CNN- Activists call foul on KFC bucket campaign

Activists call foul on KFC bucket campaign

By Kat Kinsman, Special to CNN

April 28, 2010 10:00 a.m. EDT

KFC will donate 50 cents from each pink bucket sale to organizations funding cancer research.

(CNN) -- Can chicken breasts help beat breast cancer? KFC officials are hoping customers will flock to help the chicken chain make a record-breaking donation of $8.5 million.

But some critics are calling foul on the company's mixed message, especially in light of the recent, heavily publicized addition of the aggressively fat-and-sodium laden Double Down sandwich to their menu.

KFC's "Buckets for the Cure" initiative boasts a bright pink website, packed with breast cancer facts, survivor stories and a pledge to.....

Read the rest of the story here.....

Tropsicles..... (Tropical popsicles)

Bestill my heart!!!

I saw a very basic popsicle recipe. So I was going to do it.... Then I started adding more & more stuff.... If these babies are as good frozen as they are by the spoon, I'm in.big.trouble.....

Tropsicles (Tropical Popsicles)

• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 1 large banana, cut into chunks
• 2 medium mangoes, peeled & cut into chunks
• juice of 1 lime (and any pulp from juicing)
• 2-4T honey (depending on your taste & the size of your lime/amount of lime juice)

Add all ingredients to your blender. Blend & freeze in popsicle molds.

Check out.....

Our new babies!!!

Why we will no longer support the Susan G Komen Foundation

I'll be back with more. This is an opening to many more posts. I will be linking up. I will be quoting others & I will continue to share the reasons why we will no longer support the Susan G Komen Foundation. Shame really, they have the capacity to do so much.

On 4/23 I posted to the wall on facebook of the Susan G Komen page.

"<< From your sidebar- "Imagine life without breast cancer"

KFC, Pepsi, etc. For real?Have you SEEN the cancer causing ingredients in these items? Have you considered hitting up chiquita, Horizon or other companies that actually have a healthy natural product?"

A little while later I noticed that my message was no longer there. Since facebook has been having some issues, I chose to give them the benefit of the doubt. My gut, of course, told me they'd deleted it.

My initial response was:

“Freedom of speech is not an option on this page? I posted earlier about KFC & Pepsi causing cancer & it's been removed.

Make no mistake- I've lost loved ones to Breast Cancer, so believe me when I say I WAS a HUGE supporter. I'll find a company that truly believes in a cure from now on. I'll also be sure to let others know that you are in for the money, not for the cure.”

I chose not to do that one JUST IN CASE it was a glitch & they truly hadn't deleted it. Instead I went with a “nicer” approach:

“Interesting I posted something earlier & it's not here anymore? I'm wondering if any of the "researchers" have researched the ingredients, the cancer causing ingredients in the sponsors of SGK? Pepsi, KFC, Yoplait??? Will this message be deleted as well???”

After posting above, I noticed the comment right below mine was asking if the page deleted the comments of the members, to which I also responded.

I'm not stupid. As I mentioned, I had a gut feeling that they CHOSE to delete my comment. So this go round, I took a screenshot of my messages on the page (Please click on image for a larger view).

Sure enough, by the time I went to bed, not only was MY comment deleted, but also the one questioning if posters are censored.

Now according to their sidebar, they also mention “We must remain loyal to our participants......” I'm wondering if the loyalty these days is actually about finding a cure or if it's loyalty of another sort. After all, this is a HUGE corporation. If breast cancer ceases to exist, there will be a LOT of people out of a job. If you think for a moment this statement isn't true, think again. If you think all the people working for SGK aren't paid, and that they are volunteer, think again. The only loyalty they've come to know is greed. Let's break this down.....

Susan G. Komen site states:

“KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® are teaming up this spring to raise funds and spread breast cancer awareness and educational messaging via a major national campaign which will reach thousands of communities served by nearly 5000 KFC restaurants.

Participating KFC franchise locations will be selling specially designed pink buckets of grilled and Original Recipe chicken. KFC has pledged 50 cents to Komen for every pink bucket ordered by its restaurant operators during the promotion period, with a minimum donation of $1 million and a goal to raise more than $8 million. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised will be earmarked to Komen’s 120-plus domestic Affiliates for breast cancer programs in their communities. The remainder of the funds will support Komen’s national research and community programs.

The lids of these special pink buckets will have a call to action to get involved. Names of breast cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle with breast cancer will be listed on the sides of the bucket. The pink buckets will be available through May 30, or while supplies last.”

Original Recipe® Chicken

Fresh Chicken Marinated With: Salt, Sodium Phosphate and Monosodium Glutamate. Breaded With: Wheat Flour, Sodium Chloride and Anti-caking agent (Tricalcium Phosphate), Nonfat Milk, Egg Whites, Colonel’s Secret Original Recipe Seasoning.

Here's what's really pathetic. The grilled chicken they make mention of? I can't find the nutrition information on the site for that. Kinda scary, no? In the above you see quite a few chemicals.

Going beyond..... My friend Julia put it best with the following. It's another reason, I've learned that I am falling out of respect with Susan G Komen Foundation.

“They focus on early detection to the exclusion of prevention. Okay, early detection is great and surely saves lives, but they should be putting MORE emphasis on prevention. Why don't they do that? Oh, because preventing breast cancer doesn't make anyone any money. Early detection, on the other hand, makes the Cancer Industry beaucoup money throughout a cancer patient's life. The Komen foundation is now ALL about making money, not saving anyone's lives (though they are great at pretending to care about saving lives). As a breast cancer survivor, that makes me SICK and I cannot support them in any way shape or form unless they radically change.”

Now I don't know about you, but I'd much rather say goodbye to breast cancer from the get-go. If cancer were prevented, poor Komen Foundation wouldn't have a leg left to stand on. BUT..... even early detection doesn't always save lives. This goes back to their sidebar that reads "Imagine life without breast cancer.”

Imagine

Life

Without

Breast

Cancer......

Imagine that. Imagine a world where the key is NOT early detection, but prevention.....

More to come.

Gamma lids, oh how I want thee!!!

I was facebook hopping today & came across this great giveaway over at Homestead Revival. I buy so much stuff in bulk (seeing as how we go though it so quickly- 3 growing boys and all) from the co-op that I decided to add gamma lids last night to my cart for my next Azure Standard order. Today I came across this super giveaway!

Hope to see your comment over there for your chance to win 6 gamma lids from USA Emergency Supply!!!

What a glorious shopping day!

Even if things did go a bit awry.

Let me tell you- Azure Standard ROCKS!!! The last 6 orders that were loaded onto the truck, the printer died, so there were no invoices. Of course, that's not why they rock..... That stinks, to be quite honest. So when Kyle (fabulous driver) shows up neither of us know how many cases I'm supposed to be getting. Here's the turn of events.....

• I'm sick, have 0 energy, have 2 people coming to help with the drop (1 of them I arranged at the last minute because I knew I couldn't handle it even with *D* there). I arrive 10m early, and he's already there. Um.... it's just he & I...... We (Kyle & I) load the stuff into my truck. He rocks.
• I call *D* to tell her to go ahead & head to my house, he was early, we're done (my kids are at home & they know her, so I wasn't sending her to sit by the curb). Her stuff is sitting on the ground next to my truck, and *M* shows up, so she helps me get the rest of *D's* stuff into the truck. We chat for a couple, I head home.
• Get home
• Get on Azure to print invoices from the drop point manager
• Drop manager refuses to load.....
• And refuses to load.....
• Go back to garage & call Azure
• HAND WRITE 3 people's worth of orders so we can separate them
• Run back in to check something......Drop manager has loaded
• Print previously hand written lists for double checking. Good thing, too, we had a couple things wrong that the lady at Azure missed.
• Realise we're missing a WHOLE BOX of frozen items
• Remember, we had no case count......
• My corn, 2 gals' bison & another gal's roast.....
• Call Azure to let them know. Spend awhile on the phone giving order numbers & lists of items missing. The 3 of us missing items will be credited
• Call Kyle (awesome driver) to let him know what happened & ask him to keep an eye out

Thankfully that ordeal is over, but I was so frustrated. I've been wicked sick for a few days. I was ready to cry BEFORE I left to get the order, and poor *D* was so patient (bless you, *D*, I know you'll be reading this soon). I told her when *I* did the orders it took an hour max..... No seriously, it did. As soon as I have help, the time doubles??? LOL

The good news is, the Boys are happy to have hot dogs in the house again..... and dried papaya..... and organic raisins..... and..... well, here are the pics of the Azure Standard order. Not pictured are the hot dogs, as they were in the freezer. And my corn.... obviously. NO CORN!!!!! *cries* They were also out of the kids' vitamins I ordered & the organic corn chips. I already knew those weren't coming, so I wasn't expecting those. BUT MY CORN *wails in tears again*

25# brown rice, 25# organic cornmeal, 50# raw sugar

1# raw walnuts (*M* & I bought a 2# bag to split, they are in the rubbermaid container), 2 of the 3 bags of organic chips (we opened a bag- YUM!), 5# organic raisins, 1 gallon Biokleen cleaner, 1 gallon rice bran oil & in the jars are organic kelp granules & dried papaya strips.

Then I realised we didn't have any hot dog buns, so off to shopping we go. We stop at the discount grocery store to see what they have..... I bought 5 packages of their baked in-house breads of various kinds. We decided to go with these yummy little dinner rolls they offer & cut the hot dogs in half for mini-dogs.

And came home with all this.....



I also scored some Hansen's sodas for the kids, some organic applesauce cups, and lest you think we are this perfect little TF family..... A little something for Hubba (if I don't buy it he will. Steak sauce is on my to-learn-make-do list though).....


I have yet to put away all the groceries we got today & I'm already drooling over, highlighting & dog-earing this:


Hopefully in a couple days, I will be able to blog good news about corn, vitamins & corn chips.

Ginger honey- the medicinal candy.....

The weather here the past several weeks has been nuts. One week it's almost 60, the next, it's 20 & snowing. Needless to say, we've had some on & off hacking of the lungs :-(

KerryAnn was telling me about some ginger honey she makes & then she decided to blog about it. I made some yesterday. She says at 24h you can start taking it, but she also said a week of steeping is good as well. Another gal recommends 2 weeks.

Isn't it beautiful?

We just took our first dose & I am feeling (and hearing) a difference already!!! It tastes like candy, the kids love it & it's been requested to be made again!!!

Time to catch up....

Since TJ passed away, I've been very unmotivated. Between grief, the 15 days I was away from home, the 40+ hours on the road, less than optimal eating, etc. it's been a long road getting back.

A couple weeks ago here in frigid Wyoming, we had the most beautiful weather. It was in the upper 40's-mid 50's. We were able to get out in the yard some..... Then the temps plummeted down into the teens & low 20's and we got swamped with snow..... Then we got swamped with more snow. Our temps are headed up again now, and yesterday we were able to work the compost piles, get an arbor moved & a few other things done.

This week I have been in the kitchen. A lot. So far I've managed a batch of tortillas, 4 loaves wheat bread, 2 batches cheddar puffs, no-bake cookies, chocolate chips, and a couple of pans of pull apart bread. Today I hope to get the chocolate chip cookies baked.

I've also started a new sourdough, so I have 2 and still have my Amish Friendship Bread Starter. My daycare hours have gone up again (yay), and I've also snagged a very.part.time job, which I've yet to get my first assignment. I am a rep for BMA & will visit 2 stores in town here 1X a month to inventory & order greeting cards. Once I get the hang of it, my visits should take no more than an hour. Every so often, I'll need to do a reset as well. From what I understand, I get the assignment emailed to me and will have a certain timeframe in which to get it done. I'm looking forward to this, as it's more or less make my own schedule, and I can take the kids if need be.

My beef order will be sent to the processor between mid-May & mid-June, and my baby chicks & poults are due to arrive the week of May 21st. We've been planting seeds as well. Lots of them & have so much green-age downstairs under the lights- it's amazing!!! You can read more about our mini-homesteading adventures on our 1/10th acre blog.

Our puppy has gotten huge already. He was 5months on the 7th & has already topped 70 pounds. He's a bundle of joy, though.

The kids have been doing great with homeschooling & a few weeks ago, my 13 year old was so very happy to finish his 6th grade math, and finally be a "total 7th grader." We were well ahead in November, and we took a good chunk of December off for the holidays. BIG mistake..... We've had a time getting back into it since TJ went to Heaven, and now we're bordering on falling behind again. Of course, this is just one of the MANY reasons we love homeschooling. When schools are out in May, we can work another week or three & catch up. Because we were homeshooling, I had the choice to take the 15 days (or more if I wanted), and not worry about truancy, falling behind with no chance to catch up, etc.

The homeschool group is doing WONDERFULLY!!! In just 2 months & 3 meetings, we had a total of TWELVE families. The 1st of this month marked 4 meetings, 3 months & a new family. The beginning of May, we're holding a science fair with our meeting. We've got many opportunities lined up in the month of April, and even more in May. I had some approach me about the "seclusion" of our group & that we'd scare people away by saying they had to pay an annual dues to be "privvy" to the calendar of events and the other things we did as a group. It's a Wyoming thing, LOL. But let me tell you, we were *praying for JUST 5-6 families this first year (the 3 of us that have coordinated this group included)* and for *JUST 8-10 families next year.* The turnout has just been PHENOM!!!!!

Right now, I must get off my toosh, though. The boys are done with their chores, and I need ot feed them. The Elders are going snowshoeing with our pastor & the Chief of Police (who also goes to our church). I was considering taking Keenan to see How to Train Your Dragon, but the first showing isn't until 2. So I may take him to the "train park" which he's been begging me to take him to, almost the whole times we've been here.

Hope you have a very blessed weekend!!!

Praise God! It's Sunday!