National Wear Red Day

Friday, February 3rd…do you know what today is? Today is American Heart & Stroke Association’s National Wear Red Day. Did You Know…
-Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death, heart disease being the No.1 cause of death in women
-A stroke occurs every 40 seconds
-Every 4 minutes someone dies of a stroke
Shocking, right? Wear red today to support the billions of people around us who are currently suffering & those who have suffered from stroke and heart disease in the past.I have joined the train to end stroke challenge, which is a campaign sponsored by The American Stroke Association (a division of The American Heart Association) that involves fundraising for the cause & running a ½ marathon in June. I joined because I've watched many people who I love suffer from disease, and I thought, if they could be brave enough to fight against their diseased bodies, I can work towards helping save the lives of others. If you’d like to join me on this journey, visit my page to learn more or to make a donation in your name: http://ttes.kona2012.kintera.org/mariaraspa


Every little bit really does make a BIG difference. The power is in our hands to prevent and overcome stroke and heart disease. Join me on the journey…you’ll be happy you did =)

Do you know what else today is…Today officially begins Super Bowl Weekend…Happy Friday!! And, what a BEAUTIFUL Friday we’ve been blessed with: sun’s out, weather’s beautiful, it’s wear red day – a day to give back and help save lives, AND there are 2 days until our boys kick off in Indianapolis…what more could you ask for?! =)

In light of The American Stroke Association’s Wear Red Day/supporting their cause and my week of Super Bowl Recipes, here’s a little something special to satisfy those of us who have a bit of a sweet tooth =) You can use this as a Super Bowl dessert, OR for Valentine’s Day (or BOTH)!


“Raspberry Surprise”:
Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups crushed pretzels, 1.5 tbsp maple syrup (or honey), ¾ cups melted butter, 8 oz. non-fat cream cheese, 1 carton of fat free cool whip, 2 packages of raspberry Jell-O, 2 packages of frozen raspberries, 2 cups boiling water.
Directions:
1)Preheat oven to 350
2)Mix first 3 ingredients to make a crust
3)Pat crust into 9 x 13 inch pan & bake for 10 min.
4)While that’s cooling, blend cream cheese & cool whip. Once blended, put mixture on top of pie crust.
5)Combine Jell-O mix with boiling water and add frozen raspberries, once mix is completed dissolved.
6)Spread Jell-O mix over cream cheese mixture
7)Refrigerate overnight
Cover with additional Cool Whip & fresh raspberries before serving, if desired.