I'm Moving

You can now find me in my new neighborhood. I hope that you join me there. I have a little over a year to complete my goals and I'd love to share my progress with you. Hope to see you soon.

Well it looks like a cake

Last week, a friend asked me to bake a cake for her godson. After discussing his dietary needs we settled on a vegan cake. A quick search of the internet netted me a recipe or a eggless and dairy free cake vegan cake.
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar ( I substituted turbinado raw cane sugar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup soymilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar

Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake pan: Line 8-inch round or square cake pan with parchment paper and grease bottom and sides of the pan. Then flour the pan. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add vegetable oil, soy milk, and vanilla extract; whisk until no lumps appear and batter is smooth. Add vinegar, stir about seven times, and quickly pour into pan. Bake around 30 minutes, until cake begins to pull away from sides and/or toothpick inserted in the center pulls out clean. Let sit for ten to fifteen minutes, invert, and cool on rack.

I doubled the recipe and baked it in a bunt pan since he could not have icing. I kept saying to myself..well it looks like a cake because it was not my cup of tea. I think I would have liked it better with regular granuated sugar

Tipsy Cakes

Last month, a good friend of mine celebrated her birthday. The plan was for me to make her some White Russian cupcakes. Our plans quickly changed when she had to have emergency surgery the day before her birthday so we put the cupcakes on the back burner. I finally made good on my promise a few weeks ago and delivered her a batch of White Russian cupcakes. These things have become a hit with all who have tasted them. L has requested them weekly and as recently has this afternoon. I will probably hold off on making them again for another week so we (I) don't begin to tire of them.

White Russian Cupcakes

18 1/4 ounces yellow cake mix
3 1/2 ounces vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Kahlua, plus
2 teaspoons Kahlua, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Kahlua
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate, shavings

Directions

Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F and line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
Place cake mix, pudding mix, oil, milk, eggs, vodka, 1/4 cup Kahlua, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (Remove empty liners if you don't get the full 24 cupcakes). Bake until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, about 17-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks. Cool for 5 minutes. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with remaining 2 tablespoons Kahlua. Remove cupcakes from pans. Place on wire rack to cool.

Frosting
Place a large, clean mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters int he freezer to chill for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and beaters from the freezer. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl and beat with electric mixer on high speed until the cream has thickened, 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the machine and add the sugar and 1 tablespoon Kahlua. Beat the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1-2 more minutes. Place a heaping tablespoon of the whipped cream on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon, taking care to cover tops completely. Garnish with chocolate bar shavings.

These are My Confessions….

I confess despite watching countless movies I have not seen many movies deemed classics in African American cinema. There are times when talking to L about movies, he will look at me in disbelief when I tell him I haven't seen 'XYZ' movie. To remedy that I decided to watch 20 movies referenced in Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies& Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films. With the help of Netflix and Direct TV I am well on my way to completing this goal.

Sweet Sweet back's Badass Song
To Sir with Love
Cry Freedom
Sparkle
Lady Sings the Blues
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich
Under the Cherry Moon
The Great White Hope
Claudine

I must say I am upset with myself for missing out on such great films for so long. Some I didn't care for but most I have really enjoyed. I'm half way to my goal of 20 films and will update once I have completed.

Martha Stewart Cupcake Update

I recently tried two more recipes from the Martha Stewart Cupcake Book. First up was the devil food cupcake with chocolate ganache. Let me preface this by saying I L-O-V-E chocolate and thought this would be a good match for me. The cupcakes were just ok to me buy L liked them. The chocolate ganache was a huge disappointment. I guess I should have read the directions more carefully before beginning. There are several time consuming steps involved and I was way to impatient. Also, the chocolate I used was too bitter (I'm a milk chocolate gal myself). I will try this recipe again and tweak it with the things I've learned. I'll be sure to update with a new review.

The second cupcake recipe was a hit. I decided to try the marble cupcake recipe. Since L is not a fan of marble cake I shared them with my co-workers who were excited to receive a sweet treat. I am really pleased at how these turned out and will be making them again.

Tennessee Aquarium

This weekend, L and I travelled to Chattanooga, TN for a quick getaway. It was just what the doctor ordered. We both needed sometime way to relax and regroup from our day to day lives and all the lovely stressors it brings. This trip gave me the opportunity to check off one of my majors items...to visit the Tennessee Aquarium . This is one of those things we talked about doing and just didn't get around to it. I am so glad we finally did.

I absolutely loved the TennesseeAquarium. It is divided into two buildings one housing a display of river aquatic life and the other housing oceanic life. I must admit the Shedd Aquarium still holds a special place in my heart but this one comes a close second. Maybe since both of them are housed on or near a body of water that makes the feeling a little bit more natural than a land locked aquarium. We also had the opportunity to view Wild Ocean 3D at the aquarium's affiliated I-MAX theatre. The film added to the entire experience and I highly recommend you see it if the opportunity presents itself.

The entire weekend was not spent at the aquarium. We spent a good deal of time just lounging around and relaxing at our hotel, The Chattanoogan. I highly recommend this space if you are considering visiting. We will certainly return for a quick visit. The staff was extremely accommodating and the space was beautiful.

I look forward to visiting this city again and seeing what other things it has to offer.

Take me out to the ball game…

Last week, my extended work department attended a team building in Birmingham, AL. We had the opportunity to see the Birmingham Barons play against the Mississippi Braves. Both are AA teams that feed into major league teams. Since these folks are being paid and I am not a huge sports fan this will count toward my professional sports event goal. L has expressed interest in going to a NFL football game so I will post if we make it to one.

100 Days of Stepping

To aid in increasing my daily step count I signed up to participate in my company's health challenge, 100 days of stepping. During the 100 days of summer, teams of three and four employees will monitor their daily steps and compete against other teams. My team, "Walking in the City" is off to a good start. I've increased the days I actually top 10,000 steps. As an added bonus, I've dropped two pounds. I'll keep you posted on my results at the conclusion of the challenge.

Restaurant Update

I had such a great time trying out new restaurants that I decided to continue it. My co-workers have been happy to accompany me. Since the beginning of the year we have the opportunity to visit several new places. Below is a quick overview of each. My apologies for no pictures, I'll try to remember to take some on our future restaurant visits.

Creole Nouvelle is a quaint (read tiny) New Orleans style bistro located downtown Atlanta. I attended college in New Orleans and fell in love with the food and culture. With that in mind I was anxious to try Creole Nouvelle especially since Red Fish Creole Bistro shuttered its doorsL. I opted for the red beans and rice while my co-workers tried the gumbo. OMG! My red beans were absolutely delicious as they were perfectly seasoned. I ordered some shrimp and crawfish etoufee to go for L which he enjoyed. My co-workers enjoyed their dishes as well. I will add this to my list of places for lunch takeout as it is walking distance from my office.

Ria's Bluebird located in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta. It is another cute little spot with the emphasis on little. No, I really mean little. Luckily, we got there in time for an open table and did not have to wait outside. The staff was extremely friendly and the food was equally good. Since they were also serving breakfast, a favorite of mine, I decided to go that route. Although I wanted the pancakes I also wanted to try something different. The sweet potato cake was my something different. Basically, it is a sweet potato pie or casserole filling that has been seared on a grill top to mimic a pancake. The food and staff were good but I am not quite sure if I'll visit again as the parking and seating is extremely limited.

Tin Lizzy's Cantina also located in Grant Park adjacent to Ria's Bluebirds. This Mexican restaurant is full of charm and big portions. We shared a half order of the fried jalapenos appetizer. Luckily we ordered a half because there was more than enough in our cute little tin bucket. My co-workers each ordered the nachos. A single order of nachos should really be shared by two people. I went with the buffalo chicken and black bean quesadillas. O.M.G!!!!!!! It was fantastic. This will be a definite after hours return visit for me as I would love to sample a tasty adult beverage with my meal next time.

Pure located in the Inman Park neighborhood of Atlanta is becoming a favorite of mine. I've visited twice in the past few months. This place really reminds me of my favorite bar in Chicago, The Bar Celano. They have garage doors instead of walls that can be raised for an alfresco dining experience. So far I haven't had a chance to visit at night to see if they actually lift the doors. The chips are fresh and amazing as well is the quesadilla. Instead of grilling, the quesadillas are deep fried for gooey goodness. The portion is huge and there is no way I can or should finish my entire meal.

Highland Bakery also located in Inman Park has become a fast favorite. So far we have had three visits and counting. Be prepared for wait. I've only been for a weekday lunch and can imagine what the wait will be for a weekend brunch. No matter what the wait time is it will be definitely worth it. My first visit I tried the white chicken chili and grilled cheese on rosemary garlic bread. It did not disappoint. The last two times, I've had their shrimp and grits. Although, I really like the shrimp and grits my favorite part of the meal is the grilled jalapeno focacciaRe. I certainly plan to keep this on the list and can't wait to take my sister there. She will love it

It's been a long time....

.... I shouldn't have left you...

Hello everyone!

It really has been a long time since my last post. I've had a lot of things happen in my personal life in the past few months that distracted me from my 101 journey. Well things are beginning to look better and I can focus on achieving my goals.

All was not lost during my hiatus. I finally made myself read a non-fiction book. Oddly enough this was hard despite my joy of reading. Like many others I prefer to read as a escape and fiction fits the bill. Any who, to aid in my professional development I read Empowering Yourself, The Organizational Game Revealed by Harvey Coleman. Coming from a world of social services to a corporate environment this is exactly what I needed. Now my task is to put what I've read into action.

Next up on the non-fiction reading goal is "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? " A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD. I am scheduled to attend a book club discussion with the author in two weeks and I hope to have it complete by then. I'll be sure write an update upon my completion of the book.

Another Year Older

On Friday April 16^th I was blessed to celebrate my 36^th birthday. It has been an awesome weekend spent with my family and friends.

My sweet co-workers treated me to lunch at one of our favorite dining spots Doc Chey's. It was on the first restaurants we tried when I started the 101 journey. I am so glad still get a chance to frequent some of the spots. Ironically, Doc Chey's new location is housed where Stella's was. Sadly, Stella's closed a few months back but I am glad I had a chance to dine there.

Later that evening, my sister, nieces and a few of their friends arrived in town to celebrate my niece K's 16^th birthday. It was double celebration as we learned that niece M received a full tuition scholarship courtesy of her father's employer. We decided that the Marietta Diner would be the perfect spot since they have an extensive menu selection. Everyone was pleased and full by the time we left.

Saturday started with us mapping out a plan of assault to find the perfect prom dress for niece M. After learning that the dress she wanted was not in stock we convinced her to try on some dresses just to get a feel for it. The first dress she tried on was perfect and she instantly fell in love with it. After trying on several more that didn't appeal to her I asked she try on one more. We all loved the last one more than the first and I am so glad she chose that one. She will look amazing! Later Saturday afternoon, my sisters and nieces attended a step competition. L and I decided to go Wet Willie's for some daiquiris. We had a great time just people watching and soon realized we were some of the oldest people in the room. He quickly pointed out that now I am older than him. Well at least until June when he turns 36 as well.

Today we attended the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park. The weather was perfect and it was an absolute beautiful day. I really enjoyed checking out the different pieces of jewelry, sculpture and paintings. There truly are some talented people.

I am now officially T-I-R-E-D but happy. It has been an amazing weekend of food, drinks, shopping and laughter. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday but with the people I love and who love me.

Smooches!

It’s been two months?

It looks like the procrastination bug has caught up with me again. Despite not updating the blog, I have actually made some progress over the past two months.

During Lent, I decided to give up refined sugar products. It was a little hard for me since I had convinced myself I needed something sweet each day. My baking didn't help that either. Nevertheless, it was not as hard as I thought it would be. I learned that I can drink diet coke and eat sugar free products or go without it all together. Since completing the goal, I am trying to continue keep my refined sugar intake extremely low. Hopefully, my glucose level on my next physical will reflect a decrease. There is a history of diabetes in my family and I don't want to go down that road as well.

As a result of my sugar intake reduction, I've seen some additional pounds drop off. So far I am at 11 out of 30. I hope to lose one pound a week. To aid in my weight loss, I began going to the gym again. This is my second week of working out. It really helps that two of my co-workers have committed to going with me.

Plans are in the work to attend Essence Festival this July with four of my girlfriends from college. This should be a great time since we all haven't been together in ages.

Lastly, though not on my official list my husband took me out for some weapons training. Yep I learned how to fire a gun. Can't say that I look forward to doing this again but I'll know what to do in case I ever need to.

Only a couple of the shots actually belong to me. Husband is a better marksman than me. :-)

Cajun Shrimp and Crab

Today, I decided to try a new recipe for my Valentine's Day dinner with my hubby. It was absolutely delish and I will be making this again. I served it over yellow rice but you can also serve it over grits.

From You've Got Supper

• 8 oz andouille sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 3/4 cup(s) chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb jumbo lump crabmeat
• 1 tsp old bay seasoning

1. Cut sausage into 1/2-inch slices. Heat saucepan to medium high heat. Cook sausage until golden brown. Remove sausage and drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings in pan.
2. Add a little olive oil to pan. Saute onion and pepper in drippings and hot oil for 8 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 more minute.
3. Whisk in flour. Whisk constantly for about 1 minute or until flour is browned.
4. Whisk in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in shrimp and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sausage, crabmeat, and Old Bay. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve over grits or rice.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I have been meaning to do a formal post about these but didn't get a chance to do so. They are from the Martha Stewart Cupcake Book and I have made them a few times in the past few months as my husband has proclaimed them to be his favorite. I have to admit that I am quite fond of them as well and so are my co-workers.

• 3 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus 1 tbsp reserved
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 7 ounces (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
  
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
  
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract


• 5 large egg whites, room temperature
  
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Mix milk and vanilla extract in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture ending with dry. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl. Toss chocolate chips in the remaining tablespoon cake floor, and gently fold into batter. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 22 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 3 days, unless otherwise noted. Makes 30

Championship Chocolate Chip Bars

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, I decided to make Hershey's Championship Chocolate Chip Bars.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick)cold butter or margarine
  2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped nuts
  

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Stir together flour and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in cold butter until crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips; press mixture on bottom of ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

3. Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Stir in remaining 1-1/2 cups chips and nuts. Spread evenly over hot baked crust. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. About 36 bars.

Since I am in a weight loss challenge I only had a little sample. They were quite tasty. I think I will take the rest to the office tomorrow for my co-workers.

Financial Fast ….Check!

A few weeks ago I started a financial fast. Today is day 21 and I am proud to say I accomplished my goal.

Earlier today, I was interested to see how much money I spent in the same time frame in previous months. Since I rarely use cash and can wear out the magnetic stripe on my debit card I used my banking statements to gather the information. Due to the holidays I decided to look at September and October 2009 for a more accurate average estimate. I discovered I spent an average of $443.12 each 21 day period on non essential expenses. So what is a non essential expense? Shopping, eating out, eating out, shopping and eating out. Ok I did have $90 hair appointment thrown in there but you catch the drift. I spent $443.12 on eating out and shopping? Really Nika? For this reason alone I will continue to monitor my spending as I would like to make it a lifestyle change. Maybe now I can actually meet my saving goals and stop wondering where in the world my money went.

On My Way to …..

Rehab. No, not that kind of rehab…shopping rehab. I've known for quite some time I have a problem with shopping. It doesn't matter what kind of shopping. I simply love to shop. Years ago, while working in downtown Chicago my sister noticed I brought a bag home every day after work. During lunch, I would venture over to State Street or Michigan Avenue for some power shopping. Sometimes it something as small as a pair of socks or a splurge purchase regardless, I purchased something every day. While I am not as bad as I used to be, I still find some reason to purchase something. Please don't let it be on sale then it is completely justifiable. This type of shopping mentality has put a dent in my finances that I seriously need to get in order.

In order to get back on track I decided to go on a financial fast. Basically, during a 21 day period of time I will not be allowed to do any non essential shopping. I started on yesterday and will be joined on this journey by two friends. You know shopaholics travel in packsJ. I will post an update at the end of the fast. If you are interested in completing your own financial fast, you can read more about it here.

Holiday Gifts

This holiday season, I decided to give my co-workers baked goods. Each box contained chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter blossoms and pretzel peanut bark. I must say these turned out very well and were appreciated by the recipients. I stocked up on holiday tins during the after Christmas sale and will do this again next year. Below are the recipes I used for the blossoms and bark. I must warn you the pretzel bark is insanely delicious and addictive.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Recipe from Hershey's Kitchen

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
  
• 1/2 cup shortening
  
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 tablespoons milk
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• Granulated sugar
  
• Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
  
• Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
  
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.
  

Pretzel Peanut Bark

Recipe from Paula Deen

• 18 (1-ounce) squares white chocolate
  
• 3 cups skinny pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces but not crushed, then measured
  
• 2 cups dry salted peanuts
  
  
• Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
  
• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until smooth, or melt in the microwave in a 2 quart glass dish. Microwave on high (100 percent) for 1 minute, stir, and microwave on high for 1 minute more. If necessary, microwave on high for 10 seconds more, and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the pretzel pieces and peanuts. Stir well with a flexible spatula.
  
• Spoon onto the prepared cookie sheet, spreading the mixture out so that ingredients are relatively evenly distributed.
  
• Allow for the chocolate to cool for several hours or refrigerate for about 45 minutes, until firm. Break the bark into irregular pieces, like peanut brittle. Store in cookie tins, or package in Chinese food take-out cartoons lined with waxed paper.
  

I’m Back!!!!

As you can tell I have seriously neglected my blog. I recently decided to make some changes to my 101 to do list. There were a couple of things I just wasn't feeling and some I knew I needed to add. Stay tuned for more updates.