Sadly, each year over 210,000 women and 1,700 men learn that they have breast cancer.  To put that figure in perspective, a shocking 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer.  Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in US women.  So what can you and I do?

1.) Know Your Risks, Reduce Your Risks

Risk Factors can include age, personal history of the disease, family history, certain breast changes, gene changes, reproductive and menstrual history, race,  weight, physical activity level and alcohol consumption to name a few.  Read up on your risk factors and talk to your doctor about reducing them.

2.) Regular Breast Self Exams, Clinical Breast Exams and Mammography

Early detection is key here. Regular screenings and mammograms can help detect breast cancer early, when it is most treatable.  Schedule regular clinical exams and perform monthly breast self exams.

This is important…here is your reminder… do your self breast exam today.

Helpful how to’s:

BreastCancer.org walks you through the five steps of a breast self exam.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists self breast exam guide.

The Breast Self Examination (BSE) Website will show you how to examine your breasts step by step with photographs, audio (sound) and the printed word.

3.) Promote Awareness

October has gone pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is responsible for educating both men and women on the detection, treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer.

Just look around, everywhere you look this month people are displaying their pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Large retailers have stocked their shelves with “pink ribbon” items to support breast cancer research.  Sports Illustrated showed their support by donning pink lettering on the cover of their latest issue. The NFL’s “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign got underway a few weeks ago with several teams sporting pink sweatband, towels, socks and shoes.   Now, LifeWithCake would like to “display our pink” too.   

Our pink flag is flying high with the creation of the Perfectly Pink Pom Cupcake for Breast Cancer Awareness. 

Cupcake for Breast Cancer Awareness

We have also made a donation on behalf of LifeWithCake to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  The Breast Cancer Research Foundation uses 91.5% of your donation towards supporting the cause. You too, can show your support. 

Here are some of the top organizations that support breast cancer research, provide mammograms and care for needy women, and raise awareness through educational efforts. 

• Cancer Research Foundation
  
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer
  
• National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc.
• Breast Cancer Network of Strength
  
• Susan G. Komen Foundation

Show your pink today, too.

Perfectly Pink POM Cupcake to support Breast Cancer Awareness

Recently, when on my way to check the mail, I was pleasently surprised to find a package waiting at the front door.  Had I purchased something online and forgot about it?  Was it a package for my husband or possibly something for the kids?  After careful review of the box, I came to realize it was from POM Wonderful.  POM Wonderful had written LifeWithCake a week ago asking if we would enjoy a care package of their POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, to which we replied – heck yeah!  We rarely will pass up anything free.

Now, I have tried POM before, mainly for its health benefits, but I have never enjoyed “cooking” with it.  This is our mission – to find some interesting and unique ways to incorporate POM Wonderful into some tasty dishes and drinks.  The first being our Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcake, the Perfectly Pink POM Cupcake. 

Along with the juice samples, the people at POM kindly included some interesting information regarding the health benefits of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice.

Did You know?

• Only POM Wonderful products are backed by $32 million in medical research.
• POM Wonderful is the only brand to contain 100% authentic pomegranate juice.
• POM Wonderful grows, picks, and squeezes their own fruit along with manufacturing their own bottles.
• All Pomegranate orchards are located in sunny California.  Their juice is never imported.
• POM juice is the only juice to be made exclusively from the “Wonderful” variety pomegranate.
• The “Wonderful” variety is known for its deep crimson color, delicious taste, and most importantly its unique combination of super antioxidants.
• Hundreds of scientific tests show POM to be a superior source of antioxidants, with more and better antioxidants than red wine, grape juice, blueberry juice, cranberry juice, green tea, vitamin C and Vitamin E.  That is something to drink to indeed!

These are just a sample of facts about POM Wonderful 100% juice. More health information along with recipes and products can be found at their website POM Wonderful.

To create the Perfectly Pink POM Cupcake to support Breast Cancer Awareness, I looked through countless recipes on the internet, trying to find one that captured that clean delicious pomegrante taste.  Most comments left about  pomegranate cupcakes said basically the same thing, ”good tasting but not much like pomegranate”.

I decided to cheat a bit with this cupcake by using a store bought cake mix.  This allowed me to maxamize my use of POM Wonderful by omitting the water and replacing it with POM Wonderful.  The result was a moist sweet cupcake with the tang and distinct flavor of pomegranate.

Add POM in place of liquid...

Of course, I couldn’t leave it at cake alone, I whipped up a pomegranate buttercream by making a classic buttercream and using POM Wonderful in place of milk. The POM Wonderful gave the frosting a light pomegranate flavor and a beautiful pink hue.

October being Breast Cancer Awarness Month, along with the health benefits associated with POM Wonderful, prompted me to top this cupcake with a pink ribbon made of fondant – The Perfectly Pink POM Cupcake is born.

I want to say thank you to Kristen Cavanaugh for the genorous gift of POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice!  Megan and I are tickled PINK. We will continue to use your products in good health! We are now working on a POM Wonderful martini to celebrate.

Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcake is Perfectly Pink

Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcake
(aka Perfectly Pink POM Cupcake)

Ingredients:

• 1 box white cake mix
• POM Wonderful juice

Follow box directions omitting water and replacing with POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice. 

Pink Pomegranate Frosting

 Ingredients:  

• 1 stick unsalted room temperature butter
• 1/2 pound powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice

Directions:

1.) Whip butter until smooth.  

2.) Slowly add powdered sugar.

3.) When the mixture becomes to stiff, add POM Wonderful.  Then add remaining powdered sugar and blend until smooth.