Veganize Me: A sweet reminder of a good friend 
April 16, 2009 by Anisa Buttar
Daniel William Bistline won’t have to suffer anymore. He lost his two-year battle to leukemia on April 9. He went peacefully.
Daniel Bistline Nov. 10 1986- April 9 2009. Courtesy photo.
I met Danny on Valentine’s Day in 2002. We were both 16 years old. I made quite an impression on him after I was the only one in our group brave enough to take a bite of his In-N-Out four by four burger.
We were together for three and a half years. He bought me my first bouquet of flowers and took me out on my first date. He treated me like a queen. We ended our relationship amicably. Our love for each other transcended into a deep friendship.
Danny had a natural thirst for literature and conversation. He was one of the best writers I have known and he was far too intelligent for his age. He was the guy who never studied and still managed to ace everything. “I just listen in class,” he would say modestly.
His personality was magnetic. One of his favorite sayings was “everything is excusable for the sake of funny.” Needless to say, he had a great sense of humor. I loved his warm laugh.
Danny was the anti-vegan. His favorite thing to eat was steak. He often asked for it still mooing. I became vegan after we broke up and I’ll never forget his reaction, “Ew, I can’t believe I dated a vegan!”
Although he teased me, I gave him the book “Vegan Freak.” After reading it, he gained respect for the lifestyle and told me he admired my commitment.
His vibrancy could not be dulled by the treatment. During his two years in and out of chemotherapy he never complained. One of my favorite more memories of him occurred on my most recent birthday in July. I called him on my way to the hospital to check in. “Can you please grab me a McDonald’s hamburger?” he asked. I could just imagine the sly smile on his face. “You can never give me [expletive] for being vegan again,” I laughingly responded.
I paid with cash so no one would ever know.
Some of my favorite memories of our time together occurred in the summers. School was out and fun was in. We would often go on drives just to listen to music, talk and enjoy the weather.
We listened to Pink Floyd and talked about the meanings of their songs. We also spent a lot of time perfecting our Simpsons finesse. We would carry entire conversations in Simpsons’ quotes and often compete to see who knew more.
His all time favorite ice cream (and flavor in general) was vanilla. “It’s a classic, it’s that simple,” he would say. I adopted this recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s cook book masterpiece, “Veganomicon.”
Danny always encouraged me to write and be confidant in my abilities. “You’re the only person I know that’s smarter than me,” he said. I would not be where I am today without him.
I miss him terribly, more than words could ever describe. I keep telling myself: no more harsh chemotherapy, no more spinal taps, he’s at rest now.
VEGAN-IZE ME is a column that takes ordinary meals and turns them into vegan-friendly ones that everyone can enjoy. It appears in every other Thursday issue.
Ingredients:These vanilla ice cream sandwiches were made in memory of Daniel Bistline. Photo by Amy Adler.
- ½ cup strawberry preserves
- 1 cup vegan sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups unbleached flour
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- vanilla soy or rice ice creamMethod:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have two large mixing bowls ready and a lightly greased cookie sheet. Mix the wet ingredients (the first four) with a fork in a bowl. Sift the dry ingredients (the rest) into the remaining bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three batches. The dough will get progressively tougher and adding water helps.
Use a tablespoon to scoop the right amount of dough. With wet hands, roll the dough into a golf-ball sized ball and flatten it in your palm. This will ensure all the cookies are about the same size. Bake for about seven to 10 minutes. After a few minutes, let them cool on a cooling rack.
Freeze the cookies overnight. Assembly is easy. Use a larger spoon to scoop your favorite ice cream onto a cookie and smush another cookie on top.
![Ice cream [sandwiches]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3598/3445888433_66a7b0ecc1_m.jpg)
ONLINE:
Danny’s family has suffered an inexplicable loss. Donation to his funeral and rising medical costs, can be made by visiting http://dannyfundraiser.chipin.com/danny-bistline.
That was a really nice article! It is definitly a much more boring world without Danny. So many good times I know none of us will ever forget. Great guy!
John Ewell
I was one of Danny’s chemotherapy nurses at Summerlin Hospital. I took care of him most everytime he was there. I have to say he called me his favorite. I got to know Danny very well and his mother and sister. I was so sorry to hear of his passing and would have gone to his funeral had I known. I would love to contact his sister and mother if you know a way. Danny was a remarkable young man. He will be deeply missed.
I found this tonight as I was at work and thinking about one of my favorite patients. I am a RN at UCLA and last time I saw Danny he had told me he would be back in about a month for more chemo. This was more then several months ago and so I was wondering what had happened. It took me a few days to remember his last name and then I googled him and found this….
He was truely an amazing person. One of my favorite patients ever. He was always laughing and smiling even when he was feeling terrible.
Anisa,
Once again you touch my heart with words that bring fond memories of my “Daniel Darling” Summers were great but cold fall nights on the ballfield with hot coco certianly had their place in my heart too. Thank you for sharing. We all love him and shared memories lighten the pain of the emptiness felt by so many.
Ellie
Wow, I cannot describe how touched I am to see your writings about Danny. My brother was something so special to each one of us. He was my little brother but a lot more than that he was my best friend. I have never know any brother and sister to have a more special and bonded relationship as I had with Danny. I just read this article and it literally brought me to tears because I just keep finding and hearing more and more of his life experiences with all of these people and I just want to say that I am so proud.
Anisa,
I remember when we met. You asked me what I’d like you to call me. I said, I don’t care, but I’m going to call you beautiful! Danny and I looked at each other and he shrugged his shoulders and gave me that coy smile of his. He and I both knew what we were thinking. I’m glad you two remained friends.
The article you wrote was uplifting and a true tribute to a wonderful person. He was my son, but more than that he was my hero. I can’t wait to see him again.
Danny’s dad, Daniel
You are all blessed by having such a close relationship with Danny. It was not until my nephew became ill that I truly knew him and realized what a man of character he is.
I will reread your kind words whenever I need to feel warm, Danny’s memory has that effect.
Greg Bistline
Danny always had a sense of humor ever since I could remember. He was over at our house one Christmas, (we were upstairs in my room playing and going through my stuff) he put on one of my VERY THIN karate gloves and said,” hey cousin look over there!” I fell for it an he popped my in the eye….even at 10 he had a good punch; I remember he thought it was the funniest thing ever and couldn’t stop laughing, even as I was doubled over holding my eye.
I regret not have a closer relationship to him until he was in the hospital….I feel blessed I was able to be there to see him pass. He will forever be in my heart and soul.
Tim Bistline
Anisa:
Your note on Danny brought home to me again just how much we all have lost. Pat and I thought of Danny as one of our sons. We spent a wonderful week with him in Florida not long before he was diagnosed. In fact, his aunt Pat went shopping with him in Florida for a gift for you. We had planned our early April visit to Las Vegas long before we knew we would get there just at the end. Pat wanted to make spaghetti sauce for him (he said he could drink his aunt Pat’s spaghetti sauce).
There is no more chemo, no more spinal taps. But there is a hole in my heart–in all of our hearts. I can’t think of Danny without smiling at the memory of what a good person he was, how much he enjoyed life and what an adventure he found it to be. We have the hard job of going on, but having known and love Danny has made my life richer.
Tom Bistline
I didn’t know Danny but I do know how much he meant to his Dad. Dan and my husband are cousins, We kinda grew up together. Dan and I would talk on the phone once in a while. We would always end up talking about Danny and I could hear the love and pride in Dan’s voice when he talked about him, his job, his sense of humor, (which I know came from his dad,) and his strength. He told me several times that Danny was his hero. I wish I had known him, the world has been a better place because of him, I know that from all that I have read here today!
Bless you all,
Debbie Stedtfeld