Ta Da!!

I was going to make two things for the bakesale, but out of pure laziness (and tiredness)…I decided to make only one of the recipes. Because I am trying to cater to everyone I decided to make the Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats.

I ended up going to two stores looking for vegan chocolate chips; Trader Joe’s and then to Natural Food Patch in Ferndale. Thankfully the second had them. I also purchased a delicious Amy’s Mediterranean Pizza with Cornmeal Crust, some Blue Chips, Hommus, and 1 Burt’s Bees chapstick (in case you were doing an audit).

When I got home and was preparing all of the ingredients, I realized we did not have one of the required ingredients as I previously thought.

“Umm. Jeff. Where’s the Corn Syrup? Please tell me we have corn syrup and it’s just hidden amongst all this other dusty and crusty baking stuff.”

“Nope. Sorry. That’s just not one of those things you stock up on.”

“What do you mean? We have molasses, vanilla extract galore, tons of sugar in the raw, powdered sugar, baking soda from what looks like 1930……but NO CORN SYRUP! Great. Now what am I going to do?”

Just then a lightbulb showed up above my head. I ran to the phone.

“Hi, Autumn.……yeah…..I was wondering……”

I treked on over to her house. Not only did she give me the last of her corn syrup, but she kindly loaned me one of her baking pans after I realized I didn’t have but a measly small brownie pan. I told you…..I don’t cook or bake often.

Everything else came together perfectly. Of course, Jeff was telling me that I cheated, that I didn’t REALLY bake anything. I reminded him how I slaved over the stove for an entire 2 minutes. That the corn syrup and sugar in the raw had to bubble just right. It’s not easy trying to reach the perfect equilibrium of bubbles without burning the stuff….Jeff.

So there! I baked. kinda

Hopefully the treats are edible. I haven’t tried them but they smell delish. I hope people buy some for Relay for Life. I’ll send you all the leftovers if there are some.

Bakesale

Okay, does anyone have a good cookie recipe? I need to bake something for Thursday. This week we have been raising money at work (Relay for Life) by having a bakesale. Everyone signed up for one day this week. Kind of funny how we are trying to raise money for cancer research and promote healthy living by selling baked goods, ehh? What else would people buy if we don’t bribe them with sinful goodies? A few of us talked about selling fruit, but thought against it as fruit goes bad faster. I dunno….I still like the idea though. So if anyone has a “healthy” cookie or muffin recipe, I would love to consider it. I was even thinking about bringing in bagels to mix it up a bit. Autumn, do you have a good vegan recipe? There is at least one vegan here at my library and noone ever thinks of her. I’d like to make something for everyone. Nothing too fancy or expensive though. Interns don’t make a lot of money as we all know.

Thanks ahead of time everyone!

Last Chance

This is the last week I will be accepting donations for Relay for Life. If you are interested in purchasing a Luminaria please contact me before Friday.

I can’t wait to take part in this event. It’s going to be a lot of fun and for a good cause.

Relay for Life

In about a month I will be participating in Relay for Life with some of my co-workers at the library I work. We’re in the process of choosing a team name with the theme of Hollywood (cause the track we’re using is red) and have broken down all the various ways we will try and raise money (bakesale, car wash, whatever else comes to mind).

I have never done something like this, but have always wanted to do my fair share to raise money for Cancer research. Relay for Life is one of the biggest fundraisers for ACS (American Cancer Society), bringing in millions of dollars each year. Without the advancements funded by the American Cancer Society, there would not be as many survivors as there are today. In fact, every major advancement in the fight against cancer has been funded in part by the ACS. Watchdog groups that oversee charitable organizations (whom make sure donations are going where they are supposed to go) have always rated ACS very highly.

With that said, it is also for personal reasons that I wanted to do this. My mother’s sister (whom I have a vague memory of and whom my middle name is after) died of breast cancer after it was found too late. I remember the first time my mother was away from me and my sisters, how hard it was on us. I must have been about five and I missed her terribly. I would sleep with her clothes because they smelled of her perfume. I cried myself to sleep at night just hoping she would return by morning. I remember asking my dad where my mom was and him saying “she is visiting her sister, your aunt Sharon, in Colorado because she is VERY, VERY sick.” Of course, I didn’t realize the reason my mother was gone for so long was because it was literally the last time she and her other sisters would see their sister Sharon alive. My aunt had a young son and she had to go through the unbearable decision in choosing who he would live with for the rest of his life as his father was not in his life. I can only imagine the incredible pain she must have gone through knowing she would not be around to watch him grow up. When my mother got home from her visit she was very sad. Her sister had passed away during the 2 week visit.

I can’t even imagine losing one of my sisters or anyone for that matter, to Cancer.

That is why I wanted to do this. Noone should have to lose anyone to this terrible disease. When I was little my cousin Bree was diagnosed with Leukemia. I believe she was diagnosed at age 4 and after that went through radiation therapy. She went into remission and is now a healthy grown woman who is just finishing up her law degree at Wayne State. But, as you all know, not every story has the same happy ending.

I am only supposed to be raising $100, but would love to raise more. If you have been touched by Cancer yourself or know someone who has, please consider donating ($5, $10, whatever you can spare) Additionally, we are selling luminarias (small bags filled with sand and a candle at the bottom). Each year at the Relay for Life, thousands of luminarias are lit up along the track in special tribute to those who are fighting cancer, those we have lost and the many friends and family members who represent a victory over the disease. If you are interested in buying a luminaria, they are $10. I could send it to you to decorate and write the name on, or you can ask me to do it.

If any of you are interested in donating or buying a luminaria, you may contact me through my Yahoo account at Eglectrik at Yahoo dot com.

*Update*
If you do decide to buy a luminaria, I plan to take pictures at the ceremony and will definitely send you a picture of yours.