I am a proud fourth generation native Washingtonian.  Chuck Brown’s music *is* the soundtrack to all of my childhood memories of block parties and cookouts on 5th and Crittenden Street NW.  Throughout the years, when I ran into Chuck on the streets of DC or the hallways of the John A. Wilson building, he gave me a warm hug.  He was never in a rush, no matter how large the group.  He  made every effort to stop and talk to each  person yelling, “Whas up Chuck!”

Chuck is our Michael Jackson-Madonna  all rolled in one.  He is DC’s own rock star!  You felt every bit of the roars of energy that erupted when he walked into school audiotoriums or entered the room to attend award ceremonies for ex-offenders getting their lives together. 

There was no neighborhood-beef nonsense or fights breaking out when Chuck performed.  It didn’t matter if you were from Montana, Southside, Uptown, or Trinidad.      We were all in unison for the call-and-response of classics like Wind Me Up Chuck and Run Joe.  He made you feel proud to be from the Chocolate City!

His name, his music, his gold teeth, his jheri curl…all make me smile and hold a special place in my heart.  Every native Washingtonian saw Chuck Brown as our cool uncle that would live forever.  Today, DC has truly lost a member of it’s family.  We love you Chuck!

Chuck and Lil’ Benny have the congas and cowbells rockin’ in heaven right now.  Boo and Brina, I know y’all are loving it!

President Obama wishes a happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. He shares why First Lady Michelle Obama is the best mom he knows, how his mom and grandmother influenced him, and how the model of strong, responsible, and loving women have been a great gift to his daughters.  Checkout the video below:

I was so moved by this Procter & Gamble (P&G) commercial honoring everything that all moms do to help their children succeed.  The commericial showcases the amazing moms behind Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games.  It proves that our mothers are the constant cheerleaders no matter which hurdles we choose to jump.

Also as part of a new web series “Red Table Talks,” Jada Pinkett Smith sat down with her daughter Willow and mother Adrienne Banfield Jones for a very emotional and open conversation about family, failing as a mother, Willow regretting fame and more in the Red Table Talks.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Jada hopes other families across the country will sit and have “talks” to build better relationships and stronger families.  One of the most heartfelt moments in Ms. Adrienne candidly sharing her drug abuse challenges with granddaugter Willow. 

Adrienne Banfield Jones talking to Willow about her mothering:

“Jada did not have the kind of life that you have now.  And I was not a good mother.  And I know that your Mom believes that all experiences good and bad help make you the person that you are today.  But I feel like during those times, the bad outweighed the good.  I was on drugs until your Mom was 17 or 18 years old.  I have been clean for 22 years and I went into therapy.  But I felt like things that needed to be said that she needed to get off her chest.  I have been so caught up in my own guilt for years.”

The hardest job in the world is truly the best job in the world.  Happy  Mother’s Day to everyone.

Today, my weight loss story was featured on the Huffington Post. 

Checkout the full story here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/caroline-jhingory

My grandpa Joseph turned 92-years-old last week.  He is great health; mental, physically and spiritually.  Like Mrs. Larkins, my grandpa grows and eats his own food from his garden in Seabring, Florida.  Randomness: My grandpa lived with my family when first moving to America from Guyana.  Every morning he made my brother and I take a teaspoon of thick concentrated cod liver oil.  We hated it, but we were never ever sick!

“I feel for you…I think I love you…Chaka Khan let me rock you…”

This just started to play in my head.  Legendary 59-year-old singer Chaka Khan recently dropped 60-pounds via nutrition and exercise.  She looks a-maz-ing!!!

The ten-time GRAMMY Award-winner also joined David Foster and Friends at the Kennedy Center Spring Gala in my hometown Washington, D.C. on Sunday to raise money for arts education. The evening before, Chaka performed for a sold-out crowd at the recently renovated historic Howard Theatre. 

Ms. Chaka has always been a Glamazon! 

Source: TheYBF.com

Yesterday, beauty blogger Afrobella shared great recommendations for treating adult acne. I tweeted to her that I still treat my occasional pimples with toothpaste. 

Many believe that using toothpaste to treat zits is just an adolescent legend, but it actually works. My dermatologist during high school recommended applying a baking soda-peroxide toothpaste directly on the zit with a toothpick to dry it out. Also, just last week on an episode of Dr. Oz, he recommended this as well.

My guess is the baking soda and peroxide prevent additional bacteria from forming.  It may also help in soaking up the existing bacteria.  Think about it, folks use baking soda in their refrigerators and pet’s liter boxes for sorta the same reason. 

Also, eating a clean diet, going easy on the hair care products and wearing your hair away from your face are all great ways to prevent acne and zits.  (Not wearing cheap weave hair helps as well.)  However, stress and our menstrual cycles still cause hormonal fluctuations that stimulate the sebaceous glands in the skin so that they secrete more oil. The more oil that your skin produces overall, the greater the possibility that zits and/or breakouts will occur. It is difficult to minimize these breakouts completely, but here are a few products that may help.

Clean & Clear Continuous Control Acne Cleanser – I’ve used this product to wash my face in the mornings since the 11th grade.  Johnson & Johnson has changed the tube design 3-times since then!   The key ingredient is benzoyl peroxide which fights acne, gets ride of dirt and prevents workout.  And as referenced in the name, the product continues to control acne/breakouts throughout the day.  It prevents your face from having the oily/itchy feeling.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent – I sweat like a 300-lb man when working out.  So immediately after my workouts I clean my face, neck and ears with using white cotton facial pads.   I also use extra face pads with the Neutrogena astringent to clean sweat from my scalp.  Since I can’t wash my hair everyday, this keeps my hair from smelling like death.

“Beyoncé was fashionably late to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala in New York on Monday. Reporters and photographers awaited the arrival of the pop superstar, who stunned in a sheer Givenchy gown with purple feathered train.”

She looks great after having a baby four and half months ago.

In a People Magazine article, Beyonce said that breastfeeding her daughter Blue Ivy for 10 weeks helped her lost the “bulk” of her pregnancy weight but now, she’s gone back to a strict protein-based diet to help her get back into shape.

“I’m definitely softer, but I feel my body bouncing back,” she reveals, as well as working out three times a week for 90 minutes, doing a combination of dancing, crunches and running.”  Bey also added that she does not have a live-in personal trainer as reported by gossip sites.  (And if she did, what’s the big deal?)

I am a huge fan of low country cuisine.   Shrimp and grits hands down is my favorite dish!   My belly has enjoyed variations of shrimp and grits at restaurants throughout the country and here in my hometown of Washington, DC.  The Starfish Cafe once located in DC’s Eastern Market neighborhood served the best version: shrimp and Gorgonzola grits. 

Unfortunately, Starfish Cafe closed last year.   So in memory/honor of Starfish…here is my low-carb recipe remix for shrimp and no-corn grit cakes with gorgonzola cheese.

R.I.P. Starfish Cafe and Marty’s…you are truly missed!

1/2 cup of liquid egg whites

1/4 cup of light cream

1 bag of frozen cauliflower

1 cup of jumbo peeled and deveined shrimp

1 cup of chopped chicken or turkey andouille sausage

1 stalk of chopped green onions

1 stalk of asparagus spears

1 package of Gorgonzola cheese

Roast the entire bag of cauliflower in the oven for about 20 minutes. 

Blend cauliflower, egg whites, gorgonzola and pinch of green onion in blender.

Spray muffin tin with Pam cooking spray.  Fill each section with mixture.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Look at that sexy cauliflower grit cake!

Cook shrimp in medium sauce pan with Pam cooking spray.  Add sausage.  The sausage are precooked so cook for only about 2 minutes.  Add chicken broth, cream, the rest of the green onion and asparagus.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Once done, pour over cauliflower grit cakes and serve.

My mind produces the most interesting realizations and quotes after a kick-ass workout. 

I love food.  When someone surprises me with a red velvet cupcake, I do the same crackhead shuffle dance that Samuel L. Jackson did in the movie Jungle Fever.  During Thanksgiving and Christmas, I sing and perform “Food Glorious Food” in my parents’ kitchen when my stepsister Aure lets me lick the leftover sweet potato pie filling from a bowl.

As a teenager, I used my allowance money to buy and eat an entire medium pizza and package of soft batch Chips Ahoy cookies alone in the basement.  It felt so good devouring it, but I always felt bad about myself afterward.

The obsession with food that caused me to weigh close to 300-pounds in middle school is alive and well.  Only difference now is that I will eat half of a cupcake or opt to not have it all.

I believe in some way exercise for me is an appetite suppressant. Not sure what it is, I just know that the more I exercise…the less I think about and want chocolate chip cookie dough, bacon and pasta.  When I don’t exercise or miss workouts, I have a funky attitude and find myself pressing number E7 on the office snack machine for a glazed honey bun.

I put my body through serious shirt-soaking sweat on the treadmill to burn 800 calories.  So perhaps it is my subconscious that eloquently says “Nah playa, it ain’t worth it” when a waiter walks by with a plate of dessert for another table.

My motto has become, “I eat every day, so I exercise every day.”  I don’t workout everyday because I love it, I workout because there is a part of me that feels I have to. Exercise has taken my passion for food from a dirty love affair to a committed relationship of self-control.

TMI, but I could bathe in rice noodle dishes like pad Thai and Singapore noodles.   So friggin’ delicious.  However, not all, but many Asian noodle dishes are cooked in heavy oil and drowned in sugary sauces.  If your aim is to lose or watch your weight, these dishes may not be the best bet.  Also, rice noodles are high on the glycemic index (meaning they’re not really low-carb) so these dishes aren’t diabetic friendly either.

Here’s an alternative healthy recipe remix inspired by my favorite rice noodle dishes.  Instead of rice noodles or any noodles at all I used pre-shredded angel hair cabbage.  Disclaimer, I may not have used all the ingredients used traditionally in pad thai or Singapore noodles…but the texture and flavors of my version certainly appeases my appetite.  I never feel as if I’m depriving myself when I got that noodle-feelin’…

Ingredients

Pam Cooking Spray

Wok

3 stalks of green Onion

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 bags of Fresh Express Angel Hair Cole Slaw Cabbage (Clearly this cabbage doesn’t already contain mayo.  Pre-chopped fresh cabbage is great to use in lots of recipes beyond cole slaw;-)

Seasonings:  Green Curry, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Lemon Grass, Crushed Red Pepper  (You don’t have to go anywhere fancy for this.  All of these seasonings can be found in the “international foods” aisle of your grocery store.)

A better view of the Angel Hair Cole Slaw package 

Chop chicken breasts into thin, thin slices.  The more thinly slice the chicken breasts, the more juicer.  Don’t rely on those pre-cooked chicken strips.  Many are loaded with preservatives and nitrates.

Spray wok with Pam and cooking chicken thorougly.

Once the chicken breasts are cooked add cabbage and all seasonings.

Shredded cabbage is thin and cooks really fast.  Mix and toss ingredients for about 5-7 minutes.  Add chopped green onion at the end.

Mix one last time and serve. 

I gave almond flour a try for the classic dish chicken and waffles. 

The combo of chicken and waffles orginated in the 1930′s.   When jazz musicians finished their sets in the early morning hours they couldn’t decide if they wanted dinner or breakfast.  They just put chicken and waffles together and called it a day…or night;-)

Checking out my recipe below for both waffles and oven-fried chicken breasts using almond flour. 

Almond Flour Greek Yogurt Waffles

1 1/3 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of egg whites eggs

1/4 cup of almond milk

1 package/serving of plain Greek yogurt

2 packets of Stevia

Preheat waffle maker and grease with Butter-Flavored Pam Cooking Spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together yogurt and egg whites. Stir in almond flour mixture, then add almond milk, and stir vigorously until thoroughly combined.

Spread approximately 1/4 cup of batter on each section of the prepared waffle iron.  For round waffle irons, use your best judgement on the amount of batter needed. Close iron and let cook 4-5 minutes, or until waffles are golden brown. Remove waffles and repeat with remaining batter.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can use other portions, but chicken breasts are the most lean)

1 spoon of ground sage

1 pinch of sea salt

1 Ziplock bag

1/2 cup of eggs white in bowl

  In Ziplock bag mix together almond flour and sage.  Coat chicken breasts with egg whites.  Coat and cover chicken breasts in almond flour mixture.

Spraying tin cooking sheet with Pam cooking spray.  Place chicken coated in flour mixture onto tin sheet

Lightly spray the chicken with Pam spray as well

Place chicken in oven for 35-40 minutes at 350-375 degrees (turn pieces of chicken as the brown on each side). 

Cognac Blackberry Syrup

I typically don’t eat fruit.  However, I decided to go with fresh fruit as an alternative to traditional pancake syrup.  There are sugar-free syrups out there, however they taste like death.

1 package of fresh blackberries
1 shot glass of Cognac
Pam Butter-Flavored Spray

Don’t judge me, I know I need a manicure. 

Anyhoo, I sprayed a medium baking dish with Pam. 

Added the blackberries and shot of cognac.   

Baked at 300 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. 

I could have likely done this on the stovetop, but I already had the oven on from making the oven-fried chicken.

Many of the recipes for noodle-less lasagna include zucchini and/or eggplant.  However, I am not a fan of either of these vegetables.  Although, my Auntie Judy caramelizes eggplant (brinjal) in her chicken curry to thicken it, and I love that.   (Maybe because I can barely taste the eggplant.)

Below I included my recipe remix for low-carb/low-glycemic noodle-less lasagna.  Feel free to take bits and pieces of this recipe and adapt them to your own:

Ingredients

1 package of lean Italian turkey sausage

1 package of ground turkey BREAST (If the packet doesn’t say breast, then its not breast.  Ground turkey breast are much more lean; and higher in protein.)

1 package of part-skin mozzarella *sandwich* slices (10-12 in most packs)

1 medium carton of FAT-FREE ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons of pesto

1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal

1 container of tomato sauce from the refrigerator section of the grocery store (Tomato sauce in the jar contains too many preservatives and added sugars.  Gosh, I hate mentioning them because they’re so bleepin’ expensive, but Whole Foods has a great selection of fresh sauces.)

1 small chopped onion

In a medium bowl, mix fat-free ricotta, pesto and ground flaxseed meal together.   Whenever making recipes with lots of dairy or cheese, I sneak in flaxseed meal.  It prevents your pipes from getting clogged (constipation).  Nope, you can’t taste the flaxseed at all.

To remove the sausage casing, just use a sharp knife and make a horizontal slit on each sausage.  Pull-off the casing.  The helps the turkey sausage to break apart and mix with the ground turkey breasts.

There are brands of Italian-flavored ground turkey however they don’t have that sausage taste. 

Half way through cooking the meat and draining…I added the chopped onion.

I don’t use any extra salt or seasoning to the meat.  The Italian turkey sausage, tomato sauce and cheese already contain a fair amount of sodium and/or seasoning.

Add sauce.

Meat, cheese, pesto ricotta…repeat…but cover the top with additional cheese slices. 

Uh, why sandwich slices instead of shredded cheese?  Two things:  when using shredded cheese people tend to become sprinkle maniacs…maniacs using way too much.  The individual sandwich slices prevents this.   Also, the sandwich slices help to reinforce the dish…since the lasagna noodles are missing.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Before cutting, allow the dish to cool for about 30 minutes.   It helps all the ingredients firm-up a bit.

Done!

Add a fresh green salad on the side.

Let me know other “recipe remixes” you’d like to see;-) 

Back in high school, my friends and I loved the Cheesecake Factory.    I am not a big fan of cheesecake, but I loved the huuuuge serving of  their jambalaya pasta dish.  Since I no longer eat traditional pasta made with flour, I created a “recipe remix” for the dish made with Tofu Shirataki noodles.  

Shirataki are about 3-4 grams of carbs per serving, while traditional flour-based noodles are 55-65 grams per serving.  Also, Shirataki are the only low-carb noodles I’ve found that don’t taste like death!  Checkout the recipe below:

Pound of medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 Thinly sliced yellow, green and red peppers

1 Chopped Tomato

2 Chopped Green Onions

Tony Chacheres “Creole” Seasoning

3 Smoked Turkey Sausage (I didn’t use the entire pack)

2 Packs of Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Noodles

Disclaimer:  And hey, these may not be all the ingredients of “true” jambalaya…but I ain’t trying to be Emeril…I’m just trying to make fairly delicious food and still fit into my clothes;-)

Rinse Shirtaki Noodles with cold water.  Warning the Shirtaki Noodles have a rather “interesting” smell.  No worries, they don’t taste how they smell;-)

Cook the raw shrimp half-way through 

I mix-in all of the other ingredients and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes on medium heat.  Shirtaki noodles are best in stir-fry style dishes.  This makes them a bit more firm and less slimy.

Add seasoning…

Serve

I’m not a chef or a cook…I’m just a greedy person that wants to fit into my clothes.  My weight loss is not the result of eating salads everyday.  Instead, I’ve created “recipe remixes” for all of the foods I love.    Here is one of my recipe remixes for crunchy oven-fried chicken using soy flour and ground flaxseed as a coating instead of traditional flour.

Randomness:  Sure oven-fried is more heart healthy, but deep-fried foods just make my skin feel oily and gross.

One bag of thawed chicken wings

Two eggs

Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning (when I lived in New Orleans this was the universal condiment, but use whatever dry seasonsings you like)

Soy Flour

Ground Flaxseed Meal

Ziplock bag

 Mix soy flour, ground flaxseed and seasoning in Ziplock bag

Crack and beat 2 eggs in bowl

Coat chicken in egg mixture

Remove chicken from egg mixture into Ziplock bag

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spraying tin cooking sheet with Pam cooking spray

Place chicken coated in flour mixture onto tin sheet

Lightly spray the chicken with Pam spray as well

Place chicken in oven for 35-40 minutes (turn pieces of chicken as the brown on each side)

 Bam!