Marie Cook Needs Help

Hello,
This is a special blog to introduce you to Marie Cook.
I met Marie on the Jamie Oliver Forum, one of the big online food forums. The loveliest thing about the JO forum is the core of lovely people from all around the world who post regularly and share some of their lives as well as their love of food.

Marie has a lovely presence on the forum, she has been part of it for more than twice as long as I have. Her posts and her blogs there show her love of food, entertaining, growing things, and her humour! Although she has been battling cancer all along, she has a warm, upbeat presence. I just love the photo she blogged of her birthday dinner last year. She has her bandanna and big smile and is giving her son such a loving hug.

Marie's battle with cancer intensified this year and we mostly kept track of her through updates from her friends. Then came the frightening news that she was finishing her scheduled cancer treatments without success, and her next option is cutting edge laser surgery that costs 22,000 pounds, way beyond anything she can afford!
Marie is desperate to keep fighting for her life and for her boys.

The forum swung into action! "We just need 22,000 people to donate a pound each!"
The Marie Cook Appeal Facebook Group was started.
A paypal account has been set up so that anyone anywhere in the world (almost!) can donate their 1 pound to help her.

"Let's give them something back for donations over 5 pounds" said Deb.
She suggested a downloadable recipe book full of our most special recipes, ones that hadn't been posted before. (I am in there with our Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake!).
Within a week she had enough recipes from foodloving forummers across the world to make a book (there are 34 fabulous recipes, we had to stop there or it would get too big to email). It is beautifully designed pdf file that it can be used on the computer, or printed out and folded to make a book.

So now our aim is to find those 22,000 people to donate a pound, or 4,400 people to donate 5 pounds (or more!) for the very special recipe book.

Here is what you can do to help Marie:

Go to the Marie Cook Appeal Website and press the donate button to put your pound in through paypal (it is safe and easy).

To get the very special recipe book: donate 5 pounds or equivalent, and when you are emailed the receipt send to themariecookappeal@gmail.com.Your recipe book will be emailed to you.

If you don't want to use paypal you can send your cheque made out to The Marie Cook Appeal to
89B Hammersmith Grove
Hammersmith
London W6 0NQ
(with a note including your name and address so they can keep a running account please)

Join the Marie Cook Appeal Facebook Group

Spread the news! Make a link to this blog on your blog, your facebook page, or anywhere you think might help!

Note 1: Paypal is easy and safe (that is why we chose it!) When you put your amount to be donated in pounds, and then click your country, it shows you the exact amount it will be in your currency. You do need to fill in the whole form, but we so hope you will do this for Marie.

If you already have a paypal account it is even easier, just press the donate button and log on to your account.

Note 2: The recipe book is best printed out double sided to make a lovely little A5 book. I took mine on a USB stick to Officeworks where they printed it out in black and white for $1:50 (Australian). It printed up just beautifully. Colour is a lot more expensive, so I will have the colour copy on my computer and my handy little book to drip things over in the kitchen! I tied pink cord to keep it together:

If you have any problems with payment or recipe book, please let me know and I will try to help. If you get the recipe book and love it we would like that feedback too!

Thankyou for reading this! I will be back to the YamDaisy Cafe next post!