Monthly Archives: April 2014

Apr15

Triple Chocolate And Pears Cake

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Eating this cake you’ll experience various consistencies, from the soft delicate pears slices to the crunchy chocolate chips and nuts. The nicest thing is that is very easy to bake and it takes about an hour to prepare and cook. The triple chocolate comes from the three types of chocolate added: cocoa powder, dark chocolate (70%) and chocolate chips, so if you like chocolate you should definitely try it. #ChocolatefriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!

Triple Chocolate and Pears Cake 1

Serves: 12 Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

100 gr of dark chocolate (70% at least)
100 ml of double cream
2 eggs
90 gr muscovado sugar
50 ml of vegetable oil
225 gr flour
120 g unsweetened cocoa powder
25 gr baking soda or baking powder
90 gr chocolate chips
3 pears
2 tbsp of grounded nuts or pecan

Triple Chocolate and Pears Cake 2

Instructions

1. Turn on the oven at 180°C/200°C (350/390°F) and grease a 24cm springform pan with some butter and dust it with flour (or cover it with parchment paper).

2. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave in a bowl at 450W for about 2min. (or according to the direction of the producer).

3. In a big bowl or in the food processor mix the melted chocolate, double cream, flour, cocoa powder, oil, eggs, sugar and baking soda. Mix all the ingredients evenly.

4. Peel the pears or wash them thoroughly if you want to leave the peel on. Remove the core and slice them into 1cm slices.

5. Pour the mix into the pan and then cover it with the pear slices and sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake for 40 minutes.

6. You can serve this cake either lukewarm or cold: the difference is in the chocolate chips: the colder the cake, the crunchier they gets.

Apr15

Be Confident

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I am sharing this poem because the words are so true and the writer so very young. Be encouraged!

confidence_Be Confident

BY ADESEWA OYINKANSOLA YACE
31 MARCH 2014

Confidence is facing the challenges of your life with courage. Confidence is never backing out, even when things are not going your way yet. Confidence is saying, “YES,” and meaning it. Confidence is saying, “NO,” and meaning it. Confidence is not compromising.
Confidence is standing and holding on to that which you know is true, no matter what.
Confidence is what you need to overcome your fears. So, to be somebody, have Confidence in yourself.
Only Confidence keeps you going.

Oyinkansola Adesewa_ 11 yr old Writer of Be Confident

Oyinkansola Adesewa (pictured) is 11 years old. She loves writing, drawing, painting, designing clothes, dancing, and modeling. She is presently a student of Yaba College Of Technology Secondary School, Yaba-Lagos. Oyinkansola started writing at the age of 6. Her first poem book titled “Thoughts of a Child” was published when she was 8 years old through a writing contest. Presently, she still writes and has written more poems outside the ones in her book.

Credit: Face2Face Africa

Apr14

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg 2014

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Brought to us by African Fashion International (AFI) – Official Page David Tlale show in Mandela Square Sandton! The message is loud and Clear! Hail to the King David.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg 2014 1Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg 2014 2Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg 2014 3Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg 2014 4

Credit: New African Woman Magazine

Apr14

Equality Versus Justice

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It can be pretty simple to fathom what we all consider equality, but justice is a little stickier. Example: If I am handing out chocolate and you each get an ounce, that’s equal. But, if each of you has eaten chocolate in the last day and one of you has never tasted chocolate, is one ounce justice to that unfulfilled soul? I use chocolate as my example because you all know what living without it would mean for me, so I’m hoping you get the dire consequences of my analogy. Is justice equal?

Equality of Justice

Apr13

Sunday Reflections

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Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

10-ways-to-love-with-bible-verse

Apr12

White And Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake Bars

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Rich chocolate cake with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and filled with cream cheese. These bars are always a hit and are fast, easy and foolproof! They taste like chocolate cake, not brownies, and are an extremely moist and rich cake at that.

White And Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake Bars

Serves: 9×13-inch pan, 18 to 24 bars
Cook Time: 24 to 27 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, for cooling
Prep Time: 10 mintues

INGREDIENTS

whitedarkbars-2

1 box devil’s food cake chocolate cake mix (or your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla is especially nice)

1 to 2 tablespoons cold brewed coffee or water, optional if necessary

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1 can (14-ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened (I use whipped cream cheese)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear imitation vanilla extract will keep this layer whiter)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 9-by-13 inch pan by lining it with aluminum foil and then spraying it with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, egg, vanilla and mix either with a mixer, with a spoon, or with your hands, kneading it together. The batter will be extremely thick and will be difficult to combine, but keep stirring or use your fingers and knead it together, adding the coffee (will deepen the flavor and does not make them taste like coffee) or water if necessary. Press the dough it into the prepared pan. It will be tacky, sticky, and a bit tricky to work with, but keep pressing, spreading, and finessing it. Sprinkle the white and dark chocolate chips evenly over the top.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese, stir until well combined, and pour mixture evenly over dough, using a spatula to gently spread and even it if necessary.

Bake for 24 to 27 minutes, or until edges of bars begin to barely brown and pull away slightly from the sides of the pan, or until the middle has barely set, taking care not to overbake. Note that the middle will not seem very well set and will be jiggly upon removing from oven and that is okay, you want to keep these gooey. They will continue to set up more after they have cooled. Allow bars to cool well before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to three months.

Apr12

Nina Simone Kind of Saturday Morning

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Music always helps a day of necessary indoor chores go much easier. And with the absolute right tracks, I pretend I’m on a date with a really deserving guy who planned the whole thing. Now that’s sexy!

So, happy Saturday! It makes sense that I combine two of my loves whenever possible. Nina Simone and Paris, France… #musicfriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!

“I Can’t See Nobody” performed by Nina Simone; Recording session: Live, Paris 1968.

“The Other Woman” by Nina Simone; Recording session: Live, Paris 1968.

Apr11

From One Queen To Many Others

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Happy Friday! I hope that you are all having an amazing day and that your worth has not gone unnoticed to you!
-Always, TenaciousM

Peace to the Queens!

Apr11

Standing On Their Shoulders – Percy Lavon Julian

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Today would be Julian Percy’s 115th birthday. I celebrate his legacy and the accomplishments he made during a time when African Americans seldom received credit for their work.

Percy Lavon Julian

Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899 – April 19, 1975) was a U.S. research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants.[1] He was the first to synthesize the natural product physostigmine, and a pioneer in the industrial large-scale chemical synthesis of the human hormones progesterone and testosterone from plant sterols such as stigmasterol and sitosterol. His work laid the foundation for the steroid drug industry’s production of cortisone, other corticosteroids, and birth control pills.

He later started his own company to synthesize steroid intermediates from the Mexican wild yam. His work helped greatly reduce the cost of steroid intermediates to large multinational pharmaceutical companies, helping to significantly expand the use of several important drugs.

Julian received more than 130 chemical patents. He was one of the first African-Americans to receive a doctorate in chemistry. He was the first African-American chemist inducted into the National Academy of Sciences, and the second African-American scientist inducted from any field. Credit: Wikipedia

Apr10

Over The Hump Old School Soundcheck- Brick

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Happy Thursday #musicfriendsofTenaciousM! The week is almost over so let there be music old school music!

“Dusic” is a song by Brick, issued as the lead single from the band’s eponymous second album. The song was the band’s final hit single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #18 in 1977. Credit: Wikipedia