Product Review: Kinky-Curly Curling Custard

I am obsessed with these hair products.

Period.

Every naturally curly haired girl prays for a "holy grail" hair product.  A product that will transform their frizzy hair into tamed, smoothed, bouncy curls. These products do just that for me.

Once my hair has been washed, conditioned, and detangled, I apply Kinky-Curly Knot Today leave in conditioner generously to soaking wet hair.  I like to section my hair to ensure each strand is getting a proper drink of this sweet nectar. After I have applied a generous amount of Knot Today, I take my hair in small pieces and apply Kinky-Curly Curling Custard from root to tip.  I smooth each small piece with the custard until a uniform curl has formed, then I repeat with the next small piece.  

Pros: Too many to list! It makes my frizzy curls uniform and smooth. It does not dry my hair or create the hard crunch that many other gels do; it creates soft, moveable curls but with the hold of a super hard gel. It smells amazing and washes out very easily.  Best of all it is available at Target, however, the big tub of Curling Custard I still have only been able to find at Whole Foods here in Utah.

Cons: It takes a very long time for my hair to dry when using this product. Also, I wish the Knot Today came in a larger container; the current size only lasts me about two weeks and at around $12 per bottle, it can become pricey.  The large tub of Kinky Curly costs around $30, however, it usually lasts me roughly 4 months. Even though these products are on the pricey side I feel they are well worth the money!

Here is a picture of my hair after applying Kinky Curly and allowing it to dry.

I would recommend this product to curlies with very tight spirals or frizzy hair.  I would not recommend this product to anyone with wavy hair or slightly curly hair; this is a very heavy gel made to help weigh your curls down. This is also not a good product for anyone who is transitioning. 

Balsamic Salmon and Roasted Broccoli

Please excuse this horrible picture. I took it with my phone and posted it on Instagram and since then have been asked repeatedly for this recipe. I'm on a diet plan where I am unable to eat carbs. BOO! Big, huge, loud BOOOO! I love carbs. I love bread, potatoes, pasta...mmmm good.  That being said I've got baby weight to lose so diet I must.  I whipped up this salmon and broccoli Monday night and it was mmm mmm good. When I took this photo I cooked the salmon using my George Foreman Grill, and poured the sauce directly over the salmon. Slightly sweet and tangy, it elevated the salmon and made me forget I was eating diet food.  I can also say the same thing for this broccoli! I know what you are thinking, yummy broccoli is an oxymoron.  Trust me and try it!! I found a version of the broccoli recipe pinned to a friends board on pinterest about a year ago and decided to try it. Ever since then it has been a staple at our dinner table and is the only vegetable my kids will ask for seconds!! Even my husband who hates broccoli loves it!!

Balsamic Glaze for Salmon

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste 

4 salmon fillets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside. Lightly season salmon fillets with salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Spray a medium sized skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Add minced garlic and stir continuously for 1 minute-do not let the garlic burn! Add remaining ingredients and stir continuously until well combined and thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour glaze over prepared salmon. Place salmon in oven for 10-14 minutes, until fish flakes very easily.

Roasted Broccoli

*This recipe is not an exact recipe. You can change it and add things to your taste!!

2-3 heads of broccoli-chopped into individual "trees" (thats what my girls call them)

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with a knife

1/4  cup grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Place desired amount of broccoli on a baking sheet. Sprinkle broccoli with a small amount of olive oil, you want each tree to have some oil on it but not too much. Sprinkle broccoli generously with kosher salt and pepper and toss.  Place smashed garlic on the baking pan in between the chopped broccoli. Place broccoli in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tips of the broccoli are brown and crispy-the crispy tips are what makes this broccoli delicious! After the broccoli is finished cooking, remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little bit more olive oil, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Take the garlic out of the pan and discard.  You can also add toasted pine nuts to the broccoli after they are done cooking for an extra yummy treat!! 

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

It's fall! That familiar chill in the air first thing in the morning signals that cold, snowy Utah winters are rapidly approaching.  As much as I hate cold weather, snow and wind, I love that soup season is here! A good hearty soup is one of my favorite things to cozy up with.  I love the feeling of warm soup gliding down your throat and instantly warming you from the inside out.  I easily have 30 favorite soup recipes, and that is not an exaggeration. Some take lots of effort and others are "dump and go" style.  This taco soup is easy, easy, easy.  Made from ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry, this soup comes together in a flash and the crockpot does all the work. I am a crockpot LOVER in the fall and winter, so if you are too, let me know and I will keep the crockpot recipes coming!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

*Adapted from All Recipes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans OR kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (8 ounce) tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

2 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 small cans diced green chilies (if you want to add more spice substitute a small can of salsa verde!)

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning

3 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper (optional)

Sour Cream (optional)

Shredded Cheese (optional)

Crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Diced green onion (optional)

Placed chopped onion, beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and green chilies in the crockpot. Sprinkle taco seasoning, salt and pepper (and cayenne pepper) over tomato mixture and stir until combined.  Place chicken breasts in the crockpot and press down until the tomato mixture just covers the chicken.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  Remove chicken from soup and shred. Place chicken back into soup and stir to combine.  Serve soup topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips and green onions. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Hoagies and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

My weeknights are beyond hectic. Between the kids homework, their activity schedule and prepping for school the next day, its bedtime before I know it.  That being said I try and scour the internet for meals that are tasty and come together quickly.  This meal is just that. Again, not the fanciest ingredients, but it came together in a flash and best of all my kids ate every bite with zero complaints. That for me is a win win situation!!

Easy Chicken Hoagies

Adapted from Aaron Mc Cargo Jr

*This recipe calls for you to place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 30 minutes while they are soaking in the marinade.  This is so the chicken will slightly freeze, allowing the chicken to be sliced super thin. You do not have to do this step or you can do it for less time (depending on how chaotic your night is), however, just know that the chicken will slice oh so easily if its extremely cold. The thinner the slice, the faster it cooks as well. I also recommend using a serrated edge knife to slice the chicken; this type of knife cuts through chicken with more ease than a typical chefs knife.

-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

-1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon kosher salt

-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-3 chicken breasts (if they are thick breasts slice them in half horizontally to make them into thin cutlets)

-1 onion

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-6 slices Provolone cheese

-4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted (I didn't toast mine-time constraints- and it was still super yummy)

*Optional- hot cherry pepper spread (I found a brand called Wickles at Walmart that is really tasty!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, mustard, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the bowl and apply sauce liberally. Place the chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and with a sharp knife, slice the chicken as thin as possible.

In a large saute pan, add remaining two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly brown, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Then add chicken and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of your slices). When chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and place the sliced provolone on top of the chicken. Cover the pan and let cheese melt.  Scoop melted cheese and chicken into hoagie rolls. Add cherry pepper spread to the sandwich and enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

*Adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe

*My kids love these fries. Many mornings I have seen them eating the cold leftover fries straight from the fridge! I hope your family loves them as much as we do!!

-3 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips or wedges (try and make them all the same size)

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1 tablespoon sugar

-1 tablespoon kosher salt

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon chili powder

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place two large baking sheets in the oven while it heats up; the purpose of this is to help the fries cook more quickly and get crispy. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, oil and spices together until all the fries have an even coating. Very carefully, remove the hot baking sheets from the oven and place the fries on them in an even, single layer. Make sure the potatoes do not touch, so air can circulate between them. Try and leave as much of the remaining oil in the bowl as you can; you don't want the fries too greasy. 

Bake the fries for 12-15 minutes, tossing halfway through if desired, until they are tender and well browned. 

 

Do you love Twitter?

Are you on Twitter?

Do you love it?

I hear so many people saying how they love Twitter. Every show on TV has a hashtag so you can tweet your thoughts as you watch. It seems like everyone has a Twitter account with loads of followers. Kim Kardashian has over 16 million Twitter followers.  President Barack Obama has over 19 million Twitter followers. Justin Bieber has over 28 million Twitter followers hanging on his every 140 character or less thought.

I'm trying to get into Twitter and see the appeal.  Facebook I understand; it gives you an opportunity to connect with family, old friends, new friends and acquaintances alike.  I love Facebook because I live 2000 miles from most of my family, but through the magic of Facebook they are able to watch my girls grow online. I am able to see my high school friends grow their families from a distance, without being intrusive.  It allows me to keep in contact with people I would normally never speak to on a regular basis. Twitter I am struggling with.  Everyone keeps saying it's so great, but I am having a hard time getting into it.

If you are on Twitter and you love it let me know why! Please explain the appeal of 140 character conversations because I don't get it.

Help me along in my Twitter journey! Follow me @BrwnGrl_inUT.

Amazingly Easy Crock Pot Chicken

I love cooking.

It calms and soothes my soul.

I get giddy just thinking about Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas feast I cook every year.

That being said, some nights I just do not have time to slave over a hot stove.

Enter this chicken recipe.

No it does not have glamorous ingredients. However, it meets all three of my weeknight criteria: quick, easy and delicious!

I found this recipe somewhere on pinterest last year.  I have slightly tweaked it to more match our families taste buds.  Use this chicken in tacos, burritos, taco salad or enchiladas.  The best part of this recipe is it freezes beautifully!!! So make a double batch and throw half of it in the freezer for a hectic night when dinner is never going to happen.

Amazingly Easy Crock Pot Chicken

4 chicken breasts (I usually just throw 4 frozen chicken breasts right in he crockpot)
1/2 a small bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Shred with fork and enjoy!!!

 

Octomom says doing porn is liberating

This post is going to offend some of you.

When I came across this Huffington Post article about the Octomom buying a home with the money she earned from doing a pornographic film I was shocked.  I, like many of you, watched the interview she did with Oprah in 2010, where in no uncertain terms said that she would never do pornography as a means to feeding her children.  For those of you who did not see that Oprah show, I found the interview on Oprah.com. Here is the transcript specifically discussing Nadya Suleman (Octomom) not doing porn:


Oprah: I heard you were offered an opportunity to do a porn film too.

Nadya: Oh, my goodness. Again, another outlet trying to steal a piece of the situation. I feel as though exploiting me, disrespecting me, that, in turn, disrespects and exploits my children. I personally perceive that to be a publicity stunt. I mean, they have started from the very beginning. Right after I had the babies they were offering that. Really? I mean, I would obviously need the money if I did something like that to move my family to a deserted island far, far, far away from civilization. That is completely unfathomable, obviously.

Oprah: Let's just be clear about this. So you were offered money to do a porn film, and you have turned them down.

Nadya: They have offered this probably three weeks subsequent to the birth of the babies. Maybe at least three times. And I feel as though it's completely, utterly disrespectful to a mother, to anyone who is just trying to survive. I was just catapulted, again, as I mentioned, into this unfamiliar life as a carnival attraction. I never imagined it would end up being like this.

Oprah: Nadya, tell me this: Do you think that you could ever be in the situation where you have 14 hungry mouths to feed and you'd ever have to resort to doing a porn film? Would you do that if you had to feed your children? 

Nadya: If they offered $100 million I would never, never, never resort to something like that. It stems now to boundaries. I'm teaching my children to have healthy boundaries, and there are ways. There are other ways that are much more obviously more respectable.

Now I am not going to pretend that I have never done something I swore I would never do. I can imagine it must have been difficult to decide to do porn after previously saying it was disrespectful to her and her children.  What I find disturbing and shocking is when recently she spoke to Dr. Drew on HLN about the "film", she said that doing porn was "the most empowering and liberating thing I have ever done".  LIBERATING AND EMPOWERING! This is what she considers to be the most empowering thing she has ever done? She later goes on to say "I take full accountability and am proud of it".  PROUD OF IT? This is the example she wants to set for her14 children? She wants her daughters to feel like their bodies are for sale as long as the price is right? She wants her sons to feel like it is ok to objectify woman? She wants her children to be proud of the fact that she is selling her body to strangers? And furthermore it makes her feel liberated?

Is this what our world has come to? A world where taking off your clothes and doing porn empowers women? Where prostituting oneself is considered a liberating act? There is nothing liberating about selling your body for money.  What happened to "teaching my children healthy boundaries"? Did all of her boundaries disappear when someone threw a large sum of money her way? What about the "obviously more respectable" ways of producing income?

As you know I have 3 daughters, and I do not want any of them to think for one minute that I find any type of pornographic activity to be liberating.  If this world is telling them that taking off your clothes is empowering, I am raising them to know that your body as a woman is sacred.  Your body as a woman produces life. As a woman you are able to grow life within yourself and bring it forth into the world. As a woman you are responsible for the nurturing and caring of your family, children and loved ones. It's our honor as women to be able to hold the heart of the family in our hands. Why would we want our daughters to think that empowerment comes from taking off your clothes on camera? We need to raise a generation of women that value their worth. Women are able to do and be anything they want, the sky is the limit in this day and age.  With so many examples of strong, smart, poised and clothed woman around, I hope Nadya Suleman's children can find another empowering role model to look up to.

Stepping off the soapbox for now... 

Take Time to Pause

Have you taken a moment to pause today?

When was the last time you had a moment to just be still and breathe?

These questions forced me to think about the necessity of taking time to pause. Was that something I really needed to do? Why is taking a moment to be still so important to my daily life? If you are anything like me, your last moment of peace is probably a distant memory. As if I don't already have enough to do, now I needed to try and find a moment to sit and be still each day? Not going to happen. I'm way to busy today, tomorrow and next week. Taking a moment to pause would be on my to-do list right between organizing my old photos and learning to sew.

That's how I felt until last week when my baby turned 1. Everyone I knew, myself included, couldn't believe that the 4 pound newborn I brought home from the hospital was already 1 year old. Surely it was just yesterday that she was born! Then it struck me that my first baby, Kelsey, is going to be turning 10 years old in a matter of weeks.  How is it that cute little smarty pants toddler is now a pre-teen? When did the years start flying by like days? I realized in that instant I had not taken enough moments to pause over the last decade of my life. I spend each day rushing kids to school, activities and dentist appointments.  Always racing to the next dance practice or school program. Trying to be there for everyone's next life event but really not being present for any them.

The question is how do you find a moment to pause when all of your time is already taken? I feel like I am already trying to balance Thanksgiving dinner on a salad plate; there is only so much time in the day and as woman our needs are like the dessert after a large meal. It sounds so good but we just don't have room for it. We do so much for our friends, family members and community, why is it we cannot justify taking a moment of pause and peaceful quiet for ourselves each day? If a family member calls who is in trouble we will drop everything to be there to help. If a girlfriend calls crying we stop what we are doing to be that comforting ear to listen.  However, if we do not find peace and quiet in our life we are disregarding our own soul.  We are ignoring our inner need to rest, regroup and re energize our mind with a quiet moment of stillness.  Just to be able to sit, breathe deeply, and be alone with our thoughts will bring a moments peace and tranquility that can carry us through the rest of the chaotic over scheduled day.

As women, let's put ourselves back on our own to do list. Let's prioritize our own well being. We need to make time for us. The first step is taking a moment each day to pause and be still. Block out the world for one minute and connect with your own soul. Breathe. Enjoy the quiet. Take a moment to appreciate life and your blessings. I believe this is the first step in beginning to finding inner peace.  Let's start the journey together. I am willing to put myself back on my own list of priorities. Are you?

Is natural hair being commercialized?

I love my natural hair.

After two years of transitioning and one year of buying and trying every product on the market, we finally have achieved a relationship where my hair and I are both happy and healthy.  It was a long journey filled with tears, triumph and lots of money spent on products that were crap, but it was worth it.  I won't ever go back to being addicted to the creamy crack relaxer.

Having said all of that I feel like there is an untruth not being said about natural hair.  Look at the recent advertising that use black models.  The majority of them use models with so called "natural hair". Their hair is curly, but is it really natural? 

 Is this an effort to try and tell woman who wear their hair natural what is an acceptable natural style?  Is this a ploy to get woman to try to obtain a look that is really unattainable for most? Think about your local beauty supply store.  Shelves and shelves devoted to hair products that promise to turn your curls into luscious, soft spirals that don't frizz.  However if you have coarse, tight curls no amount of product is going to change that.  I have spent hundreds of dollars on hair products trying to get my hair to look like the models above.  In the end I discovered that my curls were NEVER going to look like that no matter what I purchased.  I accepted my curls for what they were and ended the search to find a miracle hair product. 

In this months Essence magazine, Jill Scott will be wearing her natural TWA (teeny weeny afro) on the cover.  There have been published reports that she had to demand to be able to wear her natural hair during the shoot. When Viola Davis wore her natural hair to the Oscars many people thought she did not look formal enough. Why do we think that flowing hair (be it curly or straight) equals formality? Is it because we have been flooded with images from advertisers, tv shows and movies that subliminally tell us what acceptable natural hair looks like?  When will we reach the point where an afro on a woman is acceptable in a formal setting and does not raise any eyebrows?

This is what we are lead to believe natural hair should look like.  Uniform curls that are tamed and in their place.  And while for a small portion of the natural community (and Beyonce is not one of them lets be honest) they may wake up looking like this.  That may be the reality of their natural hair.  However if the reality of your natural hair is something closer to Miss Viola's you should be able to wear your hair without feeling any less formal or looked down upon.

We need to stop trying to conform to the world's standard of beauty. Natural hair is so unique. Each persons curl pattern is different. Unlike straight hair, which is...well its just straight, naturally curly hair looks and feels different on everyone. So whether you rock a TWA, you have long spirals, or you are somewhere in between, wear it proudly!! Embrace what God has blessed you with and show it off!! Let's not let the outside world commercialize our hair and tell us what it should look like!