Dom's October Numbers

WBC:   6.7

RBC:   3.41

HTC:   32.9

PLATELETS:   307

Free Light Chains:  ALL NORMAL

Kappa:  1.44

Lambda:   1.32

Ratio:  1.08

M-Spike:  0.3  Dropped from 0.5 in April after just a couple of rounds of Rev/Dex/Vel
****************************************************************

Dr. Safah cut him loose until after the First of the Year.  She wants him to continue physical therapy.  (Which is going great!)  He used his walker in our house for the first time.... walked 200 feet!

The Zometa has shrunk the lesion on his hip.

She's very pleased with these latest numbers.

I'm hoping that in January, she'll tell him that he doesn't need any more chemo or SCT.  This was just a single Plasmacytoma on his hip.  His blood and bone marrow are clean.

The Edgy Veg: 138 Carnivore-Approved Vegan Recipes

The publisher of this cookbook knows of Dom's struggle with cancer and neuropathy.

He's also aware that in recent years, I've been on a healthy eating kick.  He was kind enough to send me this cookbook.  Many thanks, Martine!

Vegan Food You Actually Want to Eat

Who says you have to give up your insatiable need for comfort food just because you want to eat better for yourself, animals and the planet? Enter: The Edgy Veg, the YouTube sensation (with over 250,000+ subscribers and counting) created by the hilarious Candice Hutchings and her husband James Aita who are on a journey to revolutionize vegan food as we know it.

Tired of a traditional plant-based diet that just felt frankly #sad, Candice started veganizing childhood cravings, fast food faves and food-nerd obsessions. Think more UnOrthodox Lox and Cream Cheese Bagels, Cobb Your Enthusiasm Salad, Buffalo Cauliflower Wings 7 Ways, Easy Cheesy Fondue, Chick Fillet Deluxe and Thank You Very Matcha Ice Cream than zucchini noodles, hummus, smoothie bowls and #cleaneating (fear not, there is a token kale salad.) No food is off limits and everything in the book has received their signature carnivore stamp of approval.

With 138 recipes that take vegan cooking to the next level, tips and tricks for eating like an Edgy Veg, and more dad jokes than you can count, say hello to a vegan cookbook you -- and your tastebuds -- can feel good about. It's time to put down that spiralizer and get ready to have your cake, burger and fries, and eat them too!

This is a hardcover 288-page beauty.  Loaded with full-color photos.  It's a very amusing read, as well!  It's a heavy 2 + pounds, measuring about 8x10.

Get it on Amazon here:

The Edgy Veg

We've Had an Amazing Week

We had a lot of "firsts".

Dom got up on his tractor and bush-hogged the driveway.  It was tough for him to use his left leg on the clutch, so he's going to wait a couple of weeks before he tries it again.

He drove us to Slidell in his Silverado for flu shots on Tuesday.  Drove over 100 miles.... interstate, back roads and main roads.  It did wonders for his attitude.

Today, he drove to Physical Therapy.  They're now working on his upper body strength and added weights to his feet for leg lifts.  They're VERY pleased with his progress.

Recently, his oncologist upped the dosage of his Gabapentin to 900 mg. per day.  It's starting to kick in.  He's experiencing shooting pains running from his calfs down to his feet.  That's a GOOD THING!

Thank you for the continued prayers and good wishes.  He's a man on a mission!

Rest In Peace, Mimi

Our little girl passed away yesterday.  Our friends, Al and Ada had given us 2 kittens.... siblings.  Bonnie and Clyde.

Very soon, Bonnie had kittens of her own.  Mimi was the runt of the litter.

We figured out that she was at least 25 years old.  Maybe 26!

She was one tough outside cat.  Lost her hearing and had only 1 good eye.  Dunno how she survived the local coyotes and bobcats!

Korean Ground Beef Bowls

This is a new favorite!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Small can of Portabello Mushroom chunks
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups hot cooked white or brown rice  (We had ours over chow mein noodles)
sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onions, garlic and mushrooms breaking it into crumbles over medium heat until no longer pink.  Dump in your frozen veggies.

In a small bowl whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes and pepper. Pour over the ground beef and let simmer for another minute or two.

Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Zesty Shrimp and Quinoa

Dom LOVED this.  Me-  meh.  I dunno if I'm losing my taste for Quinoa or what.  The last couple of times I made it didn't trip my trigger.  A year ago, I couldn't get enough of the stuff.  This tasted too vinegary.  But, Dom oohs and ahhs over it.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2-4 dashes hot sauce (optional)
1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound or so of raw shrimp (fresh or frozen and defrosted)

In a medium-sized bowl, combine soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, pepper, garlic, and hot sauce (if using). Stir until well blended and set aside.

Combine quinoa and 1 3/4 cups water in a pot. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

While quinoa is cooking, begin cooking shrimp: Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and shrimp. When shrimp begin to turn pink, add sauce and continue to cook, stirring frequently.

When shrimp is cooked through, add quinoa, and stir until well combined. Drizzle with fresh lime juice.

Asian Sesame Chicken Wings

These were out of this world.  We never fry wings anymore.  Baking Powder in the oven is the way to go.  Crispy on the outside and juicy inside.  We had these with Wendy's Dirty Rice on the side.

Ingredients

3 pounds of chicken wings (about 18), cut at joints and wing tips discarded
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt

Asian Sesame Sauce:
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
sesame seeds and extra green onion for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Combine baking powder and salt together in a bowl or ziplock bag.
Pat wings dry with a paper towel.
Toss wings in the baking powder/salt until evenly coated.
Place the wings in a single layer on a wire rack that's on a baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes on the lower-middle oven rack.
After 30 minutes, move the wings to the upper middle rack, turn the oven heat to 425 degrees and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and toss with sauce. Let sit a few minutes to soak in the sauce. Toss again. Top with extra green onions and sesame seeds and enjoy!

For the sauce:

Combine soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, green onions and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.