SPOS - Fruit Cocktail

Stomach Peg Original Soup™ SPOS - Fruit Cocktail

A lot of time, I am preaching the goodness of veggies. Supermarkets have made it so much easier to work with fruit, in the form of a fruit cocktail.  Many now carry pre-sliced fruits, and particularly blends of pre-sliced fruits - watermelon, pears, apples, cantaloupes, honeydew, pineapple, etc.

FRUIT COCKTAIL IS A SMOOTHIE WITHOUT ALL THE WHITE STUFF
Pureeing these in my Vitamix makes a great smell in the kitchen.  It also slides down the G-Tube a lot easier than a smoothie because it doesn't have the foam and heavy texture of the yogurt/cream.  Also if I make the base of fruit-only, then each of the yogurt snobs can add just THEIR FAVORITE yogurt to turn it into THEIR smoothie.

To spriten things up I'll add ginger, lemon, orange, papaya, grapefruit.

Most of my batches are less than 12 oz, so finding pre-cut pre-mixed fruit cups is helpful. Slicing a half dozen fresh fruit leaves a lot of leftovers. Buying small pre cut allows my family the ability to finish off the rest of the fruit and mix it in with their yogurt.  We then change the flavor combinations week to week.

FRUITS THAT DON'T LAST
Not that they go bad,  it's that they are the favorites in the house - fresh organic blackberries, fresh organic raspberries, fresh organic blueberries.  Everyone in the house knows how spotty the growing season is for these three fruits.


Yes I have been know to add a little bottom of a muffin to my puree . . .


FROM THE TAP TO THE TABLE
I found this site in my travels and it has some wonderful combinations that you might not have thought of.


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I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address. 

You may also enjoy an additional blog article - Stomach Peg Original Soup(tm) SPOS I’m not a Chef

SPOS - Smell of Healing

Stomach Peg Original Soup™ SPOS - Smell of Healing

An important part of making SPOS is the smell of cooking.  I love the smell of ginger.  However, I don't like the smell of cooking cabbage.  Luckily, the smell of the ginger outweighs the smell of the cabbage.

I also cook the cabbage first thing in the morning, when my wife is making coffee.  You have to understand that my wife likes REALLY dark coffee, so our house can smell like a coffee-shop.  When I say dark, I mean the coffee you can chew.

Cinnamon is another favorite smell.  I try to add cinnamon where I can because of the anti-cancer properties.

In the afternoon, I tend to make chocolate based treats.  They are not for me, but for my neighbors who have been so helpful this winter.  My wife is a masterful baker - me? not so much.  I invite my friend Betty Crocker to come help me.

My daughter is jealous that my neighbors are making out like bandits, but is you know the amount of effort they put in this BOSTON SNOW RECORD BREAKING YEAR (March 1015).  I couldn't nearly make enough.

I have even changed my shower soap to a smell that is more appealing - Margarita!

Red Pasta sauce is another smell I love.  Tomato sauces can burn the mouth, and also cause stomach upset, so be sure to check and see if it is OK,  and don't be upset if the cancer survivor "passes" and wants something different.

Vanilla Extract and Almond extract are welcome additions to purees.  I don't cook with them, I add them Directly to the puree, to get maximum aromatic benefit.

SMELL ON THE FLIPSIDE
I love the smell of peanut butter - at least I used too.  I suddenly have an aversion to the smell.  Not sure why, and I hope it doesn't stay long.  If there is a smell that suddenly turns for the worse.  Alert your caregiver is a kind way.  
UPDATE: 1/16  My love of the smell of peanut butter has come back,  showing the ebb and flow of smells.

The other day there was a Rotary International fundraiser at one of my favorite pizza places Flatbread Company .  Walked in and was instantly overwhelmed by the smell.  Normally, I love that smell.  But between the loud bustling sounds of a restaurant and the eclectic smells, I needed to step outdoors. If you have strong reaction to the smell, don't be afraid to speak up.


COMMENTS
Please add your comments and suggestions to my blog.  Nice to see people from around the globe reading my blog.  Please follow you want the latest recipes.  We are a small global community, let me know how I can help you out.  I'm sure that whatever your issue is, there is another person who can benefit for hearing how you are solving your problems.  You are not alone, are are among other leaders.

FACEBOOK
I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address. 

You may also enjoy an additional blog article - Stomach Peg Original Soup(tm) SPOS I’m not a Chef

SPOS - St. Patrick Version

Stomach Peg Original Soup™ SPOS - St. Patrick Version

3 leaves of Cabbage Chopped
2 finely chopped carrots
1 turnips finely chopped
1 Onion finely chopped
1 teaspoons of turmeric
1 DASH of Bell’s Seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 little bit of corned beef for smokey taste

Option:
1 potato

I'm not making a huge pot that need to last a couple of weeks, just enough for a couple of days.  And although turmeric is not a traditional Irish spice, it's still important to add cancer fighting spices.  I use a strong ginger beer to cleanse my G-tube, so it also helps activate the anti-cancer agents in the tumeric.

I am still using IsoSource for three main my meals, so this dish is for my three of four snacks between the main meals.

This year I added a little extra starch in the form of sweet potato, instead of traditional white potatoes.

This is the first time that instead of using a blending wand and screening the soup, I poured the cooked mash into a Vitamix and pureed it on the optional HOT SOUP setting.  Worked out like a charm.  I did have to let it settle, and skim off the foam that collected on the top.

COMMENTS
Please add your comments and suggestions to my blog.  Nice to see people from around the globe reading my blog.  Please follow you want the latest recipes.  We are a small global community, let me know how I can help you out.  I'm sure that whatever your issue is, there is another person who can benefit for hearing how you are solving your problems.  You are not alone, are are among other leaders.

FACEBOOK
I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address. 

You may also enjoy an additional blog article - Stomach Peg Original Soup(tm) SPOS I’m not a Chef

SPOS - Tandoori burp

Stomach Peg Original Soup™ SPOS


Everyone has a signature dish.   My father-in-law makes a fabulous tandoori chicken.  He was kind enough one time to send me a small jar of his signature blend of spices.  Now that I have a G-tube, I thought I might never taste it again . . . . JEFF THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!

Many Indian spices and vegetables are cancer fighters, so it is easy to adopt a vegetarian SPOS. The goal is to consume healthy vegetables that regulate digestion, while using Isosource.

If there is one thing that I learned from working on 100 Meals, sniffing and burping are key.   Tandoori SPOS is best served a little warmer than normal so that you get that aromatic charm for your nose.  The burping seems to take care of itself.   OK so I burp all of my meals,  I shouldn't single this one out . . .

In the evening my daughter made white rice with veggies, and asked if I wanted to puree a cup to add to the Tandoori SPOS - - - which I did.

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Please add your comments and suggestions to my blog.  Nice to see people from around the globe reading my blog.  Please follow you want the latest recipes.

FACEBOOK
I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address. 

You may also enjoy an additional blog article - Stomach Peg Original Soup(tm) SPOS I’m not a Chef

SPOS - when to eat it with Nutritionist regulated protein formula

Stomach Peg Original Soup™ SPOS Updated February 24th, 2015


Since I have 6 cartons of IsoSource to consume a day I pour them down my tube at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner - or in my case 9:00 AM; 3:00PM and 9:00PM.

Every three hours, between those meals I pour 120 cc of SPOS per "SNACK"  the major reason is pain meds that might upset my stomach.  

STOMACH PEG ORIGINAL SOUP™ RECIPE with IsoSource

7 leaves of Kale Chopped
7 finely chopped carrots
2 turnips finely chopped
1 Onion finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 DASH of Bell’s Seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Mystery vegetable

From the large pot of pureed veggies I take a long handled mesh strainer over a 2 cup measuring cup to screen out the last of the large pieces that would not fit down the G-tube.  I find tapping the center of the strainer helps drains the strainer better.

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I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address.

Stomach Peg Original Soup(tm) SPOS - Ingestible Medicines

Stomach Peg Original Soup™ SPOS Updated January 2016

Currently my Nutritionist has asked me to consume 6 containers of IsoSource 1.5 Cal Tube feeding Formula.  the simple answer is two cans each at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Which for me is 9:00 AM; 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

UPDATE: December 2015 - my Nutritionist said that I could switch to Soylent or Orgain if my insurance won't pay for IsoSource.  The reasoning was that half my diet was "REAL FOOD" and I have maintained my weight for almost a year.  I opted for monthly 36 bottles of Soylent delivered to the house.

INGESTIBLE MEDICINES/VITAMINS
I also have several ingestible pills that I need to consume at those times.  I prepare a small ceramic coffee creamer cup of tap-hot-water, about an inch (3 cm) and drop each pill into the cup and wait until they dissolve.  Usually less than two minutes.  I then add room or refridgerator cold liquid like non-dairy milk or IsoSource to cool it down to luke warm.  I use the creamer to fill the 60 cc monoject syringe which is connected to my G-tube.  I've also used a Pyrex 2 cup measuring bowl.  I  find the one cup version does not give me enough room to put in enough cooling liquid.

UPDATE: January 2016- I have discovered that the Aleve green Liqui-Gels, in hot water, pops open in a few minutes and releases the medicine in the water, so I don't have to wait until the gel dissolves.  And Yes, the medicine is a white powder and the Liqui-Gel is colored green.  I puck the Liqui-Gel out once the medicine is released

I prefer to hand fill the "powdery" medicines slurry to make sure that I eventually wash them into my G-tube.  I pour the IsoSource into my creamer too, to further wash the  medicines into the tube.  And follow up with a minimum of 60 cc of clear water to clear the G-tube.  This doesn't leave much room for SPOS.

There are other medicines I need to ingest every three hours, and I use the SPOS as both a push, and a way to comfort the stomach from harsh chemicals.  I typically ingest 120 cc of SPOS and a final rinse of water to clean out the G-tube system.

STOMACH PEG ORIGINAL SOUP™ RECIPE (Protein-less stock)

7 leaves of Kale Chopped
7 finely chopped carrots
2 turnips finely chopped
1 Onion finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 DASH of Bell’s Seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Mystery vegetable (finely chopped)

I have a large pot on the stove, which I screen out the larger chunks on an as need basis.


Enjoy

Jeff Scott Hoyland

COMMENTS
Please add your comments and suggestions to my blog.  Nice to see people from around the globe reading my blog.  Please follow you want the latest recipes.

FACEBOOK
I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address.

Moving from 100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients to Stomach Peg Original Soup ™

WOW the world is an amazing place.

After two different bouts with oral cancer,  the side-effects of radiation treatment finally caught up with me.    Between my trismus and inability to swallow, I lost about 20 pounds in 3 weeks (finally bottoming out at 137 pounds).  The professionals at Dana Farber agreed with me that I should surgically re-install a G-tube.  

I am going back to blogging about SPOS (Stomach Peg Original Soup).  I learned a lot about what constitutes a quality meal for people on a liquefied/pureed diet while writing "100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients" and plan to take that expertise back to blogging about food for the G-tube.

You would think that flavor doesn't matter if you are just pouring it directly into the stomach.  Clearly you have never burped.  I should be released from Brigham and Women's Hospital this week, and will start writing recipes soon after that.  My original blog post on SPOS date back to 2011.


COMMENTS
Please add your comments and suggestions to my blog.  Nice to see people from around the globe reading my blog.  Please follow you want the latest recipes.

FACEBOOK
I have created a companion page on Facebook called: 100 Meals Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.  Sometimes it is easier to share a FB page than send a blog address.

I have an additional FACEBOOK PAGE that is all about people sharing positive energy by doing good deeds that might be as simple as saying "GOOD MORNING" - TeamGoodMorning