in-between snacks

Pablo has been consistently hungry since we got home from the hospital. For the most part, he keeps his food down. He still manages to get sick once a day - usually during one of the three major meals...

I have been keeping a few things on hand for between meal snacks. He is back on fruit leather. I think it has been a year since he's had any interest in those. Now, he can't get enough. He has been snacking on assorted varieties of Trader Joe's trail mix and the organic Whole Foods granola. Bowls of Honey Nut O's and frozen yogurt tubes are always on hand as well.

I made the tuna salad again and he has been enjoying that with either blue corn chips or saltines. And, I made the mac and cheese again... this time with elbow macaroni and cauliflower. It is delicious, but Pablo did not like the hidden cauliflower at all.

Pablo has been eating a bowl of ice cream every day or night and has been enjoying the raspberry Kefir yogurt drink.

Oh, yeah - he loves plain rice rolls from the sushi restaurant that we love, so I've gotten that a few times for him - he loves them with soy sauce!

Pablo told me that he would like banana bread - so we will be making that tomorrow. I'll post the results!

As I sign off to visit the little on in the tub (his first bath post hospital), I taught him the rub-a-dub-dub nursery rhyme:

Rub-a-dub-dub!
Three men in a tub,
And who do you think were there?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker,
And all of them gone to the fair!

love,
Jo Ann

chicken chili

We are back home and trying to put some much needed lbs on this boy! Pablo woke up hungry and ate an entire bowl of oatmeal this morning with a fro-yo. No such luck with lunch. He was tired, but wanted to eat a bit, so he had a few bites of applesauce and a fiber bar. The nutritionist recommended the fiber bar and suggested freeezing them. Pablo really liked it. He added a small bite of an almond butter and jelly sammie. Somehow this just didn't sit well with his tummy and got sick. He decided to just go for the nap and wait until later to eat again. He took a Zofran and woke up hungry. Grady has been with his dad all week and we have been anxiously awaiting his return back to us all day. Grady loves this chicken chili. Pablo always liked it, too, but these days who knows how he will tolerate anything... so, I decided to go for it... Pablo ate the chicken out of the bowl with his tortilla chips and said that he enjoyed it. He didn't eat much, but followed it up with a frozen yogurt tube and a few jellybeans. After a thorough cleaning in the shower (no tub for another day) he announced that he was "hung to the mung" and wanted some more food. We trekked upstairs and after a few minutes staring into the fridge, he asked for a grilled cheese. I only used one piece of bread and he barely got down one half of that. Knowing that he was probably not going to eat much, I used butter on both sides of the sandwich to get some fat in there... here's to more food and liquids tomorrow!


chicken chili
(barefoot contessa)

4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving: Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

* I put orange bell pepper with the red and yellow peppers and I add 1 tsp black pepper with the rest of the seasonings... also, I use canned crushed tomatoes (organic from TJ’s) instead of crushing the whole tomatoes.

love,
Jo Ann

cheesy pasta casserole

We spent the entire day in the Oncology Clinic Urgent Care. Pablo has been suffering from stomach pains all weekend and began teetering on fever's edge last night. We were on the phone with the on-call oncologist and decided to monitor Pablo from home unless he actually reached the "get to the hospital quick" temperature of 100.4 or higher. He stayed below the mark all night, so we went in first thing this morning. After an x-ray, iv fluids, blood transfusion, more iv fluids and no sign of fever, we were allowed to head home. Pablo had nibbled on a pancake all day, and drank a couple of small glasses of water. He's hungry and thirsty but afraid to eat or drink because he doesn't want his tummy to hurt. I'm staying constantly at the ready with food in case he says he's hungry. Although, he hasn't really liked anything I've given him today. Like I said yesterday, a few bites are better than none, though... so, I'm still searching for the one thing to HIT!

Tonight I made a version of mac n cheese, because Pablo told me, "Mmm, I like Mac n Cheese." I used a recipe that the nutritionist gave me. It was used in a mac n cheese contest on Good Morning America and it won. The judges: a group of 5 year old kids.

Here's the link to all of the contest recipes. I made mine with penne and I did not put in the cauliflower because I did not have any in the fridge. It is yummy. Jeff and I enjoyed a small bowl of it. While Pablo liked it, he only managed to get 3 or 4 bites down before his tummy got all wonky again. Hopefully, he will be ready to eat again, tomorrow.

Here's a little song that I sang to Pablo as we were leaving the hospital and all the way home in the car (good thing we live 7 minutes away). It's a playground song from when I was a kid. We used to do one of those choreographed clapping, slapping thingies to it:

Say, say, oh playmate,
Come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three
Climb up my apple tree

Slide down my rainbow
Into my cellar door
And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more more more more more

Say, say, oh playmate
I cannot play with you
My dolly's got the flu
Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

Don't have a rainbow
Don't have a cellar door
But we'll be jolly friends
Forever more more more more more

love,
Jo Ann

a few bites are better than none

Pablo turned his nose at the tuna fish today. Grady, Jeff and I happily ate it and all agreed that it was quite tasty. Jeff had his on kamut cakes, while Grady and I split a sandwich on multigrain bread.

I was still determined to get some protein into Pablo's little body, so I made him some pasta with olive oil, garlic salt and chopped pine nuts. He asked for some steamed carrots on the side... and then finished it off with a couple of scoops of Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream.

I welcome suggestions for different foods - his appetite is diminishing and his tastes are changing - so I'm open to trying almost anything!

love,
Jo Ann

a good day for protein

Tuna Salad
1 can Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna
1 apple cut in cubes
1 celery stalk chopped
1/8 cup Canola Mayonnaise
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

1. Place cut apple in a bowl
2. Squeeze lemon juice over the apples
3. Add chopped celery
4. Drain and add tuna
5. Flake tuna and add Canola Mayonnaise
6. Mix well
7. Add salt and pepper to taste
8. enjoy

We have been told to avoid fresh raw fruits and veggies due to Pablo's low blood count and compromised immune system - so I scrubbed the apples and celery. Also, I peeled the apple, which I wouldn't normally do for this salad because I love the color! The tuna and mayo were suggested to me by a nutritionist that specializes in cancer diets. They are more expensive and I actually had to order the tuna online, but the taste is really delicious and since it's healthy for the boy I splurged!

Today's hand washing was done to song... This is the song that I learned in Kundalini Yoga. And the lullaby that I would rock Pablo to sleep with every night when he was a wee baby.

May The Long Time Sun Shine Upon You
May the long time sun
Shine upon you,
All love surround you,
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on.
(repeat as many times as you like!)

love,
Jo Ann

bored with breakfast

I feel like there isn't much variation at our home in the mornings. Scrambled eggs, toast, oatmeal, occasionally pancakes... This morning Pablo requested oatmeal with cinnamon and brown sugar. No problem, but how can I add some additional calories and fat? Butter and half and half came to mind - so I added those and he loved it. I know that butter and cream aren't the "good fats" that are encouraged, but sometimes we take what we can get in the food department... and if he actually eats more than two bites, then I'm happy. This morning he ate a little more than half and then declared that he was "full as a tick."

Simple Oatmeal
1/2 cup Irish Oatmeal
1 cup water
1 small pat unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
half and half

1. Heat oats and water over low heat
2. Add the pat of butter
3. Stir until butter is melted
4. Add light brown sugar and cinnamon
5. Stir until it thickens
6. Add half and half and stir until desired consistency
7. Enjoy

We have finally had cool autumnal weather this morning. We opened the sliding doors downstairs and enjoyed the cool breeze. In that spirit, I found this nice verse to say while washing hands before eating:

Yellow the bracken,

Golden the sheaves,

Rosy the apples,

Crimson the leaves,

Mist on the hillside,

Clouds grey and white,

Autumn, good morning!

Summer, good night!

xo
Jo Ann

fro-yo a new way

Pablo tends to get hungry right before bedtime... and last night was no exception. We had a yummy take out dinner from Malo last night and Pablo did some major damage on his cheese enchilada and chips. So, I decided to try to make a tasty, healthy-ish desert for the hungry boy and his always hungry older brother.

Our nutritionist suggested making frozen yogurt by hand blending plain Voskos greek yogurt with frozen fruit. I stuck a couple of bananas in the freezer yesterday, so I went with banana and mango (whole foods organic). The yogurt is tart and was overpowering the fruit so I added a bit of Agave Nectar and VOILA! a yummy delicious treat was created.

Both boys devoured their fro-yos and remarked on how delicious it was.

Banana-Mango Frozen Yogurt
1 80z Voskos fat-free yogurt (plain)
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen mangoes
1 tablespoon agave nectar

1. Place yogurt in the measuring beaker of your hand blender
2. Peel and cut banana, put into the beaker
3. Blend the yogurt and banana until smooth
4. Add in the mango
5. Blend until smooth
6. Add the agave nectar
7. Pulse 5 or 6 times
8. Enjoy!


One thing I am constantly reminding myself to do is WASH MY HANDS... It comes so naturally to some people, but I always forget to wash my hands first. I've been trying out a few things to remind me. In the PICU at Children's there was a nursery rhyme posted above the sink with a note that said, "Say this while washing your hands, when you are done, your hands are clean." I am looking for some fun versed to say before handling the kids' food - I'll let you know what I come up with...

xo
Jo Ann

welcome to pablo's kitchen

Our five year old son, Pablo, was diagnosed with bi-lateral Wilms' Tumor on May 17, 2008. He went through 12 weeks of chemo and a couple of surgeries. After the tumors were removed, the pathology confirmed that one of his tumors was of Unfavorable Histology. This meant immediate radiation and a new 24 week chemo plan. We have completed the radiation and have begun the new chemo. Compared to the pre-surgery chemo, this is "hard-core" and comes with harsher side effects. In an attempt to keep Pablo healthy, I have been doing research on how to feed our cancer fighting, self-proclaimed "Boy Lion" while he's going on this journey and have decided to share our stories: successes and failures. I know that every child is different and handles chemo differently, but these are the things that are/are not working for us.

Pablo likes to eat - I just want to put that out there. He loves food! And, quite honestly, the nausea and vomiting have not stopped him from asking for it all the time.

In an attempt to keep him full of good fats and calories using known cancer fighting foods... and keep the food to his liking, I have read some books, researched online and met with a great nutritionist.

I will post the foods and in some cases, the recipes that have worked for us and would be DELIGHTED if you would like to share some of your meals and recipes with me...

And, just so you know, we "try" to eat good, healthy foods, but we still like our occasional In-n-Out burger and Popeye's Fried Chicken. Hey, I'm from New Orleans and you know what they say... "You can take the girl out of the New Orleans...."

So, here's to a yummy food filled 20 weeks.

xo
Jo Ann