Resurrecting Curls! (or tip sheet 2!)

This post was inspired by two friends of mine, both of which mentioned brushing out their daughters' curly hair to fix it in the morning.

 Are you ready for the first commandment of curly hair??

NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER try to brush it once it's dry. That includes trying to wet it down after it's dry to brush it. Straight haired people do not understand this, because they're freaked out by not brushing their hair to fix it, but may I reiterate the first commandment of curly hair?? ONLY COMB CURLY HAIR WHEN IT IS WET FROM BATHING.

Now that we have that out of the way.... 

You may be asking, well then how in the world do we fix it? First of all remember that curly hair is easy, you just have to know how to work with it.

The secret to combing tangly curly hair is, once again, only to comb it after bathing. You can use fancy liquid silk products or expensive oils or whatever you like as a detangler, but I find that I have just as good of results (if not better) with plain, old, regular conditioner.  And I buy the cheap stuff...

This was less than 2 dollars.

The secret is not to rinse it out. "Leave in conditioners" are just more expensive. You don't need to use too much, start with a little nickel size dollop, then add more if you need to. Just work it all over the hair, not as much at the roots, focus more on the ends.

Next step is to take your comb or brush (am I the only one who wants to say "and a bowl full of mush"....?) and start gently brushing FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE HAIR. Please don't start at the roots. That's just not fun for anyone involved. Start at the ends, then you can work out any little tangles there, then work up a little higher and a little higher as you go. 

When you're done combing the hair, for little girls or curly hair that tends not to get super frizzy you can just add a little more conditioner for better hold, or leave it to air dry. For frizzier hair, add your styling product now. Click here for the styling products I like, or try different ones to see what you like.  Scrunch it up starting from the ends for added volume or twist strands around your fingers for definition. Air drying works best for curly hair, but you can use a diffuser if you want it dry faster. I usually do my hair before bed and sleep on it. 

I did this:

with just regular cheap conditioner and twirling tendrils around my fingers before I went to bed one night. I touched up messy spots in the morning with a little more conditioner, water, and twisting, but that's essentially how it looked when I woke up.

Aaaaaanyways.....

Sometimes when I take my shower at night I feel too lazy to do anything with my hair. Combing it and putting mousse in and all that takes all of five minutes. But sometimes, just sometimes, I am too tried even for that.

 Then this happens:

and I regret not putting my mousse in!

The pictures don't really do justice to just how awful it looks. Can you see why I hated my hair before I knew what to do with it? EEK. 

So if you or your child look like that ^ in the morning, here's how to save it, fast.

I will take this moment to reiterate commandment #1. DO NOT BRUSH IT ONCE IT'S DRY. All it takes is a little water, 5 minutes, and a little product. AND NO BRUSHES. :)

This is my favorite "second day" product. Don't use this right out of the shower, the hold isn't quite good enough for that. This is the "morning after" solution. You can also do it with a little more gel or mousse or whatever you use, or even a little more conditioner, but this product is my favorite for "touch ups."

Just put a little water on your hands and run your hands through the hair. Do it a couple times, until hair is a little damp. Then take about a quarter size amount of product (I hate the word product, but I had to use it, sorry...) and run through the hair, especially on particularly messy spots. Run your fingers through tangly spots if you need to. Do this a couple times until the hair looks presentable again. Scrunch it up from the bottom and/or twist curls for definition. I went ahead and did a little ponytail with a twist this morning to save time, but look at the hair in my ponytail and compare to the photo above ^:

This photo is immediately after, my hair is still a bit damp:

This is about 10 minutes later, mostly dry:

So there you go. Any questions?

Oh, and you probably want to see my little curly headed helper:

aaaaaand the new teeth Jack grew this week:

OK, the end.

FOOD AGAIN?

I was laughing at myself a little bit because of how much my blog relates to food. I postulate several reasons for this:

1. I love food.

2. I spend a lot of time making food for myself and others. Realistically 30-40% or more of my day is spent in food preparation or eating.

3. I get bored easily, so I'm constantly trying new recipes. 

4. I never really liked to cook, so trying new recipes makes something mundane into something more exciting. 

5. I start blog posts all the time about other topics. Then they take me too long to write down, since I really don't have time to sit and work on my blog and I'm not a good writer. Then they languish in my drafts folder. Recipes are fast and easy to post and it doesn't matter if I'm not a good writer. I am, however, a good eater :)

6. I am trying really hard not just to feed my family, but to feed them well. So I am constantly on the lookout for things that are truly good for the body but that my family will actually eat. I think even healthy food should taste good and be satisfying. No one will keep up a healthy eating pattern if they feel like they're being deprived. And I get all excited when I find healthy, delicious food.

7. I really love food.

Having said that, our Oreo cookie pancakes this morning, topped with real whipped cream and strawberries was deemed "the best breakfast ever." Happy Valentine's day to us. After our dinner of individual size heart-shaped pizzas, we had these brownies, recommended to me by my friend Karen, and they were universally loved by all. (My boys told me they loved me before, but now they really love me.) And there are some redeeming qualities about these brownies so I didn't feel like I was completely poisoning my children, (probably shouldn't have watched this the night before valentine's day).

No-Flour Black Bean Brownies

(gluten-free)



1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining) (I cooked my own black beans and measured after cooking)
2 tbsp cocoa powder- dutch or regular (10g) (add a little extra if desired)
1/2 cup quick oats (40g) (I used old fashioned oats, worked just fine)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave (75g)
2 nunaturals stevia packs or 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup) (I did all real maple syrup)
1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (40g)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (115-140g) (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.) (I used mini chocolate chips and I thought 2/3c was too much. 1/2c would be plenty.)
optional: more chips, for presentation





Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.


My brownie pan is 9x9 so my brownies were a little thin, but that didn't seem to matter. Oh, and I forgot to mix the chocolate chips in with the batter, so I sprinkled them all on top. :)


wait, what? you wanted some other pictures from our Valentine's day? OK, OK....

 Sweet Ben sharing his school party treats with his brothers. A couple minutes later the homeroom moms brought the little boys their own cookies, so they each gave bites to Ben. Warmed my heart....

The big boys purposely dressed themselves in red, I had nothing to do with it.... but I did think it was super cute that they thought of it. :)

 Little man sitting with me while I made brownies.

 Brotherly, monster truck love.

 Good thing Dan could still send flowers, even from all the way on the other side of the globe!

 I had a lovely day with my little Valentines. I hope yours was good, too.

FOOOOOD

Today was a Chocolate Covered Katie kind of day.


 For breakfast: (things in BOLD are my commentary :)

Oatmeal Cupcakes To Go

(makes 24-25 cupcakes)

Adapted from: Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal.

• 5 cups rolled oats (400g)
• 2 1/2 cups over-ripe mashed banana, measured after mashing (600g)
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 NuNaturals stevia packets (or omit and use 5 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice–such as pure maple syrup or agave–instead) (I used the real maple syrup)
• optional: 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips (not optional :)
• 2 2/3 cups water (640g) (If using the liquid-sweetener option, scale water back by 1/3 cup.)
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp oil (also known as 1/3 cup) (45g) (I really like coconut, but veg oil will also work. For lower-fat substitution notes, see nutrition link below.)
• 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional add-ins: cinnamon, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, ground flax or wheat germ, raisins or other dried fruit, etc.

Preheat oven to 380 F, and line 24-25 cupcake tins. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir very well. In a separate bowl, combine and stir all wet ingredients (including banana). Mix wet into dry, then pour into the cupcake liners and bake 21 minutes. I also like to then broil for 1-2 minutes, but it’s optional (I did this- it made a nice little bit of crispiness on top. Yum.). These oatmeal cakes can be eaten right away, or they can be frozen and reheated for an instant breakfast on a busy day.

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/01/08/breakfast-oatmeal-cupcakes-to-go/

For dinner we had:

Sloppy Loes

(Lentil Sloppy Joes)

• 2 15-oz cans lentils, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups cooked lentils) (I cooked my own lentils. 1 1/2 cups dry lentils turned out to be about the right amount, cook according to package directions)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1-2 stevia packets, or 3-5 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice, or to taste (I used 2 stevia packets)
• 14 oz tomato sauce (I used no-salt-added)
• up to 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or soy-free alternative)
• optional: 1/2 an onion (diced) and 2 tsp oil (I used a whole onion)

If making these on the stovetop: sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until onion is translucent. Add lentils and spices, stir, then add all other ingredients and cook uncovered (stirring occasionally) until thick like sloppy joe filling. If making this in the microwave: add all ingredients to a large microwave-safe dish (minus the onion and oil, which you won’t use with this method). Microwave until it boils, stir, then repeat the process until it is thick like sloppy joe filling. Makes about 5 cups.

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/10/26/super-healthy-lentil-sloppy-joes/

The boys were doubtful at first, but once I convinced them to try it, it turned out to be a hit.  Some even had seconds. I used those little slider buns- perfect size for the kiddos.

For breakfast tomorrow:

Oreo Cookie Pancakes

(serves 1)

• 1/2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar (2g)
• 5 tbsp milk of choice (75g)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (4g)
• 1 tbsp coconut or veg oil (sub applesauce only if you like the taste of fat-free pancakes.) (10g)
• 1/4 cup spelt flour (or all-purpose or gluten-free all-purpose) (34g)
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder (7g)
• 1 stevia packet or 1 tbsp sugar (or 1 tbsp agave and decrease milk by that amount)
• 1-2 crushed Oreo-style cookies or Healthy Oreos
• 1/2 container vanilla yogurt of choice (I used SoDelicious coconut) (80g)

In a small measuring glass, combine first four ingredients and whisk. Set aside. Combine next 5 ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Place a non-stick pan, greased with either oil or oil spray, over medium heat. While it heats, turn your attention back to the food: pour wet into dry and stir until just mixed. (Don’t over-mix.) Then cook your pancakes (I did mine in two batches), adjusting the heat a little lower if necessary. Flip when bubbles appear and the sides are just cooked enough to flip without breaking. Meanwhile, combine the final two ingredients, then spread on cooked pancakes. Recipe makes 7-8 silver dollar pancakes, as shown in the photos.

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/02/11/healthy-chocolate-oreo-cookie-pancakes/

I'm not going to use any oreos in it. I figure the pancakes with vanilla yogurt will work just fine. But I'm going to have to at least quadruple the recipe, though :)

OK fine, I'll do it for you: (quadrupled)

• 2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar (2g)
• 1 1/3c milk of choice (75g)
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract (4g)
• 4 tbsp coconut or veg oil (sub applesauce only if you like the taste of fat-free pancakes.) (10g)
• 1 cup spelt flour (or all-purpose or gluten-free all-purpose) (34g)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder (7g)
• 4 stevia packets or 4 tbsp sugar (or 4 tbsp agave and decrease milk by that amount)
• 4-8 crushed Oreo-style cookies or Healthy Oreos
• Vanilla yogurt to serve

I hope they are as good as they look. :)

Have a good week!