2010 Race for the Cure

Yesterday I participated in my very first Race for the Cure. Katie has run this 5k for the past 3 years, but somehow I never have. This year I was nervous about how I'd feel after having completed the Omaha Marathon just one week before, so I joined the thousands of walkers for a lovely morning 3.1 mile stroll!

Our friend Erin organizes a big team each year, and we were happy to join.

The race started at 8:30, so we gathered at 8:00 to walk to the start line together. It was only 40F at that time, so we were really bundled up!

It was amazing to see all of the people gathered to support breast cancer awareness and to raise money to find a cure. A record-breaking 19,500 people participated this year!

I was pleasantly surprised to see so many kids walking! I think many people wouldn't have guessed that young children are perfectly capable of walking 3 miles. Now whether or not they are capable of behaving amongst a large crowd for over an hour is another story!

After Race for the Cure, we headed to Erin's house for brunch. I brought some mini frittatas that I baked the night before. This was my first time making something like this, and they were really easy...and a big hit!

Mini Frittatas

makes 6 cheese, and 6 veggie

Ingredients

12 eggs

1/2 c cheese (I used a finely shredded monterray jack blend)

1/3 c mushrooms, small dice

1/3 c spinach, chopped

1/3 c red bell pepper, small dice

salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp of each)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Coat a muffin tin (for 12 muffins) generously with cooking spray.
3. Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Stir cheese into egg mixture.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Fill 6 of the muffin spots with the egg & cheese mixture, leaving about 1/4 inch space from the top.
7. Add veggies to the remaining egg & cheese mixture and stir to combine.
8. Fill the remaining 6 muffin spots with the egg, cheese, and veggie mixture, dividing evenly amonst them.
9. Bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Check for doneness by inserting a knife or fork into the center to see if it comes out dry. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them to be sure they don't overcook.
10. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. (They will look as though they 'deflate' as they cool.)
11. Run a knife around the edge of each frittata, loosening as much as possible before carefully removing them from the pan.

*Notes:

• These stuck to the pan more than I was expecting - be careful when removing! Oil the pan generously or perhaps try some greased liners (?)
• You could easily adjust for all veggie frittatas by doubling the amounts of vegetables.
• You could substitute your favorite veggies in place of the mushrooms, spinach, and pepper that I used. I recomend 1c total veggies for 6 frittatas, diced finely. If you choose a firm veggie (like carrots), you may want to soften them in the microwave with a little bit of water before adding.
• Some other combinations that sound tasty: broccoli + cheddar; tomato + basil + mozzarella; spinach + artichoke + parmesan; zucchini + tomato + feta; tomato + jalapeno + black olives + cheddar

Considering yesterday was Race for the Cure, my daily fortune was quite perfect!

What a lovely message. I immediately thought about this great cause, but I also thought about some other volunteer opportunities that I've been given this year. One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2010 was to find ways to volunteer more, and I'm happy to report that I have done just that.

One program that I've been helping out with is with Camp Fire USA. This organization helps children become the leaders of tomorrow and is "Built on the foundations of Academics, Youth Development, Nutrition and Family." I help out with the Weekend Food Program, which is described on the website as:

"The Weekend Food Program is a unique idea that addresses a very real problem in our community: child hunger. Camp Fire recognizes that kids cannot learn when their stomachs are aching and they’re worried about when the next meal will come. Through our Weekend Food program, children receive backpacks filled with healthy, child-friendly food on Fridays so that they will have food through the weekend. The program is almost entirely volunteer-operated."

I join a few coworkers once a month to stuff backpacks for children in need. The thought of hungry children is so sad! I love that I can help put a meal in front of them.

This year, the company I work for gave each employee 4 hours of civil time to be used during one of the organized volunteer opportunities. My work team spent an afternoon last month sorting food at our local food bank. 2010 has been a record-breaking year for the organization...but not in a good way. The need in the community is larger than ever, as I'm sure is true all over the country. Although I was happy to again have a way to help people feed themselves, I was saddened to see the amount of 'junk food' donations far surpass those of wholesome foods. Yes, every bit counts, but I encourage those making donations to food banks to think about what foods will truly nourish a body. Potato chips and croutons do not make a well-balanced meal.

The last volunteer opportunity I want to mention is one occurring this weekend. I will be volunteering at the Market to Market relay! Although racing is much more of a luxury than eating, I still think this is a good cause. I am so appreciative of all of the volunteers that have supported me at my races, and I want to give back to the running community. I think I will be able to offer encouragement, and I think it will be a lot of fun!

What volunteer opportunities have you discovered? Do you have a worthy cause you'd like to give a shout-out to? Help spread the love!