:::drools::: Common (Style) Sense for HIM

So my darling hubby-to-be has decided to change up his style and has enlisted my help in selecting some styles. The first style icon I selected is Common. I love his ability of making hip-hop style grown & sexy...



For this outfit, I paired the Entropy Karma Tee ($24.00, Urban Outfitters) with the Long-sleeved pique polo in true black ($25.00, The Gap). And I topped it all off with INC International Concepts Blazer, Raw Edged ($69.98, Macy's)









This is a great casual look! For this one I paired a PHAT Che Guevara tee ($30.00, Vinnie's BK) with a simple DKNY Vest, Black Tonal Stripe Slim Fit (On Sale for Sale $44.99, Macy's)








This sweater was an amazing find! Standard Issue by Hyden Yoo Military Sweater Jacket ($78.00, Urban Outfitters)




And of course no Common-inspired outfit is complete without a kick-ass hat. These are courtesy of the Village Hat Shop.




Kangol Tropic Playa Stingy Brim $48.00




Block Varo Ivy Cap $42.00

Yummm! Sizzlin' Spanish Dishes

I love Spanish Cuisine, but I really only enjoy it in restaurants. In my quest for delicious recipes, I stumbled across this treasure trove of Spanish dishes to drool over! Enjoy!!!

Meat Stuffed Red Peppers Recipe - Pimientos Rellenos de Carne



Recipe Courtesy of About.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 roasted red bell peppers (see note below)
2 cloves garlic
2-3 sprigs Italian Paisley
1 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 – 1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup olive oil for frying
1 large yellow onion
2 tbsp unbleached wheat flour
1 cup white wine
1 cup beef broth
Preparation:

This meat stuffed red pepper recipe makes 4 servings

If you will roast and peel the peppers yourself, do that first. (Add 20 minutes to the cooking time.)

Note on Peppers: You will need 4 whole roasted red bell peppers, stem removed, so you may stuff at top. (Many canned or bottled peppers are slit open lengthwise and therefore are not suitable for stuffing.) If whole roasted peppers are not available in your area, or you prefer freshly roasted peppers, roast the red bell peppers, peel and de-seed them before preparing filling. About.com’s Guide to Southern Food has simple instructions on How to Roast Bell Peppers in the oven. Or, roast them over a BBQ grill.

Peel the garlic and place in a mortar with the parsley sprigs. Mash together with a pestle.

Place ground beef in a medium mixing bowl with garlic, parsley, milk, eggs and salt. Mix thoroughly. Stuff each of the roasted peppers, being careful not to tear the peppers. Close top with a toothpick.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. While oil is heating, beat the remaining two eggs in a small mixing bowl. Place 1/2 cup bread crumbs in a separate small mixing bowl.

When oil is hot, dip red peppers into beaten egg and carefully roll to cover all sides. Remove and carefully roll in the bread crumbs. Place in hot oil to fry for 8-10 minutes, turning as the crumbs brown. Keep pan on medium heat so as not to burn.

As the peppers are cooked, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula and set aside on a plate.

Peel and chop onion. In a clean frying pan on medium heat, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, sauté onions until they are thoroughly browned. Add flour and stir. Pour in wine and broth, mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes. Sauce should begin to thicken.

Carefully place peppers into frying pan with onion sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook 5-8 minutes. If sauce begins to stick, add a bit of water and stir.

Serve on plates surrounded by onion sauce.

Garbanzos with Chorizo and Peppers Recipe - Titos de Gamonal




Recipe Courtesy of About.com


Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 large yellow onion
1.5 lb Spanish chorizo sausage
2 red peppers
4 Tbsp olive oil
24-32 oz beef broth
5 cans (15 oz each) garbanzos
2 medium potatoes (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp smoked Spanish paprika
salt to taste
Preparation:

This garbanzo recipe makes 4 servings.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Cut the chorizo sausage lengthwise. Rinse and dry peppers.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottom frying pan. When hot, sauté the onions. When onions are translucent, add the peppers and chorizo and brown on all sides.

Heat 24 oz of beef stock in a large stock pot. Open cans of garbanzos and drain. Once drained, add garbanzos, bay leaf and paprika to pot. Add onions, chorizo and peppers and stir. Simmer on low. To thicken, peel and cut potatoes into fourths and add to pot. Add salt to taste. Pour in more stock if needed.

Simmer until peppers and potatoes are soft and liquid is slightly reduced. Remove bay leaf and serve in bowls with rustic bread.

A Little [OUTKAST] for a Saturday Night

"Idlewild" is a great movie that was inventive as hell with an AWESOME soundtrack. This is one of my favorite songs from the movie, Movin' Cool (The After Party).

Yummm! Groovy Ginger Recipes

I love Ginger ANYTHING!!!! I love the smell, I love the taste (the more fiery the better!)and I love the fact that it's good for you!

From amritaveda.com: Ginger is probably one of the world’s favorite medicines and cooking ingredients. A perennial herb native to China and India, ginger root has been used for centuries in Asian cooking and for its therapeutic properties. Its many different varieties are cultivated throughout Asia, Australia, South America, Jamaica and the U.S. Its delicate green leaves, resembling baby spinach, can be eaten in salads, but the roots of the plant, called rhizomes, are where the benefits of ginger root lie.

Aids in Digestion – Ginger is perhaps the best herb for digestion. It helps break down proteins to rid the stomach and intestines of gas. It also aids in the digestion of fatty foods.

Alleviates High Blood Pressure – Ginger’s warming quality improves and stimulates circulation and relaxes the muscles surrounding blood vessels, facilitating the flow of blood throughout the body.

Treats Nausea and Morning Sickness – Ginger has been widely shown to prevent as well as treat motion sickness, relax the stomach and relieve the feeling of nausea.

Lowers LDL Cholesterol – Studies demonstrate that ginger can lower cholesterol levels by reducing cholesterol absorption in the blood and liver. Its extract can help reduce the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the body, reducing the risk of developing heart disease.


I thought I would share some recipes that are (imho) GINGER-IFIC!!!!! ENJOY!

Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins
Recipe Courtesy of About.com



Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3/4 cup mashed baked sweet potato, cooled
* 1/2 cup fat-free milk, at room temperature
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
* 3 Tablespoons canola oil
* 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat twelve 2-5/8 by 1-1/8-inch (about 3-ounce) muffin cups with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger.

In another bowl, stir together sweet potato, milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla, until blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in crystallized ginger.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove muffin pans to wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack.

Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Optional: Serve with Candied Ginger Butter.

Pho (Ginger Beef Soup with Noodles) Vietnamese Soup
Recipe Courtesy of Epicurean.com



Ingredients:
Soup bones with marrow
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. beef for stew
1 tbsp. sliced gingerroot
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Water
1/2 lb. fine egg noodles
2 tbsp. nuoc mam (fish sauce)
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Place the bones, meat, gingerroot, onions and garlic in 3 to 4 cups water to cover. Cook over low heat till meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (The nuoc mam may be put in at the beginning, but many prefer to minimize the odor by adding it at the end with the pepper.) Cook the noodles in boiling water till just tender. Drain noodles and strain the meat broth. Add noodles to broth together with nuoc mam and pepper. Chop the meat and marrow and return to broth. Bring to boil, adjust seasonings, and serve. If you can find pea-starch noodles the dish will be more authentic. If using pea starch noodles, cook in boiling water 30 min. let stand another 30 minutes in the same water before draining and adding to the broth.

8 servings.

Caramelized Chicken with Ginger and Coriander (Cilantro) (Ga Xao Gung)



Ingredients :

875g chicken thigh fillets (tenderloins)

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp chopped garlic

3 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp caramelized sugar

2 tsp cracked black peppercorns

1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

2 spring onions (scallions), chopped

a few red chili peppers, chopped - optional

Method :

Cut the chicken thighs into two across the thigh if using large ones, leave whole if using small ones. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl with the ginger, garlic and fish sauce. Leave to marinate for about 1 hour. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok for frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the chicken and its marinade. Stir fry for 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is nearly done. Add the caramelized sugar, black peppercorns, coriander and spring onions. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is well coated with the pan juices. Serve hot, garnished with the chopped red chili peppers (if using).

Caramelized sugar : Put 2 tablespoons of sugar and 185ml of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. When the sugar starts to color, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring continuously, until the syrup is dark brown. Remove from the heat and add another 185ml of water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir thoroughly and return to the heat. Simmer for a minute or two, then remove from the heat once again. Use as required.

Caramelized sugar gives this dish a very glossy finish. Make sure the caramel is golden brown in color, and not burnt.

Serves 4 - 6

Homemade Ginger Ale
Recipe Courtesy of Simply Recipe



Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe

Ingredients

Ginger water
1 cup peeled, finely chopped ginger
2 cups water

Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Club soda
Lime juice
Lime wedges
Method

1 Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add ginger. Reduce heat to medium low and let ginger sit in the simmering water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard ginger pieces.

2 In a separate saucepan, make the Simple Syrup by dissolving 1 cup granulated sugar into 1 cup of boiling water. Set aside.

3 Make individual (tall) glasses of ginger ale by mixing 1/2 cup of ginger water with 1/3 cup of Simple Syrup and 1/2 cup of club soda. Add a few drops of fresh lime juice and a lime wedge to each glass.

Makes four servings.

"Not So Much...."* about Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Shampoo

* "Not So Much..." is a quote from one of my favorite old T.V. Shows to watch, "Mad About You". This phrase was made popular by Paul Reiser's character, usually used a lot to indicate his unwillingness, in the not-liking or not-wanting-to department.

So, I've been sticking to a weekly regimen of using ApHOGEE Shampoo for Damaged Hair with the Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Deep Conditioning Treatment for a few months and I've been very satisfied with the results: my hair has been healthier, shinier and growing very well.

When I ran out of my bottle of shampoo, I thought I would switch over to using ORS's Olive Oil Shampoo, as I believed the hype that products work best when used with their counterparts. Boy, oh Boy... I will not drink that Kool-Aid again!

I used Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo for THREE WEEKS before I went rushing back to my ApHOGEE: My hair was a dry, stripped, straw-like mess and NOTHING I did (Short of stop using the shampoo) worked to retain the moisture.

So to the folks at Organic Root Stimulator... you get a big "Thanks but no thanks" for your shampoo... I'll be sticking to my combo.

DOPE: "Look Good in Leather" by Cody Chesnutt

I would classify this song as a definite struttin' song, in my opinion. I was listening to it during my morning commute and started strutting despite the fact that I'm not wearing anything leather! LOL

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

Laughter really IS the best medicine...I've been flat on my back for the past few days, and there's only so much daytime tv I can muster without pulling my hair out.

I figured I could use a good laugh, so I decided to check out some Mystery Science Theater 3000 clips, courtesy of You Tube and my laptop. These clips are the best SONGS from MST3K, so this is a very special Music Therapy with Miss Moon. Enjoy!

DOPE: "Elemental Chant" by Luisah Teish

These past few weeks have been tough, to say the least. Now my mother has been hospitalized and I myself am under the weather. All of this has left me feeling spiritually disconnected and in desperate need of a boost, like, yesterday!

This chant is one that I first discovered in my early twenties, and it came at the exact moment I needed it. I was picking the pieces of my life after leaving an abusive relationship, and I was feeling empty, scared and I was was nursing some serious wounds.

I thought about this chant a few moments ago while in the shower and I knew that this was to be a blog posts, because I am all about sharing good things. Enjoy!

Earth, Water, Fire and Air

Within me all things are there

Flesh on my bones is like the Earth

It's soft but strong and full of worth

The bood that flows within my veins

Is like the ocean, rivers and rain

My spirit soars and takes me higher

here is where I keep my fire

My breath and thoughts are like the air

I can do anything I can go anywhere

Earth, Water, Fire and Air

within me all things are there

And so I pledge unto myself

Power, Love, Health, and Wealth

By Luisah Teish

To read this chant and more, check out Luisah Teish's AMAZING book, Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals

Yummm! Buttery Baked Goods!!

One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2010 (well, my ONLY one thus far) is to learn how to bake. In the past I have shunned getting elbow-deep in flour because I figured I lack the patience and temperament to bake. In cooking, I never follow instructions 100%, choosing instead to improvise. And I know in baking you CANNOT really do that.

But I love looking at cake, cookies, and bread recipes and wondering how it would taste if I were to venture out of my comfort zone and cast off my preconceived notions about baking.

And for 2010, I plan on finding out if I have the chops to bake my own yummy treats. Here are a few goodies I can't wait to sample and tryout!

BUTTER CAKE WITH CARAMEL FROSTING
Recipe courtesy of BigOven.com

INGREDIENTS
-- Cake --

3 cups cake flour, plus additional for preparing pans
1 cup unsalted butter (2-sticks), plus additional for preparing pans
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups superfine sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
-- Caramel Frosting --

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1-stick)
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
8 to 10 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups black walnuts, toasted and finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION
To make cake: Place oven rack in center position and heat gas oven to 350 degrees F, electric oven to 325 degrees F. Generously butter or grease two 9-inch cake pans, dust pans with flour, knocking out excess; set aside. All ingredients should be room temperature. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar, until light and fluffy (or 150 strokes by hand). On medium speed, (or another 150 strokes) add eggs, 1 egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix well after each addition, and scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in extracts. Pour batter into prepared pans and spread evenly. Place pans in middle of oven. Pans should not touch. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cakes comes out clean. When done, remove from oven and let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto the wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting: Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet or heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is completely melted. Transfer sugar mixture into mixing bowl and, using an electrical mixer on low speed, beat in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, alternately with heavy cream, beginning and ending with confectioners' sugar. Mix until well blended after each addition, and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Continue beating until frosting becomes spreadable. If too thick, add a little more cream; or, if too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar.

To frost cake: When cake has cooled completely, spread frosting over one layer of cake, top with second layer, then cover top and sides of entire cake with remaining frosting. Press toasted, chopped black walnuts on the sides of the cake, if desired.

Makes one 9-inch 2-layer cake, or about 10 to 12 servings.

TORTUGA CAYMAN ISLAND RUM CAKE
Recipe courtesy of BigOven.com

The Tortuga Rum Cake story officially began in 1987. That's when Carlene Hamaty started baking rum cakes at home, using a family recipe that had been handed down through generations. She of course used Tortuga Rum as the main ingredient. This recipe is an approximation of the original.

INGREDIENTS
-- Rum Cake --

1 package Yellow cake mix
1 package Vanilla pudding instant
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Water
1 cup Walnuts chopped
4 large Eggs
3/4 cup Tortuga Gold Rum
-- Glaze --

1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Tortuga Gold Rum
1 cup Sugar
1 stick Butter

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 325? F.

Lightly grease and flour a bundt pan. Sprinkle walnuts over the bottom of the pan.

Blend the dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, rum, oil and eggs for 2 minutes. Pour the batter over the walnuts in the pan and bake for 1 hour.

Prepare the Glaze 10 minutes before cake is finished baking.

Combine water rum, water sugar and butter in to sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until boiling. Boil for 2 minutes stiring occasionally.

Remove cake from oven. While in pan, gently stab cake with sharp knife.

Slowly pour sauce over cake (will look like too much sauce, but cake will absorb it)

Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing from pan.



Pink Velvet Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Essence Magazine

Think pink--bake for a cure. Breast Cancer Awareness month is a great time to add a touch of sweetness to someone’s life. Pink velvet cupcakes--the perfect way to get your pink on!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cake flour, sifted
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoon white chocolate, melted
¾ cup (1½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cup granulated sugar
2 item large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup pink gel food color
1 cup buttermilk
1 item Chocolate sprinkles
PREPARATION


Preparation:

1. Preheat oven 350°F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In a heatproof bowl place white chocolate over a pot of simmering water. Heat until white chocolate is warm; stir with a flexible spatula until melted. Remove bowl and let cool.

3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl periodically. Mix in vanilla extract and food coloring. Add melted white chocolate, beat until combined. Reduce speed: add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, ending with flour beat until combined.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups filling three-quarters full. Bake approximately 20-25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer pans to rack or counter to cool before removing cupcakes.

5. To finish, use an offset spatula or small butter knife to spread thin layer of creamy- cheese frosting. With an Ateco design tip (#352) and a piping bag create leaflets in a circular motion leaving center open to add chocolate sprinkles.


Creamy-Cheese Frosting:
Makes: 4 cups

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar sifted
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pink gel food color

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed: add sugar, ½ cup at a time, then mix in vanilla extract and food coloring, combine until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Color Complex: Sammy Sosa's Changing Face - Essence.com

Color Complex: Sammy Sosa's Changing Face - Essence.com

This article is deep, y'all! With everything going on the past few weeks, I wasn't able to read up on Sammy Sosa until today and all I can say is Wow!!!

Color Complex: Sammy Sosa's Changing Face

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 | 7:00 AM

by Jesús Triviño Alarcón

Don't blame Sammy Sosa. Blame Rafael Trujillo. The late Dominican dictator's rule (1930-1961) left generations of his countrymen without families, hope, and a demonized view of Afro-Dominicans and Haitians. During his reign he ordered the execution of tens of thousands of Haitians (The Parsley Massacre) and opened the doors to Jewish refugees from Europe in hopes of adding more Caucasians to his mostly Afro-Latino isle. His self-hatred was ever clear when Trujillo powdered his skin to appear lighter. So, in retrospect, Sosa is simply carrying out the racist ideologies that have permeated Latin America for centuries.

Afro-Latinos exist in large numbers in Latin American countries beyond the Caribbean, yet they remain disenfranchised. Colombia is home to 15 million Afro-Latinos yet its most popular stars are fair-skinned (Shakira and Juanes). The aspiration to appear more European is even prevalent in the world's largest beauty pageant--Miss Universe. Even though 18 Latin American countries participated only one contestant appeared to have African ancestry (Miss Dominican Republic).

Many Latinos are still under the Spanish Conquistador's spell--white is better. Our grandparents and even some of our parents encourage us to marry to mejorar la raza (improve the race). Meaning you should marry a white woman to make sure your child is at least has a 50 percent chance to be fair-skinned. Latino men are subconsciously trained to date and marry lighter-skinned women. We hear it in our homes as children and see it on Spanish-language media. For example, telenovelas (Spanish-language soap operas) always have European-looking Latino actors in lead roles while Afro-Latinos are lucky if they grab a role as a maid.

Sosa isn't much different from Juan Doe in Mexico who buys Crema de Belleza-Manning to lighten his skin to attract light-skinned women. In an interview with Univision's Primer Impacto Sosa said, "I want to clarify on your show that I am not a racist person." In between laughs and smirks, Sosa tells the reporter he's going to start to market the skin-lightening cream. When asked if he's rubbed the cream all over his body, Sosa chuckles once again and said, "No, because I only put it on my face not on my whole body. If I did that then I would have a problem. I would have to call 911."

Yet, Sosa's situation isn't a laughing matter.

Jesús Triviño Alarcón is the Senior Online Editor of SITV.COM , the online component to the Latino cable network Sí TV.

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

Last week was a trying week for me. It started with my 32nd birthday on Monday, which I was actually excited about and thoroughly enjoyed, and it resulted in the devastating loss of my beloved fur baby,familiar and companion, Kema.

He had been sick for only a few weeks and it broke my heart that he succumbed so quickly and that I couldn't be there at his final moments. I am so grateful for Chris who held him while he took his last breath. The last thing I would want is for Kema is to leave this realm not knowing how special and how treasured he was by me. Chris quickly became an loving and doting step-dad to Kema, and I know that he is joining me in missing that fuzzy face of his.

I didn't want this blog to be a bummer, but I wanted to post this song with this little backstory as a reminder that love is eternal and that with love... life is so much better.



So this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon is a love song, to Chris, whose love continues to nourishes me like water, and to Kema, whose love will never ever be forgotten. You both have made life a beautiful place for me!

Q-Tip feat. Norah Jones- "Life Is Better"

A Little [BILL WITHERS] for a Saturday Night

Bill Withers - "Lovely Day (Full Phatt Remix)"





I hope you all have one tomorrow!!

Peace from Brooklyn!

Yummm! Alternatives for a Funky Turkey Day!!!

I want to make the turkey this year for Thanksgiving... and I am really looking forward to it. This year, instead of the usual tried and true... I am heading towards something new!

Here are a few turkey recipes that I've scoured the internet to find. The first one is the one I am looking forward to trying (Though I always wanted to tackle a deep fried turkey... if only I had a bigger kitchen!)

Bourbon Brine Roasted Turkey With BBQ Gravy



COOK TIME
4 Hours

PREPARATION TIME
5 Hours 95 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 item gallon water
2 cup salt
2 cup apple juice
1 cup bourbon or additional cup of apple juice
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
½ cup light brown sugar
1 item turkey (12–14 pounds), reserve neck and giblets for gravy ( Rub recipe follows)
2 tablespoon salt
1½ tablespoon ground sage
1½ tablespoon thyme
½ tablespoon black pepper
½ tablespoon Neely's seasoning (recipe follows)
1 item Olive oil for rubbing on turkey
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup paprika
1¼ cup onion powder ( BBQ Gravy recipes to follow)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 item Reserved neck and giblets from turkey
1 item large onion, sliced
8 cup turkey stock or chicken stock
2 tablespoon Wondra or flour
¼ cup BBQ sauce (recommended: Neely's BBQ Sauce)
1 cup Salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Pour brine ingredients into a clean 5-gallon bucket lined with a resealable bag. (Editors' note: Try Thekitchenstore.com's Turkey Brining Bag.) Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve, add turkey, and seal bag. Use a garbage bag to line an ice chest, and insert bucket with turkey, making sure to surround it with ice. Keep in a cool place, and let soak for 6 hours or overnight, but flip the turkey bag halfway through. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and mix all ingredients in the rub together, except for the olive oil. Rub the turkey with some olive oil and massage the rub onto the turkey. Tie up the wings and legs of turkey with white cotton string, if desired, and place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook for 1¾ hours, remove from oven to baste with the pan drippings, then cook for another 1¾ to 2 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F and the juices run clear. Place a piece of aluminum foil over—but not touching—legs or wings if the skin there begins to get too dark. This "tenting" shields them from some heat.

While turkey is in oven, make BBQ gravy. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the neck and giblets, sear until brown, remove from pan, and reserve. Lower heat and sauté the onions. Add the stock, scraping up the food on the bottom of the pan. Add the neck and giblets back into the saucepan, cover, and let simmer until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 2 hours. Remove turkey parts. Place 1 cup of the gravy into a medium bowl and whisk in the Wondra or flour until smooth. Add the thickened gravy back to the pot along with the BBQ sauce. Whisk the gravy until it is thickened as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove turkey from oven, and let rest 30 minutes before you carve and serve with gravy.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 257 calories, 9 grams carbohydrate, 86 milligrams cholesterol, 8 grams fat, 34 grams protein, 2,129 milligrams sodium.

Courtesy of The Neelys via Essence Magazine

Deep-Fried Turkey



Cook Time:40 min
Level: Difficult
Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients
5 gallons peanut oil*
10 to 15-pound unstuffed turkey
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
Directions
*Cooks Note: To measure the amount of oil needed to fry the turkey, place turkey in fryer, add water to top of turkey, remove the turkey and the water line will indicate how much oil will be needed to fry your turkey. Having too much oil can cause a fire. The pot should not be more than 3/4 full or the oil could overflow when the turkey is added.

Pour peanut oil into a 10-gallon pot. Put pot on propane cooker and heat oil to 400 degrees F.

Have turkey completely thawed and dry turkey thoroughly. Tie 2 cotton strings around carcass so bird can be easily lifted out of oil. Carefully submerge turkey in oil.

Deep-fry for 3 to 4 minutes per pound and cook until turkey floats to the top. Remove bird from oil and place on a platter or cutting board.

In a small pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic powder, cayenne and House Seasoning. Brush turkey with butter mixture. Pour any remaining butter mixture inside the turkey. Allow to cool 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Please be extremely careful when deep-frying the turkey. Do it outdoors on a level and non-flammable surface.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Courtesy of Paula Deen via The Food Network

DO SOMETHING: Murdoch - Glenn Beck "was right" about Obama?

Last week, when asked about Glenn Beck calling President Obama "racist," Rupert Murdoch, chairman of Fox News Channel's parent company (News Corp) said "if you actually assess what he was talking about, |Beck| was right."[1]

On Tuesday, after his endorsement of Beck's race-baiting started to draw attention, Murdoch claimed, through a spokesperson, that he didn't mean he agrees with Beck.[2] It's ridiculous -- what else could he have possibly meant?

Murdoch calls the shots at Fox News, and he's just made it clear that Fox's problem with race starts in his office. Now that he's been caught, he's trying to play dumb -- he doesn't want to be held accountable for Beck's rhetoric, but he won't denounce or stop it either.

It won't work, if we stand up. Join me in telling Murdoch he has a choice -- he can stand by the fact that he agrees with Glenn Beck; or he can tell us why he doesn't and what he's going to do about it. If enough of us call him out, we can create a powerful conversation about Fox's race-baiting that will help us hold them accountable at the highest level.

Please join me in signing the petition to Murdoch, and ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://www.colorofchange.org/murdoch/?id=2026-910062

While Beck is the worst offender on the Fox News Channel, the network has a long, deep history of engaging in inflammatory racial rhetoric: attacking Black leaders, Black culture, and Black institutions.[3,4,5] And a number of Murdoch's recent business decisions suggest that he is consciously building a media empire -- at Fox News and elsewhere -- that attracts viewers by appealing to racial fear and paranoia.

A month ago, Murdoch put Don Imus (fired from MSNBC for his infamous "nappy headed hos" comment)[6] back on television on the Fox Business Network. And a few weeks ago, Murdoch personally fired Marc Lamont Hill -- one of Fox News' few black commentators -- in response to a racially charged smear campaign led by a News Corp shareholder, who said Hill has "reputation of defending cop killers and racists."[7]

Holding Murdoch, Beck and Fox News accountable

When Murdoch publicly endorsed some of Glenn Beck's most inflammatory comments, it seemed he was making it very clear that he approves of Fox's race-baiting. Now, apparently after realizing how damaging it would be for him to publicly support the rhetoric that cost Glenn Beck 80 advertisers, he's trying to backpedal. But Murdoch is not willing to distance himself from Beck either. He knows that he could face a backlash from Fox's viewers if he appears critical of the racially charged programming that attracts many of them to the network in the first place.

So Murdoch wants to have it both ways -- he wants to build a network that makes money by pandering to racial fear and paranoia, but he doesn't want Fox to be seen as cable's home for race-baiting.

We can't let him get away with it. Murdoch made a mistake by speaking too openly about what he and his media organizations stand for. He rarely makes mistakes like this, and we need to seize the opportunity to expose Fox's problem with race.

It starts by demanding that Murdoch explain what he meant, and be clear about whether or not race-baiting is part of the program at Fox. He may or may not respond, but if enough of us speak out, we can create a conversation that makes it clear who is ultimately responsible for Fox's race-baiting. It's just one step in starting to bring some accountability to the leadership of Fox News and News Corp -- but it's an important one.

Join me in calling out Rupert Murdoch, and ask your friends and family to do the same. It just takes a minute:

http://www.colorofchange.org/murdoch/?id=2026-910062

Thank you.

References:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsboAwzj7aY
2. http://tinyurl.com/y8fhg4n
3. http://mediamatters.org/items/200412230012
4. http://mediamatters.org/items/200602090003
5. http://mediamatters.org/items/200510030005
6. http://tinyurl.com/mdtn4x
7. http://tinyurl.com/yzx7xyd

Other Resources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnNyEKAZIO4
http://tinyurl.com/y964vmb

A Little [REBBIE JACKSON] for a Saturday Night

(Even though it's Sunday! LOL)

Rebbie Jackson "Centipede"... This one goes out to my girl Jamillah. Thank you for inspiring this song and for taking me out for a pre-birthday celebration.

Champions of Crackheadedness - Why Other Countries Hate Us.

According to the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), more than 852 million people - about 13 percent of the world population - do not have enough food each day to sustain a healthy life.

Of this, about 815 million people live in developing countries, 28 million in "transition" countries of the former Eastern Europe and ex-Soviet republics, and about nine million in the industrialised world.*

When I first saw this picture, I was so disgusted to think that people actually eat something like this and that as you read this, someone shelled out their hard-earned money to buy this for themselves and (Worse to think!) their children.



Why is this acceptable? SMH

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

A few years ago, I ventured over to Common Grounds Coffee House here in Bed-Stuy for two reasons:

1) To meet the wonderful Soul Sister 75, Georgette, who I became friends with via MySpace.
2) To listen to some great music.

I walked away from that evening with this song in my ears and two years later, the song is still there! LOL

This is such an amazing song to wake up to... as it's so motivating!


Can't Stop the Record

Ashley Phillips | MySpace Video

"Cant Stop the Record (Live)" - Ashley Phillips



For more info on Ashley Phillips go to http://www.myspace.com/ashleyphillipsband

:::drools::: Fantabulous Boots for the Fall!!!

Oh Joy!!! It's fall and it's time to spice up the old wardrobe with boots, boots, and more boots! A close second to handbags, boots happen to be another indulgence of mine. Here are a couple of boots that really make me salivate:



Lollipop Lion Black Vegan Leather Buckle Boot ($69, Lulus)

Release your inner cool cat in the Lollipop Lion Black Vegan Leather Buckle Boot. This street smart find features a subtly crinkled faux leather exterior and a cut-out top shaft with decorative graphic black stitching. Black belt straps with pewter belt loops can be found at the ankle and near the top of the shaft for a bit of pizazz. A 13.5" zipper runs up the length of the inside shaft to the 14" opening. Inside, a cushioned foot bed and black faux fur lining keep you comfy and cozy. 1.75" on rugged, rubberized flex sole. Man Made Materials. Imported.



Whippet Boot ($79.50, Delias)

PU upper; man-made bottom. By Blowfish. Whole and half sizes: 6-8, 9, 10
Imported. Catalog and web exclusive



Trotters Audrey Wide Shaft ($159.95, Zappos)

Product Information:

'Audrey' is a delightful tall shaft boot that can be dressed up or down.
Soft leather upper with stretch panel for a fit that will work with you.
Leather strap and adjustable buckle create continuous style.
Inside zipper supplies easy on-and-off and comfortable wear.
Padded footbed supplies maximum cushioning and comfort.
Stylish stacked heels offers extra flair with each stride.
Textured latex rubber outsole provides added traction.
1" heel.
14.00" shaft height.
16.00" circumference.
18.00 oz.
Product measurements were taken using size 7. Please note that measurements may vary by size.



Christian Siriano for Payless Slither Boot ($49.99, Payless)

Pair with dark skinnies or leggings for fall, this edgy designer ankle boot by Christian Siriano features your choice of lizard-print patent or printed satin, a comfortable round toe, exposed side zip with brasstone cone pull, luxurious satin lining and a fierce 4" cone heel. Padded insole for comfort. Manmade materials.



Women's Glaze by Adi High Heel Suede Knot Accent Boots ($36.99, Target)

Bootie-Style Fashion Boots
Black, Cognac, Gray
Faux-Leather Upper with Synthetic Outsoles
3"
5"- High Boot Shaft
Features Slip On Styling with Fashionable Pointed Toe, Traditional Round Toe
Lightweight Design