I found this recipe probably in family circle as well, but I honestly don't remember. If doesn't matter, because other than the general idea I completely ignored the recipe and did whatever I felt like doing.
Like using box mix for Chocolate Fudge Cake instead of making my own blend of pumpkin cake. And using a smaller Pyrex baking bowl than they suggested (who knew those bowls we always mix in were actually baking bowls??). It turned out okay for the presentation, but the cake itself is amazingly delicious! So here it goes:
When you bake in a pyrex bowl, this is what it comes out like. You have to use the same size bowl to make each one, and I baked them for 45 minutes each. Both halves. And then you have to level the tops of each so that they meet closely when placed on top of each other. Mix yellow and red with vanilla icing to make orange, and use that in between the halves to keep them together and on the outer edge to smooth it. Then ice the rest of it, but I suggest doing one section at a time because the icing gets funky. Cut a hole in the top of the cake for the "stem". Cover the icing with reese pieces (it said M&Ms but they don't have an abundance of yellow and orange in them) in the pattern you want and put some kind of chocolate bar in the top hole for the stem.
Voila!
It worked well until I went to move it. Then things started to move. But it was a good thought. Next time I'd probably use a bigger bowl to make it easier, decorate on the presentation dish instead of the wire rack, and more red in my icing. But it's still at least kind of cute :)
The walk was amazing. We had 13 people signed up. We had 10 and two kids show up. More than last year, but not as many as we were expecting.
Last years walk was 61,000 people strong. I'd like to take the opportunity to mention that the entire population of the city we will be moving too is 53,000. Oh Wyoming! The numbers haven't come in yet from this years walk!
My mom decided she was joining us, and that was fantastic! She was nervous she wouldn't be able to make it all 5 miles, especially with B's mom there and her wanting to make a "good impression" to all people not related to us. But she did fine--better than me, actually. Sad, and so freakin' true. Would have been much better if it weren't 40 degrees out and we hadn't parked a mile away this year. Ha! But downtown at sunrise is absolutely gorgeous, so it was fantastic photo-taking time!
A few photos: Me and Mom Wall of people for as far as you could see. The group. View of the finish-area from the other side of the river. Awesome little dog. So many people brought their pets. They were cute, but it makes me wonder if their owners can read "no pets of bicycles." We did wonder about rollerblades, though. The bottom of a ferrywheel, which for whatever reason is suspended in the air.
Then we came home and cleaned out the storage closet and threw out TONS of stuff. So exciting!
And then we woke up on Monday and couldn't move. But it was totally worth it :)
October, as we all know from the obsessive amount of pink absolutely everywhere, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 13% of all women, 1 in 8, will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. About 42,000 women will die this year from breast cancer.
My mother beat the odds.
She was diagnosed last summer, and has made it through chemo and radiation and has come out cancer-free! Along with her, my grandmother, stepmother, aunt, and my mother's best friend have all fought the disease and all but one (my aunt) won the fight!
So last year we decided we would take part in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk! The walk is 5 miles and a fabulous way to raise money for research. Last year there were 60,000+ walkers just in our city!
You can find my fundraising page at the ACS website if you'd like to know more about why I'm walking, donate, or even join a walk near you! We walk as a team as well, and have 13 people signed up, but will have some stragglers with us that day as well!
When many people band together for results, fantastic results come out of it!
Many of you know that cancer research has a large spot in my heart. Breast cancer for sure, as so many women in my life have fought the disease. But, all cancer are horrible. All cancers need cures. And pediatric cancers are often overlooked--the littlest patients are often overlooked. But not today. Today they will be our focus.
Be Aware. Care. Save.
Today is Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. Did you know? No?
Here are a few facts, taken from the internet,which will hopefully help enlighten you:
1. Cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease for children, killing more than asthma, diabetes, pediatric AIDS, congenital anomalies, and cystic fibrosis combined.
2. 46 children are diagnosed with cancer every day in the US.
3. Every year, 35-40,000 children are in treatment for cancer.
4. Less than 3% of all cancer research money goes to all pediatric cancers combined.
5. September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month yet most people have never heard of this.
6. Only about 20% of adults with cancer show evidence that the disease has spread to distant sites on the body at diagnosis yet 80% of children are diagnosed with advanced disease.
7. Each year, 3000 children die of cancer in the US- or 1 in 5. That's 20%.
Think about your child's class at school. I'm guessing around 20 kids, right? Now imagine the principal told you four of those children, picked at random, would be dead by the end of the school year, just for showing up to class.
Would you send your kid to school?
Think about your child's football, or baseball, or soccer team. Ten or fifteen kids, right? Imagine three of them will be killed on the court or on the field this fall. Would you let your child play?
I'm always amazed when I hear someone say, "I'm so lucky .... I've been blessed with (insert number here) healthy children and I count my blessings every day."
Guess what? Many families are blessed with healthy kids, too.
Until one of them wakes up one morning with cancer.
Don't think it can't happen to you.
It can.
It does every day for forty-six families in this country alone.
It did for Dillon. Who was one of the "lucky" ones.
Don't assume that you're somehow exempt, that it's not your problem, because your children have always been healthy thus far...
But there is something we can do to help ensure luck won't be a deciding factor anymore --
Donate to childhood cancer research.
The best organization I know for this is CURE Childhood Cancer. They are doing their best to help fund research for PEDIATRIC cancers, something the American Cancer Society does very little of.
A few facts about CURE, taken from their website:
"What exactly does CURE fund?
Research into the development of “targeted therapies” – that focus only cancer cells and do not harm surrounding healthy cells. Targeted therapies are critical to ensuring that patients are spared the devastating and often life-threatening “late effects” caused by current conventional therapies
Basic and clinical research
Training of future pediatric oncologists and researchers through the fellowship program at Emory University School of Medicine
Emergency financial assistance for families stricken by childhood cancer
Professional development and continuing education efforts for nurses, family support team members, and others caring for children with cancer
Innovative programs that address the critical and urgent needs of patients and their families, such as meals to inpatient families, outreach at the time of diagnosis, and bereavement support"
Because every child deserves to experience their first day of school. Every child deserves to make goals and plans for the upcoming year ..... to HAVE an upcoming year ....
Please, go to CURE Childood Cancer and donate in awareness of Childhood Cancer Month.
In preparation for the forty-six kids who will be diagnosed TODAY.
***This post was originally written by Kristie at "Not Quite What I had Planned" and then by Mrs. Staff Sergeant at "Married to the Military", whose children are both alive and healthy to this day***
A milestone, in my opinion, was hit this week with my mom. Her hair has been growing back for some time now, but it's certainly taking it's time in doing so. It's so soft, and for over a month I've been telling her she didn't need the wig anymore...just go with the hair! Well, I finally convinced her to do that a few weeks ago and she went to the grocery without her wig or a hat, and stood at the deli, and someone behind her saw her 5"9', short haired self and said, "Can I help you....sir." And that was pretty much the end of that, and I was sure she'd never go wig-less anywhere again.
This past week, however, my mom decided to go get a hair cut. Before all she could do with it was faux-hock it, because it had no style attempts. But now with the cut, it's cut to spike up on top and lay down on the sides, even though it's still very short. And to my amazement, she hasn't worn the wig once since getting the haircut. I love that she's comfortable enough to do it! It makes me so happy, and means the time in which this is all "in the past" is coming soon! She'll have her breast reconstruction surgery in the beginning of May, and then a decent period of recuperation, and a few injections to finish them off along the way. Other than that, the treatment/after-care will be completely done other than her every 6 week oncology check-ups (but no more procedures!). A little bit of excitement over here!
(Her and I, I'm somewhere around 11-12 months old. And because I know you're wondering, there will be payback for that outfit at some point. ;])
(P.S. 5 minutes ago I was informed that the general education class list that I have is from 2004, and is no longer valid. It just keeps getting better.)
I have a degree as a Secondary English Teacher but am currently a stay-at-home Mama to a wonderful baby boy. I'm a children's advocate, a writer, a reader, a baker, a painter, a family prioritist, a traveling fool, an Air Force wife, and a soccer enthusiast--navigating the world one PCS at a time.
