potato and corn chowder

2 sl of Morningstar Farms bacon strips diced
½ c diced onion

½ c diced carrot
½ c diced celery
3 T minced garlic
5 diced potatoes
1 c corn
salt, pepper, thyme, parsley (to taste)
½ c milk
Vegetable oil
water

In deep pan, sauté the first four items in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil until translucent. Season to taste. Peel and cube potatoes. Add them to sauté. Add garlic and corn. Deglaze, using a cup of water. Season to taste. Add milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce, and leave uncovered for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Ladle into bowls or ramekins. Serve with grilled cheese!

peach cobbler



Peach Cobbler

2-3 15 oz. cans yellow sliced peaches

1/8 t. cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg
1/4 brown sugar
1 t. corn starch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Separate peaches from juice except one can. Pour juice into saucepot. Whisk in corn starch. Bring to a boil. Add sugar, and half of other spices. Reduce to low. Add peaches.




for the crust:
3/4 stick butter
1 c. ap flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. milk

Melt butter in baking dish. Allow to cool. Whisk ingredients together and the remainder of the spices. Cover with saran and allow to aerate. Spoon batter into baking dish on top of butter. Do not mix. Ladle peaches onto batter. Do not stir. Place into oven on center rack. Back for 30-45 minutes or until cake is brown, moist but not wet.

new product...review to follow

 

Palmer's co-wash Cleansing Conditioner

Nearing the end of my trusty [conditioner-wash/spray leave-in mix/"cream" (L.O.C.)] exclusively sold at Sally's (although it can be found randomly after-market online stores), only to realize that Sally's Beauty no longer stocks it on line. I live near several stores, but  unwilling to waste the trip to find that just as the online store the store front shop has discontinued it as well.

What does a girl on a healthy hair journey do? She shops on line for a friendly version. I ran across this product Palmer's Olive Oil Formula co-wash Cleaning Conditioner on many sites. Although I have yet to encounter a single blogger or YouTube journey-man handing out details on this. I am totally familiar with Palmer's products and since it boasts 'no sulfates' and 'no parabens' I was willing to take the plunge. It retails at $9.99.

Walgreens.com offered it along with it's regular free shipping on orders over $25. Although I have yet to try it, I am certain I could find a use for it. Going on fumes, I decided to purchase three 16 oz. bottles and fortunately found a conditioner pack for $1, which allowed me to utilize a limited time 20% off coupon code. Yes. That coupon was expiring within hours! Talk about favor!

In a few weeks...I'll be back to post its results! Stay tuned!

peppered cabbage

Peppered Cabbage with Smart Bacon

1 head of cabbage

3 T cooking oil

1 T brown sugar

coarse black pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme

2 T chopped garlic

2 slices (cut into small squares) Light Life Bacon

Peel the dark leaves from the head if present. Wash and bag for later use. Wash cabbage. Cut into quarters. Remove root stump. Finely shred. Wash in cold water. Heat oil in wok. Add cabbage. Do not over fill. Allow it to cook down, while stir frying it. Add any remaining. Season to taste. Continue to cook cabbage until brown or to your desired color and texture. Turn off heat. Add Light Life Bacon pieces, toss throughout, and cover for 10-15 minutes. 

pound cake loaf

Ingredients

1 ¼ sticks Butter

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs

¼ t. butter flavoring

Lemon Zest

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla flavoring

1 c. all-purpose flour

¼ c. corn starch

3/4 t. baking powder

¼ c. Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist (lemon-lime)

¼ c. milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

With a blender, cream butter. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and vanilla flavoring, zest, and juice, and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add milk and soda, and then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is firm and tooth pick inserted in the center, comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven, place on cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from loaf pan. Keep/wrap in saran. Slice, and enjoy!

*For bundt cake, double recipe and round up 1.

Suave® Professionals® Shampoo or Conditioner Coupons, Printable Coupons - redplum.com

Suave® Professionals® Shampoo or Conditioner Coupons, Printable Coupons - redplum.com

stretching your tex-laxer

My relaxer of choice is Creme of Nature Argan Oil no-lye regular relaxer, under-processed...of course!

It’s never a good thing to go too long between touch-ups, and to never over-process your hair by scheduling your touch-ups too close together.

Everyone’s hair will grow at a difference rate, and often this varies personally through the year. Certain events challenge our growth, as others promote a rich thriving atmosphere. My hair used to grow mostly in the summer, and now because I keep it in great protective styles and treat it more carefully, consume a vegetarian diet, and drink plenty of water, my hair grows…and grows!

Growing hair has never been a challenge, but retaining volume is another thing. This brings me to the challenge of stretching my relaxers. I do not like that thin, fine, super-bone straight look of a fresh relaxer which is why when I returned to relaxers, I opted for tex-laxing. I wanted texture, manageability, and what was most healthy.

Stretching the relaxer continues to serve my need to have lots of texture…and boy do I have texture once the roots start pushing. The first year, I had a schedule of touch-ups every three months: March, June, Sept, and Dec (anniversary).  Last November, I realized I couldn't make it until mid-December, so I went for it at the very end of November. As a result, my schedule is slightly off. I feel the need for touch up now. I will likely not make it out of February. 

Sometimes my hair pushes me to want to break that schedule; however this is where the stretching event takes root. Moisturize and take extra care of the line of demarcation: point where the new growth and texlax portion meet. Without extra moisture and care, this is where the hair can potentially snap off and you lose hair.

a little shedding is good, breaking is bad

Although I work out most days of the week, I am still very cautious of the drying effect of the perspiration as well as the season. As long as I feel my hair and there is moisture, I’m good. The LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method on sealing my hair prevents the salts of sweat from penetrating the follicle. Weekly washes will reduce the amount of salty build ups.

I have a month at least before my retouch. I am feeling loads of new growth. Instead of reaching for the product, it’s TLC time! Stretch…stretch…stretch! My goal is to go one to two weeks past February 15^th…we’ll see! Fingers crossed!

one to grow on...

MJJ and Ola Ray rocking the Jheri Curls

...the mystery behind the magical jheri curl

From the mid to late 80’s I was a jheri curl girl. I did two tours with about a year reprieve in between. 

I took a lot of knocks, jokes, and rude comments about the maintenance of ‘juice’ that kept the hair moisturized, and providing it an environment to thrive. I did not care. I learned that something was making my hair grow faster than normal and that was all that mattered. The purpose of the curl was to provide a maintenance free-low maintenance style. For the average cost of $25 you could have a fuss-free hair care option that lasted for up to 3 months without retouch or resetting on rods.

I would often flex out of the spirals to a blown straight styling. The hair growth was impaired; often the curls would need re-setting on rods, but the strength of heredity kept my mane full. I soon learned to perform the magic on my own hair for a fraction of the professional styling costs. 

The maintenance steps were: moisturize (spray water or glycerin product) and then ‘activate’ the curls with a gel or cream. When not in ‘play’, the hair was bagged with a ‘jheri cap’ and this kept the hair under a warm moist environment.

It was not the curls, nor was it any particular curl product name: i.e. Classy Curl, Hawaiian Silky, Sof 'n Free, Care Free, Wave Nouveau, “S” Curl, California Curl, etc. It did not matter, just as the type of relaxer does not effect maintenance or growth. The only true variances in cold waves were strengthening levels: mild, regular, and super. This same applies to relaxers.

Jheri Curl rods did not have a magical growth element. The size of the rods only dictated the size of the curls. Again, it was the maintenance.

Almost 30 years into the future, the still most important and proficient tools to healthy hair growth are: low manipulation, and containment of a moist environment. The purpose of this historical tale is to elevate the importance of moisturizing the hair. Without rods, or even chemical dressings, you can provide an environment for your hair to thrive.

As you move into the future, do not forget the lessons learned. 

broccoli and cheese risotto

Broccoli and Cheese Risotto

2-3 cups of broccoli

1 cup cooked brown rice

4 oz Colby Jack

½ cup milk

16 oz vegetable stock

1 T. garlic minced

Salt, pepper to taste

1-2 T vegetable oil or margarine

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli, garlic, and season. Sprinkle cheese and add milk. Reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes.  Add rice. Stir. Add vegetable stock. 

Stir. Cover and place in heated oven for 20-30 minutes or until liquid is reduced. You may stir after 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I served this with a vegetarian baked loaf and corn muffin. Enjoy.

bye bye raw shea butter

It’s a little over a year that I’m a tex-lax sub. 

What is tex-lax? 

A tex-lax is simply a weakened relaxer to loosen the curl pattern, not completely flatten it. This is achieved by reducing the processing time for a normal relaxing application, or mixing the base with conditioner, oil, and Aloe Vera gel. I use the latter.

It's a learning curve!

I have no regrets with moving to tex-laxing. It wasn't the processing that caused me to resent the change, but the product: raw Shea Butter. It left my hair matted, tangled, and hard to clean. The shed hairs were hard to remove, causing a mangled mess of tangles. I suffered quite a lost of years of hair growth as a result.

The discovery was truly a labor of love. I'm sticking with a small haul of products:

• Suave Almond and Shea Shampoo and Conditioner
• Suave 2 in 1 plus (shampoo and conditioner)
• Carol's Daughter: Mimosa Hair Honey, Healthy Hair Butter
• My very own Black Tea Castor Oil 

This is not an easy product to remove from hair when washing. My hair tangles. Now that my hair appears to be more manageable, I’m comfortable washing it once a week and plan to invest in some new hair brushes. 

I am so blessed and pleased to have discovered what has been troubling my tresses. I was so very close to just leaving the tangles and starting a loc journey. My focus remains on healthy hair, manageability, and style lastly. 

Buns are the best style for me due to my workout schedule. They also keep me from touching my hair. They are great protective styles. I alternate weekly, two side by side buns with one bun. 

fried ravioli

Fried Ravioli

basic ingredients:
egg roll wrappers

veggie filling

Italian cheese

flax egg

cooking oil

seasoned whole grain bread ends

water
spaghetti sauce

It’s the end of the food line in the fridge and you’re wondering what to do with the rations, left from a veggie meat loaf, bread ends, and egg roll wraps. Here’s an idea! Fried Ravioli! 

Prep:

Grind bread in food chopper. Remove and season to your desire. 

Stack, cut two egg roll wrappers with a pizza cutter into 8 equal quarters. Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto four wraps. Moisten all sides or edges with water. Moisten the remaining quarters. Form ravioli pocket with empty squares and seal. Heat your cooking oil. Dip ravioli into flax egg, and into seasoned bread crumbs. Fry until brown on both sides.

Remove from oil and place on paper towels. Sprinkle with cheese. Yum!

what’s the skinny in february 2014

Sitting here having my breakfast bowl of steel cut oats, looking outside to a winter white out storm in progress and thinking, there’s still at least two more months of winter. The cold weather months tend to typically bring on more unhealthy ‘comfort’ eating to satiate the torture of low temps, icy streets, and idling in rush hour traffic. It also makes you less motivated to get to the gym.

Don’t let the season cramp your workout habits.

Summer bodies are made in the winter.

This phrase surely denotes that as you can’t arrive at a marathon and start your training, same goes for waiting until the summer to lose your winter ‘spread’. There’s nothing wrong with taking a reprieve, changing up your runs, or switching to an alternative activity.

It’s not a good thing to cease exercise altogether.

One way to keep you on a continuous cycle is to keep setting monthly fitness and nutrition goals.

There’s a difference between a vacation and a layoff.

For athletes, it’s no secret they grind during their training season, finish the event, and scale back, even to a slow halt. Newbies should not take off more time than they have invested in the work. Your body will rebound before you know it. Often, you don’t want get back to start.

This winter has been exceptionally ‘wintery’…lots of snow, ice, cold, and heavy layers. Instead of taking off the winter from exercise, maximize your gym visit. For me, that entails 120-180 minutes of workout time every other day.

I’ve enjoyed this schedule because it keeps me active, getting in regular exercise, and a day off in between to rest, do chores, run errands, and cook. That doesn’t mean any other schedule would prevent me from doing those things. But it is nice to have a ‘pay as you go’ day off instead of something that resembles ‘work’…grind 4-5 days straight, then a day or two off.

I’m fortunate to live walking distance from the gym of my choice. I tried driving to the gym and I don’t like it. The parking isn’t always convenient, and I’m more likely to drive a little ways up the road to shop. Walking keeps me pinching those pennies. I won’t buy more than I can carry on my back. 

buffalo tofu filet

Buffalo Tofu Sandwich with Onion Rings

Ingredients
tofu

vegan egg (mix 1 t of ground flax, two T of hot water)

hot sauce

cayenne pepper

ranch seasoning
2 T corn starch

Preparation:

Slice a block of tofu into 5 equal portions…per the serving size. Pour vegan egg onto serving size. Sprinkle ranch seasoning, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce. Break up tofu, mashing with hand. Add corn starch. Continue to mix. Ease into hot oil. Fry on each side until brown.

I served this delicious sandwich on two slices of toasted whole grain bread, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Colby Jack cheese!

Onion Rings to complete. Enjoy!

vegetarian “beefless” stew

Vegetarian Beefless Stew

2 cups California Blend Vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli) thawed

¼ c chopped onion

½ c mushrooms

1 t. garlic minced

½ c. corn

½ c chopped potatoes

1 c shredded green cabbage leaf

1 c. Gardein meatless tenderloins (8 pieces, cut in half)

salt, pepper, thyme

16 oz. vegetable stock

2 T. soy or Worcestershire sauce

1 c. hot water

2 T butter

3 T flour

Preparation: Saute onions, celery, cabbage, potatoes in butter over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Add T of flour, incorporate and de-glaze with a ½ c. hot water. Place sautéed vegetables into a pot of stock and bring to a boil. Add soy sauce. Season to taste. Add remaining flour to ½ c. hot water and whisk with a fork to make a slurry, no lumps!  Add slurry to stock pot. Reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add remaining vegetables. Bring to a boil. Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.