Sommer J's Relaxed to Natural Journey!

I wasn't sure when I cut all my hair off after having a micro braids in WAY too long whether I was going to stay natural. My impatience and watching many many "BIG CHOP" you tube videos inspired me to chop my hair off. I really wanted to go natural because my hair was thinning badly, it would stop growing after a certain length. Perhaps because I didn't put a lot of TLC into my hair. Back when I was in college, I'd keep my hair braided up under a bandanna and my hair grew so fast and very long. Then I let little girls play in it along with the stress of another transition in my life (moving out on my own -forcibly) and then joining the military feeling like I let everyone down because of my declining college grades was NOT good for my hair one bit. I don't have any pictures from that time, but I was known as the "the tall girl with long pretty hair" sometimes it was "tall girl with pretty curly hair" when I'd stretch my relaxers and wear braid outs or wash n goes (on relaxed hair!). I then joined the military, my hairdresser begged me to go natural years ago, but i thought it would be too much work, and I had to look neat and tight as a military member. Oh how uneducated I def was. From then on my hair went from bad to worse. With my multiple pregnancies, busy life, bad coloring jobs by my self, bad perms, bad weaves, my poor hair got no love. Even when I thought I was trying. I really was. Lets begin!

This is me about 2 weeks after delivering my youngest. I had lots of braid styles the months prior to his birth. It grew thicker, not much longer. However....

We moved a few weeks later and transitioning, getting settled in our new life, my hair's health definitely took a toll

I looked to weaves to help retain length. That didn't work. The hairstylist criticized my hair's health with no advice. and the weaves never looked good after a couple weeks

\

2nd weave

Hats were my friend...particularly this wool hat in all climates. 

I didn't want to go back to the same salon so i removed the sew in myself. Hoping to see some length I was sorely disappointed and cut my hair

Still very unhappy with my hair and my appearance I got a haircut. Hoping for a pixie cut, I didn't get one just a normal cut. It was cute for maybe a month

So then I went searching for hairdressers who did braids, preferably home visits as my husband was deployed. And thankfully I did! She did an amazing job! They were so tight not one braid fell out...not sure if that's good or bad, especially for a hair novice like myself

They started looking tired after 3 months, but I had no time and no help with my husband deployed so they were in my hair for 5 months!

I started removing them myself even went out for drinks with a friend. My trusty hat! LOL

BIG CHOP END OF OCTOBER 2011

Finally, I HAD IT! Watching you tube about natural hair journeys, a feat I nearly took on in'08 but chickened out. I considered be natural this time, but wasn't sure whether or not I would perm my hair in the next months. 

I didn't take many pics because i was very self conscious. That HAT again.

MONTH 1 November

Then the inevitable happened, my brother died. I didn't give a flip about my hair. When I went back to the states, my sister offered to braid my hair, a break and kind gesture i sorely needed at the time.

December

Low maintenance hair sorely needed during the holidays and grieving stages

January

Did an uneven cut on my braids. Was annoyed at its length ;-)

February

Hair is getting old

March

Debuted my hair to most of the world. Got a lot of compliments. This is a twist out btw 

April

I had these braids for a month in a half this is at the tail end lol.

June no pics from May. This is me and my Stepson and my littlest man!

 

I picked out the coils in July :-)

I straightened and colored in July. A bit of a disaster. but I deep conditioned like a champ

In August my hair started looking and feeling healthy again

Awesome wash n go!

My Curly Babies

This is a two day old twist out which I stretch using the multiple pineappling method. So much easier than twisting every single night!

September's shrinking wash n go

Going out on a date with the husband in October

Finally tried Naptural85's winter wash n go as i had some length and I loved the results! And my wash n go looked a lot more stretched than normal!

Twist out in Scotland cute styles didn't hold up while we were in the UK due to sooo much rain!

December in Switzerland I had a only the front with the twist out and the rest of my hair in twists with conditioner in a baggie under my beanie!

Same method in Austria. Only I had bantu knots! The front is a bantu knot out

FINALLY a two  day old wash n go side fro. Looks like my wash n goes are looking a bit longer!

I am not going to preach to anyone about going natural. I did this for me! Some days I dream of the a relaxer then I remember how limp and weak my hair was. My hair now fights back and will let me know if a style or product I am using is wack. This journey is perfect for ME. There are a lot of women who use relaxers and their hair is amazingly healthy. Women no matter what race, hair type you are, all your hair wants need is a little tender love and care. You will definitely see the results.

So happy to have support from my great family. Look for a video soon featuring me and my husband. Oooh boy

14 months natural and hopefully for the rest of my life :-)

Wordless Wednesday: Spicie Foodie's Apple Chai Muffins

I ordered Spicie Foodie's Cookbook, "Epiphany of the Spices" from Lulu last month and received my copy last week. Just in time as I ready to do my weekly menu plan. This gorgeous cookbook is full of flavorful, healthy, delicious, foods for the soul! So happy to have received my copy.

Yesterday after doing a bit of shopping in the freezing, "ig'nant" cold, I couldn't have picked a better time to make her Apple Chai Muffins with Chai glaze. These slight sweet, popping with flavor, and bit "spicie" were a big hit with my whole family!  And I enjoyed the first muffin while my little ones slept with a warm cup of black tea (i added some of the chai cream cheese glaze to it, mmmmmmm!).

Sweet Potato Oatmeal with Honey Toasted Walnuts

I love love sweet potatoes. You all may have noticed that from my some of my blogposts.
While checking out some healthy recipes out on www.Shape.com, I came across Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal from the Oh She Glows blog. It looked so delicious and beautiful I had to pin on Pinterest to try later.

Speaking of Pinterest- anyone else addicted to that site? I've tried so many crafts and decorating ideas from there. Not mention, the dinner I cooked last night were from pins I found there.

Anyway, back to the oatmeal. I changed a few things about this recipe to make to my own taste and it was great. It takes maybe 15 minutes to put together. However, I would use pecans over walnuts as pecans has a mellower flavor than the robust walnuts. It was still very good and not overly sweet. Perfect. If you don't like sweet potatoes, use canned pumpkin or pureed roasted pumpkin. Hope y'all try this :)


Sweet Potato Oatmeal 
Inspired by Oh She Glows
Serves 3-4 depending on your appetite!

Ingredients
1/3 cup regular oats
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 cup sweet potatoes (steamed in microwave or roasted)
1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)

3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon course salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

For toppings:
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon honey

Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

Wash and dry a sweet potato, then prick all over with a fork. Then microwave uncovered for five minutes. If it's not soft by then, microwave 1 minute, check; if it's not soft, microwave* a minute at a time until it's done. Allow to cool slightly, scoop out the flesh, mash in a bowl until smooth.

*Alternatively, you can roast on 350 F for about an hour. Preferably the night before, you want something quick in the morning!

You can toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes on medium. Remove from heat and stir in walnuts and honey. If you don't want to toast, just mix in a small bowl!

In the meantime, in a medium sized pot, heat the oats and milk over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Stir in the sweet potato and flax seeds (if using) . Heat over low-medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the salt, sugar, spices, and vanilla, then heat for about 4 minutes more, stirring frequently.  

Add topping and if you want, add a little honey or maple syrup on top.

ENJOY!!!

Why I love Twitter, Awards and Pinwheel Cookie Recipe (finally!)

First off, I would like to thank Christina over at Being Mrs. Jones and Visual Luxe for the new design layout. On Twitter, she asked if I would like a knew blog design and I typed (and said as I typed) YES!!! So happy with the new brighter look. Thanks again,  Christina!

On to the awards. Was awarded the Stylish Blogger from Wendy and Faith! Both are two blogs that I thoroughly enjoy reading on a regular basis.
Wendy has delicious recipes from her amazing cookbook finds and her own glorious creations. Her latest post is something I will certainly try! Check it out: Smoky and Spicy Rice Pilaf- NOMNOM!
Faith has everything from marriage, fashion tips, funny to real life stories that I am anxious to read every time I see she has a new post. One of my favorite blogs! Her post on Martin Luther King Day was incredibly touching and definitely something I can relate to and appreciate! Check it out here!

I always giggle when I receive the Stylish blogger award because I am the complete opposite! As you can see here...ahem. Even when I try, I suck!

Also was awarded Versatile Blogger from my real-life friend and blogger buddy Tessie. Her adventures in homemaking, motherhood, being a full-time student are quite a read. I call her Supermom because the lady does it all, but she doesn't sacrifice what she's loved before children and school! Great inspiration!

And last, but certainly not least I received the Lovely Blog Award from fellow European Expats Alisha from Ardent Epicure and Nancy of Spicie Foodie! They have lovely recipes that are so exotic, healthy, and damn amazing!
 Nancy has done what most foodies dream of and has released a cookbook called "An Epiphany of the Senses available on Amazon. If you haven't read her blog, please do. She has certainly inspired me! One of my most popular posts, "Autumn Mac and Cheese: Mommy's Little Secret" was inspired by her. Also, Alisha has the most creative recipe and they're almost always healthy with a great story and description of ingredients used attached!  Her latest post featuring azuki beans had me so intrigued! Hoping to find some soon! Check out her post here!


Now, why I love twitter. Twitter is awesome because it's great for people like me who have random thoughts! Also, great for finding inspiration for recipes. The blog love amongst the bloggers on Twitter is remarkable, from congratulating one another for Top 9 on Foodbuzz, retweeting blog posts it's nice to see such a nice community that I am proud to be apart of!

I also love twitter because Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman tweeted the cookies I tweeted about for cookie week back in November. I tweeted a photo of cookies and thought a couple people would see them, but then I saw that SHE retweeted them I was really surprised and excited. I did "The Cabbage Patch" aka my happy dance! The only thing I was sad about was I made the cookies when  my internet was out so I didn't blog about them- dang it! I got a few extra followers on twitter and the blog so I felt bad there was no cookie recipe here for them. Those cookies got over 1000 views from that retweet alone...that lady is the woman! haha.

The other sad part is that I took photos of process and it's all saved on the computer that my ninja baby destroyed. Sigh. But these cookies aren't difficult, give them a shot!


So here is the recipe finally. It's from "Cooking" by James Patterson. I love this book, it's taught me so much about techniques and cooking. It's one of my cooking bibles.

Black and White Swirl Cookies
Ingredients
For Basic Butter Cookie Dough:
1/2 pound cold butter, sliced
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour or 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt

For Chocolate Dough:
2 cups flour
2/3 cups confectioner's sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, butter sliced
1 egg
cocoa butter for dusting

Directions
Butter Dough
Make sure butter is as cold as possible. Put flour in bowl and sprinkle butter over the top. Make a well in the center then add egg, sugar and salt.and with the fingertips of one hand, move around the inside of the flour wall, moving around until the flour mixture and egg mixture blends together. Keep mixing until there is no loose flour. Try not to over mix. This can easily be done in a food processor, blending all ingredients until consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes. Or stand mixer, add flour and butter mixture, then pour in eggs, salt, and sugar while mixer is running at medium speed.

Chocolate Dough:
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt very well in a large bowl or food processor. Mix in butter well, until you have large crumbs, then add egg to bind.

 Roll out a rectangle of each dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, lay one rectangle on top of the other, roll up tightly, and chill 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oven  to 375F.

Once dough are chilled, slice about 1/3 inch thick. Arrange on baking pans, and chill for another 30 minutes.

Once chilled, bake for 12 minutes, or until only the very slightest bit of browning is visible on the edges of the cookies. Let cool until set and then transfer to cooling rack. Once cooled store in tightly sealed container for up to a week. They didn't last 2 days in my house!

Enjoy!!! 

Grilled Brioche, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sammich.

Simple, delicious sandwich.

Usually I put tomatoes on this sandwich, but the tomatoes 'round these parts are hard has rocks.

How's your weekend been? Mine has been stressful. My little man, who has asthma, had a nasty attack. It started of with a bit of wheezing and coughing, then come Friday evening he got a full fledge attack. Saturday morning I had to rush him to the hospital as he was literally struggling to breathe. He was more than happy to to go to the doctor so he and mama could use the hard as rock tomatoes as a baseball and play catch outside. Seriously, those tomatoes are that hard. 

Anywho, the doctors hooked my baby up with some medication and he had X-rays done and was diagnosed with RSV. He's been diagnosed this many times. He was born premature and has always had issues with his lungs. It's tough on  him as well as me. I blame myself for everything. What I could have done, what I shouldn't have done. Luckily, I have supportive friends, an amazing husband and my son's grandparents are gifts from God. I swear, my son isn't just lucky to have them his life, I am, too.

My son was released with a trunkful of meds and he's doing well. I promised him he didn't have to go to preschool for the rest of the month, and he was more than happy with that. Hopefully he'll forget I said that hehe.

Last night I needed comfort food not just for me, but him also. Lil man was starving. He even regretted refusing bacon for breakfast! So I made some burgers and oven roasted fries. My normal burger hating son gulped them up after I assured him that mommy never puts onions in her burgers. Just salt, pepper and love. Check out this article in the Washington Post for tips on making the perfect burger. It's super simple. I made mine in a skillet, as it was too cold and I was too lazy to fire up the grill. It's all about the condiments, so I made my own spicy ketchup. THAT had onions so I omitted that from his. Twas good simple eatin'! I cut some potatoes up into matchsticks,let them sit in water and vinegar for about 1 hour. Dried them completely added salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven. Simple delicious grub!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052200352.html

Now, let's get to the real reason you're here. The awesome breakfast sandwich I made. As you guys may know, I made my own bacon! Thanks to a link David Lebovitz posted last month, I was inspired to make my own bacon. Diana from Dianasaur Dishes made it look so simple and I love the video, too. I had to make this immediately. The next day I ordered my cure and waited only 2 weeks! That's great as I live in Germany and it wasn't expensive at all! 

It was done curing Thursday night and my goodness it was amazing. I was hooked luckily I didn't cook the whole lot that night; though I really wanted to. I was telling a friend that I need something amazing to go along with this bacon, and what popped in my mind was an amazing sandwich I made for myself this Mother's Day- Grilled Brioche, Smokey Bacon, Tomato, Herbs, and Egg Sandwich. It was so delicious and I thought I'd do something simple with my first batch of homemade bacon. Though it wasn't smoked bacon, it was still delicious. Perhaps I will try smokey bacon this summer when we purchase a smoker...hint hint Papa with Some Flavor ;-) So I wanted this sandwich to be even more special, so I made my own Brioche to go along with it. I searched Food Buzz for a recipe and happened across Brian's site, A Thought for Food which had an article for Basic Brioche. The photos looked amazing, and the directions simple and to the point. So I had a happy little project on my hands. 

The bread turned out perfectly, and good for me that there were two loaves because the first was eaten in 5 hours!!!

It doesn't matter if you have homemade bacon or bread, you must try this sandwich. Most bakeries carry Brioche! It's a delicious, buttery, sweet egg bread that is almost like an airy cake! My daughter's favorite bread and mine. And a nice pack of smokey bacon is just as perfect!! So please, try this sandwich. Your family will love you for it!

Here's the first time I made it using store-bought brioche, store-bought bacon and seasonal tomatoes!

Grilled Bricohe, Bacon, Herby Scrambled Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

A loaf of Brioche

Bacon (as much as you want to use on your sandwich)

Eggs (how much you want)

Heavy Cream/Milk/Half n Half/Water

Herbs of your choice

Course Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Tomatoes (if they are in season in your area) Sliced

Butter

Cheddar- Shredded (I used Cathedral Cheddar or you can find organic cheddar- it's awesome trust me!)

Directions

Fry your bacon to desired crispness in a cast-iron skillet or any heavy bottom skillet.

In the meantime, in a bowl, add eggs, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or liquid of choice per egg, herb and salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter on high, once the butter is melted, decrease heat to low. Add egg mixture and allow to sit for 30 seconds then lightly stir. stir every minute or so until done to your preference, but be sure to know eggs cooks after their removed from the heat. So remove sooner than later!

Now slice your bread if not pre-sliced, then add Bacon

Egg

Cheese

Then top with another slice. In another skillet, preferably a non-stick, 'grill' your sandwich just until cheese melts.

EAT!

Hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!!!