lianne la havas | no room for doubt
I’m going to see this lovely woman in live concert soon. I’m so looking forward to it!
it’s a snowy friday morning in nyc. i’ve been sick all week and this is a perfect blood-warming treat while nestled indoors. i made this mix for friends as holiday gifts and they were a big hit!
this spicy hot chocolate mix features a hot trio of cinnamon, ginger and cayenne pepper for a very easy to make and oh so delicious winter drink. if you don’t have cocoa powder, spruce up boring pre-made hot cocoa mix. and when making the drink, sub soy, almond, or coconut milk for cow’s milk for a yummy vegan alternative.
scroll down for two easy-peasy garnishes: spiced honey whipped cream and chocolate dipped stirring sticks. happy snow day!
HOT HOT COCOA MIX
ingredients:
- 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground red (cayenne) pepper
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
- a pinch ground cardamom (optional)
- a pinch ground cloves (optional)
- 1 cup whole milk (or vegan alternative, like soy, almond or coconut milk)
directions:
combine and thoroughly mix ingredients in a bowl. store in airtight container.
for hot cocoa, stir two tbsp in 1 cup of hot milk. enjoy with the following garnishes:
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SPICED HONEY WHIPPED CREAM
ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
directions:
in a bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. add spices and vanilla. whip thoroughly and dollop over hot cocoa. enjoy!
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CHOCOLATE DIPPED STIRRING STICKS
ingredients:
- whole cinnamon sticks (alternatively, use candy canes or spoons)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
directions:
melt chocolate in microwave. in a bowl, coat stirring end of cinnamon sticks in melted chocolate (for subtler taste, try drizzling chocolate on stirrers instead). allow to harden and get to stirring. enjoy!
good morning!
armand van helden | “you don’t even know me”(1997)
Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)
Lianne La Havas | ”Lost & Found (Lapalux Remix)”
Red Baraat is a Brooklyn-based bhangra band that infuses their sound with funk, go-go, jazz and latin. They were just added to the lineup and I was totally intrigued by Bonnaroo’s description of their music. I couldn’t help but bounce around a little and practice my Bollywood moves. This will be dope to see live.
Darondo | “Didn’t I”
Darondo- A major favorite in funk collectors’ circles, sweet soul crooner Darondo was born William Pulliam in Berkeley, CA. After receiving his first guitar at the age of eight, he later teamed with a handful of school friends to form the house band at the Lucky 13, an area teen club. According to Oliver Wang’s profile in the April/May 2006 issue of Wax Poetics, Pulliam later trained as an electrician but retained his musical aspirations, and in 1970 cut his first Darondo single, “How I Got Over,” for the fledging independent label Ocampo. Suggesting an earthier, street-smart Al Green, the record was hampered by distribution problems but nevertheless became a fixture on local radio station KSOL, earning Darondo the attention of Ray Dobard’s Music City imprint. Despite recording an entire LP’s worth of material, the label issued just one lone single, the lush “Didn’t I.” Darondo also opened for James Brown and enjoyed an extended residency at the famed San Francisco club Bimbo’s, but following a third single, the obscure Af-Fa World release “Legs,” his music career ground to a halt. He spent the remainder of the decade as a pimp before abandoning the life in 1981 to host a series of local cable television showcases including Darondo’s Penthouse After Dark, Doze Comedy Videos, and the children’s program Tapper the Rabbit. After spending the late ’80s on the Fiji Islands, Darondo returned to Berkeley and studied physical therapy. When the acclaimed 2005 compilation Gilles Peterson Digs America vaulted “Didn’t I” to the attention of soul aficionados across the globe, the race to discover the singer’s current whereabouts was on, and in 2006 the Luv ‘N Haight label released Let My People Go, collecting Darondo’s three classic singles as well as several unreleased cuts from the same sessions.
*Ef introduced me to a couple of tracks by this slick old man and I had to admit that I would have very likely been one of those otherwise respectable young ladies throwing my draws at him. He’s just too cool for my panties.
phil collins + phillip bailey | “easy lover”
*forgive me for indulging on this trip down memory lane.
phil collins | ”don’t lose my number”
*phil collins is a staple in soundtrack to my childhood. i thought he was just too cool!
whitney houston | “how will i know?”
*this fell into my head this morning at the gym. works about as good as caffeine :)
Michael Kiwanuka | ”Tell Me A Tale”
*I saw last night that Michael Kiwanuka was just added to the Bonnaroo lineup, and you can all thank me and my psychic mind for wishing this into existence. I remember the first time I heard his voice on this track and the horns, I fell in love! So pretty and sincere and so anti so much of what makes up popular r&b music today. It’s going to be so romantic listening to him live. Le sigh…
blitz the ambassador f. les nubians | “dear africa”
from native sun (2011)
*i love this song, especially the second half of the track when the guitars come in and the beat goes crazy! this album makes my heart smile.
