Everything Cures Melanoma!!! (And yes, we're up to installment #9 - with no actual cure!)

Yes, I look forward to the day when I can make that announcement with no sarcasm and cease to make these crazy lists!  Here's the link to the last installment:  Everything Cures Melanoma....#8  Sigh.  Until then....

We have known for sometime that psychotropic agents like Thorazine kills melanoma.  Now:

Psychotropic agent thioridazine elicits potent in vitro and in vivo anti-melanoma effects. Jiang, Chen, Shen, et al. Biomed Pharmacother. 2017 Nov.

Psychotropic agents have been shown anti-tumor potential in recent years. In the present study, our in vitro pharmacological data indicated that thioridazine inhibited melanoma cells proliferation. The growth-arresting effect of thioridazine was accompanied by autophagy induction, as shown by immunoblotting of increased LC3II. Besides, certain apoptotic events had also occurred after thioridazine exposure. The in vivo anti-melanoma effect of thioridazine was confirmed by showing that intraperitoneally injection of thioriazine remarkably retarded tumor growth and reduced tumor vasculature. Our results imply that thioridazine might be an available therapeutic agent for melanoma patients with no better options.

Of course, that does leave the tiny little hiccup of having to take psychotropic agents...among other things!!!

Antimelanomic Effects of High- and Low-Molecular Weight Bioactive Subfractions Isolated from the Mossy Maze Mushroom, Cerrena unicolor (Agaricomycetes). Statkiewicz, Matuszawska, Jaszek.  Int J Med Mushrooms. 2017

Three bioactive fractions isolated from Cerrena unicolor cultures-crude endopolysaccharide (c-EPS), laccase, and a subfraction of low-molecular weight secondary metabolites-were used to determine potential cytotoxic effects on the mouse melanoma B16-F10 cell line (American Type Culture Collection CRL-6475). The results obtained prove that all examined fractions exhibited activity against the investigated tumor cells. In addition, an evident immunomodulatory effect of the c-EPS fraction was observed. Our results show that the levels of 2 cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-a and chemokine ligand 2) in mouse inner medullary collecting duct mIMCD-3 cells (American Type Culture Collection CRL-2123) stimulated by c-EPS were significantly higher. A lipopolysaccharide model was used at the same concentration (10 μg/mL) as a positive control.

Yes, mossy maze mushrooms look like lichen I see on trees everywhere....but there you go!  Wanted you to see it just in case you thought anti-melanoma effects were limited to Shiitakes! (If you're interested in that one, check out this post from 2012: Shiitakes - Much ado about mushrooms!)  And speaking of lichen....

The Polysaccharide Extracted from Umbilicaria esculenta Inhibits Proliferation of Melanoma Cells through ROS-Activated Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway. Sun, Li, Zhang, et al. Biol Pharm Bull. 2018;41.

Cooked!

Raw as found in nature...

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers with an increasing rate of morbidity. Umbilicaria esculenta is an edible lichen and its main component of extracts-polysaccharide (PUE) has shown significant antitumor effects in a variety of cancer types such as stomach adenocarcinoma. However, whether it has an anti-melanoma effect and the underlying mechanism has not been revealed. In this article, we showed that PUE extracted from Umbilicaria esculenta could inhibit the growth of A875 and A375 melanoma cells but without obvious toxicity to normal vascular endothelial cells. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in A875 cells was significantly elevated when treated with PUE for 24h. In addition, the expression of caspase-3 and -9 also increased as compared to the controlled group which resulted in the apoptosis of A875 melanoma cells. In the meantime, when pre-treated with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the ROS scavenger, PUE induced apoptosis and cell death could be reversed via suppression of elevated generation of ROS and ROS-mediated caspase-9 expression. In summary, our study demonstrated that PUE extracts from Umbilicaria esculenta have a potent anti-melanoma effect through the induction of ROS and caspases-3 and -9. It could provide a promising strategy of melanoma therapy with the components from the extracts of natural and edible plants such as lichen Umbilicaria esculenta.

The more you know!!!  Apparently pretty delicious and part of Korean cuisine!

Dietary Crocin Reverses Melanoma Metastasis. Bakashi, Lukmanul, Sam, and Javid. J Biomed Res. 2017 Nov 1.

Crocus sativus and its bioactive constituent crocin are well known for anti-tumor potential in different models. However, the efficacy of crocin on in-vivo melanoma metastasis is not yet reported. In this study, melanoma metastatic model was developed by tail vein injection of B16F-10 cells in to C57BL/6 mice. Metastatic mice treated with two different doses of crocin (250 and 500 µg/kg of bodyweight) for 10 days and parameters such as lung metastasis inhibition, mean survival time, lung hydroxyproline, uronic acid and hexosamine levels were analyzed after 21 days of treatment. Then blood was collected and serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (g-GGT), sialic acid, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-6, IL-2, and TIMP-1 levels were measured. Further, a lung histological examination was done in crocin treated metastatic mice. Subsequently hallmark metastatic parameters such as matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), extracellular regulated kinase 2 (ERK2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and K-ras gene expression were investigated in the lungs of crocin treated metastatic mice. Further, in-vitro adhesion, invasion and migration of B16F-10 cells were examined after 24 h of crocin (5 and 10 µg/mL) treatment. Administration of crocin to tumor bearing C57BL/6 mice reduced the lung metastasis by 85%. Elevated levels of hydroxyproline, uronic acid, hexosamine, serum sialic acid andg-GGT in metastatic control were found to be significantly reduced in crocin treated mice. Crocin also inhibited expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, ERK-2, K-ras, and VEGF. Crocin reduced the ability of B16F-10 cells invasion, migration and adhesion by upregulating E-cadherin expression. In conclusion, crocin elicited marked anti-metastatic potential by regulating the metastasis induced biomarkers.

And what, you might ask, is Crocus Sativus.....that so helpfully cured these poor little mice???

Yep, my favorite Harbinger of Spring....the pretty, tiny, unassuming crocus that grows from bulbs.

It is not clear from the report if they are referring to using the bulbs, leaves, petals, or the super pricey saffron threads harvested from the crocus.  If it's the saffron threads themselves...that may set your bank account back just as much as immunotherapy!!!

Ciprofloxacin-mediated induction of S-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in COLO829 melanoma cells. Beberok, Wrzesniok, Minecka, et al. Pharmacol Rep. 2017 Jul 16.

Low effectiveness of anti-melanoma therapies makes it necessary to search for new drugs that could improve or replace the standard chemotherapy. Fluoroquinolones are a group of synthetic antibiotics, used in the treatment of wide range of bacterial infections. Moreover, this class of antibiotics has shown promising anti-tumor activity in several cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ciprofloxacin on cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution in COLO829 melanoma cells.  Cell viability was evaluated by the WST-1 assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis in cells exposed to ciprofloxacin was analyzed by the use of fluorescence image cytometer NucleoCounter NC-3000.  Ciprofloxacin decreased the cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. For COLO829 cells treated with ciprofloxacin for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h the values of IC₅₀ were found to be 0.74 mM, 0.17 mM and 0.10 mM, respectively. The oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation was observed when the cells were exposed to ciprofloxacin in concentration of 1.0 mM for 48 h and 72 h. At lower ciprofloxacin concentrations (0.01 mM and 0.1 mM) cells were arrested in S-phase suggesting a mechanism related to topoisomerase II inhibition. Moreover, it was demonstrated that ciprofloxacin induced apoptosis as a result of mitochondrial membrane breakdown.  The obtained results for COLO829 melanoma cells were compared with data for normal dark pigmented melanocytes and the use of ciprofloxacin as a potential anticancer drug for the treatment of melanoma in vivo was considered.

So this is all rather old, in terms of how melanoma treatment is addressed, but in the petri dish it seems cipro  decreased the viability of melanoma cells.  Okay.  Plus...there's this....

The effect of ciprofloxacin on the growth of B16F10 melanoma cells. Jaber, Jallad, Abdelnoor. J Cancer Res Ther. 2017 Oct-Dec;13.

The antitumor effect of ciprofloxacin has been widely assessed in-vitro, and positive results have been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ciprofloxacin treatment on the growth of B16F10 melanoma cells both in-vitro and in-vivo.

Groups of C57BL/6 female mice challenged with B16F10 melanoma cells were kept untreated or were treated with sterile water, intraperitoneal ciprofloxacin, or ciprofloxacin through drinking water for 10 days. The serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by ELISA 1 and 3 h after the last dose of ciprofloxacin. Mice were monitored for an additional 10 days for survival assessment. Moreover, B16F10 melanoma cells were cultured in 24-well plates and exposed to different concentrations of ciprofloxacin (10-1000 μg/ml). Viability was determined, after 24 and 48 h, using trypan blue.

The serum levels of VEGF significantly decreased in ciprofloxacin-treated mice when compared to the controls. None of the control mice survived beyond day 8, whereas 16.67% of those treated with ciprofloxacin survived up to 18 days. In addition, the viability of B16F10 melanoma cells, in-vitro, significantly decreased with increasing concentrations of ciprofloxacin after 24 and 48 h.

Ciprofloxacin seems to exhibit antitumor activity both in-vivo and in-vitro. This effect might be explained by several mechanisms such as directly inducing cancer cell death or altering the immune response through the modification of the normal microbiota.

So in little mice and petri dishes, ciprofloxin, a fairly common antibiotic "exhibits antitumor activity".  Though their commentary about "altering the immune response through the modification of the normal microbiota" is NOT a good thing if you believe this report:  Antibiotic use MAY decrease effectiveness of immunotherapy?????  Not to mention the more recent: Science magazine: Precision medicine using microbiota Researchers really need to learn to communicate and discuss their results!!!

Non Polar compounds of Persian Gulf Sea Cucumber Holothuria parva Selectively Induce Toxicity on Skin Mitochondria isolated from animal Model of Melanoma. Arast, Seyed, Nazemi, et al. Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2017 Dec 12.  

Melanoma is a highly aggressive and deadly cancer with a poor prognosis given its drug resistance. A defect in apoptosis is one of the key mechanisms that contribute to drug resistance in Melonama. An important sea marine animal is the Holothuria parva, also known as the sea cucumber, which has various pharmacological activities. Compounds obtained from sea cucumbers have shown to have anticancer activity through induction of apoptosis singling.

In the present study, selective toxicity and apoptotic effect of three extracts of Holothuria parva (H. parva) were assessed on skin mitochondria isolated from mouse animal models of melanoma. The mitochondria was isolated from melanoma cells via differential centrifuges and treated with various concentrations (250, 500 and 1000 µg/ml) of metanolic, diethyl ether and n-hexane extracts of H. parva.

All the applied concentrations (250, 500 and 1000 µg/ml) of three extracts of H. parva increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation only in the skin mitochondria isolated from melanoma cells group (In comparison to the control group). Additionally, all three extracts (250, 500 and 1000 µg/ml) induced swelling within the mitochondria, the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Flow-cytometry analysis demonstrated that n-hexane and diethyl ether extracts of H.parva selectively and progressively induced apoptosis only on melanoma but not healthy control skin cells group

Given these results, the potentially bioactive compounds found in H. parva render it a strong candidate for further research in molecular identification and confirmatory in-vivo studies. Clinical trials are also warranted in the general process of novel drug discovery for the treatment of melanoma cancer.

I feel it is important to note that this little feller' is not just any ol' sea cucumber.  No!  He is a Persian Sea Cucumber Holothuria Parva!!!  Just in case you were going to make a sea cucumber slurry to sprinkle on the random melanoma mitochondria you have sitting around in your petri dishes!!!

MMP-Inhibitory Effects of Flavonoid Glycosides from Edible Medicinal Halophyte Limonium tetragonum. Bae, Karadeniz, Oh, et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017 Sep 20.

Limonium tetragonum has been well-known for its antioxidative properties as a halophyte. This study investigated the antimetastasis effect of solvent-partitioned L. tetragonum extracts (LTEs) and isolated compounds on HT1080 mouse melanoma cell model with a focus on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and TIMP and MAPK pathways. Upregulation and stimulation of MMPs result in elevated degradation of extracellular matrix which is part of several complications such as metastasis, cirrhosis, and arthritis. The anti-MMP capacity of LTEs was confirmed by their MMP-inhibitory effects, regulation of MMP and TIMP expression, and suppression of MAPK pathway. Among all tested LTEs, 85% aq. MeOH and n-BuOH were found to be most active fractions which later yielded two known flavonoid glycosides, myricetin 3-galactoside and quercetin 3-o-beta-galactopyranoside. Anti-MMP potential of the compounds was confirmed by their ability to regulate MMP expression through inhibited MAPK pathway activation. These results suggested that L. tetragonum might serve as a potential source of bioactive substances with effective anti-MMP properties.

Hey!  I swear this is the same as the pretty, paper-like, stiff, long-lasting, long stemmed flower that is in mixed bouquets you can get from Wally World!!!  Hmmm.....  

Oral treatment with a rattlesnake native polypeptide crotamine efficiently inhibits the tumor growth with no potential toxicity for the host animal and with suggestive positive effects on animal metabolic profile. Campeiro, Marinovic, Carapeto, et al. Amino Acids. 2017 Dec 12.

The efficacy of crotamine as antitumoral was first demonstrated by daily intraperitoneal (IP) injections of low doses of this toxin in an animal model bearing melanoma tumors. Significant inhibition of tumor growth and increased lifespan of mice bearing tumor was also noticed after 21 consecutive days of this daily IP administration of crotamine. However, due to the limited acceptance of treatments by IP route in clinical conditions [No, I can see that injecting stuff into your abdomen wouldn't be the preferred route for drug consumption by many!!!] herein, we evaluated the antitumor effect of this native polypeptide employing the oral route. The efficacy of crotamine in inhibiting the melanoma growth in vivo, even after passing through the gastrointestinal tract of the animal, was confirmed here. In addition, biochemical biomarkers and also histopathological analysis showed both the absence of any potential toxic effects in tissues or organs of the animal in which the highest accumulation of crotamine is expected. Interestingly, a reduction of weight gain was observed mainly in animals with tumor treated with crotamine by IP route, but not by oral administration. Albeit, oral administered crotamine was able to significantly decrease the body weight gain of healthy animals without tumor. Taking advantage of this same experimental animal models receiving crotamine by oral route, it was possible to show metabolic changes as the increased capacity of glucose clearance, which was accompanied by a reduction of the total cholesterol, and by increased high-density lipoprotein levels, both observed mainly in the absence of tumor. Triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein were also significantly decreased, but only in the absence of tumor. Taken together, these data suggest a clear trend for metabolic positive effects and mischaracterize unhealthy condition of animals, with or without tumors, treated with crotamine for 21 days. In addition, this study confirmed the efficacy of crotamine administered by oral route as antitumor agent, which besides the additional advantage of administration convenience and decreased risk of toxic effects, allowed the serendipitous observation of several positive metabolic effects on treated animals.

Damn, while croatamine helped mice with melanoma a little, this shiz is the new lipitor...producing weight loss and decreased cholesterol in mice who did NOT have tumors!!!!  Just when you think injecting snake venom into the abdomen of little mice or putting it in their kibble couldn't get any weirder!  Mother Nature...what do you think of that kink in your food chain????

Well!!!  All of that is a lot of business, isn't it????  (Not to mention all the ground that is covered in the prior posts!!!!)  I never say NEVER!!!  Ha!  Here's hoping.....as I nibble my lichen, pop my cipro and thorazine, with a glass of red wine and dine on curry over saffron flavored rice with a bit of kimchi and mustard on the side!!!  After dinner coffee, anyone???  - c

OMG!!! Silkie Chicken...

..so named for its black feathers that look more like slikie fluff, rather than actual feathers...is an experience to cook! We got one at the Asian grocery, H Mart, in Atlanta on a whim. Had no recipe in any of my Asian cook books. Nothing to be found on the web except that it was usually braised. So....Rosie was ready for the adventure with me. We took the dramatically black rather small bird (a bit smaller than a fryer chicken, though larger than a Cornish hen) from the plastic shrink wrap bag to find that the head, attached to an extremely long neck, was still intact. On even closer inspection...so were the feet! Which had been tucked up into the body cavity and were attached to unusually long legs. Rosie exclaimed, while holding up the rather unfortunate looking creature, "Mommy! This is what you would look like if you were a chicken!". We managed to remove the unnessesary parts and turned him into a little half chick. So here's my best Black Silkie Chicken recipe: While cleaning and chopping your bird, soak some dried shitake mushrooms in hot water. Peel about an inch of fresh Ginger, cut into about four slices. Peel and bash two garlic cloves. Clean and slice about four leeks and two carrots. Add those veggies, along with the now rehydrated shrooms, cut only in half with the woody stems removed, in a heavy pot with a lid. Place your half chicks on top of the veggies. Add two tablespoons of soy sauce and the water the mushrooms soaked in to the pot. Be careful not to pour in the last bit of your shroom water cause it can be gritty. Then, add chicken broth to just barely cover all. Bring to a low boil and then turn down to a simmer four a couple of hours or until the chicken is really tender. That done...let cool a little. Remove the chicken, debone and tear into bite size pieces. Take your shrooms and carrots out of the mixture. Strain the broth, discarding the leeks, garlic, and ginger pieces. Use part of the broth to make rice...about 3 cups broth to 2 cups rice. Use the rest of the broth to cover chicken pieces in a small pot. Place enough mushroom pieces in the chicken pot so that each person will get two per serving when you bowl up your chicken soup. Once your rice is done...stir in your reserved carrots and remaining shrooms. Bring your soup to a boil. Serve very hot with some thinly sliced green onions and a drop or two of hot chili oil on top. It was really good if l say so myself. Not sure I'll use a Silkie Chicken again....l think plain ol regular chicken will do
just fine! Happy cooking! C

China Town

I LOVE China Town. There is the "main" street with all the tourist slog shops, still frequented by a zillion locals. Then there are the back streets that I adore. Butcher shops with roasted birds (chicken, quail, duck...all coated and dripping, some flat, some not) and huge 3 foot long and 12 inch wide stips of fried pork rinds, and chicken feet in all sorts of sauces. With the locals yelling their orders while the butchers hack the cooked fowl into pieces and place them in styrofoam boxes for the trip home. The fish mongers with live, dried, salted, and fresh fish...some I can identify...others not. The vegetable and fruit stands, where women jostle others out of the way to get their bags filled with the best and newest products. On my last visit, baby bokchoy was the prize. This time, a small fruit, which we watched on woman lift and give to her toddler, looking something like an oblong plum was the object of desire. I tried to find out what it was but could find no one who spoke English. All signage is in Chinese. What else? Oh, yes...the pharmacies...smelling old and dank and pungent with large glass jars of all sorts of dried roots and herbs. Can recognize various mushrooms, ginger and ginseng...but all else is unknown to me. There are the dry good shops with huge bags of dried mushrooms for just pennies, as well as dried fish, and huge baskets of what we finally determined to be dried sea scallops ranging from 18 to 50 dollars a pound depending on their size with the larger being the more expensive. I have no idea how they use them. I love the flavor and the mystery.

Chaotic Cookery! ~ French Daub, my version!!

 I've been cooking for years and years!  Literally:

Yep!  That's me at the age of 3, rolling out pie dough!!  I still love cooking.  I once wrote:  It is an artistic outlet with love and utilitarianism combined.  For me, cooking is fun, relaxing, and provides a delicious result!!  But, better than all those things, it allows me to share time and love with dear ones.  Brent and I worked hard to make sure that we sat down to dinner with the kids EVERY DAY!  It was a precious opportunity to share our day, laugh, and EAT!!!  We are all hardy and adventurous eaters which added to our cooking fun.  For us, our travels often began in the kitchen with a cookbook and culminated in bringing the tastes and smells discovered on our adventures back home, as we worked to recreate dishes we had enjoyed.  Which brings me to this....

As I clipped recipes and documented my own, I kept them in this black spiral notebook.  Eventually, the kids dubbed it the "Black Magic Cookbook" and made this cover!

If you want the best "Beef Stew" in the world, there's just no competition.  Simply turn to Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon!  You can't beat it.  For an easier, cheaper, yet still really delicious version there are lots of French Daubs.  Here's mine...

Do NOT get hung up on specific quantities or ingredients!  It's stew after all!  Add what you like.  Don't want to use wine, use extra broth or water.  Don't like carrots?  Leave them out.  Got some mushrooms wasting away in your fridge?  Toss them in!!!

Stew is not the most photogenic dish!

But on a cold day in January, it is a beautiful the thing. And if you aren't careful, your bowl will empty before you remember to take a pic!
Now, if only some birds would come to my feeder!!

Guess they heard me!!  HA!

May you enjoy a lovely winter day!!  And, if you're up to it - a little Chaotic Cookery!!! - love, les

Everything kills melanoma...Take 4:

Those of you who have hung around this blog for a while may be familiar with this post variation.  I occasionally note "discoveries" of things that kill melanoma and a wide variety of other cancers.  They range from coffee to strawberry juice to snake venom to mushrooms. I have left off many...starfish snot comes to mind.  Here are a few of the prior installments:

Everything Cures Melanoma...so why do we have it?

One mo one!

Snake Venom and Sophora Root

And now there's this:

Chemistry and Anticarcinogenic Mechanisms of Glycoalkaloids Produced by Eggplants, Potatoes, and Tomatoes.  J Agric Food Chem.  March 2015.  Friedman.

"Inhibition of cancer can occur via apoptosis, a genetically directed process of cell self-destruction that involves numerous biomarkers and signaling pathways.  Glycoalkaloids are nitrogen-containing secondary plant metabolites found in numerous Solanaceous plants including eggplants, potatoes, and tomatoes.  Exposure of cancer cells to glycoalkaloids produced by [these foods] or their hydrolysis products inhibits the growth of the cells in culture [read petri dish] as well as tumor growth in vivo [read lab rat of some sort]. "

Friedman notes that compounds in these three foods cause apoptosis (cell death) in bone, breast, cervical, colon, gastric, glioblastoma, leukemia, liver, lung, lymphoma, melanoma, pancreas, prostate, and squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. Then Friedman goes on to say..."The described results may make it possible to better relate the structures of the active compounds to their health-promoting function, individually, in combination, and in food, and allow the consumer to select glycoalkaloid-containing food with the optimal content of nontoxic beneficial compounds."

Well, damn!!!  If I had only eaten more taters, maters, and aubergines I wouldn't be in my current pickle!!!!  Seriously, those are diet staples in my world.  Ask B and Janara about the quantities of egg plant I eat and prepare for friends and family!!!!

On the other hand....if a miracle treatment can be derived to treat any cancerous malady from the most unassuming plant or other source....that would be fabulous.  After all, Vincristine, a powerful chemotherapeutic agent listed as one of the world's most essential medicines by the WHO, comes from the lowly periwinkle.

It pays to smell the flowers! - c

Chaotic Cookery! ~ Thanks to Chrissy Teigen's: Cravings and Hungry for More

How do you thank someone for being there for you no matter what?  What do you say to let them know how much you appreciate their sleepless nights on uncomfortable cots and incommodious chairs in nasty hospital rooms?  For wiping your stanky ass...over and over...because you can't?  For coming when you call ~ no questions asked?  Who research, plan, prep, travel with, and prepare amazing meals for your recovery?  For giving up EVERYTHING they are busy with in their lives - family, fun, activities, work - for you?  You can't.  There are no words.  There are no things.  Nothing can express what I feel.  Nothing will ever repay what I owe to Ruthie and Bentie for all the care they have provided me over the years.  Bless 'em.  They signed up for the wrong chick as I can put on a horrifying cancer show more than once!!!!  Still, during the debacle that was my addenocarcinoma incarceration, I wanted to show my appreciation somehow!  But, being unable to leave the house or do much of anything...what could that be?  Lovely, outspoken, and fabulous Chrissy Teigen to the rescue!  Her humor had already made me and Ruthie laugh.  Her cookbooks had rave reviews.  And, the titles were perfect for my mood:  Cravings and Hungry for More.  With Amazon at my fingertips, I purchased a copy of each for both of them, inscribing them with my feeble thanks.

Since then, we have shared many laughs just reading them!  Yes!  They are actually good reading.  CT is funny AF!!!  Though the recipes may not be in a league with Jacques Pepin (and I don't think she was aiming for that!!!) they are accessible and yummy!  We have had such fun cooking and comparing, even though we are now apart.  Here is a bit of our Chrissy Teigen cookery!

My version of CT's Banana Bread. I had a little trouble liking it at first.  Because, Banana Bread in my head, per my recipe ~ is very different.  This one is like a cake with chocolate and coconut.  Once I was able to think of it as cake, I liked it much more.  It was very moist and actually got better over time as the flavors melded.  Rose and Jamie LOVED it!!!

Ruthie's version of  CT's Carrot Coconut Soup and mine below.

Ruthie liked hers a lot. Mine was good, served here with slow roasted tomatoes, hummus and pita. However, it was made at a time when I, due to where I was in my recovery, could not tolerate the spice recommended, nor the fried shallots as a topping.  I will have to make it again, now that I can!

Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, and Orzo Salad.  I served mine warm, though I think chilled would be good as well.  Easy and yummy.

I made this in the fall when I had a bounty crop of basil in need of harvesting before frost struck. CT's Pad Grapow Chicken (basically - Basil Chicken) was simple and delicious!  Three cups of basil leaves may be difficult to attain at other times!!

THIS!!!!  Sweet Miso-butter Cod!!!!!  CT made hers with snap peas.  I used pan seared squash with a bit of miso butter added in.  The part of the recipe for miso-butter is gold!!!  It makes a lot and after using it here, I used it on baked salmon, melted on top of steaks and roasted veggies (per her Seared Steak with spicy garlic-miso butter and same skillet Asparagus)!  IT. IS. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheesy Spicy Breakfast Hash by Ruthie.  She made this (as well as CT's Spicy Italian Sausage Meatloaf) for her guys and reports both were big hits!  (Even though she forgot to top the hash with cheese!!!!!  NOW if something is good WITHOUT the cheese?  That's seriously GOOD!!!!)

I love polenta (or grits...if you prefer!!!)!  But man!  CT's Cheesy Polenta with Mushrooms kicks it up a notch!!!

My version of Ron's Hobo Burger Dinners.  They were easy, tasty and fun.  Would be great for kids.  Also, another reason to love Chrissy Teigen.  She included her family - kids, dogs, father, husband, and mom - in both her books. She is a wonder at keeping it real.  Nice!

Though there are no photos to go with, I've also made CT's Sesame Salmon Soba Salad, Sesame Chicken Noodles, and her Baked Pasta Alla Norma with Mozzarella Bombs.  All were good, though B said he liked my Dan Dan Noodles and Pasta Bake better than the last two, but he is rather prejudiced.  All in all, the recipes have been dependable and delicious.  I still have plenty I want to try.  In particular - CT's Dutch Baby Pancake, French Toast Casserole, Everything Bagel Cream Cheese Breakfast Bake, Cobb Salad, Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Lime Dressing, Jalapeno Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese, Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, Tom Yum Noodles, Pepper's Pork-stuffed Cucumber Soup (Yep. Even Julia Child professed the wonder of cooked cukes!!!), Frito Pie, Thai Fishcakes, Sh*t on Toast ~ and there's more!  I better get cooking!!

Thanks, Bentie and Ruthie.  Really.  Even though no words or recipes are sufficient to express what I feel; I love you. - cess

Crazy fun....Morris style!

On Friday, at our favorite hour...the butt-crack of dawn...we went into Moffitt mode: B works out while I shower, then he brings my breakfast (coffee, yogurt, and a waffle he makes for me) to the room, gets ready, and we're off! We get labs, MD visit, treatment done. (Details to follow.) After the infusion, we zip away (not sure you can REALLY zip in a rental car) from Moffitt to the airport. Go through the ridiculous security...which I know is unfortunately necessary and a bit of a pain no matter where you go...but the Tampa airport manages to put a unique spin on their brand! Our return flight was quiet and calm...possibly because I slept part of it! Anyhow...got into Atlanta at rush hour. For those of you who are uninitiated, traffic in Atlanta is like 12 lanes of the Indianapolis 500...or a parking lot...sometimes simultaneously...there is no in between. Since it's even more so at rush hour, we decided to have supper and grocery shopping at DeKalb Farmer's market for fun and to allow the traffic to dissipate a bit. Delicious! Roast lamb, fried chicken, long beans with mushrooms, turnip greens, dal and rice, all for just a few dollars from their cafeteria style line. After picking up some wine, hormone free chicken, lamb, scallops, green beans, beautiful egg plant, yellow heirloom tomatoes, beets, arugula, fresh baked bread, strawberries, and I don't know what all, we had a pretty easy drive home to Chatt town. We threw all our acquisitions in the fridge to be dealt with the next day and were settling down to sleep when we hear the "snake bark", a very distinctive howl, from Zeno. (He was bitten by a copperhead when he was a puppy and has never forgotten. Snakes worry him intensely! He's been wrong only once and his alarm was due to the longest, snakiest looking slug I've ever seen.) Brent runs out the front in order to pick up implements of destruction and I go out the back to check on Z from the porch. Yep! He's cornered a good sized copperhead. Amazingly, he leaves his quarry to join me on the porch...something he is usually loath to do, thus allowing B to dispatch the critter more easily. Finally...to rest...

Saturday I prepped veggies, stored proteins for use or freezing, then B, Z, and I were off on a trail run. Z and I like them. Dashing down rocky jumbles, leaping logs, running on the walls of the gullies make us feel as though we are having a great adventure! We saw lots of deer tracks, gold finches feeding on wild thistle, and came upon a flock of wild turkeys. Plus, it's wooded and shady. The biggest negatives are spider webs, tics, and the risk of a turned ankle...totally worth it! After yard work, laundry and other hum drum chores I made scallops (dressed with a loose rub of ground garlic, coriander seeds, parsley, lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes [have to get those in while I can!], and olive oil) just before searing; then placed on a bed of arugula lightly tossed with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil; with sides of rice with shredded fresh basil; crisp, blanched green beans; and a salad of cukes, tomato, and avocado.....so yummy!

This morning was breakfast in bed from the Brentster (Julia eggs, coffee, and toast) complete with music by Joni Mitchell and Vince, and a poem from B.....

It is not mountains I want to move
     but molecules,
To uncoil the over wound spring of life
     and beyond.
Our fate is not in the stars,
    but in their atoms.
Interior, but as distant and cold. 
The spirit to see,
    the wisdom to unfold. 

Like I said....crazy fun...Morris style. Love you, Bentie! - c

Shiitake shish kabobs!!!!!...or...much ado about shrooms

Oral ingestion of Lentinula edodes mycelia extract...in mice   From:  Cancer Science, March, 2011
By:  Tanaka, Ishikawa, Matsui, et al., The Japanese Cancer Association.

Poor little mice "were inoculated subcutaneously in the footpad with B16 melanoma and fed L.E.M. extract [shiitake mushroom juice].  Ingestion of L.E.M. extract significantly inhibited tumor growth, and this in vivo anti-tumor effect was not observed in nude mice, suggesting a T cell-dependent mechanism. In addition, ingestion of [shiitake juice] led to significant restoration of H-2K(b)-restricted and melanoma-reactive T cells in the spleen and draining lymph nodes of melanoma bearing mice....furthermore, an in vitro assay revealed than an immunosuppressive activity of CD4(+) T cells from melanoma-bearing mice was canceled by ingestion of [shiitake juice].  Our results indicate that oral ingestion of L.E.M. extract restores immune responses of class 1-restricted and melanoma-reactive CD8(+) T cells in melanoma-bearing mice, presumably by a mitigation of regulatory T cells-mediated immunosuppression."

So...if you're a hairy mouse, who happens to get melanoma and belong to an individual willing to feed you shiitake mushroom juice, you should do very well!!!  On the day B was pontificating about this new finding over dinner, we happened to be eating mushrooms and broccoli.  However, they were not shiitakes, on that occasion...and yes lentinula edodes are:  shiitakes!
I fear that I shall soon be on a daily diet of shiitakes with turmeric.  I think I need whiskers, a longer tail and more hair!!! - c

Everything cures/kills melanoma ~ one 'mo one....

If you look back on my post from July 20, 2013 you'll see a large collection of research articles enumerating studies that proved all sorts of things - coffee, cucumin (turmeric), cimetadine (tagamet...med to decrease stomach acid), doxycycline (an older antibiotic), NSAID's (like ibuprofen), and even shitake mushrooms - kill melanoma cells!!!  Well, here's another:  STRAWBERRY JUICE!

Antineoplastic activity of strawberry (Frafaria x ananassa Duch.) crude extracts on B16-F10 melanoma cells
By:  Forni, Braglia, Mulinacci, Urbani, et al.
Of the Department of Biology, University of Rome, via Mol Biosyst, 2013 Nov 4. [Epub]

So....these peeps extracted the juice from strawberries (anthocyanin-rich strawberry fruit crude extracts) and squirted it on some mouse melanoma cells they had scattered about in petri dishes and found.... {DRUMROLL>>>>>}.... "the strawberry extract produced a remarkable reduction of cell proliferation."

Thought you should know.  Now...go have a "fruit snack"!!!!

PS...Fred, Shane, and Rose should never have any worries having eaten more than their weight in fruit a zillion times over!!!  Remember Fred trying to get out of the grocery cart to get to the strawberries when he was a baby, Ruthie????

Wonder if it counts if you eat strawberry ice cream?  Hmmmmm... - c

Tales from the Crypt??? Nah! That's not right! Tales from REHAB - Part 1!

Thanks in large part to all of the love and encouragement that has been sent my way from all of you, I am beginning to see some light!!!!  I have been eating quite well.  Ruthie set me on a great path and B has been taking good care of me in that department!  Plus, we have been working together on some meals out of Chrissy Teigen's two cookbooks, just for fun.

This cod with miso butter was really delish.  We made ours with squash because B was worried about too much fiber in the snap peas just now.

Another supper out of the book was this amazing cheesy polenta (with mozzarella, cream, AND Parmesan, guys!!!) topped with a perfectly fried egg by Bentie, along side sauteed mushrooms  and spinach!  Soooo yummy!!

I keep forgetting to take pics of my amazing Bentie breakfasts.  I am too greedy and just eat them up!!  There has been plenty of kefir or yogurt with fruit, lots of eggs all sorts of ways, and are these little pancakes not the cutest??  Tasty too!!!  I'm taking my multivitamin and iron supplement every morning.  Other positive news I forgot to include in my last report ~ though my hemoglobin was 8.1 at hospital discharge it had already increased to 9.3 at my oncology visit Wednesday.

I have been blessed by good visits with the kiddo's.  (Which included meatloaf and mashed potatoes when Fred-o was here and chicken salad sandwiches when Roo came by!!!)  I know this has been a rather traumatic slap in the face for them.  Yet, they have been consistently strong and cheering for me - rather than the other way round.  We have had good talks about everything...politics, me, as well as the good and the difficult in their own lives.  That may not sound that significant.  But, as one who has been in tenuous health positions before, I've found that lots of people fear being "real" around the "victim".  I am thankful that they are comfortable in sharing their lives with me, period.  But, even more grateful that they continue to do so in our current circumstance.  I am so proud of both of them.  They are strong, generous, hard working adults, who are doing their best to make their way in a world that is not always kind or rational.

Yesterday, B tamped down his own worries and fears and helped me putter about the yard!  My entire family, for years, have said,  "There she goes!  Cleaning the woods again!"  Well.  Maybe.  But, I have spent 20 years turning this plot of wooded land into a garden.  Having been abandoned for a month, which included a good deal of rain and storms, there was certainly cleaning to be done.  B, has often said HIS yard would consist of gravel spray painted green, but works tirelessly to help me effect any yard work I so desire just the same.  So yesterday, I walked slowly and carefully about - pointing out sticks and limbs to be collected, tomato vines to be taken down, cages to be stored.  Small steps...but steps nonetheless.

Sweet Ruthie came fully ready to provide not only cheer and sustenance during her visit, but "activities" as well!!  (We like our "activities"!!!)  We watched the first season of Big Little Lies together.  Man!  Those peeps and their crazy will definitely take your mind off your troubles!!  And, she came set to help me embark on a project she has heard me go on and on about!  Making pillows with cases covered with Sashiko embroidery for my couch!!!

She finished hers, on the right, and it looks awesome!!!  Mine is a basket weave pattern on the left, that looks like shite!!!  But, I'll get her done and see how she looks in the end.  I think I should claim I was on major drugs during the process, but y'all already know that ain't so!!!  HA!

During this grand convalescence I have also managed to complete a Pediatric Primary Care module, required annual continuing education credits for my pediatric NP certification and license, take the test, and make 100%!!!!  Guess, I came out of this with no greater brain damage than I already possessed!!

And finally, though B has promised to help me get situated and hopefully do a bit of sewing today, when a sewist ain't sewing, she can be studying up on it via her laptop, right????  And this is the awesomeness I've come up with!!!!

I am quite excited about this little dress hacked by The Fabric Store using the In the Folds, Ruffle Sleeve Top - a free download from the Peppermint Magazine!!!  I think it will be perfect for a little piece of Liberty cotton that I have from my Paris fabric shopping!!!
Here's the link so you can see it for yourself:  The Fabric Store Blog ~ Ruffle sleeve dress pattern hack

I'm in LOVE with this Llira dress by Pauline Alice!!  B has already ordered the PDF for me and has promised to work his magic soon!!!

I was much tempted by this Faura top/dress, also by Pauline Alice...

...but when I saw this Honeycomb Shirt/Dress by Cocowawa Patterns, I knew it was perfect for me!!!

I think it will work better on my less curvy frame.

I just love the little collar and the detail on the long sleeved version!  And yes, Bentie is on it!!!!

I still have a long way to go.  It feels really strange not to have exercised in a month.  It goes against my grain to move so slowly, to have to ask for and accept help, for stupid things!!  Perhaps these road blocks I keep hitting is Mother Nature's way of teaching me grace, humility, and patience???  Okay, B!#CH!  I got it!!  Enough, already!!!

In case you were wondering - my answer remains unchanged.  I do NOT feel I have become a better person for having had cancer - TWICE!  I am NOT AT ALL thankful to have been attacked in this way!  I am seriously pissed!  For myself, and even more so for the hell that my dear ones keep having to endure on my behalf.  Still, I am forever grateful to all of you who have blessed me with your love and kindnesses ~ to "keep ever burning before my vagrant steps - the kindly light of hope".  Much love, les

Travel Chaotically! - New York - it begins.....

As I mentioned a few months ago, Brent and I were blessed to enjoy an amazing trip in September that took us to New York, with visits to an amazing city and dear friends, to Paris, Bordeaux, Arcachon, Sarlat, Marseille, and back to Paris again!  Here's the beginning.....

Once in New York we proceeded to ride EVERY train!!!  From the Jamaica Air Train in from the airport, catching the 6 to Grand Central, the Harlem Metro Line to Wassaic and back again....then the metro all around!!!  IT. WAS. AWESOME!

Getting to play with good friends (some pictured, some not!) was a fabulous treat!!!! [Love you bunches S and S and J and F!!!!]

Back in the Big Apple we were good to go in Pod 39!!!  We got this bunkie business down!!!

Dinner at The Smith, per Ruthie's recommendation and what a great place!!!

Mushrooms and rice with amazing Asian flavors topped with a perfectly fried egg.

Pulpo for B...

Burrata with toast for me!

Our street!

My two favorite pics from MOMA....yes...both in the courtyard, taken by Bentie.  A little Black and White Warbler and a Common Yellow Warbler (per our Google research!).  Dull names for super cute little birdies!

Lovely combo's of old and new throughout the city.  Lots of helpful and "interesting" folks. Like the girl who let us into MOMA on 'student' tickets as we only had about an hour before close.  There was the fellow having a huge fist-a-cuffs with an imaginary (or maybe just invisible to me!!!) combatant in Grand Central.  He seemed to have gotten the better of the fellow, though.  For which many of us in the area were glad!   We were sweetly shepherded on the train by a lovely gent, folks often helped out as we looked at our map and were just good people generally!!!  It was all lovely!  More to come....   les