trudeau pot clip from ChefTools

A common pet peeve of mine, and I’m sure most cooks can agree, is the mess that’s left behind on the counter from your wooden spoon or spatula. Cooking anything from pasta sauce to scrambled eggs requires stirring, and inbetween stirs what do you do with your utensil?

I’ve gotten in the habit of trying to balance the spoon or spatula across the pot while my food simmers, but it’s a risky maneuver. At any moment the spoon could fall onto the burner leaving a burn mark in your wooden or rubber friend.

And the designated saucer you use to lay your spoon upon looks messy and unprofessional. The puddle that develops on the plate is unecessary.

utensil holder pot clip from Williams-Sonoma

With the Utensil Holder Pot Clip from Williams-Sonoma you no longer have to look at that messy saucer sitting next to your stove. The Pot Clip is stainless steel with silicone padding, so you won’t have to worry about scratching your nice cookware.

The Utensil Holder Pot Clip allows for perfect balance of your spoon or spatula over your pot or pan, and it eliminates any mess. Any dripping from your spoon will go right back into the pot.

This nifty gadget, that will get a ton of use, is only 12$ from Williams-Sonoma. There are many similar designs available from multiple retailers. And it’s dishwasher safe, too! This simple tool will be a fabulous edition to your gadgets drawer.

That’s the wonderful thing about baking—the rules only exist as a springboard for better ideas.  Tasting one chocolate chip cookie does not mean you know what every chocolate chip cookie will taste like.  With over 200 participants in this year’s Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer week, some of the desserts share the same titles.  The similarities in the sweets stop at their names because each participant’s recipe is unique to that bakery or restaurant.  The strawberry shortcake at Sweet Caroline’s, for example, is made with a buttermilk biscuit and ice cream rather than the traditional cake base and frosting.  Formaggio Kitchen and Aragosta Bar & Bistro both carry olive oil cakes—desserts that provide a mouth full of soft cake that leaves you feeling airy rather than heavy.

Even the miniature carrot cakes and brownie bites from Paradise Bakery are so full of flavor that each bite feels like a sampling from a high end restaurant; the bakers have even dyed the frosting pink in honor of Boston Bakes.

It’s the little touches like a different colored frosting or unique approach to tradition that makes the desserts featured in this year’s Boston Bakes so special.  The creative minds behind every breathtaking bite took an established recipe and improved upon it to produce something completely new.  It doesn’t matter if it happens in an industrial kitchen or a private home, the process is the same.  It starts with a little care and experimentation and eventually something new rises from the batter.  Each corner cut or ingredient added transforms classic recipes into desserts that are equal parts unique and delicious and worth trying more than once.

For me, one of the most interesting points was mentioned in the Q&A section:
Should cancer survivors include soy-based foods in their diet?
Soy foods are an excellent source of protein and can be a good option for meals without meat. Soy contains many phytochemicals, some of which have weak estrogen activity and seem to protect against hormone-dependent cancers in animal studies. Other compounds in soy have antioxidant properties and may have anticancer effects.
There’s a great deal of interest in the possible role of soy foods in reducing cancer risk, especially breast cancer risk. But the evidence at this time is mixed.
For the breast cancer survivor, current research finds no harmful effects from eating soy foods. These foods may even help tamoxifen work better. There is less known about the effects of soy supplements.

My oncologist told me that I should avoid soy within reason, as it may increase estrogen production. This new information certainly opposes that advice. It forces me to question how much is really known about the link between food and cancer. It does make sense to maintain a healthy weight and exercise, whether you are a cancer survivor or not.

However, with all the talk about antioxidents and superfoods like blueberries, green tea and quinoa, I do question whether future studies and research will yield different nutrition advice for preventing cancer. For now, I will stick with what makes sense to me – a diet high in fruits and vegetables, low in saturated fat and processed foods.

Regrets about choosing a bilateral mastectomy…no. I had no control over getting breast cancer the first or second time, but I did have the power to make a choice that would give me the greatest peace of mind. And that is what I did. I chose to have the breast with cancer removed and the other breast, the site of the first cancer 10 years earlier, also removed.

Her question got me thinking about all of the women who’ve made the same choice I made after being diagnosed with cancer in one breast…the decision to have the other breast removed. What, if any were their regrets?

My research turned up a recent paper about a survey of women who chose a bilateral mastectomy that answered my question. The paper reports on a survey conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in which hundreds of women, who chose a bilateral mastectomy, were each asked about having any regrets about the decision to have a healthy breast removed along with the breast that had a cancer.

The survey included women who had a cancerous breast and a healthy breast removed between 1960 and 1993. They were surveyed 10 years later to determine if they had regrets or were still satisfied with their choice. They were also asked if they would make the same decision again. After another 10 years, the majority were surveyed once more. Complete results were available for 269 women.

In the initial survey, 86 percent said they had no regrets about their decision and 95 percent said they would repeat the procedure if they had to again. In the 20-year follow-up, 90 percent expressed satisfaction with their decision and 97 percent said they would repeat it.

Previous research found that women who had undergone  a prophylactic  mastectomy (removal of the healthy breast, along with the breast with cancer) were satisfied with their decision soon after the surgery. The outcome of this survey  documents that women who were comfortable with their decision after the surgery are still comfortable with their choice many years later.

I can relate to the women in the survey that stated they would choose a bilateral mastectomy again, even though they admitted to have experienced negative body image and feelings of a loss of femininity. Having no regrets about a decision to have both breasts removed doesn’t mean there are no feelings about having to make such a decision.  There is a mourning period. It takes time to accept the change in one’s body image.

For more information about prophylactic mastectomy, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Once a month, I bake sweets and bring them to work to share with my coworkers. Shhh, they don’t know it, but they’re my guinea pigs, since the treats that I bring are usually from a new recipe that I’ve never tried before. Of course, if the results aren’t to my liking, then I don’t share them.

This week, I made oatmeal and white chocolate chip cookies, recipe adapted from ericasweettooth‘s blog, original recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. They are a little different from traditional oatmeal cookies; they’re thin, crispy, made with *white* chocolate chips and have a salty finish. It is definitely a repeat recipe; the cookies were easy to make and did not require dough refrigeration. Although I wasn’t thrilled with the appearance, I was definitely pleased with the taste – I loved the crunch, the sweet caramelization of the sugars, and the slight saltiness. Happy to report that my coworkers were fans too. Recipe below.

*Crispy Oatmeal & White Chocolate Chip Cookies*

Recipe yields 24 huge cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2.5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (I used Quaker Oats)

3/4 cup white chocolate (I used Ghiradhelli classic white chocolate chips)

1/2 tsp sea salt (I used Diamond Crystal sea salt for sprinkling)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper(s)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

3. In the electric mixer bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy

4. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until well incorporated

5. Slowly add flour mixture with mixer speed on medium-low, until just incoroproated

6. Gradually add the oats and white chocolate

7. Scoop 2 tablespoons to form dough into 24 balls. Place balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets about 2.5 inches apart. Gently press each ball down with back of a spoon (height of dough should be 3/4 inch).

8. Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes onto each ball

9. Bake 13 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cookies should be deep golden brown. Transfer baking sheets to wire rack to cool.

Jamie’s tips for this recipe:

- I thought the cookies were a bit too buttery and would use less next time. The recipe lists 1-3/4 sticks of unsalted butter and my suggestion would be to use 1.5 sticks in the future.

- These cookies are supposed to spread out into a fairly huge circle. Don’t try to make smaller cookie dough balls, expecting cute little cookies. Otherwise, they will spread, thin out, get burnt and tossed into the trash.

- It’s important to give the cookie dough balls lots of space (i.e. 2.5 inches apart); they spread quite a lot, which meant 8 cookies per batch in my oven.

- If you don’t like white chocolate chips, feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips instead – whatever floats your boat!

- Since these are thin cookies, they may burn easily, so keep a careful eye on them. Some of my cookies had random burnt spots underneath, which didn’t bother me but others might want them to be perfect.

Enjoy! and Happy Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer Week!

from cuisipro.com

Summer is well on it’s way and as I’m daydreaming of long days at the beach I can’t help but think about the ice cream truck that will soon be ringing it’s bell for all the kids to hear. Ice cream cookie sandwiches were always one of my favorite treats from the ice cream truck. The Cuisipro Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Maker lets you make adorable ice cream sandwiches in your own kitchen. And because they’re about a quarter of the size of those that the ice cream man sells, you won’t have to feel guilty about indulging in these frozen delights.

mini ice cream sandwich maker from cuisipro

Designed as a press, you use the hollow tube to cut out you’re cookie, scoop a dollop of ice cream into the tube, and then cute another chunk of cookie. When you spin the handle, out comes your bite-sized ice cream sandwich!

You can use any kind of cookie, from homemade to store-bought, chocolate chip to oatmeal raisin. Then choose whichever ice cream flavor you desire, and create you own personal dessert in a minute flat. Watch the video here.

Decorate the ice cream edge with colorful sprinkles to further customize your tasty frozen treat. Perfect to use with children because there are no sharp edges or complicated cooking procedures. The finished product will be a sweet satisfaction for everyone.

brownie and mint ice cream sandwich from nestle kitchens

The mini ice cream maker is available online from cuisipro.com and also from Amazon.com for around $15.00. It comes with three presses, each with a different shape including a heart, a star and a circle. Create tiny desserts for you next dinner party or treat yourself when your craving a midnight snack. The Cuisipro Mini Ice Cream Sandwich maker is super easy to use and even easier to clean. Whip up a batch of mini ice cream sandwiches tonight!

Maybe next year selfishly I will try to make Boston Bakes longer than 7 days to give me more time to get to more restaurants, bakeries, ice cream and chocolate shops and order more on our Shop page and raise even more money for breast cancer!

One stop I did make on the first day of Boston Bakes was to Ula’s Cafe in Jamaica Plain.  Do you want to know how special their red velvet cupcake is?  Well, recently I found out their red velvet cupcakes are made only two times during the year!  That is how special their red velvet cupcakes are!  You can only get them on Valentine’s Day and for Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer!  I call that very special.

So off I went to Ula’s Cafe and I want to go back soon! When I walked into the cafe, all the tables had our tabletents on them and I felt quite at home.  I ordered the red velvet cupcake and their strawberry basil soda, a homemade puree of strawberries with basil and club soda.  Both were delicious!

It was a perfect meal combination!  The cupcake was red and had a lovely chocolate flavor.  The frosting was smooth, creamy, delicate with a hint of chocolate.  I could have enjoyed another cupcake to be honest.  I was in cupcake heaven but there was more!

I am a cold beverage person and love carbonated beverages. The strawberry basil soda was perfection.  I ordered a large and could have had several more.  I hope to make it back again this week to enjoy another red velvet cupcake so I don’t have to wait to Valentine’s Day  along with another large strawberry basil soda.

It was a great way to celebrate Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer and I thank them for sharing a dessert so special to them with us and helping us raise money for breast cancer one sweet at a time!

When I think of my cancer treatment as a journey, I picture myself riding a motorcycle with my mom in the sidecar. We are both wearing sunglasses and do’ rags in my imagined fantasy, both our hair blowing in the wind. It’s the best analogy I have for my treatment. My mother was with me every step of the way. She was the first person I called after my diagnosis. She came to every dr. appointment, every test, and every surgery. She slept on my couch for days after treatments. She checked/dressed my wounds and helped me shower. She did my dishes, laundry and made my bed. She researched every side effect I was afraid to read about.

She also listened when I told her how treatment made me feel, how having cancer was changing me and I felt powerless to stop it. She acted as a translator for the rest of my family when they could not understand how I was feeling and vice versa. Even now when I go back for regular check-ups, each of my oncologists asks me how my mother is doing. We were a team.

I cannot imagine how difficult it is to see your child, at any age, go through treatment for cancer. My mom never showed a weakness. She showed up, coffee in hand, taking the day off from work, every single time I needed her. It changed the dynamic of our relationship, for me anyway. I don’t think I truly realized how far she was willing to go for me.

One of the most memorable experiences was after a particular chemo infusion. It was about 3am by the time I finished my infusion (I had an allergy to the meds and needed to get them slowly over a 12-hr period). The dr. on call wanted me to stay a couple of extra hours so he could monitor me and I wanted to go home immediately instead. I finally convinced the dr. that I was feeling fine and was OK to go home. I said that I wanted to start feeling crappy – which was inevitable – in my own bed. The dr. cleared me to get up and get dressed. When he left the room for a moment, I confessed to my mother that I was too weak to stand. Her face registered my panic. We had to figure out how to dress me and get me looking OK before he came back with the wheelchair. I think of it as the day my mom helped break me out of the hospital. We did make it out just fine. I am forever grateful to my mother for this and so many other moments.

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!

You are doing so much to safeguard your health as a survivor…eating well, getting regular exercise, staying current on appointments, but are you unknowingly adding chemicals to your body through  your makeup and personal care items?

According to the Environmental Work Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization that uses public information to protect public health and the environment, the US government has no authority to require companies to test personal care products for safety before they reach the store shelf. At present, the industry can use just about any ingredient or raw material in soap, shampoo or makeup without government review or approval.

EWG’s research documents that 22 percent of all personal care products may contain the cancer-causing contaminant 1,4-Dioxane, and more than half of all sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a potential hormone disruptor. Other studies raise serious concerns about makeup such as lead in lipsticks and chemicals in fragrance and artificial preservatives in personal care products.

The following groups of chemicals are currently being studied for links to breast cancer:

• Parabens – chemicals commonly used as preservatives in many cosmetic products, including makeup, moisturizers, hair care products, and gels.

• Phthalates – used to hold color and reduce brittleness in nail polish and hair spray. They’re also found in many personal care items.

Before you use your current makeup again, or buy a new makeup, visit the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep site and  check your makeup and personal care items scores.  EWG lists a product’s  hazard score based on the ingredients’ links to cancer, allergies, and other issues.

Source: Environmental Work Group

garlic from dothegreenthing.com

When I think of my favorite fully garlic-loaded food my mother’s caesar salad is the first thing that comes to mind. Her homemade dressing isn’t creamy like the typical caesar dressing you’re probably used to. Instead, it’s olive oil based with lots of lemon juice and A LOT of fresh garlic. She even tosses the lettuce in freshly pressed garlic before she adds the dressing for a little extra kick. And the parmesan cheese is like the icing on the cake that pulls it all together. Yum!

Any garlic-lover must have a state-of-the-art garlic press. Peeling and chopping the fresh cloves with a knife is doable, but that’s time consuming and leaves your fingers stained with the strong smell.

The Rosale Garlic Press from Williams-Sonoma is heavy duty and highly effective. No need to peel it first, just add the cloves and effortlessly press to release your fresh garlic into your sauces and salads. The skins are kept behind and you’re left with enough fresh garlic to repel any vampire lurking around outside.

And the positive health factors of eating garlic just add to the reasons for needing a good press! Some studies suggest eating lots of garlic can reduce the risk of some diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Rosale Garlic Press from Williams-Sonoma

The Rosale Garlic Press has a sleek design and is dishwasher safe for a very easy clean-up. Priced at $39.00 it’s a must have for any garlic-friendly cook who is sick of the mincing misery. The Rosale Garlic Press is available online at williams-sonoma.com or at any Willams-Sonoma store. Buy it for yourself, or give it as a gift, because no one can deny the powerful flavor garlic adds to a dish!