If you follow me on Twitter or on Facebook, then you know that 2 weekends ago, all my buzz was dedicated to my Live Edible Destination show at the National Black Arts Festival.  I’ve been attending this festival since I was a little girl and imagine my wide tooth grin when they asked me to be a featured chef in their Healthy Cooking Pavilion tent?!?!  Sponsored by Publix…Attended by Thousands…Chefed by Me and a few other top notch culinary friends.  We traveled to North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean through my dishes such as Smoked Corn Pimiento Cous Cous, Tomato Tamarind Kofta and my infamous Jerk Salmon Cakes! Was I stoked? Completely….See for yourself

Special thanks to Lynn of Pink Siren Media for the awesome footage and promo

Hey! Guess what? I have shoulder shimmying, tooth grinning, hand clapping great news! Yours truly is a Lifesytle columnist over at Afroniquely You.  Yep, your girl Sasha-Shae is allowing me to hang out in her virtual space and  entertain questions on natural beauty, natural foods, natural living and overall natural YUMMMMINESSS once a month.  That may increase, because I know we all love to live beautifully and we may not want to wait an entire month to find out how, right? Right!

Anyhoo, if you’re dropping by from Afroniquely You, I welcome you and send a magnificent hello!  I invite you to Stick around (via your subscription if you so desire , there are loads of yummy recipes like this Brazilian inspired one and oh yeah, this Chocolate one. Total Decadence in full effect.

Natural Beauty remedies like this sweet honey one and oh, you totally have to check out this this Chocolate one too. Yep! Chocolate keeps us beautiful (despite what the dermatologists say #imjustsayin)

If you’re already a Naturi Beauty, I thank you and it’s nice to share you on the web in more places than one.

Have a succulent day beautiful people and I look forward to Naptural Living with you and you and you.

Let’s face it. It’s July and it’s hot on this side of the equator.  While many are fanning feverishly, running to the nearest AC or complaining of the sweat that threatens their Dominican blow out…I am creating a solution.  I’ve known for a long time that I have a very different relationship to heat and the Sun.  I seek the sunniest spot and do the unthinkable…I sit in it.  I ride around with my windows down sans AC (it works) but I actually like the heated wind touching my body like warm massaging hands.  I marvel at how my skin bronzes beautifully and sweat barely seems to drip as I saunter through crowded, heated streets.  Don’t get it twisted though, I too like the feeling of coolness.   But not because I seek it in excess due to overheating, but because the temperature play on and in my body is quite….well let’s just say the Scorpio in me digs it *wink.

My friend over at Kush and Khemet Revue dedicated a post honoring her love for mangoes while growing up in Trinidad. While I did not have the pleasure of growing up in the lush tropical setting where mangoes are as plentiful as air, I did have the honor of choosing a wonderful Jamaican mother who made sure that I knew of all the goodness that mangoes bring.  It is within the mango, that I have created the solution.  Yes, the mango is my key to cool edible fun food play and perhaps your key to salvation from this incredible heat.

Mango Basil Popsicles.  An adult version of the childhood favorite, peppered with minty basil and sweetened with succulent mango pulp, frozen into one desirable treat…..(aren’t my models fabulous!)

Mango Basil Lime Popsicles

• 1 (12 0z.) bag of frozen mango halves, defrosted (Trader Joe’s)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (if necessary for sweetening)

1. Blend (blender) or Process in (Food Processor)
2. Fill 3/4 full in popsicle molds, ice cube molds work as well
3. Freeze overnight
4. Yields 2 cups liquid and 2-4 popsicle molds or approx. dozen ice cubes

That’s me in my newly laundered purple dress.  The dress is pretty fly, but even flyer is the fact that I washed it in my own laundry powder.  I’ve been wanting to give Tide and Purex the boot for a long time.  They’re such polar opposites but I chose either/or based on my capital flow at the time.  Then there were my Seventh Generation days, you know the brand that claims it’s all for the environment and super green…yeah that one.  But they all had one thing in common.  No ingredient list. Well they kinda put an ingredient list together with random percentages and sub-group headings, but nothing specific.  No they wouldn’t dare.  I have to ask questions when brands aren’t up front and specific.  What’s the harm in saying that you use Chemical X and Carcinogen Type II in your product…Cancer! That’s the problem or having babies with three eyes down the line.  Yeah, that’s a problem too.  And with BP reminding us that we’re one spill away from wiping out our water supply….(which by the way this isn’t new, those fiends have been spilling oil for years) but our freshly packaged Dasani bottles keep us in our “safety” nets believing that water is plentiful.

So yes, back to my freshly, laundered purple dress.  I wear it proudly, not only because I look good in it, but because I know that the waters that rinsed it, are waters that are renewable and I wouldn’t mind using that same recycled water that will ultimately flow back through my pipe in the next recipe that I concoct.  Talk about #peaceofmind, now I’m passing it on to you.

Laundry Detergent

• 8 cups of baking soda (or an entire 4 lb box, found in the laundry aisle)
• 6 cups Borax (also found in laundry aisle_
• 4 cups grated castille or glycerin soap (I used 2 bars of Dr. Bronners lavender, try unscented for sensitive skin)
• 3 TB of essential oil (I used a mix of rosemary, lavender, ylang ylang, and bergamot, simply because it smells like the Goddess that I am)

1. Grate soap either by hand or food processor attachement.  (I did it by hand because I love labor and intensity *giggle)
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk
3. Add essential oils and whisk again.
4. Store in an airtight container with lid.
5. Use 1/8 cup per load

*Double this recipe for family sized households.  According to Natural Home Magazine it makes enough to last for a year!

They say there is a Point of No Return.  No collecting $200 after passing Go.  There’s just a path, that we either create along the way, or create before we arrive and spend a lifetime trying to find it again.  Either ways, step by step, we find ourselves walking, crawling, marching, running, moseying, tip toeing along the way.  And in that journey, we experience that which we call Life.

I’ve debated since the start of this blog how personal I’d become. After all it’s supposed to be about Food and Beauty, right? Being too truthful and honest is scary.  I mean do I really wanna talk about my own inner workings especially when it’s so much easier to offer a tasty recipe or the next dope beauty treatment.

Why? You see I have dreams, goals, manifestations #callitwhatyouwant that are gonna come true.  Like soon. Real soon.  And I worry that being super honest,  controversial, hyper sensitive and the like will cause a disruption in my empire building that is Naturi Beauty.  I ask myself questions, like is there really safety in safety?  If so, who are the safety police that make sure that I still get to advance even if I do offend someone all in the name of being safe?  Well I asked repeatedly and for the record #itdoesn’texist.

In paying homage to my parents I revealed the birth of a foodie-beauty revolution.  It’s on the brink, brewing inside of me, threatening to burst. What’s the hold up, you ask? Me. I’m the block, the cement, the stubborn brick that just won’t move.  Perhaps my greatest fear isn’t that I’ll interrupt my flow at all….instead…perhaps the fear is that my flow is unstoppable, Earth defying like the Nile, nourishing like the Amazon, life-creating like Yemanja.  Yeah perhaps that’s it.  To print it in public, read it out loud, and own it is perhaps a little scarier.  But nothing is as scary as not having honored the vision that was birthed before me.

So I’ve reached my Point of No Return.  Once you know, you must go.  I’m ready to be a more evolved version of me.  I’m ready to tirelessly do what Naturi Beauty demands.  I’m ready to transition fully with full trust that the Universe is conspiring for all of my desires.  I’m ready to explore food and it’s Tantric nature like no other chef before me. I’m ready to define beauty and self-care in ways that honor our femininity and sensuality.  I’m ready to merge my desires with my fear, because within them, my fear has no choice but to return to the light.  `

As far as not collecting $200 and still having to pass Go….it’s all good.  In this journey and process I know I’ll collect much more than that.

Thanks and I love you for reading, for sharing, for commenting, for allowing me to unfold.

I am so excited to usher in the summer with the fierce Akilah of Execumama.com gracing the Naturi Beauty of the Month spot on my blog!  I’ve only talked about the Execumama movement here and here already…but if you haven’t caught on, you can catch her here in her own words.  This is one baaaaad sistah and I loved our interview.

With statements like “the premise of the show is to get uber-polygamist with my love fest and share the beauty of the women around me” as she discusses her recent submission for her Oprah OWN Show Audition to affirmations like “I am able to keep my Goddess-ness about me as I move about the business of creating conversations that encourage the people within my light to be their best selves.” , it’s no wonder that Akilah of Execumama.com is one woman you need to get to know!

So go on……Click to know her already!

You all know how I’m always shamelessly raving about being interviewed and loving every moment of it.  Typically my previous interviews have been either food or beauty, rarely merging the lifestyle that is Naturi Beauty.  Enter Nappturalite Radio! Yes the name itself conjures up images of natural sistahs indulging in creative ways to feed their natural appetite for beauty, health and self.

I’ll be discussing

• ways to nourish and nurture your hair from the inside out
• natural hair care tips
• foods and vitamins that turn hair into ooooh and aaaah worthy stares
• easy at home beauty recipes
• what’s next on the entrepreneurial journey

Naturally, Naturi Beauty and Nappturalite Radio are a mesh and you can catch myself and the two beautiful hosts Dawn Yerger and Jaye Relliford this Sunday, May 16th at 6pm on Blog Talk Radio.

Annnnnnnnd you also have the opportunity to win a FREE FULL SET of Naturi Beauty products   Trust me your hair wants it and so do you!

Kitchen Chemist Star:  Loco for Coco!

Why it Matters: If you’re a naturalista, coconut oil, milk, cream…..Coconut Anything should be a staple in your pantry and beauty cabinet.  Besides the fact that it smells divine and sweetens up anyone’s day it’s also rich in Vitamin E and one of the most incredible moisturizers that your hair and skin will meet.  It perks dry hair up and gives skin the most beautiful glisten and shine making it supple and soft to the touch. Not to mention that it protects skin from infections caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi and has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and provides natural UV protection.  Clearly, now you understand why I’m loco for coco!

Thanks to the international isle in your local grocery store, coconut milk is readily accessible, it can also be found at Asian, Caribbean and African food markets.  Coconut oil is available at Whole Foods, natural food stores or even the farmers market.  And guess what, you can cook with it too! The milk makes for delectable desserts and the oil adds nice flavor to sautees and fried foods

Creative Concoctions

Yummy Skin Gel

Coconut water: Add this water to a bath, or mix it with liquid shower gel.

Refreshed Face Mask

Coconut Pulp: shred the flesh into a pulp. Use the pulp for a cooling and oil reducing face mask. Sit back, and apply the pulp to the entire face. remove the pulp and rinse after 20 – 30 minutes.

Creamy Hair Rinse

Coconut Milk & Coconut Cream: Combine 1 can Coconut milk + 2 oz coconut cream + 2 TB honey in blender and pour on hair after shampoo.  Cover with cap for 10 minutes and rinse.

Frizz Free Balm

Coconut Oil: Combine 2 TB coconut oil (solid) with 1 TB honey and mix well until combined.  Apply as you would use gel and brush in place.  Great for edges, ponytails, slick backs, etc.

Yes! Are you enjoying the warmth and sunshine? I am!  And I enjoy it more with lovely sistahs who spread virtual natural love all day, every day.  Imagine my heart’s content when I met Miss Lycia over at All Day Natural Blog.  Honey, she spoke my kinda language blogging about food, beauty and green living and creating IRL (In Real Life) connections, making it possible for the jet setters to enjoy greener lives in cities across the globe.

From natural hair and beauty tips…to yummy recipes that even I employ…to green living tips for all of us that know that Green is the Nu Black, this sistah is a get-to-know-her Naturi Beauty inside AND out and her blog is a must!  I love that you’re still reading this, but the interview is so much better….go visit Miss Lycia and get some Natural love…all day!

Have you ever seen her in action? Paula Deen is one Southern charmin’, pork cookin’, butter usin’, funny, slick talkin’, audience attention grabbin’, finger lickin’, lip smackin’, business savy heck of a cook! I had a chance to see her Live at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show and between the belly busting laughs, salivating mouths and captivating feeling I was bombarded with a ton of wisdom! Yep, Paula Deen has inspired me tremendously.
Now we all know that I don the Flexitarian Tiara proudly, with my love of vegan baking, vegetarian eating and occasional meat loving trysts! So clearly, Paula’s cooking style, albeit tasty, isn’t one that I employ often. But I’m not here to write about her food, instead I opt to share lessons I learned watching her in her empire success.

1. Families First – Paula Deen shares the talent and wealth. If it’s not featuring her sons in her show, or hiring family help for her restaurant Lady and Sons, or loving on her hubby on TV and at live events, or bigging up her cousin Johnnie Gabriel’s cookbook and bakery which is right here in Marietta, GA, then she’s planning family vacation cruises from the oldest to the youngest (which by the way, the public can buy a ticket too). Eitherways she doesn’t fall short of mentioning some funny family story or just plain telling it like it is and spreading pure Deen Love.
2. The Sun Never Sets on an Empire- Paula has taken her famous Lady and Sons restaurant and expanded it to a top rated cooking show on Food Network, a line of cookery at Target, several cookbooks, a home furnishing store, a Paula Deen Beach House Vacation Rental, an annual cruise, a soon to be frozen seafoods product coming to a grocery store near you, and only God knows what else is to come. With all of these products and services, she has successfully branded herself as a lifestyle and you can have your own piece of Paula Deen wherever and whenever.
3. Life is Real and Laughter is Contagious- Paula was late to the show because she was having troubles with her Depends (yep, grown folks diapers) and made it clear that she had to wear them less she sneeze, laugh, or fart too hard and let out more than she bargained for! Then she went on to tell us how her husband had “hooves” for feet and she wouldn’t have married him had she known! She ain’t do much cookin, but she did a whole lotta talkin’! She even had a Q&A and took precious time with every one in a back and forth conversation that really made you think that you were sitting on the porch with your grandma. Every thing was “y’all this and baby that”. NO matter how big we get, we have to remember not to take things seriously. Have fun with the fans, enjoy the spotlight, make love to the camera, laugh off the embarrassing mishaps, and put our all into the moment. Life is real and it happens everyday and when we laugh, life becomes all the sweeter.
Thanks Paula.

More from Metro Cooking and Entertaining Expo

Where the fun begins and where I see myself captivating audiences in the future

Gabriel’s Bakery booth – Paula Deen’s cousin and she has the best Red Velvet Recipe I’ve tried in a long time!

Goodies I bought at the Expo including new kitchen tools,  Gabriels Caramel Pound Cake and a Butter Pecan Ooey Gooey Cake!

My fellow Harvard Homie who is a Foodie too and creator of Chinese Southern Belle.

A few chefs teaching the babies, gotta get them in the kitchen young! IF McDonald’s can, why can’t we?!?!

Me leaving full and somewhat satisfied- You know what they were missing? Vegan & Veggie fare….but no worries, I’ll be the one to fill that void!