Greg had his second endoscopy yesterday at Aspirus in Medford. They had a problem getting an IV in again (they said he has "tough" skin), and his veins are shot from all the chemo he's had in the past. He was to have his PET scan today, and would need another IV. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking . . . why can't they leave the IV in, so he doesn't have to have it done again? Well, lo and behold, they checked with the providers doing the PET scan (Aspirus Hospital in Wausau), and they said SURE, they could definitely try to use the one from Tuesday, but if it didn't work, they would have to poke him again.
Fortunately for Greg, it worked and he did not have to be poked again! YAY! We certainly were not expecting any results today, but we did get preliminary results!
They do not believe they saw an swollen lymph nodes or spreading of his cancer! YAY! That is the BEST news we could have possibly received! PRAISE GOD!
We still do not know what stage his cancer is, but will find that out, along with our plan of attack on Tuesday. Please continue your prayers for Greg! Our AWESOME God is listening! Thank you, everyone!
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Saturday, April 1, 2017
What a LONG day!
We are babysitting Erica's dog, Aspen for the weekend, and because he's not here all the time, the boys (dogs) just want to play and play and play and play. We ended up putting Minnow and Mater downstairs in the office, and had Aspen in our bedroom overnight. By 4 a.m., Aspen wanted to go out, and Mater was getting stupid and barking to get out of the office. Greg had his earphones in and music on, so he didn't hear anything. While I wanted to get up and put some overtime in, I wasn't planning on starting until 5:30 or so. Because of the dogs, I ended up starting to work at 4:15 a.m.! It's now 7:30, and I'm pooped!
Once I was done working at 10:00 a.m., I spent the rest of the day cleaning and cooking. Rachel's mom (Rachel is Aaron's fiancé) and some other folks are coming over tomorrow, as we have "stuff" to do. Obviously, I had to get some cleaning done! I spring cleaned the small bathroom, cleaned the kitchen, washed the floor, went to the grocery store, and made some munchies for tomorrow!
I made a low carb cream cheese dip with dry Ranch dressing, green onions, cream cheese, sour cream, bacon and cheddar cheese. This one will be eaten with cucumber slices, to keep it low carb. Then I made a Reuben Dip, which is just what it sounds like! Diced corned beef, cream cheese, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and Swiss cheese. That is a hot dip, so it's in my little crockpot. I also made some Salsa wraps with cream cheese, salsa, Mexican shredded cheese and minced onion. I mixed all that together and spread it on burrito size tortillas and then rolled them and sliced them. The last one I made is my famous spinach dip! I basically use the recipe on the package of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix, but tweak it a bit. It's amazing!
I was listening to my Christian Music Favorites on Spotify while I was working, and I must say, with everything that's going on right now, too many of them really made me emotional. The other day at work, I was listening to the same music in my headphones, and I just sat there with tears pouring down my face as I listened. Fortunately, no one saw me! I don't think I've had enough time to process what's happening with Greg. I'd been so involved in the battle with the insurance company, that I wasn't letting the reality of everything set in. I don't know that I'm even at that point yet. I'm pretty sure I won't be at that point until after we see the oncologist on April 11th.
One of my favorite new songs is by the Sidewalk Prophets. I saw them in concert about 4 years ago with Matthew West. It was incredible! The song is called IMPOSSIBLE. Here are the lyrics. Once you read them, you will understand why this song is resonating with me right now.
They tell me that I can't
Tell me that I won't
Tell me that I'm washed up
Tell me that I'm broke
They tell me that I don't
Don't have what it takes
Tell me that I'm crazy
Hanging on by faith
Tell me I'm a lost cause
I'm a hopeless soul
Just stand back watch my God do
The impossible, the impossible
Everything is possible
With him everything is possible, is possible
Everything is possible
Everything is possible
Precious God you bring life from death
With your word all of time began
Is possible, the impossible
Everything is possible
Watch our God do the impossible
Some would say it's foolish
Stepping on the ways
Some would say it's over
When you're buried in the grave
We're calling all the dreamers
With passion in their eyes
Calling all believers out into the light
Even when it's hopeless
Out of our control
Just let go, watch our God do
The impossible, the impossible
Everything is possible
With him everything is possible, is possible
Everything is possible
Everything is possible
Precious God you bring life from death
With your word all of time began
Is possible, the impossible
Everything is possible
Watch our God do the impossible
When our God speaks
The mountains roar
The whole earth trembles with the throne
Though this life can be
His glorious break enlights the sun
When our hope is lost
When our strength is gone
He is rising up
We will overcome
The impossible, the impossible
Everything is possible
With him everything is possible, is possible
Everything is possible
Everything is possible
Precious God you bring life from death
With your word all of time began
Is possible, the impossible
Everything is possible
Watch our God do the impossible
When our hope is lost
When our strength is gone
He is rising up
We will overcome
Here's their official video. I hope it moves you the way it moves me.
We serve an amazing God. I know that what appears impossible to us is entirely possible with God. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is on the throne and will carry us through everything! There is nothing the enemy can do that will stop us from praising God!
Once I was done working at 10:00 a.m., I spent the rest of the day cleaning and cooking. Rachel's mom (Rachel is Aaron's fiancé) and some other folks are coming over tomorrow, as we have "stuff" to do. Obviously, I had to get some cleaning done! I spring cleaned the small bathroom, cleaned the kitchen, washed the floor, went to the grocery store, and made some munchies for tomorrow!
I made a low carb cream cheese dip with dry Ranch dressing, green onions, cream cheese, sour cream, bacon and cheddar cheese. This one will be eaten with cucumber slices, to keep it low carb. Then I made a Reuben Dip, which is just what it sounds like! Diced corned beef, cream cheese, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and Swiss cheese. That is a hot dip, so it's in my little crockpot. I also made some Salsa wraps with cream cheese, salsa, Mexican shredded cheese and minced onion. I mixed all that together and spread it on burrito size tortillas and then rolled them and sliced them. The last one I made is my famous spinach dip! I basically use the recipe on the package of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix, but tweak it a bit. It's amazing!
I was listening to my Christian Music Favorites on Spotify while I was working, and I must say, with everything that's going on right now, too many of them really made me emotional. The other day at work, I was listening to the same music in my headphones, and I just sat there with tears pouring down my face as I listened. Fortunately, no one saw me! I don't think I've had enough time to process what's happening with Greg. I'd been so involved in the battle with the insurance company, that I wasn't letting the reality of everything set in. I don't know that I'm even at that point yet. I'm pretty sure I won't be at that point until after we see the oncologist on April 11th.
One of my favorite new songs is by the Sidewalk Prophets. I saw them in concert about 4 years ago with Matthew West. It was incredible! The song is called IMPOSSIBLE. Here are the lyrics. Once you read them, you will understand why this song is resonating with me right now.
They tell me that I can't
Tell me that I won't
Tell me that I'm washed up
Tell me that I'm broke
They tell me that I don't
Don't have what it takes
Tell me that I'm crazy
Hanging on by faith
Tell me I'm a lost cause
I'm a hopeless soul
Just stand back watch my God do
The impossible, the impossible
Everything is possible
With him everything is possible, is possible
Everything is possible
Everything is possible
Precious God you bring life from death
With your word all of time began
Is possible, the impossible
Everything is possible
Watch our God do the impossible
Some would say it's foolish
Stepping on the ways
Some would say it's over
When you're buried in the grave
We're calling all the dreamers
With passion in their eyes
Calling all believers out into the light
Even when it's hopeless
Out of our control
Just let go, watch our God do
The impossible, the impossible
Everything is possible
With him everything is possible, is possible
Everything is possible
Everything is possible
Precious God you bring life from death
With your word all of time began
Is possible, the impossible
Everything is possible
Watch our God do the impossible
When our God speaks
The mountains roar
The whole earth trembles with the throne
Though this life can be
His glorious break enlights the sun
When our hope is lost
When our strength is gone
He is rising up
We will overcome
The impossible, the impossible
Everything is possible
With him everything is possible, is possible
Everything is possible
Everything is possible
Precious God you bring life from death
With your word all of time began
Is possible, the impossible
Everything is possible
Watch our God do the impossible
When our hope is lost
When our strength is gone
He is rising up
We will overcome
Here's their official video. I hope it moves you the way it moves me.
We serve an amazing God. I know that what appears impossible to us is entirely possible with God. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is on the throne and will carry us through everything! There is nothing the enemy can do that will stop us from praising God!
Friday, March 31, 2017
Cages were rattled at United HealthCare today!
If you read my previous post, you know that I'd been having problems with our insurance approving Greg's PET scan. I had been trying to figure out a way to get the attention of someone higher up in the company and not coming up with anything. Of course, I'd been praying and asking God for guidance.
This morning, when I logged on at work, I saw on our company intranet site an article about National Doctor's Day. I clicked on the article and decided that I had to leave a comment! There is absolutely no doubt about it. This was GOD directing me! Here's what I posted:
Within two hours of my post, I received an email from a woman stating that she had escalated my issue!!!!! About ten minutes later, I had an IM (instant message) from the Director of the Cancer Team of OptumHealth (owned by United HealthGroup). He stated that another woman was going to be reaching out to me. Within 30 minutes, I had another call from someone at United HealthCare. Jeanne is part of a team that helps its employees deal with issues such as ours.
Jeanne was AWESOME to deal with! She spent most of her afternoon contacting people within United HealthCare to find out what is going on and how to get this moving ahead. When I spoke with her at 4:00, she advised that at 2:00, Greg's prior authorization request for the PET scan was placed in URGENT status. That meant that they had to have a decision within THREE hours.
I received a call from Greg's doctor exactly three hours later advising that the PET scan had been approved! YAY!
When I was speaking with Jeanne, she advised that she had received numerous emails from "higher ups" at United HealthCare and they are watching Greg's case! The doctor that I had spoken to earlier in the day also advised that he contacted the head doctor at United HealthGROUP about our situation, as well! United HealthGroup is #6 on the Fortune 500 and has an operating income of more than $11 BILLION dollars! The HEAD DOCTOR of that company is now watching our case! No one can tell me that God's hand was not involved!
Praise God that everything has worked out and we now have numerous people watching over us and making sure that Greg's treatment (whatever it may be), is taken care of properly by our insurance company! THAT is the company I work for! Thank you, United HealthCare!
This morning, when I logged on at work, I saw on our company intranet site an article about National Doctor's Day. I clicked on the article and decided that I had to leave a comment! There is absolutely no doubt about it. This was GOD directing me! Here's what I posted:
Within two hours of my post, I received an email from a woman stating that she had escalated my issue!!!!! About ten minutes later, I had an IM (instant message) from the Director of the Cancer Team of OptumHealth (owned by United HealthGroup). He stated that another woman was going to be reaching out to me. Within 30 minutes, I had another call from someone at United HealthCare. Jeanne is part of a team that helps its employees deal with issues such as ours.
Jeanne was AWESOME to deal with! She spent most of her afternoon contacting people within United HealthCare to find out what is going on and how to get this moving ahead. When I spoke with her at 4:00, she advised that at 2:00, Greg's prior authorization request for the PET scan was placed in URGENT status. That meant that they had to have a decision within THREE hours.
I received a call from Greg's doctor exactly three hours later advising that the PET scan had been approved! YAY!
When I was speaking with Jeanne, she advised that she had received numerous emails from "higher ups" at United HealthCare and they are watching Greg's case! The doctor that I had spoken to earlier in the day also advised that he contacted the head doctor at United HealthGROUP about our situation, as well! United HealthGroup is #6 on the Fortune 500 and has an operating income of more than $11 BILLION dollars! The HEAD DOCTOR of that company is now watching our case! No one can tell me that God's hand was not involved!
Praise God that everything has worked out and we now have numerous people watching over us and making sure that Greg's treatment (whatever it may be), is taken care of properly by our insurance company! THAT is the company I work for! Thank you, United HealthCare!
Thursday, March 30, 2017
It's only the beginning, and already my insurance is making me angry!
So, Greg was (notice I say WAS) scheduled for a PET scan tomorrow. When we spoke with the doctor's nurse on Tuesday she said she had already submitted for a prior authorization for the scan. I called the insurance today, and they claim that nothing came in until late yesterday. Of course, today, they have not yet authorized it. I have a contact, somewhat higher up at United HealthCare, who has helped me in the past, and he made some calls for me. He called me back and said if the doctor or his nurse call an state the urgency of this matter, that they will get it approved right away and he will be able to have the scan tomorrow.
Well, not so much. The doctor's nurse spoke with three different people, and they will not do anything to speed up the authorization process. They said the request needs a "peer-to-peer" review. That means that they want Greg's doctor to speak with the United HealthCare doctor. Now, Greg's doctor was off today, so there is no way that Greg will be able to have the scan tomorrow. Trust me when I say I'm not happy.
The scan was originally put off until NEXT Friday. I wasn't happy with that, because it's doubtful that the results would be to the oncologist by Tuesday, when we have our appointment to discuss the results and figure out our plan of action THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!
We were able to reschedule his scan for Wednesday, which will give us enough time to get the results of the scan to Greg's oncologist. Now, we just have to make sure that United HealthCare approves the scan! They have to call the doctor's office and give them a time when they can have the peer-to-peer review. If they don't do that tomorrow, I'm going to lose my mind! I work for this company, and I just don't understand this process! Greg has had cancer twice before. We need to know if the cancer has metastasized. This is NOT something I am willing to wait to find out! We need to know what's going on.
Greg's doctor's are the ones that are best able to decide his treatment and what tests are needed. The last time we had to wait for an approval, it was for a CT Scan. I don't remember what he needed it for, but general protocol for that diagnosis was an MRI. When I called UHC to find out about the authorization, I was told it was denied, because they felt an MRI was warranted, instead. I ABOUT LOST MY MIND! Did they even LOOK at his medical records? That is EXACTLY what I asked the person on the other end of the line. Greg has a PACEMAKER do you REALLY want him to have an MRI and have it ripped out of his chest? Seriously? Two hours later, the CT scan was approved.
I can't even discuss this any more. I'm so upset right now. I know that everything will get done, but I'm so pissed at our insurance company for not doing the right thing for it's own employee!
Well, not so much. The doctor's nurse spoke with three different people, and they will not do anything to speed up the authorization process. They said the request needs a "peer-to-peer" review. That means that they want Greg's doctor to speak with the United HealthCare doctor. Now, Greg's doctor was off today, so there is no way that Greg will be able to have the scan tomorrow. Trust me when I say I'm not happy.
The scan was originally put off until NEXT Friday. I wasn't happy with that, because it's doubtful that the results would be to the oncologist by Tuesday, when we have our appointment to discuss the results and figure out our plan of action THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!
We were able to reschedule his scan for Wednesday, which will give us enough time to get the results of the scan to Greg's oncologist. Now, we just have to make sure that United HealthCare approves the scan! They have to call the doctor's office and give them a time when they can have the peer-to-peer review. If they don't do that tomorrow, I'm going to lose my mind! I work for this company, and I just don't understand this process! Greg has had cancer twice before. We need to know if the cancer has metastasized. This is NOT something I am willing to wait to find out! We need to know what's going on.
Greg's doctor's are the ones that are best able to decide his treatment and what tests are needed. The last time we had to wait for an approval, it was for a CT Scan. I don't remember what he needed it for, but general protocol for that diagnosis was an MRI. When I called UHC to find out about the authorization, I was told it was denied, because they felt an MRI was warranted, instead. I ABOUT LOST MY MIND! Did they even LOOK at his medical records? That is EXACTLY what I asked the person on the other end of the line. Greg has a PACEMAKER do you REALLY want him to have an MRI and have it ripped out of his chest? Seriously? Two hours later, the CT scan was approved.
I can't even discuss this any more. I'm so upset right now. I know that everything will get done, but I'm so pissed at our insurance company for not doing the right thing for it's own employee!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Endoscopy Results were NOT what we wanted.
So, I have been putting off this post for a couple days until we knew for certain, and today was the day. Greg had to have the endoscopy because he was having problems swallowing. As it turns out, the reason he is having trouble swallowing is because he has a mass in his esophagus. On Friday, the doctor told us that he would be "surprised if it wasn't cancer." He took biopsies and sent them to the pathologist.
Today, we got the results. Based on the sections that were examined, he has esophageal cancer. We don't know what stage yet or any other information. That's because the mass is rather high in his esophagus, which makes it hard to get to with the traditional endoscope.
Because we also don't know if it has metastasized (spread), he needs to have what is called a PET scan. Cancer cells show up as bright spots on PET scans because they have a higher metabolic rate than do normal cells, so it's the best test to use to see if the cancer has spread. PET Scan Info Greg is scheduled to have the PET scan this Friday, March 31, 2017.
The other test he needs to have done is similar to an endoscopy, but they will go through his nose, instead of throat. That way, they will have a clearer view of the tumor and be better able to take more biopsies. He's going to have that done on April 4th.
We have an appointment with the oncologist for April 11th. One day before the 17th anniversary of his Bone Marrow Transplant! When we see the oncologist, he will have the results from the tests, and will discuss with us a plan of action. Once we have that done, I will be in a much better place than I am right now. I HATE not knowing! Once we know what stage he's in and what we have to do to combat it, I will feel better and more confident. We've been through this before. We can do it again.
A little more background on this cancer. Seventeen years ago, Greg had a bone marrow transplant for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (you can read all about it here: Greg's Blog Starting in January, 2000 ) As part of his transplant, he had to have Total Body Irradiation (TBI). Not only that, but about two years after his transplant (in 2002), he was diagnosed with something called Barretts Esophagus. Unfortunately, between the TBI and Barretts Esophagus, he had little chance to avoid this diagnosis.
Greg was originally diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma on Holy Thursday in 1992. Aaron was just a year old at the time, and of course, neither of the girls were born yet. After the chemo he went through, they are my miracle babies! Greg was in remission for six years, and we found out his cancer had returned in November, 1998. He went through two years of chemo, trying to destroy the cancer, which didn't work. Our only option at that point was a Bone Marrow Transplant. Greg's brother, Tom, was a perfect match for him. The link goes to Tom's harvest page on Greg's blog.
So, that's where we're at right now. Your prayers will, of course, be appreciated.
Today, we got the results. Based on the sections that were examined, he has esophageal cancer. We don't know what stage yet or any other information. That's because the mass is rather high in his esophagus, which makes it hard to get to with the traditional endoscope.
Because we also don't know if it has metastasized (spread), he needs to have what is called a PET scan. Cancer cells show up as bright spots on PET scans because they have a higher metabolic rate than do normal cells, so it's the best test to use to see if the cancer has spread. PET Scan Info Greg is scheduled to have the PET scan this Friday, March 31, 2017.
The other test he needs to have done is similar to an endoscopy, but they will go through his nose, instead of throat. That way, they will have a clearer view of the tumor and be better able to take more biopsies. He's going to have that done on April 4th.
We have an appointment with the oncologist for April 11th. One day before the 17th anniversary of his Bone Marrow Transplant! When we see the oncologist, he will have the results from the tests, and will discuss with us a plan of action. Once we have that done, I will be in a much better place than I am right now. I HATE not knowing! Once we know what stage he's in and what we have to do to combat it, I will feel better and more confident. We've been through this before. We can do it again.
A little more background on this cancer. Seventeen years ago, Greg had a bone marrow transplant for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (you can read all about it here: Greg's Blog Starting in January, 2000 ) As part of his transplant, he had to have Total Body Irradiation (TBI). Not only that, but about two years after his transplant (in 2002), he was diagnosed with something called Barretts Esophagus. Unfortunately, between the TBI and Barretts Esophagus, he had little chance to avoid this diagnosis.
Greg was originally diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma on Holy Thursday in 1992. Aaron was just a year old at the time, and of course, neither of the girls were born yet. After the chemo he went through, they are my miracle babies! Greg was in remission for six years, and we found out his cancer had returned in November, 1998. He went through two years of chemo, trying to destroy the cancer, which didn't work. Our only option at that point was a Bone Marrow Transplant. Greg's brother, Tom, was a perfect match for him. The link goes to Tom's harvest page on Greg's blog.
So, that's where we're at right now. Your prayers will, of course, be appreciated.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Colonoscopy and Endoscopy for Greg.
Yesterday, Greg was the lucky recipient of not only a colonoscopy, but an endoscopy, too! As far as I'm concerned, the whole "prep" thing is the worst part of the colonoscopy! I had one about 20 years ago, and that was just awful. Seriously. It's awful. Not only did he not sleep well Thursday night, because he kept getting up to go to the bathroom, but I didn't sleep well, because I kept waking up when he would get up. UGH! I tried commiserating with him, but failed miserably, as I just wanted my sleep!
So, Friday morning, we arrived at Aspirus Hospital in Medford for the procedures. I actually forgot that this was kind of a big deal of a procedure, until the nurses, doctors and anesthesiologists started coming into his room!
Gotta make yourself comfortable while you can!
The nurse felt really bad that she had a hard time getting an IV into him. She said he had "thick skin" and that was part of the problem. He doesn't have the greatest veins anymore, either, as they've been poked so many times because of all his cancer treatments and everything else he's been through. She ended up pulling out a "vein finder" to help her locate a good vein on him! Check this out!
It looks like some cousin of R2D2 or something! Ha!
Here, she's pointing at the vein that is showing up. And don the left is a good vein! That one ended up not working, either and she had to call for someone else to come and try putting the IV in. I think it was the anesthesiologist's assistant that came and put one in. He had a hard time, too, and I could tell it was painful for Greg. I felt so bad and had a hard time watching.
The good news is that the procedures are done!
So, Friday morning, we arrived at Aspirus Hospital in Medford for the procedures. I actually forgot that this was kind of a big deal of a procedure, until the nurses, doctors and anesthesiologists started coming into his room!
Gotta make yourself comfortable while you can!
The nurse felt really bad that she had a hard time getting an IV into him. She said he had "thick skin" and that was part of the problem. He doesn't have the greatest veins anymore, either, as they've been poked so many times because of all his cancer treatments and everything else he's been through. She ended up pulling out a "vein finder" to help her locate a good vein on him! Check this out!
It looks like some cousin of R2D2 or something! Ha!
Here, she's pointing at the vein that is showing up. And don the left is a good vein! That one ended up not working, either and she had to call for someone else to come and try putting the IV in. I think it was the anesthesiologist's assistant that came and put one in. He had a hard time, too, and I could tell it was painful for Greg. I felt so bad and had a hard time watching.
The good news is that the procedures are done!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Happy Birthday Greg . . . and Canned Cole Slaw? Seriously?
I've been thinking a lot about starting this back up, and I guess it's time I did! I'm not going to go ahead and rehash all the stuff that's happened in the last two years, so I'm just going to start over, as if I never stopped!
Today, March 18, 2017, is Greg's 61st birthday! (Just so you don't think I'm that old, I'm 9 years younger than him!) It feels odd to be married to someone so old! I mean, 61! Really? What's up with THAT?! I'm not old enough to be married to someone who's 61! Oh well, it is what it is, right? After all the health problems he's had, we're pretty darn lucky to even have him around still, so I'm going to stop complaining about having such an old man for a husband and thank God that I DO have an old man for a husband! Thank you, Jesus!
Last night, I took him out for dinner to celebrate. He loves corned beef and cabbage and Friday fish fries, so I thought it would be great to take him someplace that has a buffet with BOTH! You certainly can't beat that! We went to a supper club in Marshfield, WI called Belvederes. It was very good! We got there around 6 p.m., and were the youngest people there! Ha! The food was good and we had a very nice time. The price of the buffet was only $13.95 each! Can't beat that!
Today was a busy day for me! I had seen a post on one of my Facebook Canning Groups about canned Cole Slaw and decided I had to make some with cabbage as inexpensive as it is right now! (For those that don't know, I've been a bit of a canning nut and have been canning all manner of things from potatoes to mushrooms to baked beans to chicken!)
My dear friend Jessica wanted some, too, so she came over to help. We had six heads of cabbage that we shredded. I used my KitchenAid and she used my Salad Shooter. It actually went pretty quickly. If anyone is wondering, the KitchenAid worked WAY better! LOL In case you didn't know it, six heads of cabbage makes a LOT of shredded cabbage! We were trying to figure out what to put it all in so we could stir it and mix it up. I thought my Nesco would be large enough, but noooooooooooooo. It was in no way anywhere near large enough for all that cabbage! We went into the basement to see what I had that might be larger and work for food. Jess saw an older cooler, and we both said THAT'S IT! We went out to the garage and got one our cooolers. Jess scrubbed it out good and it was the perfect size!
Once we had that all shredded we had to make the brine. We needed 12 cups of sugar and six cups of vinegar, so I had to find a pot large enough for all that. I ended up using a vintage pressure cooker that I picked up last year. I would never use it for pressure cooking, but for cooking this brine, it was perfect!
It had to cool before we mixed it with the cabbage mixture, so we decided to put it out in the snow to cool!
We ended up with 30 pints total! YIKES! Having never had this Cole slaw before, we sure do hope it's good!
Today, March 18, 2017, is Greg's 61st birthday! (Just so you don't think I'm that old, I'm 9 years younger than him!) It feels odd to be married to someone so old! I mean, 61! Really? What's up with THAT?! I'm not old enough to be married to someone who's 61! Oh well, it is what it is, right? After all the health problems he's had, we're pretty darn lucky to even have him around still, so I'm going to stop complaining about having such an old man for a husband and thank God that I DO have an old man for a husband! Thank you, Jesus!
Last night, I took him out for dinner to celebrate. He loves corned beef and cabbage and Friday fish fries, so I thought it would be great to take him someplace that has a buffet with BOTH! You certainly can't beat that! We went to a supper club in Marshfield, WI called Belvederes. It was very good! We got there around 6 p.m., and were the youngest people there! Ha! The food was good and we had a very nice time. The price of the buffet was only $13.95 each! Can't beat that!
Today was a busy day for me! I had seen a post on one of my Facebook Canning Groups about canned Cole Slaw and decided I had to make some with cabbage as inexpensive as it is right now! (For those that don't know, I've been a bit of a canning nut and have been canning all manner of things from potatoes to mushrooms to baked beans to chicken!)
My dear friend Jessica wanted some, too, so she came over to help. We had six heads of cabbage that we shredded. I used my KitchenAid and she used my Salad Shooter. It actually went pretty quickly. If anyone is wondering, the KitchenAid worked WAY better! LOL In case you didn't know it, six heads of cabbage makes a LOT of shredded cabbage! We were trying to figure out what to put it all in so we could stir it and mix it up. I thought my Nesco would be large enough, but noooooooooooooo. It was in no way anywhere near large enough for all that cabbage! We went into the basement to see what I had that might be larger and work for food. Jess saw an older cooler, and we both said THAT'S IT! We went out to the garage and got one our cooolers. Jess scrubbed it out good and it was the perfect size!
The picture above is cabbage, carrots and onions, all shredded. We did need to break out the food processor to do the onions to get them the right size. Not a big deal. I have pretty much all the essential power tools!
Once we had that all shredded we had to make the brine. We needed 12 cups of sugar and six cups of vinegar, so I had to find a pot large enough for all that. I ended up using a vintage pressure cooker that I picked up last year. I would never use it for pressure cooking, but for cooking this brine, it was perfect! 
It had to cool before we mixed it with the cabbage mixture, so we decided to put it out in the snow to cool!
We ended up with 30 pints total! YIKES! Having never had this Cole slaw before, we sure do hope it's good!
And just for fun, I gotta ask . . . Can YOU fit a full size cooler in your sink? I LOVE my farmhouse sink! I'm pretty sure it's my favorite thing in the entire house!
In case you're interested, here is the recipe for the Cole slaw -- now mind you, we used SIX heads of cabbage and got 30 pints, so adjust this as necessary for however much you want. We did have to double the syrup recipe to have enough of a "brine" in the jars. Depending on how much you like celery, you can easily cut the celery seed in half. It has to sit at least two weeks before we can try it, so keep checking here and I'll be sure to let you know how it tastes!
Cole Slaw
1 medium
head cabbage
1 large
carrot
1 red or green pepper (I did not use)
1 small
onion
1 teaspoon
salt
Syrup
1 cup
vinegar
¼ cup
water
2 cups
sugar
1 teaspoon
celery seeds
1 teaspoon
mustard seeds
Shred
together vegetables. Add the salt. Let stand 1 hour.
Drain water from
vegetables. (I also rinse and drain.) Boil syrup ingredients together for 1
minute. Cool.
Add syrup to
vegetables (or vegetables to the syrup like I did).
Pack into quart jars.
(I use pints.)
Process in a boiling
water bath for 15 minutes.
If you don’t want to
can it, you could put it into freezer containers instead and freeze. Leftovers
may also be frozen. This slaw may be drained before use and mayonnaise added,
or used as is.
I've been told that when you open it, you can rinse it and add mayo if you like a creamy cole slaw, rather than a sweet/sour cole slaw.
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