White Taco Salad Recipe

This is a summertime favorite for me and my family. My Aunt Joyce used to make it for us when we were kids. I make it for my children now. Enjoy!

White Taco Salad

Ingredients:
2 lbs - Ground Beef
2 pks - Ranch Salad Dressing (The dry kind that you mix)
Milk
1/4 cup of onions
1/4 cup green peppers
1 - Can of Red Beans (drained)
Tortilla Chips
1 - Med. Tomato
1 - Head of lettuce
16 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook ground beef. Add Onions and Green Pepper to the meat while it's cooking. Drain.
Mix Ranch Salad Dressing together according to the instructions on the package. (Use Milk if it calls for Buttermilk.)
Chop Tomato
Chop Lettuce

In a large bowl combine: Cooked ground beef, Salad Dressing mixture, & drained red beans. Mix with a large spoon until white dressing is blended throughout.. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Serve it cold over tortilla chips and garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. A wonderful summer treat but can be enjoyed all year!!

Savannah

My hubby and I traveled to Savannah, Georgia to celebrate our 8th year of wedded bliss ;-) What a wonderful getaway it turned out to be. It's just a hop, skip & jump away from Atlanta...3.5 hours I think. It misted the entire time we were there, but that was no problem. We tried to see all that we could in our short little weekend, so as instructed by friends, we walked River Street, ate @ Paula Deen's, & took the Ghost Tour. In the midst of all that typical touristy stuff I was able to "feel" Savannah. It is a beautifully spooky place with its cobblestone streets, graveyards, "squares", historic structures, etc. Walking through the historic district is truly like going back in time. I was in awe of the many Oak trees covered in Spanish moss with branches that hang over and shade sidewalks and walkways. They made everything feel so lush and green, almost cozy. Standing next to First African Baptist Church while finding out that it is one of the oldest African American congregations churches in the U.S. gave me goosebumps. How many and who have stood here before me? River Street with all of its original buildings - warehouses that are now restuarants, gift shops, and bars was lost in a sea of drunk visitors. Savannah was one of the MAJOR ports of entry for millions of African Slaves... How many of my ancestors may have come thru here? That is all that I could think about while I was there. Not in a sad way, but in a, respectful-remembrance-acknowledgement way. Knowing that Savannah and all its former splendor was accomplished on the backs of the African Slave...I can't help but feel that. The Ghost Tour was amazing! Our tour guide was very dramatic and lively. her stories sent chills up my spine! This was ok because it allowed me to snuggle closer to my hubby. Who would have thought that a walking/riding spoooky tour with a stranger telling scary stories on a chilly February evening...in Savannah... would be so romantic. It was.

Of course we ate at Paulaah Deeeen's (I try to type in my best Southern drawl). I am a HUGE Paula Deen fan, so that was a real treat for me. The whole process was exciting. If you've been there you know you have to get there at a certain time in the morning to put your name on a list to eat later on. When we went back at our designated time, we were immediately seated, and oh ok, i know...Paula Deen was not there, not like she's really gonna be there. I know this, but I was thrilled none the less! Like the going -to- the- fair- for- the- very- first- time sort of thrilled. I ordered the Crab Stew which blew my mind, so creamy, cheezy, buttery, and the crabmeat...succulent. I also had the Savannah Crab Cake. This thing was huge first of all and served on a bed of black beans and rice with onions. You have to close your eyes when you eat it...that's all I'm saying. My husband went with the buffet, which includes various southern/soul food dishes. Yes, I sampled from his plate...sweet potatoes, fried chicken, collard greens, mac & cheese, etc all perfectly prepared and delectable. I am out of adjectives. All in All it was a fantastic little getaway. I truly enjoyed it and will definately go back (for a longer visit next time).

Sistah Chick Reviews "Mixed Chicks" Hair Products

About a month ago I was surfing the web for Natural HairStyles/products (like always) and i landed on this site http://www.naturallycurly.com/ . It was through this site that 2 very important things happened. #1 I was able to determine what my hair type is. #2 I was able to find the perfect products for my hair types (notice i said -typeS). The hairtyping system was developed by Andre Walker (Oprah's Stylist). It categorizes hair into types ranging from Type 1 Straight Hair, Type 2 Wavy Hair, Type 3 curly hair and Type 4 Kinky Hair. There are also subtypes like Type 2a (fine), 2b (textured), or 2c thick). All of this info is explained in detail in his book Andre Talks Hair (Which I have had sitting on my bookshelf for years but only recently cracked open and actually read). Taking care of your natural hair without know what type of hair you have is a total waste of time and money, as hopefully you have read in my previous posts. Hairtype is so very important and the folks at NaturallyCurly have taken this science a step further by recommending products for each hair type. With all of that being said, I have determined that my hair has various types. I would say that I am 3b/c (tight corkscrews)around the front and back of my head, the right side of my hair is also a bit thicker than the left, I got a small patch in the back portion of my head that is 4a(kinky). Of the products that were listed for my hairtype was Mixed Chicks Leave In Conditioner. The name of the product alone made me curious enough to at least see what it was about, so I went to the product website. No, I am not mixed but like I said the name made me curious. I was delighted to find on http://mixedchicks.net/index.html some products that i thought would work for me. My goal? To find a product that would not only define the natural curls in my hair but sustain that look throughout the day and possibly into the next all the while keeping my hair soft to the touch but not greasy/sticky or oily. I also desired uniformity in my hair with minimal shrinkage. HALLELUJAH! I have found this in Mixed Chicks Hair Products!! (DisClaimer - What's in a name? - Mixed Chicks is not JUST for Mixed people. Its for all people. don't let the name scare you off. But be advised if you think that using these products will make your hair look like a typical mixed persons hair (don't act like you dont know what I mean by that!) you are delusional. These products dont GIVE you mixed hair! They do, however, enhance what you already have) In other words use wisdom. OK?
I am so happily satisfied with this product! Mixed Chicks came through for me with flying colors and does exactly what it says it will! I ordered the Trio which is Mixed Chicks Shampoo, Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner & Mixed Chicks Leave In Conditioner. I watched the tutorials on the website (which were verrry helpful) my order was delivered timely and I was quickly off to try my new find. The application process is simple. Wash with the shampoo. Deep Condition according to instructions. Apply Leave in conditioner to freshly washed & conditioned dripping wet hair. Again I will mention my previous posts for written proof of other processes. This process was sooo easzy and like the products claim my hair dried quickly, uniformly and definitively. Its like the Leave in literally grabbed my hair while wet, locked in those luscious shower wet curls, and held on to them while they dried. Once COMPLETELY dry I was left with a head full of beautifully kinky corkscrews that smelled good, were soft to the touch. As an added experiment. I rewet my hair on the 2nd day and applied just the leave in. The results were the same after the air drying process. To be even more sure that this was the product for me...I slept on my curly hair with no cap and no satin pillow. The next day - Hair was still full of curls. I did that 3 days in a row and the results were beautifull! Ok on the 5th day I looked like Shrek..lmao but still. I even ran through mild rain showers to see what would happen. I lost body once the rain got it damp. But that body quickly returned once the hair was dry. This stuff is the shyt and very much worth a try if you're lookin, so please...check it out!! I have reached Hair Nirvana. 3 weeks in and I am still continuously looking for problems with this product. Is it drying my hair out? No. Is my hair a tangled wirey mess after using this product? NO. Is my hair predictable now? YES. Can I attend an occasion now without worrying about what my dramatic natural hair will do? YES.

HairStory - Days of My Napps

As many of you Natural girls know the road to NappiHappiness ain't easy. If you were like me, you've had relaxers in your hair for many years and dont even know what the natural pattern is. After my big chop I was pleasantly surprised to find a head full of small coils. While growing my hair out i mostly wore it in an afro. I am fortunate to be able to work from home so only my family and friends saw my hair as it transitioned from relaxed to natural. Their reaction has been pretty positive. i have been at this for almost 3 years, and have used various products. Finding products developed for natural hair hasn't been easy. I'll be honest and tell you that in the beginning, i never really thought that much about it. My hair routine had gotten so much easier, what else did i need to worry about? I started off with washing my hair once a week, but wetting it everyday to achieve the ringlets that I wanted. The wash included shampooing & Conditioning with Garnier Fructis. I used the conditioner as my comb thru. I would completely resaturate my towel dried hair with Infusium Leave In Conditioner for dry/damaged hair. I would then apply a palm full of Pink Lotion Hair Moisturizer, a follow with a quarter size dollop of Loreal Melting Gel. This was a MESSY process. It left my hair really curly in some parts and poofy in others. Once my hair dried it remained sticky to the touch. Think Coming to America when SOUL-Glo's parents were sittin on the couch. Yep, I think I had a Jheri Curl, Even tho I was using everything made for dry hair, my hair was not being moisturized and it was left dry and damaged. I was also experiencing a lot of shedding. TRIAL/ERROR (I told you it wasn't easy!) Eventually, my routine transitioned to washing once a week using Garnier Fructis Shampoo for Curly Hair. I changed my comb thru deep conditioner to Motions CPR (Critical, Protection, Repair) mixed in with Garnier Fructis Conditioner for Curly Hair. While my hair is still very damp I sprayed with Infusium Frizzologie Leave In Conditioner and followed with a palm full of Motions Conditioning Cream. This process seemed to do a good job of keeping my hair moisturized. It was a little oily to the touch, but not too bad. The shrinkage that i experienced with this routine was insane. By now my hair is shoulder length when straightened with a blow dryer(I would blow it out straight periodically to cut my ends evenly), however, it would shrink to a short afro during the drying process. Once completely dry, I could then pick and pull it out to a reasonably curly afro. I found that as hours of the day went on tho that my afro would get poofy, frizzy and unruly. I didnt mind this so much, but it was unpredictable. On a humid day, I would get a huge out of control mane and on dry days I would get the curls that I wanted but this never lasted into the next day. I was continuously having to rewet and reapply all of the products and would get different results after every application. If I am just chillin in my hood or with my fam/friends this is not a problem but a learning experience, HOWEVER! Not good on special occasions because i could never know what my hair would do. Various headbands & scarves became my perfect standbys in case of Hairtastrophies. (HairStory within a HairStory - Had a business meetin in FL. Got my hair into a nice perfect afro. It was dry and cutely cropped. Fell asleep on the plane and woke to find the back of my hair completely flattened, stiff and unmoisturized. The front was doing its own thing. I had no products, no supplies, not even a comb. I remedied this by wetting the back of hair in the bathroom and applying some hand lotion from my purse. I picked at it and blended it and got it all to at least look uniformily wet (but not dripping) and just prayed that I could get in and out of that meeting and back on the plane home before my hair dried again! OOPS was still in early learning stages!! LOL) My hair is like a Soap Opera - Days of My Napps, All My Napps, One Nap to Live, etc...lol its a different HairStory everyday!

My Natural Hair Journey

If you haven't recognized by my profile pic already, I am one of them "Natural" Sistahs. The word "Natural" refers to my hair and the fact that I do not perm it or alter my nappy hair texture by straightening it. I have been natural since 2006. My natural hair journey has been in the making for many years I believe. Taking the step to actually make it happen came in waves (no pun intended)before i decided that I was going to do it. Here is my road to change:



#1. I moved to Atlanta in 2000 and was happy to see MANY sistahs with various natural styles that I adored but was never bold enough to try.

#2. With the hot summers here in the south I was constantly pulling my former permed shoulder length hair up into a pony tail.

#3. I asked my beautician to chop it all off into a short bobbish style that was inspired by Missy Elliots hair in her Lose Control video.

#4. keepin it real, in 2006 my hubby got laid off and i couldnt afford them 100 bucks a pop/3 hour beauty shop visits anymore, so I cut the perm out (the big chop)and my natural hair journey began.



Getting to know my hair in it's natural state was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. I haven't looked back since. Am I trying to make a statement? Maybe...wearing my hair this way is like screaming to the world, "I'm me! I'm Free! Get Used to It!!!" That's what it is for me anyway. LOL. I am not even going to go into the whole black self hatred thing or how we as a people have brought some of mental remnants of slavery into the millenium with us. Not gonna talk about the 1- drop rule and the systematic denigration of our people...Oh, and I am not going to talk about so called "good hair" and how your hair is considered to be "good" if its a certain texture and "bad" if its a kinkier texture. Nope. Not going there. This is all about me, and loving myself... just as I am. Natural is more than just nice. I get way more compliments on my hair when we go out and My hubby LOVES my hair natural and he constantly tells me so. When we go out, I am frequently stopped and complimented/asked about my hair. He enjoys that. He also likes the way it smells, when I was permed up it smelled different I guess. The versatility of my natural hair also enhances our relationship too, I think. When we go on vacation I don't have to hide or cover my hair, cause it may be humid or raining. When its time to jump in the pool..I jump. without worrying about whats going to happen to it or spending hours to get it back "right". When we shower together I dont have to put that ugly cap on, cause I am not scared to get my hair wet anymore. It's very liberating in all aspects!

Presidential Inauguration Day - 2009

I did not eat today, until after the Inauguration. My thought was that the inauguration of America's 44th President - Barack Obama was something that I would never see in my lifetime. I did not want to take a chance and choke on my breakfast and miss the whole thing! Think about how many people died before noon today. They didnt get to witness the swearing in of our 1st African American President. I spent the day creating a video diary of my self and my family and how we spent the day. In the future when someone asks where i was on this day, I can just hand them a flash drive. My emotions ran the gammut today, from highly elevated excitement to sheer nervousness, to the surreal. I felt many things, but mainly I felt pride. I had an extra little pep in my step today. I did EVERYthing with pride today. I cried when I listened to Rick Warren's prayer. I smiled when I saw The President and First Lady get out of the car and walk. I laughed with joy when they showed the footage live from Kenya with thousand of people celebrating their native son. I screamed when he raised his right hand!! Mr. President Obama looked so dashing and suave, but also strong, confident and determined. His vibe was very evident. First Lady Michelle...omg! What an elegant and lovely woman she is. Her demeanor is submissive, the way she looks at him, it is also strong...that is HER man, and she has his ear and his back before any other...The adminstration needs to recognize that imo. Michelle is a very well versed, educated and intelligent Black woman. She is not to be messed with....believe that. My husband expressed it this way, "Babe? It's 2009... We are in our 40's, aaand we got a Black President! What the????" LMAO When my daughter came home from school, she said, "Mommy, I think I will be the first black FEMALE president!" And she can be. SHE can be. she CAN be. I am emotionally exhausted. In the eloquent words of Ms. Erykah Badhu... "Oh what a day...What a day, what a day..."

Sausage & Cream Cheese Breakfast Rolls

This is a family fav. I make these rolls whenever I have a day off and the whole fam is at home.

16oz breakfast sausage
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4 cans Crescent Rolls

Turn your oven on to 350 and sit your Cream Cheese in the center of your stove. This softens it to get it ready for this recipe. Brown your sausage in a skillet like you would hamburger meat for tacos, when the meat is almost done cooking, toss in your onions and continue cooking until the sausage is completely done. Drain. Toss your Cream Cheese into the skillet with the sausage(slice the cream cheese up in cubes to make it easier to blend.). Stir this mixture over a low flame until it is creamy. Open your Crescent Rolls and begin to place a spoonful of the Sausage/Cream Cheese mixture into the center. fold the two small corners of the crescent rolls up, with the mixture in the middle and then roll. Place each roll on on a cookie sheet until the sheet is full with a reasonable space between each roll. Bake in the preheated oven according to the Crescent Roll instructions. When they are golden brown they are done. Remove from the oven and cool. You may have some of the mixture left. You can store this in the fridge and use it again. It will stay fresh for about a week if sealed and refridgerated properly. Serve with grape jelly, although some of my guests have requested salsa, ketchup, syrup etc. as garnishes. Whateva's your flava. Enjoy!!

New Discoveries

What is Daylight Savings Time? Is the moon really made of cheese? How do you make a street? Will you live on the moon with me when i become an astronaut? How does the toothfairy know when my teeth fall out? Can I stay with you forever? These are just some of the questions that I have been asked by my daughter recently. She is 6 years old. Some i can answer, some I can't. But all are Intriguing to me. It's the way her mind works. She hasn't seen a lot, so everything is brand new to her, and she wants to know all about it. New discovery must be amazing. I gave her a chocolate covered pretzel during the holidays. Her eyes lit up with amazement, with the first bite. When she could talk she said, "Wow! That tastes good Mommy!, who invented these?" lol. She really cracks me up. But imagine tasting that sweet chocolate together with the crispy, slightly salty, crunch of a pretzel for the 1st time!! Amazing I would think. So through my daughter I am learning to be delighted in new discoveries. It doesnt even matter how small the discovery is. I just noticed just today, that when the morning sun hits our french deck doors in a certain way, i can see some swirlies, drawn by a little 6 year old finger on the glass of one of the panes. My sister was over yesterday and i was watching her face as she talked... I rediscovered how pretty she is. The list goes on...and so do I...Pay attention to the small things

Happy New Year!

Wow! What a year! If the rest of 2009 is going to be anything like the way we brought it in, then we are in for another GREAT Year! We brought in the New Year @ home, like we do every year. I believe that you ought to bring each year in the way you intend to live it. For me it is with Peace, Prosperity, & Family. My husband, my daughter and I sat in front of a fire, with The New Years Rockin Eve fesitivites on TV in the background. I prepared Gumbo, Collard Greens, CornBread, Corn on the Cob, Sweet Potatoes and Rice. We watched the ball drop as well as the Peach Drop (Atl) in the comfort of our own home. I poured libations of Sparkling wine for my hubby and I, and Sparkling Grape Juice for my daughter. We toasted the new year and hugged and kissed one another @ the stroke of midnite. Once the rest of my family members brought in their own New Years (most spent @ Church Watch Services), everyone convened at my house for food and drink. Not many, just 9 - w/My Mom and Dad, and My Sister and her hubby, my son and his girlfriend.. We ate and drank into the wee hours of the morning. We brought 2009 in with Peace, Tranquility, Satisfaction, Fullfillment, Laughter, & Smiles. So if my wish is fulfilled for 2009, I will apply our traditions in this way. The feast that i prepared represents Prosperity. The love that we shared, represents Peace. Our togetherness represents Family. It will be a great year.

Mi Familia

Mom & Dad

Sis & Hubby

Son & GF
BabyGirl

Us