And the Winner is...

Mitochondrial Disease Awareness! 

Thank you to everyone who participated in my giveaway or even read my blogposts for the past couple of weeks!  Mitochondrial Disease is still so very unknown to most people, and I am thankful for the opportunity to share it with you and to help generate awareness and raise money for research and a cure!

Between cookie sales and donations, we raised over $120 for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.  Plus, there were nearly 300 page visits to my 5 blog posts about Mito, so LOTs of people learned about Mitochondrial Disease.  Thank you!!!

I just made up these cookies last night for a Mito Disease bake sale today!  Thank you Molly!

Oh, but what you really want to know is who won the giveaway... so without further ado...

Congratulations to Melody Malone James!  

You are our winner.  Please private message me your address and I will get your prize in the mail to you with in one week.  (I need to go bake the cookies... ;^)

Thank you!
Sarah

F.R.O.G.

Fully Rely On God

For the last couple of weeks, I have talked about my friend Tricia and her fight against Mitochondrial Disease.  (You can read all about it in these posts:  Cookies for a Cause & Energy for Life Walkathon.)



Today, instead of telling you about all of the very difficult things that Tricia fights every day, I am going to share with you the places where she finds her strength and her energy for life when her mitochondria aren't providing it.

Tricia "Fully Relies On God," everyday, in a thousand ways.  This is difficult to do, even in the best of circumstances, but Tricia's faith shines through her suffering and is a testimony to everyone she meets.

Personally, my life has been greatly impacted by the profound faith of this child and her family.  Most recently, I joined a group of fellow cookie bakers to try and exercise daily and make more healthy food choices.  (Like not eating cookies five meals a day. ;^)  And I have been overwhelmed with gratitude to God that he is teaching me these lessons the easy way... Sweet Tricia hasn't eaten anything by mouth in YEARS, and is currently so sick that she is on complete rest and has not had any nutrition for DAYS.  Also, Saturday was the annual Energy for Life walkathon, and Tricia was not able to participate, because she is sick and in the hospital.  So, I have spent most of the 13 miles I have walked in the last 10 days, praying for Tricia, her mom Wendy, a cure for mito, wisdom for doctors, my new friends and acquaintances that are also suffering with mito, and praising Him for my health and my family.

"Rejoice in hope,

be patient in tribulation,

be constant in prayer."

Romans 12:12

The FROG is the mascot for Team Tricia her Energy for Life Walkathon team.

Team Tricia from 2011 Energy for Life Walk-a-thon
(Reader R and I are in the front row, next to Tricia!)

In addition to her faith, Tricia is also blessed to have an amazing family and MANY friends who love and care for her.  This week, Team Tricia, participated in the Energy for Life Walkathon.  Walking, laughing, hugging, raising money and awareness to support and encourage this sweet young lady who has been sick with Mito for more than three years.

However, Tricia was not with them.  As I mentioned, she is in the hospital, again, sick with complications from her Mito.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.



Tricia looks like a happy, healthy teenager.  Yet, she suffers from autonomic neuropathy, chronic nerve pain, chronic fatigue, breathing difficulties, delayed gastric emptying, GI motility issues, acid reflux, hypercalciuria, visual impairments, and kidney stones, and oh yeah, and she hasn't eaten by mouth in  years.

Please consider helping to support the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation by sponsoring me for the "Energy for Life" Walk-a-thon.  Every gift helps.

If you are unable to make a donation at this time, please just take one more minute to visit Tricia's Walkathon page and leave her an encouraging message!  THANK YOU!

Thank you,
Sarah

P.S. - Don't Forget...
In honor of Mitochondrial Disease Awareness week,
I am doing a GIVEAWAY!!!

The GIVEAWAY is now closed. 

The winner will be announced tomorrow!  

Thank you so much for your participation! 

The frogs and the ribbon cookie cutters are from
 Karen's Cookies!  (I love that place!)

A Dozen Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Cookies

(6 Ribbons and
6 Mighty Mitos)

AND 

4 Cookie Cutters 

(2 different frogs,
1 medium awareness ribbon,
& 1 handmade "Mighty Mito")

Check out all the details on my "Mighty Mito" blogpost, and make sure to enter by Sunday!

www.umdf.org

The Mighty Mito & A GIVEAWAY!!!

Do you know what a Mitochondria is?  

(Other than a really long word that is hard to fit on a cookie?)

Yes... I know that I spelled Mitochondrial wrong...  but this is the only photo I had. Ugh.

You may remember from Fifth Grade science that the mitochondria is the "powerhouse" of the cell.

But even if you know what a mitochondria is, and maybe what it does, you are probably not familiar with what happens when the mitochondria doesn't do what it is supposed to do.

Mitochondrial disease occurs when there is a defect in the body’s ‘powerhouses’. The mitochondria fail to produce enough energy. That results in organ systems failing. Imagine a major city with half of its power plants shut down. The same thing happens in the affected person’s body. The brain may be impaired.  They may lose vision or hearing. The heart may be weakened, and they may have eating and digestive issues. The symptoms range from mild to severe for each affected person. (UMDF.org)

My friend Tricia is a freshman in high school, and she has Mitochondrial Disease.  If you don't read any of my other posts, please take a few minutes to watch this video that she made about her journey and please consider helping to support the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation by sponsoring me for the "Energy for Life" Walk-a-thon.  Every gift helps.  Thank you!

A couple of weeks ago,  I was trying so hard to make cookies for a fundraiser for Mitochondrial Disease.  I worked and worked on cute cookies.  Finally, it was time to make the "Special Extra" cookie that I like to add to each order.  I had cut five cookies, in hopes that I would have one good one... I was trying to cookie the UMDF logo.

A gift basket of cookies for my friend Tricia
to give friends and doctors

First  of all, I had a terrible time getting my Mitos to be close enough, but not running into each other when they settled.  I piped and scraped and piped and scraped, over and over again.  Once I was finally happy with how they were looking, I started working on the words.  Well, it turns out "Mitochondrial" is a REALLY LONG word to try to squeeze on a cookie.  I used my Wilton #1 tip and only got as far as the H.  I practiced on wax paper and still couldn't make it fit.  So I schlepped myself and my three young daughters half-way across town to buy a PME 0 and 00 tip.  Unfortunately, those sweet little tips kept clogging, so I researched online how to keep them from clogging... and schlepped out again, this time to Target to buy new in the package, never worn panty hose to try to strain the icing.  So I went home and strained my icing. Still clogged.  Thinned my icing, again and finally, it squeaked through those itty-bitty tips without clogging.  HOWEVER, once I started writing on  my cookie... it flooded all over the place instead of sitting still!  UGH!  Then, I finally got the BRILLIANT idea to just write the words on my cookie with a food color marker.  My problems were solved.  Beautiful cookies!  Whew!

I gave one to my friend with MITO Disease and took one to the fundraiser and displayed it proudly on a little easel. ;^)

All is well that ends well.... well until today, when I was editing my photos for my post about the cookies and I realized I spelled "mitochondrial" WRONG on one of the cookies.  Was it the one I gave my sweet friend or the one I displayed for the world to see?  You guess...  Oh well. ;^P

All that said, in the big picture, I am incredibly blessed and thankful to have three healthy girls, an amazing (and patient) husband, and get to bake my cookies and eat them too.

Tricia's Awesome Basketball Cake!

Which reminds me, I have mentioned that my young  friend Tricia, who has Mitochondrial Disease, receives all of her nutrition through a feeding tube. She hasn't eaten real food for years.

But that doesn't stop this amazing young lady from baking for others. Just a couple of weeks ago, she took a plate of cookies that she baked to the Ronald McDonald House at Children's Mercy Hospital.  And she loves to bake cakes too.  Here is a cool basketball cake that she made for her dad's birthday last year!




So here is the news you have been waiting for... In honor of Mitochondrial Disease Awareness week, I am doing a GIVEAWAY!!!

I will be using the Rafflecopter App below to giveaway:

The frogs and the ribbon cookie cutters are from
 Karen's Cookies!  (I love that place!)

A Dozen Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Cookies
(6 Ribbons and 6 Mighty Mitos)

AND 

4 Cookie Cutters
(2 different frogs, 1 medium awareness ribbon, &
1 handmade "Mighty Mito")

My "Mighty Mito" Shaped Cookies

For these Mitochondrial Disease Awareness cookies, I created this fun "Mighty Mito" shaped cookie cutter.  Afterwards, I started to wonder what other shaped cookies I might be able to make with my cutter.  I thought of several ideas, but I would love to hear what you think!   So, just leave me a comment, using the Rafflecopter app and let me know and you will be entered into my giveaway!

There are also several other ways to earn points for a chance to win...  including learning more about Mitochondrial Disease and spreading the word.

Some of the links are being silly though, so if you having trouble with getting there through Rafflecopter try using these links:

• Visit the UMDF at umdf.org.
• Watch Tricia's Video.
• Write Tricia an encouraging note on her walkathon page.

Thanks for participating and have fun!

The GIVEAWAY is now closed. 

The winner will be announced tomorrow!  

Thank you so much for your participation! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Giveaway ends at Midnight on Sunday, September 23 and due to mailing costs is only open to residents of the United States.

Thank you!

Sarah

Energy for Life

This morning in Kansas City hundreds of people are gathering to honor loved ones who suffer from a terrible disease called Mitochondrial Disease.  This morning is the Energy for Life Walkathon to support the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.  

Every 30 minutes a child is born with a mitochondrial disease. Each year, there is an increase in the number of adults who are being diagnosed with mitochondrial disease.

- Research tells us that between 1,000 and 4,000 children are born with a mitochondrial disease each year.

- Research also indicates that 1 in every 200 healthy people may carry the mutation that could develop into

a mitochondrial disease in their lifetime.

- Because mitochondrial disease is complex and not easy to diagnose, most patients suffer symptoms for

months or years before they are accurately diagnosed with a mitochondrial disease.

- The severity of symptoms and how the disease manifests itself varies. One affected individual may have difficulty breathing or suffer from digestive problems, while another may not be able to walk, talk, or see.

If you would like to learn more, please visit the UMDF website or check out these simple  Mito Disease FAQs .

I chose flowers to help support UMDF awareness, because just like flowers, people need energy to live and grow.

Team Tricia from 2011 Energy for Life Walk-a-thon
(Reader R and I are in the front row, next to Tricia!)

My friend Tricia is a freshman in high school, and she has Mitochondrial Disease.  If you don't read any of my other posts, please take a few minutes to watch this video that she made about her journey.

This morning, Team Tricia, is at the Energy for Life Walkathon.  Walking, laughing, hugging, raising money and awareness to support and encourage this sweet young lady who has been sick with Mito for more than three years.

However, Tricia is not with them.  She is in the hospital, again, sick with complications from her Mito.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.



Tricia looks like a happy, healthy teenager.  Yet, she suffers from autonomic neuropathy, chronic nerve pain, chronic fatigue, breathing difficulties, delayed gastric emptying, GI motility issues, acid reflux, hypercalciuria, visual impairments, and kidney stones, and oh yeah, and she hasn't eaten by mouth in  years.


Please consider helping to support the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation by sponsoring me for the upcoming "Energy for Life" Walk-a-thon.  Every gift helps.

If you are unable to make a donation at this time, please just take one more minute to visit Tricia's Walkathon page and leave her an encouraging message!  THANK YOU!

Thank you,
Sarah

P.S. - Please be on the look out for additional Mito Disease Awareness posts this coming week.  One of them will have a GIVEAWAY that you won't want to miss! 

Pajamas Cookie-d

For Reader R's big SURPRISE party, we had a Pajama & Pancakes theme.  I really wanted to bake some special cookie treats for party favors!

Since it was a SURPRISE party, I had to be extra stealthy about it, so I made a bunch of nail polish cookies too.  (I told her I had a last minute order for a very important customer who would pick them up for her party on Saturday... hehehe.)








Inspired by these super cute striped cookies by Oh, Sugar! Events, I endeavored to cookie my daughter's favorite pajamas.  

First of all, I had to be sneaky and get a photo of the birthday girl in her pjs... so one night, I told her I wanted to send Grandma photo of how big she was getting and got her to pose for this snap. ;^) 

Then, I didn't have the right cookie cutter for her little sleeveless gown, so I used a blouse, and then cut off the sleeves with an awareness ribbon.  I could have just used a knife, but I really wanted to keep the curve of the dress consistent, and this was the best way I could come up with to do that.




Next, I wasn't quite sure how to pull of the air-brushed look of the pjs without an airbrush, so after a quick consultation with my cookie friends, I decided I would bake enough cookies to make them two ways. 



First, I created a rainbow of glaze colors.  I tried to flood the pjs, very quickly and get them to bleed into one another, but wouldn't you know the one time you WANT your colors to bleed, they wont!  So, I ended up laying down the colors one at a time and using a tooth pick to swirl them together to create a "bleed" effect.  I sprinkled them with Rainbow Disco Dust to give them some sparkle and then once they were really dry I added the trim, the hearts and the ruffle.  The ruffle was its own challenge.  Because I decided to use glaze for these cookies due to their deep colors, the glaze was not stiff enough on its own to hold a ruffle, so I had to add just a pinch the meringue powder that I use for royal icing.  That did the trick! ;^)


I could have stopped there, but I had it in my head that I really wanted the colors to "bleed" so I decided to go ahead and make a second batch using a different method.

For the second batch of cookies, I coated them with a base coat of white glaze.  Then, I used silver luster dust, mixed with a drop of gel color, and a couple drops of vodka to create a rainbow of colors.  Then, when the white was SUPER dry, I painted the rainbow of lustery colors on in good ol' ROYGBIV order.  (Thank you to my cookie friend, Jennifer, who reminded me that is REALLY the best way to go!)






I was so pleased with how the gel color mixed in with the luster.  Now, I don't have to buy a different jar of luster for every color!  Hooray!  Next I added the hearts, the trim, and the ruffle.  Finally, as a special touch, I added a little bit of hot pink disco dust to the ruffle.

It is interesting how bright they looked when they were wet and how they kind of got pastel-y when they dried.  That was OK with me... but if you were going for bright you might want to use even more color.

I was really very pleased with both cookies.  In the end, I ended up using the first, brighter one for the party favors.  (I decided I might have a few guests who mothers would not be thrilled that on top of fruit loops, pink and purple pancakes, chocolate chips and whipped cream, cupcakes and cookies, I sent their 8 year old daughters home with a large cookie coated with vodka... ;^)  ((Just kidding, we cookiers use vodka because the alcohol evaporates so quickly that we can paint on our fragile sugar icing without the cookies getting too wet and melting.  You might have even eaten a vodka covered cookie and didn't know it! ;^))



All that is to say, I was thrilled with how they turned out, and I think the birthday girl was pleased too! ;^)

Cheers!
Sarah

SURPRISE! Happy Birthday Reader R! (part II)

So, as you now know, this past week was Reader R's birthday....

Her BIG party, however, was almost didn't happen...  in her mind, anyway!

I had set the scene several weeks ago by telling her that "Since Daddy was celebrating a BIG birthday this year, we just won't be able to have friends party for you, too."  She accepted the information graciously, but then she, unfortunately, spent several weeks being too self-less and over concerned about our finances.  (Opps!)

Anyway, the big day came, and all of her sweet little friends gathered at our house and anxiously awaited her arrival.  

I had decorated with LOTS of balloons, streamers, plastic table cloths, and pieces of fabric leftover from a baby shower several years ago.  Since I was trying to keep within a budget, I was thrilled to figure out that I could make these super fun tissue poofs, using the stash of leftover pink and purple tissue I have meticulously smoothed out and saved for the last 8 years!  I started with this great tutorial that I found on Pinterest.  (My only additions would be that you can use 1/2 a sheet for smaller balls, and for bigger balls, I liked 15-16 sheets better than 10, which looked a little sparse to me.)


The girls made fruit loop necklaces and played a couple of ice-breaker games while they waited for sweet R.  



When she got here, Reader R. was super surprised, and the girls rushed her with a big group hug!





Next, we had a super-girly breakfast with pink and purple pancakes, cherry yogurt, and sausage.  At the suggestion of this great blog post from Cassie at Hi Sugarplum,  I put fun toppings (strawberries, blueberries, bananas, granola, chocolate chips, and whipped cream) on the table for the pancakes and yogurt. (Actually, I got a LOT of "my" ideas from Cassie!!! Thank you!)  The girls also had fun cutting their pancakes into fun shapes with cookie cutters!


After breakfast, I painted the girls toenails.  (I had asked permission from the parents ahead of time, which was a good thing, because one little girl said "My mom doesn't let me paint my toenails without adult supervision."  I guess, I didn't count as an adult. ;^))  I kept the colors simple, pink, purple or blue, and then a second coat of "princess sparkles."  It was so fun.  the girls sat in a semi-circle around half of a dollar store plastic table cloth.  It was a great way to keep the nail polish put.  When we were done, I just wadded up the table cloth and tossed it!

Even her little sisters got in on all of the fun!

I kept the girls hands busy with a fun craft while I was painting their toes!  We made these cute flip-flops! I used this tutorial to do all the prep work ahead of time.  I also made a pair for myself and the two little sisters ahead of time, since I knew we would need a prototype and they wouldn't be able to get theirs done without my help and I would be painting toenails!


We opened gifts and then sang Happy Birthday!

Then, we enjoyed the cute cupcakes at the top of the post.  My good cookie friend, Kim from the Cookie Puzzle, lent me her fingernail polish cookie cutter and her recipe for glaze icing, which made these  nail polish bottles shinny and extra fun!  Thanks Kim!!

(Please ignore the construction zone in the background...
my wonderful husband is painting my dining room!)

The party favor bags included a bottle of water (wrapped in hot pink duct tape, like this idea, and then labeled with a fancy initial sticker; sorry, I forgot to take a picture), a package of pink bubble gum, and a set of party favor cookies with a pair of pjs (just like my daughter's favorites) and a bottle of nail polish.  (I'll post more about the PJ cookies soon.)

I also threw in a kit to make a cute bracelet that I had picked up in a 10 pack at Hobby Lobby, that was my back up craft, but that we ran out of time to do at the party!

A special thanks to Poppie for taking Reader R on a special date night and sleep over, so we could decorate  and really surprise her!  Thanks to Aunt Dana for being my right-hand girl, helping out in every way on party day!  Thanks to my Sweetheart for working so hard to help get the house ready and for capturing the big event for me!  Thank you to Kim and my SweetBook Sisters for all of your encouragement!  Thank you to Hi Sugarplum, Oh Sugar Events, Design Dazzle, and a thousand other hard-working moms on Pinterest for inspiration!

All pandemonium broke loose at pick up time when we momentarily lost control of the party! ;^)

Cheers!!
Sarah

P.S. - Come back tomorrow for all the details on the PJ cookies!