May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!
~ Robert Frost

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. This is my story of how I faced my risk of breast cancer, the decisions I made, the support I received and my week by week recovery from surgery. I chose to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with immediate DIEP reconstruction at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston (March 2010). For more information on my 'Medical Team' please see tab above. I also have a wonderful circle of friends who have supported me throughout. They have provided us with lots of delicious meals and desserts. Many of those recipes are included above under "Feed the Flap" recipes. "Feed the Flap" is a term I coined when trying to increase my abdominal (fat) flap to ensure that I was a good candidate for the DIEP procedure. This was not something recommended by any medical professional, it was just something that made sense to me. I think it worked!! Feel free to join me on this journey and feel free to post comments.

Select the tabs on the left side marked Week 1, Week 2, Week 3..... to go immediately to the surgical/recovery part of this blog.


Feed-the-Flap RECIPES

For about a year before my surgery I was preparing by 'feeding the flap'. Since I was planning to have immediate DIEP reconstruction I wanted to assured that my 'flap' would provide enough material for breast about equal in size to the ones I was leaving behind. So, I started a 'feed the flap' campaign to grow my flap. Now, keep in mind, this was NOT recommended by any of the many doctors I spoke with along the way. They were typically amused, but very clearly told me that my new breasts would gain and lose weight as my body gains or loses weight; therefore if I am artificially gaining weight my new breasts may lose weight when I get back to my normal body size. I understood that, but still didn't want to be a marginal DIEP candidate.

So, a couple of weeks before my surgery, we hosted a FEED THE FLAP potluck party. Aside for terrific company and delicious food, we also had lots of foods to 'seal and save' for when we returned from Boston and didn't feel like cooking.

I plan to put the recipes online so that I can always find them when life gets chaotic and I want comfort food and can't find them. I don't have any recipes right now, but will post them as they come in. Hopefully as time goes on and I make these again, I will take photos to post.
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CHICKEN & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE (Brenda)
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2-3 cups shredded chicken (cooked)
  • 2 cups cooked chopped broccoli
Mix above ingredients together. Place in non-greased 13x9 casserole dish. Top with moisten, but uncooked stovetop stuffing (chicken flavor). Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 
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CHERRY PINEAPPLE COCONUT DUMP CAKE (Brenda)

  • 1 can cherry pie filling
  • 1 regular can of crushed pineapple (well-drained)
  • 1 french vanilla (or flavor of your choice) cake mix
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cups coconut (topping)
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 - 1 cup water
  • pecans (topping)
In an ungreased 9x13 pan make layer of cherry pie filling, next layer is well-drained layer of pineapple; next layer is the cake mix dry - sprinkle on top of pineapple layer. Melt butter, remove from stove. Add water to the butter, then drizzle that on top of dry cake mix. Sprinkle on coconut and pecans and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. 
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BLUEBERRY PIE (Brenda)
  • Two Pillsbury, unbaked (rolled) pie crusts
  • 3 cups of frozen MAINE blueberries
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cups of sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup flour
Place blueberries in uncooked pie shell then sprinkle remaining ingredients on top and cover with remaining pie shell. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (or until golden brown and bubbly). 
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HERBED ROLLS (Brenda)
  • Frozen Hannaford Unrisen Yeast Rolls (12 to a package)
  • 3 tbsp butter (melted)
  • Herbs - Italian herb seasoning
Allow rolls to thaw just enough so that you can cut each roll in half. Mix seasoning in melted butter. Dip the rolls into the butter/herb mixture, coating well. Place in a ungreased 9x9 pan. Cover with saranwrap. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 
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TACO SOUP (Rita)
  • 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 15 1/4 oz can corn, undrained
  • 15 oz can black beans, undrained
  • 15 1/2 oz can red kidney beans, undrained
  • 1 envelope dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
  • 1 envelope dry taco seasoning
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • tortilla chips
  • shredded cheese
Combine all ingredients, except chips and cheese, in a slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Garnish individual servings with chips and cheese.
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BLUEBERRY BUCKLE (Marcy via Kristine)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups blueberries
  • In large bowl cream butter and sugar, add egg, milk and baking powder. Mix well. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, fold in blueberries, pour into greased 13x9 pan.

TOPPING:
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, mix with pastry cutter until crumbly, sprinkle evenly on top of the cake batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
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