So...whats for dinner?

ok. Anyone remember where the salsa chicken is posted? LOL

So I'll re-copy it - Salsa Chicken courtesy of our founder Laurie:

2-4 chicken breasts in a pyrex dish. Dump a jar of your favorite salsa over them. Open a can of black beans - drain and dump those in too. Cover & bake at 350 for 1-1/2 hours. (it works like a fast slow cooker & makes a sauce of out the beans & salsa, the chicken just shreds apart)

Make some brown rice and 2 minutes before serving, uncover chicken & top with cheese (cheddar or mexican blend or whatever is handy).

Laurie's comments: "We eat it using the salsa mixture on the rice as a type of sauce and a spoonful of sour cream on the chicken. If you have leftovers, it makes for great wraps or enchiladas a few days later. What's great it is literally takes 2 minutes from fridge to oven and you get to say you made dinner."

Today is the day. The day I get the latest scan results. I am planning to carry a really big bag so that my "kitchen klatch" can come along to give me support. I have placed a few snacks in the bag so none of you will be hungry. Will have to get drinks onsite so that my bag doesn't get all drippy.

*susan*

Susan, I'm in!

Leftover Shake 'n Bake chicken and a veggie

Uh oh, think hubby might be changing the plan for dinner. But then again, who knows!

Well, here I am in a very cold and wet Boston, pondering this new reality. To refresh, my scan three months ago showed that my original mets which had been MIA for four years, were back with a few new ones, and that vague changes noted on the Left Rib, could be a fracture. The chest wall and pleura lining mets have grown and made babies. Well, as I suspected, it was no fracture in my rib either. That one has grown as well. And since that isn't enough good news for one day, my right rib [which I have been complaining about for 18 months] is also popping up little mets. There is also something on my liver. They called it a focal point, with no measurement. The recommendation is that I should have an MRI to evaluate since the PET doesn't do a great job imaging the liver. {SHIT SHIT SHIT!]

She is putting me on Xeloda, an oral chemo. Silly her, she suggested I take it with me on this trip, but I declined. After she adjusted to the fact that I was actually leaving, she agreed that starting a chemo in a country where I certainly do not speak the language, much less the medical language, was nuts and we can wait until my return. Instead, I had another set of Faslodex shots so that the cancer didn't get six weeks to get stronger.

I will have an MRI on the 26th, another oncologist meeting on the 28th, and start the new treatment as soon as I receive the drugs from the specialty pharmacy. I was not expecting regression, I am not surprised about the first rib met being for real, but am quite devastated that there is already another one on the other side and possible liver involvement.

We are taking the kids out to dinner tonight to tell them this news. However, I have decided not to share the possible liver stuff with either the kids or my mother. Don't see the value for them; or for me.

I did notice that all the snacks are gone, but that no one thought to clean up the crumbs. :-)

*susan*

susan - that is craptastic news, and it has to be disappointing and scary. I want you enjoy your trip to the fullest and try not to think about this. Then return andstart the Xeloda and hopefully kick this progression to the curb.

That just downright sucks.

Oh Susan, not much more to add to the comments already expressed about this lousy news. I'm also glad you stood your ground about enjoying your trip w/o the uncertainty of SEs from a new drug in another country. You've already planned so much, you do not need to plan (even if it were possible) for that! Go and enjoy and know that you'll have a gaggle of kitchen tablers vicariously loving every day of your trip.

Had dinner out tonight...we won a lottery we did not even know existed for people who got their parish pledge in on time. So we were taken to dinner locally, along with a delightful octogenarian, by our young minister and her adorable husband. It was a delightful evening, and the food was good. I shared a caesar salad with DH, then had duck breast with butternut squash and maple brussels sprouts. For dessert DH and I shared a creme brulee, which was very nice. We had a fun intergenerational conversation that was quite interesting.

As Susan mentioned, our weather, while, not life threatening as it is reported to be in the midwest, was so cold, wet and dreary today that I kept wanting to add more fleece layers (which I did) or get under blankets (which was not an option since I was teaching) to prevent shivering.

So, brutal day.....made worse by a call from my SIL to tell us that my brother has been diagnosed with a moderate to severe dementia. I was not shocked since I have spoken with him somewhat frequently of late since SIL has been ill, and I noticed his cognition to be "off" in a variety of ways. He is a year older than I and in excellent physical shape...just had a knee replacement so he could get back to his running regimen.....but I have wondered about his memory issues for a while. It was shocking to learn suddenly that he can no longer drive, ( he's a real car enthusiast who never minded his 2 hour commute to work in LA), and SIL feels she cannot leave him by himself in the house. He is a former marine and FBI guy who took pride in his overall strength and character, so it is heartbreaking to think of what this must be like for him...if he even understands what is happening. It seems to be progressing rapidly, which is so scary. She said she'll let us know more tomorrow, since she was taking him for more tests today. Please keep him in your thoughts.....thanks.

Hubby brought home McDonald's last night because we had a meeting for our neighborhood association

Joyce, we cross posted, (((Hugs))) for you too!

OMG - it seems all of yesterday needs a re-do (one of my kids called it a re-over when little) except for Lacey's good dinner! Lots of tough news to digest

Eric, so relieved for you that DDwas not injured....and that her dad is handy with cars!

Sending hugs out to all of you with similarly stressful news about family and friends. You are right Joyce with the fine china analogy. We need to appreciate good health when we still have it...in varying degrees.

DH and I are headed to the gym to work some of this out in our heads. No further word yet from SIL. I had not mentioned in my post that my mother spent her last ten years with dementia, so while it would be easy for me to attribute DB's brain dysfunction to his Vietnam experiences, I am way more concerned about genetics. This is connected to why I decided to end my adjuvant treatment after experiencing cognitive concerns while on it. Fortunately, I mostly returned to my former abilities after stopping it...but time will tell.

Susan, are you headed out on the big bird soon? Have a safe and wonderful trip!!

Mommyof2, I like the McDonald's chicken classic sandwich.  It has a nice bun and I order the chicken grilled.  If I'm out and starving at lunch time, I will order one of the teensy hamburgers with mayo, lettuce, pickle and tomato.  That will hold me for a couple of hours. 

Eric, thank goodness your daughter wasn't injured.  I'm sure thoughts of what could have been are very scary for you and Sharon.  What was the situation that led to the crash? 

Joyce, hugs for you as you await news about your friends' health concerns. 

Nance, the lamb curry was very good and the cucumber yogurt sauce was a perfect accompaniment.  The lamb wasn't strong.  Based on this one package, I think that ordering from the Indiana farm was a good gamble.  I recommend the Tyler Florence/Florence Tyler--LOL--recipe.  The one drawback for me is that these Indian curry dishes aren't pretty.  Quite a dark murky color from browning the spices.  But full of flavor.  I made a carrot side dish that went very well with the lamb.  Steamed the carrots, drained them, cooked them in a small amt. of butter and then added maybe a tablespoon of Splenda brown sugar blend. 

The plan for tonight's dinner is to make a pizza.  I'll use Mary Ann Esposito's recipe for whole wheat crust, but I think I will do half whole wheat and half all purpose.  I have some packets of the pizza crust yeast that she uses.  This afternoon I'll roast some cherry tomatoes to use as a topping.  Have some fresh mozzarella and some part-skim milk mozzarella.  It's a great melting cheese.   Italian sausage is a must for dh.  Olives are a must for me so will use some kalamata olives.  The side will be a salad.  I bought some good artisan lettuce yesterday. 

DH's mother was one of 6 girls and she was the only one to develop Alzheimer's.  Her mother had either dementia or Alzheimer's.  DH's father had a sharp mind up to the end and it seems that dh inherited the sharp mind genes.  His memory is good and his recall of pointless information is phenomenal.  He amazes me when we're watching Jeopardy.  My recall of information I know is hit and miss.  There are times I feel fuzzy-minded.