Bye Bye

I love this magazine, if you didn't know about it, well....=)

Happy Thanksgiving

For all those celebrating today I wish you a wonderful day filled with love, family, joy, and bomb ass food lol!

Love ya,

Jay.

Burnin on Em ~Hot Toddy

So Usher and Jay-Z's song Hot Tottie came on and I couldn't help but wonder....what the heck made him do this song? Then I thought, yea right about I do need one of those lol. Although some people drink them as a cocktail hot toddy's are also used as a natural remedy for colds, which I was on the brink of getting. Nothin a good run and the hot toddy didn't solve though =)

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 quart water
• 2 1/2 cups whiskey 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 4 bags of your choice of black tea (I used peach)

Bring your water to a boil, take off the heat and add you tea bags. Once your tea has steeped add honey, lemon, whiskey, and cinnamon stick. Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy. (But don't forget this does have alcohol so enjoy with caution.)

Burnin On Em- Tofu and Peppers

I love to cook so don't ask me why I haven't done this sooner. =) I hope you guys try it and like it.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 pound firm tofu, cubed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1/2 cup broth (your preference)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. Directions

Heat peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Toss the tofu into the oil, and cook until browned on all sides. 

Once browned, toss in onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic; cook until just tender, and onion is turning translucent about 5-7 minutes.

 In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Pour over tofu and vegetables, toss to coat, and simmer 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

Serve with brown rice or quinoa.

Many people are very apprehensive about eating Tofu, but to be quite honest it truly is like every other food out there, if you cook it right, it tastes great. Below are just some of the benefits of adding it to your diet.

Cardiovascular Benefits of Soy Protein:

Research on soy protein in recent years has shown that regular intake of soy protein can help to lower total cholesterol levels by as much as 30%, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 35-40%, lower triglyceride levels, reduce the tendency of platelets to form blood clots, and possibly even raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

All of this sounds very good to people trying to avoid atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. High LDL cholesterol levels can lead to a build up of cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels. If these deposits get too large or break, they can cause a heart attack or stroke. Triglycerides are a form in which fats are transported in the blood, so high triglyceride levels, which are often seen in diabetes, can also contribute to the development and growth of these dangerous cholesterol deposits and heart disease. And blood clots can be another major problem for people with heart disease, since they can precipitate a heart attack or stroke. Soy protein, however, can address all of these issues, leading to a greatly reduced risk of heart disease.

Soy for Smooth Sailing through Menopause:

Soy has also been shown to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms associated with menopause. Soy foods, like tofu, contain phytoestrogens, specifically the isoflavones, genistein and diadzein. In a woman's body, these compounds can dock at estrogen receptors and act like very, very weak estrogens. During perimenopause, when a woman's estrogen fluctuates, rising to very high levels and then dropping below normal, soy's phytoestrogens can help her maintain balance, blocking out estrogen when levels rise excessively high, plus filling in for estrogen when levels are low. When women's production of natural estrogen drops at menopause, soy's isoflavones may provide just enough estrogenic activity to prevent or reduce uncomfortable symptoms, like hot flashes. The results of intervention trials suggest that soy isoflavones may also promote the resorption of bone and therefore inhibit postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Additionally, most types of tofu are enriched with calcium, which can help prevent the accelerated bone loss for which women are at risk during menopause. Calcium has also been found useful in rheumatoid arthritis, a condition in which calcium may help to reduce the bone loss that can occur as a result of this disease. Tofu is a good source of calcium. Four-ounces supply about 10% of the daily value for calcium and contain only 70-90 calories.

Rich in Minerals for Energy and Antioxidant Protection:

Tofu is a very good source of iron, providing 33.8% of the DV for this important mineral in 4 ounces. Iron is primarily used as part of hemoglobin, a molecule essential to energy production since it is responsible for transporting and releasing oxygen throughout the body. But hemoglobin synthesis also relies on copper. Without copper, iron cannot be properly utilized in red blood cells. Fortunately, both minerals are supplied in tofu, which also contain 11.0% of the daily value for copper.

In addition to its role in hemoglobin synthesis, copper may be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Copper, along with manganese (yet another trace mineral for which tofu is a very good source), is an essential co-factor of a key oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells). Copper is also necessary for the activity of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme involved in cross-linking collagen and elastin, both of which provide the ground substance and flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints. Four ounces of tofu supply 34.5% of the DV for manganese.

Want to Be "Buff"? Eat Tofu:

Think a meal without meat equals a meal without protein? Think again. Four ounces of tofu provides 9.2 grams of protein, that's 18.3% of the daily value for protein, and it comes virtually free of saturated fat (less than 1 gram), and at a cost of only 86 calories.

Cardiovascular Protection from Omega-3 Fats:

Fish aren't the only good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Tofu provides 14.4% of the daily value for these especially beneficial fats in just 4 ounces. Omega-3 fats have been the subject of intensive study by researchers. Omega-3 fatty acids have a broad array of health benefits. Omega-3s help prevent erratic heart rhythms, make blood less likely to clot inside arteries (which is the ultimate cause of most heart attacks), and improve the ratio of good HDL to bad LDL cholesterol. And finally, by reducing inflammation, these essential fats play a role in preventing cholesterol from clogging arteries.

Selenium-An Antioxidant, Anti-Cancer, Anti-Inflammatory Trace Mineral:

Several other nutrients in tofu are helpful for other conditions. For example, tofu is a good source of selenium; 4 ounces provide 14.4% of the daily value for this trace mineral. Selenium is needed for the proper function of the antioxidant system, which works to reduce the levels of damaging free radicals in the body. Selenium is a necessary co-factor of one of the body's most important internally produced antioxidants, glutathione peroxidase, and also works with vitamin E in numerous vital antioxidant systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful not only against colon cancer by protecting colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, but in decreasing asthma and arthritis symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair, yet another way in which adequate intake of this mineral is associated with a reduced risk for cancer.

And that's just a few of the benefits. If you didn't know....well...=)

Jay.

Fundamental

I realized a couple weeks ago that I had been watching too much t.v. I don't know how I came to that conclusion but I think it's because I think most shows are such garbage anyway that even a small amount can probably cause damage. It's that old adage hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. People wonder why their spirits suffer so much and it's because we feed them so much garbage on an everyday bases. Just like feed, wash, strengthen and take care of our physical bodies; I feel like we should take that same care with our minds and spirits. But I digress....

I went to library and fell in love all over again. I hadn't been to a public library in a good 10 years! It was wonderful. All those books, all that access to free knowledge! Well I just wanted to share with you some of this months readings.

The Collective Works of Langston Hughes, Edited with an introduction by Dolan Hubbard.

Interiors; A Black Womans Healing in Progress, Iyanla Vanzant

Textured Tresses; The Ultimate Guide to Maintaining and Styling Natural Hair, Diane DaCosta

Hair Talk Stylish Braids From African Roots, Duyan James

The New Natural Healing Cookbook, Bessie Jo Tillman, M.D.

Altered Clothing; Hip Fixes and Transformations With a Needle And Thread, Kathleen Maggio

Reading really is fundamental.

Argyle

So I got some thigh high argyle socks on ebay a couple weeks ago and they came yesterday yay! When I thought about this outfit yesterday I wasn't thinkin about my coat but it worked out any way cause I like it.

Artists Feature: Strawberry Couture

It is starting to get cold out....or in some places it already is, and I just had to feature Ms. Lenore of Strawberry Couture. I've adored her hat's for a hot minute now and knew it was time to share that with you.

J: Where are you from and how do your surrounding affect your creative process??

 L:  I am originally from Ann Arbor, MI. Most of my ideas come between asleep and awake. I can ponder all day on a new idea. When I am about to fall asleep, the idea becomes clear.

J:  How long have you been designing and what is your favorite piece, why?

L: I have been designing officially designing since 2006. Designs itself have been forming in my head my whole life! The hat above, The Black Cloche is my favorite and best selling piece. There are so many ways to wear it as can be seen here: 

I have 2 of them in hot rose and toasted almond.

J: Where do you draw inspiration from?

L: Inspiration comes from everywhere and anywhere. They come at the wrong time for instance when I am washing dishes, an idea I saw on TV or a picture at a shop for a split second. Sometimes I will try to follow a pattern. I often have trouble following those so I make up my own version of it. Other times I have an idea in my head, once I finish the project, it will come out to be something else but better!

J: What do you feel makes you different from the next designer?

L: I feel different from others because I do not follow patterns; never have and never will. I will use them as a guideline. I often get request for patterns of my hats, but I choose not to. It's like asking shop owners where they buy their supplies. They WILL NOT tell you. It's my trade secret! I may give some guidelines, but I will leave it up to artists to come with their own material like I had to.

J: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take 3 things with you what would they be?

L: If I was stranded on a desert island, I would take my busy bag(bag of crochet yarn and needles), cell phone, and hubby. 

Jay.

Lovely

 

 

Anotha Day

So I hit the studio on Saturday, and had a ball! I know I can rap, I know I can sing, but I am still new to recording. Saturday was the first time being able to actually hear myself rap and it's a whole other experience to hear something you've created come back to you like that. I was proud, and I think I can honestly say too that ya girl was a beast on the mike son! LOL! I've been debating on posting the song (that is if I can figure out how to do that....I know don't judge me) or at least my part of it. I am excited for everyone to hear it though....I mean what's the point of having a voice that no one ever gets to hear? Remembering that has helped me so much with my stage fright. If anyone knows how to post music on here let me know.

Side note: Once I get to 10 followers I'm thinkin we should definitely do a giveaway. Rings or earrings anyone?

I'm Beamin

Positivity always wins. I love his style and his truth so I had to post him.

 Love you Lupe!

Made For Walking

Oh I love shoes! I mean really love shoes, particularly boots, but shoes in general make me so happy! So here are my favs for this season.

Grindin

I have been so busy lately, but I do love being busy so I'm not complaining. Actually I feel blessed. I did stop working, that job wasn't for me so I'm currently out looking again. I know when the times right I'll be blessed with the right one for me. 

I'm starting to get back some pic's from Liz so I wanted to share the one's I got with you.

 Lemmie know what you guys think!

J the Jeweler

So I said that I wanted opinions on my jewelry and I really do!

 

 These are just some of my favorites. I hope you guys like 'em!

Black Girls Rock

In case you missed it last night, Black Girls Rock INC., teamed up with BET to give the first annual Black Girls Rock Awards. BGR is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of young women and girls of color. They seek to help change the outlook of our young women by helping to build their self esteems, broaden their horizons and give them empowerment. 

More power to them! I'm so happy to see black women looked at in a positive light instead of a baby momma on Maury, a video vixen, or a woman so depressed she doesn't know why her life is worth living (i.e. Precious, For Colored Girls).  We are so much more than the media depicts us to be and last night I was so proud that part of that was finally shown.

The awards were given to:

YOUNG, BLACK AND GIFTED

Raven-Symone

SHOT CALLER

Teresa Clark 

WHO GOT NEXT?

Keke Palmer

MOTIVATOR

Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant

TRAIL BLAZER

 

Major General Marcelite J. Harris

VISIONARY

Missy Elliot

LIVING LEGEND

Ruby Dee

All of these women are amazing in their own right! Black Girls......yes, we really do Rock!

 

Indifference

I guess to say that I have been going through a lot lately would be an understatement. Have you ever just been hit so hard with so much drama that you just become indifferent? I know that all thing's work together for the good of those that love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose. So I guess I'm wondering right now when the good will get here. I'm so tired, of being tired, so I've been writing a lot more. I hope you like it.

If family comes from blood

 

Which is thicker than water

 

Then you should be for my good

 

And care if my eyes water

 

So many tears that I've shed

 

So much drama they've caused

 

So much pain that I've felt

 

And they've never paused

 

To think of some else other than themselves

 

So when do it end?

 

It ends when I say

 

Set my boundaries, move on,

And begin a new day

 

with their blood wiped away.