german chocolate cake

This recipe is not mine...it was a gift to the universe by Eloise Harvey, Steve Harvey's mom. May she rest in paradise. 

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 (4oz) package of Baker’s German’s Sweet Baking Chocolate
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 egg whites

Frosting

• 1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ stick butter
• 4 egg yolks slightly beaten
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (7oz) package of Baker’s Coconut
• 1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of 3 9-inch round cake pans with wax paper
2. Microwave chocolate and water in a large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 ½ to 2minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stirring halfway through heating time. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
3. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
4. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy
5. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
6. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla
7. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition until smooth
8. Beat eggs whites in another large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peak forms
9. Gently fold into batter
10. Pour into cake pans
11. Bake 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center, immediately run spatula between cakes and sides of pan.
12. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool Completely..
13. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into layers before frosting.

TIP: When dividing the cake into layers, use Dental Floss.

Frosting

1. Stir milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in large saucepan.
2. Stirring constantly cook on medium heat 12 minutes or until thickened and gold brown.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature.
5. Spread over cake

Note: I used two layers and omitted the slicing with floss.

vegetarian pepper steak

2 T olive oil

12 pieces of Gardein Beefless tips

½ cup sliced onion

½ cup sliced green pepper

¼ cup sliced celery

2 baby Bella mushroom buttons sliced

Salt, pepper flakes, black pepper, and onion powder

Sautee vegetables and tips in 2 T of oil over medium-high heat and season to your desired taste.  Cut tips in half. Serve over cooked whole grain brown rice. Yum! Serves 2.

black bean burgers

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry black beans cooked tender (makes about a cup of cooked beans) ground lightly but not into paste
1 slice of ground whole grain bread
3 T ground flax
2/3 cup assorted vegetables...ground: red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers, orange peppers, carrots, onion, and celery. Saute vegetables in vegetable oil
1/2 cup corn

*season to taste...but red pepper, chili pepper, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne are preferred

Saute vegetables. Mix ingredients thoroughly and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for an hour to set. Lightly oil a skillet bring to medium heat. Form burgers with a half cup measurement. Press into hot oil with fork. Brown to your desire on each side. Remove and serve with with your choice: lettuce, tomato, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

say no to co-washing? say what?

There seems to be a movement in the natural hair community against co-washing, and its coming mainly from natural stylists who are 4c who once co-washed. I am starting to believe that in the rhetoric, they are pandering to 4c hair patrons.

Why?

My theory is that getting a non 4c head into the stylist seat is a task. Naturalists with less than 4c have looser curls, experience greater manageability, and overall spend less time styling. They also tend to manipulate their hair less and wear fewer ‘protective styles’ to maintain their hair growth. Natural stylists need patrons who cannot or do not want to attempt to style their hair.

I can say this because I do have a 4c section of hair and that is this hair type can be tedious to work with. It requires a very well researched hair skillset. Very few bloggers have 4c. They are mostly the growing population of texlaxers, who tried the natural way but found a kismet through texturizing their hair in order to loosen the curl pattern.

We all know looser hair is more easily to work with. I know this to be true because I have a lower than 4c section that is extremely different than some of the denser sections.

Again, I feel that this is a marking ploy by stylists to stump the 4c community and engage them to come to salons and pay for services. It’s a coup and I wouldn’t fall for it. I will not ever say that co-washing can replace shampoo, but unless you go cone/sulfate/paraben free in all of your products, you will find yourself using sulfate shampoo from time to time. That detergent tends to leave your hair dry.

Overall, on your hair journey, discover what works for your hair. Remember that what works for some will not garner the same results for you. Be patient. If you never knew your hair or you’re trying to adapt to a change in your hair, be especially patient. You may lose before you win. It’s a journey…and the road will wind but the goal is always that to know better allows you to do better.

Learn from the experiences of others, but never allow yourself to be trapped into giving up something that works for you. Research. Test. Learn. 

texlax update...3 and 6 months

It’s the 6 month mark for the top/front sections, but the 3 month mark for the crown. Since this texlax effort comes with the intention to stretch the entire head towards February (annual date) on the HHJ, I decided to do a full tex-lax, commencing with the crown. The crown is the densest and therefore the most resistant to processing.

The prep started the night before utilizing extra oil especially in the scalp. By morning I was ready; set to go after a gentle finger and wide-tooth comb detangling session. I parted my hair into four sections and with gloved hands I mixed (A&B) of the Crème of Nature Argan Oil No-Lye Relaxer.

Here’s where it gets personal…

My texlax is established not through time in processing, but through weakening the relaxer intentionally by adding the following: 2T Argan Oil, 2T Aloe Vera Gel/Juice, and 2T of Cream of Nature Argan Oil Deep Penetration Conditioning Treatment.

It only takes me a half jar with this length of hair, but by the time I give it my personal touch I have a ¾ jar ready to apply. The application is done swiftly, starting with basing my edges with petroleum jelly, then re-touching crown, top, sides, and perimeter. Smoothing through then washing immediately in the shower, I made sure all of the relaxer was removed before applying my Suave Naturals Conditioner.

I finger detangled gently.

Next the Aphogee 2 minute Re-constructor. I smoothed this through. I will need to purchase another bottle by the next touch up. I anticipate that I can go to January/February. This looked like a really good application. I was thoroughly pleased. Finally, I neutralized.

Wow! My hair was looking delicious. I love the texture. I see the growth. I am pleased. Now it was time to do more protein using the Crème of Nature Argan Oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment. I smoothed this through instead of combing, pinned up my hair, applied a baggie, covered the baggie with a satin cap, and then sat under a warm dryer on medium-low heat for deep protein treatment.

I rinsed this out in the shower after 35 minutes setting, smoothing my hair clean with a warm-cool rinse. I applied my Suave Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner and did more finger detangling, and noticed fewer shed hairs. Things were looking good. I finished off with a warm then cold water rinse to seal the cuticle. Good deal!

The final step was the LCO. After spraying with the peppermint water spritz, I used the wide tooth comb through my hair. It practically glided straight through. It was nearly perfect!

With each section, I concluded using more Peppermint Water Spritz, Marguerite’s Magic, and Mimosa Hair Honey. Black Castor Tea oil is a good scalp oil following washings, but especially lovely after a texlax. It’s a good set! I completed the style with two side-by-side buns after my hair dried a little. 

six month update...healthy hair journey

It is August and not really much has changed. But this is an excellent time to make some notations about the Healthy Hair Journey. We are here. It is the half-way point.

I have learned…

There are multiple textures of hair growing from my scalp that require very specific time-honored retouches.  The finest of them is the nape that does not require a retouch at all but if there was one, annual is the minimum time between retouches. This texture is a fine curly texture around 3b/3a.

The top front and sides are slightly coarser. This texture is 3c/4a. This section is the most delicate. It is cropping new hair since the introduction of Vitamins and better nutrition. It tends to be the weakest but it is gaining strength. This section will not be retouched any more than 2x a year. It presents best with natural texture.

The fiercest section is the crown. It is the densest in appearance but it can be easily broken and damaged due to a lack of protein/moisture balance. This section suffered more than any over the last few years. It is also the section I spend the most time with, giving it a gentler hand when de-tangling.

This texture is 4c. If there was a 5 anything, I am sure it would be scoring in the 5’s at the least.

I notice about 2.5 to 3 inches of new-growth as I approach retouch time for the top/front/sides. I wouldn't say that measurement of growth is at the crown, however the crown was retouched in May and so far it is on a 3-4 month cycle.

Remember I am a tex-laxer. I do show in appearance as a natural textured member with 3a-3c hair because of the tex-laxing. However, I am not a natural. The products that I used as well as the amount of care that I give my hair on this journey have shown promising results.

I expect to continue using the same process for the next 6 months as I reach the 1 year mark. I use what works at the least cost. I do favor Carol’s Daughter Marguerite’s Magic and Mimosa Hair Honey on wash days. My favorite co-wash is Herbal Essences Naked.

Some of the shampoos/conditioners that I use on poo days are Cream of Nature Detangling, Whole Foods Everyday 365 Lavender for normal/dry hair. I tried a sample of Giovanni’s that I found at Whole Foods. My favorite light ‘cheap’ conditioners are still Suave Natural’s Sun-Ripened Strawberry, Aloe/Water Lily (and Everlasting Sunshine if I can find it) brands, as well as the Suave Almond and Shea.

Currently, I alternate wash/co-wash every four days. The wash days are preceded with an oil/conditioning pre-poo treatment and/or follows with a protein treatment. My favorite protein treatment is the Ayurveda/Egg that follows an ACV treatment. My favorite pre-poo is a mix of Coconut/Olive Oil with Hollywood Beauty cholesterol conditioner.

I began using Elasta QP’s Mango Butter moisturizer and its leave-in conditioner products. Both work amazingly well. They are very moisturizing and pleasantly fragrant.

Lastly, my peppermint water spritz and the natural oil mixes (black tea oil, lavender/avocado oil) continue to be a much needed product placement for LOC/LCO method of moisturizing and sealing.

I cut away a lot of my ‘old ends’ and to shorten the distance between the longer hair and the parts I broke a year ago through mishandling. I cannot say the trimming is over. Each session of styling reveals some strands that could aid the blunt look. Essentially, it is a search/destroy effort. This has been very effective.

The goal is healthy hair, not length. The blunt cutting gives it a fuller appearance. Layers are out. They make the hair appear thinner. Realizing that my hair is more normal than thick is an achievement on this journey. Hair needs care to its specific texture.

This six month summation would not be complete without including Lucky Vitamin Hair, Skin & Nails vitamins and Vitamin D3/2000IU. Where nutrition reaches its maximum, the vitamins help to complete the leg. 

My Staple Hair Care Products

My hair is not overly pampered although it may seem that way. It is simply treated with care. “No-Heat” was a must during this first year. All of my styles originate from their naturally air dried state. I wear buns that move all around. My hair is ‘conditioned’ to respond to the products and styles and for the next six months, unless there is shift in the universe they will remain. There is no need to re-invent. The staples have spoken.

maintenance

This is the time after you have reached your fitness goals. Although goals change and are adjusted continuously in a lifestyle change, most or all of the weight you set out to lose is complete. It is officially maintenance. This is a tricky time. For first timers, this is another step into the unknown, just like the initial goal to lose weight. For veterans, athletes, or those returning to the game, there is an existing schematic for what the time after the the time looks like. When you know better you do better. Essentially the expectation should be to stay in game with or without the motivation to lose, but to maintain a healthy weight and nutrition program.

If in fact you felt like a dieter throughout your weight loss plan, you are without a doubt in 'maintenance' if you choose to keep the weight off and not rebound. The maintenance program is nothing like the weight loss program. This program is adjusted whenever necessary, but for the most part it still includes regular exercise and an optimum nutrition. It does not mean you can totally slack off and throw away everything you did and all of the hard work it took to reach your success.

Remember what the first time felt like. Although you may take days, even weeks off, you will learn through trial and error what you can and cannot do to maintain a healthy weight and fitness.

I am in maintenance. I expect my maintenance program to evolve. Currently I am focusing on increasing my raw food supply, increasing: strength, flexibility, and endurance. In short, that doesn't look much different than my initial goals...right?

Right!

Weight loss was never a goal for me. My focus was always increasing: strength, flexibility, and endurance along with whole food/clean eating. Weight loss is a gift or result of exercise and optimum nutrition.

My body is continuously changing-getting leaner and stronger. My workouts have and will always adjust over time. So what is maintenance for a 'lifer'? Maintenance is simply homeostasis: the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.

In essence, my body will know when it needs to lose or gain. I will continually work towards optimum health and nutrition. My body will self-adjust accordingly.