Blisters for Breast Cancer!

Yes, I'm doing it again - I signed up for the 2011 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure! I had such incredible experiences while walking the 3-Day for the Cure that I'm going back for more. I'm so excited about this event, especially since I will be walking in a new city - Tampa Bay!

I had not planned on walking this year because if you haven't heard, I moved 12 hours away from Michigan to Tennessee!  With the move, a new job, new surroundings, I just wasn't sure how the fundraising and training would fit.  But in the end I knew I had to walk... not walk away.  This event isn't easy, but I promise you, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't believe 100% that it was worth every muscle ache, weary night and training walk!

I need your help. I am planning on surpassing the $3000+ that you - my friends and family - gave so generously last time around to help end breast cancer.

This year I'm walking in memory of my Grandma S and in honor of the many, many cancer survivors in my life.  I would be honored to walk in memory or in honor of one of your loved ones too!

Just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising Web page to make a donation.  And please share this post with your friends and family that may want to donate too - the more people this message will reach, the closer we get to finding a cure!
 
If you have any questions or want to hear more about what I'm doing, I love talking about the event. Thanks for all of your support. I'm incredibly lucky to have people like you in my life!

Love,
Christina
www.the3day.org/goto/christina2011

P.S. Don't wait - donate today!  The sooner I reach my fundraising goal, the sooner I can focus on the training needed to make it through all 3 days!

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Brunch

I decided to get a little Suzy Homemaker this morning and do something fancy with my eggs.  Now, I'm not really a fan of eggs.  They are very useful things but to just eat an egg, its not my favorite.  I much prefer pancakes for breakfast.  If I do eat eggs they are usually scrambled or in an omelet.  On occasion I eat what my Grandma used to call “dippin’ eggs” – the kind where you can dip your toast in the yolk.  I don’t even know what the proper term for those is but I do know I can’t make them the way she and Grandpa used to!

So anyway, back to this morning’s experiment.  I was up early and decided Quiche Lorraine sounded good.  I had the general ingredients but I didn’t have a recipe.  I did a quick search through my Cooking Up A Cure vol 2 and found one and then did a search online and found another… in the end I used those 2 to make my own version and it was divine!  So I’m proud of myself and sharing my recipe with you:

Super Easy Quiche Lorraine:

1 Frozen Pie Crust
3 Large Eggs
2/3 c. Sour Cream
1/3 c Skim Milk
1 1/2 c Finely Shredded Kraft Italian 5 Cheese Blend
2/3 c Real Bacon Crumbles
1 tbs Flour
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450F and line the pie crust with aluminum foil.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes or until the crust is dry and set.  Remove from oven and turn down the temperature to 325F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sour cream, milk, bacon, onion powder, salt and pepper.
3. In a smaller bowl toss together the shredded cheese and flour.
4. Combine the egg mixture and the cheese mixture well and pour into set pie crust.
5. Cover the edges of the pie crust with the aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the middle.

I would have used Onion Onion mix from Tastefully Simple if I had any… I don’t like biting into real onion chunks but if you do, you could finely chop one and add that instead of the onion powder.  And normally you would use Swiss cheese but since that would require buying a chunk of cheese and grating it myself, I opted for a kind that was pre-shredded and bagged.  It really is just a matter of mixing everything together which is my kind of recipe!  I know this isn’t quite a traditional Quiche Lorraine but it’s still mighty tasty!

If you try it – let me know what you think! Happy Baking!

Linked up at:

Mind Over Mass?

I was reading an article on CNN.com today about a guy who “visualized” his bladder cancer away.

Uhm…

Ok I’m not one to knock a miracle or anything… and I think we have all heard a story or two of someone who was seriously ill and then suddenly wasn’t… but I always cringe when I see articles like this. Articles that basically say you don’t need to get the standard treatments, you can just sweat/exercise/eat/think yourself to a cure!

While I can’t argue that miracles DO happen, I think I can safely say that they don’t happen to everyone. And if you forgo all the amazing things that modern medicine can offer, you may just get the short end of the stick.  In my humble opinion, you need to take ownership of your diagnosis and then do whatever it takes to kick it’s little booty!

At the same time I have read many studies about the impact that attitude has on outcomes in patients.  Basically they all say if you think you are sick and dying, you may want to be a little more careful of what you wish for…

Now, I’m not going to say it’s easy to stay positive through months [and sometimes years] of treatment.  I know I had my moments… or at least I think I did… where everything was completely miserable, horrible, the worst ever.. [hmmm now I think I’ll have to look back at those blog entries to check]  And sister, if it makes you feel like you have some control over the situation by eating only raw, crunchy, rabbity food… by all means go right ahead!  We could all use those extra vitamins and minerals to boost our immune systems!  And if you feel like meditation and visualization helps you keep things in a positive light, then Namaste.

But please, please, please people… talk with your doctors about all your options! You may be surprised to find how many of them will encourage and support your complimentary medicine wishes and will even incorporate them in your treatment plans.

In the end it’s all about owning your body, mind and spirit instead of letting the diagnosis take that role.

Nutty Part 2

Did you notice something new on the bloggy blog perchance?

I’ll give you a biiiiiiig hint…. its right over…

<==============THERE================

Yes ladies and gents, I’ve drunk (drank?) the Kool-aid once again!

In 2009 I told you all I must be nuts because I had just signed up to walk 60 miles in 3 days… for the 3rd time… in the middle of treatment for my thyroid cancer.  Perhaps I was suffering from cancer brain at the time?  So what is my excuse for signing up for my 4th…. hmmmmm… let’s expound on that, shall we?

My 3rd 3-Day was nothing short of amazing.  I was able to walk with one of my inspirations - my aunt who is a breast cancer survivor.  My mom experienced her first 3-Day as a medical crew member.  I watched another of my aunts carry the “Birthdays” flag in Opening Ceremonies.  Watched as my team mate succumbed to the evil thing called dehydration.  I had blisters covering my heels and between my toes and road rash covering my calves. (ps: no one tells you but your skin does weirdo stuff in a post-cancer world)  And I didn’t know it at the time but I saw Jenne Fromm in one of her last 3 Day events as National Spokesperson… gonna miss that girl this year. Walked in ridiculous heat that fast approached the 100F mark.  And as a team we raised almost $20,000 even in the crappy economy of Michigan!

And why was all that amazing you ask?  Because of moments like these…