Not even sure how to react to this. It is comical but also disturbing at the same time. SMH. Desperate much?
How cute is this? This dad definitely wins the "fun dad" award in my book.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Foolery: Things that make me go hmmm...
TGIF!!!
Not even sure how to react to this. It is comical but also disturbing at the same time. SMH. Desperate much?
More along those lines, imagine calling 911 for a bad stomach ache only to deliver a baby a short while later! I bet this woman certainly didn't think it would happen to her! But then, it can't beat this woman who thought she was having triplets and got another surprise during delivery! I would love to see the face of the dad when he found out.
How cute is this? This dad definitely wins the "fun dad" award in my book.
Not even sure how to react to this. It is comical but also disturbing at the same time. SMH. Desperate much?
How cute is this? This dad definitely wins the "fun dad" award in my book.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Photo Dump Wednesdays...on Thursday
I know this is a day late but better late than never :-).
So here are pictures from PDW this week.
I LOVE my BCBG shoes! They are just so comfortable! I can wear them for hours carrying a toddler and not be in pain. I wore these to Church on Sunday.
Not sure if you know but I LOVE Indian food AND mango lassi served in Indian restaurants! I bought some mangoes a week ago and decided to make some mango lassi. I still can't believe how easy this was to make and how tasty it was!
In addition to now climbing out of her crib, my little princess has learnt to climb on the ottoman! Here she is feeling quite happy with her achievement!
I made this for a very dear friend. I hope she likes it.
Sticking with my healthy eating/living. I have been running during my lunch break at work.
My newest acquisition. Yup, I am serious about doing my own hair!
My goal this week was to run 2.25 miles in 30-minutes. I didn't quite hit that but I'll take 2.23. That's about 13.5 minute miles. Next week, my goal is 2.4 miles in 30-minutes. My ultimate goal is to get back to running 12-minute miles. Wish me luck!
So here are pictures from PDW this week.
I LOVE my BCBG shoes! They are just so comfortable! I can wear them for hours carrying a toddler and not be in pain. I wore these to Church on Sunday.
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My newest acquisition. Yup, I am serious about doing my own hair!
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I am very much looking forward to the weekend.
Have a fabulous day!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Hair Update: So far so good
I have been reading a number of articles about how more and more women of color are going back to their roots. This article was for women in West Africa and the movement to get back to their natural roots. It really has been inspirational because even though I started out not really knowing if this was a journey I wanted to take, I have decided that it is one I definitely want to take.
The last few weeks have gone really as well as can be expected. I have mastered the art of doing flat twists. I am still working on doing 2-strand twists. I have managed to not become a product junkie and so far, I haven't lost all my hair. I count it all positive.
AND, I actually purchased a bonnet dryer! All part of my plan of doing my own hair at home.
After watching a number of YouTube videos, I THOUGHT I could be one of those people who would be able to do a flat twist and go on my transitioning hair. Umm...FAIL!
A couple of Saturdays ago, I got my hair done and liked it but I think I'll be doing my own hair for the next few months unless I am going out for a formal event.
My hair stylist is awesome and I love her but I am VERY tender headed and after my last appointment, I decided it would be best I not go back too often or else, I'll leave there crying ALL THE TIME since my head still HURTS 10-days later!
In anycase, I plan on keeping the flat twists in front through the end of this week. I added flat twists to the back of my hair and will be putting the back in perm rods over the weekend to kind "refresh" the look for next week.
Excuse the work space mess. Clearly, lunch breaks should be taken in the lunch room. But there are people there and they'd think I was strange if I started snapping pictures of the back of my head! :-).
For this week, I added the perm rods to the back to "freshen it up". I like the way it turned out.
And because I couldn't resist, here are pics of my 5.5 months growth. I have about 3-inches of new growth in some areas and more in other areas which is consistent with about a regular 1/2 inch growth per month.
I started taking MSM supplements last week for 2 reasons.
- I have been running again and MSM is supposed to help with muscle healing and connective tissue so I figured it would be a good supplement to take. I did my first 2-mile run since being 4-months pregnant last Tuesday and it felt great! I think I can definitely go 3-miles but I will build up to it. My goal is 2.25 miles next week.
- My second reason is that MSM supplement is rumored to help with hair growth. Not sure if I believe it but I'll let you know if I notice any difference.
I was initially going to try Hairfinity but since J & I still want to have more kids, I don't want to put anything that might mess with my body when the time comes.
Anyways, there you have it. My hair is growing nicely and so far, I am enjoying it.
The last few weeks have gone really as well as can be expected. I have mastered the art of doing flat twists. I am still working on doing 2-strand twists. I have managed to not become a product junkie and so far, I haven't lost all my hair. I count it all positive.
AND, I actually purchased a bonnet dryer! All part of my plan of doing my own hair at home.
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| Taken 3-weeks ago.. |
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| You can see my natural hair is growing in nicely. |
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So the following day, I decided to just re-twist it for church and accessorize it with a flower.
My hair stylist is awesome and I love her but I am VERY tender headed and after my last appointment, I decided it would be best I not go back too often or else, I'll leave there crying ALL THE TIME since my head still HURTS 10-days later!
In anycase, I plan on keeping the flat twists in front through the end of this week. I added flat twists to the back of my hair and will be putting the back in perm rods over the weekend to kind "refresh" the look for next week.
Excuse the work space mess. Clearly, lunch breaks should be taken in the lunch room. But there are people there and they'd think I was strange if I started snapping pictures of the back of my head! :-).
And because I couldn't resist, here are pics of my 5.5 months growth. I have about 3-inches of new growth in some areas and more in other areas which is consistent with about a regular 1/2 inch growth per month.
I started taking MSM supplements last week for 2 reasons.
- I have been running again and MSM is supposed to help with muscle healing and connective tissue so I figured it would be a good supplement to take. I did my first 2-mile run since being 4-months pregnant last Tuesday and it felt great! I think I can definitely go 3-miles but I will build up to it. My goal is 2.25 miles next week.
- My second reason is that MSM supplement is rumored to help with hair growth. Not sure if I believe it but I'll let you know if I notice any difference.
I was initially going to try Hairfinity but since J & I still want to have more kids, I don't want to put anything that might mess with my body when the time comes.
Anyways, there you have it. My hair is growing nicely and so far, I am enjoying it.
Monday, March 31, 2014
DIY Recipe: Breakfast casserole
You know when you see a recipe and say to yourself "I should totally make that"? Well, I found the below recipe on Instagram. It was posted by a lady I follow on there. It looked very yummy and easy so I figured "perché no?" ("why not" in Italian).
I am glad I did because its been a HUGE hit with JOE! She has had one (sometimes 2) helping a day since I made them. I did "thin" it out a bit since JOE has some sensitivities to the original ingredients used.
The best part is that J is interested in trying them too. Considering he doesn't really like eggs, this was big. I plan on making them with just egg whites for him since he can somewhat tolerate egg whites and using spicy Italian sausages.
Anyways, here are the ingredients needed. It is very similar to a frittata or crust-less quiche.
This makes 1-dozen muffins:
3-eggs
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup light heavy cream (yes, they sell those at the grocery store!)
1/2 chopped onion (I used my frozen stash. No teary eyes here :-))
1/2 chopped bell peppers (again, I used my frozen stash)
Sprinkle of parsley
1 cup shredded light mozzarella cheese
1/2 packet of diced turkey bacon (just get the stripes and cut them up. The original recipe calls for spicy sausages. Just be sure to get it out of the casing first).
1. Grease muffin pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
2. NOTE: If you're using sausage, brown it in a pan with the chopped onions and bell peppers before adding to the mixture in step 3 below.
3. If you're using turkey bacon like I did, in a bowl, add in chopped onions, bell peppers, eggs, egg white, heavy cream, cheese (leave some out for later) and seasoning. Mix it all together then add the turkey bacon
4. Spoon mixture into muffin pan filling it to about 3/4 full
5. Top with some cheese
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-minutes or until it looks cooked throughout.
I am glad I did because its been a HUGE hit with JOE! She has had one (sometimes 2) helping a day since I made them. I did "thin" it out a bit since JOE has some sensitivities to the original ingredients used.
The best part is that J is interested in trying them too. Considering he doesn't really like eggs, this was big. I plan on making them with just egg whites for him since he can somewhat tolerate egg whites and using spicy Italian sausages.
Anyways, here are the ingredients needed. It is very similar to a frittata or crust-less quiche.
This makes 1-dozen muffins:
3-eggs
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup light heavy cream (yes, they sell those at the grocery store!)
1/2 chopped onion (I used my frozen stash. No teary eyes here :-))
1/2 chopped bell peppers (again, I used my frozen stash)
Sprinkle of parsley
1 cup shredded light mozzarella cheese
1/2 packet of diced turkey bacon (just get the stripes and cut them up. The original recipe calls for spicy sausages. Just be sure to get it out of the casing first).
1. Grease muffin pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
2. NOTE: If you're using sausage, brown it in a pan with the chopped onions and bell peppers before adding to the mixture in step 3 below.
3. If you're using turkey bacon like I did, in a bowl, add in chopped onions, bell peppers, eggs, egg white, heavy cream, cheese (leave some out for later) and seasoning. Mix it all together then add the turkey bacon
4. Spoon mixture into muffin pan filling it to about 3/4 full
5. Top with some cheese
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-minutes or until it looks cooked throughout.
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| JOE decided to "help" me so I gave her a bowl and mixer |
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| Check out my baby hard at work! |
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| The end results |
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| Taste test. YUM! JOE wanted it right away! |
Have an awesomely blessed week!
Friday, March 28, 2014
DIY: Giant Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake
"What a difference a year makes!" You hear that saying all the time but unless you are looking at it in pictures, it seems not much has changed. I was about to write this post and thought to myself "didn't I just post about J's birthday a few months ago?" Well, I did...12-months ago to be exact! I am reminded of the saying "time change is the only constant in life" or something like that...I am bad with idiomatic expressions! :-P
J's birthday was yesterday. He is now officially the same age as me. I tease him all the time to show me respect since I am older. I am actually a little over 6-months older than him. I guess now that we're the same age, I have to retire that being older line for another 6-months :-).
J LOVES chocolate peanut butter cake. I mean he REALLY REALLY loves it. So I decided to make J a Giant Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake. I think JOE will also come to love chocolate peanut butter cakes judging from how much she enjoyed tasting the filling when I was making the cake. I guess I am the only red velvet cake lover in the house.
This was relatively easy. A little time consuming but easy overall.
You will need the following:
Reese's Peanut Butter Premium Cupcake mix (you'll need the ingredients for the cake...eggs, water, milk, oil)
Peanut butter molding chocolate buttons
Giant cupcake pan
Mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups
Cake mate sprinkles for decor
Birthday candle
The Shell:
The day before you plan on making the cake, you'll need to make the peanut butter shell. I got the bag from Michaels but your local grocery store might carry it.
1. Melt half the bag in the microwave for a minute. Stir and pour into the bottom side of your giant cupcake pan. Do not grease the pan. It isn't necessary.
2. Use a brush, your clean dry hand or a spatula to properly spread the chocolate around.
3. Put in the fridge for 20-minutes.
4. Melt the other bag and repeat steps 2 & 3 above
5. Leave in fridge for at least 1-hour. I left mine overnight because I made this after I got back from work and had my hands full with JOE.
NOTE: To remove the shell, you might need to use a toothpick to loosen around the edge in like 4 places. I only needed to do it in a couple of places and it came right out.
6. Store the shell in the fridge until you are ready to use
Below is what it'll look like.
The Cake:
- Mix the cake mix according to the instructions on the back of the pan
- Since you're working with a giant cupcake pan, you'll need to leave it in the oven to bake for 1-hour as opposed to the 21 - 26 minutes listed on the back. Start checking at 50-minutes just incase.
- Use a skewer to check on the cake's doneness.
- Let the cake cool for 15-minutes before taking out of pan.
- Mix the peanut butter filling that came in the box.
J's birthday was yesterday. He is now officially the same age as me. I tease him all the time to show me respect since I am older. I am actually a little over 6-months older than him. I guess now that we're the same age, I have to retire that being older line for another 6-months :-).
J LOVES chocolate peanut butter cake. I mean he REALLY REALLY loves it. So I decided to make J a Giant Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake. I think JOE will also come to love chocolate peanut butter cakes judging from how much she enjoyed tasting the filling when I was making the cake. I guess I am the only red velvet cake lover in the house.
This was relatively easy. A little time consuming but easy overall.
You will need the following:
Reese's Peanut Butter Premium Cupcake mix (you'll need the ingredients for the cake...eggs, water, milk, oil)
Peanut butter molding chocolate buttons
Giant cupcake pan
Mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups
Cake mate sprinkles for decor
Birthday candle
The Shell:
The day before you plan on making the cake, you'll need to make the peanut butter shell. I got the bag from Michaels but your local grocery store might carry it.
1. Melt half the bag in the microwave for a minute. Stir and pour into the bottom side of your giant cupcake pan. Do not grease the pan. It isn't necessary.
2. Use a brush, your clean dry hand or a spatula to properly spread the chocolate around.
3. Put in the fridge for 20-minutes.
4. Melt the other bag and repeat steps 2 & 3 above
5. Leave in fridge for at least 1-hour. I left mine overnight because I made this after I got back from work and had my hands full with JOE.
NOTE: To remove the shell, you might need to use a toothpick to loosen around the edge in like 4 places. I only needed to do it in a couple of places and it came right out.
6. Store the shell in the fridge until you are ready to use
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| The cupcake shell |
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| Close up of the shell |
- Mix the cake mix according to the instructions on the back of the pan
- Since you're working with a giant cupcake pan, you'll need to leave it in the oven to bake for 1-hour as opposed to the 21 - 26 minutes listed on the back. Start checking at 50-minutes just incase.
- Use a skewer to check on the cake's doneness.
- Let the cake cool for 15-minutes before taking out of pan.
- Mix the peanut butter filling that came in the box.
Decorating the cake!
- Use a serated knife to carefully cut off the top of the cake to smooth it out. Store the top to use in ice cream later. YUM!!!
- Use the knife again to cut the cake horizontally into 2-equal halves.
- Using the knife, carve out the outer edge of the cake so it'll fit properly into the cupcake shell
- Using half of the peanut butter filling that came with the cake mix, spread it on top of the bottom half then put the 2 halves together.
- Use the other half on the top of the cake
- Add sprinkles
- Add peanut butter cups and a candle
- Let it all cool in the fridge for 30-minutes
ENJOY!
The End Result:
The Birthday Celebration:
J decided to take the day off to relax and enjoy his day. I am glad I made the cake the day before because he was able to have some of the cut up pieces during the day.
When I got home, we got ready and headed out to J's favorite restaurant. I want to say his all time favorite but I know how much he loves Fogo De Chao so I think they are both his top picks for places to eat.
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| Cheesing it up for the camera. |
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| Ready to open presents. J didn't tell me what he wanted for his birthday so he got the cake, dinner and a gift card from JOE and I. |
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| I love this picture. Check out a similar one from last year. |
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| Time to blow the candle! JOE of course had to be a part of it :-). |
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| JOE reading her card to her da-da. This was just too cute! She really does amaze me everyday! |
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| Dig in! The cake was SOOOOO yummy and RICH! I had to get an extra small sliver and even then, I didn't finish it. JOE of course had ALL my sprinkles! |
Expertise needed: You just need to be comfortable baking and improvising if needed.
Total Approximate time: I made the cake over the course of 2 evenings after I got back from work. The first night took me less than 10-minutes of prep work. The second night took me about 30-minutes of prep work. So actual prep work time was 40-minutes BUT the actual time for the cake from start to finish adding in baking and cooking time was more like 2-hours.
Total Spent on materials: Approximately $10. The box of cake mix was about $4.39, the candy melts was $1.99 (with coupon), the mini peanut butter cups was on sale (yay for Easter candy!) for $2.50 per bag. I didn't use the entire bag though. I already had the sprinkles and the pan at home.
Feedback: I think it was a hit! :-)
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