One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

On Jul 21, 12:38*pm, Kajikit > wrote:
> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

How about a tuna casserole? Classic white sauce (or even cream of
celery soup) tuna, vegetables, noodles. Easy on the tummy, comforting,
soothing. When I went through chemo, carbs were very digestible and
easy to eat. Macaroni and cheese might be a good choice too. Add some
peas for extra nutrition.

Another good thing: maybe pick up some chicken pieces (or a whole
chicken) and roast simply with salt, pepper and lemon. A side of rice
pilaf (even if it's just a couple boxes of rice-a-roni) would go
nicely and again, the family can reheat as needed.

If she's going through chemo, she needs to eat plenty of protein and
iron. (helps the body replace red cells) Quiche was a great idea!

You're very kind to do this. Bland, simple foods are the best options
b/c you just never know from day to day how you're going to feel.

Kajikit wrote:
What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and
> I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so
> I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

I'm so sorry to hear the news and hope she responds to treatment.
How's your weather right now? A lovely crisp salad, with some sliced
meats, might appeal to the family?

Kajikit > wrote in message
...
> What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals

Three non-tomato casseroles we've enjoyed a

Artichoke Chicken With Capers
By Karen Spence, Valparaiso, Fla.

Ingredients
.. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
.. Skim milk (1/2 cup or little more will do)
.. Seasoned flour, you can season it yourself, enough to cover breasts
.. 2 tablespoons (or less) olive oil
.. 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
.. 1 or more tablespoons of capers
.. 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
.. 1/2 cup Vermouth
.. Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Pound 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts until flattened. Dredge in
skim milk and coat with seasoned flour.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons (or less) of olive oil in saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon
minced garlic and cook till tender, slightly browned edges. Add chicken and
sauté in hot oil on one side until browned. Turn chicken and sauté for two
minutes.

3. Add 1 or more tablespoons of capers. One can quartered artichoke hearts,
drained and 1/2 cup Vermouth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cook ingredients until Vermouth mixture is reduced by half, then cover
until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

5. Ladle the liquid mixture in pan (including capers and artichokes) over
the chicken breast and serve with freshly steamed vegetables.

Yields: 4 servings.
=====
Sausage with Fusilli and Escarole

INGREDIENTS:
3 links mild Italian sausage, precooked and quartered
1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans
2 cups chicken broth
4 TBS. olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, diced 1/2 inch
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 large head escarole, trimmed of tough parts, washed, and torn into 2 inch
squares
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1 lb fusilli, cooked al dente and drained

METHOD:
Heat oil in large heavy bottomed saucepot. Add onion and sauté until soft,
5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook gently 2-3 minutes. Add bay leaves.

Raise heat to high. Add escarole and stir until wilted. Then add chicken
broth. Cook, uncovered, until reduced by 1/3. Add sausage and beans. Mix
together and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer 15-20 minutes loosely covered. Combine with cooked pasta. Serve with
grated cheese and ground black pepper.
=====
Corn Casserole
From Fannie Flagg's Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook, as amended by yers truly

yield: 9-12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 17-ounce can white cream-style corn
1 11-ounce can white shoepeg or whole kern corn, drained
1 8-ounce carton sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted & cooled
1 8½ -ounce box corn muffin mix


METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first 5 ingredients, mixing well. Stir in corn
muffin mix. Pour into a greased 12x8x2 inches baking dish and bake for 45
minutes.

Notes:
I use low fat sour cream so I can use real butter and not margarine. I like
a prettier, deeper casserole dish. I like to use 1 cup or 2 ears corn
lightly roasted/toasted instead of the canned whole corn to add a smoky
flavor. I also add about 2 tablespoons of pico de gallo for a southwestern
flair and a little heat. That's one icecube frozen Might be nice with a
sprinkle of hot or mild paprika on top or stir a little cumin or powdered
chipotle in the dish. This is GREAT with about a half cup of fresh roasted
peeled chopped Hatch chile. I suppose one could stir in a great many things
which makes this one nice, including leftover chicken or ham or sliced
pimentos. My foodie friends will scorn me and make their own favorite corn
bread recipe. Y'all go ahead on, I was real tired tonight.
===
A dish that I hope to try realsoonnow is:

Tunisian Couscous Salad
From Matthew Kenney's Mediterranean Cooking (Canada, UK), by Matthew Kenney,
Sam Gugino, Paul Franz-Moore.

Even though I call this salad Tunisian, the ingredients could put it in
several countries of North Africa. The only thing you have to be concerned
about in this dish is overcooking the couscous by pouring on too much
boiling water. Otherwise, this salad is very forgiving. It allows you to
adjust seasonings and substitute other ingredients almost at will. Chopped
grilled vegetables, sautéed mushrooms, and grilled or poached chicken are
just a few of the ingredients that cart be added to this salad, which is
easily transformed into a main course.

Ingredients:
3 medium red bell peppers
1-1/2 cups instant couscous (10 ounces)
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne
1 large English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup Moroccan or other small, black, oil-cured olives, pitted and
coarsely chopped
2 green onions, white parts and about 3 inches of green parts, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler. Put the peppers on a sheet pan lined with foil and
broil for about 15 minutes, turning once or twice to ensure they blister and
blacken evenly. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool.
Peel, seed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Set aside.
Put the couscous in a large mixing bowl. Pour 2-1/4 cups boiling water over
the couscous. Add 1/2 tsp salt and stir. Cover with plastic wrap, and let
stand for 10 to 15 minutes, or until swollen and tender.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin. Season with
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
To peel fresh tomatoes, core them and put them in a pot with 2 quarts of
boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove, cool under running water, and
peel. Halve, lengthwise, and gently squeeze to remove the seeds.
Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the cucumber, olives, green onions,
garlic, tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Pour the dressing over the couscous
and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Just
before serving, stir in the parsley.
====
A hearty soup that freezes well:
5 Bean and Meat Soup


INGREDIENTS:
For Beans:
Kidney, White, Black, Cranberry, Blackeye, Navy (1/2 to 1 cup each); soak
separately for 12 hours.
For Soup Base:
3 cups chicken (or beef) broth
1 cup water
1 large onion, white, diced
1 Tbs. Chili Powder
1 Tbs. (approx 6) Bay Leaves
1 Tbs. New Mexican Chili Powder
1 Tbs. peppercorns, whole
1 tsp salt
3 Sicilian Sausages
3 Andouille Sausages
3 Medium-hot Italian Sausage
Optional: Stewed or Diced Tomatoes
For meatballs:
3 cups bread crumbs (I use Progresso Italian)
2/3 cup milk (not Blue John!)
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1-1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. oregano
Salt and Pepper
2 cups vegetable (or safflower) oil


METHOD:
The night before, soak beans in a large bowl. Discard water, rinse beans. If
pressed for time, you can also use S&W canned products. (I can't tell the
difference and cooking time can be reduced accordingly.)
Add broth, water, onion, chili powders, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt to
crockpot. Turn crockpot on low for eight hours or high for five hours. Add
beans, then the meatballs, and sausages when done cooking. Place lid on
crockpot and await finished product.
When making the meatballs, start by stirring together bread crumbs and milk
in a large bowl. It is important to use whole milk (or ½-and-½) for a richer
taste; do not use Blue John! Let mixture stand for approximately 10 minutes.
Add in meats; I use ground sirloin usually and a finely-ground "sausage"
pork. Then add in the crushed (not chopped or minced) garlic, the cheese,
both eggs, the parsley, the oregano, the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper;
blend with your hands until just combined well (beware over-mixing). Use a
#40 scoop to form meatballs.
Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers,
then fry meatballs, about 6 at a time, turning occasionally, until well
browned. Fry up sausages at this time, too. Transfer all items to crockpot.
Serve with fresh sour dough or ciabatta.

Good luck and I hope everything works out for the lady and her family that
you're assisting. They might not get the chance to say it but I know they'll
be appreciative of everything you and your church are doing for them.

The Ranger

On Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:38:20 -0400, Kajikit >
wrote:

>One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).


Meatloaf
Roast chicken, carved or cut into pieces
Casserole or pot pie
Cold cuts and pasta salad
Chicken salad
Tuna salad
Fresh bread, sliced. other sandwich fixings.

The Ranger <cuhulain _ > wrote in message
ndwidth...

[snip recipes]

Sorry about the Couscous recipe; I missed the beefsteak tomato ingredient.
I'm not sure if keeping them out would impact the salad or not but it might
be worth the try.

The Ranger

On Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:38:20 -0400, Kajikit >
wrote:

>One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

I'll post some recipes. Some are tried others read well and are on my
to do list. You use your best judgment about reheating. Here's one
for starters.

Greek Style Garlic Chicken Breast

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons crushed and finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1/3 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon oregano (Greek, if you can find it)

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt,
pepper, and paprika for about 30 seconds. Place chicken in a large
bowl, and pour marinade over coating well. Cover, and refrigerate
overnight.

Preheat grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.

Cook chicken on grill until meat is no longer pink and juices run
clear.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"Kajikit" ha scritto nel messaggio

> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a>
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now...
Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,> so chilli,
spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest> meals I can think
of!

I made this Saturday night and it was delicious. Just substitute cream for
the tomato juice.
Pepper and Salami Tart
preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F

pizza or bread dough, rolled out to line a 9? pie tin or cake tin. I used a
layer cake pan, and I lined it first with the parchment or oven paper that
came with the pizza dough. That was a really good idea, because this is not
easy to cut, even with the paper!Fold over the edge and crimp

3-4 red peppers, depending on size, roasted or grilled to scorch the skin,
then rested and peeled.

80 g or 3 ounces of piquant salami or peperoni, cut into squares

1 clove garlic, creamed by using a knife and salt

1 heaped tablespoon capers, minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 eggs, beaten

200 ml or 6.75 fl ounces tomato juice or passata di pomodoro

pinch of cayenne or peperoncino in polvere

First scorch or bake the red peppers as you prefer to do so that the skin
will come off easily after a few minutes of rest in a paper sack. Then peel
the peppers, remove the innards, then cut into slices with your knife.

Then stack up the salami or peperoni and cut into squares with that knife.

Next mince those capers. You can use those from a bottle very handily. Break
the 3 eggs into a medium sized bowl, add the tomato juice/passata and the
cayenne pepper and whisk together until smooth. Add the garlic, oregano and
capers and stir in well, then the cooked pepper strips and squares of
salami, just stirring in.

Pour this into the lined pan, cover the edges with aluminum foil, then cook
it in the oven for 40 minutes. When it was 15 minutes from being done, I
added 3 slices of salami, folded over, as a garnish. That looked good, but
made it harder to cut.

chicken and dumplings
chicken, broccoli, cheese, and rice casserole
hearty quick breads and muffins
cheese strata
frozen fruit salad
red beans and rice
soup -- broccoli, potato, vegetable
twice baked potatoes

Tara

"Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!

cybercat wrote:
> "Kajikit" > wrote in message
> ...
>> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).
>
> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!
>
>
As a side question to this thread- when you prepare a casserole for
someone, do you deliver it unbaked? hot and ready? baked yet cooled for
reheating...? I never want to assume they're going to eat the dish that
very night unless I've confirmed it with them in advance. But I also
worry about how best to package and deliver the food for their
convenience yet want the dish to remain in best condition.

I have a new mommy to cook for and wonder how people best like to send
(or receive) these food offerings?

Kajikit wrote:
> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

Bland, smooth, calorie-packed. Pasta of some sort comes readily
to mind (not in tomato sauce).

--
Jean B.

Goomba wrote:
> cybercat wrote:
>> "Kajikit" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>>> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>>> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>>> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>>> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>>> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>>> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>>> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>>> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>>> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).
>>
>> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!
>>
> As a side question to this thread- when you prepare a casserole for
> someone, do you deliver it unbaked? hot and ready? baked yet cooled for
> reheating...? I never want to assume they're going to eat the dish that
> very night unless I've confirmed it with them in advance. But I also
> worry about how best to package and deliver the food for their
> convenience yet want the dish to remain in best condition.
>
> I have a new mommy to cook for and wonder how people best like to send
> (or receive) these food offerings?


At the very least it should be freezer friendly - in a freezer to oven
type dish - so they can decide on their own.

Tracy

On Jul 21, 12:55*pm, Goomba > wrote:
> As a side question to this thread- when you prepare a casserole for
> someone, do you deliver it unbaked? hot and ready? baked yet cooled for
> reheating...? I never want to assume they're going to eat the dish that
> very night unless I've confirmed it with them in advance. But I also
> worry about how best to package and deliver the food for their
> convenience yet want the dish to remain in best condition.

I deliver them baked but cooled with the option to freeze if
necessary; it's seemed to be the most welcomed by those I've provided
for.

The Ranger

"Kajikit" > wrote in message ...
| One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
| fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
| starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
| them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
| so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
| meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
| that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
| going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
| broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
| have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

The other food problem is purines. While they are a no-no for
people who have gout, they are also harmful to cancer patients
having certain forms of chemotherapy, as the chemo drugs are
made from purines and they can interact. She should know about
this, although if she is in her third recurrence probably anything
that tastes good to her is of primary interest in keeping her strength
and stamina up. Here is a good purine list, a lot more on the inter-
actions through google, of course. Good luck.
http://www.acumedico.com/purine.htm

pavane

Kajikit wrote:
>
> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

First, you'll need a complete list
of the forbidden foods. Curry, tumeric,
grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
be on the list because they interefere with
chemotherapy.

Goomba wrote:
> cybercat wrote:
>
>> "Kajikit" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>>> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>>> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>>> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>>> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>>> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>>> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>>> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>>> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>>> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).
>>
>>
>> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!
>>
> As a side question to this thread- when you prepare a casserole for
> someone, do you deliver it unbaked? hot and ready? baked yet cooled for
> reheating...? I never want to assume they're going to eat the dish that
> very night unless I've confirmed it with them in advance. But I also
> worry about how best to package and deliver the food for their
> convenience yet want the dish to remain in best condition.
>
> I have a new mommy to cook for and wonder how people best like to send
> (or receive) these food offerings?

When a co-worker's three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer we
took turns sending dinners for four cooked, chilled and packed for
either reheating or freezing, in small coolers, along with paper plates,
plastic utensils, napkins and packets of any logical condiments. We
also sent notes, cards, funny pictures and little toys for the girl.

The child was in the hospital, on TPN, so the meals were for her
family/support personnel. Her dad brought the day's offering along to
the hospital where he, mom, and usually one or more of her nurses heated
it up in the microwave in the lounge.

The girl's dad said that although the coolers were dropped off by his
desk early in the day, he always made himself wait until dinner time to
open them - saving a little surprise for when he felt the most tired and
grim.

"Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

Mac Cheese-there are many variations of that.

"Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

Fettucini Alfredo w/steamed veggies.

On Jul 21, 1:55*pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
> "Kajikit" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> > fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> > starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> > them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> > so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> > meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> > that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> > going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> > broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> > have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).
>
> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!

No. That's for someone who only has weeks to live. It makes dying
seem better when you know that at least you won't be served crap like
that anymore.

--Bryan

Kajikit wrote:
>
> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

White pizza, with white sauce rather than tomato (use spinach or
veggies)
Meatloaf with a sauce they would like.
Spaghetti with a sauce other than tomato (there are thousands of those)
Macaroni cheese
Beef (or pork or lamb) stew
Salads with some protein (as in meat or cheese or beans)
Chile made without tomatoes
Any sort of roast, sliced with accompanying vegetables
Platter of sandwich meats, celery and carrot sticks and bread/rolls

It's a nice thing you are doing and good luck in her treatment!

On Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:50:55 -0500, Kathleen
> wrote:

>Goomba wrote:
>> cybercat wrote:
>>
>>> "Kajikit" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>>> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>>>> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>>>> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>>>> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>>>> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>>>> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>>>> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>>>> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>>>> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>>>> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).
>>>
>>>
>>> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!
>>>
>> As a side question to this thread- when you prepare a casserole for
>> someone, do you deliver it unbaked? hot and ready? baked yet cooled for
>> reheating...? I never want to assume they're going to eat the dish that
>> very night unless I've confirmed it with them in advance. But I also
>> worry about how best to package and deliver the food for their
>> convenience yet want the dish to remain in best condition.
>>
>> I have a new mommy to cook for and wonder how people best like to send
>> (or receive) these food offerings?
>
>When a co-worker's three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer we
>took turns sending dinners for four cooked, chilled and packed for
>either reheating or freezing, in small coolers, along with paper plates,
>plastic utensils, napkins and packets of any logical condiments. We
>also sent notes, cards, funny pictures and little toys for the girl.
>
>The child was in the hospital, on TPN, so the meals were for her
>family/support personnel. Her dad brought the day's offering along to
>the hospital where he, mom, and usually one or more of her nurses heated
>it up in the microwave in the lounge.
>
>The girl's dad said that although the coolers were dropped off by his
>desk early in the day, he always made himself wait until dinner time to
>open them - saving a little surprise for when he felt the most tired and
>grim.

What a nice thing to do for the family! I'm sure it made a horrible
situation a little easier to take... food is the last thing on
people's minds at that sort of time, but you have to eat.

On Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:48:13 -0700, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>Kajikit wrote:
>>
>> One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>> fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>> starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>> them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>> so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>> meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>> that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>> going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>> broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>> have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).
>
>First, you'll need a complete list
>of the forbidden foods. Curry, tumeric,
>grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
>be on the list because they interefere with
>chemotherapy.

We had them over for dinner a few months ago, and the only thing her
husband said Amy can't have is tomato sauces... I'll check though.
Somebody else took them dinner today so I'll take my soup and quiche
along tomorrow and ask if there's anything else that she can't eat.
She's stopped chemo now because she starts radiation treatments in a
few days and they can't do both at once.

Kajikit wrote:

> We had them over for dinner a few months ago, and the only thing her
> husband said Amy can't have is tomato sauces... I'll check though.
> Somebody else took them dinner today so I'll take my soup and quiche
> along tomorrow and ask if there's anything else that she can't eat.
> She's stopped chemo now because she starts radiation treatments in a
> few days and they can't do both at once.

You're a good friend.

nancy

Kajikit wrote:
>
> We had them over for dinner a few months ago, and the only thing her
> husband said Amy can't have is tomato sauces... I'll check though.
> Somebody else took them dinner today so I'll take my soup and quiche
> along tomorrow and ask if there's anything else that she can't eat.
> She's stopped chemo now because she starts radiation treatments in a
> few days and they can't do both at once.

Also, once her immune system has declined from
the chemotherapy and radiation, she'll have to
avoid sources of infection. I believe this will
rule out raw fruit and vegetables, maybe some
other stuff. There might be special requirements
for cooking fruit and vegetables to an acceptable
level of safety. There are organisms in the
household environment that will survive pressure
cooking for 45 minutes at 15 lbs., though I don't
think these ones are dangerous.

Bobo replied to cyber****:

>> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!
>
> No. That's for someone who only has weeks to live. It makes dying seem
> better when you know that at least you won't be served crap like that
> anymore.

cyber****'s husband has *got* to be the most miserable and unsatisfied man
on the planet.

Bob

"Goomba" > wrote in message
...
>>
> As a side question to this thread- when you prepare a casserole for
> someone, do you deliver it unbaked? hot and ready? baked yet cooled for
> reheating...? I never want to assume they're going to eat the dish that
> very night unless I've confirmed it with them in advance. But I also worry
> about how best to package and deliver the food for their convenience yet
> want the dish to remain in best condition.
>
> I have a new mommy to cook for and wonder how people best like to send (or
> receive) these food offerings?

We received a lot of dishes after my father died, and specifically a lasagna
was already cooked and only needed reheating. We served that dish up over
several days including after the funeral. Everyone raved over it every
time. I think some dishes keep getting flavor over a few days of reheating.

"Bobo Bonobo®" > wrote in message
...
On Jul 21, 1:55 pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
>
> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!

No. That's for someone who only has weeks to live. It makes dying
seem better when you know that at least you won't be served crap like
that anymore.

-------------------------------------------------

Tuna casserole is a classic. Not sure why you think it's crap.

On Jul 21, 8:51*pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> Kajikit wrote:
>
> > We had them over for dinner a few months ago, and the only thing her
> > husband said Amy can't have is tomato sauces... I'll check though.
> > Somebody else took them dinner today so I'll take my soup and quiche
> > along tomorrow and ask if there's anything else that she can't eat.
> > She's stopped chemo now because she starts radiation treatments in a
> > few days and they can't do both at once.
>
> Also, once her immune system has declined from
> the chemotherapy and radiation, she'll have to
> avoid sources of infection. *I believe this will
> rule out raw fruit and vegetables, maybe some
> other stuff. *There might be special requirements
> for cooking fruit and vegetables to an acceptable
> level of safety. *There are organisms in the
> household environment that will survive pressure
> cooking for 45 minutes at 15 lbs., though I don't
> think these ones are dangerous.

You make a lot of assumptions that none of us are qualified to make.
I went through chemo and was told to eat whatever I could tolerate.


"Curry, tumeric, grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
be on the list because they interefere with
chemotherapy."
What kind of chemotherapy? do you know what drugs this person is on? I
don't, I do know when I had my chemo, I was eating 1-2 grapefruits a
day for 2 months... doctors knew and didn't tell me it interfered with
anything.

raw veggies, onions,

Again, we don't know what drugs she's on.

you make an awful lot of assumptions about things you know nothing
about.
When you undergo chemo, your body is so ****ed up in so many different
directions, the doctors don't care what you eat, as long as it
doesn't make you feel worse than you already do.

none of your business wrote:
>
> On Jul 21, 8:51 pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
>
> "Curry, tumeric, grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
> be on the list because they interefere with
> chemotherapy."
> What kind of chemotherapy? do you know what drugs this person is on? I
> don't, I do know when I had my chemo, I was eating 1-2 grapefruits a
> day for 2 months... doctors knew and didn't tell me it interfered with
> anything.

There's a phenomenon called multidrug resistance.
When you become resistant to one drug, you become
resistant to all of them. Certain components
of common foods stimulate the SXR receptor, which
initiates the cascade of events which characterize
multidrug resistance, specifically transcriptional
up-regulation of the drug transporter P-glycoprotein
and the drug metabolizer CYP3A4.

Without specific information to the contrary,
it would be a very bad idea to eat foods which
interfere with the regulation of this mechanism.

Apparently, you disagree with this. Upon what
information do you assert that it is okay to eat
foods that stimulate SXR or in other ways affect
drug clearance from the body?

If you've got specific information to the
contrary, I'd like to hear it, because it
sounds to me like you are speaking out of
ignorance. Dangerous ignorance.

Mark Thorson wrote:

> First, you'll need a complete list
> of the forbidden foods. Curry, tumeric,
> grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
> be on the list because they interefere with
> chemotherapy.

Says who? Got a citation for that claim?
We always told patients to eat whatever they wanted if that is what they
wanted and their condition allowed. Many suffer ulcerations of their
oral cavity because of the way chemotherapy interferes with cell
replication. Epithelial cells in the mouth are very sensitive to this
and it often makes eating painful. So finding foods that nourish, yet
aren't difficult to eat are important. And yet everyones tolerance varies.

On Jul 21, 10:51*pm, Goomba > wrote:
> Mark Thorson wrote:
> > First, you'll need a complete list
> > of the forbidden foods. *Curry, tumeric,
> > grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
> > be on the list because they interefere with
> > chemotherapy.
>
> Says who? Got a citation for that claim?
> We always told patients to eat whatever they wanted if that is what they
> wanted and their condition allowed. *Many suffer ulcerations of their
> oral cavity because of the way chemotherapy interferes with cell
> replication. *Epithelial cells in the mouth are very sensitive to this
> and it often makes eating painful. So finding foods that nourish, yet
> aren't difficult to eat are important. And yet everyones tolerance varies..

I was on Abraxane 1x week and Carpoplatin 1x every 3 weeks. And for 2
solid months, all I wanted to eat was Red Texas Grapefruits. 1-2 a
day. And steak and lots of carbs. and I told the chemo nurses and the
oncologist about every weird food craving I had and the answer was
always "if that's what you want to eat and you feel ok, that's what
you eat." beef cravings made sense, you need meat to build red blood
cells. the only warning I got was not to eat soy except in very small
quantities because my cancer was estrogen fed and soy is a phyto-
estrogen. Otherwise, my experience with eating during cancer treatment
was "eat what you can".

Goomba wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > First, you'll need a complete list
> > of the forbidden foods. Curry, tumeric,
> > grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
> > be on the list because they interefere with
> > chemotherapy.
>
> Says who? Got a citation for that claim?

Yes, I can. Apparently you are unfamiliar with
a phenomenon called multidrug resistance, and its
causes. It is caused by up-regulation of several
drug clearance mechanisms, in particular those mediated
by P-gp and CYP3A4.

> We always told patients to eat whatever they wanted if that is what they
> wanted and their condition allowed. Many suffer ulcerations of their
> oral cavity because of the way chemotherapy interferes with cell
> replication. Epithelial cells in the mouth are very sensitive to this
> and it often makes eating painful. So finding foods that nourish, yet
> aren't difficult to eat are important. And yet everyones tolerance varies.

You may have given poor advice, which accelerated
progress toward multidrug resistance for some of
your patients.

none of your business wrote:
>
> On Jul 21, 10:51 pm, Goomba > wrote:
> > Mark Thorson wrote:
> > > First, you'll need a complete list
> > > of the forbidden foods. Curry, tumeric,
> > > grapefruit, and yellow onions would certainly
> > > be on the list because they interefere with
> > > chemotherapy.
> >
> > Says who? Got a citation for that claim?
> > We always told patients to eat whatever they wanted if that is what they
> > wanted and their condition allowed. Many suffer ulcerations of their
> > oral cavity because of the way chemotherapy interferes with cell
> > replication. Epithelial cells in the mouth are very sensitive to this
> > and it often makes eating painful. So finding foods that nourish, yet
> > aren't difficult to eat are important. And yet everyones tolerance varies.
>
> I was on Abraxane 1x week and Carpoplatin 1x every 3 weeks. And for 2
> solid months, all I wanted to eat was Red Texas Grapefruits. 1-2 a
> day. And steak and lots of carbs. and I told the chemo nurses and the
> oncologist about every weird food craving I had and the answer was
> always "if that's what you want to eat and you feel ok, that's what
> you eat." beef cravings made sense, you need meat to build red blood
> cells. the only warning I got was not to eat soy except in very small
> quantities because my cancer was estrogen fed and soy is a phyto-
> estrogen. Otherwise, my experience with eating during cancer treatment
> was "eat what you can".

In other words, you know nothing of the medical
literature on this subject, and yet you have the
audacity to criticize someone who is familiar
with these issues. You are a fool.

In the case of grapefruit, it contains naringen,
which suppresses P-gp expression, thus increasing
the potency of chemotherapy drugs. You really
don't want to be increasing or decreasing the
potency of these drugs, because they have a low
therapeutic index, that is to say, the difference
between an effective dose and a toxic dose is low.
Modulators of drug clearance should be avoided,
so that the physician can titrate the dose.


Z Naturforsch C. 2009 Jan-Feb;64(1-2):109-16.
Modulation of anticancer drug-induced P-glycoprotein
expression by naringin.
Ali MM, Agha FG, El-Sammad NM, Hassan SK.
Biochemistry Department, Division of Genetic Engineering
and Biotechnology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a phenomenon that is often
associated with decreased intracellular drug accumulation in
the tumour cells of a patient, resulting from enhanced drug
efflux. It is often related to the overexpression of
P-glycoprotein (P-gp) on the surface of tumour cells,
thereby reducing drug cytotoxicity. In the present study,
naringin (the predominant flavonone found in grapefruit and
other related citrus species) was tested for its potential
ability to modulate the expression of P-gp in a short-term
animal bioassay, in comparison with verapamil (a calcium
channel blocker and positive MDR reversal agent). Western
blot analysis showed that pre-treatment by i.p.
administration of 5 mg naringin/kg body weight for
3 consecutive days prior to doxorubicin (the most common
used anticancer drug which induces MDR) administration was
able to significantly lower the P-gp expression reaching
nearly the level of animals treated with verapamil. Moreover,
pre-treatment with naringin prior to doxorubicin increased
the sensitivity to the drug. Naringin inhibited the
doxorubicin-stimulated ATPase activity demonstrating that
naringin may interact directly with the transporter. In
addition, the results demonstrated that induction of both
glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) by
doxorubicin is consistent with an increased ATP-dependent
doxorubicin transport. Thus, naringin seems to modulate
the in vivo expression of P-gp. In summary, the present
study describes the dual modulation of P-gp expression and
function by the flavonoid naringin, which may be an
attractive new agent for the chemosensitization of cancer
cells.

Kajikit wrote:

> On Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:50:55 -0500, Kathleen
> > wrote:
>
>
>>Goomba wrote:
>>
>>>cybercat wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>"Kajikit" > wrote in message
m...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>>>>>fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>>>>>starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>>>>>them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>>>>>so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>>>>>meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>>>>>that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>>>>>going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>>>>>broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>>>>>have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!
>>>>
>>>
>>>As a side question to this thread- when you prepare a casserole for
>>>someone, do you deliver it unbaked? hot and ready? baked yet cooled for
>>>reheating...? I never want to assume they're going to eat the dish that
>>>very night unless I've confirmed it with them in advance. But I also
>>>worry about how best to package and deliver the food for their
>>>convenience yet want the dish to remain in best condition.
>>>
>>>I have a new mommy to cook for and wonder how people best like to send
>>>(or receive) these food offerings?
>>
>>When a co-worker's three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer we
>>took turns sending dinners for four cooked, chilled and packed for
>>either reheating or freezing, in small coolers, along with paper plates,
>>plastic utensils, napkins and packets of any logical condiments. We
>>also sent notes, cards, funny pictures and little toys for the girl.
>>
>>The child was in the hospital, on TPN, so the meals were for her
>>family/support personnel. Her dad brought the day's offering along to
>>the hospital where he, mom, and usually one or more of her nurses heated
>>it up in the microwave in the lounge.
>>
>>The girl's dad said that although the coolers were dropped off by his
>>desk early in the day, he always made himself wait until dinner time to
>>open them - saving a little surprise for when he felt the most tired and
>>grim.
>
>
> What a nice thing to do for the family! I'm sure it made a horrible
> situation a little easier to take... food is the last thing on
> people's minds at that sort of time, but you have to eat.

We kept a sort of list. You signed up for a day and listed what you
were going to send so we didn't wind up duplicating meals too much.

Some of the dinners:

Meat loaf, gravy, mashed potatoes and apple sauce

Chicken fajitas, tortillas, shredded cheese, chips, salsa, sour cream
and grapes

Cold fried chicken, chunks of seedless watermelon and bottles of Fitz's
Root Beer

Lasagna, green salad and garlic bread

Pasta salad with turkey and mozzarella cheese, and bing cherries

There were lots of others, including various stir-frys and casseroles.
The fact that we weren't cooking for the little girl and didn't have to
work around dietary restrictions made it a little easier. We always
tried to send some sort of fruit or light salad since sometimes that was
the only thing her stressed-out mom could stomach. Homemade food never
goes to waste on a nursing floor, anyway. Leftovers placed in the staff
fridge labelled "Help yourself" always vanish by dawn.

The little girl enjoyed fancy lollipops, even the weird flavors like
"blue raspberry" and "cotton candy" and thought a bouquet of assorted
striped candy sticks was the coolest thing ever.

On Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:38:20 -0400, Kajikit >
wrote:

>One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>fourth time, so naturally they're overwhelmed right now... She's
>starting treatment again this week and we want to do something to help
>them out. Amy can't have anything tomatoey because of the medication,
>so chilli, spaghetti, pizza etc are all out and they're the easiest
>meals I can think of! What are some easy-to-reheat, easy-to-make meals
>that I could take over to them? I made them a quiche yesterday and I'm
>going to make some chicken soup today to go with it (I have homemade
>broth in the fridge and I'm roasting a chicken for our dinner so I'll
>have nice fresh chicken to put in the soup).

How about chicken fried rice or pork fried rice? I make these and
freeze them in meal-sized containers for when DH and I have
conflicting supper schedules.

Jo Anne

"none of your business" > wrote:

>You make a lot of assumptions that none of us are qualified to make.
>I went through chemo and was told to eat whatever I could tolerate.




Mark is stupid and arrogant.

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> "Bobo Bonobo®" > wrote in message
> ...
> On Jul 21, 1:55 pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
>>
>> Macaroni tuna cheese casserole!
>
> No. That's for someone who only has weeks to live. It makes dying
> seem better when you know that at least you won't be served crap like
> that anymore.
>
> -------------------------------------------------
>
> Tuna casserole is a classic. Not sure why you think it's crap.

Because he is an asshole. This is the guy who poisoned a dog.

"Jo Anne Slaven" wrote:
> Kajikit wrote:
>
>>One of the ladies at church has just had her cancer come back for a
>>fourth time,
>
> How about fried rice.

Cancer back for the 4th time... what to make... how about a pitcher of 2nis
and a will.

On Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:00:33 -0400, cybercat wrote:

> "none of your business" > wrote:
>
>>You make a lot of assumptions that none of us are qualified to make.
>>I went through chemo and was told to eat whatever I could tolerate.
>
> Mark is stupid and arrogant.

but are you qualified to make that assumption?

your pal,
blake