So here's my first entry.

I am listening to Jeff Buckley--Lover, You Should Have Come Over. I can't listen to him without mourning him. In a few minutes I will open up the nice bottle of Chianti my husband gave to me for Valentine's Day and pour myself a small glassful. Then I will do my dinner prep work, chopping and measuring. I'm making Tofu Pad Thai with some veggie or other, gotta check the fridge. I washed the jojoba oil out of my ends this morning and decided that I can't stand the stuff straight on my hair, so I will save the bottle for the whipped shea I plan to make soon. Oh, here comes Stevie Wonder on the iTunes. Later, Jeff.

It's great to see that you started a journal, hun. =)  I can't wait to get to know you better.

Anais Satin does not like jojoba oil straight out of the bottle, either.  She's got good recipies for leave-in treatments.

Best wishes to you.

A Bit of LJ Hair History

The Mullet, Or What My Mother Called A Pixie Cut, Third Grade, 1980


Senior Portrait, 1991


Blonde, 1998


Last Real Haircut, 2003


Today's Hair, In Which My Husband Took A Picture To Show Length But Not Color, Since The Sun Is Hiding Behind A Cloud This Morning, And As You Can See I Have A Long Way To Go Before BSL, And Please Make Note Of The Spot Of Dried Blood On The Left Shoulder Of My $8 Shirt From Target, Which Was The Result Of Too Vigorous Nighttime Scratching With Newly Grown-Out Nails

Hey LJ...congrats on starting your hair journal.

I'll definitely be keeping up with it too.

Did you have some liver & fava beans to go with that Chianti? 

Newbies love to post.

Hair
Today is Thursday. I last washed my roots on Tuesday. Before SBV, Day Three would be also known as "Put The Hair In A Hat Or A Ponytail And Hide Day", but now it's not so bad, really. A question for the veteran LL people: if brushing should be avoided to minimize damage, how does one distribute natural oils from the roots to the ends? Because I think I could get away with not washing longer if I had a way to get the oil out of my roots and onto my length.

Lovely photos

I use a horn comb or a hardwood comb to distribute oil. Oftentimes, like Bikerbraid, I don't notice much oil until the 5th or 6th day after a wash. It definitely depends on the wash method...

Hope this helps
Anais

Congrats on the journal, LJ! You have lovely hair.

A boar brsitly brush (BBB) is good for distributing oil, but, in my experience, sometimes it can over stimulate the scalp and cause it to create more sebum. These days I usually use a boxwood comb.

Wow your hair, and hair color looks wonderful

I'll definitely be keeping up with your journal, and looks like you're a good cook, with great recipes *hint,hint*

OK, I am going to order some unrefined shea this morning. I have to get something into my ends before they self-combust, and I'd rather make my own whipped shea than spend $9 plus shipping on a tiny jar made by someone else.

Galadriel. I love your suggestions.

Yesterday I washed w/HB&E, did a very diluted ACV rinse and THEN washed the length with Patchouli & Herb soap, and rinsed. WOW! The hair that got the Patchouli & Herb wash felt much better than the scalp hair. I think the ACV has its place, it normalizes my scalp pH so that I don't get greasy, but I need to re-coat the hair with CV soap at the end. I'll also use a different shampoo next time I wash (tomorrow). I'll probably use Carrot Milk & Honey, since my length has been feeling dry. Also, I have mucho flyaways, what is up with that?? Maybe I should run a dryer sheet all over my head.

Speaking of dry length, I sent away yesterday for some unrefined shea and some patchouli EO. As soon as it arrives I am making a batch of whipped shea for my skin and hair, I hope it will make my ends supple again. The jojoba is kind of working, but as we all know, the quest for the perfect hair routine is never-ending.

Today is story time at the library, then we'll do the usual housekeeping stuff. Dinner tonight is...leftover rigatoni w/roasted eggplant and ricotta, leftover salad, leftover green beans...no cooking tonight . Maybe I'll make breakfast for dinner for the kids, they think that's a big treat. Then we have rehearsal at the church, so I have to be sure to give Noah a nap or he will be stuck to me like glue while I am trying to sing. It's very hard to hold a big boy and a microphone at the same time.

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It was pretty good. Very filling. Who needs meat? 

So I've been inspired to post a list of recipes that we use a lot at our house. If anyone is interested in any of them, let me know and I can post them here. Here goes:

Vegetarian Recipes (Not Vegan)
Rigatoni w/Roasted Eggplant and Ricotta
Pasta w/Cherry Tomatoes
Pasta w/Asparagus
Quesadillas w/Corn and Black Beans
Pasta w/Mushrooms
Tofu Pad Thai
Four-Cheese Pasta Casserole w/Basil and Tomatoes
Fresh Salsa
Fresh Guacamole
Wicked Easy Artichoke Dip

Non-vegetarian Recipes
Pasta all’Amatriciana (pasta w/bacon, onion, tomato, and parm, my kids’ fave)
Ma Po Tofu (like Chinese hamburger helper, only with ground turkey and tofu)

Pasta w/Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli
Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I try to make most of the pasta recipes with the enhanced Barilla pasta, which contains lentils, chickpeas, oats, spelt, barley, ground flaxseed and wheat.

Hmmm. I am feeling very hungry for some strange reason.
*waddling off to the kitchen for a snack*

*raising hand*
Me, me, for the vegetarian recipes!   
Sorry the CV bars aren't working for your hair but, hey, you can always use them like regular soap bars, right?  For bathing?

This recipe is rather good. For Trisha:

Penne with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium shallot, sliced thin 
1/4 cup olive oil   
3 pints cherry (or grape) tomatoes (2 pounds), each tomato halved pole to pole 
table salt   
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes   
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper   
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar   
3 large cloves garlic, sliced thin 
1 pound penne   
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil   
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup) 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, toss shallots with 1 teaspoon oil; set aside. In medium bowl, gently toss tomatoes with remaining oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper flakes, black pepper, sugar, vinegar, and garlic. Spread in even layer on rimmed baking sheet (about 17 by 12 inches), scatter shallots over tomatoes; roast until edges of shallots begin to brown and tomato skins are slightly shriveled (tomatoes should retain their shape), 35 to 40 minutes. (Do not stir tomatoes during roasting.) Remove tomatoes from oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes.

2. While tomatoes cook, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large stockpot. Just before removing tomatoes from oven, stir 1 tablespoon salt and pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. Using rubber spatula, scrape tomato mixture into pot on top of pasta. Add basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkling cheese over individual bowls.

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*Lauging hysterically*, I think that is the funniest response I have *ever* heard!!! 

I am glad to find out that other people have Monster Hairs, too. And yes, maggie, she is a funny kid. My husband and I just crack up in bed at night when I tell him what new and interesting things she said during the day.

I've been obsessing a lot about my hair. My whole goal with trying CV was to balance out my scalp pH so that I can skip a day without washing. Since CV didn't work out, I am going to start C-COW-C-ing and then gradually move to CO-ing, if my hairtype can deal with it. My hairtype? I guess it's a 1b-F-ii, and so I am concerned about getting too greasy with CO. I wish I knew what type of conditioner will lift the grease off the scalp without stripping or changing the pH. I will keep using -cones, because I get too tangly without them.

Today I am staying in all day, so I oiled my length with jojoba and stuck it in a very loose ponytail. I will probably do a CO tonight, and then once I buy a sulphate-free shampoo (tomorrow morning) I will start C-COW-C-ing. Hair feels great, probably because I did a SMT yesterday (but had to wash out some that I didn't quite rinse out). I have a shorter layer, a canopy, and the ends of that are in trouble. I saw a split end in the mirror this morning, but I don't have sharp enough scissors to get it. Actually, I think my hubby has a pair of sideburn/moustache scissors, they'll probably do the trick!

I'm pan-frying tilapia tonight, w/mashed sweet potatoes and nada for a green veggie--tomorrow is shopping day and the pantry and veggie drawers in the fridge are bare. I'll be grocery shopping at 7 AM tomorrow, so think of me when you are in your nice, warm beds!

LJ, glad to hear you like the results!

I also enjoy reading about your food adventures. Most of my home life revolves around the exploration of tastes, spices, and making up new dishes. Thanks for posting those fabulous recipes.

Anais

Anais, thanks for the post! Tonight's recipe is the bomb-diggity. And I say bomb-diggity only because my teenaged-stepdaughters love it when I try to use that wacky teen lingo anywhere besides in my own head. So here is a mad shout out to my steps. Angel Spun, I think you're right about the hormones. Not only are big, scary black hairs growing on my head, they have started growing on the right corner of my upper lip, too. Thank God for Jolene creme bleach and tweezers.

I love it when people post in my journal, have I ever mentioned that? Makes me feel like one of the popular girls at school, which in reality I never was!!

Anyway, I COed again today with Vo5 Sunkissed Raspberry mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm love that smell. I bought a clarifying lemon shampoo from Avalon Organics to use once a week for silicone buildup and a shampoo from J/A/S/O/N for occasional use if I feel the need to shampoo. So far so good with CO, although I did CO two days in a row. I would like to train my scalp to wait a few days before greasing up. But I have to say,

I LOVE CO-ing!!!!

Here is what I am making tonight, although I am halving the recipe for our little family:

Broiled Salmon with Chutney and Crisp Spiced Crust
Serves 8 to 10

2 tablespoons unsalted butter   
1 medium clove garlic , minced 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin   
1/2 teaspoon paprika   
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon   
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper   
1/4 teaspoon table salt   
3 slices high-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed 
4 ounces plain high-quality potato chips, crushed into rough 1/8-inch pieces, about 1 cup, (thick-cut and kettle-cooked preferred; ridged chips in a pinch) 
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaf   
1 whole side of salmon fillet , about 3 1/2 pounds, pinbones removed and belly fat trimmed 
1 teaspoon olive oil   
3/4 teaspoon table salt   
Ground black pepper   
3 tablespoons smooth mango chutney   

1. Adjust one oven rack to uppermost position (about 3 inches from heat source) and second rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat butter in small skillet over medium heat until melted. Off heat, add garlic, ground cumin, paprika, ground cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Set aside.

3. Pulse bread in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until processed into fairly even 1/4-inch pieces about the size of Grape-Nuts cereal (you should have about 1 cup), about ten 1-second pulses. Spread crumbs evenly on rimmed baking sheet; toast on lower rack, shaking pan once or twice, until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss together bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, butter-spice mixture, and parsley in small bowl; set aside.

4. Increase oven setting to broil. Cut piece of heavy-duty foil 6 inches longer than fillet. Fold foil lengthwise in thirds and place lengthwise on rimmed baking sheet; position salmon lengthwise on foil, allowing excess foil to overhang baking sheet. Rub fillet evenly with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil salmon on upper rack until surface is spotty brown and outer 1/2-inch of thick end is opaque when gently flaked with paring knife, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove fish from oven, spread evenly with smooth mango chutney, and press bread crumb mixture onto fish. Return to lower rack and continue broiling until crust is deep golden brown, about 1 minute longer.

5. Transfer salmon and foil sling to cutting board, remove sling, and serve salmon from board.

MMMM...sounds really good. Can i come over for dinner...once a month...once a week...everyday

I'm glad you found a good hair routine

Beesan, come on over, girlfriend. You are always welcome. You would just have to put up with the noise factor that comes with having dinner at our place  .

My hair is kind of a mess. It's sectioned and rather greasy, but I am getting used to CO. Maybe I'll try to do some COWing instead to give my scalp a chance to normalize. Or should I just stick it out with COing and just gradually extend the number of days without a wash? So confusing...but at least my hair isn't feeling like straw anymore. I'll take grease over hay any day.

On today's to-do list is...bet you can't guess...LAUNDRY. Also I am going to listen to some wisdom online at www.alcclife.org. Gotta do some filing of old bills and whatnot, start peeling tape off of our kitchen cupboard windows (finally, only four months after having them painted ). It's much too cold to bring the babies outside so we're going to hide out at home. Mmmmm, coffee cake, decaf coffee, maybe some organic Rooibos Strawberry Cream tea...I looooove being in my pumpkin shell.

So last night I made a sour cream coffee cake for our regular Sunday get-together at C's house. Have I mentioned that before? Five couples, ten kids...anarchy. Here's a pic of the remains of the coffee cake:

Because the coffee cake was in the oven baking at 350 degrees at precisely the same time that the salmon was supposed to be in the oven broiling, I ended up actually saving the salmon for tonight. Last night I made something else (because I forgot that our new range has TWO ovens in it and the whole fish/coffee cake simultaneous baking thing was in fact possible). And here is that something else:

Dan Dan Mian (Spicy Sichuan Noodles)
Serves 2 or 3 as main dish, if you eat like we do, serves 4 normal people

8 ounces ground pork   
3 tablespoons soy sauce   
2 tablespoons dry sherry   
ground white pepper   
2 tablespoons oyster sauce   
4 tablespoons Asian sesame paste or peanut butter 
1 tablespoon rice vinegar   
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth (see note) 
1 tablespoon peanut oil   
1 inch piece fresh ginger , minced (about 1 tablespoon) 
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons) 
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes   
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil   
12 ounces dried Asian noodles or 1 pound fresh Asian noodles (width between linguine and fettuccine) or 12 ounces linguine 
3 medium scallions , sliced thin (about 1/3 cup) 
2 cups bean sprouts (about 6 ounces) (optional) 
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns toasted in small dry skillet until fragrant, then ground (optional) 

1. Combine pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry, and pinch white pepper in small bowl; stir well with fork and set aside while preparing other ingredients. Whisk together oyster-flavored sauce, remaining soy sauce, peanut butter or sesame paste, vinegar, and pinch white pepper in medium bowl. Whisk in chicken stock and set aside.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large stockpot over high heat.

3. Meanwhile, heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add peanut oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add pork and cook, scraping along pan bottom and breaking up pork into small pieces with wide metal or wooden spatula, until pork is in small well-browned bits, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add peanut butter/chicken stock mixture; bring to boil, whisking to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to blend flavors, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in sesame oil.

4. While sauce simmers, add noodles to boiling water and cook until tender (refer to package directions, but use them only as a guideline and be sure to taste for doneness). Drain noodles; divide noodles among individual bowls, ladle a portion of sauce over noodles, sprinkle with scallions, bean sprouts, and ground Sichuan peppercorns, if using; serve immediately.

A pic of the dish from my cookbook, since taking a picture of our dinner would send my husband over the edge:

And one more thing...
I AM !!!!!

LJ im glad you joined the boards. you sound like a wonderful cook. hopefully i can learn a thing or two.

LOL Trisha, I have the same problem with Anais' journal when she posts recipes. Although when am I not hungry, esp. this time of the month *wink wink nudge nudge*?

Curlygirl, my dear. You flatter me. My cooking is only as good as the recipe, for I have zero ability to deviate from what's on paper. Every time I've tried to improvise w/the cooking it's been an inedible disaster. So basically every dish I know how to cook is from www.cooksillustrated.com. And when I got married five years ago, I couldn't boil water. Fact.

And Beesan, I have three words for you: Starbucks Java Chip.

I am listening to iTunes Radio Absolutely Smooth Jazz, an unfortunate habit. Most days I have that playing in the background on my computer, it makes my house sound like the waiting room of a spa...or a doctor's office. But hey, it calms my nerves. Other frequently played CDs are the Windham Hill: The First Ten Years cds, Michael Hedges cds, sometimes Steely Dan, but mostly this Smooth Jazz stuff that is insidious, working its way into my psyche until I have no choice but to relax.

Today is a no-wash day. My hair looks great! No grease, no tangles, the ends on my canopy are dry but that's to be expected. Gotta glue them together with jojoba or silicone spray or something like that.

We had the salmon last night. Yum. Tonight is Wegman's frozen eggplant parm, spaghetti, green beans and salad. Thank God for Wegman's, and Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing. Mmmmmm...doughnuts... have I mentioned I've gained probably five to ten pounds this winter? My excuses include not having snowpants to take the kids out to play, and this message board. 

Good for you!  I applaud your recognition for the need to discipline your children and your efforts to learn how to do it effectively.  You are obviously a good parent that will raise good children.

Wow, Congrats LJ

Woohoo LJ! Free stuff is always nice. 

Best of luck with your class. It's unfortunate that you feel the need to take one for having never been diciplined as a child. Egad. But it's good that you're finally learning it somewhere.

It was completely the opposite for me growing up. My parents were extremely strict and narrow-minded, and if you didn't fit into their little ideal of "perfect," God help you. For over 20 years, I endured every kind of abuse possible...but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? Well...in addition to destroying your psyche & shattering your self-esteem. But anywho, yeah. 

Just remember that there's no such thing as a perfect parent - children are going to resent their parents in some way or another anyway, but hopefully there will be enough love & fairness there that they won't become too critical. Just be the best you can be, follow your heart & trust your instincts.

Maybe you can teach them a little something about haircare too.   

*gently pats LJ on the back*
This too shall pass!

LOL LJ....you're such a hoot!  

Quote:

Amen, girlfriend. Well said.  

I imagine that the whole potty training thing must be a dismal experience, but believe me, you'll be doing the world a favour if you teach your children to do it right!!
   If all parents cared enough to be around and teach their children to close and lock the door, use the bathroom for it's intended purpose and not, say, "other places"    and wash their hands afterward, that would save their future significant others from having to teach them all of this later in life. And also spare said significant others some pretty traumatic experiences.   *ahem*

I C-COW-C-ed today with Vo5 SKR, Vo5 SKR+JASON Apricot Shampoo+water, then Pantene at the end and WoooooooOOOO is my hair dry. Dry as straw! Roots are clean but length is drrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Did I mention that it feels dry? I think I need to somehow protect the length better when shampoo is involved, but how, oh how? Oiling prior to washing? Dunno. I think that Thursday night I will do an SMT. That's the answer! Coat my hair! Cover it with love!

I am feeling really goofy today. I am making turkey burgers for dinner and then racing off to the church to rehearse for this women's night out thing this Friday night. Party with the girlfriends at Embassy Suites. Ugh, gotta get offline, this sitting is killing me.

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It may not even be dryness... I highly recommend an ACV rinse first before you decide how to super-moisturize your tresses (and the more C's you use, the greater the need will be for ACV) Also, many non-hair related things can contribute to a feeling of dry rough crunchy hair - including dry hands. Dry hands have tricked me so many times.

Hugs
Anais

Hi, all. I haven't posted for a loooong time because I knew I was neglecting pretty much everything else in my life when I was an avid poster/reader. So here I am, saying "hi" but mostly I want to document my hair length with a new picture!

Pic on the left is dated February 17, the pic on the right is as of today, October 24:


I've had two cuts between then and now, just trims, really. Hope everyone is doing well, BSL here I come!

Howdy LJ!  Glad you popped back in.  Your picture shows good growth - congratulations.

These two pictures prove that hair does not have to be super long to be very beautiful

Jerry

Now this is why I love LL, I've been gone for MONTHS and yet when I pop in I am still loved on by you folks. Thank you all for your kind words. I hope that I can stop by more often to check on how you are all doing, but I am homeschooling right now and that keeps me pretty busy. Take care everyone.