Avocado Hair mask

Like I've mentioned before, I'm a huge diy'er and that's for all parts of my life but especially my hair! I'm always looking for natural ways to care for my hair and most times I find myself in the kitchen. So today is a simple mask I whipped up yesterday since Fall is officially here and I wanna jump the gun on the dryness I usually experience with cooler weather.

As with any of my recipes this can be tweaked for your needs. I needed something with moisture and strength, so I went with avocado (moisture) and an egg yolk (protein/strength). I also added a teaspoon of coconut oil, but you can use your favorite oil or leave it out completely.

So first you want to scoop the avocado into a bowl and mash it up, you don't want big chunks in there, but you'll still probably have a few small ones

Then add the oil (if using) and egg yolk

Make sure you mix it thoroughly, continuing to mash any avocado bits

Next I took my mask to the bathroom (the reason behind the yellowish tint in my photos), sectioned my hair and went to work! 

I like to apply it sort of like a relaxer, in thin sections so that every hair gets coated 

Once done with a section, I twist it up and move to the next one. When all my hair is done I put on a plastic shower cap and let it sit for about an hour or so, but 15-30 minutes will also do the trick!

After an hour, I rinsed it out in the shower then shampooed and conditioned as normal. My hair felt much stronger and heavier after the mask which is awesome for me because I have very fine hair so anything that adds weight is good. I feel it has helped with moisture retention because I'm posting this three days later and I haven't had to remoisturize my hair yet! I've been doing homemade hair recipes for about 4 years or so and they haven't let me down yet.

Also for any hair fanatics (like me) out there who love a good length check (or hair porn in general 😁), here's where I am currently

I'll be three years natural in December and it has been a journey full of ups and downs and I'm still trying to get the hang of it! I hope to be waist length next year sometime 😊 

And for that leftover egg white, if you're like me and hate to waste, you can do what I did and use it as a face mask! You can use it plain or add different stuff like lemon (for lightening), honey (for moisture), or unsweetened applesauce or baking soda (for exfoliation)...but please test it on an inconspicuous place first to make sure you don't have any type of allergic reaction. 

I used it plain and layered it with tissue paper. I first whipped up the egg white until it was foamy then applied a layer on my face. Next I pulled the tissue paper in half then into strips and placed them over the egg white. Then finally I did another layer of egg white and let it harden for about 20 minutes or so

*isn't she lovely!! Lol 😁*

When I finally peeled it off, my skin was noticeably smoother and the pores around my nose were not as black as they usually look. So overall I was happy with the results, it's something that I can see myself doing again, maybe a few times a month. So I hope this was useful or at least entertaining and til next time ✌️ 

#FoodieFriday

This week, while downtown, my bf and I decided to grab something to eat. His first suggestion was burgers (as usual) but I'm 'burgered' out so to my surprise he said Mexican! He NEVERRRR asks for Mexican, although it happens to be one of my absolute favorite types of food, he's just not that big a fan of the cuisine. But of course I jumped at the chance and we headed to Tequila's Town. 

This was only my second time going and of course, they did not dissapoint! I always try to order new things, so I went for the chimichangas because they were described as "deep-fried and covered in cheese" 😍 how could I say no? It was everything you could imagine, crunchy, cheesy, savory and full of flavor! It was a true foodgasm! And the salsa, oh my glob, the salsa! Even the waiter was drool worthy, it was arguably the BEST service I've had in a restaurant, we didn't want for anything, he was on top of everything, which just made the whole experience that much better.

So if you're ever craving some awesome Mexican in savannah make sure you stop by Tequila's Town on Whitaker Street! They even won a foodie award, what a perfect #foodiefriday. Til next time ✌️

DeVin Maze - The Exhale Project ::stream/download::

Georgia rapper, DeVin Maze, recently released his pre-tape, The Exhale Project. With only a couple of features, Maze definitely makes up for his long hiatus and gives us a nice sample of what he's capable of and what to expect from him in the future. My personal favorites are tracks 5 and 6, but that may be because they appeal to the r&b lover in me. TEP is definitely a great prequel to his upcoming album, SIRKUS, due to be released later this year. I love that the tracklist is short and sweet and hope you enjoy it as much as I do, til next time ✌️

#FoodieFriday

I just wanted to quickly share my Friday night dinner with you guys because I've been looking foward to making this meal all week! This was my first time having filet mignon so I went all out, I made an appetizer, salad and desert, we even had a bottle of wine to top it off!

For my appetizer, I went with coconut shrimp. I usually don't care for coconut in anything but these shrimp were bombdotcom! I served a simple salad and homemade ranch dressing with these.

Next came the main attraction, pan fried filet mignon, roasted herb potatoes, and string beans.

I used my cast iron skillet for the steaks and they came out awesome! I didn't really need sauce but I'm a chronic dipper, I put some sort of sauce on just about everything, that's just me #kanyeshrug

Finally was my sherbet/sorbet, I used blueberries and strawberries, it was to die for! 

That wraps it up, hope this inspires someone to challenge themselves in the kitchen, try something new and really throw down! Though this meal took me hours, it was SO worth it. I hope you'll join me next friday with your own #foodiefriday meals, tweet me @ibenncocky :)

Quick Remoulade sauce

I originally made this sauce for my Krabby Patty recipe but it can be used on any seafood or on a burger or even as dipping sauce for chicken tenders, onion rings or any other fried and/or crunchy goodness! This "recipe" is one of my I-didn't-measure-anything-and-added-stuff-as-I-went recipes so definitely experiment with it and tweak it to your tastes!

I used ketchup, creamy horseradish, mayo (rare occasion), deli mustard, minced garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, a little sugar and like a squeeze of lemon juice. Dumped all that in my mini chopper (you could also use a blender) and blended until smooth

You can find tons of recipes for remoulade sauces online if you want a more structured recipe but I tried to use equal parts of all the the "liquid" stuff, maybe 1 T but a bit more ketchup, roughly 1 t garlic, and like 1/4 t or less of the spices and sugar.

It came together really quickly and was the perfect sweet heat addition to my krabby patties! I'll definitely be making it again to dip fried fish and shrimp in!

Potato Skins

This recipe was inspired by the upcoming start of football season because what's a game without something hot and salty to snack on?

This is a super simple recipe with only a handful of ingredients and a short cook time. So to get started you need some baked potatoes, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cheese, some bacon bits, sour cream and green onions. Because I had some open, I used nacho cheese in this recipe but shredded cheese works just as well

Just like my stuffed potatoes recipe, bake (or microwave) your potatoes, cut them in half and scoop out the insides leaving a thin layer inside so they hold their shape

Pour (or sprinkle) your cheese evenly into each half

Sprinkle your bacon over the cheese and stick them in the oven until the edges of the potatoes start to brown and the cheese is hot all the way through

Once they're done top with sour cream and chopped onions and enjoy!

I paired my skins with wings and steamed broccoli to add some greenery to my plate but they're great alone too! With this recipe you're sure to be ready for some football!! WHODAT! ;)

Potato Skins

Serves 2

3 potatoes, baked

3-4 strips of bacon, chopped 

1/2-2/3 cup cheese

Sour cream

Green onion, chopped

Directions 

1. Set oven to broil - hi. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out insides, leaving a thin layer

2. Pour cheese into potato halves and sprinkle with bacon.

3. Place in lower half of oven and broil until potato edged brown and cheese is heated through

4. Top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with green onions