Cookies for Kid’s Cancer

Marcy Goldman and her team at BetterBaking.com recently reached out to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer with kind words and heartfelt support. From her message our common bonds became clear. Her team loves to bake while our team loves to share baked goods. And we all love children. Collectively, we hope to do what we can, using the talents we possess, to keep kids from feeling the pain or facing the fears of cancer.

Take a peek at the Vera Bradley "bake sale."

I truly love Vera Bradley luggage. The classic lines and colorful patterns of their totes, duffles, diaper bags and key chains offer fun ways to express myself. And I love the sweet surprise of receiving new pieces for my collection. A green tote for high school graduation. A small green duffle for Christmas after college. The fabulous red pieces for my wedding. And just last year, I received a new key chain from my sister in law for my birthday. Each piece represents a bright, happy memory.

But I’ve never been more surprised or delighted by Vera Bradley than I was last fall when Cookies for Kids’ Cancer learned the team at Vera Bradley had thrown their support behind us in a BIG way. On what was otherwise a regular day of working to spread the word about the needs surrounding pediatric cancer funding, out of the blue came the news. Two pages of the Spring 2010 Vera Bradley catalog were dedicated to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s “sweet” approach to raising funds for new and improved treatments for pediatric cancer. In the same vibrant colors as their fabrics, the Vera Bradley team created and photographed a beautiful bake sale with cupcakes and cookies and beautiful kids. . .our version of a recipe for happiness.

So, thank you Vera Bradley. We are humbled and grateful for your support.

If you want to see the Spring collection, go to www.verabradley.com. And if you fall in love with some of their pieces, well just stay tuned to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. . .very soon, we’ll be sharing a surprise of our own that includes a few items from the newest Vera Bradley collection {plus other fun gifts} up for grabs this spring to bake sale hosts.

It’s never too soon to start thinking about spring, bake sales and pretty, pretty luggage. We hope you’ll let Vera Bradley inspire you!

We’re looking for recipes from our bake sale hosts. I’m always asking hosts- What was your best seller and can we have the recipe? I think often because chocolate chip cookie is the ultimate-best-selling-ruler-of-bake-sales, hosts are a little shy to write back with the recipe from the back of the chocolate chip package! But yesterday, a host wrote me back with a simple, yummy recipe to share with one and all. . .she also told her bake sale story. . .

It’s through work that Kathryn Gould of Colorado knows the Geraghty family, whose daughter is currently battling cancer. After witnessing the brave fight and the intense stress the family was going through, all Kathryn needed was a newspaper article about Cookies for Kids’ Cancer to know she was ready to get involved. As she said on her bake sale registration, “I read the article and decided to jump right in.”

Kathryn and her family set up a bake sale in their front yard, and in the meantime, fellow co-workers arranged for the Geraghty’s to receive a special visit from Santa while in the hospital because their young warrior’s biggest fear was that Santa would not be able to find her in the hospital. While the Gould’s raised awareness and funds, her team made sure spirits stayed high for the Geraghty’s. And with each donation, together we get closer to new and improved treatments for kids battling cancer. An amazing bit of hope for a day’s work.

But back to the recipe. . .it’s pretty amazing, too.

Oreo Bites

1 package Oreo cookies (lowfat works)
1 block cream cheese (lower fat Neufchatel works)
bark coating or white chocolate chips

Mash, process, blend or otherwise reduce the Oreo cookies to dust. Mix the block of cream cheese with the cookie crumbs until it forms a big ball (hands work best for this). Refrigerate for one hour. Remove the Oreo/cream cheese mixture from the fridge and using your hands, pinch off enough of the “dough” to roll into a 1 inch ball. Repeat using all the dough. Using a double boiler, melt bark coating or white chocolate chips, then drop the cookie balls into the melted chocolate and coat well. Once covered, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let dry. Note: white chocolate chips are the healthier option but will require refrigeration to harden. When the coating is dry, eat and enjoy!

We hope you will show your love this Valentine’s through Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Send our delicious, all-natural cookies instead of flowers.  . .they taste as good to eat as they feel to give, plus your gift truly goes toward saving lives.

Host a bake sale. Donate online. Order cookies. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.