Dearly Beloved

10-4-14

Bouncin'

I haven't had my hair professionally straightened since I've been natural. Nicole at Kristen's Salon in Stoughton,  pampered me and has my hair, LAID!!! 

Quick pic: Need I say more? It's poppin...

That's my 2 cents!


- Kimba

"The Beauty Within"

 

Sitting in the house on a gloomy afternoon = me deep conditioning my hair and  lots of surfing the internet. While on YouTube, I came across this video by Dead Prez called "The Beauty Within" 

This song is really cute. A total shout-out to the natural ladies. 

Not knocking relaxed girls, just uplifting naturals.

I hope you enjoy!

That's my 2 cents!

Kimba

You know you're a teacher when...

Sleeping until 8am, means you've slept late :-)

This week is spring break for most public schools here in MA. I'm going to use the time to relax, relax, and relax!!!

Enjoy your week friends...

That's my 2 cents!

-Kimba

Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Hello All,

It's that time of year. Between the holiday parties, cookie swaps, and gift giving you'll definitely want the cookie recipe that I'm about to share with you!

Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is simple and delicious. I promise!

What you'll need:

Andes, Mint chocolate bars

3/4 cup butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2+1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 of a 12 oz bag chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Cream together(mixer or hand mixer) butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla.

• Beat in eggs.
• combine flour baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
• Slowly add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.
• Once mixed well, add chocolate chips and stir with large spoon. 

• Spoon out one heaping tablespoon of your cookie dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. 
• Take your Andes Chocolate and place in center of dough. Gently press down. Push dough on sides of cookie over the top of the chocolate.

•  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

• Allow to cool. (this lets the Mint chocolate take on it's original shape. Looks super cute!)

 ENJOY!!! 

That's my 2 cents!

-Kimba

Linking with Pin'Inspirational Thrusday

Saturday+treats= :-)

The Holly Bush at  my Parent's house this afternoon.
There are only a few berries left.
Linking with Flowers on Saturday



Hello Friends,

Happy Saturday. I hope that your weekend is off to a great start. My morning started with a trip to the dealership. My car is making some strange whirrring clickly sound when I make sharp turns. They sent me on my way with a loaner car until they diagnose the problem. We'll see!(Luckily it's still under warranty.)

On my way home from the dealership, I decided I would go crash my parents house. I called my Mom to make sure they were there.... they weren't. So I stopped off to get a little Christmas shopping done. Well, in the midst of shopping for others, I promise I did, I found a deal I couldn't leave behind. A cake pop maker! It was an  open box item and missing half of the crap that should be in the box but, it'll do. It was super inexpensive and gives me the opportunity to create some really cute and fun treats.

Once I finally got to my parents house, I decided what better time to give my cake pop maker a trial run.

 I cleaned off the nonstick trays, blended together a small box of Jiffy cake mix and got to work.
 Here are the results.

a simple frosting: 1+1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp water



covered in frosting then sprinkled with coconut. Yummerz!

 I'm super excited to have this cake pop maker. It will cook your cake batter in 4-5 minutes. Convenient. Especially since it is the holiday season and I love to give away treats! I look forward to sharing more yummy recipes with you all.


That's my 2 cents!

-Kimba


                                           


                                                         



Simple Sunday: Fun with Turkey day leftovers.

Happy Sunday!

I am officially at the crossroad where Thanksgiving weekend ends, and the work week begins.Today, I'd like to check  in with another SIMPLE SUNDAY, where doing something simple makes a huge impact! Below I'm sharing a super simple and delicious way to polish off the rest of those leftovers from Turkey day.

Note: Leftovers should  typically be kept for 3-5 days depending on the item.***

 Turkey Day Turnover

 

What you'll need:

Leftovers ie; turkey meat, stuffing, and cranberry sauce

crescent rolls

The sweetness of the cranberries blends so well with the savory mixture of stuffing and turkey. Once you add the buttery roll, this turnover is sure to please.

Instructions:

• unroll your crescent rolls by 2 (leave two triangles connected) onto a cookie sheet
• Layer your roll with turkey, stuffing,(I was lucky, I had Momma's homemade cornbread stuffing! Yum. )  and cranberry sauce

• Fold the sides of your crescent roll over and pinch opened ends closed with a fork

•  Bake in oven on 375 for 13 minutes. Your roll should be golden brown and the leftovers will warm up nicely! (no strange microwave texture.) 
•  Remove from oven and ENJOY!!! (I know my family did!)

****Here is the food safety fact sheet that is available on the USDA's website.

Storage Times For Refrigerated Foods
NOTE: These short but safe time limits will help keep home-refrigerated food from spoiling.

Storage Times For Refrigerated Foods
Ground Meat, Ground Poultry, and Stew Meat
Ground beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb	1-2 days
Stew meats	1-2 days
Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork)
Steaks, chops, roasts	3-5 days
Variety meats (Tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings)	1-2 days
Fresh Poultry
Chicken or turkey, whole	1-2 days
Chicken or turkey, parts	1-2 days
Giblets	1-2 days
Bacon and Sausage
Bacon	7 days
Sausage, raw from meat or poultry	1-2 days
Smoked breakfast links, patties	7 days
Summer sausage labeled "Keep Refrigerated"	Unopened, 3 months; Opened, 3 weeks
Hard sausage (such as Pepperoni)	2-3 weeks
Ham, Corned Beef
Ham, canned, labeled "Keep Refrigerated"	Unopened, 6-9 months; Opened, 3-5 days
Ham, fully cooked, whole	7 days
Ham, fully cooked, half	3-5 days
Ham, fully cooked, slices	3-4 days
Corned beef in pouch with pickling juices	5-7 days
Hot Dogs and Luncheon Meats
Hot dogs	Unopened package, 2 weeks; Opened package, 1 week
Luncheon meats	Unopened package, 2 weeks; Opened package, 3-5 days
Deli and Vacuum-Packed Products
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, tuna, ham, and macaroni salads	3-5 days
Pre-stuffed pork, lamb chops, and chicken breasts	1 day
Store-cooked dinners and entrees	3-4 days
Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with/USDA seal, unopened	2 weeks
Cooked Meat, Poultry, and Fish Leftovers
Pieces and cooked casseroles	3-4 days
Gravy and broth, patties, and nuggets	3-4 days
Soups and Stews	3-4 days
Fresh Fish and Shellfish
Fresh Fish and Shellfish	1-2 days
Eggs
Fresh, in shell	3-5 weeks
Raw yolks, whites	2-4 days
Hard-cooked	1 week
Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes	Unopened, 10 days; Opened, 3 days
Cooked egg dishes	3-4 days

 
 That's my 2 cents!

-Kimba

Thanksgiving Rolls out, Christmas rolls in...

Hello Friends!

Happy Saturday. The sun is shining and the crisp fall breeze is blowing. I love it. I'm still at my apartment nice and cozy for now! Soon I will sneak off to my mothers house to see what I can create from the Turkey Day leftovers! Yummo! Here is a quick peek at some of the delicious food we enjoyed. 

Turkey, stuffing, ham, baked stuffed shrimp, chocolate peanut butter pie, and red wine. There was more food, I was just too busy eating to capture it all. Ha, we look like a family that doesn't eat veggies ;-( we do. We had yummy yams, and green beans with mushrooms too! ;-) 

I'd really like to say I helped more... But, unless eating counts as help, I didn't help much.

How was your Thanksgiving? Delicious and fun filled I hope. In my family, we have a day after Thanksgiving tradition. We get Christmas rolling right away! My mother and I head out to get our family tree and beautiful Poinsettias. Well, the trees are up and looking lovely.  (We'll share those later.) However, these poinsettias  make me smile every time I walk into my living room! Love them. So I'll share one way I'm using them in my holiday decor...

Linking with Flowers on Saturday.

I simply set one poinsettia pot in the middle of my make-shift mantle. Surrounded by ornaments and little touches of green, gold, and red it feels super festive.

Hope you all are off to a great start of the holiday season. Can't wait to read and share ideas over such a festive time of the year!

Season's Greetings!

That's my 2 cents.

-Kimba

Naturals Night...

Hello Friends and Happy Saturday!

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting a Naturals Night at my apartment. Naturals Night is; a time for curly, kinky,coily, and wavy haired beauties, to come together for food, drinks, and discussion. We had yummy drinks, delicious food/desserts, and we all brought our favorite hair products to share and give tips on usage and results. 

Today, I'd like to give you a sneak peek into our Naturals Night. I had a blast! ( I know my ladies did too) 
I didn't get to capture as many moments as I wish I could have... But. you'll get the idea!

Note: Any food/drink items listed, I will gladly post recipes for. (If I haven't already)

Naturals Night ;-) 

We love our hair! 

 The lovely M, of The ArtsyGirl Connection

Food and discussions...

 Laughing as we struggle to open a bottle of champagne...

 My favorite Manicurist in Boston came over and gave us all manicures! 

( My fav part of the night.)

Nina, making sure she didn't chip her mani!

( after the battle with the bottle of champagne.)

Treat boxes for my ladies to take home. The box included: Lip gloss which I named "Naturals Night Lip Nectar, (made by yours truly, of course I will share the recipe.)  a cute candle marked

"Be natural", and a white chocolate lollipop.

Some of what  we snacked on: Yummy chocolate cake Balls

delicious dip for tortilla chips and Mom's delicious Mac and Cheese. (sooo good!)

The drinks for the night were INSANELY yummy! 

A warm Spiked cider which consisted of:

Fresh fruit, apple cider, cinnamon, and Rum. Delicioso!

 A super fruity Sangria!

Both of the drinks were gorgeous and tasty!

Since the food and drinks were so colorful and beautiful, they became part of the decor. (Until they disappeared!) Other decor included a beautiful bouquet of flowers that were out on my side table.

Linking with Flowers on Saturday

Naturals Night was filled with beautiful women, who enjoyed each others company. There were laughs, enlightenment and an overall sense of relaxation and joy. 

I had so much fun treating my ladies and enjoyed their company.

I'm thinking "Maybe Naturals Night was the first annual?"

Definitely something I would looooove to do again!

Thanks for stopping in!

That's my 2 cents!

-Kimba

Friday is such a treat! So, I'll share one.

Hello Friends,

  Happy Friday! Blessings to all the Veteran's who risked their lives for this country.

Today I'd like to share a cake ball recipe that I tried out last weekend. They were a major hit at my Naturals Night! (Which I will share more about later) If you'd like to make your friends mouths water... keep reading and get in that kitchen!

Chocolate Cake Balls dipped in White Chocolate!

What you'll need:

1 box German Chocolate Cake mix

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 tbsp of baking cocoa

White chocolate

container of creamy chocolate frosting

wax paper

cookie sheet

Something to bake your cake in ;-)

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 350
• Grease bottom and sides of cake pan
• Beat cake mix, eggs, water, baking cocoa, and vegetable oil with hand mixer. Scraping sides of bowl occasionally. 
• pour batter into pan and bake according to box directions.
• Once your cake has baked and cooled ( about 15 minutes) you can cut it in half and place in a bowl. 

• Add 2 large heaping spoonfuls of frosting to your cake.

• Mash cake and frosting together. Mix well. (it should look something like this.) 

• Once all of your cake has become moistened with frosting, line your cookie sheet with wax paper.  Take small tablespoons full of  mixture and roll in your hands. Place on cookie sheet.

• Once you have rolled all of your cake, allow to set in fridge for at least an hour. ( Since I made mine for a party, I set mine over night to cut down on the amount of things I would have to cook the day of! ) 
• Once your cake balls have set, melt your white chocolate. I use the microwave defrost method. It cuts down on the chances of burning your chocolate. (I talk more about it here.)

• To cover the cake balls, take a spoonful of chocolate and drop it on top of the cake.With a tooth pick, you can spread the chocolate around. ( I left the bottom of the cake balls uncovered) 

 Tip: Do not try to cover all of your cake balls with chocolate first and then spread. Your chocolate may set before you have a chance to spread it. SLOW DOWN and do one at a time. This will ensure that if your chocolate begins to harden, it is still in the bowl and you can re- melt it!!! ( I had to learn this the hard way. But it's ok. I got to eat all the duds! Quality control right?)

• Once you have covered all of your cake, simply allow chocolate to set and ENJOY!!

I added some chocolate sprinkles to a few.

I hope this recipe is helpful. Let me know if you try it out! 

I will definitely be making these again around the holidays!

That's my 2 cents!




-Kimba

    Linking with: