3 Black Cats: January 2013

Fun, Simple Ways YOU Can Help CONQUER Childhood Cancer- For the Kids!

Childhood cancer is a darkness that not only ravages the bodies of children, but every physical, mental and financial aspect of their family. It is from that darkness that the Four Diamonds Fund and the Hope Express were created and with them, the belief that childhood cancer can be conquered, the hope that is brought to families, and the generous gifts that have made miracles.

“The Four Diamonds Fund was established by Charles and Irma Millard after the death of their son, Christopher, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 11. The Four Diamonds is named after a story that Chris wrote shortly before he lost his battle with cancer at the age of 14. In Chris’ story, a knight must find the Four Diamonds of Courage, Wisdom, Honesty and Strength in order to be released from captivity by an evil sorceress. These Four Diamonds are symbolic of the traits Chris believed were necessary to overcome cancer."

The Four Diamonds offsets the cost of treatment that insurance does not cover, as well as expenses that may affect the welfare of the child. The Four Diamonds supports the medical team that cares for the children and funds pediatric cancer research through start-up grants and the Four Diamonds Pediatric Cancer Research Institute.” (www.thon.org)

Below is a complete list of Philadelphia Chapter, Liberty Ball and The Hope Express events and fundraisers that benefit the Four Diamonds Fund. You can support the kids by donating or joining events in Philly or virtually from anywhere. Every donation and/or support given to any event, no matter how small, will make a big difference to a family whose child is battling cancer.

Believe. Hope. Give

Before The Hope Express leaves Hershey February 14, 2013, the Hope Express Moral Team need your support and donations to help us reach our goal of $7,000 for the Four Diamonds Fund, in care of The Hope Express Moral Team. All donations go to The Four Diamonds Fund and the THON total and will support the groundbreaking cancer research at the Hershey Medical Center and provide financial assistant to families, allowing them to focus on their child’s needs.

To give, visit http://www.give2theexpress.org/supporting-hope/

or email me at agodmotherslove@gmail.com as where to send a check. All donations must be received by February14th. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a big difference to a family whose child is battling cancer.

February 22nd

Summit Park Community Support THON

Join Penn Staters and members of Summit Park Communities as they raise money for THON at Summit Park's annual fundraiser.

The event will be held on Friday, February 22, at the Summit Park Clubhouse (8201 Henry Ave.), from 8:00 p.m. to midnight.

The $20 entry fee includes an open bar and a live DJ, along with access to a 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Anyone 21 and older is invited to attend.

For more information, visit www.libertyball.org

March 9th

The Liberty Ball, A Knight for theKids

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, in partnership with the Montgomery County Chapter, proudly hosts The Liberty Ball, A Knight for theKids.

Saturday, March 9, 2013 ~ 7:00 pm to Midnight

World Cafe Live ~ 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Tickets are on sale now! http://www.libertyball.org/tickets.html

Limited time offer - All tickets are $130 each

The Liberty Ball is an annual event held in Philadelphia that raises money and awareness for the mission of conquering childhood cancer. All proceeds benefit Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) and the Four Diamonds Fund at the Hershey Medical Center in Hershey PA.

For more information visit www.libertyball.org or https://www.facebook.com/libertyball

Ongoing/ Year-Round

Shop for Hope

Bottle Cap Magnets-http://agodmotherslove.blogspot.com/2013/01/shop-for-hope-bottle-cap-magnets.html?m=1

Tile Coasters-http://agodmotherslove.blogspot.com/2013/01/shop-for-hope-tile-coasters.html?m=1

Proceeds benefit the Four Diamonds Fund through The Hope Express.

Past Events

A special THANK YOU to everyone who graciously supported Liberty Ball, The Hope Express, Four Diamonds Fund and most of all, THE KIDS!

Celebrating Hope for the Kids at Mad River Manayunk- Thanks to your support, $130 will be going to the kids!

Friends, Fun and Hope: Hope Express Fundraiser at the Twisted Tail.- Thanks to your support, $705 will be going to the kids!

Liberty Ball Winter Quizzo - Thank you players for playing and Field House hoast and donating prizes. The $5 entry fee and $1 from all drink sales support the Four Diamonds Fund, through Liberty Ball. For tickets to Liberty Ball, visit www.libertyball.org.

"Heather Manning, Pampered Chef Consultant, is teaming up with The Hope Express!"

"Lauren Morgan, Thirty-One Consultant, is teaming up with The Hope Express!"

Hope Express Jamberry Fundraiser

Moraler Jenn Schweighauser is hosted a Mary Kay fundraiser for Hope Express. 45% of the retail sale went go to Hope Express! Click here for the catalog or email her at jennifer.schweighauser@gmail.com to shop Mary Kay and continue to support Jenn.

Super Bowl pools w/ Runner Matt Huber and Moraler Molly Thomas

Letters of Hope

More Links for More Information

TheHope Express

FourDiamonds Fund

PennState IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON)

4 TheCure Foundation

Hershey Medical Center

HopeExpress: Letters of Hope

Liberty Ball, A Knight For The Kids (Philadelphia’s black tie optional benefit for the Four Diamonds Fund. To find the Gala in your area, click here.)

Dance MarathonAlumni Interest Group (DMAIG)

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association

Fresh Breath Bull Dog Bites

Fresh Breath Bulldog Bites

Ingredients:

¾ c All-Purpose Flour

¾ c Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

¼ cup Mint

1/8 c Milk

4 Tbl Butter

1 Egg

1 Tlb Broth

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a food processor, mix milk, egg, mint, and broth until the mint is finely chopped.

Pour the ingredients from food processor into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix throughly.

Roll into balls and flatten with a fork.

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

PB & P Bull Biscuits

In Autumn, it seems like there is an explosion of everything pumpkin. I love pumpkins. They are fun to grow, fun to teach with, and especially fun to eat. My favorites are pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee, and pumpkin beer (which is delicious in Beer Brownies). So why not a pumpkin dog biscuit?

Bull loved the Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits, so in an effort to create a similar recipe with fewer ingredients, I did a little research and came up with this recipe. Like most of my other recipes, I read reviews and pulled ingredients from many other recipes to create a good base that can be manipulated however you like. Well, however your dog would like. If you have any additions or suggestions, I would love to hear them. Enjoy!

PB & P Bull Biscuits

Ingredients:

2½ cups whole wheat flour*
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin (or squash or sweet potatoes)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (I prefer chunky. Bull doesn't have a preference.)
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice
Water as needed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon
Turn dough on a floured surface and knead until no longer sticky. Add flour or water as needed.
Roll out the dough as thin or thick as you wish. Cut into pieces or with cookie cutters.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until hard
Turn off oven and let sit inside for 30 minutes and transfer to cool on a wire rack or leave in oven to cool over night

Storage:

2 weeks in an air tight container

4 weeks in refrigerator

6 months on freezer

*If you suspect or know your dog has a wheat allergy, use a wheat-free substitute.

Pillow Case Tutorial

When I first decided to learn to sew, I thought it would be fun to make skirts and shirts and thought, because I was already crafty, I would immediately become a seamstress. Although my first project wasn’t horrible, I had (and still have) a lot to learn. I felt overwhelmed by everything there was to learn, struggled with tasks as simple as cutting straight, and considered giving up.

But it was during one visit to the fabric store, that I found my inspiration to not only learn to sew, but eventually to create Shop for Hope. It was among all of the colorful and fun fabric prints that I saw a flyer for ConKerr Cancer and how sewing pillow cases can be a simple, meaningful support to children with cancer. I am close with the struggles of childhood cancer that children and families endure through my work with The Hope Express, so I immediately knew this was a sign from God not to give up. If I continued to learn and practiced by making pillow cases, I could improve my sewing and make a difference. It also gave me an excuse to buy all of the fun and colorful patterns that I loved, but wasn’t sure what to make with them.

So with a new sewing machine from my Mom, sewing lessons from an incredible instructor at the Mt. Airy Learning Tree, and bright, beautiful patterns from Gaffney’sFabrics, I was set to create and make “a case for smiles.”

It has been about three years now and I have continued to learn and improve on new techniques and projects, but sewing pillow cases brings me the most joy because I know that joy will go with it, through the mail, to the hospital and into the loving arms of a child with cancer.

You too can bring smiles to children who are in the hospital, simply by sewing a fun pillow case. Pillow case are fun to sew and make perfect gifts, bedroom additions, Halloween candy sacks, wrapping for other gifts, etc. Make one for a loved one and one for ConKerr Cancer. Here’s how…

Pillow Case Construction (from ConKerr Cancer’s Website)

Use cheery fabrics for kids – colorful and fun as possible

Remember many patients are adolescent boys and girls, pillowcases appropriate to teenagers are always needed

Cotton or flannel only

Basic sewing instructions

Looking for more challenging pillow case instructions? Try these methods.

Hot Dog Pillow Cases by Erica Broecker
Accented Pillow Cases by Notes From the Patch

Other ways to support ConKerr Cancer

Volunteer

Donate

Shop for Hope (see below)

Shop for Hope

For every pillow case purchased at Shop for Hope, one pillow case will be sewn and donated to ConKerr Cancer in your name.

NYE Sticky Barbeque

NYE Sticky Barbecue

As with most of my dinners, I search through Pinterest or Allrecipes.com looking for something to make based on the one main ingredient that I have in the kitchen. Although I love these sites for new recipes, I find that most of the recipes call for more ingredients then I have or that are necessary. So recently, I have been searching the top rated recipes for the base of what I’m looking to make, then creating a dish using additions and substitutes to that recipe. Overall, this has resulted in some creative and delicious meals.

The recipe I referenced to make NYE Sticky Barbecue was Barbecued Beef found on Allrecipes.com. Below is the basic recipe for what turned out to be delicious, sticky, pulled pork-like beef and chicken. The measurements are just estimates of how much I may have used, which covered about ¼ of the bottom of the pot, but not the meat. Really, I put it all in the crockpot, turned it on and hoped it tasted good when it was done. And it absolutely did.

I used:

Beef Chuck or Beef Chuck and Chicken

~ 2 Tbl of Apple Cider Vinegar

Barbecue Sauce (any variety)

Ketchup

~ ½ Cup Brown Sugar

~ 1 Tsp Applewood Rub

Put equal parts of ketchup and barbecue sauce in the bottom of the crock pot. Put vinegar, spices and brown sugar in the mixture and blend thoroughly. How much you put of each ingredient depends on your taste and how much meat you use. Put fresh or frozen meat in the crockpot. Stir and cover. Cook on high for about 8 hours or until meat can be pulled apart, stirring occasionally. At this point it is finished, but if the meat is pulled apart, then cooked for about 2 more hours, stirring occasionally, the sauce and sugar mixture will create a think, sticky texture. Enjoy!

More pictures coming soon.

Shop for Hope- Tile Coasters

Shop for Hope

Proceeds benefit the Four Diamonds Fund, through The Hope Express

Tile Coasters

$10 for a Set of 2 (plus shipping if applicable)

$20 for a set of 4 (plus shipping if applicable)

Each ceramic tile coaster is a 4.25” square. Each slate coaster is a 3.25" square. The graphics are sealed with several layers of decoupage glue and several coats of waterproof acrylic spray finish. The bottom is secured with felt to protect your furniture. These tiles can be used for hot or cold beverages, candles or as general décor. To clean them, gently wipe with a damp cloth. Do not put in dishwasher. Because they are handmade, each tile is different and will have small imperfections, which will not comprise the effectiveness of the tile. See below for available tiles. For more information or to order, email Christina at agodmotherslove@gmail.com.

Tile backs are covered with felt to protect furniture. Colors vary with each set.

Shop for Hope- Bottle Cap Magnets

Shop for Hope

Proceeds benefit the Four Diamonds Fund, through The Hope Express

Bottle Cap Magnets

$1 each (plus shipping if applicable)

Each bottle cap magnet is created with a cap that was donated by generous, craft beer loving friends and some dents or scratches will be on the surface of the magnets. See below for available magnets. For more information or to order, email Christina at agodmotherslove@gmail.com.

One of each of the following is currently available. More to be completed soon.

Magnet back. Glue may be visible on some magnets.

A New Year – A New Hope - For The Kids

A New Year – A New Hope - For The Kids

For most of us, January 1st is a time for resolutions. Whether it be to exercise more, loose weight, or to spend more time with family, each resolution is made with the hope of a new beginning.

But for many children and their families it is simply one more day in the hospital, one more holiday missed at home, one more treatment...

Because of this, for one amazing group of people, January 1st marks 1 month, 1 week and 6 days until they embark on a very special journey. This journey will take them 135 miles through the cold, dark back roads of Central PA as they run, "For The Kids." This journey is The Hope Express.

The Hope Express is much deeper than any words can describe. After all, hope enters the soul from a place of darkness. Childhood cancer is that darkness, which not only ravages the bodies of children, but every physical, mental and financial aspect of their family. It is from that darkness that the Four Diamonds Fund and the Hope Express were created and with them, the belief that childhood cancer can be conquered, the hope that is brought to families, and the generous gifts that have made miracles.

Believe. Hope. Give.

BELIEVE

The Four Diamonds Fund: “The Four Diamonds Fund was established by Charles and Irma Millard after the death of their son, Christopher, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 11. The Four Diamonds is named after a story that Chris wrote shortly before he lost his battle with cancer at the age of 14. In Chris’ story, a knight must find the Four Diamonds of Courage, Wisdom, Honesty and Strength in order to be released from captivity by an evil sorceress. These Four Diamonds are symbolic of the traits Chris believed were necessary to overcome cancer.

HOPE

The Hope Express: “The Hope Express is a 135-mile run created to bridge the gap between the families on the 7th floor at the Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA and the Dancers at the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (aka THON), a year round fundraising event benefiting The Four Diamonds Fund, Conquering Childhood Cancer” (www.thehopeexpress.org). These runners spread awareness of the Four Diamonds Fund during their 135 miles adventure (or 140 mile for the Extreme Team) before completing their journey by delivering the special messages they carry with them as they run through the mountains of Central PA. These messages of love, hope and appreciation are made for the dancers by the children at Hershey who are too sick to attend THON Weekend. In 2012, The Hope Express, with the support of the family, friends, neighbors and even strangers, raised 75, 000 “For the Kids”

GIVE

The fight against childhood cancer is a battle bigger than any one of us. But each one of us can do small things that together, will someday soon conquer it all. We just need to believe, have hope and give what we can (time, money, love). There are three simple ways to support The Hope Express and the Four Diamonds Fund.

1. Before The Hope Express leaves Hershey February 14, 2013, we need your support and donations. All donations go to the Four Diamonds Fund and the THON total and will support the groundbreaking cancer research at the Hershey Medical Center and provide financial assistant to families, allowing them to focus on their child’s needs. To give, visit http://www.give2theexpress.org/supporting-hope/ or message me as where to send a check. All donations must be received by February 9th. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a big difference to a family whose child is battling cancer.

2. The Hope Express welcomes inspirational letters, cards, and art for the runners and/or The Hope Express’ Four Diamond children and families. Send emails to service@pennstatephilly.org. Send mail by February 1^st, to Hope Express: Letters of Hope c/o The Philadelphia Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, P.O. Box 22402 – Philadelphia, PA 19110. For more information, contact Christina at service@pennstatephilly.org

3. The easiest and greatest thing you can do is spread the word about The HOPE Express and the Four Diamonds Fund. Share the Four Diamonds Fund and The HOPE Express' websites, Tweet all about it (#135in24FTK), link it, blog about it, Facebook it, Pin it, share, share, share...

TheHope Express

FourDiamonds Fund

PennState IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON)

4 TheCure Foundation

Hershey Medical Center

HopeExpress: Letters of Hope

Liberty Ball, A Knight For The Kids (Philadelphia’s black tie optional benefit for the Four Diamonds Fund. To find the Gala in your area, click here.)

Dance MarathonAlumni Interest Group (DMAIG)

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association