Susan G Komen Don't Ask for My Money

It's a tough call to decide who I'm more pissed at right now; Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the ever hateful anti-abortion assholes who don't care about women's health.

Even the most successful of us remember a time in our lives where we found ourselves needing the services that Planned Parenthood provides. Statistics show one in five women have visited a Planned Parenthood health center at least once in their lives for a variety of family planning services. Yes, Planned Parenthood provides abortions but the majority of their services are to assist women and men with family prevention, STI screenings, cancer screenings including the 770,000 Pap tests and nearly 750,000 breast exams each year, critical services in detecting cancer.

There is no question that the arrival of Karen Handel, Komen's new VP had something to do with it. Handel made no secret she is anti-choice and anti-Planned Parenthood. In 2010 she ran for governor of Georgia and was endorsed by Sarah Palin because of her opposition to reproductive choice. In my opinion Handel, Koman's President Nancy Brinker (a Bush supporter) and Palin need to go one year without their fancy healthcare plans to hopefully get a dose of the reality of what it is like for many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer who are uninsured or underinsured.

So I say a big, "SHAME ON YOU" Susan G Komen Foundation. You have officially gotten so large and flashy that you have forgotten and lost touch with your intended mission, the women who you claim to support.

Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs........

It's no secret in our household that Pinterest is my drug of choice. I can live without Facebook but please don't take away all my new found treasures and future dreamy things that I happily find and pin on my various boards. Two days ago I came across one of the most brilliant pins (of course posted by one of my CCC ladies) for a drug that comes around seasonally..... the Cadbury Creme Egg.....

Posted on instructables.com was the secret to that creamy chocolaty treat. Here is the recipe from their site with a few tips I learned in the candy making process.

Here is what you need:

1/2 cup light corn syrup (or golden syrup if you're across the pond)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioner's powdered sugar (icing sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
yellow food coloring
milk chocolate chips melted in a double broiler

1. Cream together the corn syrup, butter and vanilla.
2. Add the powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time and beat until incorporated.
3. To get the whites and yolks separate the filling by taking out about a third of the filling and stir in some yellow food coloring.
4. Put the two bowls in the fridge, as they're easier to work with once they're set up a little.
5. Form small balls (yolks) and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in freezer
6. After about 30 minutes wrap the white mixture around your yolk balls. Place your eggs in the freezer to form
7. Melt chocolate in a double broiler and dip your eggs in the chocolate. I used a two spoon roll/dip method :)
8. Place back on parchment paper to set.

For 'runnier' eggs set them out to room temperature. For firmer eggs keep refrigerated.

My sister freezes a stash of the store bought kind and with self control of a saint rashens herself these treats throughout the year. Sorry Hershey..... from now on I'm making my own.

Stove Pot Potpourri

As I'm experimenting with different posts for this blog I keep asking myself if people would really be interested in my domestic tricks, tips and recipes. I keep telling my husband, "Doesn't everyone know that?" It's my husband who I must give credit for saying, "no, you have something special", and continuing to make me believe I might be able to share something on here that might just spread a little joy or a tip that might make someones life a little easier. So here I go, a practically free way to make your house smell amazing..........

There is nothing better than hearing a house guest say, "Your house smells so good". Or after a long day relaxing and enjoying a clean home that smells delicious. I'm a huge fan of using diffuser refilling scents warmed by a votive candle. As much as I love the way our whole house smells, diffuser oils can be rather pricey. So, during the winter months I rely on a simple and basically free method to keep my home smelling deliciously good.

Simply take a small sauce pan. Fill with rinds from oranges. Although you can use any citrus fruits I prefer oranges. Then add cinnamon sticks, about 4-5 and two cloves. If you don't have cinnamon sticks you can use a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Fill with water to cover and simmer on low. As water evaporates simply refill.

I typically use the same rinds for two weeks before I replace. Enjoy!

39 Years of Roe vs Wade

Today marks the 39th Anniversary of Roe vs Wade, which ruled that abortion was a fundamental right under the United States Constitution. I was born with the right to choose by just eight years.... eight years. Prior, many women had no other choice than to seek illegal abortion care. The days of back ally abortions are dark and many women in desperate situations lost their lives and the stories of those are traumatic to say the least.

I've since spent the last 10 years working in the reproductive choice movement with Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, a clinic in Maryland and most recently I had the opportunity to work for an abortion provider.

The choice when and if to parent seems like a 'no-brainer' to me. Don't we say that parenting is the hardest job you will ever have? If that's the case, then shouldn't every pregnancy be a wanted pregnancy? Women do not seek abortion as a form of birth control. It always made me laugh internally at the intellect of people who have said to me, "I'm pro-choice, but I'm against women who use abortion as a form of birth control". My reply, "I'd like to meet these women who like to spend $350 plus to spend one to two long days sitting in a clinic to have the contents of their uterus expelled". The reality is that we should trust women to make important parenting decisions. Sixty percent of women seeking abortion care are already mothers. They understand the responsibilities of motherhood and we should trust them with their choice.

On this anniversary we should remember, choice should not be a privilege of some but a fundamental right for women. Every woman's story is unique and personal. Dr. Tiller said it best, "Abortion is about women's hopes and women's dreams".