Not Your Mother's - Curl Talk - Curl Activating Mousse

I have curly hair.

It's a pain in the ass - as anyone that has curly hair can probably attest to.

Since I didn't really have anyone with my hair type (I have 3b/3c curls - depending on their mood) or any sort of knowledge of curly hair when I was growing up, I had to figure things out on my own.

Early on, the only things I had available to me were things my mother could by me at the store. So I had basic shampoo and conditioner (2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner does NOT work for my hair - that I learned early on).

When it came to styling products, I had tried a variety of gels and mousses which had different effects on my hair, and neither of them I really liked.

Now as an adult, I can try more things since I'm able to get them myself, but A LOT of things for my hair type cost A LOT of money. I'm fine getting said pricey-ish things, but they have to actually work. (Love me some samples.)

In my recent research and hair experimentation, I have come across the brand NOT YOUR MOTHER'S which I have seen before, but they have come out with a Curl Talk line of products that intrigued me. Also in embracing the "silicone/sulfate/paraben-free" curl way of life, this product line fits right into that as well as my pocketbook.

Recently I found Bianca Renee on YouTube, and she mentioned the Curl Talk line and how she loves the mousse and gel. Having not so happy times with mousse in the past, I was hesitant to try it out, but I've liked (and have been interested in) the brand from afar, and her hair always looks good (I still have not been able to embrace "big hair"), so I thought - Why not?!

I bought the mousse from Target and used it the next time I washed my hair (which is usually twice a week). First off, the mousse smells good and doesn't go everywhere like other mousses I have tried (which could be partly the formula as well as the nozzle on the bottle). Also, it doesn't keep coming out of the bottle like an alien trying to escape the small container. I find I don't have to use a lot, and even after I diffuse, there is a little crunch, but it's not like previous mousse experiences where it's so crunchy you can hear it or when you touch it, it feels like it can cut you. And one can lasts a long time.

The bottle says "Lasting shine and definition. Humidity protection for frizz-free curls." The weather is starting to transition to warmer temperatures so we shall truly test that humidity claim sure enough. But it has been helping with frizz. Also, the bottle says "soft-touchable hold for all curl types" and that hold is a 2 out of 5 on the scale listed - which is just fine by me.

I really like this product. It works on my hair and is affordable (about $7-$8). I will definitely be repurchasing this when the bottle I have finally runs out. I'm also interested in getting other items in the same line.

https://nymbrands.com/product/curl-talk-mousse/
https://nymbrands.com/

Available at Target
Available at Ulta

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream - Honeycomb

Whenever I get a hankering for ice cream - unless it's an extremely specific hankering - I look for something new that I've never had before.

In this case, I had never tried the brand Van Leeuwen so I thought I'd check it out. Of the flavors in the cold case, the only one that stood out to me was "honeycomb." So I snatched that one up and took it home.

When I cracked open the pint, I was hit the ever-so-familiar cold ice cream smell. (I know you know it, so don't look at me like I'm weird... well, I am weird, but you know what I mean.)

It looked like vanilla with maybe a tinge of yellow in color - I'm assuming that was due to the honeycomb.

OMFG! It's SO good! Each bite is this perfect taste of honey which was sweet but not TOO sweet. (I had to calm myself so I didn't finish the pint all in one sitting... and I mean if I had no self-control, and I could fit the whole container in my mouth, I would.) Also in reading the side of the container, there is no honey in the ice cream whatsoever. It's just honeycomb they make in-house, break into bits and fold into the ice cream.

Ohhh, this would make an AWESOME milkshake... or ice cream sandwich. OMFG! To use this in an affogato? Dear gawd, that'd be fabulous!

Needless to say, I think you get the gist that I love this ice cream.

The info on the carton says it's 14oz, and 1 serving is 1/2 cup (yielding 3.5oz per container). And each serving is 240 calories.

The ingredients are simple, and the end result is yumscious and happymaking. And they make dairy-free options - so I'm curious to give them a try.

https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/pint/honeycomb/
https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Ruby Jewel Handmade Ice Cream Sandwich - Lemon & Honey Lavender

Was browsing the ice cream aisle at a nearby market. Was wanting either mochi or a flavor/type of ice cream I hadn't tried before.

Enter "Ruby Jewel."

To be honest, I didn't realize this was a regular ice cream sandwich. My brain was set to macaron ice cream sandwiches (and I've seen them in large-ish packaging before) so the main part that caught my eye was the flavor profile - lemon and honey lavender.

When opening the bag, you're greeted to that cool "ice cream that's been in the freezer" scent with just a touch of sweet... which I assume comes from the lemon cookies.

Taking the ice cream sandwich out of the package, the cookies are soft and slightly crumbly in your hands (that kind of soft that you may have cookie crumb residue stuck to your fingers... which I just had to lick off... so no biggie).

The first thing I did was take a nice big bite and was immediately in my happy place. The flavors were so well balanced and melted together seamlessly, and it was just SOOOO GOOOOOD!!! The cookies on their own were sweet and lemony. The ice cream I could eat solo as well. Ugh!!! (I just thought if there was a bag of tiny versions of this ice cream sandwich. Dear gawd! I'd eat them up like bonbons.)

There are other flavors I want to try (Brown Sugar and Oregon Strawberry piques my interest the most, followed closely by Double Chocolate and Peanut Butter), but they'll have to wait... for now.

And the packaging... so cute. On the front, there's a "seal of approval" kind of mark that says "CERTIFIABLY 1000% AWESOME" - the back says "Best if eaten by you / today" as well as "Keep frozen. Stay Cool. For maximum enjoyment, let soften for approximately 3 minutes and 47 seconds at 72 F (22.2 C) before eating." At the top of the front of the bag, it says "All natural. All good."

Per the back of the package, this item is 5oz (5.25oz per the front of the package) and is 400 calories a serving - but thankfully the package is one serving. Woot! I don't feel like a cow anymore? - though I will keep how quickly I polished that sucker off to myself.

[tiniest of moos]

http://www.rubyjewel.com/ice-cream-sandwich-flavors/lemon-cookie-with-honey-lavender/
http://www.rubyjewel.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Sinbad Baklava Chocolat

I can't remember the first time I had baklava. I may have been out of high school. Maybe during college?

Regardless of when I had it, I love it and get it whenever I can.

It's quite a dense treat and also rather sticky (due to the honey), so it's something I occasionally partake in and usually only one piece (since really one piece is enough).

While at a smaller market with yummy treats in their bakery section (and me with one of my random sweet cravings), I spotted some baklava, but this was special baklava because it was CHOCOLATE!!!

In all the times I have ever had baklava, it's either cut into squares or triangles, with or without decoration of chopped nuts on top (depending on what nut was used to make the type you're eating),  and almost always with a slight drizzle of honey.

But I've never seen CHOCOLATE baklava! It looks like the pastry sheets were made or mixed with chocolate - which is AMAZING!

In any case, the four-pack was fine with me. They were all chocolate - two of which had white chocolate drizzle on top, and they were divine. Opening the container, you're immediately hit with the chocolate sweetness. The smell is undeniable. The pieces are still sticky and crumbly as with the regular kind, and the size of each piece can fit comfortably in my palm.

They're crumbly and sweet and crunchy and gooey... and just happy-making.

One container is 7oz - stating there are four servings in each container (which makes sense really given the richness of the treat), and that each serving is 200 calories.

And I had two in one sitting.

Moo? LOL!

I wonder if there are other flavors of baklava. Like how there are different flavors of madeleines. Ohhh, that would be so awesome!!!

https://sinbadfoods.com/products/baklava-chocolate/
https://sinbadspecialtyfoods.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Trader Joe's Creamy Polenta (with Spinach & Carrots)

The first time I had polenta was at Chevy's. They had them as a side with their plates. The polenta was this corn mash that still had corn kernels in it. And it was lightly sweet.

[That random factoid about how corn doesn't break down in your stomach just came to mind. Does that apply to the mashed stuff, too? Or is it just kernels?]

Okay - back to the creamy polenta.

When I went to Trader Joe's to get something else, I found this as well, and since I like polenta (and haven't had much luck with a couple other kinds/brands), I thought I'd give this one a try.

The bag gives you the option to cook the contents either in a microwave or saucepan. (I chose saucepan.)

The bag itself feels relatively light, and when I poured the contents into the pan, the carrots looked like carrots and the spinach looked like spinach, but the polenta... looked like meringue cookies. They were like little dollops of whipped cream with stiff peaks. (Yeah, I watch a lot of cooking shows.)

I cooked the polenta as the package said to - for about five to seven minutes - and after a few minutes, the little "meringue-like" polenta pieces started to soften, and then everything started mixing together. This time I only ate about half of the polenta and save the rest for later. The first taste was just perfect - I think however they seasoned it was just fine since all I added was a bit of was salt and pepper. It's light and tasty and pleasantly filling. Later I had the leftovers with a couple fried eggs on top. Not bad at all.

I liked it so much, I went back to the store to get more.

The bag is 16oz. It says that a serving size is one cup, and there are about three servings in this bag. (Isn't one cup equal to eight ounces?)

I can't find this polenta on the Trader Joe's website so it's either being discontinued or their site person hasn't put it up... so I just added the store's website to this post.

https://www.traderjoes.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Trader Joe's Kale Gnocchi

Yes. I am one of those people that actually likes kale.

It's been around for a while since it's a leafy green of the mustard family (and I like mustard, so...). There are various strains - of which I've tried whatever I can get my hands on at stores - but overall, I enjoy kale.

I've mixed it in smoothies, in salads, in pasta... and Whole Foods has brought back Garlicky Kale! Color me ECSTATIC!

Back to the star of this post...

I surf a lot of YouTube as well as watch videos from people I subscribe to.

With that said, this is where I heard/saw Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi. I kept meaning to go and get some but work and life kept getting in the way so I didn't get any until recently. When I found the cauliflower gnocchi, next to it was the kale gnocchi.

I got both.

One night for dinner I decided to make some gnocchi. I had originally intended to grab the cauliflower bag since it was the first one I knew about, but I ended up grabbing the kale instead.

The directions are quite simple - you can choose from the saute or boiling water method. I sauteed since I was hungry.

When I opened the bag, the gnocchi looked like little green tater tots to me. Also, there was no pasta-type covering. (Being a fan of pasta - my favorite being tortellini - I was expecting either a pasta outer shell of some kind or maybe some faux, veggie version. The ingredients on the back list as: kale, potato starch, chickpea flour, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil. [May contain soy.]) I'm guessing it's the flour that helped bind everything together into their tater tot form.

The sauteeing directions were to heat a couple tablespoons of butter, oil or ghee (I have yet to work with ghee. Anyone use ghee? What's it like?) over medium heat, add the gnocchi, heat for 7-10 minutes, and season to taste.

I made my gnocchi with Trader Joe's seasoning - perhaps a little 21 Seasoning Salute and Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend - as well as some sweet chili sauce and some shredded cheese. (And yes, it may have been an odd blend of flavors, but it was yummy and made me and my tummy happy.)

One 12oz bag contains about 2.5 servings... leaving on serving to be a cup. (Yeah - I ate the whole bag. I hadn't really eaten that day, but I don't really need to justify this to anyone so... there's that.)

Did I like it? Hell, I went back and got two more bags!

https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/kale-gnocchi

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

happi foodi - Buffalo Style Chicken Avocado Egg Rolls

"happi foodi" is a brand that I've recently come across that I'm really liking.

Recently I was craving egg rolls, and when I checked the freezer section at the store, I found these. To be honest, I didn't check the quantity and only saw "chicken" and "avocado" so I was pleasantly surprised when I took them out of my freezer recently to see it said "Buffalo Style" and there were only four in the box.

When I opened the box, the four to be packaged in two pouches of two. I had only intended to cook up one pouch, but then I remembered I didn't have a lot to eat during the rest of the day so I had all four for dinner. (Moo!)

Now the box gives you options on how to cook them: Microwave, Oven, or Fryer.

I cheated and fried them up in a pan on the stove (but I followed the instructions for the fryer that says "for best results, partially thaw the eggrolls first"). When they were "partially thawed," I pan-friend them...

And they were DELICIOUS!!!

The front of the box says "Buffalo style white meat chicken, avocado, red peppers, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, cotija cheese, jalapenos, green onions, cilantro, and garlic. I didn't realize there was even in the egg rolls until I saw some of the cheese dripping a bit out of one of the rolls when I picked it up and took it out.

Am I the only one that hates waiting for food to cool down before you can eat it?

I let the four egg rolls sit on paper towels while I made a dipping sauce of soy sauce and a lot of garlic. (I ran out of sweet chili sauce, but my new mix suited me just fine.)

The egg rolls alone were delicious, but my dipping sauce wasn't too bad either. I was completely unaware of any of the vegetables in the rolls since I mainly tasted cheese, chicken, and avocado, but that was fine.

I ate only three of them and wrapped the remaining one in foil for later (which was enjoyed the next day as a snack).

Per the website, there's at least one more flavor, but I'd definitely eat these again.

Per the box, two rolls are one serving (which results to two servings a box). I technically ate one and a half servings for dinner that night... and half a serving as a snack the next day.

Did I mention "Moo?" But it's a quite happy "moo."

https://www.happifoodi.com/buffalochickeneggrolls
https://www.happifoodi.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

OREO - The Most Stuf (Limited Edition)

Who doesn't love an OREO?

I remember having them when I was little. They are not a compulsory item for me. I don't NEED to have them all the time, but I do partake in them from time to time.

When they started coming out with different flavors, I tried the ones that I was curious about. I do check out the cookie aisle once in a while to see if there's anything new from the OREO people, and recently while at the store, I saw the Limited Editions "The Most Stuf."

I was more curious as to the "why" of this cookie than the "I really want to try this." Right away, my first thought was "that is WAY too much filling,"

For me, I'm all about the perfect bite. If there is a food that is comprised of various things (not like side dishes, but actual parts of the same food item), I'd like them to be balanced in one perfect bite. And this right away looks to me like the cream center will overpower the cookie.

The regular Oreos are good, and the new flavors they put out are usually made in that size. They also have the thins which have new flavors as well. I do like the thins (and the minis) but not as much as the original since the portions feel off.

I bought a bag of The Most Stuf while at the store to share with my team at work. Most of the team partook in the cookies. I myself didn't have very many since it was just a lot of cookie for me as well as not my cup of tea.

The bag I bought was 13.4oz (which is roughly the same size as the regular Oreos more or less) and are 110 calories per serving. A serving is 1 cookie (and there are 18 servings per bag - which means 18 cookies in a bag).

Now I'm not saying these cookies are bad. There are people out there that would really love these. I mean, my work team snatched them up quick. I'm just saying they're not for me.

Now that I'm thinking about it - I wonder if there are people that just like the cream. If so, I wonder if OREO is planning on putting out tubs of just the cream. I wouldn't be surprised. It's a thought anyway.

https://shop.oreo.com/oreo-the-most-stuf-cookies-13-57-oz
https://shop.oreo.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Coca-Cola Energy

The things you find at an Asian Market... and later see at Target. LOL!

While at one of the main Asian markets I go to - though not often since it's an Asian shopping center, and parking is always chaotic and ridiculous - I thought about getting a drink that I could sip while out on the rest of my errands. I had bought all the main things I had gone there for that I could find, and when looking for a drink, I found in the midst of all the more Asian branded/type drinks, I saw the bright familiar red can. I knew right away it was a Coke product, but then they also had a sign saying it was a limited item, etc.

Coca-Cola Energy Drink. The tagline from the can? The only energy drink with a great Coca-Cola taste. (Catchy, eh?) And it also says "high caffeine - guarana extract - B vitamins.

The can size is about the same as the average can of Red Bull (8oz).

At the Asian market, there was a sign showing limited stock - a "get it while you can" kind of thing. Not sure if the advertising was to get people to buy them or quite literally they didn't have a lot and possibly weren't going to get anymore.

When at Target recently, I saw the same can as well as a few other flavor options.

So one weekend after having purchased this can I thought "Why not?" and drank it while getting ready to leave home and run errands. And it tasted... like Coke. Okay, it tasted like Coke but with that energy drink aftertaste.

Now, I have had a lot of energy drinks in my time. I used to be a Mountain Dew Amp girl... then transitioned to Red Bull... and now I'm a toss-up between a Rockstar or "bang" girl. (Reading that last bit activated my "that reads/sounds wrong" alert, but that is the brand name so I'm leaving it.

I've tried many brands and flavors and types. I even have tried the little energy shots. All in all, I'm familiar with the energy drink flavor profile. It would be nice if companies could make an energy drink not taste like an energy drink, but it is what it is. You get used to it. Like now - I'm a diet soda drinker. Mainly because I'm not a picky eater by trade so I'm more than willing to accommodate friends that have dietary preferences, etc, and some of my close homies drank diet. But when drinking soda, you can totally taste the difference between regular and diet... but after drinking it for a while, you start to not care or notice anymore.

I'm like that with energy drinks (though the "bang" brand tastes REALLY sweet to me - more so than any other non-diet energy drink out there). So I noticed that flavor in this one by Coke. I've had cola-flavored energy drinks before, but this one has he distinct Coca-Cola taste... plus the energy drink taste.

I remember as a kid back in the day of the Pepsi versus Coke soda war, I was a Coke girl. (To be completely honest, I started as an RC Cola girl, but you can't find Royal Crown anymore. Not on the regular at least. I usually find them randomly at a liquor store or whatever and always get one for nostalgia's sake.) But I always like Coke a little more than Pepsi - especially back then - due to the advertising. From what I can recall, Coke was just... Coke. It had its ads, and basically was like "Hey, drink our soda if you want." But Pepsi did the politician thing and seemed to always insult or make fun of Coke in their ads which annoyed me. (I don't like bullies or assholes.) Plus, Pepsi was too sweet. Coke was just right. You know, like Baby Bear's porridge.

In the end, I finished off the can and wasn't too impressed. Maybe I'm just immune to energy drinks. In general, they all taste the same to me. Mountain Dew's AMP tastes different since Mountain Dew has its own flavor.

Coca-Cola Energy is not bad or good. It's just one of the many.

https://us.coca-cola.com/energy/
https://us.coca-cola.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

My/Mo Green Tea Ice Cream (with Mochi Bits)

During one of my cake cravings, I stopped by a market near my home on my way back from IKEA. I thought for sure they would have something, but all their desserts were either not was I was looking for or not in the portion I was looking for. I just wanted a single serving for me - just me - but it was either "buy this giant cake for several people" or "buy these cookies for a few people" and I already have sweet treats at home (mostly from baking things I'd made for potlucks and had stuff left over).

I will say the first thing I saw when I walked in was a cooler at the end of the ice cream aisle full of small pints of ice cream and some gelato tubs inside. (One of these days I'll grab some gelato, but they always have them in giant tubs. I just want a tiny pint for little ol' me.)

So I went to the bakery area to check out the desserts with the notion that if I didn't find anything there that I liked or struck my fancy, I would go back to that cooler.

Eventually returning to the cooler, I saw a lot of different brands and flavors that I had tried before, but there were a couple items that caught my eye.

The brand My/Mo makes yummy mochi ice cream that I've had before - probably every single flavor I could find in fact. But this case had pints of My/Mo ice cream with mochi bits in it. Of course, I was immediately curious and of the three in the case, I chose green tea.

When I popped the top off, I first smelled "freezing cold" - I can't be the only one that has experienced this when opening something that has been living in the freezer for a long time - and then I got hints of ice cream though not the actual flavor yet. (Again, I can't be the only one that has experienced the smell of ice cream. If you were blindfolded and someone put a pint of ice cream, I think you'd be able to say with certainty that it was ice cream.)

The taste of the matcha was delightful. Matcha on its own is bitter, and when translated into various drinks and foods, some people sweeten it up - some a lot, some a little. This was just fine. And when I eventually hit mochi? Yum! (I LOVE mochi. I always get it on my frozen yogurt and love the ice cream... and I've bought it on its own to snack on.)

I will say that a part of me was hoping for green tea mochi bits, but I suppose that was asking for a bit much. The combo of the mochi ice cream and the plain mochi bits was nice... and I ended up eating the whole thing in one sitting (which is not like me at all - my habit is usually to eat a portion and then cap and return it to freezer for future indulgence, but I guess it was just too damn good.

Also - I never understand portion notations on food containers - ESPECIALLY when they're super tiny containers. Like this pint? Half a cup is considered a single serving which means there are four supposed serving in this pint. And each serving is 200 calories.

So either the portions are trash (which I'm a firm believer of), or I'm a cow for eating the whole damn thing in one sitting.

I am cow. Hear me MOOOOOOO!!!

https://www.mymomochi.com/

https://www.mymomochi.com/ice-cream-with-mochi-bits/

https://www.mymomochi.com/our-flavors/green-tea-ice-cream/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!

Rae