Still Incomplete...

 Things aren't so good at our house. Butch is not in a good way. We do have an appointment next Tuesday for a scope. They tell us the lymph glands on both sides of his stomach are enlarged. He has a hard time breathing, and that seems to get worse by the day. We are working with a cardiac doctor, an oncologist (weight loss), and the surgeon doing the scope, plus his primary care doctor. All of them are good, and they all get along with each other. He has a CPAP, and it helps, but that is all it does. I was hoping for more. I have heard the phrase Congestive Heart Failure bandied about. The main problem is that they can't do much until something else is done. Much like being on a merry-go-round, except it ain't too merry! Hopefully, the procedure they do next Tuesday will tell them enough to begin a healing process on something somewhere. Butch said the other day that he thinks his square dance days are over. If that is all that's over, I will be more than happy!

Incomplete update on Butch

 He has a working CPAP and he has good nights and bad. Tomorrow he will be off his Blood thinners for 5 days before a scope procedure that will take place July 1st in Carroll Iowa. We will know more after this is done.

He has no appetite to speak of and he is weak and easily tired. Butch has always been a good patient when ill and that is still true.

Till then...

On My ToDo list

An update on Butch on July 2nd.

Cranberry Maple Trail Mix

Ingredients

1 ½ c raw walnuts

1 c toasted pumpkin seeds

¾ c raw sliced almonds

½ c maple syrup

3 tbs light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

salt

1 c dried sweetened cranberries

1 c white chocolate chips

Instructions

CANDY NUT & SEED MIX: Prepare a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, set aside. Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and almonds and stir together until well mixed. Pour over the maple syrup, add the spices, and stir until evenly coated. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring often, until the maple syrup has mostly adhered to the nut mixture. Then sprinkle over the brown sugar, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes. Take off the heat and spread out the mixture evenly on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle salt to taste over the top. Then allow the caramelized mixture to cool fully for 30 minutes. Break up into small clusters by hand.

FOLD IN CRANBERRIES & CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Once the mixture has set up completely, sprinkle over chocolate chips and cranberries, mix together, and store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or more. Use little pieces of parchment paper to line the bottom of your containers to prevent sticking.