The Chemo Cookbook

Chemotherapy : Latin for "these medications have too many damn syllables!"

For the past two weeks, I've been home in Greensboro with my folks. This is the longest I've been home since my mother was diagnosed, and it's been an experience, to say the least.  Two weeks marks a "cycle" in my family's life now.  Every other Tuesday is Chemo Day, meaning I got to live through Chemo Week and Normal Week while I've been here.  I've seen the ups and downs, and I actually attended Chemotherapy.

side note : I HATE HOSPITALS! end side note.

Now, there's not a lot I can really do to help out around here.  I mean, I've done yard work and I helped take care of the dog, but I can't speed the healing process and I can't pay the bills. What I CAN do is take over the kitchen.

You see, a nasty little side-effect of Chemotherapy is toll it takes on your taste buds.  My mom has lost most of her ability to taste.  Apparently, everything tastes like sawdust, or it doesn't taste at all.  And when your body is fighting against itself all day, you kinda need the nutrition.  Go figure.

There are so many different schools of thought on what to eat when you have cancer.  There's the raw food diet.  Stay away from sugars.  Eat this, not that.  But honestly, in cases like this, you eat what you can when you can.  If Mama's craving ice cream, then Mama's gonna HAVE it!  So THIS is an area where I could help.  I started researching (a special "thank you" to all the readers who responded to my REDDIT THREAD) and then I got to work.  After a rigorous day of taste-testing where I made about nine different things, trying to piece together what she can taste and what she can't, I have come to the following conclusion : GARLIC.  And Zucchini, apparently.  Those, she can taste. Oh and, weirdly enough, Tootsie Rolls.


This, while delicious, did nothing. Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Sauce. For her, it wasn't like tasting sawdust, but rather like not eating anything at all.
But for those of you who still have full command of your taste buds, I'd recommend it :) You can find it on my Pinterest, here!


These she could taste pretty well, and they're really easy to make! It's one of those recipes that you can adapt to fit your needs, so we're going to make them again with more garlic!
Very easy, mini chicken pot pies. You don't even need to make a dry crust, the Bisquick base cooks with it! The Lazy Chef approves :)

But THIS was our winner. Slow-Cooker Sesame Chicken. Easy to make, DELICIOUS, and very few ingredients!

Little tip for those of you trying to eat healthy, or just looking to add more flavor to your meals: Brown rice is so much better for you, but it's not nearly as tasty as white rice ... cook it in chicken broth!

Again, all of those recipes, as well as several others I'm planning to try, can be found on my "Pearls in the Kitchen" board on Pinterest. And now, I'm on the hunt for more recipes that are heavy on the garlic!  If anyone has anything to throw my way, please let me know!