Mothers Day { twice in a week! }

This year we celebrated Mothers Day two weekends in a row. Miss E had to come home for an appointment on May Day so she stayed for a long weekend.

The two of us set up an office for ourselves downstairs since my "office/sewing/craft room" upstairs was covered with projects in progress and as a result there was not much available space. We did not really consider Mr. Wonderful's office although we could all fit comfortably if we wanted however he is on the phone a lot so we preferred our cozy spot on the game table. Of course we did remove the adorable spring quilt on top while we worked so that it would not get dirty. 

Miss E's appointment last week was for another ultrasound of her neck which she has every 6 months to monitor her lymph nodes. In March she had her scans and then had to come back a week later on March 20th for a special ultrasound. When we arrived for that appointment the hospital parking lot had gone from the usual completely full garage to empty spaces on all the floors and also having our temperatures taken at the door and given  dated badges to wear. Last week it was the same thing, empty parking structure, temperature and badges, so we were very happy they did not have to change or cancel her appointment. There will be more imaging required, however, for now she has a break. 

Once we returned from her appointment Papa Bear had grilled up a great dinner for us. 

His signature burgers are amazing although Miss E and I did not top ours with pastrami like  he did. The stuffed hamburger patties along with the toppings were quite enough for us. 

Saturday we picked up some online orders at one of our favorite stores which was fun. I had not done that yet but it worked great. We pulled up along the curb, called the number and they came out and put the packages in the back. Easy, peasy. We actually did it twice! 

We had another fabulous dinner Saturday night which required a little team work but we work well together. 

It was another beautiful evening so afterwards we sat by the fire pit to have dessert.  

We also did facials and face masks which was relaxing and a lot of fun.  It was a wonderful weekend and a special early Mothers Day!

Happy Monday!

Vegetable Soup & Beer Bread: Round 2 ~ Day 20 THYCA LID

Our days were busy last week with a lot of trips to the hospital for appointments as well as errands, cooking and some fun squeezed in between. Needless to say, there was a lot going on and by the end of the week I got behind on my posts so am back to pick up where I left off. Last Wednesday was actually the 20th and last day of Miss E's Low Iodine Diet because on Thursday she had to fast before her RAI scans.

For the last LID dinner I made a pot of Vegetable Soup since we still had plenty of fresh produce.

To go along with the soup I made Beer Bread which is really easy. I only made a couple little adjustments to my recipe so that it met the LID requirements. We also had some more guacamole which tasted really good on the bread. I am starting to think guacamole tastes pretty good on everything. 

As for dessert, we decided to have the LID Angel Food Cake one more time since her restricted diet would be over the next afternoon and she would be free to eat whatever her heart desired.

This was a very easy, light meal which was perfect for the night before the scans. 

Thursday morning she fasted as required and we went back to the hospital once again. The scans were in the middle of the morning and took around 2 hours. After she was finished and it was confirmed that she could resume a regular diet, we headed straight to Starbucks for Grande Vanilla Latte's just as we had planned. Such a treat after not being able have anything made with regular water, milk products, etc.  Our post scan agenda also included a little shopping trip as well however it was cut short when she received an unexpected call from the hospital. They needed her to return for more images because the areas of concern from the scans a year ago showed up again. She told them about the Latte she had had and they said it would still work because it was a different type of scan that takes 3D images and would still be able to detect the RAI if done right away. We skipped lunch and headed back for her new 4:30 appointment. It took about 40 minutes and once the doctor was satisfied with the images we were able to proceed to our next special activity which was a Girls Dinner Out and needless to say we had a great time. The next couple days were spent checking things off her very organized to~do list of appointments, lunch dates, family dinner, more shopping, etc. As for the results of the scans, we have not heard back yet so do not know what they might indicate or what the next steps are. Maybe no news is good news. In the meantime, Miss E, Papa Bear and I went out for breakfast early this morning to one of our favorite restaurants and then she packed up and headed home. Tomorrow we will all be back to our normal schedules, trying to be patient while we wait for results of the scans. 

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LID Vegetable Soup

http://thegrandsurprise.blogspot.com

by Jennifer Stull

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium head of cabbage, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 - 2 potatoes, **PEELED** and diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon **NON IODIZED** salt
• **DISTILLED**water

Instructions

1. Place first 10 ingredients in a large pot.
2. Add enough DISTILLED water to the pot to cover the vegetables completely. 
3. Over high heat bring the water to a boil. Once the water boils turn down the heat, cover the pot and simmer at least an hour or until the vegetables are tender. 

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LID Beer Bread

http://thegrandsurprise.blogspot.com

by Jennifer Stull

Ingredients

• 1 - 12 ounce Beer
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• Dash of **NON IODIZED** salt
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Grease 5 x 9 inch loaf pan. Set aside 
2. Mix all 5 ingredients above and put in prepared loaf pan. 
3. Bake in conventional oven at 350 degrees or convection oven at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour. 

For more about our THYCA journey go to: 

THYCA LID {low iodine diet} / RAI 131 

or

Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Blessings!

Pasta & Angel Food Cake: Round 2 ~ Day 19 THYCA LID

This is the week of appointments for Miss E's 2nd round of RAI scans and we are now on day three although she has actually been on the Low Iodine Diet 19 days. Preparing for the scans requires a trip to the hospital each morning this week so oatmeal, fruit smoothies, and egg white omelets {if there is time} with some coffee and/or tea made with distilled water are the best options for breakfast except for the day{s} that require fasting.

For our 3rd dinner since she has been home we decided on pasta. Some chunky Tomato sauce over some veggie spaghetti sounded good and we happened to have plenty of fresh vegetables to use. 

Once the veggies were chopped and ready this tomato sauce went together fairly fast however it needed to simmer about an hour to enhance the flavor and thicken a bit. 

While the sauce was cooking I made Angel Food mini bundt cakes. 

It does not take as long as you might think to make Angel Food Cake from scratch. And it tastes great! So light and fluffy and meets the LID requirements.

 I did have leftover batter which I put into a loaf pan and baked since that was easier than washing the bundtlette pan for another batch. 

The strawberries in the store are getting better as the season gets closer so I bought some for the cake. I just sliced them up in a bowl and sprinkled a little sugar on top. Then I let them sit at room temperature while I finished preparing dinner. 

Once we were finished with dinner and the kitchen was cleaned up I served the Angel Food Mini Bundt Cakes on top of sugared strawberries and drizzled the strawberry juice over the top. YUM!

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LID Angel Food Mini Bundt Cakes

http://thegrandsurprise.blogspot.com 

by Jennifer Stull

Ingredients

• 1  1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups egg whites at room temperature *
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon **NON IODIZED SALT**
• 1 teaspoon vanilla  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat standard oven to 350 degrees or convection bake oven to 325 degrees. Spray mini bundt pan with oil.
2. Separate large eggs and place whites in the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl. Let sit   30 minutes or until room temperature. 
3. In a separate bowl whisk together flour and powdered sugar. Set aside.
4. Add cream of tartar, plain salt, and vanilla to egg whites. With whisk attachment beat egg white mixture on high for 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar and combine.
5. Switch to paddle attachment and with mixer on low add flour mixture to egg white mixture 1/2 cup at a time.
6. Fill mini bun wells to the rim. Bake 15 - 20 minutes until light golden brown.

Optional: Sift powdered sugar over top of cool mini bundt cakes. Top with fresh berries.
* It will take approximately 10 - 12 egg whites.

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Low Iodine Diet PASTA PRIMAVERA

http://thegrandsurprise.blogspot.com

by Jennifer Stull

Ingredients

• 8 fresh Roma Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
•  1 red pepper, chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 basil chopped or minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon **NON IODIZED** salt
•  1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 package of **LID approved** pasta
•  **DISTILLED** water
•  Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Wash and prepare vegetables.
2. In a large skillet add approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent. 
3. Add tomatoes, red pepper, basil, thyme, salt, red pepper flakes and 1-2 cups distilled water. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until sauce thickens. Add more distilled water if needed. 
4. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with distilled water and bring to a boil. Add Pasta and cook according to package directions. 
5. Cover Pasta with Primavera Sauce and serve. 

Makes 4 servings

Happy Friday!

THYCA LID Tacos & Snacks: Round 2 ~ Day 18

Grilled Steak Tacos and leftover chocolate Wacky Cake were on the menu for day 18 of the Low Iodine Diet. We had some leftover steak from our dinner the night before which we thought would be perfect on the Tacos.

Mr. Wonderful made his signature guacamole while I wrapped the steak and LID approved tortillas up in foil packets and put them in the oven to warm.

We also had leftover grilled vegetables so this easy peasy dinner was on the table in no time at all. However, we almost forgot about the UNPEELED potatoes which were mixed in with the grilled veggies from the night before.

Thankfully, Miss E is on top of things and remembered right before she began eating. Luckily the potatoes were easy to see so removing them was quick fix.  

 Then, just when we assumed we could eat, she asked if all the leftover steak had been wrapped up together.

It did not even occur to us when we were putting the food away the night before that her leftover steak should be kept separate as hers was the only one that could not and did not have butter melted on top after grilling. UGH, just when we think we have thought of everything!

The tacos were great but unfortunately hers ended up being the stripped down model.

The avocados have proved to be a great staple. The guacamole is wonderful on actually everything so she has been spreading it on Matzo crackers for a snack. 

Salt free almonds are approved too so those are a good snack as well.

Daily morning trips to the hospital to prep for the RAI scans, and quick trips to the grocery store to pick up a few LID food items here and there that we forgot or didn't think of keeps us busy each day. We made it through day 2 and ready for day 3. A pasta dinner is on the menu so I am hoping it goes together without a hitch this time.  

Happy Thursday!

THYCA LID Diet ~ round 2

It is hard to believe it has been almost 3 years since we started this Thyroid Cancer journey and a little over a year since we learned all about the Low Iodine Diet and began preparing restricted meals for the Thyroid Cancer Radioactive Iodine treatments. During that time we tried many recipes, made mistakes, learned a lot and kept detailed notes to help with the next RAI. Now, after about a 12 month break from the first RAI scans and treatment, it is time for round 2 and hopefully it will be much easier to prepare this second time around. 

Miss E was making her own LID meals at her place for the past couple weeks however she is now home for the RAI scans so in order to give her a break from cooking I am doing my best to prepare some well balanced and appetizing meals. We are stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables, distilled water and other approved foods from the list and have our menus ready.

Our first dinner included grilled steak, focaccia bread and grilled fresh vegetables all of which were cooked following the LID guidelines. Since Papa Bear is the grill master around here he helped with chopping the vegetables and of course the grilling. Miss E did catch one small error before we ate which was the skin on the the petite assorted potatoes. Potatoes are okay to have but only if they are peeled. Fortunately she was able to pick out the potatoes and enjoy the rest of the vegetables. 

For dessert I used the same Wacky Cake recipe that I used last time. It makes the perfect size cake, is easy to make, tastes great and satisfies our sweet tooth. Our first LID meal for the week was delicious and almost mistake free which may have been the best part.

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Low Iodine Diet FOCACCIA BREAD

Adapted from InspiredTaste.net
the Grand Surprise

by Jennifer Stull

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic - finely minced
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup warm **DISTILLED WATER**
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar 
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon **PLAIN or KOSHER SALT**

Instructions

1. Combine olive oil, black pepper, garlic, thyme and rosemary in a skillet or pan and warm over low heat until aromatic but before the garlic browns. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine warm water, yeast and sugar and let rise for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup infused garlic-olive oil mixture. Stir until flour has moistened. Let sit another 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and salt. 
3. Once dough comes together knead 10 -15 times until smooth. Transfer to oiled bowl, cover and let rise approximately 1 hour. 
4. Heat standard oven to 450 degrees or convection oven to 425 degrees. Use approximately 2 tablespoons of garlic mixture to oil 9 x 13 rimmed baking pan. 
5. Transfer dough and press down in pan. Use fingers to dimple dough and then drizzle remaining garlic mixture over top. Let rise 20 minutes.
6.  Bake 15 - 20 minutes. 

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Low Iodine Diet WACKY CAKE

THYCA LID COOKBOOK
the Grand Surprise

by Jennifer Stull

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon **PLAIN SALT**
• 5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup cold **DISTILLED WATER**

Instructions

1. Preheat standard oven to 350 degrees or convection oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan or dish. Mix thoroughly. 
2. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda and salt in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan or dish. Mix thoroughly.
3. Make 3 holes in the dry ingredients. Place oil in first hole, vinegar in second hole and vanilla in the third hole. Pour water over all and mix well. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in the pan that the batter was mixed in. 
4. Bake 30 minutes or until center is firm. Cool. 
5. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired. Optional: top with fresh or frozen berries.

For more THYCA LID recipes visit : https://www.thyca.org/download/document/231/Cookbook.pdf

Happy Wednesday!

Special Request Meals

The Low Iodine Diet has officially ended! 

To celebrate we made specially requested meals for the 1st day, all of which contained lots cheese, butter, egg yolks and pasta which were prohibited on the LID. It was a treat for all of us.

DINNER: Chicken Penne Pasta with Cabbage Apple Salad, Homemade Bread and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice~Cream for dessert.

BRUNCH: Homemade Waffles with jam & whipped cream and Bacon Vegetable Quiche.

DINNER: Smoked Brisket, Coleslaw, Homemade Rolls and Bundt Cake.

The RAI Isolation continues the rest of the week but at least the meals are back to normal. 

Happy Monday!