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

Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe

My Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe (25lb Turkey)

Ingredients:

Turkey
Olive Oil
Stick of margarine
1 Red Onion
4 celery Stalks
1 Green Pepper
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Ms. Dash
Salt Pepper
Sage
Cooking Bag

First things first, make sure that the turkey is properly thawed. There are guidelines. Search the Internet for that info. Remove the turkey from the packaging and rinse it off good, under cold water. DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE EXTRAS!! In every turkey there are a few pieces that are in plastic bags inside the bird. Get those out. (I throw mine out, but my mother says you can make stuff out of it. I don't know anything about that.)

After rinsing, melt the stick of butter in a bowl, after the butter is melted, add a 1/4 cup of olive oil to it. Use a brush or your hands to lather this oil mixture all over your turkey. Generously season the bird with Lawry's Seasoning Salt, Ms. Dash, Salt, Pepper & Sage. You be the judge of how much. I like a lot so i season a lot. Cover the entire bird with seasoning.

Roughly chop your veggies in big chunks and stuff the bird with them. This flavors the bird from the inside.

Place your bird in the appropriate sized cooking bag that is specifically made for the oven. Follow the instructions that come with the bags. These bags, no matter the brand, are a life saver. If you follow the time instructions, you will have a perfect, juicy, thoroughly cooked bird every time.

3 Helpful Party Planning Tips!

3 tips to ensure a perfect holiday meal or gathering every time!

*Make sure you know how many are coming! RSVP's don't have to be complicated. Figure out who you want to invite, and then confirm. It does not have to be formal. Call them, e-mail them, whatever, but get a confirmation. It may not seem important, but I have been to many a get-together where there wasn't enough food or drink for the invited guests.

*Plan your menu. In my family, people always offer to help. Don't be afraid to allow them to. Ask people what they want to bring and include it in the menu. My sister likes to bake. I don't. So I let her bring the desserts, and she is glad to do it. It makes for a wonderful variety of items and saves the host time and money. I went a step further and after confirming and compiling a list of things that people wanted to bring, I sent the entire menu out in an e-mail to everyone that confirmed. The menu included the list of all items and who would bringing/preparing each thing. Once everyone knows what to expect, they can start gathering their ingredients as well as add to the list or make suggestions, if there is something missing.

*Set a start/end time and stick to it! If its supposed to start at 4pm, start it at 4pm. This means that your guest need to be arriving at least a half hour beforehand. Don't be scared to insist on this. That whole "CP time" thing is a bunch of BS!! (If you don't know what "CP Time" is, Google it.) I expect people to be punctual. Habitual Lateness is, in my opinion, disrespectful and rude. Hosting is not easy. As much as you may adore your family and friends, even they need a cut off point. Don't wear yourself out. Set the guidelines for your own sanity.

Happy Holidays & Welcome to My Blog!!

It's Christmas Time! I can't think of a better time to start a blog! In order to be PC, I say, "Happy Holidays to you all!" Whatever it is that you celebrate, I hope you have a good one. I sure did and still am. I went completely festive this year. Perfectly trimmed artificial tree, full of all of the things that my children have crafted throughout the years. I'm sorry, but i despise a color coordinated Christmas tree. It seems so cold and impersonal to me. We go crazy on our tree and i let the kids put what they made on it, this way we can we can remember each year. lol, my husband called our tree a "Kwanzaa Tree". It is very colorful and i arranged a piece of beautiful fabric at the base of the tree. The fabric has a very distinct African textile motif to it and was very complimentary to the tree. OK please don't hate on the fact that my tree is artificial. It is. Real trees are just too much work as far as I am concerned. Consider it me, being green... By not killing a tree every year am I not helping the environment? I had lovely candles throughout the house with scents like apple Cinnamon and cranberry. We hung stockings over the fireplace, much to my daughters delight. I hosted 15 for dinner on Christmas Night. It was like a black version of a Norman Rockwell Painting over here! For real! I stayed up all night on Christmas Eve and prepared what I consider to be a traditional African American Christmas Dinner. It consisted of: Turkey, Ham, Greens, Macaroni & Cheese, CornBread Dressing, Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Several Pies and Cakes, and Dinner Rolls. Leave your diets at the door! Our guests consisted of family and friends. Everyone that came, brought a dish or a bottle. I believe that is a cultural thing as well: To bring something for the host when invited to a party. I don't know. It's how I was raised, and how we all did things in my generation, so... Give me some feedback on that, as to whether its an etiquette thing or a cultural thing. 15 in all, we greeted, caught up with each other, introductions made where necessary, a prayer circle where everyone told of their blessings, a blessing over the food, and then the feast. Traditional for us is: All food is set up in the kitchen buffet style, every pan or dish holds a different treasure. People help themselves. Tables and chairs are set up in other rooms. Most are at the large table, kids at another table. We are working class folk and that's how we do it. As we eat, we laugh, talk loud, tell stories, sing songs. Christmas music plays in the background as we enjoy each other on this Christmas Holiday. I look around the room, panning, I see, My mother, my daughter, my husband, my son, my aunt, my sister, my stepdad, my good friend, a new friend, an old friend, etc. All smiling. All happy. I couldn't ask for a better Christmas.

For New Years Eve, I will be hosting another gathering.

Menu: Gumbo, Cornbread, Corn, Greens, Black Eyed Peas, & Rice

Guests: Family & Friends

Stay Tuned!!