Jelani is now at the 3 yr Anniversary!

We have been following the progress of my bro's locks up to this point.

He has some minor build up, but I told him how to deal with it, so he will be all good again soon.

Aside from that this is a post maintenance shot. I am personally happy with their progress!

Jamaican Sunday Dinner

Tofu in Mango Lime Sweet and Sour Glaze w/ Rice and Peas (made with Basmati Brown Rice)

Coming Soon - My Vegan Background (requested by Naturally Sophia).

Good Bye MJ...

9 Months

Nothing much to say, except I'm jealous of all of you who have reached the 1 year mark, and 2 year, 3 year, etc. But I still continue to love my sisterlocks. :)

I was trying to get a good shot of the back but that wasn't working out at all. Oh well..next time...lol.

Also check out my body shot tell me if you see progress. It was the best I could do at the time. Nobody else was up. :)

Vegan Cooking Jamaican Style

Hi Ladies,

Meikmeika requested that I share some recipes and pictures of my vegan dishes. Thanks for the request! I was kind of intimidated by it to be honest, knowing what this woman is capable of in her own kitchen. So here I am to give you my long awaited post containing pictures and recipes of some of my favourites. A few are dishes I made up myself, while the others are dishes I put my special twist to or got from my mommy. Enjoy!

Pictures

Recipes

These are provided in the same order as the pictures. The last two pictures are the Bread Pudding whole and sliced.

1) Steamed Callaloo (my version) - 2-4 Servings
Ingredients
Callaloo Leaves (get a good bundle because they shrink a lot during steaming), 1-2 Tomatoes, 1 Onion, 4-6 Garlic Cloves, 2-3 stems of Scallion, 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, a pinch of Salt, Water, 1 tablespoon of a light good quality Margarine (preferably zero or min saturated and trans fat).

Method
-Strip and Wash Callaloo Leaves
- Separate them in smaller bundles; bend those bundles in half and cut across in strips; and place in a stirfry wok.
-Dice Tomatoes, Scallion, and Garlic Cloves, then add to the wok.
-Cut the Onion in vertical strips and add to the wok.
-Use a fork and knife (very important - you do not want to touch with bare hands then make contact with your eyes) to cut the Scotch Bonnet Pepper into medium size pieces; make sure to remove all the seeds, then add to the wok.
-Add a pinch of Salt.
-Add 1 tablespoon of the Margarine.
-Add 1/4 cup of Water.
- Turn on medium flame.
-Stir around for a bit, then cover the pot fully for 5-10 minutes and allow to steam.
-Lift up pot cover stir around a bit, once the water is bubbling, and the Callaloo looks similar to the picture provided, turn off the flame.

2) Stirfried Cabbage w/ Crushed Vege Sausages and Dasheen - 3-4 Servings
Substitutes for Dasheen include crispy baked Bammies, Whole Wheat Fried Dumplings, Fried or Roasted Breadfruit, boiled Yam, boiled Green Bananas, or Whole Wheat Multi Grain sliced bread. Those things are pretty straight forward to prepare so I will just provide the recipe for the entree.

Ingredients
3-4 Worthington Vege Beef Sausages, 1 Medium - Large Cabbage, 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, 1 Onion, 4-6 garlic cloves, 2-3 Stems of Scallion, Black Pepper powder (no msg), Soy Sauce (no msg), 1 Tablespoon of Smart Balance Omega Oil

Method
-Slice up Cabbage in slivers and add to a stirfry wok.
-Crush up 3-4 Worthington Vege Beef Sausages then add to the wok.
-Cut onion in vertical strips; add to the wok.
-Dice up Scallion and Garlic Cloves; add to the wok.
-Cut up the Scotch Bonnet Pepper in medium size pieces with a knife and fork (it is very important that you do not touch directly then rub your eyes). Ensure that all seeds are removed, add the pieces to the wok.
-Add a generous amount of Black Pepper to the wok.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of Smart Balance Omega Oil.
-Turn on medium flame.
-Stir the ingredients until everything looks nice and glossy and the cabbage has shrunk somewhat.
-Add some Soy Sauce to the ingredients, then stir around some more, until everything has a nice brownish colour as a result of the Soy Sauce.
-Cover the pot and allow the ingredients to simmer and the Cabbage to shrink some more for 5 minutes.
- Remove the cover stir some more.
- Once the end result looks like the picture or similar, then you're done!

3) Meatless Stewed Peas (my version) w/ Whole Wheat Spinners and Cous Cous
Brown Rice is a good substitute for the Cous Cous.

Cous Cous - 4 Servings
Ingredients
1 cup of Cous Cous, 1 cup of Water, Herbal Seasoning (basil, parsley, another of your preference or a combination), Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon of a light good quality Margarine (zero to min saturated and trans fat), 1 pinch of Salt.

Method
- Add Water, Herbal Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Margarine, and Salt to pot and cover it.
-Turn on medium flame.
-Allow to boil, then add Cous Cous until it is at the same level or right below the level of the water.
-Stir around quickly, and turn off the flame immediately after adding Cous Cous.
-Leave for 10 minutes. Ensure that the pot is properly covered for the duration of this.
-Remove pot cover and use a fork to fluff up the Cous Cous.
- Serve.

Meatless Stewed Peas w/ Whole Wheat Spinners - 4 Servings
This dish is on the salty side, to compensate for lack of pigtail. If you are watching your salt you may choose to add less or go without.

Ingredients
1 pound of Red Peas/Kidney Beans, Water, 1 Tablespoon of Salt, 1 Tablespoon of Ginger Powder, Garlic Powder, 6 Garlic Cloves, 6 Pimento Seeds, 1 Onion, 3 Stems of Scallion, Basil, Parsley, 3-5 Sticks of Thyme or any combination of (I prefer to use the thyme ;) ), 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, 10 oz of Coconut Milk, 1/3 cup of Whole Wheat Flour

Method
-Wash peas thoroughly and add to pot (one that you usually cook stews in), filled with water.
-Add Salt, Ginger Powder, and Garlic Powder.
-Allow to boil until peas are tender and have burst. (1-2 hours)
-Add the Pimento Seeds, Thyme and/or other Herbal Seasonings and 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (whole). Do not de-stem or cut the pepper in any way.
-Dice up Garlic Cloves and Scallion and add to the pot.
-Cut up the Onion in vertical strips and add to pot.
- Stir this around.
-Taste the water and add a little more salt if needed.
-Add Coconut Milk and 1/2 - 1 cup of Water; stir around again; then cover put.
- Allow to boil down (for another 30-45 minutes)
-Once the last instruction is nearly done or done, put Whole Wheat Flour in a small bowl or container with a pinch of salt, and enough water to create dough. Mix a little. Ensure your hands are clean, and knead the mixture into a firm dough.
-Remove cover from pot. Roll small pieces of dough into spinners (of a similar size in the picture or smaller) then add them to the pot.
- Stir the pot, and add 1/2 - 1 cup of water. Allow to boil down again (for approximately 30-45 minutes).
-Serve!

Ps. This dish may take a long while to prepare, but the good side of it is that you can multitask while preparing it. If you are going to work, you may put the peas in a slow cooker in the morning before you leave, and when you come home, most of the time is already cut out of the process.

4) Dahl (Split Peas Stew) and Cous Cous (my version) - 4 Servings
A good substitute for the Cous Cous is Roti. Since the recipe for Cous Cous has already been provided see below the recipe for Dahl.

Ingredients
1 Cup of Split Peas, 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons of Salt, Water, 3-5 Sticks of Thyme and/or other Herbal Seasonings, Black Pepper powder, 1 Tablespoon of Ginger Powder, Garlic Powder, 6 Garlic Cloves, 6 Pimento Seeds, 1 Tomato, 3 Stems of Scallion, 1 Onion, 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, 1 Tablespoon of a light good quality Margarine (zero-min saturated and trans fat), 1-1/2 teaspoon of Cumin Powder

Method
-Wash Split Peas thoroughly
-Fill a pot (one that you usually use to make stews) with water.
-Add Split Peas, Salt, Ginger Powder, Garlic Powder to the pot.
-Turn on medium flame and allow peas to boil until they get tender and burst. (45 mins - 1 hour unless peas are old)
-Add 1 whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper (do not de-stem or cut in any way), Thyme and/or other Herbal Seasonings to pot, and stir around.
- Slice up the Tomato; slice the Onion in vertical strips; Dice up Garlic Cloves and Scallion. Add to a frying pan with the Margarine and Cumin Powder and Black Pepper Powder.
-Stir around for about 6 minutes, then add the mixture to the pot.
- Stir the pot. Cover it, and allow Split Peas to reduce. Check it periodically to ensure that the contents stay well mixed and do not stick to the pot or burn. (approximately 1 hour)
-Once the contents look like the picture provided or similar, then it is ready to serve.

Ps. Another dish that takes a while to cook, but that's ok you get to multitask. :)

Escoveitch Tofu - 4 Servings plus left overs for sandwiches, etc.
How I usually prepare the tofu is not reflected in that picture. I will replace it with the end result of what I usually do, as soon as I prepare it again.

Ingredients
2 Packs of Tofu, 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, 1/2 Cup of Cane Vinegar, 1 Pinch of Salt, Black Pepper Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, 1- 1/2 Long Carrots, 1 Sweet Pepper, 1 Onion, 2 cups of Bread Crumbs.

Method
-Slice the Carrots and Sweet Pepper into thin vertical strips. Slice the the onion horizontally into thin circles and semi circles.
-Add these ingredients, a pinch of Salt, and the Scotch Bonnet Pepper (whole - do not de-stem or cut in any way) to a Sauce Pan.
-Pour the vinegar on top of these ingredients. Turn on a medium flame and allow to boil.
-Once it boils up (this is indicated when you see a lot of bubbles and hear sizzling sounds), turn off the pot and allow to set, while you prepare the Tofu.
-Cut the Tofu in not too thin or thick rectangular or square pieces.
-Shake up Black Pepper powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Bread Crumbs, and a pinch of Salt together in a zip loc bag.
-Add pieces of Tofu to the ziploc bag.
-Shake around until the pieces of Tofu are thoroughly covered in the bread crumbs mixture.
-Line a flat metal tray with alumnium foil and grease it with a very thin layer of Olive Oil, then lay out Tofu pieces on it. Ensure that you shake off the excess bread crumbs before laying them out. Ensure they are not layered on top of each other, if you have to bake them in batches that is okay.
-Put into the oven and bake to a nice golden hue, then flip the pieces and repeat the exercise. I leave oven settings up to you, since results may vary for everyone.
-Once they are finished baking lay them out in a flat rectangular casserole dish, in 1-2 layers.
-Then drizzle the Escoveitch sauce over them, and nicely arrange vegetables on top. Cut the Scotch Bonnet Pepper into thin strips and sprinkle all over the array. Remember to remove all the seeds before doing this.
-Allow the Tofu to marinate in the Escoveitch sauce for at least 3 hours. The longer they stay the more enhanced the flavour will be. It is up to your taste buds, bearing in mind that the main ingredient of the sauce is vinegar lol.

Vege Blast Fried Rice - 4-6 Servings
This is also a great way to use up whatever left overs you may have.

Ingredients
1 Cup of Basmati Brown Rice, 2 Cups of Water, Black Pepper Powder, Garlic Powder, Hot Pepper Sauce, Soy Sauce, 1 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil, 1 Table Spoon of Olive Oil or Smart Balance OmegaOil, Vegetarian Chinese StirFry Sauce, 4-6 Garlic Cloves, 1 Onion, 3 Stems of Scallion, 1 Long Carrot, 1 Sweet Pepper, 1 can of Mushrooms, 1 -2 Worthington Vege Beef Sausages, 1/4 Pack of Tofu, 1/4 Cup of eggless Noodles, 1 Pinch of Salt

Method
- Wash Basmati Brown Rice thoroughly.
-Add it and Water to a medium sized pot with Garlic Powder and 1 Pinch of Salt.
-Allow to boil until the water has completely disappeared and the rice is soft and fluffy. If the rice gets to that point and there is still a little water left, then drain it off.
-Allow rice to cool, while you put together the other ingredients. You can leave the pot cover off (as long as you are present) to speed up the cooling process.
- Dice up the Carrots, canned Mushrooms, Scallion, Onion, Garlic Cloves, Sweet Pepper, Worthington Vege Beef Sausages, and Tofu in super fine squares.
-Add cooled rice and diced ingredients to a stirfry wok.
-Crumple up the eggless Noodles (if they are super long or provided in a cube), and add to the wok.
-Add the Sesame Oil and Olive Oil (or Smart Balance Omega Oil) to the the wok, and turn on medium flame.
-Stir around until everything is glossy and semi cooked.
-Add the sauces and stir around for 5-10 minutes until every thing is nice and brown.
-Cover the wok and allow everything to simmer for 3 minutes.
-Remove cover and stir again, then turn off flame.


Baked Potato and Mushroom Crisps
1-2 Potatoes provides you with a huge serving.

Ingredients
1-2 Medium Potatoes, 1 can of Mushrooms, 1 Teaspoon of Salt, Herbal Seasonings, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper powder, 1-1/2 Teaspoon of a light good quality Margarine (zero-min saturated and trans fat), Water.

Method
- Cut the Potatoes in medium sized cubes and add to a medium sized pot of water.
-Add Herbal Seasonings, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder,Black Pepper powder, and 1 teaspoon of Salt to the pot.
-Turn on medium flame, stir around a bit, then cover and allow to boil until the Potatoes are tender.
-In the mean time, dice up the canned Mushrooms, into very small pieces.
-Once the potato is finished boiling, you may add more seasonings as suited to taste, then add 1-1/2 Teaspoon of Margarine.
-Mash and mix this around until you get a nice fluffy creamy mix (basically you're making mashed potatoes).
-Get a flat aluminum tray and line it with aluminum foil.
-Take a fork and apply small amounts of the mashed Potato in sections.
-Use the fork to press down the top of these sections into a flat oval shape with ridges at the top.
-Put in the oven and allow to bake until the top is golden and crispy. Flip and repeat the process.
-When you bite into one, the outside should be flaky and crispy, while the middle melts in your mouth.

And now for desserts..

Chocolate Cake - At Least 8 Servings
It never lasts for longer than an hour in this household.

Ingredients
2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour (unsifted), 2 cups of Soymilk (Chocolate, Vanilla, or Original), 1/2 -3/4 cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 cup of Brown Sugar, 3/4 cup of Melted Margarine, 1 tablespoon of Vanilla, 1 tablespoon of White Rum, 1 Pinch of Salt, 1 Teaspoon of Nutmeg, 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

Method
-Put all dry ingredients in one bowl and mix together. Make sure to sift everything except for the Whole Wheat Flour.
-Put all liquid ingredients in one bowl and mix together. Ensure to melt Margarine in a pot and add to this mixture.
-Create a hole/valley in the middle of the dry ingredients mixture and pour the liquid ingredients mixture in this.
-Mix everything together. I like to use a fork to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed.
-Grease a round baking pan with an extremely thin layer of Margarine.
-Pour contents in the pan. Preheat the oven for about 5 minutes, then add the cake. It should bake for 30-45 minutes. I imagine this and the oven setting varies per person.
-Then voila, you have Chocolate Cake.

Bread Pudding - At least 8 Servings
Excellent for when you have left over or old bread slices and don't know what to do with them. Make sure they are not spoiled though. The pudding didn't last longer than an hour in here lol. :)

Ingredients
Approximately 6 slices of Bread, 1/2 cup of Prunes, 1/2 cup of Red Label Wine, 1 Tablespoon of White Rum, 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla, 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon, 1 Teaspoon of Nutmeg, 1 Pinch of Salt, 2 cups of Soymilk (Orginal or Vanilla), 1 tablespoon of Margarine, 1 cup of Brown Sugar.

Method
-Thread the slices of Bread into small squares, pour Soymilk on to bread until it is at the same level as the bread. Add the liquid ingredients (except for the Red Label Wine and Margarine).
-Also add the Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Salt.
-Mix this up and allow to stay in the bowl and set for 1 hour.
-Put the Prunes in the Red Label Wine, and allow to soak for at least an hour as well. In fact if you knew you had plan to bake bread pudding in the evening, you could do this from in the morning or early afternoon even.
-Once the hour is done, add the Prunes and Red Label Wine, plus the remaining ingredients to the mixture.
-Mix this up thoroughly, taste and add more spices if needed.
-Throw this in a casserole dish and allow to bake for 45 mins to 1 hour.
-Once this is complete. Leave to cool and set for at least 1 hour.
-Slice and serve!

I encourage you to try these dishes and let me know how it worked out. Enjoy! ;)

My response to A friend's Blog Post re: Her Views on Marriage

It is often said that persons who have had super negative experiences with the opposite sex should abstain from giving advice on relationships. Well, I strongly disagree. I think we who fall under that bracket, are the best at telling you what NOT to accept, and the negative signs to look out for, that will allow you to bail out, before it's too late...

You can read my friend's post and check out her blog here

This is my response:

Honey, what can I say? I am a big cynic when it comes to marriage. My whole
family has been totally “salt” when it comes to this controversial matter. My
grandma’s own had longevity, but it certainly wasn’t without problems, but in
those days the ol’ folks stuck it out through thick and thin – a quality to be
admired that is highly lacking now, but yet, a quality that can be questionable
at the least in some instances, such as abuse, etc.

I think divorces have their role in society, but as usual the human race abuses a perfectly good procedure and as expected it comes right back down to their own selfish and narcisstic gains, just like religion, money, and politics (but more on that in a future convo).

So, with all that said, are you unreasonable in your demands? Hell no, I
say! We as a people need to get back some of those old school ways and good ol’
values that were taught to us by our parents and grand parents. We need to get
back a sense of responsibility, morals, unselfishness, and an overall positive
sense of well being, and it doesn’t only apply to marriage or personal
relationships on a whole, but additionally to everything in our life. We have
lost that sense of connectedness and unity. We have become selfish and
individualistic in so many ways. It is the biggest cause of most of our problems
now (marriage included for sure!).

I, as a fellow sista, say I will never get married (yes I am psychic lol). And not because I don’t believe in it, but because my standards are just as high as yours, and call me a cynic, but I don’t see anybody who meet my high criteria, and I just don’t think they make ‘em that way anymore. Men and women alike are just not molded with the same values as they used to be 10 years ago much less 30-50 years ago.

So with that said, my charge to you upon deciding to jump the broom is to:

- Be 100% sure (not even 99.9%) that he is the right man for you and that you are making the right decision. And I am not talking about your usual jitter bugs or nerves, but rather, your gut feeling and instinct should never be triggered in any manner that could be interpreted as “off” or “odd” even.

- Know that neither he nor yourself are perfect, but certain basics should definitely be there:- respect, communication, communication, communication, communication, sincerity, loyalty, etc.

- Compatibility has to be there. This doesn’t mean you and him should be exactly the same in your personalities or likes and dislikes, but your
differences should complement one another.

- Make sure you live with him for at least 3-6 months getting near to that level of commitment (marriage of course). Not everybody, but often enough, most, are bound to show their true colours sooner or later in a living situation. They may not turn out to be evil, but everybody has their quirks and flaws, make sure such are those you can learn to adapt to in his case. As we Jamaicans love to say “Come see me and come live with me are two different things”.

- Meet his family and friends! A family member of mine who got married not very long ago is having huge problems now and the in-laws are one of the primary causes. Trust me, they usually form a big part of the pieces that connects your marriage together in a neat tidy puzzle. The less untidyness (sp?), the better.

- What do you consider to be a compromise or sacrifice? How much are you willing to compromise on and sacrifice? Ask yourself those questions then do the same with your partner. Then make sure that both of you come to a consensus that you are both willing to put 50-50 at stake for the happiness of the other. It must be equal on both sides, no matter what people say about love not costing a thing, if there is no equilibrium and it’s not costing you now, then it will definitely start to cost you later– probably emotionally, socially, sexually, and/or even financially, etc. So decide from
now what is important to you while considering what’s important to him, and make
this clear from jump.

- Make sure you share common principles when it comes to finances. This is one of the top factors that screams divorce at the given time. I would personally say make sure that you have a personal account outside of the merged one that you keep confidential. I don’t think anything is wrong with this concept. It’s not about being sneaky or calculating. Anything can go wrong. You want to have a back up always. Consider it as your long term “get vex money”.

I think I have yakked on long enough lol. However, once you decide to get married
I wish you all the best!

Disclaimer: Obviously there are "good" people out there. I generalized to make the point that they are rare. And of course, I also acknowledge that in rare instances you may meet the person you think may be "THE ONE", but for whatever purpose of fate, it just didn't work out.

Health and Lifestyle Design

Hi Ladies,

So as you guys probably already know I am very interested in the topic of health and fitness. Right now as we speak I have been focusing on losing weight, but most importantly - losing body fat, getting fit, and getting to that ultimate state of healthiness. From my teen years, I have always been interested in fad diets and binging. My weight would always fluctuate. It's also sad that I came from a network of family and close friends who were into being vegan and nutritionists using natural and healthy options of healing and keeping fit. I have strayed from that as I got older, and I got to see that that was the right route the entire time.

I have made a lot of changes to my diet, which include going back to my roots pretty much. These are changes that I feel I can stick to for a lifetime as opposed to the restrictive diets that would make me spring back as soon as I reach my goal and got off them. These changes include eating loads more of raw oats, fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, legumes, and tofu (not plenty of course). I also drink plenty of fluids and green tea (without sugar). I cut back a lot on my sugar in-take as well, and replaced most of my bad fats with good fats, by using smart balance omega cooking oil, olive oil, and sesame oil for cooking, and a good quality healthy light margarine. In terms of carbs - I have cut out a lot of the unfriendly carbs, while sticking to the friendly ones, which include lots of fruit and veggies as I mentioned; having brown sugar in the few cases that I do; eating brown rice and cous cous; yams and using whole wheat flour where needed. I eat irish potato and pasta but prepared in a healthy and low fat way.

I have always been a vegan. I never strayed in the sense of eating meat, but I would have dairy products, in most cases in junky stuff such as pizza or pastries. I have now eliminated junk food out of my life, and focused on my cravings for a particular flavour, and quench such cravings with healthier alternatives. I have also realized it's okay to treat yourself occasionally and it's even okay to get side tracked once in a blue moon, because again restrictive diets can only work for so long and have a higher case of resulting in binging, so I haven't been dieting, but rather been making meaningful permanent changes. If I feel for a treat I make a vegan desert, which is already a lot less junky than it's commercial counterpart (well certainly when I make it).

In terms of fitness, not only have I incorporated Gilad's Total Body Sculpt as my daily workout routine, but I also move around a lot more now, because that was one of my biggest problems too. I am not where I want to be yet in terms of my size, but I notice differences including the fact that I am looking firmer and toned. I am also fitter. I don't get exhausted walking up and down my hill at home, or walking up a long staircase, etc. The changes are therefore forth coming and I am very appreciative. Ooh I also notice that I have lost inches off my waist.

I don't expect to lose everything quickly nor do I want to. I feel if it takes a while, it will stay off and if I enjoy what I am doing and am able to stick with it permanently. Then upon achieving my goals I will definitely be able to maintain the changes for life.

In doing this, I have also been doing something that I never always did before. I have kept myself informed. I read a wide range of articles from various experts, and get tips from my family as well. They say knowledge is power. There is a reason for that. It is with that said that I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to my friend and in recent times, health and fitness mentor Shanique Cornwall. I encourage you to show her some love, especially the ladies who are focused on getting fit and healthy and or maintaining their current state of such. If you follow her blog you will grow to see why she is so inspiring. :)

I hope never to go back to this, but rather to stick with this and continue on like path.