I gave my husband a present and it wasn’t chocolate or a store-bought present. I created a card and videos for his enjoyment. Since he’s seen it, I can show it to others.
My Journey to Healthy Natural Hair Growth
Posted: February 14, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: Hair care, Human hair growth, YouTube
You can see my journey to hair growth on YouTube.
Related articles
- Natural Hair Growth Journey – One Year Later (delovewriter.com)
No Noodle Vegetarian Lasagna
Posted: January 30, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: healthy eating, Lasagna, Tofu
A few weeks ago I saw Dr. Oz’s show on weight loss. It’s not that I need to lose more weight but it’s because I live a low-carb lifestyle which means I don’t eat much starch, bread, sugar, salt, and no meat. When I saw Jennifer Hudson’s favorite Lasagna recipe, I wanted my version of it. I knew I had to have more protein than cheese. So, I put in tofu. The following recipe had an over abundance of cheese in it. You can adapt it to your likes and add seasoning when needed. There was no exact measurement for my Lasagna because I rarely use exact measurements. For your sakes, I’ve tried to make an attempt.
Here’s a picture of the finished product. (I realized after taking two serving out of it that this was a recipe worth putting on my blog.)
Here’s a closer view:
Here’s the recipe
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 cups Zucchini
2 large Japanese or Chinese eggplants
5 large carrots
1 large egg (optional)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup gouda cheese (optional)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large package of extra firm tofu
1 garlic bulb
1 8 oz can tomato past
1 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon basil or fresh basil
Jalapeno or substitute peppers to taste
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
How to make it
Prepare vegetables first by washing all vegetables with a produce wash and then rise. Cut Japanese or Chinese eggplants lengthwise into very thin, even, 1/4-inch slices. Place in a separate bowl for cooking later. For the sauce, cut garlic, onion, and pepper and put into an oiled sauce pan and simmer, don’t overcook. Add sliced carrots and simmer some more. Add tomato paste and simmer until bubbly. Add approximately 1 cup of water to the paste and simmer for 40 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, basil, parsley and more seasoning if necessary. Simmer until carrots are done. (This is the sauce to place at the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch pan.)
While sauce is cooking, brown eggplant on top of stove and place into a bowl. Steam zucchini to remove moisture and place in a bowl. Crumble tofu into a bowl. Clean and cut mushrooms. Cook tofu and mushrooms separately, draining any excess moisture. Mix mozzarella, Gouda and Parmesan cheese into a bowl.
Prepare baking dish
Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch and at least 2 inches depth pre-oiled pan. Layer : eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tofu, cheese mixture and sauce, ending with the sauce. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes; remove foil and top with cheese mix and bake uncovered for 10-20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
When I made this recipe, I had too much sauce. So I caution when using paste, don’t make it too watery or else you’ll end up spooning out the excess liquid before you serve. I had a healthy salad with my Lasagna and nothing more. I suppose anyone else might want to add bread sticks. But, I don’t eat bread.
Let me know if you try this recipe and leave your comments.
Vegetable Juicing
Posted: January 13, 2012 in UncategorizedI had such a wonderful glass of vegetable juice two days ago that I had to talk about it. It consisted of carrots, beets, collard green stems (which I had trimmed from a previous meal), celery, dinosaur kale, broccoli stems, garlic, lemon, fresh ginger, and one tomato. I remember having this nice warm feeling when it went down. I felt energized within 20 minutes.
Here’s my husband enjoying the drink.
He's smiling while he's drinking the juice.
Some people may not be able to tolerate the beets and greens together. When starting juicing, you should always start off slow with a few items on my list like carrots, celery, garlic, and maybe ginger. Even before vegetables, you might be better off juicing with fruit first as my previous post mentions. I’ve been juicing for a little over one year so I’m used to the strong greens. Using vegetables in a juice is just like starting an exercise regiment, where you take small steps before you begin a full jog.
Here are some pictures of vegetables and the juicer I use.
All of these items are organic except for the fresh ginger and garlic. Organic vegetables have more antioxidants and macronutrients. You can look the topic of juicing up on the Internet and find an array of sites that talk about the benefits of juicing vegetables. However, juicing green veggies can taste bitter and need something added to it to make it more pleasant to your liking. That’s why I prefer a lemon, fresh ginger, and garlic.
Here’s a picture of the juice that was produced from the vegetables in the bowl. It made about 12 ozs. I tasted to make sure I had put enough lemon and garlic in it.
The juicer I use is a Jack LaLanne’s juicer. It’s a moderately priced juicer that was bought from Costco online. It has worked pretty well for our household, but I would have preferred the Breville juicer, which is around $200.00. The juicer a friend has is of this brand and when I was in LA, it seemed to have produced more juice from greens than the Jack LaLanne’s. Maybe one day I’ll be able to get the Breville. For now, it’s on my wish list.
And, here’s Sam after he tasted the juice.
"I want to drink more blood!"
Juicing Is Not A New Year’s Resolution
Posted: January 8, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: chronic lung disease, new years resolutions
Happy New Year! Greetings to all. It’s great that you and I have made it into 2012. Did you eat or drink or argue too much during the holidays? Maybe I argued a little, but I have a new lease on life. I have vowed since I was diagnosed with a chronic lung disease that I would stop overindulging on everything, maybe because I’m getting older or I’m saner than I was 30 years ago. Nevertheless, this year like last year I’m not making any New Year’s Resolution, just goals. Why you ask, because New Years’ resolutions often aren’t met. Goals can be met. I met my goal for last year, juicing for health.
Since November 2010 I’ve been juicing. A friend in Los Angeles hooked me and my husband on an alternative way to improve our health. I had been complaining about problems with my eyes, upper extremities, and digestive disorder from my chronic condition and medications. After trying her veggie drink, which consisted of collard greens, cucumbers, garlic, and lemons, I was hooked. It took us two months to buy a juicer after researching, but when we did, we were in seventh heaven. Immediately, my body went through detoxification. This process went on for a few months until I noticed that different parts of my body started feeling better—less aches and pain and more energy. Unfortunately, my slight insomnia didn’t improve. However, I still enjoy juicing. It keeps me from feeling hungry especially throughout the morning. That nasty hunger pain used to make me eat anything in sight, which in turn made me gain unnecessary weight. Before the juicing, when I finally got to dinner, I would overeat. Now I don’t have those hunger pangs anymore. Unhealthy snacks (e.g. potato chips, greasy burgers or chicken) I don’t eat or purchase any more.
Now, I fruit juice every day and veggie juice 2 or 3 times a week. I should do more veggie juicing because the benefits are enormous. I feel an instant burst of energy and my eyes feel clearer. Also, I exercise by walking on the treadmill or stair master at the gym, or by walking outside, using small weights occasionally, and doing calisthenics on a mat at home. I don’t eat much white food, except for delicious Yukon potatoes. I occasionally make my own biscuits and muffins with wheat flour or brown rice flour. Never do I use sugar, just nectar. I stay away from salt as much as possible, although it is sometimes tough when eating out. Maintaining my weight has mainly been relatively easy with my “no white food”, low-carb lifestyle and juicing. I eat small meals and healthy snacks (e.g. carrots, celery, nuts.) I will talk about my low-carb lifestyle in another posting because there are books that I would like to recommend.
I try to live my life as natural as possible. Even my hair is natural. Since I have to combat a chronic disease, it is easier for me to stick to my lifestyle when I realize the consequences of eating badly (i.e. leg, shoulder, arm, and bad back cramps that sometimes take days to go away.) Yes, there are the occasional splurges, but not very often. If I do have to have a chocolate fudge brownie, I realize that I have to deal with the consequences and watch how my body reacts to it and counter that splurge with a detoxification juicing and watch my calorie intake for the rest of the week.
Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps you stay energized until your lunch. I’ve experienced a very full feeling throughout the morning and into the afternoon. As a matter of fact, I can eat at 7:00am and not feel hungry until 2:00pm because of my breakfast. If I have steel-cut oatmeal, that feeling can last longer, but I don’t push it.
The following are some recipes along with pictures of my juicing which are simple, but delicious.
Typical morning breakfast:
Fruit smoothie and scrambled eggs or organic steel-cut oatmeal.
Smoothie Ingredients Washed & CutUncooked Stl-Cut Oatmeal & Egg Mixture
Possible juiced ingredients for smoothie: banana, apple, orange, lemon, watermelon, pineapple, grapes, ginger, or any fruit that you like.
I blend in a banana, mango, papaya, and kiwi slices, strawberries and frozen blue berries. I add the juiced fruit to the cut-up fruit with added Soy yogurt, soy protein powder, and tablespoon of flaxseed. Blend and you have a delicious smoothie. I sometimes just eat this with 1 extra banana only if I’m not doing anything strenuous for the next 3 hours.
Often I have scrambled eggs or an omelet with my smoothie. Reddi Eggs is a substitute for real eggs which I used often. This morning’s omelet consisted of one real egg and ¼ cup of the substitute. This helps cut the cholesterol level. I add brown garlic before scrambling my eggs for flavor. (I love garlic.) BTW, my cholesterol levels are normal.
Here’s my finished product: Spinach Omelet and Fruit Smoothie.
Full breakfast
Next for lunch I have:
A protein (fish, skinless chicken) + green vegetable + Yam
Pre-dinner
Vegetable Juice: A combination of some: carrots, beets, celery, tomato, cucumber, dinosaur kale, collard greens, spinach, lemon, garlic, ginger
(The most important item in the above pre-dinner vegetable juice is that you like the combination. I personally don’t mix fruit with vegetables, this combo makes me sick)
Dinner
Protein (Tofu, fish, chicken) + green vegetables +green salad + Yam &/or brown rice (small quantity)
Snacks between meals
Almonds, raw celery, raw carrots
Benefits
The benefits of juicing are that it has given me more energy, but I still tire easily due to my condition. I’d recommend it to anyone. Let me know if you have juiced or if you have any questions. I’ll have more juicing pictures of my veggie juice another time.
Related articles
- Get on the “Kale Trail!” (healthdiscoveryjourney.com)
- Root For This: Simple, Fresh Root Juice Recipe (fitsugar.com)
Natural Hair Growth Journey – One Year Later
Posted: October 20, 2011 in Natural Hair JourneyTags: African American Women, black female hair, Black Women, natural black hair, Natural Hair
It’s been three months since my last hair length check. Now, I’ve almost reached my goal. And now for the reveal:
This is actually my second day with my braids out.
Compare these photos to the older ones below or on the Natural Hair Growth Journey page. Now that a year has passed, I’m grateful that I was patient enough not to get frustrated with my hair and chop it off. I’ve stayed away from hairstylist for almost two years. I follow many YouTube videos for the care of my hair. Soon I’ll be able to create more hairstyles with my longer hair.
Here’s a frontal view of myself. I showing this just to see the full effect of my natural hair journey.
Three months from now, my hair should be even longer. Remember that when natural hair gets longer it sometimes appears shorter due to its curly texture. Until next time, peace and patience.
SOUL SISTA GOES TO SOULEY VEGAN RESTURANT
Posted: October 4, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Homestyle Cooking, Natural Hair, Oakland California, Souley Vegan Restaurant, Tofu, Vegan Cuisine
Finally after procrastinating about going to Souley Vegan, a southern-style vegan restaurant, at 301 Broadway at 3rd St. in Oakland, CA, I decided not to eat one of my home cooked lunches. I took down my hair braids, put on my shoes and had someone else cook my meal for a change. And it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg, only $10 total, plus the tip. I left for the welcoming atmosphere and wonderful service.
Just think, I lived in Oakland for three years and just now decided to go Souley’s. I didn’t know then that owner and chef Tamearra Dyson had just opened her Jack London Square restaurant in July 2009 after running the business at Saturday morning’s Grand Lake Farmers Market in Oakland. Since then I’ve heard and read decent reviews about Tamearra Dyson’s establishment. So I decided to take my chance. I looked at their website, http://bit.ly/fzEP8H, where I looked at the pictures of the menu. I decided on the southern fried tofu, greens, and cheeseless mac and cheese. I figured I could always go back and try the barbecue tofu and yams another time. Besides, I only have one stomach.
When I walked through the door, the hostess/cashier greeted me with a smile and complimented my natural hairdo. That made me feel real good. That and plus she had a natural hairdo herself. It felt nice and made me feel more at home since Dyson is an entrepreneurial African American woman. There were pictures of the owner in various stages of her life. Many had her and/or her relatives with afros. I felt transported back to the 60s and 70s. There were also pictures of jazz musicians on the inner wall where live performances probably occur. And Stevie Wonder was played over the intercom. It felt like a cool sip of lemonade in the summer even this particular day felt like autumn. I felt transformed. The other two customers had smiles on their faces and one asked me what I had ordered. I gladly replied. There was nothing to be shy about. I felt that I could go back to this restaurant and feel right at home.
After a short wait, about 10 minutes, my food arrived. The lunch hour crowd hadn’t arrived yet. The plate was packed with food. Two tofu patties! Wow, my eyes just about popped out of their sockets. I thought, how in the hell am I going to eat all of this. Then there were the greens lying right next to a healthy serving of mac and cheese. I decided then to not eat like a pig.
How did it taste? Now that I’m at home and have brushed my teeth and had some tea, I now can say I enjoyed my meal. I’m not a crust person, so I picked off some of the crust of the southern fried tofu. The savory flavor of the tofu tasted like it was marinated so that without the crust it still had a rich flavor. Nevertheless, it had a better flavor than some of the commercial chicken or fish I’ve tasted. In my opinion, the southern fried tofu tasted less salty than chicken from Pican restaurant on Telegraph Ave in Oakland or a Kentucky Fried Chicken or Church’s. I’d rather have my food a little less spicy and salty.
The greens were very spicy. I coughed at first since this was the first thing I put in my mouth. Next time I’ll eat the mac and cheese first. I LOVE garlic and onions. So the greens tasted pretty good, except for the extra spicyness. That’s why I ate the greens with the tofu without the crust. However, I have always liked to mix different parts of my meal together like greens and mac and cheese or greens and tofu. This is always the way that I have eaten my meals.
Thirty minutes later, this is what was left of my lunch.
I practically left all of the crust from the tofu off. I tor’ up the greens. But, I couldn’t eat all of the mac and cheese.
Well, I tried not to eat it all. At this point, my stomach said STOP. Next
time, I would like to take my husband with me so we could then order different
items to taste. I know he could eat my share, too.
Has anyone else eaten there and would like to comment on Souley Vegan? Let me know.
