Yum Yums! Jambalaya

Not the greatest pic, but...

I saw this "Soup" version of mixed vegetables from Harris Teeter. It has okra, potatoes, green beans, peppers, corn, carrots and celery! It was about $1.50 for the pack so I decided to buy it. I really wanted to make Chicken and dumplings w/ it..but I wasn't really in the mood for soup. I have a whole can of tomato puree plus some rice so I decided to make Jambalaya instead! I looked at some recipes but I didn't really like what I saw (mainly because I didn't have the ingredients they asked for) so I just decided to wing it and see how it turned out. I didn't use everything in the vegetable mix- I omitted the potatoes and celery because I HATE cooked celery, and I decided that I'm gonna use the potatoes for something else, so I just put them back in the bag. My chicken was previously seasoned and I used cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder and garlic salt. Here it goes!

Jambalaya

Serves: 3

Preheat oven: 350F

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

3 pieces of Chicken (I used 2 thighs and a leg)

1/4 of a Kielbasa link, medium dice

2 tbsp Veg OR Olive Oil 

3 cl. Garlic, minced

1/4 Onion, medium dice

1 tsp Fresh Thyme, minced

1 tsp Fresh Rosemary, minced

1 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 bag of Harris Teeter Soup Mixed Vegetables

1/2 c. Rice

2 oz Tomato Puree

3/4 can Chicken Broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a medium sized dutch oven, or pot, over medium heat, saute Kielbasa until it releases its oils. Remove Kielbasa from pan and add oil. 
2. Once oil is hot, add chicken and sear (brown) on all sides. Be careful to adjust the heat (lower as needed) so that the chicken is not burning. Once all pieces are evenly browned, place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 mins.
3. Meanwhile, in the same pot over medium-high heat, saute garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and vegetable mix until the onions are translucent.  Add rice and saute until all rice is coated in oil-about 2 mins. 
4. Add tomato puree and stir in chicken broth. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. If the rice is still undercooked, add a 1/4c water (only if needed).
5. Once the chicken is cooked (thigh reads 165F), add back into the pot and stir.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

HAPPY EATING! 

=)

Yum Yums! : Personal Tortilla Pizza

I think I've been having a Tortilla overload! 
I've been making everything from chips to breakfast burritos with them.
The other night I didn't really plan on cooking anything, but I was really hungry so i just decided to whip this up right quick. 
I'd been saying that I was gonna make my own personal pizza one day, but I'd never gotten to it to making the dough, so I figured a simple Tortilla shell would suffice.. lol. 
You'll notice that I'm using alot of the same ingredients, in terms of vegetables, because I've been tryna make these things STRRREEEETCH.
 Living on a budget sucks. As a matter of fact, not having a job yet sucks...but I'm working on it. lol
Welp, here it goes!

Personal Tortilla Pizza

Serves: 1

Prep Time: 5-10 mins

Cook Time: 5-10 mins

Preheat oven: 350F

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla (the regular ones will work just fine too)

1/4 of a Kielbasa Link, small dice

1 tsp Fresh Thyme, rough chop

1/4 of an Onion, small dice

1/4 of a Green Bell Pepper, small dice

1 Chili Pepper, seeded and diced

1 cl. Garlic, minced

4 slices Roma Tomato

1 Tbsp Tomato Sauce (optional)

1 Slice pre-sliced Provolone, torn into about 8-10 pieces

3 Tbsp shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1. In a small saute pan over medium heat, saute Kielbasa until it begins to release its oils.
2. Add Onion, Bell Pepper, Chili pepper, Garlic and Thyme to the pan and saute until the peppers are cooked all the way through and onions are translucent. Set aside.
3. Spread tomato sauce onto tortilla, then add tomato slices and disperse the Provolone pieces evenly across the tortilla.
4. Top with your Kielbasa mixture and shredded mozzarella and bake 3-5 mins, or until the cheese has melted.
5. Remove from oven, slice and enjoy!

HAPPY EATING!!

=D

Yum Yums: 20 Minute Baked Tilapia

I got a whole bag of frozen Tilapia fillets for freakin $10!! SCORE!

 I was so happy when I saw that they were on sale cause they're usually $15 -__- and Lord knows that I needed some fish in my life. I can only take but so much of beef & chicken...

The one thing that I love about Tilapia is that it's versatile. You can fry it, bake it, steam it, poach it...the possibilities are limitless. The only thing I've done with it so far is bake it and this is something that my grandmother does ALL of the time, so kudos to her for this post!! When I made this the first time, I DEMOLISHED that poor fish...I couldn't believe how good it was! It was actually better than my grandmother's (but you better not tell her I said that. lmao)!

I kind of modified her version cause she usually puts tomatoes and a few other things on it, but it still came out really good! What I love about this recipe is that it's so quick and easy, AND you can eat the vegetables you used in the foil w/ the fish. 

Here it goes!

Baked Tilapia
Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 mins   
Cook time: 20 mins

Preheat oven- 350F

1 Tilapia fillet

1/4 of an Onion, thinly sliced

2 cl Garlic, smashed, peeled, and cut in half

2 Sprigs of Thyme

2 Sprigs of Parsley

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt 

1 Tbsp Veg or Olive Oil

Lemon wedge/lemon juice (optional)

I used onions I already had diced up though..lol

1. Get a piece of foil that will be large enough to wrap the fillet in, about the length of a standard sized reading book (I used Reynold's Wrappers)
2. Place the onion slices down first, spreading them out so that they are about the same length of the fillet. place the garlic on top of the onion. Feel free to sprinkle a little bit of the salt on the onions and garlic if you wish (optional).
3. Place the fillet on top of the garlic and onions and season w/ Salt, Cayenne and Italian seasoning. Make sure the entire top of the fillet is fully seasoned. 
4. Place the sprigs of thyme and parsley on top and drizzle w/ oil. Squeezing some lemon juice over the fillet can also be done, but is optional.
5. Wrap the foil over the fish so that it is fully covered and no steam can escape. Place in a cake pan or on a small cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until fish is opaque(white) and flaky.
6. Remove from oven and discard thyme and parsley sprigs before eating.

I roasted some carrots w/ mines

HAPPY EATING!!

=D

September's Hair Tales...

Staple style of September.

My regimen for September was pretty simple..co-wash, deep-condition, blow-dry, twist, oil scalp w/ Castor oil 3-5x a week!

I blow dry using the tension method, I deep-condition with anything I have on hand (coconut milk, coconut oil, eggs, honey, yogurt are a few examples), co-wash w/ Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut and oil my scalp w/ my Castor/coconut oil mix. I've been trying to steer away from doing small twists cause I'm just going to assume that they are the culprits of why my hairline started thinning. >=(

 I've also been looking up different up dos to do for class, but since I only have class 2x week, I haven't really been pressed about leaving them up for the whole week (i have itchy hands =[ ) 

Me and the boyfriend went out on a date a couple of weeks ago and I wore a twist-out with my bang twisted and pinned to the side.  It's safe to say that the humidity didn't show me any mercy cause as we were sitting there eating, I FELT my hair EXPANDING. LMAO. It got transformed into a side bun w/ twisted pompadour bun with the QUICKNESS. Hahaha!  The most recent twist out I've done was AMAZING. 

The Monday after our date night I had done the baggy method on my ends, sat under the dryer w/ a conditioning cap on my whole head for a half an hour, and then just let it air dry.

The day I took them down...it was sweet, sweet GLORY goin on on my head! I was feeling myself TOO much. 

Once that twist-out began to stretch out, I threw it into that side bun thing again (I really like that style ;]), and a few more buns until wash day. 

Wash day, i finger detangled my twist out and applied  yogurt & honey as a deep conditioner. I sat with it in my hair for like..4 hours (I'm sorry, The Parkers was on..lol) And once I rinsed it out, detangling in the shower was like BUTTER. I'm still shocked at how little time it took me! Afterwards I just rubbed some Shea butter into each wet twisted section, my castor/coconut oil mix to my scalp, re-twisted it and let it air dry.The day after THAT, I just broke the big twists into smaller twists, and that's basically what I'm rockin right now!

NEW FITNESS GOAL! Operation: Tight & Right!!

IDK who she is...but I WANT her legs!!!

As some of you may know, I am now taking an Exercise Physiology class where we are learning the composition of the human body, how it works, and how exercise directly effects it. After this week, we will be going to the gym to apply all that we've learned and focus on our set goals for our physical evaluation paper. 

MY goal for this class is to work on my overall weight-lifting/ strength, but to really focus on my legs and butt cause when I tell you cottage cheese ain't got nothing on this....uh, nevermind, that visual is really nasty. Lol

 Anyway...

I'm going to be incorporating more leg circuits in to my workout, along with trying to bulk up on some more proteins & fiber (not too much though).

"Why are you doing this? Your body's fine the way it is!"

I know. I just want it to be BETTER than what it is! Am I happy with my current body?? Abso-freakin-lutely! But do I know that my body is capable of being so much more?? Hell yeah!!

Anytime I reach a goal, I always make myself a new goal to reach. It keeps me busy so that I don't fall back into old habits. And I like to further challenge myself to see what I'm capable of, both mentally AND physically.

WISH ME LUCK!

STAY HEALTHY!!

Helpful Tips for College Students to Save Money!!

As many of my fellow college students all know, we are BROKE and whatever money we DO get is usually spent on fast food, Starbucks...and the club. Lol Granted, saving money is definitely not a DIFFICULT task, sometimes when you have it at your disposal, you're inclined to spend it. I've found myself in so many predicaments where I would actually NEED to get something, but not have the money because I spent it on Chinese the night before [WOMP] 

That feeling genuinely SUCKS.

Consequently, I've found a few good ways to help myself save a little bit of money when it comes to my  expenses and I live by these 3 rules:

• DON'T buy it if you don't NEED it. (especially if it's not on sale)
• See what's on sale in weekly circulars
• ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS take advantage of printable coupons!
• If something you buy is not to par, NEVER hesitate to write the company an e-mail.

DON'T buy it if you don't NEED it!

Common freakin sense, right?? But you know, sometimes you're in the store and you're like, "I waaaant..." NO! Don't give in!! If it's not on sale, it's just not worth it until it is. It helps to make a list of everything you need before you go shopping to have a general idea of where you need to go in the store. The list helps you to remain focused and to avoid wasting money on things that you don't even need. Keep yourself focused on the necessities, everything else can definitely wait.

See what's on sale in the weekly circulars

I never go into the store without checking their website for their weekly circular first. I like to see if what I need is on sale yet, but if not and they aren't showing anything I'm generally interested in, then I just don't go to the store...I try to keep myself away from the temptation of grocery shopping. lol. Now, I'm pretty sure every grocery, pharmacy and variety store (Walmart, Target, etc..) has their circular on their website and if not, then suggest that they do! They love customer feedback!

-------> ALWAYS take advantage of printable coupons!!! <-------

I LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE coupons!!! SO  what I did was set a separate email account just for my coupons and manufacturer ads to be sent to (ex: yourname_coupons@yahoo.com). I went to manufacturer websites ( ex: Kellogg's, Dove, etc...) and signed up for their emails. They usually have monthly coupons that they send to their subscribers. In addition to that, I signed up for Coupons.com, CouponNetwork.com, and RedPlum.com which are all LEGIT printable coupon websites. I advise that you pay attention to the quantities of what the coupon is for. For example, you see a coupon that say SAVE $1.50- Poptarts! And then underneath it, it'll say when you purchase 3 or more boxes -__-. Yeah. Look out for those. Also, some additional couponing websites that are really good are:

• iHeartTheMart - focuses on what sales and coupons are going on Walmart, exclusively.

• TotallyTarget.com- focuses on what sales and coupons are going on in Target, exclusively. Also features other great online deals!!

(I suggest yall give these two^ a- go if nothing else!) 

 

NEVER hesitate to email the company [and complain]

Say something you brought was stale, broken or just wasn't as good as you expected it to be..DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT hesitate to go to that company's website and tell them about it! Like I've said before, they love customer feedback! One thing NO company wants to do is lose customers under any circumstance, so you know what they'll do? Compensate you, USUALLY with vouchers for free products or coupons! I just had an unfortunate run-in w/ some mold in some frozen vegetables (eww, right?) so I took a picture of it and the UPC code on the back of it and sent the company a nice little email about my disgust and I just got my vouchers today..3 of them for free products. I once had another unfortunate issue with some deodorant that I had purchased,  and I did the same exact thing and got 2 free deodorant vouchers. I'm not makin this stuff up!! Now, I'm NOT telling you to go lie to the company about your experiences with their products, but I AM advising that if you DO, that you tell them about it. They love to make their customers happy!

 

Just by following those 4 little rules I've set for myself, I find myself saving more and more money while also being able to realize that I really don't NEED all the things I want- I can definitely live without them, in fact. 

 

But the main point of this post is to just help you guys make yourselves conscious of the fact that there are savings right at your fingertips, you just have to learn how to sort through them and decide if it's actually needed! Self discipline also plays an important role in all of this. 

Remember: if you don't NEED it, DON'T buy it.

STAY BLESSED!

=)

Length Check, Gray Hair, and Naturally Occurring Highlights??

Exercise Physiology at its best...

I managed to slip away from studying for a bit to tell you about this week I've had wit my hair. -__- Don't get me wrong, it behaved beautifully, my twist out was bangin..I even did a pompadour & bun the other day that was all crinkly and sexy! Wish I'd gotten a picture of it..=/ 

Oh well, next time. 

Anyway...

A shot of my beautiful twistout & a progress shot. I can't even bench my own weight though..smh!! lmao

 

But, yeah this little fellow down here...

....yeah, ^him? He had to go. 

What had happened was, the day before I took my twists out, I saw this white hair stickin up and I was thinking..

"Oh gosh, one of my boyfriend's dog's hairs got into my freakin twist, GROSS!"

So I went to pull it and...yeah. It was attached.I almost CRIED. Hahaha! 

My mom started going gray in her 20s and once I saw this I was like,

"GREAT, now imma have start rinsing my hair -__-"

 After freakin out, and sending her pics while blamin her for this genetic trait...I took my hair shears and cut it out. I feel better now. lol

Yesterday, I noticed that I have naturally occurring highlights which is SO cool! You can only see it in the florescent or sunlight though. My hair's always a lighter brown when there's a flash on my camera, but there are distinctive light-dark brown sections, and dark-dark brown sections...I know I'm not goin crazy. lol

*shrugs* maybe I just wanna feel special =)

 Oh yeah, LENGTH CHECK! 

Hair as of 09/15/12

STAY BLESSED! =D

Yum Yums! : Spinach Provolone Mini Frittatas

 

Okay, so these babies are my pride and joy. Before I  even got back to school I told myself, 

"Self...we're gonna make mini frittatas."

What I did was wake up at the butt crack of dawn since I had no time the previous night, made them, popped them in the oven, took my shower, took them out of the oven, let them cool, ate two, contemplated on whether I was gonna eat three, put the remaining 4 in a Tupperware container, uncovered, and put them in the fridge to later be frozen so I could have them for the rest of the week..or into the next week. 

I RECOMMEND making this Sunday so that you have them for the rest of the week. You can freeze them, or just leave them in the fridge if you don't think they'll last that long and microwave them on your way out or while you're getting ready. There's really nothing to it, I mean.. I did it! And it was sooo helpful and effective!

Making these is exactly the same process as making regular frittatas...you just broil them in a muffin/cupcake pan instead of a skillet! 

Again, you can put just about ANYTHING in them..mines are spinach (typical) & provolone.

This entire recipe cost me about  $2.30

Yes, I costed out the recipe for yall...you're welcome. =)

When I went to the grocery store, I ONLY got what was on sale..I had no coupons this time which was a BUST. I spent $44, but I got a decent amount of stuff!

Anyway..

For this recipe I did not use the stove, AT ALL. 

I used my handy dandy coffee/griddle/toaster oven...

(I SO plan on callin it a CoDiddlEr from now on...FYI) 

Here it goes!

Spinach Provolone Mini Frittatas

Yields: 6, Serves: 3-6

 Ingredients:

4 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 Scallion, finely chopped

1/2 Onion, minced

1/4 tsp Fresh Thyme, finely chopped

1/4 Pack Frozen Spinach 

1/2 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 Tbsp Butter, Unsalted + 1/2 tsp

4 Eggs, Beaten 

1 oz 2% Milk 

1 Slice Provolone Cheese, rough chop about 1/2"

Salt and pepper to taste

Tools:
Muffin pan
Knife
Cutting Board
Spatula or Wooden Spoon
Preheat Oven to 350 F
Saute pan, if you don't have a CoDiddlEr, like me ;)

1.  Preheat your CoDiddlEr/ Griddle/ Saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp of the butter, allow it to melt, and then add your garlic, scallions, onions, thyme, spinach and red pepper flakes. Saute until onions are translucent.
2. Meanwhile, using the remaining 1/2tsp of butter, grease your muffin pan using either your fingers, a brush, or a paper towel.
3. Spoon equal amounts of the spinach mixture into each muffin cup and set aside.
4. Pool (crack) the eggs into a small bowl add milk, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and beat together. Stir in the pieces of provolone, saving 6 pieces to top the frittatas with.
5. Either pour or spoon equal amounts of the egg mixture into each muffin cup. Using a spoon, stir so that the egg is fully incorporated into the spinach mixture and top w/ a piece of provolone.
6. Put into oven and bake at 350 F 15-20 mins, or until egg has fully cooked. 

HAPPY EATING! =D

College Life: First Week Of School Woes

 

First day of class outfit..STYLIN.

I started my classes this week [Yippie! -__-] and quickly came to the realization that this semester is gonna require some HEAVY DUTY studying. *sighs* 

But I WILL try and get all my posts done on Thursday nights/ Fridays because Thursday is the beginning of my weekend..(one of the many perks of my school). 

Also, I only scheduled my classes for Tuesdays and Thursdays to give myself a little leeway when it comes to getting my assignments finished and studying the material we're covering. Even though I'm in culinary school, I don't have any culinary labs this semester so ALL of my recipes will, in deed, be me trying to eat healthy on a college budget. I'm going to do a post on couponing and determining good food sales from schemes.

On TOP of that, babygirl is tryna find a JOB cause I'm tired of being broke. lmao

This week, in terms of my meals, I have to say I was quite impressed with myself!

 I'm thinking of innovative ways to cook what I want without breaking the bank, and also creating breakfast ideas that are saving me some time in the morning!

Even though we have a full fledged kitchen, I've been cooking on my toaster oven/flat top griddle/coffee maker thing...

 

This bad boy is like...a gift from the college culinary, I-have-no-pots-yet-so-I-need-somethin-to-cook-on/in GODS. 

It is a 4 cup coffee maker, flat top griddle and  a toaster oven. And let me tell you, this thing has been puttin in WORK. 
I've had it since I went away to college the first time (Fall '09), but I never got the chance to actually get a good use out of it. Now that I'm more prepared to use it...I'm USING it! 
 If you're a college student in a dorm that doesn't allow any appliances, even though I don't SUGGEST that you break the rules [like I did] but this thing comes in handy. It was $40 if I remember correctly, and we got it from either Sears or JCPenny. This was like..3 years ago, so don't bet your bottom dollar that you're gonna walk in there and see it. But if you DO, or if they have another version of it w/ different stuff that you may like...by all means, BUY IT. 
 

In other news, I'm taking Exercise Physiology [OooOoooOoOOOo...no. lmao] 

This joint is gonna be the death of me, along with Statistics but that's a whole other story. 

Lemme tell you how the chapter on Nerves was freakin 20 pages long...20 PAGES, front and back..words, words, pictures and words. We had to study ALL of that, along with the chapter on atoms and memorize the skeletal structure of the human body. And this was all one night's HW on top of the rest of the HW that I had to do for my other 3 classes. I said, "uh uh, this is atrocious" and just studied the section summaries, glossary terms and called it a day. lmao I don't know how you medical students do it, but uhhhh..more power. *holds up fist*

I took that class because, since I LOVE to exercise, I want to learn how it effects our bodies and why. 

So I'd say that by the time this term is over, I'll be somewhat of a self-proclaimed genius about exercise...which means more info for yall..YAY!

The one thing I'm looking forward to with this class is actually going to the gym and applying what we learned. Yes, we go workout in this class (which is another reason why I'm takin it). We also have to develop a fitness regimen for ourselves based on what it is we're trying to achieve. 

I, personally, don't feel as though I need to change my regimen since I like the progress I'm getting, but I think it'll be nice setting a new goal for myself to reach, physically!

Wish me luck, cause imma be takin a few SIPS during this semester...

HAPPY LIVING!

LMFAO! I had to..

College Move-In/ DNC Rambling

I have OFFICIALLY moved back to Charlotte for school! Am I excited?? Ehhhhhh...

I love the layout of my new dorm though! 

Everyone has their OWN bedroom, Praise GOD.

There are 2 bathrooms! (2 ppl per bathroom) Thank you Jesus.

Kitchen, living room, AND we have a washer and dryer.

Amen.

The DNC has Charlotte on LOCK though. The day that I moved in (Saturday) there were police EVERYWHERE. They have them walking the streets in groups, the police were escorting buses past the stadium checking them to make sure there are no bombs on them, they aren't playing ANY GAMES. Consequently, I'm not in Charlotte at the moment; I'm currently visiting the boyfriend and the in-laws. I know yall are thinking, "WHAT IS WRONG WIT YOU?! WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANNA BE DOWN THERE DURING THIS TIME?!" I do.

 But in all honesty, I'm not in to politics. I WILL vote [for Obama] but as for all the rallies and parades and stuff? *shakes head* 

*bows down to her arms*

I watched our first lady's speech last night and damn near CRIED. Hahaha! Everything she said about living the "American Dream" and knowing what it's like to be in a position that many of us are in at this moment is true. And it's comforting to know that we have people in office that actually KNOW what it's like to grow up middle-lower middle class because they know what we're dealing with. 
What blew my mind was her hair though, cause it was killing me softly, on some real stuff. Her hair was ON. POINT. She is so elegant; it makes me wonder why girls/women don't look up to her more. 
 Can we get a round of applause for her arms & body though?? *standing ovation*
Baddest first lady in the game!

Anywhooz...

This is an age where women can sit down and give you a play by play on Love and Hip-Hop and Honey Boo Boo, but don't even know that the DNC is happening, or even WHAT the DNC is! It's sad to think that girls would more quickly look up to Nicki Minaj than to Gabrielle Douglass...it's disgusting, actually.

One day, I was in Walmart checking out and my niece (she's 12) saw a magazine with one of the chicks from 16 and Pregnant on it and was like, "Ooo!" And you know I picked up the one with my girl Gabby Douglass on the cover and I was like, "Yo, this girl is my idol!" and my niece was like, 

*sucks teeth* "Ain't nobody worried about her"

I said, "What the hell did you just say??" LMAO. I was mad offended, but anyway...

As a people, we REALLY need to get it together. There are people setting these ridiculous examples of what women and girls should be/act like and they're actually feeding into it! Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, the chicks on 16 & Pregnant, Bad Girls Club, Love & Hip-Hop to name a few...they're portraying images that makes me worry about what these girls midsets are. All this fighting, being slutty, getting pregnant...NONE of these are mistakes anymore! Girls are losing their virginity younger and younger..and it's NOT because they aren't being given "the talk" because, "the talk" is basically everywhere you LOOK. Every Trey Songz music video is the damn "talk!" What girls nowadays need are positive role models to look up to, and if you're allowing your kid to look up to Nicki Minaj and the chicks on the Bad Girls Club..then maybe you need to evaluate yourself as well.

*shrugs*

HAPPY LIVING!

Yum Yums: Quick and Easy Veggie Fritatta

One of my best friends and my niece were staying at my house and I was running out of breakfast ideas, FAST. I had just gone produce shopping the day before so my fridge was STOCKED with vegetables for me to use. We had a dozen and a half carton of eggs and some cheese, so I decided to make a fritatta! Now, I've never made a fritatta...but I DO believe that this came out freakin AMAZING. I honestly wished that I had made another one.

 For this recipe, you don't HAVE to use fresh vegetables. I know how difficult it is to find produce at reasonable prices, ESPECIALLY when you're on a budget. Frozen vegetables will do just fine, but one thing I'll recommend is after sauteing is to pour out any extra liquid they may extract. 

You can use anything you want in your fritatta, the possibilities are practically ENDLESS.

Don't get TOO crazy w/ the creativity and start throwin uncooked rice and oatmeal and stuff in there cause uhhhh...ew.

One thing I was thinking about, for us busy [college] folk, would be to make this sometime on Sunday, let it cool, cut it and place it in either individual Ziplocs or small Tupperware containers and freezing them so that when you're in a rush, or on the go in the morning, you can just heat up a slice in the microwave and be on your way!

Veggie Fritatta

Serves 3-6
Prep Time: 10-15 mins
Cook Time: 10-15 mins

1/4 of a large Onion, small dice

4 cloves of Garlic, minced

3 c. Fresh Spinach, washed, sauteed and chopped

2 c. Fresh Broccoli Florets, washed and blanched

1 Red Bell Pepper, small dice

2 Fresh Basil Leaves, chiffonade

1/4 tsp Red Pepper flakes

2 tbsp Canola Oil

5 Eggs, beaten 

1/2 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

3 slices of tomato

1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Preheat broiler on High

1. Heat a medium sized iron cast skillet over medium heat, add oil. Add vegetables and red pepper flakes and saute' until broccoli is fully cooked.
2. Add the cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to your eggs and whisk until fully incorporated. Add eggs to the skillet and allow it to cook for about 2 mins, or until it is halfway done.
3. Place the tomato slices on top, and then sprinkle the cheese over the entire fritatta.
4. Place fritatta in the oven and bake until cheese is melted.
5. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

*IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BROIL SETTING IN YOUR OVEN: Right after you place your eggs in the pan, add the tomatoes and cheese and bake in the oven at 350 F for 5 mins, or until egg is cooked.

HAPPY EATING! =D

Yum Yums: Chicken Fricassee

So I decided to try out this Chicken Fricassee I saw on this blog that I follow called Nibble Me This and it came out BANGIN!!

Check him out, he has some pretty good recipes! 

I did change a few things in terms of preparation and ingredients, so you can look and compare and choose which one you wish to follow!

5 Chicken leg quarters, separated ( will result in 5 legs and 5 thighs)

1 tbsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tbsp Black Pepper

1 tbsp Onion Powder

1/2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper

2 tbsp Canola/ Vegetable Oil

1 Can Chicken Broth
2 c. Vegetable Broth

1 head of Garlic, minced

1/2 onion, small dice
1 red bell pepper, small dice
3 slices of bread, cubed ( I honestly just used some hot dog rolls since we didn't have any bread.)
3 leave Fresh Basil, rough chop
1 tsp Fresh Rosemary, rough chop
1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme, rough chop
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 c. cream
Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven 350 F

1. Rinse off the legs & thighs and pat dry. Season thoroughly with salt, pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. 
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (if the oil is smoking, it's too hot). Making sure the skin is fully covering the meat, place about 3 pieces of chicken in the pan to sear at a time. Make sure that you hear a loud sizzle when you place the pieces in because you want to form a nice brown color on the skin. Sear the chicken on each side an set aside on a sheet tray lined with a sheet rack. 
3. Once all chicken is seared, finish in oven for about 10-15mins or until thigh reads 165F.
4. In the same pan, on medium heat, saute onions, garlic and pepper for about 2 mins. Stir in the bread until it is all generously covered in oil/fat. Add chicken broth and, using a whisk or wooden spoon, scrape of the bottom of the pan to lift off the fond- little brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan from searing. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. 
5. Whisk the mixture so that the bread breaks up, but leaves no visible lumps. Add the veg stock and allow it to simmer until it's thickened. Once thickened, after about 5 mins,  stir in basil, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes and cream. 
6. Taste your sauce, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
7. Add all chicken back to the pan and allow to simmer for another 3 mins.
8. ENJOY!

I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I did! I was surprised at how unbelievably delicious this was...just thinking about it has me starving! 

HAPPY EATING!

No More Store Brought Hair Products

I've made the decision to try and shy away from as many store brought hair products as possible due to the fact that I had a significant allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioner. 

When I tell you, I was soo upset at this cause Cantu was my MAIN staple product before I went off to NC. I don't know if they've changed their ingredients or not but I used my new bottle of Cantu on my twists, like always, but for some reason my cheeks and my hairline broke out, and my scalp would be itching like CRAZY. 

The next time I twisted my hair, I used regular shea butter and had no breakout. 

Since I've cut that product, along with countless others, I've found that my skin has been clearing up. 

Right now, I only use Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap to cleanse my scalp, baking soda to scrub occasionally, Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner, Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Coconut Milk, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera Juice/Gel, Mayonnaise, Eggs and Flax Seed Gel.

I believe that less is more when it comes to my hair- it doesn't like too much product and I find that it responds best to things in their natural form. Using all-natural products/ ingredients has also been beneficial to my super sensitive skin. I am very acne prone and it seems like the smallest change in my regimen will break me out.

Right side

Left side

I've decided to do KinkyCurlyCoilyMe's Castor Oil Challenge for the fall to grow my edges back, because they've been thinning ALOT and I aint tryna be on no Naomi Campbell stuff...

(No she didn't)

Yes I did. LOL

Once I begin the challenge I will keep you guys posted.

Stay blessed!

=)

FIT: My body as of 8/27/2012

BUST: 34 1/2"

WAIST: 28"

HIPS: 39"

WEIGHT: 143.3lbs

My last measurement post

 My goal to maintain has been successful!!

I lost some hips though...no bueno. =, / 

..but at least my abs are rockin ;)

My diet has been mostly the same...with the addition of some occasional cheats. 
I still basically eat everything I want to, I just incorporate more vegetables and fruits into my day. I don't drink soda, AT ALL. I don't eat fast food, except the occasional Wendy's, Chic-fil-a or Subway.

When I make my plate, half of the plate is vegetables, 1/4 starch and 1/4 meat. 
I also eat all of my vegetables before I move on to the starch and protein.
I incorporate fruits and vegetables in to EVERY meal, including breakfast. I recently made a Veggie Fritatta that was freakin delicious! I plan on having that recipe to you guys soon.

 Making sure I eat a variety of fruits and vegetables has been helpful in terms of digestive health & bathroom-going. [T.M.I?]

My next diet goal is giving up white breads/ pastas, gearing towards more whole grain choices. I also plan on giving up refined sugar and flour. 
Wish me [add my wallet] luck!!

HAPPY HEALTH!!!