Seahawks Sunday, September 14, 2014

Posted on September 14, 2014 by milerstimeblog

The Seattle Seahawks are playing the San Diego Chargers today and we are going to a tailgate party at the Wamsley’s house. What to make, what to make? I looked at some of my recipes and those on Pinterest and elsewhere. Finally decided to make Taco Cupcakes again. They are fairly substantial and always well liked.

Taco Cupcakes
1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey/chicken)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp New Mexico Chile Powder, or Ancho, or just plain Chili if that is what you have
1/2 Medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Jalapeno, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper
1 pkg Won Ton/Dumpling Wrappers
1 can Refried beans
1 – 2 cups Shredded Mexican Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa

Start with a pound of lean ground beef. Many recipes you see tell you to use a package of taco seasoning. May be easy, but not as good as making your own. I brown the meat and add ground cumin and New Mexico Chile powder while it is browning to bring out the flavors of both. Then I add about a half an onion, finely chopped, along with finely chopped garlic and jalapeno. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the meat is thoroughly cooked.

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Next, take a muffin tin, spray it well with cooking spray, and push a won ton/dumpling wrapper into the bottom of each hole (I use a 12 muffin tin.) Take about a tablespoon of refried beans and spread on top of the wrapper then top with about a tablespoon of shredded cheese. Top with another wrapper, pushing firmly into the beans and cheese.

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Divide the beef mixture among the 12 ‘cupcakes’ and top with more cheese.

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Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until well browned. I usually have sour cream and salsa to top them with.

I was supposed to post a picture of the cooked taco, but with the Seahawks losing and so much going on getting the food ready at halftime, I forgot! Plus, they were all gone so quickly that I would have had to fight them back to get a photo. So, that should tell you how good they were!

Seahawks lost. That gets that out the the way for the rest of the season, so we should be 15-1 by season end, right?

Darrel Update
He went for a long walk in the morning yesterday and came back and had a lot of time on the couch dozing. Not sure why it took so much out of him since he hasn’t had chemo. But, he did go fishing Thursday and Friday mornings, so maybe that caught up with him.

Yesterday he got some hemp/hash oil which is said to help with both pain and supposedly ‘cure’ cancer and other diseases. Not sure how much I believe that but I am sure smoking pot has helped him with his pain and, earlier, chemo induced nausea, so why not? I don’t think anything is going to hurt or cause it to be worse at this point.

Hopefully, tomorrow we will get questions answered as to the treatments and be able to get moving.

Thanks, as always, for all your well wishes and prayers.

Posted in Cooking, Darrel Updates | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Investigational Studies, September 12, 2014

Posted on September 12, 2014 by milerstimeblog

We went to Virginia Mason today at about 3:00 so Darrel could get blood drawn before the appointment with Dr. Picozzi. Then, we sat and sat until about 4:15. The medical assistant took Darrel’s vitals, then Dr. Picozzi came into the exam room.

He was very personable. Asked questions about our family, what Darrel’s hobbies were and a few other things.

He then went into his background, a bit, and his interest and focus on pancreatic cancer. He told us that Virginia Mason and the studies going on were the best in the Western Hemisphere. He has the largest practice in pancreatic cancer in the nation. It still amazes me that we got in to see him within a couple of days.

He is a very optimistic person, and when he asked Darrel why we were there, Darrel said, to see if there was anything that could be done for him. Dr. Picozzi said, yes.

He focuses on quality and quantity of life. Sounds good to me!

The options laid out were:
1. supportive care – no treatment and take care of symptoms.
2. A new chemotherapy regimen – some of the same drugs Darrel has had but in a mixed up way of treatment.
3. Investigational studies. There are 2 available that Darrel qualifies for.

The first is an open study with 3 ‘Arms.’ It involves ‘vaccines.’ This open study means that the patient and doctor knows which ‘arm’ they are in. Everyone who enrolls is ‘randomly’ selected for which Arm they are entered into.
Arm A – the patient gets GVAX pancreas vaccine and CRS-207. GVAX is a vaccine made from other patient’s pancreatic cancer cells. CRS-207 is a weakened form of the Listeria bacteria. It all sounds strange and scary, but has been shown to work. This study gets treatments every 3 weeks
Arm B – those selected get just CRS–207 every 3 weeks.
Arm C – Involves the doctor’s choice of one chemotherapy drug out of 5.
My question regarding this study is that if Darrel is ‘randomly’ selected for the Arm C, it means he will get one of the same chemos he has had that have not proven effective for him.

No matter which study he gets into, he is free to stop at any time. So, another question I have is that if he gets into the Arm C, can he stop immediately and start another study and/or regimen.

The next study involves a new drug combined with gemcitabine as compared to a placebo and gemcitabine. This study is a ‘double blind’ study which means neither the doctor or patient knows what they are getting. So, he could get a placebo and gemcitabine for 7 weeks, or the new drug. I am hesitant to have him be without any kind of treatment for more that 8 weeks if he is chosen for a placebo.

We are leaning towards the GVAX vaccine study but have questions out to the doctors.

At least he is eligible and could benefit from the studies. We will know more next week. It could take several weeks before anything gets going, though.

We do know that a requirement for any study is a biopsy of his cancer which involves stopping his blood thinner for a day or so.

More to come once we make some decisions, but there is hope that new treatments can extend life for a while.

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Darrel Update, September 9, 2014

Posted on September 9, 2014 by milerstimeblog

We had a message from Dr. Feldman this morning. He had talked to Dr. Vincent Picozzi at Virginia Mason here in Seattle. Dr. Picozzi has been investigating immune therapies for pancreas cancer. Dr. Feldman did caution that all investigational studies are unproven. But that is how they come up with cures, so even if it doesn’t cure the current patient, it might help find a cure in the future.

Dr. Feldman told us to contact Dr. Picozzi’s office for an appointment and that he had put through the referral. I immediately called and left a message. The nurse navigator for pancreatic cancer at Virginia Mason called back a couple of hours later. We have an appointment on Thursday afternoon! I was amazed at how quickly we were able to get in.

There is no guarantee that Darrel will qualify for a study, but we can hope. I imagine it will depend on several things, like how far progressed his cancer is and where they are in their studies. I am hoping his good health so far will help.

I will post again after we have the appointment.

Posted in Darrel Updates | Tagged | 3 Comments

Shrimp-stuffed Ancho Chiles, September 7, 2014

Posted on September 9, 2014 by milerstimeblog

The garden continues and so am I – cooking and canning using the produce. Monday I canned green beans with bacon, onion, and garlic. The first ones I have canned this year since I have frozen many packages. Thursday I made 14 pints of salsa using some of the Roma tomatoes, jalapenos, and onions from the garden. Yesterday, I canned zesty, dill squash relish and got 12 pints. There is still a ton of tomatoes so I will be busy with them this next week.

Today I am having my parents and good friends, Vanessa and Gary, over for dinner. I wanted to fix something that would use up more of the produce. So I picked a lot of our Ancho (also known as Poblano) chiles, pulled out of the freezer some of the shrimp that we caught in May, and oven roasted Roma tomatoes to use in the stuffed chiles (Chiles Rellenos con Camarones.)

Usually, Chiles Rellenos call for blistering and peeling the chiles. That takes a lot of time and is a lot of work, so I just cut a T in the chile and cut out the seeds and veins.

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I made a sauce using the oven roasted tomatoes. I cut the tomatoes in half and put them on a sheet pan and broiled until the skins blistered and blackened a bit. Once they cooled a bit, it is simple to pull off the skins.

I put the tomatoes, along with a jar of roasted red peppers, a clove of garlic, a jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon, cumin, and a teaspoon of salt into the food processor and pureed into a sauce.

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Next I sautéed onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin for a few minutes in a large skillet, then I tossed the onion mixture with cream cheese and Mexican cheese in a large bowl. Once the cream cheese and onion mixture was incorporated, I put the shrimp into the mix. I then tossed it all together with my hands. After spraying Pam into a 9×13 pan, I poured some of the pepper/tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan.

Next, I stuffed the peppers with the shrimp mixture, using rubber gloves so I wouldn’t get chile burn. Then I placed the stuffed peppers into the pan.

Oven was set at 350 degrees. I cooked the chiles in the pans (I made enough for 2 pans full) for about an hour.

Next, after heating the rest of the pepper/tomato sauce in the microwave, I poured some into the bottom of each individual dish, placed one stuffed chile onto the sauce, a tablespoon of the feta/sour cream mixture, a couple slices of avocado, and a sprig of cilantro. Wa, la! Dinner is served!

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Chile Rellenos con Camarones

6 Ancho or Poblano Chiles
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
8 oz Shredded Mexican cheese or Jack

Sauce
1 jar of roasted red peppers (or you can roast your own)
1 can diced tomatoes (or about 10 fresh Romas, roasted in oven, see above)
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Topping (optional)
4 oz Feta or queso fresca, crumbled
8 oz Light sour cream
Juice from 1 lime

To prepare Chiles:

Cut a vertical cut in the middle of a chile, then a horizontal one just below the stem. Open the chile carefully and slice out the veins and seed sack just below the stem. Remove seeds and veins.

Sauté onions, garlic, cumin, and jalapeño in olive oil until soft. Put into large bowl on top of cream cheese. Mix together until combined. Add shredded cheese and shrimp. Mix well. Stuff chiles with mixture.

Pour some of the sauce in the bottom of an oven-proof pan and place chiles on top. Cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the chiles are soft and the stuffing is bubbling. Pour a little sauce on bottom of plate and place a chile on top. Add a little cream mixture and top with cilantro. I also added a little avocado.

Posted in Cooking | 2 Comments

CT Scan and Doctor Visit, September 4, 2014

Posted on September 4, 2014 by milerstimeblog

Darrel had a CT scan yesterday and doctor appointment today. The cancer continues to grow despite the chemo. The doctor did not feel continuing with the treatment or going back to a previous one would do any good. He feels like it would be better for Darrel to feel good with the time he has rather than continuing chemo that isn’t really working and is making him weaker.

His blood tests are all pretty good and his liver function is still doing well, considering the liver is the most affected. It is also in his lungs but not a lot yet.

Dr. Feldman is going to email another doctor who is doing a lot of research on pancreatic cancer to see if there is an alternative treatment here in Seattle or elsewhere in the US. We will have a phone visit with him next week to see what he comes up with.

And so it goes…

Posted in Darrel Updates | Tagged | 2 Comments

Darrel Update, September 2, 2014

Posted on September 2, 2014 by milerstimeblog

I didn’t post last week because Darrel was not doing well and I kept waiting to see if he would get to feeling better so I could write something positive.

The last update was posted on August 25, and he had spent 4 days fishing and crabbing by the 25th. He wore himself out! Tuesday and Wednesday he barely got off the couch and did quite a bit of napping. By Thursday he was doing a little better, but still spent quite a bit of time resting.

Friday morning he went for a walk and then we loaded the boat and took off for Brownsville. It was the Des Moines Yacht Club annual Family of the Year cruise. It was a fairly relaxing cruise for us since neither one of us was involved in the cooking. I think it was only the 3rd time I didn’t at least help with the planning and cooking in the last 10 Labor Day weekends. So, it was nice to take a year off.

Darrel rested each day and went to bed fairly early each night. No partying for him this year! Yesterday after we got home he (and I) relaxed most of the afternoon. Today, he went fishing again but hasn’t seemed to be dragging as much.

Tomorrow he goes in for another CT scan to see if the latest chemo treatments are helping. We then have a doctor appointment on Thursday to find out. If they aren’t working, there isn’t a plan yet for what to try since this was the last chemo regimen for pancreatic cancer. When we asked the doctor last time what was next, he said he would have to make some phone calls.

Now, I am going to get on my soap box for a couple minutes. Many of you have participated in the ALS ice bucket challenge and some of you have actually donated money. ALS is a horrible, terrifying disease. But so is pancreatic and all other cancers.

Some facts:
Approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. The incidence of ALS is two per 100,000 people, and it is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time. Although the life expectancy of an ALS patient averages about two to five years from the time of diagnosis, this disease is variable and many people live with quality for five years and more. More than half of all patients live more than three years after diagnosis.*

An estimated 46,420 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the U.S., and over 39,590 will die from the disease. Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially in the last 40 years. Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. 94% of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis – only 6% will survive more than five years. 74% of patients die within the first year of diagnosis.**

So, I ask you to consider donating for either pancreatic cancer research or for general cancer research. No cute gimmicks or videos, just a heartfelt plea.

The Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Research is a non-profit organization started by the wife of a man who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 54.
Donate by clicking here Pancreatic.org

On Friday, September 5, there will be a television benefit to raise money for cancer. This benefit is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C).
Donate by clicking here Stand Up 2 Cancer

OK, off the soapbox now.

* ALSA.org
** Pancreatic.org

Posted in Darrel Updates | Tagged | 4 Comments

Weekend Update, August 24, 2014

Posted on August 25, 2014 by milerstimeblog

Once again, Darrel spent a lot of time fishing this weekend. He started Friday morning with his friend, Max.They didn’t catch much but a little jack silver. Darrel seemed to be okay but not totally up to par. We went to the Wamsley’s and watched the Seahawks game, but he drove himself so he could go home early.

Then he launched our boat on Saturday and went fishing again with Max. No luck again. Then, we went out about noon to put out the crab pots. Went to a Miller family function in Buckley for the afternoon after that.

Darrel wanted to go out and pull the crab pots and fish for a little bit when we got back. We ended up with limits of crab, but not even a bit for fish.

This morning he went fishing again with Bill Lande this time. Darrel finally caught a decent fish of about 19 pounds. They also limited again with crab. He told me after he got home that he felt pretty good when he got up this morning, way better than yesterday. He still seemed a bit tired to me, though.

We went out again tonight for the evening non-bite. He did say his arm was sore from fishing and pulling pots, he gets worn out quickly, I think.

At least he finally got a nice fish! It has been very slow fishing this year.

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Darrel Update, August 21, 2014

Posted on August 21, 2014 by milerstimeblog

Today was chemo day. Left the house at 8:30 and made it into the garage at Group Health by about 9:15. A good commute! Just a few swear words by yours truly.

Darrel had his blood drawn at 9:30 and then we saw the doctor at 10:30. It was not Dr Feldman since he was in hospital and it was a doctor we hadn’t seen before. Short and sweet visit. Nothing new, except Darrel said he was now having pain on both sides of his stomach, not just the left. This was news to me, too!

We got back over to the infusion center at about 11:00 and waited for a little over an hour for the first drugs. That infusion took 2 hours and since we had said something to the nurse about still usually waiting for the pump, she got on the phone and told the pharmacy she needed it by 1:45. Suprisingly, it was there when the first one finished and we were out of there a little after 2:00!

He hasn’t had any ill effects so far.

Honey gathering update: They finished it all yesterday and he got about 32 gallons. I guess he got about 20 last year, so he is pleased.

Posted in Darrel Updates | Tagged | 5 Comments

Garden Abundance. August 20, 2014

Posted on August 20, 2014 by milerstimeblog

The garden is putting out a lot of vegetables now, so while Darrel continued spinning honey, I was attempting to make a dent in the garden.

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Squash, of course, is always abundant but we also are getting quite a crop of ancho chiles and jalapeño peppers. I was looking online for something to do with the squash and decided to try squash relish.

Squash Relish

8 cups shredded yellow and zucchini squash
2 cups chopped onions
2 Ancho chiles, chopped
2 Red Peppers, chopped
3 jalapeño peppers, chopped

Mix together the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of Diamond kosher salt. Allow to sit for at least 1 hour. Place in colander and drain well.

Mix together in a large, non-reactive pot, and bring to a boil:

2 cups sugar
2 cups Distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Add vegetables, bring back to boil, and cook for 15 minutes.

Boil pint jars and lids for 5 minutes, and add hot relish mixture to within 1/2 inch of top. Screw on lids. Place in hot water in a water bath canner and bring to boil. Process for 15 minutes.

Courtney walked in just as I was finished putting the mixture in the jars and said it smelled awesome. It was a little too sweet for my taste, and not spicy enough, but I think it will be great on many things like bratwurst and hamburgers.

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Then I started thinking of making something that wasn’t sweet and more like sauerkraut. Sooo, I made some squash kraut.

Squash Kraut

Shredded yellow and zucchini squash (I used about 2 of each for 2 quarts, but it all depends on how big they are and how much you want to make.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 jalapeños, shredded
Diamond kosher salt

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Place about a 1/2 cup of squash, a pinch of garlic and jalapeños into a sterilized quart jar, sprinkle with salt. Keep adding until almost full. Using a wooden spoon handle, pound the squash down into jar. Continue adding and pounding until you are able to push the squash down and it is covered by liquid. Slide a thin knife around edges to remove air bubbles and make sure squash is covered with liquid. I then placed a grape leaf on top and pushed down again. Grape or oak leaves will help keep the vegetables crisp.

Let sit for a couple of days, burping lid each day, until the flavor suits you. Then refrigerate for up to 6 months or so.

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I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Oh, yeah, and while I was doing this, Darrel’s brother brought over 2 cases of peaches and Darrel picked a large bowl of green beans. It never ends.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged | 6 Comments

The Beeman of Seatac, August 19.2014

Posted on August 19, 2014 by milerstimeblog

Most of you know that Darrel is a beekeeper. Well, today started honey collection day.

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He puts on his bee suit and then removes the honey supers from the hives. He removes the frames of honey, then uses a hot knife to take the wax caps off the honey cells.

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The frame then goes into the honey spinner and it is spun until the honey all comes out. It is drained into a strainer to remove the excess wax, then goes in a 5 gallon bucket and eventually into jars.

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They only did 2 hives, out of 10, and got about 8 gallons so far. They were all sweating like pigs in the closed up garage, but it needs to be closed or the bees come in and try to get their honey back.

Posted in Darrel Updates | Tagged | 5 Comments