Why I Relay For Life & A Cure

Like many others, I grew up idolizing the people society told me to. New Kids on the Block, Michael Jackson, the cast of Saved By the Bell, Cindy Crawford. The list goes on and on. These are the people I sang along to on the radio, saw in print ads in a magazine or watched on TV. You wanted to be just like them. I didn't know any better.

Five years ago my life was changed when I found out my aunt was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer- and the prognosis wasn't good. As our family started on the cancer journey my perspective on a lot of things quickly changed. Beyond living in the moment, having no regrets and living every day like it's your last- I learned who the real heroes are.

 It's not people who pretend to be others for a living (not that I don't appreciate the talent), or sing songs about excess, whores and drugs. It's the people who go to work every day researching a cure for cancer, or diabetes, or Parkinsons. It's the caregivers who put their lives on hold to care for loved ones. It's the doctors and nurses who work an unspeakable amount of hours to give the best care possible. Yet, where are the award shows and gigantic paychecks for those people?

We spend hours upon hours watching the Oscars and everything that goes with it (pre-Oscars, red carpet, Fashion Police, etc). We know the designers that were represented, who gave the best thank you speech, who got snubbed.

Society has made the Kardashian family, as much as it pains me to say this, billionaires, all because Kim made a sex tape with a D-list celebrity.

It's time for us as a society to stop idolizing these people, and instead start idolizing the people who work to make a difference in the world. We need to be talking about those who make world-changing contributions to society- not just for someone who sang a catchy song. Kids should know their names and aspire to be like them when they grow up.

If it wasn't for great doctors and new medial treatment discoveries, my aunt wouldn't still be here. Because of the hard, tireless work of these researchers, she has lived years beyond her initial prognosis. That is why participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is so important for me. The money my team and I raise go towards research, wigs for cancer patients, stays at the Hope House for families and so much more. I have seen this money be used to make a positive impact on loved ones undergoing cancer treatment, so I know first hand why it is so important.

Last year my Relay for Life team, Team Lovestruck, raised over $5,000! We surpassed our goal from the amazing support of our family, friends and even strangers. This year we have set our team goal for $6,000, but we can't get there alone. Take a minute to visit my relay page to see how donations are put to work and how the American Cancer Society is working to make more birthdays.

Inspired? Donate today or contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society and sign up for a Relay for Life near you! http://main.acsevents.org/goto/stefanieiennaco

One Pot Wonder

Another snow day here in New York means another craving for some comfort food. For me- that is pasta! I stumbled upon a Martha Stewart one-pot spaghetti recipe a few months ago and was sold. I have made some modifications from the original recipe, but the idea is the same- throw EVERYTHING into one pot and in under 20 minutes you have a hearty meal to put on the table!

One Pot Wonder

• 12 oz. spaghetti or linguini (I like the spaghetti with ridges on it- helps the sauce stick)
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half (or quarters if they are large)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 can black or kalamata olives, halved (totally optional, this is one of my additions)
• 1 small onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 golf-ball size shallot, sliced thinly (adds a nice sweetness)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced (I love garlic- so I normally throw in four cloves)
• Fresh parsley, chopped (feel free to use dried parsley, or fresh/dry basil)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons capers (I love this addition- gives another dimension of saltiness)
• Salt & Pepper (no real measurement- do what feels right)
• 4 1/2 cups room temperature water/broth (I use chicken or veggie broth for a richer flavor)
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Put uncooked pasta (trust me- I was afraid the first time too), tomatoes (fresh and canned), onion, shallot, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, capers and water/broth in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat- stirring to incorporate pasta into the liquid.
2. Reduce to medium/medium-high and simmer- stirring frequently- for 9-12 minutes. You will know it is ready when the pasta is al dente (still has a bite to it) and the liquid has thickened into a really nice sauce that sticks to the pasta. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in olives and any other seasoning (now is the time to see if it needs more salt/pepper- but remember if you are serving with Parmesan, go easy on the sal) and another hit of fresh parsley.
4. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese over the top.

That's it- you can literally have this on the table start to finish in less than 30 minutes. It's a great way to put a fresh meal on the table after a long day.

- Not hearty enough for you? Serve with sliced grilled chicken or a nice piece of flounder.
- You can all the olives in the beginning- I like them to keep their firmness, so I choose to add at the end
- You can skip the canned tomatoes all together. The first time I made it I only used the fresh, and I found it was missing some flavor. You can also swap out some of the water/broth for tomato sauce or just squeeze in some tomato paste for extra flavor.
- Remember a few posts ago when I said that fresh chicken stock will be a life saver? This is just another example of how to use it to waste less and make an even healthier meal!

Did you try it? Make your own modifications? Share in the comments!

Snow, snow.....

You can stay. It is winter after all.

I'll admit it- I don't mind winter. I may complain while shoveling after a big storm, but I don't mind the cold. I'll even go as far as to say that I would rather the cold than a very humid, 100 degree day in the summer. Call me crazy.

One of my favorite things about winter is soup! I'll share oneof my favorite recipes- one that you can make with minimal prep time and is very easy on the wallet. 

Escarole & Ditalini Soup

Ingredients

1 head escarole
5 cups broth (vegetable or chicken works)
8 oz Ditalini (or other small pasta)
Salt to taste

- Escarole tends to be very sandy, so you want to wash this really well. Cut it into pieces (size depends on your preference, I like it a little smaller to make it easier to eat with a spoon), throw in a colander and rinse. Really well. Get in there and mix it around, making sure you get the sand and dirt off.
- Put about an inch of water in the bottom of a big pot, throw in the salt and escarole, cover and put on medium high. I like to steam the escarole a little before throwing it in the broth, this way it takes some of the intense flavor out. This is optional- feel free to just toss the escarole in with the broth!
- While your escarole is steaming, put the broth in another pot and put on medium heat. If you happen to have a piece of rind from a block of Parmesan cheese- now is your time to use it. Since I don't like to waste, I throw the rind into soup. As it cooks, the cheesy flavor and saltiness comes out, adding a richness to the soup. This is also the time to use your homemade stock (check out my previous post!)
- Let the escarole steam until it has wilted down by about a third. Drain the liquid out and toss the escarole into the broth. Walk away.
- Let this cook for about 20 minutes. There really isn't a science to it. When you're ready, cook the Ditalini a little short of ready (it should be pretty firm). I don't like to put the pasta into the soup because it tends to soak up too much liquid. Instead, I keep it separate and mix it into the soup as I serve it. The choice is up to you!
- Once the soup is ready, pull out the Parmesan rind (if you used it) and discard. Put a scoop of pasta in a bowl and cover with the soup. I like to grate some more fresh Parmesan over the top as well. It gives it a really nice finish.
- Admission- I'm not a fan of beans. I just don't like the texture. My family, however, loves beans. Feel free to add Cannelloni or Red Kidney beans to this recipe!


That's it. It is an easy, non labor intensive recipe that will give you a soup that warms you from the inside out.

DIY: 9 Cents A Serving

Besides the fact that dishwasher detergent is pricey (even with a coupon), I have been trying to incorporate more DIY into my life, so when the bag of gel tabs ran out, I started scouring the internet for homemade detergent recipes..... and there are a LOT of them. I ended up trying a version of the recipe below, but have made a few adjustments to fit my personal dishwasher. It literally takes under five minutes to make, will last quite a while and breaks down to about 9 cents per load. A time and money saver if I do say so myself.

DIY Dishwasher Powder

1 cup Borax (find this in the laundry aisle)
1 cup Washing Soda (this is not baking soda!)
1/2 salt (go for the Kosher or course ground kind)
1/2 cup citric acid
1 air-tight glass jar (you can use plastic as long as it is air tight, but I am trying to use less plastic)

It's as simple as this- throw everything into the jar, tighten the lid and give it a GOOD shake. I use one heaping teaspoon per load, but you can adjust as you need to for your own washer (ours is on the older side- new washers may only need a teaspoon). 

Some tips and takeaways....

- Some recipes called for adding your favorite essential oil, or the zest of a lemon. This sounded delightful, so on my first try I happily zested a lemon into the mixture..... only to have the entire jar HARD AS A ROCK a few hours later. I didn't want to waste the mixture, so I would have to labor for 10 minutes to get a teaspoon of powder out. Lesson learned- my dishes never came out smelling like lemon, so I just skip this step.

- Some people use unsweetened, lemonade kool-aid packets instead of citric acid. Whenever I think of kool-aid packets, I think of the time I was babysitting and the kids got into several packets and dyed themselves AND the carpet. That stain never came out, so I'm not sure why I would used that to clean my dishes. Plus kool-aid doesn't scream 'natural' to me.

- Washing soda and citric acid were hard to find. None of my local stores (even the big box ones) carried either of them. I get mine from Soap.com (use code STEF968847 for 20% off your first order). I did have to buy a 10 pound bag of citric acid, but it was worth the investment as I use it in several other DIY cleaners. Stay tuned and you will get the recipes for those too!

- The other tip I commonly found when researching recipes was using a splash of white vinegar as a rinsing agent. Simply toss a splash at the bottom of your dishwasher before you start the cycle and it will help eliminate spots and cloudiness on your glasses. I first tried this on a recommendation to fill the slot normally used for Jet Dry, which I did. The vinegar didn't last multiple cycles (as the finishing agent normally does), so now I just splash it on the bottom. Sometimes I remember, sometimes I don't, but I have never gotten such a terrible result either way that I had to re-wash.

So give it a try! You can make as much or as little as you want and the ingredients never go bad. I keep them all in a 5 gallon, sealed bucket in the garage so everything is in one place. 

Did you try it? Love it? Modify the recipe? Share in the comments below!