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Friday, February 21, 2014

The Hair Journey: Tress update #11

My hair is growing ya'll!!! I'm so pumped about it!!!  Some of my previous styles have to be altered to corral all this hair on my head! I'm blessed that it's so thick, but that also means I have to spend more time caressing it.

Check out my latest Fro Hawk!! So EXCITED to share!!! :)

The lastest Fro Hawk!

Here is the Fro Hawk timeline showing growth.........All hawks shown were freshly washed, buttered (using shea butter), picked out and patted into submission!  The longer my hair gets, the harder it is to have a well rounded fro.



 
 
 

 
 Peace and Love!
 

 
 

Daniel Fast Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  After sleeping all night (hopefully), your body is ready for some nourishment (I know mine is!).  That's what "breakfast" is....breaking an all night fast.  Some people don't have appetites in the morning, but I think there's a disconnect there....at least drink a cup of tea! One of Caleb's favorite morning meals is chia porridge with bananas.  I remixed his morning favorite to suit my Daniel fast needs. 

Chia porridge with hemp seed milk, strawberries, bananas, pears and a touch of granola.  YUMMY! If you have not tried chia yet, please do!  It's such a wonderful seed full of nutrition.  It will take on any flavor you add to it and is excellent for weight loss.

Chi Chi Chi Chia!!


Eat up!

Peace and love!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

More snacking on the Daniel Fast: HUMMUS!

Hi Folks!  This Daniel Fast has taken me on a journey that I did not expect.  One of the foods that I've been consuming the most is HUMMUS!  I've always loved this wonderfully nutritious dip, but could never make it pleasing enough to my palate.  Well....I've mastered the recipe and have even remixed it into a smoked out spicy version!

Chickpeas are the base of this amazing food. I think they are the most versatile legume (besides the soybean). 

Today I'm sharing the standard recipe that can be remixed to yield multiple flavors.

Classic Hummus:
2 cups of chick peas (freshly soaked and boiled)
3-5 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of sesame tahini
salt (to taste)
fresh garlic cloves (to taste)

Here's how I made it:

Step 1 - Gather all ingredients. Note the chickpeas have been soaked and boiled. 
Ingredients


Step 2 - Blend all ingredients.  Add enough water to keep the blender going.  I actually prefer a food processor over a blender.  I can reach the desired consistency easier.

All ingredients put into the blender


Step 3 - Enjoy!!!
Finished product on red bell peppers with garnished with paprika


Add cilantro, cayenne pepper or chitpotle seasoning to spice it up!  I've been eating hummus EVERYDAY! LOVE IT! It fills me up with out the guilt!


What are your favorite hummus recipes?  I would love to expand my hummus repertoire.


Peace and love!

The Hair Journey: Freddie D Fro - Chunky Style

Hi Folks!! Everyday is an adventure with my hair.  I remixed the Freddie D Fro Fro to a chunky version....

This style is a result of a dry a dry twist out and products by Herbal Bush House.  The pictures below show a 1 day old chunky fro.

Check it out! :)

Check out the side part! :)

 
 
 
What do you think?
 
 Peace and love!! 

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Snacking on the Daniel Fast: Roasted Chick Peas

One easy thing about this Daniel Fast is that the snacks don't have to be raw. It just takes time to prepare and plan to make sure the right food is readily available.....I won't be eating cold cereal for dinner any time soon!

So, to stay on track I made roasted chick peas for the first time and they were delicious (and Caleb approved)!!

Whatever you want to call them: chick peas, garbanzo beans or chana...these legumes are versatile, delicious and packed with nutrition!

Roasted Chick Peas - full recipe:
1/2 bag of dry chick peas (soaked, boiled and dried)
seasoned salt
cumin
Italian seasoning
onion powder
turmeric
olive oil
fresh garlic

Here's how I did it:

Step 1 - boil the chick peas after soaking over night for about 20 minutes.
 
 
Step 2 - dry chick peas using paper towels.


Step 3 - Add seasoning to olive oil (turmeric, seasoned salt, Italian seasoning, cumin, onion powder).  You can use any spices you want.


Step 4 - Add boiled chick peas to oil and spices.  Mix thoroughly.

 
 
Whoops...... don't forget to add the fresh garlic!!!

 
 
Step 5 - lay the chick peas on a baking dish in one layer.  Bake on 375 deg F for about 45 minutes or until the peas are golden brown and crispy.
 
 
 Step 6 - Enjoy!!!

Note...you may have to add more seasoning after they cool. Next time I will add more salt, cumin and turmeric.  You can also do a sweet version with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

The Daniel Fast.....It's time to pull myself together!

Hi Folks...it's been awhile since I've posted anything.  My life has been an utter and complete roller coaster of sleepless nights, challenging work projects and deadlines, toddler behavioral "fun", bouts of all night eczema parties...allergic skin reactions........and Doritos and Ben and Jerry's (have mercy!!). 

So to help put things into perspective and clear my mind, body and soul I've decided to do the Daniel Fast.  It's a 21 day fast that consists of eating vegetables, legumes, grains, fruits and water.  No sugar, processed foods, meat, dairy, juice or leavened breads.

Daniel, a biblical character upon being captured by the Babylonians and brought into the King's service refused to eat the food that was offered (the King's meat and wine).  Instead Daniel and his friends requested to eat only vegetables (think vegan diet) and drink water.  After 10 days, they were proven to look more nourished than the young men that consumed the King's food.

After some friends told me about it, I bought the book to learn more about it.  After reading the first few pages I knew it was something I had to do. I like doing these "programs" or "challenges" because it drives and motivates me to accomplish a goal.  It's going to be tough because of my philandering ways.  I envision the 21 days to be like a detox program, with spiritual enlightening and faith building. 

I'm on day #2 and can already feel the detox symptoms coming on.  I'm no stranger to detox challenges.  After the dry brushing...and 30 Day Raw Challenge and Detox for a Diva, I feel almost like a pro.  This Daniel Fast will be different from the others.  The purposeful seeking to gain clarity and deliverance from my deepest darkest ailments are in the forefront of this program.  I'm game and definitely in need. Because our mind, body and soul are connected there is no way to clean one and not the other.  The other "challenges" provided enlightenment and mental strength and fortitude too, but I considered those to be secondary to the primary goal of strengthening my physical health.  Welp.....I'm forecasting this one to be a humdinger and a much different experience.

Here is what I hope to gain:
1 - mental clarity on how to reach my life goal (personally and professionally)
2 - deliverance from spiritual bondage
3 - improvements in time management (personally and professionally)
4 - weight loss (loose the Dorito jiggle).
5 - emotional healing for me and physical healing for Caleb

Whew! Deep stuff guys!

Has anyone out there tried and accomplished the Daniel Fast? 

Peace and love!