The Hair Journey: The Freddie D Fro!

Hi Folks...I'm back with another hair style.  This one is call the Freddie D fro.  It's affectionately named after the historical figure Frederick Douglas.  Namely because of the side part.  It got the name when a friend of mine joked that I looked like Frederick Douglas the first time I wore my hair this way.  All I was trying to do was give my Flo fro a twist. 

I will also share that I finally had the guts to wear this style to work.  I've been struggling with what styles are appropriate for work and which ones are not.  I've always considered the afro non work compliant...but with this much hair on my head...I decided to step into my uncomfortable zone and try it out.  I received positive feedback, and had to demonstrate 1) how long my hair really was by stretching out a piece and 2) show how I pat this Freddie D fro into submission.  LOL!

I honestly felt EXTREMELY LIBERATED that day!!! I had to pat myself on the back. 

Check it out!

Getting to the final result  (pictured below) consisted of these simple steps:
1 - picking the hair out
2 - making a side part
3 - forming a shape

Time: 10 - 15 minutes (tops!)


The first Freddie D Fro.  Notice the hair tapered at the neck.

 

Check out the side part!! That's what makes this look so fresh! 

 

 

Here is the work version! The back is not as tapered, but still very shapely. 

 

 

 

 

Even if you have a short to medium fro, you can still style it with flair!  Be open to continue to explore new looks with every 1/2 inch of growth!! :)

Peace and love!

The Juice Journey: Carrot Celery Ginger Juice

Here is another juice I created that your body will thank you for.  Carrot celery ginger juice!

You receive a healthy dose of Pro vitamin A by consuming carrots but what I didn't know is that they are  also good for your skin.  Celery, along with it's distinctive flavor profile can help treat psoriasis and alkalizes your body! Celery is also good for lowering cholesterol levels.   You can't go wrong with this juice!

Here's how it's made:

Step 1 - gather, wash and peel all ingredients

Carrots (orange and yellow), celery, lime and ginger

 Step 2 - Juice all ingredients then strain (not pictured)

 

 Step 3 - ENJOY!

 

Try it and tell me what you think!! :)

Peace and love!

Seeds: The Undercover Super Food!

Hi Folks!  Seeds are the building blocks of all plants and powerful foods that we should include in our diets!  In my first guest post on My Faith and Fitness blog written by Minister Crystal Cochren  I provide 7 reasons why seeds should have the SUPER FOOD title.  Click the link below to check out how you can incorporate them into your life! 

Seeds: The Undercover Super Food - Article

Are you eating seeds?

Peace and blessings!

The Hair Journey - Sealy Twist Up Do

I have come up with another style for my growing tresses.  This is the second up do I've created with my hair since the growing process started.  It's always so exciting to be able to put a pin in it.  It breathes growth into the atmosphere!! :) I love changing my hair styles and with certain lengths it's not that easy to do. 

I call this style the Sealy Twist up do based on the thickness of the twists...and it makes me smile! I know you Color Purple fans out there can relate! Here is the process:


Step 1 -  Twist.  Yes...I'm looking real soulful in that bonnet...You should be glad I like you guys!! I'm showing you my private morning moments! :)

 

 Step 2 - Pin the back, leave the front top and front side twist down.

 

 Step 3 - Release the top front and side twists.  Then fluff and tease to add volume.

 

 

 

 

What do you think? I'm loving it! 

Peace and love!

Pear Kiwi Smoothie

Here's another quick and easy smoothie recipe for the Journey!  It was my first time using coconut yogurt! Very tasty!!


Ingredients: pear, kiwi, dates and coconut yogurt (hemp milk not shown)

 



Add everything to blender and puree away!



Peace and love!

Caleb's Corner: Green Plantain Porridge

Caleb, the King of Banana Land is getting weary of his morning staple: Chia porridge.  He has been making requests for me to NOT add it to his bananas in the morning. Instead he wants puffed rice cereal. I don't mind the puffed rice, but I don't want him eating it everyday.  It's not as nutrient dense as chia.   So I began to search for a good breakfast alternative.  I spoke to another mother about our breakfast dilemma and she suggested making green plaintain porridge.  Sounded good to me, so off I went!

Here is how I did it:

Green Plantain Porridge:
1 green plantain
3 TBS of honey
1 cup of hemp seed milk (or any other milk you want to use)
1/4 cup of coconut butter/manna
dash of salt
cinnamon (to taste)
Optional: garnish with pumpkin seeds and dates

Step 1 - gather all ingredients

 

Step 2 - Make hemp seed milk

Step 3 - Add hemp seed milk and coconut butter to pot.  Let heat up and stir often.

Step 4 - Peel and grate up the green plantain and add it to the warm milk mixture

 

Step 5 - Stir, Stir, Stir with a wisk.  Let it cook until creamy.

 

Step 6 - Add salt, honey and cinnamon



Step 7 - Since I wanted a smoother consistency, I removed 1/2 of mixture from pot, blended it until smooth and returned it back to pot.

Step 8 - Serve and enjoy! One bowl for me....garnished with pumpkin seeds and dates

and one for Caleb....garnished with chopped up dates

 

Caleb said he liked it...and called it "oatmeal".   But he did not finish his bowl.  We will be making this again! A great alternative!

This is a great alternative for children who cannot eat oatmeal (like Caleb).  You can add any other fruit or nuts you want.  We are a nut free home (97% of the time).  Try it and tell me what you think.  You can get plantains (green and yellow) at most local  ethnic grocery stores - - especially if you live in the North East.

Peace and love!

The Hair Journey: Chunky Afro - Dry Twist Out Process

Hi Folks! As my hair grows, so does my exploration into various styles.  The choices seem to change with each 1/2 inch of growth.  It's been pretty fun to come up with different styles for each stage. One of the most maintenance free styles (meaning I can sleep on it an fluff it out the next day and still look cute)  is the chunky afro by way of the twist out.  My twist outs consist of two strand twisting my hair into various sizes based on the desired coil pattern.




For my chunky afro I prefer the dry twisting because it does not take as long to get big and sassy.  With wet twist outs, it make take a week, with water spritzing to get it to look the way I want. here is my process to get a sassy chunky afro using dry twists.

Step 1 - After wearing my hair in a Flo Fro for one day, I get some oil and begin to twist. 

 

 

Step 2 - Here are the completed twists. It took about 1.5 hours.   If I don't have to go out for professional events, I try to keep my hair twisted for a couple of days.  I DO NOT like wearing my hair like this with no coverings (hat, head wrap, etc.). I call them my Color Purple Miss Ceely twists.  Not cute.



 

 

Step 3 - After a day or more, I release the twists and let the spiral curls that result get acquainted with the environment. Take a look at the difference between Day#1 and Day#3.  I prefer the Day #3 look. 

 

 

 

Here is the back view.  See the coil/spiral pattern on each piece of hair on Day #1?  Day #3 is less defined and more sassy!  This is the look I love! I can wear my hair like this for a week, and it is still cute!!! Love it!  It's the "weathered" look.  I sometimes pull out the twists and do not cover my head while in the shower.  The extra droplets of water help the fro expand.

 

Are you a chunky fro fan?  Have one?? How did you achieve your favorite chunky fro look?

Peace and love!

The Juice Journey: Fantastic Fruit Punch!

I'm on a fresh fruit juice kick and I made some A-MA-ZING fruit punch yesterday.  It's fantastic, yummy, and nice to look at. The idea for this juice popped into my head because I had strawberries and grapes that needed to be eaten.  Caleb is VERY finicky these days about what fruit he eats.  He used to eat everything.  Now, he asks for things, I buy it and then he does not eat it....go figure.  Thus the fruit punch! Caleb actually helped make this juice...and I will add that he was eating on the job!  So there were a few strawberries that didn't make it into the juicer.  Ahhhh...I digress! Check out how I --excuse me -- I mean WE made this fantastic juice!

Fantastic Fruit Punch Recipe:
1 ripe pineapple
5 oranges
1 cup of fresh strawberries
2 cups of fresh cranberries
2 cups of fresh grapes
1.5 inches of fresh ginger root

Here's how WE made it:

Step 1 - gather all ingredients (and a chair for Caleb to stand on), wash, peel and chop in preparation for the juicer.

Oranges, pineapple, red grapes, strawberries, cranberries, ginger root

Step 2 - Juice all ingredients (remember to alternate hard and soft ingredients).  Pictures were hard to take with a 2 year old close to a wired, running appliance.  It was fun but please take care to monitor EVERY move your child makes while helping to prepare any food item.

 

 Step 3 -  Separate the pulp in the finished juice by using a standard strainer.

 

 Check out the pulp that was left over!

 

The pulp was so tasty (yes I tasted it!) I saved it for smoothie making.  I usually don't save the vegetable juice pulp, but fruit juice pulp is still so sweet.  I hate to throw it away.

 

Step 4 - ENJOY! :) Note: this recipe yielded 3 cups of juice.  It was very sweet, so I could have stretched it out with water. 

 

 

 

 Step 5 - clean up.  The worst part of making juice is the clean up process.

 

 

This is a great juice for the entire family.  It's also good to drink throughout the day.  It's an awesome alternative to the powdered, sugary fruit punch you will find in a can or tin in the grocery stores.  Yes, it takes more work....but it's so much better for you.  Remember you can use any combination of fruit you want.

 

 

Drink up!!

 

 

Peace and love!