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Monday, May 13, 2013

RAW SPAGHETTI AND NOODLES...


As I posted earlier, I'm going raw for at least 30 days with a good friend of mine. I decided to change it up a bit today and make a raw spaghetti sauce and "noodles". I have tried this recipe several times in the past with little success...my husband couldn't stand it. Secretly, I didn't like it either but I still ate it because I wanted something different while raw. Today, I decided to look at several videos on youtube and take what I liked from each recipe to make my own version.

In the past, my sauce would take on a pinkish color which I didn't like at all. Well, I learned today that the secret is beet juice. I should have figured this out a long time ago considering I have a recipe for making red velvet with beet juice. I will post it one day. 

Lastly, I've learned that red pepper and medjool dates add a chunky texture plus gives the sauce some sweetness which cuts the acidity levels in the tomato sauce. I made the noodles out of zucchini with the help of a spiral vegetable device. Dh and I are planning on growing San Marzano tomato plants this summer. I want to make fresh homemade sauce whenever possible from now on. So wish us luck as we try to grow as many tomatoes as possible this summer...




Raw Spaghetti Sauce and Noodles:

2-3 cups of cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes 
4-5 medjool dates
1/2 of a red pepper
dash of sea salt
pepper (to taste)
4-5 fresh basil leaves
dash of oregano
dash of thyme
1/2 of a clove of garlic (a very small piece)
1/2 cup of raw beet juice

Noodles:
2-3 Zucchini 



Add the tomatoes first, then the rest of the ingredients in a high power blender. Blend until mixed but not too much if you like the chunkiness. Then put on top of your prepared spiral zucchini noodles.








                                                                     So Thick and Chunky



DO YOU HAVE ANY GOOD RAW RECIPES? PLEASE LEAVE ANY TOMATO PLANT GROWING TIPS AS WELL...

Monday, May 6, 2013

IT'S TIME TO GET HEALTHY ONCE AND FOR ALL...WILL YOU JOIN ME?


Ok, it's time people to finally stop eating like crap! A few times a year, I usually go raw for a few weeks then eventually I'm back to the SAD diet. I know I'm not as bad as most, but you shouldn't compare yourself to people who are doing worst then you. Instead, you should compare yourself to people that are striving to do better than you. With that being said, I'm a firm believer in when you have an extreme goal, then you must respond in an extreme measure or you will fail.

You got to go hard core when it comes to getting in shape and eating right. I believe that 80 to 90 percent of getting your dream body is to change your diet, it starts in the kitchen period. From now on, make a commitment to not just start a diet, but to make a lifestyle change once and FOR ALL. Change your quality of life by controlling what you put in your mouth. Stop putting junk in and you will be on your way to changing your outward appearance. Get a hold of yourself and just " DO IT !"

Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about what my girlfriend and I plan on doing. I will be in charge of the diet and my husband will be in charge of the workouts. To put our bodies into submission we are going raw for 30 days. That means raw veggies, fruits, and some nuts.  Then we are going to do a diet similar to the  Hallelujah Acres diet.

We will eat only one to two cooked meals a day....Here are a list of the foods we will avoid ( Foods to Avoid).We will eat at least a raw fruit or veggie with each meal. No more store bought chips...let me repeat, no more store bought chips! We will make our on with a dehydrator or an oven. DH loves crunchy snacks so we will make our own from now on. Chips are expensive anyway plus if you look on the back of them, the ingredients are the worst. 

Below are a list of books and dvd's I recommend to get you started in the right direction. Some of them are out of print so you can get a slightly used copies for a $1.00.



















 SO WHAT THINGS ARE YOU DOING TO CHANGE YOUR CURRENT HEALTH SITUATION NOT JUST FOR THE NEW YEAR BUT FOR LIFE?

Thursday, February 14, 2013

RAW BLACKBERRY JAM...


I try to use every chance I can to eat as "right as possible." Well even though I know that eating a buttery Southern biscuit isn't healthy, I tried to make it a part raw meal by using a raw jam. I love using blackberry or peach preserves on my biscuits normally. This time I decided to try this raw recipe....which only uses fruit and medjool dates. The medjool dates help the raw fruit mixture take on a thick "preserve" type texture.


Ingredients
  6-8 ounces frozen BLACKBERRIES, thawed and drained (1 cup)
 10-12 pitted medjool dates





Put the blackberries and dates in a blender and process until smooth. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Blackberry Jam will keep for about 5 days.



Tuesday, February 12, 2013

OUR LUSH HENNA GIVEAWAY WINNER IS ....


The winner of the LUSH Henna giveaway is KAREN WINTER!!! please email your name and address to: info@gumbohair.com.



Thank you to everyone who entered, stay tune because our giveaways will only get better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, January 21, 2013

MY VERY 1ST TIME TRYING HENNA....LUSH CACA NOIR MAMA


The darkest of our henna blocks, Caca Noir is made from a blend of the finest Persian henna and deep blue indigo hues to leave hair soft, glossy, and deeply conditioned. If you have dark hair, you’ll end up with a rich blue-black tint that blends magnificently with reddish hues. As with all our hennas, the more frequently you use Caca Noir, the more the color will intensify. After the first use, expect your hair to turn several shades darker. However, to truly release your darker side, keep applying every 4-6 weeks.


I have been toying with using henna to dye my hair for many moons now. So after much prayer and fasting(LOL), I finally worked up enough nerve to try LUSH Caca Noir Mama. The Caca Noir makes the hair black because Indigo as well as other ingredients like coco butter are mixed in this thick henna bar. I wanted my hair super duper black. so after doing a lot of research I decided to put in Indigo immediately after applying my Lush Henna Caca Noir  Mama bar. This step ensures that I would get the blackest color possible.


What I used:
Lush Henna Caca Noir 
Indigo  
*CMC powder (optional)
Distilled Water

The Process: 

You will first need to apply a Henna application. I decided to use Lush Henna because I'm a novice to the Henna world and didn't want too many trial and errors with color in my hair.




1. I grated 3 Lush Henna Caca Noir bars into a powdery fine grain. My hair is right above APL and 3 bars were enough for me. I think that by taking the time to grate the Lush Henna into a powdery texture actually was the reason I was able to get away with just using 3 bars instead of the whole bar. Even though doing this was time consuming it will save you money in the long run.





2. Add the grated lush henna powder to a glass bowl than place it in a pot of water. I only filled my pot half way. This kept the water from spilling into my Henna mixture.



3. Slowly pour in distilled warm/hot water while stirring. You want to get a thick consistency...similiar to brownie mix. As you can see mine came out more like yogurt, because I added to much water too fast. So make sure to only add a little at a time to achieve a thick green mixture.




4. Put a liberal amount of vaseline or Lush's Ultrabalm around the hairline to keep the henna from staining your hairline. I recommend that you apply some thick Vaseline to your hands and wrist because even though I had on gloves I some how got Henna in my nails during the process. It took me forever to get it off...so do yourself a favor coat your hands/wrist than put your gloves on.




5. Apply mixture liberally to your hair, cover and allow to sit for about 1-4 hours. - Do not manipulate your hair too much over this time. Manipulating it can cause a mass of tangles and knots. 

Lush Cacanoir henna


6. Since I wanted to achieve the darkest color possible I didn't cover my head with saran wrap, but I did cover it with a rayon net with large holes. Indigo needs air to fully develop in it's darkest shiniest glory.



7. After 1-4 hours, rinse with water until you rinsed out most of the Henna. You can then rinse the remainder of the Henna out with the aid of conditioner, OR you can immerse your hair in a tub/sink filled with water. I did all three...rinse, immerse, and conditioned in that order.

8. Once you have thoroughly rinsed out the Henna, it's time to mix your Indigo. 


Indigo/CMC powder mix


9. In a new clean bowl, add 1-2 packs of Indigo to it. I also added 2 pack of CMC powder to my two packs of Indigo mix. The CMC powder is optional...it makes the mixture creamier. You could used vanilla pudding instead.

10. Slowly pour in distilled water while stirring

11. Once the mixture has gotten to a thick, pudding consistency; you can apply it to your hair immediately! No need to wait, this stuff releases color immediately. 

12. Apply it the same way you applied the Lush Henna. Make sure you apply this mixture from the roots to the tip for nice, for even coverage. 


indigo


13. Allow the Indigo to sit for about 1-2 hours for a rich, black tone. For even darker tones [like deep night black], leave it on overnight. 



FINAL RESULTS...SUPER STALLION BLACK!


14. Rinse with water until you rinsed out most of the Indigo. You can then rinse the remainder of the Indigo out with the aid of conditioner, OR you can immerse your hair in a tub/sink filled with water. I did all three...rinse, immerse, and conditioned in that order.

15. Now it's time to condition your hair. Deep condition with a plastic bag using your favorite deep conditioner. This restores healthy moisture levels in your strands, making your hair supple, and full of body. I used a cheapie conditioner mix with honey, avocado oil and coconut oil. 

SIDENOTE:  I used two packs of Indigo which was a big mistake, because I only used half of my mix. Next time, I will start with one pack than add as needed. Also make sure to used a silk or satin black bonnet to protect your sheets afterwards!


BOTTOM LINE: The process is messy as all get out and a definite pain. But...my hair came out a shiny black stallion black. Since I went natural I have only used "natural" dye on my hair a few times. I never liked the black color that I achieve plus I was always suspicious of the "natural" ingredients.
My color came out similar to when I used to put  black gloss color on my hair many years ago.
My hair feels healthier and stronger, looks silkier and appears light-reflecting radiant! 



SO SHINY.



LUSH HENNA GIVEAWAY!!!!!




To enter:

So here's the tea; Leave a simple comment on what's your definition of healthy hair, and I will use a random number generator to pick a winner [you must be a subscriber though]! On February 10, 2013, I will announce one winner! The winner will received one Lush henna bar of his/her choice. Simple enough huh? STAY TUNE FOR MORE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS!!