheese, swiss, munster, asiago.. it's all good! 

My Father-In-Law and Salsa Chicken

My father-in-law is one of the nicest people I know. His heart is good and kind. He laughs alot. He loves his children and his grandchildren and treats his wife (my mother-in-law) like a princess.

He also raised The Best Husband In The World. 

In his own words he will tell you that he "always sees the glass as half full".

As much as I love to cook, I love for people to cook for me. No, really, I do. 

Does that surprise you? 

I know what I put into the food that I cook, so it stands to reason that I can appreciate how much love goes into what other people cook: 

The selection, the planning, the actual cooking, the plating and then finally, the half smile of satisfaction from the eater... or maybe even a little groan of delight... ah.. music to a cook's ears and food for our souls. 

On the day we went to the zoo, my father-in-law stayed home and planned this meal. He was sooo excited to cook for us. It made me happy and it was delicious to boot! 

My Father-In-Law's Salsa Chicken: (serves 4) - adapted from South Beach Diet - phase 2

8 cups shredded lettuce (he used Romaine)

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces chunky tomato salsa

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (or you can use Greek style yogurt)

Divide the lettuce among 4 plates, set aside.

Set up your breading station with two bowls. In one, place egg whites, beat slightly. In the other bowl combine the chili powder and cumin. Add the chicken to the spice mixture, turning to coat. Shake off excess and dip into egg whites, then coat again with spice mixture. 

Heat the oil in a wide nonstick fry pan over medium heat. When hot, add chicken and saute gently until no longer pink - about 4-5 minutes per side. 

Remove chicken breasts to top of lettuce. Pour the salsa in the pan and heat through. 

Top the chicken with the salsa and a dollop of sour cream. 

According to South Beach Diet (page 218) 266 calories per serving. 32 g. protein, 12 carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 457 mg sodium, 77 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber

According to me: Delicious and one of the nicest meals ever cooked for me. 

Nothing To Add...

This post is from my brother-in-law's blog, www.teamskelcy.wordpress.com.

I have nothing to add but tears for the pain this beautiful family is going through (and a great picture)

"Shane made it through the installment of his port with some discomfort and will start chemo on Wednesday morning 9:00a.m.  He actually smiled a few times and talked to  his sisters.  Grandma Waters and Grandpa and Grandma McVicar sat with a sleepy Shane for awhile.

  My house is divided tonight with me and the girls at home, and Dee and Shane at the hospital.  Not a good feeling for sure.  But even at these low points I feel connected with them.  My son will have his mother by his side tonight.  I can’t think of a more comforting feeling for Shane then that.  I miss them deeply.

  That unwelcomed stranger came out of the shadows today, breathing down my neck.   But knowing Dee is where she has to be and me home with the girls makes that stranger cringe.  Teamskelcy is together, even when we are apart.  We feel the team growing everyday.  The prayers, hugs, and smiles are bonding this cause together.  This might be hard, but togetherness will make it work. Tonight  two sweet angels sleep peacefully at home with their dad.  Another angel sleeps by his mother’s side feeling safe and loved.  But everyone is together in their dreams.  Sleep well tonight world.  The fight has just begun."

This is Shane and his sisters, Allyson (alley-cat) and Kaitlyn (katy-did) - the very handsome runner in the background is their dad, Mark #1556, in the dark blue shirt. He and Dee (and the kids) are quite the runners. Mark and Dee will be running in the NYC Marathon this fall. To see how you can help - go to their blog, www.teamskelcy.wordpress.com. The Best Husband In The World and I will have the pleasure and privilege of having everyone stay at our home for the big event! Go TeamSkelcy! 

Cancer Sucks and Shanewiches

"Cancer Sucks, But My Son Rocks" - those are words written by my brother-in-law (Shane's Dad) on his blog site, www.teamskelcy.wordpress.com

Forgive me if I use this blog over the coming weeks and months to talk about our nephew.

When cancer strikes a loved one, the whole family gets cancer together. As a family we have weathered this storm before. With my father and the best husband in the world's father (prostate cancer). TBHITW's mom, breast cancer. My mom, colon cancer. All are survivors and we give thanks everyday for that.

But when cancer strikes a 10 year old boy - all reason flies out the window. All perspective can get lost in the battle.

Shane's journey into the world of cancer started with an innocent fall on a school playground just a few weeks ago. A bruise to his left side, above his hip was the beginning. When the "bruise" got worse, a second visit to the pediatrician was warranted. It wasn't a bruise. In a few short days of MRI's and tests, Shane was undergoing surgery to remove a tennis ball size tumor from his left side. TBHITW went to Michigan, the family rallied around Mark and Dee, Shane's parents, his sisters (the twins) just Irish Twins away in age, Kaitlin and Allyson and of course, Shane.

The surgeon felt 99.9% sure he got it all. Praise be! The tumor was not attached to the bone and had not spread. It was a "contained" tumor. Shane went home from the hospital, TBHITW came home from Michigan and we rejoiced that an angel pushed Shane down on the playground - otherwise the tumor would not have been found for months.

Then the pathology reports started coming in....

Confusing, infuriating, terrifying. The cancer is rare. Pathologists were consulted at the University of Michigan, the University of Boston and Emory University in Atlanta. A team of 20 tumor specialists was assembled. What was this? What path of treatment was needed? The verdict that came back has tried the faith and hope of everyone in this family. A rare cancer - rarely seen in adults and only seen 5 times in children. They are even loathe to name it. Myxiod Sarcoma? The doctors say it doesn't need a name. The diagnosis is enough.

The tumor team and all the pathologists have decided that the course of treatment will commence with chemotherapy beginning June 1. A full summer of it.

To be followed by radiation.

To be followed by surgery to remove even the skin that was covering the tumor. 

To be followed by a skin graft. 

We feel helpless in the face of this enormous disease that has captured our family. 

Some of us will pray. Some of us will cry. Some of us will yell. Some of us will shake our fists at the cancer gods and some at their very own God. 

Some, like Mark and Dee, will run in the NYC Marathon this fall - raising money for cancer research and honoring their son's struggle. 

Me, I'll cry a little (I call them my private cries - maybe in the shower, maybe when I'm all by myself in the kitchen). I'll google Myxoid Sarcoma - maybe. But mostly I'll cook. I'll rename old recipes for Shane and invent some new ones. I'll find the foods that soothe a chemotherapy racked body. I'll visit in July and take over someone's kitchen like an invading army. That is my therapy. That is where I find solace. In front of a pot. Creating, tasting, inventing, feeding. Feeding the family and feeding my soul. And somewhere in all that stirring and mixing and basting and sauteing is a prayer for a cure. 

ShaneWiches - formerly known as Whoopie Pies. (I can rename it because I changed the recipe somewhat in order to use whole wheat pastry flour and brown sugar instead of the traditional all white flour and sugar - feel free to change it back! I also feel free to rename it because if ten year olds can get cancer, they can have a cookie/cake named after them)

Cookies (Cakes):

1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c all purpose flour
2/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to one cup milk, let stand for 5 minutes)
Crystal sugar (optional)

Filling:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 c confectioners sugar
1 jar (7 1/2 oz) marshmallow cream
2 tsp vanilla

1.  Heat oven to 350
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.  Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda.
In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 min.  Add egg
and vanilla and beat to combine.  Alternately add flour mixture and
buttermilk beginning and ending with flour.  Mix until smooth.

2.  Drop 1-inch mounds of batter 2 inches apart onto baking sheets.
Sprinkle half of the mounds with crystal sugar (optional).  Bake until tops are puffed
and cookies spring back when touched, 15 min.
Transfer to rack and cool completely.

3.  To make filling:  Beat together butter, confect. sugar, marshmallow
cream, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 min.  Spread a rounded tablespoon of
filling on flat side of half of the cookies.  Top with other.

Make these for all the people you love in this world - just because you CAN.