green has been my favorite color since i was about 16 and i truly enjoy keeping my toes decorated. my daughter has followed--dare i say it?--in my footsteps. she loves to decorate her toes as well. in anticipation of st. patrick's day, hubs picked out a lovely shade of green nail polish to give to our daughter for her birthday. she was kind enough to lend it to me for st. patty's day insurance. *wink*
i had the privilege of witnessing the baptism of my 2nd daughter and two of her cousins tonite. it was also my father's and my husband's birthday. what a delight to have so many blessings in one day. to celebrate, we did up the girlie's hair in a do that would be "dunk proof" and look nice to and we made the most wonderful 3-layer "death-by-chocolate" cake.
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 3/4 cups all purpose (unbleached) flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. preheat oven to 350°F. grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
2. in a medium bowl, stir the boiling water into the cocoa until smooth, and set aside.
3. in a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
4. at medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. turn mixer down to low speed. add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
7. stir in the vanilla, and do not over-beat.
8. pour an equal amount of batter into each of the three prepared pans.
9. bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
10. cool in pans set on racks for 10 minutes. invert pans on racks, remove pans, and allow layers to cool completely before frosting.
NOTE: if your cakes are not flat (level) then i would recommend frosting one layer and putting it into the fridge to chill for a bit to prevent the layers from slipping off. i used toothpicks, but this probably isn't preferable for public presentation.
A word on HAIR CARE.
I have been searching for a shampoo to wash my hair that doesn't make my head itch. Soap is the only cleanser that doesn't, but it makes my hair feel limp and dirty, even greasy, so I started doing some research on the more expensive shampoos and the ingredients they put in them. I found a lot of information, but here's the basics.
Once water is added to make a liquid shampoo, it is almost impossible to create an all natural product and still keep the bacteria and mold out. This creates a need for shampoo manufacturers to add chemical preservatives
Commercial shampoos found in grocery store aisles are actually made from various detergents, synthetic materials, processed chemicals and cleansers, and stabilizers that are harsh on your hair and scalp and strip it of it's natural protective oils and moisture. In order to compensate for the way in which they strip natural oils from your scalp, you reach for the bottle of conditioner. These conditioners simply coat the hair weighing it down. When that coating is removed your hair has more body.
Most over the counter shampoos use harsh surfactants or foam
boosters such as ammonium laurel (or laureth) sulfate,
sodium laurel sulfate (SLS). SLS, often called a premium agent
in soaps and shampoos, are used in personal-care products
because they are very cheap. A small amount generates a
large amount of foam, and when salt is added it thickens to
give the illusion of being thick, rich, and expensive. Sodium
laurel sulfates were originally designed to clean floors and can
be found in items like garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers,
and car wash soaps. Sodium laurel sulfate is a strong degreaser
that dries skin and hair, is irritating to the scalp, and may cause
hair loss. It is used in many so-called "natural" cosmetics, but it
is not natural. Other surfactants that may be included:
Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate (also known
as polyethylene glycol), Sodium Trideceth Sulfate,
Lauroamphoglycinate, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Laureth-13
Carboxylate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide,
Glycol Monostearate, Cocamide DEA, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/
Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate,
Polysorbate 60 and many, many more.Many of these shampoos also use dimethicone, claiming that it
seals in moisture. The only problem is that it is silicone based
and it also seals moisture out. So if using this chemical in
conjunction with the above detergents, your hair and scalp will
be stripped of all esential and natural oils and moisture and then
will be sealed with silicone, virtually making your conditioner
worthless to your hair and scalp.Commercial shampoos use synthetic fragrances or "nature
identical" oils, preservatives, colorants and other additives that
can irritate your scalp. The "natural" shampoos simply add herbal
extracts to their synthetic shampoos. Commercial shampoos use
scents from fragrance oils that are often heavy and overpowering. So what is the alternative? Use soap, but soap can leave your
hair feeling limp, heavy, greasy, waxy or dirty. Shampoo
manufacturers love to spread misinformation claiming that soap
is "harsh." But, the problem with using a natural soap shampoo
is often in the water, not the soap. You need water to shampoo
your hair and hard water makes it harder to wash your hair. Each
hair shaft is made up of little scales, like shingles on a roof. Hard
water tends to make the scales stand up, which makes your hair
feel rough and tangly. Since your hair is tangled and rough, it is
more difficult to rinse out all of the soap. Soap is less effective
in very hard water because its reacts with the excess minerals to
form calcium or magnesium salts. These are not easily soluble in
water and can result in soap film. Washing hair in soft water will
have a different result because it leaves fewer insoluble deposits
on the hair.
If your water is not too hard, just use your all natural soap shampoo and a bit of conditioner. The conditioner will help the scales on your hair lie flat, and allow the last of the soap to rinse out. You might have to experiment with different soaps and conditioners.
If your water is very hard you can use a weak acid rinse, like
vinegar or lemon juice. The acid makes the scales lie down flat,
and again allows the soap to be rinsed more easily. Here is some
information on Natural Vinegar Rinses. Apple Cider vinegar neutralizes alkali left by shampoos and restores the pH balance. It softens hair. It's a natural fungicide, so it will help to prevent dandruff and many sources claim if used as a regamin, it can help prevent hair loss and actually cause rapid and thicker growth. More vinegar and herbal rinses to gently clean soap from your hair.More information on how water affects your cleansing products.More information on Sodium Laurel Sulfate and it's adverse effects.More information on the beneficial qualities of vinegar.
