Chronicles of a Curly Head

Happy February!!!

2012-02-01T20:28:00.014-05:00

Helloooooooooooooooo everyone!

And a very Happy February to you all!

Nothing like a new month to start us all off on a brand new foot.

I hope February is treating you wonderfully so far.

When I got home from work I immediately took a shower and put my robe on (compliments of the only place in the world that you should be purchasing bath robes from: Aegean Apparel) . Probably not the best move seeing as I'm waiting on my roommate to get off work so we can hang out. It is a little known fact that the second I put my yellow polka doted robe on is the second I don't leave my bed again til morning lol. I am determined to put clothes on and function as a normal human being despite the black hole that is my robe!

But.....I think I'll just update my blog for now lol.......

I hope each and every one of you are having an amazing week!

Thanks for spending your spare time with me :)

And as always - be healthy - be happy!

p.s. If you haven't caught up on Blaquemour be sure to do so!

We don't post often, but when we do it's hilarious.

Be sure to watch our videos HERE

Hilarity guaranteed.

xoxoxo - Jen

Let us begin.....

[[Todays music]]

(1) BEYONCE - LOVE ON TOP

Now I don't have a fella, but when I listen to this song I feel like I do lol. I'm serious. I have to stop myself and think "Wait Jen......who the hell are you singing to?" Beyonce gets her point across to say the least. And I absolutely love it.

Pardon me while I bust a move with my girl B for my hypothetical/non existent man.....

(2) OREN LAVIE - MORNING ELEGANCE

Forever and always one of my favorites.

[[Todays restaurants]]

BLUE FROG LOUNGE

"Conceived of by music lovers, blueFROG, Mumbai and Delhi are the platforms for live music. Musicians from India and around the world perform six nights a week at the clubs, which are known for their acoustic excellence. The lip-smacking menu is Modern European with Asian influences that take the palate by surprise and leave you wanting more!"

Live Music & Fine Dining | blueFROG Club

[[Todays kitchen gadgets]]

(1) SHARK TEA - TEA STEEPER

(2) DUNK MUGS

[[Todays random]]

(1) TA-ZE PREMIUM OLIVE OIL STORE - TORONTO, CANADA

"Toronto’s latest TA-ZE store, at 120 Adelaide Street West, is only 800 square feet in size, but it is airy and uncluttered. TA-ZE is a chain of retail stores focusing on premium olive oils and related product.

Ta-ze means fresh in Turkish, and the company is rooted in the long traditions of olive-oil production. Its product comes from six provinces in the Aegean region of Turkey, from 33 co-operatives that include more than 28,000 olive producers.

The purity and clarity of the oil is reflected in the minimalist store concept designed by Toronto-based Burdifilek, led by managing partner Paul Filek, and creative partner Diego Burdi. They are also responsible for retail design for W Hotels, Holt Renfrew department stores, Club Monaco and Joe Fresh, among others. - Bill Tikos"

The Cool Hunter - TA-ZE Premium Olive Oil Store - Toronto, Canada

(2) 2012 LIGHT FESTIVAL - GHENT, BELGIUM

"Just like fireworks, originally used in celebrations to reach up to and greet the spirits in the sky, this LED-light cathedral aimed VERY VERY high! We’re not sure if it was visible from space (or higher) but it certainly glowed brightly.

More than half-a-million people were drawn to the Luminaire De Cagna LED-light display at the 2012 Light Festival in Ghent, Belgium. Luminaire De Cagna became the main attraction of the Festival that included more than 30 other displays and exhibitions.

Constructed of wood, covered with 55,000 LED lights and reaching 28 meters (92 ft.) into the sky above Belfortstraat, the Romanesque cathedral-like Luminaire De Cagna used only 20 kWh of energy.

Luminaire De Cagna is an Italian family business that has created light displays since 1930. They started with oil and carbine lights, moved on to electric and, since 2006, have used LED-lights exclusively. - Tuija Seipell"

The Cool Hunter - 2012 Light Festival - Ghent, Belgium

(3) INNOVATIVE - BILLBOARD ADS

(4) OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO - AT BURNING MAN

I don't recall whether or not I've posted this video before so I'm just going to do it again!

Let me just begin by saying - I grew up reading Dr. Seuss books. I attribute my being such a great reader/speed reader to the fact that Theodor Seuss Geisels books helped teach me to read. These books were/are just my style. Fun, quirky, zany, twisted, loopy, and lest us not forget all of the words that Theodor just made up off the top of his head! If you're close to me then you know I use at least fifty words that aren't actually words - more like "Jenna-isms" This I got from Dr. Seuss. His books all have such a positive message and they're so fun to read, even to this day.

The way I feel when I read the collection of Dr. Seuss books I have (I'm almost certain I have every single book published) is the exact same way I feel when I watch this video! Everything is insane and it doesn't make sense, but the message is so awesome and it holds such a positive energy.

[[Today's food clip]]

GAME OVER - PES

[[Today's curly head]]

ADRIAN GRENIER

Bow chicka wow wowwwwwww!!!!! .....What?

I know at least one other girl was thinking the same thing lol.

Adrian is curly headed stud.

[[Today's recipe]]

CHOCOLATE COVERED MARSHMALLOW TREATS

You might be wondering "Why Jenna? Why chocolate covered marshmallows?" Because I love chocolate, and I love marshmallows. I.e. chocolate covered marshmallows! :)

Not the healthiest, nor the most delicious recipe I've posted, but it is very tasty and most likely the easiest to complete!

::Ingredients::

1 bag of big marshmallows

1 box of Graham Crackers

1 bag of milk chocolate chips (or if you're anything like me - a bag of extremely dark - dark chocolate!)

1 tablespoon butter

::Directions::

--Take one bag of graham crackers out of the box

--Put the graham crackers in a zip lock bag and be sure to squeeze out the air

--Crush the graham crackers using something like: your hands, a cup, a plate, etc.

(Be careful not to bust the bag open…it kind of makes a mess)

--Put the crushed graham crackers into a bowl and set aside

--Place the bag of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with butter and microwave for 1-2 minutes- or until the chocolate chips are completely melted when mixed

--It’s dipping time!

--Dip the marshmallows half way into the chocolate, and tap off excess

--Quickly roll the chocolate side of the marshmallow in the crushed graham crackers and place on desired serving dish

Wait for the chocolate to set, and enjoy!!

::Alternatives::
::Other toppings can also be used in this recipe such as::
Sprinkles
Crushed butter finger
Rice Krispies
Ground nuts- Etc.
::Other dipping agents can also be used such as::
White chocolate
Dark chocolate
Butterscotch- Etc.

Damn You Gertrude.....

2012-01-30T09:04:00.030-05:00

Hellooooooooooo everyone!

How are you doing on this Monday evening?

I've had better days I can assure you, but it hasn't phased me in the least bit!

I'm just as chipper and dandy as ever.

My day in a nutshell.......

I woke up to this creature hovering over me early in the morning purring as loud as a lawn mower.....

Then I found this one crawling all over our kitchen counter top.....

::SIGH::

(They may look innocent.....but they're really back flipping ninjas- tights ripping - peeing in the corner - assholes in disguise.)

After an hour spent dodging our kittens so they wouldn't rip yet another pair of my tights/leggings I had a delicious breakfast with my friends.....

And then came the car troubles.........

Do you ever just have those days where things keep breaking? That's what this weekend was like for me in terms of my car - Gertrude. Poor ol Gertrude can't catch a break.

After a night of drinks this weekend I drove a friend home who lives in the outskirts of the ghetto, and just my luck as I'm driving through the center of the worst part of town in the rain at three in the morning, Gertrudes right front tire popped. My first instinct was to laugh. Because all things considered....it was really funny. Just my luck to have my tire pop at the worst time of night, in inclement weather, in the shadiest area of town. My second instinct was to think of what my parents would tell me to do "Don't stop Jen" was the first thing that came to mind. So I drove (on a flat tire mind you) out of the area I was in, through downtown Dayton, turning down random roads so I wouldn't run into a cop, until I finally made my way to a good parking lot to stop in. There I waited until my wonderful friends came to my rescue. Once I got out of my car to assess the damage I realized Gertrude lost her hub cap. Sigh.

Then poor Gertrude died on me last night, and the same friend that showed me how to change my tire (thanks again Jamie) had to teach me how to jump her. Then I woke up this morning and poor Gertrude was dead again. Then after I jump started her on my own (not to toot my own whistle or anything :toot toot:) I drove her to Autozone and they told me I needed to buy a new battery. So I did. Then I remembered that her windshield wipers were shot, so I had to replace those too.

So not only did I have to buy wipers and a battery but I had to go with my dad to get Gertrude four new tires this evening as well!

::PHEW::

Isn't this the way it always goes? Once one thing breaks or goes wrong a string of things just follow along with it. Lucky for me everything in my life is just dandy. I'm happy as a clam. I'm healthy. I have a stellar job, friends, and family. So why let a little Gertrude trouble ruin my day? The second I start thinking negative thoughs, getting mad, or stressed out is the second I allow negative vibes into my life. I literally can't afford anything else happening to me. So my positivity should ward off any unwanted occurences....I truly believe this to be true. It's the law of attraction people! Not to mention I could have it A LOT worse than I do.

After all....she's just a car.

After a majority of my car troubles were taken care of I stopped by to see my friend Lee Anne this afternoon (who just so happens to be the lady I'm starting a healthy eating/food blog with) to watch her cook and set up our e-mail account and what not for our future joint blog.......

And as always Lee Anne was cooking up something delicious!

Since then I've been spending a quiet evening at my parents house catching up on my shows and hanging out with our beautiful dogs.....

My sisters dog Sasha.....

And of course my baby Marcie :)

Well it's time I bid you all farewell!

I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful day.

As always be sure to treat your body with the utmost respect.

It is the only body you have after all!

Eat healthy foods. Exercise. Be happy. Plain and simple!

xoxo - Jen

Let us begin.....

[[Todays music]]

(1) MAROON 5 - SUNDAY MORNING

I can't be too sure, but I'm almost positive Adam is singing to me and/or about me......

Oh Adam - you could've just named the song "Jenna and I on Sunday Morning"

It wouldn't bother me in the least bit.....

:Swoon:

(2) LAURA MARLING - GHOSTS

[[Todays restaurant]]

THE REDWOODS TREE HOUSE

Dear future/hypothetical/non existent husband/significant other/ lover of mine....

Take me here because I'm awesome and I more than likely deserve it.

Kthanksloveyoubyeeeeeee.

"It's a beautiful, birdcage-like wooden structure that spirals around the tall tree trunk and looks especially striking in nighttime photos, glowing from within through widely spaced vertical slats. Designed byPacific Environments Architects, the restaurant stands nearly 30 feet wide and 40 feet high, and supports a full bar and up to 18 guests. The Yellow Treehouse website has extensive, web-smart documentation of the building process, complete with a reality TV-esque host who enthusiastically chronicles the architectural adventure and engages with interested audience members who stumble upon the eye-catching structure on their trips through the internet. The video of the building process is actually a really nice time-lapse illustration of constructing a sturdy structure through wrapped spirals of wood."

"The Redwoods Treehouse was commissioned as part of a marketing campaign by Yellow in 2008. The result is a striking pod-shaped structure built ten metres high in a Redwood tree near Warkworth, north of Auckland. Access to the Treehouse is provided by an elevated tree - top walkway which was built using Redwood milled on site.

When the campaign was complete the ownership passed to the landowner. The Experience Group has secured the exclusive rights to manage this popular structure and it is now available for use as a private venue.

Redwoods Treehouse is a versatile space as a corporate venue for private functions and events. The pod itself holds 30 guests either at seated tables or casual stand up. Experience Group Travel has a dedicated 32 seat coach available to facilitate transfers to and from the venue. Because of this unique location, coach access to the property is mandatory under the consent given to operate as a venue for hire."

The Redwoods Treehouse

[[Todays kitchen gadget]]

PERFECT BROWNIE - BROWNIE CUTTERS

As ridiculous and lazy as I find this kitchen gadget to be....

I still think it's a little cool lol.

[[Todays random]]

FUTURISTIC/MODERN DAY KITCHEN DESIGNS

I think it's important for people to think outside of the box when it comes to designing their kitchen, and know that they have many options. Plus these designs look really neat.

[[Todays curly head]]

LEONA LEWIS

[[Todays recipe]]

NOTE: Don’t let the extremely simple and small recipe fool you! Each perfect bite is an amazing blend of sweet, salty, crunchy, chocolatey goodness! I’m super excited to share this one! Make these for your next party or family get together, and you’re sure to impress!!!!

SALTY NUM NUMS

::Ingredients::

1 bag Bite size waffle shaped pretzels

(Square pretzels are the ideal, but regular small pretzels will work too)

1 bag M&M’s

1 large bag Hershey Kisses

(Choose your favorite m&m and kiss flavor-I use dark chocolate)

[[You might not use the entire bags…but once you try one- you’ll want to use it all]]

::Directions::

--It would be wise to unwrap all of the hershey kisses you plan on using prior to preheating the oven because (depending on the number of kisses) it can be a lengthy process.

--Now it’s time to preheat the oven to 170 degrees

--Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

(it’s ok if you don’t have parchment paper, but it helps to reduce the chances of making a chocolate mess)

--Place the desired amount of pretzels on top of the baking sheet

(I usually fill the sheet until there isn’t any room left!)

--Top the center of each pretzel with one of the previously unwrapped Hershey kisses

--Bake these off for 4-6 minutes- until the kisses are soft to the touch.

--Remove from the oven and press an m&m atop the center of each kiss.

(I put mine ‘M’ side down)

--Let the pretzel bites sit until the kisses are once again back to their original hard form

(Waiting for the kisses to set takes a lot longer than I originally anticipated- So I put the baking sheet into the freezer for about 5 minutes J No harm in speeding up the process eh? )

If you do freeze the pretzels - Let them unthaw a bit then enjoy!!

Lazy Sunday.....

2012-01-29T14:05:00.064-05:00

Hellooooooooooo everyone!

How are you doing on this lovely Sunday night? I'm doing just grand thank you!

I've been sitting in my robe for hours. Taking naps on again and off again all day long. To say that it's been a lazy Sunday is a bit of an understatement lol. Unfortunately it is time for me to wrap this beginning monologue up -I have plans with my friends so I should probably get dressed!

This would be my blogging face.....fascinating isn't it? Lol

It goes without saying, but I hope each and every one of you have an awesome week. You guys most definitely deserve it! And as always - be sure to treat your body with the utmost respect. You only get one so you might as well be good to it! That means healthy food, plenty of exercise, and a cheat day every now and again ;) I had quite the cheat day yesterday, believe me lol. You can catch a small glimpse of it HERE

I have nothing but love for all of you :)

xoxoxo - JB

Let us begin......

[[Today's music]]

(1) YELLE - CE JEU

(2) THE KILLERS - SAMS TOWN

[[Today's restaurant]]

DINNER IN THE SKY - HANGING RESTAURANT

"Dinner In The Sky is for people who expect more from their restaurants than four concrete walls and a solid floor. Instead, diners perch around a massive table, which is suspended from a crane high up in the air. It sounds completely insane, but as the most unusual - and entirely legal - way of getting high over dinner, it is the new must-do experience for the super-rich and adventure-hungry who yearn for something a little more extreme at mealtimes. Although based in Belgium, the "restaurant" can be driven to any destination in the world. There have already been dining events in Paris and Brussels, while New York and Niagara Falls are on the agenda. What's more, for a mere £10,000, they'll drive it over to Britain for you to host your own sky-high dinner party."

Pie in the sky: The 150ft-high restaurant | Mail Online

[[Today's kitchen gadgets]]

(1) BENTO BOXES

Ok ok… they aren’t really kitchen gadgets…but they’re sooo handy not to mention cute! For those of you who are unaware of what a Bento box is - here is a definition I found of bento box on the Web... "a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish."

(2) PANCAKE MOLDS

[[Today's random]]

(1) DREAM BIG BY PETER FECTEAU

(2) SHANGHAI EXPO

(3) RUNE GUNERIUSSEN & ESCAPE INTO LIFE

(4) STREET ART

[[Today's food clip]]

(1) SCRATCHBREAD

(2) MAN V. FOOD: SYLVIA'S IN NEW YORK CITY

[[Todays curly head]]

REGINA SPEKTOR

Attention ALL curly heads!!

Want to be recognized for your beautiful, crazy, and all natural curls?

Then sign up to be a featured curly head!

You must provide:

- Your: Name, Location, Occupation

-Tell me why you love being a curly head.

-Fill me in on what makes you a unique curly head.

-Give any tips or secrets you might have about maintaining hair like yours.

-And send 2 photos – so you have a chance to put your curls on display!

(If you would like me to provide a link to your blog, facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. for the rest of my readers to see – then also throw that in there! The more exposure you get the better!)

Don’t be shy J Go right ahead and apply!

Please e-mail your application to: Jennablack8@gmail.com

Be healthy. Be happy. Be worry free.

2012-01-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

Helloooooooooooo everyone!

How are you doing on this fine day?

Me? I am just happy to be alive and well!

I hope you enjoy todays post as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

Let us begin....

[[Today's music]]

LYKKE LI - LITTLE BIT

[[Today's restaurant(s)]]

(1) CABBAGES & CONDOMS RESTAURANT

Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant

"Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy."

“Established in part to support the activities of PDA, the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurants offer a pleasant dining experience in several locations around Thailand. Not only do the restaurants offer excellent food, but they also promote the health and safety aspects of condom use in a fun and amusing manner. All proceeds from the restaurants are used to fund the social development programs of PDA.”

(2) GERMAIN - PARISIAN

"Germain is a three story Parisian restaurant designed by Iranian-born and Paris based architect, India mahdavi. The main characteristics of the restaurant is a massive yellow sculpture of a woman in an overcoat and high heels. It's lower half stands on the cafe's first floor while the upper body and head break through the ceiling to the upper level VIP lounge area."

[[Today's kitchen gadget(s)]]

(1) EGG SEPARATORS

(2) TOASTERS!

Love toast as much as I do? Doubtful. But if you think you're anywhere close then I'm sure you'd love to not only learn 330 + ways to love toast but also how to prepare and enjoy hundreds of breakfast recipes!!

If you're intrigued then you should check out my friend Mr. Breakfast!

351 Ways To Enjoy Toast | MrBreakfast.com

You should pay Mr. Breakfast a visit today! Eddy is an awesome fellow that I met through CCH about a year or so back. He has previously featured some of my breakfast recipes on his site, and I'm sure those of you who have been with me for a while have heard me ramble on about him! So for those of you newbies - go get your breakfast on :)

[[Today's food clip]]

WESTERN SPAGHETTI

One of my all time favs.

Love love love.

[[Today's random]]

BODY SLEEPING BAGS

I love how they're striking poses, as if that makes body sleeping bags any less lame....

or socially acceptable for that matter. Who am I kidding? I would wear one lol.

[[Today's curly head]]

MEGAN FOX

Not the curliest of hair...but it's still gorgeous and so is she

which makes her a certified curly head in my book :)

[[Today's recipe]]

BAKED POTATO

So ridiculously and incredibly easy- even my dog could do it....

although she is very smart for such a small mammal.

So good luck lol.

::Ingredients::

Potatoes

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder (or whatever seasoning of your choice)

Olive Oil (or melted butter)

--First- preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

--Wash the potato thoroughly so it is clear of all dirt.

--Use a napkin or a paper towel to pat off & absorb the excess water.

--Next, take one end of the potato and cut through it nearly all the way, but not quite all the way.

--Continue the previous step until you have 1/4 inch thick slices all the way across the potato

(it should look like an accordion)

--Place the potato onto a baking sheet or any other oven save platter

--Dip a brush (or spoon) into the olive oil and brush it across the entire surface of the potato.

Make sure to get some of the olive oil between the cracks. This step will ensure that the potato doesn't dry out, and that the outside layer will be slightly crisp when leaving the oven.

--Now it's time for the seasoning. I season mine very lightly with 'Trocomare' (an organic seasoning i buy from 'Health Foods Unlimited'). If you have your own signature seasoning then go ahead and use that. Remember - salt and pepper does wonders in the kitchen, so no need to get "fancy" if you don't know how to/don't have the means to!

--Place the potato into the oven for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Pretty much until a fork pokes through the potato slices with ease.

Why such a large time gap?

Depends on how big your potatoes are and how awesome your oven is!

--After an hour: slice completely through each of the accordion like potato pieces.

--Eat plain or dress with your favorite toppings! I serve this with ketchup- which makes for a very healthy alternative to french fries. It can also be topped with butter, sour cream, chives, other herbs, or throw some cheese on top a few minutes before removing from the oven!

ENJOY!!

::Quick rambling side note::

Prior to attending culinary school and my working in the restaurant industry I would search blogs similar to my own for recipes that could teach me the basics – and challenge me when I got the basics down. I hope that mine can do the same for someone out there. Like I have previously stated – I will try and post recipes at different skill levels. I understand that 80% of people reading CCH aren’t kitchen savvy, don’t go to culinary school, don't work in the industry, and cringe at anything more challenging than toast lol. Hell I don’t even know if anyone is testing out my recipes!! (For the sake of this conversation- I’m going to assume someone is…hopefully lol)

I will continue to post about snacks, cookies, cakes, breakfast etc. Simple and fun recipes in my opinion! But feel free to request a recipe, further explanation of one of the recipes i've posted, or an explanation to a food related question. I don't know everything when it comes to food or the industry by any means, but I will find all of the answers for you I promise! I'm very good at figuring things out......plus I have tons of friends in the industry that will give me the answers ;)

I hope each and every one of you have a splendid day.

Be healthy. Be happy. Be worry free.

xoxoxox - J

Black House say what??

2012-01-26T09:21:00.037-05:00

Helloooooooooooo everyone!

How are you doing on this glorious Thursday?

I'm just peachy thank you!

I'm not really in the mood to chit chat today, but I am in the mood to post a ton of photographs of my food and such (when isn't that the case though? lol). So let's get this party started eh?

I absolutely LOVE fruity Teavana tea.....

Leave it to me to make a mess lol

All it needs is a big ol spoonful of honey and I'm good to go!!

I'm mildly obsessed with my Marcie..........

She is the love of my life after all.

Dawwwwwwww look at the wittle facceeee!!!!

She's too cute for colored tv.

Our apartment is coming together swimmingly......

Shar and I have managed to craft, paint, and construct just about every single piece of our apartment.

Down to the very last detail......

We painted this picture black, painted the B and M, put polka dot wrapping paper down on the chest, and painted the chest black as well!

All of the bottles photographed above were previously filled with alcohol....until we drank it all lol. I washed all of the bottles and peeled off their labels, sat them in our windowsill over polka dotted wrapping paper, and shar filled them with dead flowers. Sounds silly. Looks awesome.

Our air conditioner was a big fat eye sore in the middle of our living room so we decided to wrap it in wrapping paper, slapped a bow on top, and voila! That is until......

Our stupid kittens ripped it up. SIGH. Stupid cats.

Seeing as our entire apartment is just one giant creativity explosion you could see why we got antsy with our bed room. White walls. Tan carpet. White ceilings. BORING. Painting our wall was an awesome idea. I love being in my room now! I'm very proud of our wall :)

When I get ready to exercise like a crazy person I need motivation......

Whats better motivation than buying brand new work out clothes?

Well.....I suppose the outcome of having a rockin bod should be motivation enough.

But spending money on clothes that I'll only wear if I'm exercising doesn't hurt either lol.

It's like I have no other choice but to work out - or else it was a waste of money!

Am I right ladiesssss?

Lest us not forget all of my cool new gear......

Jump ropes

Resista bands

And my favorite - HOOLA HOOPS!!!!

Ok....maybe I was going a bit to far when I said "cool" new gear lol.

Can't even take a photo without Kiddy getting in the way.

Damn cats.

I've become the official unofficial photographer of the lunch specials at work.........

If you visit Olives Facebook page HERE every Tuesday through Saturday you will find pictures I've taken similar to the ones below of our wonderful lunch specials! Who makes the lunch specials you ask? My co worker/friend Lee Anne and I do! Lee Anne is the mastermind behind almost all of the specials. We take a look at what food we have on hand to play with, take weather into consideration, cook time, use of product, etc. bounce a few ideas off of each other, and voila! The lunch specials are born!

Throughout the lunch shift Lee Anne prepares all of the lunch specials for the dining room while I take care of other things. Until I'm fully confident in my lunch special making skills I'm comfortable brainstorming and coming up with ideas while Lee Anne cooks it all! I'm not even going to pretend like I'm a better cook than she is lol. We make an AWESOME team. We are the dream team in my eyes lol.

The two of us run the line by ourselves during lunch every Tuesday through Saturday so be sure to stop by and say hello to the two of us! We'd be more than happy to stop and chat with all of you about what we do! We love our job just about as much as we love food. Makes for a good work combination if you ask me.

Enjoy.......

Then our award winning pastry chef/baker Justin comes into play.......

I wish I had more pictures of Justins desserts to share with all of you!

But I think these few do him justice in one way or another....

HOLY YUM

I'm ready for work :)

Speaking of the lunch crew dream team.......

Lee Anne and I have decided to create a blog together.

I know what you're thinking "Really Jenna? A third blog? Do you really need three blogs?" My answer is. Yes. Yes I do. I am a lean mean blogging machine. I refuse to be stopped until it becomes my full time job.

Let me illustrate what my web sites entail, and why it is important for me to have three.....

First of all - Chronicles of a Curly Head is of course an informative blog about the cool ins and outs of the restaurant industry that the average person may not know about but can somewhat relate to. The average person being someone who isn't a part of the industry that is. Most likely you are one of these people. CCH is not only an informative blog but it's also a little piece of my life as well. You've been with me through culinary school, through my time at Disney, major milestones in my life, birthdays, holidays, etc. CCH is my baby for sure.

BlaqueMour is a joint blog between my roommate Shar and I. It's mainly a video/picture blog of the ongoing hilarity of our lives together in our very first apartment. It's not necessarily informative, nor is it enlightening, but it is amusing none the less.

Which brings us to my new blog!

Black House (the blog I will be starting with Lee Anne very soon) is looking to be utterly fabulous! We've been brainstorming for the past couple of days and I think the dream team in the kitchen is going to be a dream team blogging machine as well! We plan on making entertaining/easy to follow how-to cooking videos, updating our daily meals, talking heavily about our new found healthy living kick, our exercise progress, reviewing our experiences at neat restaurants in dayton, etc. In a nutshell it will be a healthy living blog that revolves around our love for food that will also highlight the awesome parts about the city we live in. Eventually we will be selling different food items/kitchen items through this blog that promise to be something really special. I'm not sure exactly what direction this blog is going to go in but I have a really good feeling about it! Lee Anne is just a barrel of laughs, she is a very smart girl, driven, and boy does she know a thing or two about food!

Be looking out in the next month or two for this new endeavor. I really hope I can count on yet again, your readership! I know three blogs seems like a lot to keep up with, but I'm not just one type of girl. I can't just have one outlet and be satisfied. They will each serve their own purpose and I'm sure an awesome career move will be the result of one of them!

And to think - I started this post saying I wasn't going to chit chat lol.

Who was I kidding? I'm a jabber jaw.

Let us begin.....

[[Today's music]]

THE POSTMARKS - GOODBYE

[[Today's restaurant]]

UNDERWATER RESTAURANT

"The first underwater restaurant of its kind in the world
Contemporary fusion maldivian cuisine with western and asian influences. The Ithaa Restaurant sits 15 feet below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a coral reef and encased in clear acrylic, offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views. The restaurant is reached by a wooden walkway from the nearby over-water Sunset Grill Restaurant, and seats just 14 people for exclusive dining with a real difference."

Ithaa Underwater Restaurant Conrad Maldives Resort & Spa - Picture Gallery

[[Today's kitchen gadget]]

CUISINART SOFT - SERVE ICE CREAM MAKER

[[Today's food clip]]

THE TREATS TRUCK

[[Todays curly head]]

CORINNE BAILEY RAE

[[Today's recipe]]

One of my absolute favorite treats ever.....

Be careful with this one.

These little guys can be mighty addictive.

MINI SUGAR DONUT MUFFINS

::Ingredients before baking:

3/4 cups sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

(I usually use whole wheat flour, but it's whatev)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

(I usually use fat free, but once again, it's whatev)

1 tsp vanilla extract

::Ingredients after baking::

2 tablespoons melted butter (for dipping)

1/2 cup sugar (for rolling)

1 tablespoon cinnamon (for rolling)

::Directions::

--Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

--Grease muffin tin (large or small) with cooking/baking spray or oil.

--Cream sugar and egg in a large bowl until light and fluffy

-- In a small bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg

--Combine the dry mixture slowly into the wet mixture until well blended (be careful not to over mix)

--Add in vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract to the wet & dry mixture.

--After this is well blended, pour into muffin tins- filling each about 3/4 full.

--Bake muffins for 10-15 minutes (check at 10- if the muffins spring back to the touch then they're ready)

::LET MUFFINS COOL::

--Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave (30-40 seconds should suffice)

--In the meantime mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl

--Once the muffins are cooled dunk the tops of them in the melted butter

-- Next- roll the buttered muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture

And there you have it! Mini-sugar-donut-muffins!

(Goes great with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk)

Thank you so much for stopping by everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I did putting it together! As for the rest of your day - be sure to fill your body with delicious healthy food and surround yourself with positive energy people! No debbie downers allowed!

xoxoxo - Jen

A blast from the past.....

2012-01-25T21:12:00.013-05:00

Hellooooooooooo everyone!

How are you doing on this fine day?

I'm just splendid thank you!

I've come up with a brilliant idea!

I'm sure you're dying to ask me "What is your brilliant idea Jenna!?"

Well this is it....

I haven't had time to research for CCH let alone post anything about myself on CCH in quite some time. Between my busy work schedule and my social life, I've had little to no time to spend on my computer. I've been weighing my options for weeks now, and I've finally reached a sort of realization that tells me exactly how to solve this slow patch in my blogging!

For the first few months after the birth of my blog I barely had any readers. It wasn't until CCH was up and running for six months or so until it got heavy traffic coming through here. SOOOOO we finally come to my brilliant idea: Repost the wonderful posts from the very beginning that you've probably missed out on!!

A great majority of my readers have only been here for about a year or so. Well CCH has been around for just about two. So it is quite apparent that you guys missed out on a ton of awesome restaurants, kitchen gadgets, food videos, and curly heads! For those of you who have been reading from the beginning I apologize for not being able to update newer content that you haven't seen before, but I feel like these blasts from the past might bring you some sort of joy! I'm sure you've forgotten most of them by now anyway :)

You might be thinking "Sheesh how lazy! Reposting old posts?" and to that I say.....shut up. It's my blog and I do what I want. Just shut up lol. All joking aside I'm really excited to visit some of my favorite posts! I must warn you - when I first started CCH I didn't post nearly as much content. The posts were short and sweet and to the point. For those of you who like my long posts - I'm sorry. For those of you who would prefer shorter ones - you're welcome :)

Without further adieu I give you one of Chronicle of a Curly Head's first post ever.......

Let us begin.....

[[Today's restaurant]]

MODERN TOILET

"Every customer sits on a stylish acrylic toilet (lid down) designed with images of roses, seashells or Renaissance paintings. Everyone dines at a glass table with a sink underneath. The servers bring your meal atop a mini toilet bowl (quite convenient, as it brings the food closer to your mouth), you sip drinks from your own plastic urinal (a souvenir), and soft-swirl ice cream arrives for dessert atop a dish shaped like a squat toilet"

((The rest of the article can be read here))

http://tinyurl.com/d33qd8

[[Today's kitchen gadget]]

LIGHT SABER CHOPSTICKS

[[Today's food clip]]

RE-INVENTING THE CUPCAKE: KUMQUAT CUPCAKERY

[[Today's curly head]]

My absolute favorite current female artist, and by far the most beautiful curly headed lady I've ever seen....

ST. VINCENT AKA. ANNIE CLARK

[[Today's recipe]]

EGG SANDWICHES

::super simple and delicious::

:Ingredients for my mom's egg sandwich above:

1 over easy egg

1 slice of pepper jack cheese

1 piece of turkey

1 piece of whole wheat bread

a handful of spinach

:Directions:

Simply top your toasted bread with spinach, turkey, cheese, and lastly an over easy egg::

:Ingredients for my egg sandwich:

2 fried egg whites

1 slice of cheddar cheese

1 vegan bocca burger

1 piece of whole wheat bread

a handful of spinach

::Directions::

Top your toasted bread with spinach, bocca burger, cheddar cheese, and lastly your fried egg whites::

Hope you enjoyed todays post :)

Have a wonderful healthy and happy day!

xoxo- J

P.S. Don't forget to take my "Getting to know my readers" survey! Just click the link below! It'll only take a few minutes I promise :)

I'M GOING TO TAKE JENNAS SURVEY RIGHT THIS VERY INSTANT!

I'd like to get to know my readers!

2012-01-19T17:36:00.004-05:00

Helloooooo everyone!

First of all you need to listen to the song below because it's rad....and it's what I'm listening to....and you should probably listen to what I listen to so you're not a square.....you might as well do a little interpretive dance while you're listening. We all know I am :)

I know I already updated today but I couldn't wait a second longer to ask you a HUGE favor. I've created a short survey that is aimed to help me get to know my readers. You guys know a great deal about me and my life, but I know little to nothing about all of you! Don't worry the questions aren't too personal, pretty basic stuff. I'd like to know what type of people I'm attracting into this whole shabang and what it is that keeps you coming for more!

If you could please take a few minutes to fill out this survey (located at the bottom of this post) I would really really appreciate it. I will continue to remind you guys about the survey throughout this week, so try not to get too annoyed by my obnoxious/persistent nature. A lot of my free time and effort goes into this here blog and it would be nice to get a little bit of feedback in return. So once again please take a few minutes to answer a handful of questions!

Thanks again guys!

xoxoxo - Jen

Click here to take survey

Pressed for time...

2012-01-19T07:24:00.003-05:00

Hellooooo everyone!

How are you doing?

I'm doing magnificent thank you!

Long time no talk eh?

I've been so busy with work and, well....life I suppose lol

I don't have time to chit chat before I have to be to work, but I do have a reel of photographs/videos I'd like to share with you as quickly as possible!!

I spend a great majority of my time and energy at this little dive.......

No these photographs weren't taken in two different seasons.

The pictures of Olive in the snow and the sunny ones above were taken two days apart. If you're a midwesterner then you completely understand, but if not then let me tell you..... the weather here is beyond indifferent. One day freezing and snowing, two days later warm and sunny. It doesn't make sense to me either.....but I digress lol.

A great bit of my creativity goes into these gorgeous/delicious specials at Olive every day........

Granted I do not take credit for their creation by any means just merely helping with plating presentation, the dish itself, and how to throw it all together. My coworker/friend Lee Anne is the true bad ass cook. I just make her bad ass...ier (bad assier? I think I just invented a word lol)

It would be wise of you to follow me on Instagram seeing as I update photographs of our specials just about every day! :)

Work is quickly approaching and I'm quite pressed for time but before I go please be sure to take a look at our latest videos! Compliments of my new joint blog Blaquemour :)

A lot of people have been asking me what exactly Blaquemour is. For the longest time my response was something along the lines of "I have absolutely no idea. It's just madness!" Now I think it's safe to say that BlaqueMour is mainly a photo/video blog of the life Shar and I have been living in our very first apartment. It's wacky. It's crazy. And it makes little to no sense. But it's awesome none the less!

I'm sure you'll be asking yourself "Do you guys act like this all of the time?" Why yes. Yes we do. None of the images you see in the video are anything but 100% Jenna and Shar behavior. Nothing is enhanced nor is it scripted for your viewing pleasure. It is just as ridiculously hilarious as we always are, and I'm happy that it depicts that in it's own strange way lol. Enjoy :)

Well it's time for me to bid you all farewell!

I know it always puts me in a good mood to update my blog early in the day, I can only hope that this little post brightened your day in some way shape or form :)

I hope each and every one of you have an amazing day!

Fill your body with delicious and healthy foods today.

You only have one body so you might as well treat it with respect!

xoxoxoxoxo - Jen