The Sensible Mom

Recipe Video: Chicken Stuffed Peppers

October 26, 2013 by Sandra 2 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and their client.

I recently created a recipe video for chicken stuffed peppers using Kraft Recipe Makers Chicken Cacciatore. The stuffed peppers turned out wonderfully, and it was nice to have two whole pans of prepared food by the time I was finished taping. 🙂

That allowed for quick and easy meals this particular week.

Here’s the video:

P.S. Please excuse the clutter in the background. With all that’s going on with David and having to spend so much time away from home…well, I’ve wished for a cleaning lady more than once. 😉

The Chicago Bears, Breast Cancer Awareness, and Early Detection

October 25, 2013 by Sandra 2 Comments

This is part of a compensated campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and P&G. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Cancer is ugly.

It’s a horrible disease that wreaks havoc on families every single day. Unfortunately, cancer is a disease I’m getting up close and personal with because whenever my four-year-old son, David, is admitted to the hospital or has an appointment with his doctor, he goes to the same floors where, tragically, kids who have been diagnosed with cancer go. The same follows for David’s treatment, it’s very similar to the way certain cancers are treated.

Breast Cancer Awareness
While I won’t be talking about childhood cancer in detail today, I will be talking about breast cancer, which affects us, ladies.

I had the opportunity to visit The Chicago Bears’ Halas Hall this past week and find out things I never knew about breast cancer — in addition to ways that women can detect it early. I had the chance to sit in on a roundtable that included Corey Wootton, a Chicago Bears football player who has personally been affected by breast cancer, and Janelle Hail, a breast cancer survivor and founder of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Here are a few key pieces of information I learned about breast cancer and early detection during the roundtable:

1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.

Breast cancer death rates are higher among latina women.

When breast cancer is detected during the early (localized) stage, the five year survival rate is 98%.

We can help save lives by spreading the message about early detection to those around us.

Creating your own early detection plan for breast cancer is easy. There’s even an app for it! Just search “NBCF” in the app store. 🙂

I also learned that there are free screening locations available across the country for women to get mammograms and other diagnostic services. If there isn’t a hospital on the list in your area, you can check with your local hospital.

The Bottom Line
We need to be informed about how early detection saves lives and helps beat breast cancer. I’ve already installed the app on my phone, and my reminder plan is in place. I’ll get an email 3 days before I should log a self-exam.

I love how technology makes life easier and even helps save lives.

Do you have an early detection plan in place? Do you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer?

Connecting with Family (and a Recipe for Pumpkin Scones with Pumpkin Spice Glaze)

October 22, 2013 by Sandra 9 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and their client. #LoveYourCup

My heart is busted.

For the past 3 months, I’ve watched one of my children goes through unimaginable pain and suffering I wish I could stop. I’ve been in desperate situations that I never thought I’d be in as a mother.

In tears, I’ve experienced many “I can’t do this!” moments.

But one thing that keeps me focused on moving forward and helps me to process this life is the fact that no matter what happens or whatever scary situation I find myself in, I can always talk to someone about it.

That means everything.

Moments of Connection
When I’m connecting with my family and friends and sharing the latest update on David (my four year old son with aplastic anemia), coffee and comfort foods are never too far away. Coffee, in particular, is a part of my everyday life, but even more so now. I start every morning with a cup of coffee as I talk about plans for the day with my husband and kids, and when I can’t be at home because I’m in the hospital with David…coffee keeps me going and helps me to stay alert and attentive to David’s needs.

Actually, when we’re in the hospital during yet another admission and Ruben and the kids come to visit, they almost always arrive with a hot cup of coffee.

They know…coffee is my love language. 😉

Then as I sip on coffee, we talk.

Pumpkin Scones
Lately, I’ve been drinking my fair share of pumpkin spice flavored coffee. But since my kids can’t really enjoy that with me, I decided to use Coffee-mate Pumpkin Spice liquid creamer to whip up a fun Fall treat — Pumpkin Scones.

These scones are truly delicious! They’re best served hot, shortly after you take them out of the oven.

I hope you enjoy the recipe:

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup pumpkin spice Coffee-mate liquid creamer
1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, then grease a baking sheet and set aside. (I used coconut oil to grease the baking sheet, but you could also spray it with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and using either two butter knives or your hands, incorporate the butter. Once the butter is incorporated, set mixture aside.
In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, liquid creamer, and egg.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together using a spatula or spoon until the mixture becomes a soft dough. (May need to use your hands for this step as well.)
On a floured surface, roll the dough out so that it becomes a large, 3/4-inch thick circle.
Place the dough onto the greased baking sheet and using a pizza cutter, slice into eight pieces so that it resembles a sliced pizza.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.
Once the scones are removed from the oven, allow them to cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle with Pumpkin Spice Glaze (see recipe below) and enjoy!

https://thesensiblemom.com/2013/10/recipe-pumpkin-scones-pumpkin-spice-glaze/

Pumpkin Spice Glaze
What truly brings out the deliciousness in the scones is definitely the glaze. It’s easy to make and can be whipped up while the scones bake.

Here’s the recipe:

Pumpkin Spice Glaze

Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons pumpkin spice Coffee-mate liquid creamer

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix ingredients together until smooth.

https://thesensiblemom.com/2013/10/recipe-pumpkin-scones-pumpkin-spice-glaze/

Family & Friends Make Traveling Down Bumpy Roads Easier
As the roller coaster ride continues with my little guy’s health, I know I can keep going and move forward because of the awesome friends and family I have to lean on. They always provide a listening ear, a hot cup of coffee, and many offers of something good to eat.

Do you have any favorite Fall recipes or traditions? Do you connect with family and friends over coffee?

David’s Story: When I Realized My Son was Terribly Sick (Aplastic Anemia Symptoms)

October 18, 2013 by Sandra 24 Comments

I’m not exactly sure where to begin this post.

But I think it’s best to start with the day I finally realized that something was terribly wrong with my four year old son, David.

It was a Saturday night (August 3rd), and I was looking through old pictures of my family. I needed to find a picture that best represented our family to turn in for an upcoming writing assignment. As I looked further back to older pictures that were stored on my laptop, my eyes fell on this one.

I immediately noticed how different David looked in this picture compared to how he’d been looking over the past few months. I noticed the color in his face, his pink lips, and his smile. He looked…healthy and happy.

That was my David.

He’d somehow disappeared over the months and become the David we knew now….cranky, cold, tired, and often lashing out at siblings.

Ruben and I had been noticing changes in David’s behavior but never thought it was something I needed to make a doctor’s appointment for. We didn’t know what the problem was but whatever it was, we thought David was just different than our other four kids. He needed to ride in the stroller when we’d go out because of how quickly he’d become tired. And we needed to remember to leave the house with a jacket for him for when he’d be cold…when no one else was cold.

After I admired the happy, healthy-looking picture of David.

My eyes fell on this picture.

It still takes my breath away.

And I feel like the stupidest mom in the world when I see it.

Ruben took this picture of our five kids when we were in Chicago at the end of July for the BlogHer’13 conference. He spent time with the kids while I went attended the conference.

Immediately, when I saw this picture, I knew something was terribly wrong with David. I called Ruben over to look at the pictures and told him I’d be making a doctor’s appointment for David on Monday.

But then I woke up on Sunday morning, and I started noticing everything wrong about David. The insanely difficult mornings filled with anger, screaming, and crying, trying to get him ready for the day weren’t normal.

David wasn’t simply “not a morning person.” He was sick. The constant requests for someone to “sit with me or lay with me” weren’t just David wanting to cuddle. He was tired and had no energy. The change is his overall color — it was real and not my imagination.

Ruben had gone to church that morning with our older kids while I stayed home with the little ones, because we had a virus of some sort going through our family. I text messaged him and told him that I’d be taking David straight to the emergency room once he was home.

When we arrived at the ER, I carried David inside because he was too tired to walk. After a brief rundown with the person at the desk, David was taken straight back, and the ER doctor immediately knew that something was wrong.

She was right.

David’s hemoglobin was at 2. (A normal level is anywhere from 11.5-13.5.)

He had a platelet count of 6. (A normal platelet count is anywhere from 150-400.)

And his white blood cells were low.

My mind was trying to understand what these numbers written on a white sheet of paper meant for my son. I found the courage to ask the doctor for the bottom line.

She wasted no time in telling me that she believed David had leukemia. He would be transferred by ambulance to Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

To be continued….

David’s Symptoms of Aplastic Anemia

Cold

Tired

Irritable

Pale/Yellow skin

Rapid heart rate

Bruising

Petechiae (tiny red or purple spots on David’s body)

One of my goals for writing these posts is to raise further awareness about aplastic anemia and even encourage others to register for the national bone marrow registry, Be the Match. Lord willing, someone in this registry will save my son’s life. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away in the comments, and I’ll share as much as I can.

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