Oh my gosh....YUM!

The Sammich

I just had an OMG...YUM moment.  I made the most fabulous Sammich I've ever, ever eaten for lunch. EVER!  It totally trumps my favorite vegan chicken salad sandwich that everyone knows that I ardently adore.  Oh, what a pretty name, Arden.  I have a friend named Arden, and for now on I will think of her as "a beautiful forest".  I just had to look up what the name means in the English language, as far as names go.  Very nice.

A bit better than "white wave" or whatever my name means now.

So, this morning I was researching anti-cancer foods because I would really, really, like to go forward from this moment on and try to prevent cancer as much as possible.  I was first reading all of the give-cancer-the-finger-foods (I hate cancer it has robbed me of my loved ones and family) and then one thing led to another and I'm at Dr. Oz's site researching the most aggressive cancers and then my throat started to feel really sore.
Esophageal cancer is always in the back of my consciousness and I try and stuff it down with healing thoughts and foods and diversions, just anything, and prayer. Loads of prayer.

Dr. Oz said that you are at risk for esophageal cancer if you have more than one alcoholic drink in one sitting.  Whowhat? Come again.  Doc.  Where were you in my early 20's? Why am I in my 30's reading this for the first time.  Sure, I thought it was binge drinking that got you there, and we all know it's considered a binge after 4 drinks. But after one?! Come on Doc.  Give a gal a break! Only thing to do is to learn from knowledge and not reflect on the past mistakes. They are done.  Just do the best you can with what you've got. And that will have to be enough.

Last time I was at the dentist, there was an understudy or someone in there with him that he was explaining everything that he was doing during a patients routine visit.  He grasped my tongue and pulled it down and peered down my throat, and said "normal".  And I immediately flicked my tongue away and said, "what are you looking for?  Is it cancer?"  He immediately started to laugh and said that when his father was in Dental College that he would routinely fall symptomatic to whatever infection or illness he was studying at the time.  And said that his father was a hypochondriac for many years, just like me.  Then I asked what are you looking for, lesions, redness and swelling, can I look myself? and so on.

I have had a tickle in my throat for a few days now, and have decided to I read something about esophageal cancer and now I'm on the war path, or quest to quell the cancer that may or may not be there.  And, in my mornings research, (I really should try to sleep in so I do not poison my brain for the day), I read that some of the best foods are beans, grains, soy, cabbage, garlic among other great things like berries and flaxseed.  I'm not much of a fruit person though.  My blood sugar gets really spiked if I eat too much fruit in one sitting and I'm irritable and highly irrational.  Do not, I repeat, do not engage in conversation with me or make eye contact when I'm crashing after eating a banana or two. You wouldn't dance with a grizzly, would you?  I didn't think so.

I've been up since 4 so it's about 10:30 and I need lunch.  Blood sugar thing and being a Brooks.  We are unpredictable if we are hungry.  Best to go ahead and eat.

I want to incorporate all of the lovely foods that are anti-cancer in one big ol' sammich.  So this is what I did and BTW it was fabu-X-2. Fabu! Fabu! Uh! Uh!

The Sammich

2 slices of your favorite multigrain bread, I got mine from Flour Garden, in RVA
3-5 slices peppered Tofurky deli slices
1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 dash of Bangarang! signature seasoning, Virginia's Finest Woot!
1-2 Tbsp. vegan rice cheese I use the mozzarella, I love Galaxy Nutritional Foods brand
1 handful of spring mix greens
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. veganaise, I love Follow Your Heart brand
1 Tbsp. Hot Pepper Jelly, I use Graves Mountain Lodge, Virginia's Finest Woot!

In a skillet, bring your oil to medium heat and toss in shallots and garlic, let sizzle for a minute or two then toss in the cabbage.  Let it get a little golden with a few minutes heat before stirring.  Sprinkle on a dash of Bangarang! Toss to coat.
Toast the two slices of bread.  Put veganaise on the bottom slice.  Top with spiced cabbage, then cilantro.  Place your tofurky deli slices on top, then your vegan cheese.  Then top with spring greens.  Lastly, spread the Hot Pepper Jelly on the top slice of bread and slap on top. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

My, I hate Cancer, Sammich:
Mutligrain, check!
Soy, tofurky, and veganaise check!
Cruciferous veggie, cabbage, check!
olive oil, check!
garlic, check!
check!
Check!
CHECK!

and Woot!

It is OMG...Yum or Fabu! Fabu! For those with flair!