Sunday, July 29, 2012

Q&A With Two Rad Girls

Well so far it would seem that all of our posts have been about food. Sure there is nothing wrong with that but since I am in the process of moving and currently have no kitchen to cook in I decided to do something different with this post. I wanted to get it out there more that we are here to answer any questions you may have.

They can be serious or silly, personal or just strange. Unless you state otherwise all questions will be answered in a blog post and again unless said otherwise they will be listed as anonymous.

Ask us ANYTHING! I'm serious! You can ask why the sky is blue, what 2+2 is or even something more personal like why dose your boyfriend prefer to play video games to making out with you. Ask anything.


Now I know this post is short but I wanted to make sure I got something out there as with all the drama in my life I totally spaced on last weeks post but thankfully had Rach there to save me.

Please submit all questions to our email tworadgirls@gmail.com 
(yes I totally just made our email HUGE)




Anyway i best be going now. I have a house to pack and though I really don't want to do anything I have no choice.

Until next time!





[Disclaimer: Neither of us are trained or professionals in any way. Most of our advice is meant to be fun and playful, not taken seriously. There are some things, that we will try to help with by offering up our own experiences, but again, we are not professionals. If we are faced with something we do not have the ability to handle, we will redirect you to a hotline that has people more equipped to offer help that we are unable to.]

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Part Two: Spaghetti

     Well hi there. As I posted on Sunday's post, when I was covering for Mercedes, this is the second part of a spaghetti and meatballs recipe, though you don't actually have to combine it (but you should, because it's really good).

     This isn't really my recipe. My best friend is like my sister so I call her Sissi. I asked her if she had a good spaghetti recipe since I haven't had decent spaghetti in a really long time. This is the recipe that she gave me. The only thing I changed, was that I added a little bit of salt and didn't add mushrooms.

Ingredients:
-2 Pounds Lean Ground Beef
-1 Large White Onion
-2 Cloves Of Garlic
-1 Tablespoon Salt
-2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
-1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
-2 Jars Prego Sauce (I used the meat flavored one.)
-Butter
-Angel Hair Noodles (There isn't a measurement for this, since I make fresh noodles every day but heat up the left over sauce.)
-Fresh Parmesan Cheese
-Mushrooms (I don't add mushrooms because I don't like eating fungus, but Sissi enjoyed them and her original recipe calls for it.)

Directions:
Step One:
     Chop the onion. Or you can do like I did, and make your mother do it, if it burns your eyes, nose, and throat.

Step Two:
     Chop up the garlic. I also had Momma do this for me, because it burns my eyes, nose, and throat too. However, do not break the knife like she did. After chopping up the garlic, put it into a plastic bag and smash it up.

Step Three:
     Combine the onion, smashed garlic, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder into a bowl.

Step Four:
     Cover the bottom of a large skillet in water and put both pounds of meat into it.  As it browns, slowly break apart the meat and cook throughly.

Step Five:
     Once the meat is fully cooked, drain it with a strainer. After that, put it back in the skillet and pour in the Prego sauce.

Step Six:
     Add the bowl of mixed ingredients that you mixed in step three. Mix everything together and let simmer. Taste occasionally and simmer until the tastes blend together.

Step Seven:
     Boil the angel hair noodles until fully cooked. Drain them and add a couple tablespoons of butter.

Step Eight:
     Put it on a plate and top it with the mozzarella cheese. (You can also add the meatballs that I gave instructions for in the last post.)


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Part One: Meatballs

     Hey guys! This is not Mercedes today. Due to some stuff coming up, I am doing her post today, but since I'll be posting Wednesday, I'm going to make it a two part post. This part will be meatballs and the next will be spaghetti. Since I took a shitton of pictures, it pretty much evens out.

     My mom is the one who made the meatballs today. Like Mercedes, she finds recipes online and then adds her own twist to them. And yes, technically I'm supposed to make the food, but I was busy making the spaghetti. haha Also, our oven and stove are gas powered and since that costs a shitton of money, we use things like an electric skillet instead so these won't be made in the oven.

Ingredients:
-2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Oil
-1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
-1 Large Egg
-1/2 Cup Finely Chopped White Onion
-1/2 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs (We used the Great Value brand from WalMart.)
-1/2 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
-1/4 Cup Milk
-2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
-1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
-2 Teaspoons Tabasco Sauce
-Salt And Pepper To Taste (We judge by the smell at first, since you know, you can't eat raw meat.)
-1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
-Mozzarella

Directions:
Step One:
     Take all of the dry seasonings (onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic salt) and mix them in a big bowl.

Step Two:
     Get a large bowl and put all of the wet seasonings (oil, egg, milk, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce) in it with the hamburger meat. Then mix it together.


Step Three:
     Mix the dry seasonings into the wet seasonings, into one big bowl. So, you're basically combining steps one and two.

Step Four:
     Make a small patty in your hand, place as much mozzarella as you want in the center, then roll it into a ball.

Step Five:
     Put them in the skillet and dash each meatball with Worcestershire sauce. Put the skillet on 200. (Keep in mind, we have an electric skillet, so it might cook different than a regular skillet.)

Step Six:
     Leave the lid on, checking occasionally, until they are totally brown. The cheese will probably be melting by that point too.

     That's it! Pretty simple, eh? You can top it with your favorite marinara, of course, but Wednesday's post will show you how to make spaghetti the way I like it, so you might want to add it all together.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Hair Dye

     Dying hair really isn't complicated at all. Usually, you just follow the instructions and then be on your merry way. Or you go get your hair done, spend a shitton of money, and be on a slightly less merry way. The problem is more along the lines of an issue with how to apply the hair dye to make sure you absolutely don't miss any spots, since that is a struggle, especially for somebody dying hair their first time.

     My mom was the model so I could take plenty of pictures for you guys. She and I both dye our hair, but I can't exactly do it myself, so I convinced her to sit still for the pictures. (As long as I didn't show her face.)

This is a before picture. I apologize that it's sideways but I had to turn the camera to get all of her hair.
Step One:
     Wrap a towel around your shoulders and hold it there with a hair clip or safety pin. You should also wear an old shirt under the towel, to prevent the hair dye staining anything.

Step Two:
     Brush your hair out until there are no knots at all. (If you have curly hair, it helps to straighten it before hand as well.)

Step Three:
     Mix the hair dye according to the instructions that come with it. Make sure you wear gloves.
Yes, that is my kitchen sink, with a Sprite can rinsing out.
Step Four:
     Use the part you usually use (whether in the middle or to the side) and begin applying the dye. Start at the hairline and move towards the back of the head, applying enough dye to cover the roots.
Step Five:
     Repeat this process, going thin layer by thin layer, until both sides of the head are covered in dye. Use a rat-tailed comb to keep the layers as even as possible.

It should look something like this, when you finish Step Five.
Step Six:
     Once you have dyed all of the hair on both sides of the head, flip the hair over. Be careful not to get dye on your face, and especially your eyes. If you get dye in your eyes, please flush them with water for at least 15 minutes and follow any other instructions that come with the hair dye.

Step Seven:
     Apply hair dye to the hair line around the neck, until the roots are covered. I go from left to right, but it doesn't matter which way you start.
Step Eight:
     Go thin layer by thin layer, applying enough dye to cover the roots, going upwards towards the top of the head. Again, it works best if you use a rat-tailed comb. It's not as easy to keep these layers even, but try your best.
Step Nine:
     Once you have completely dyed all of the back, flip the hair back. Use a wide-tooth comb to comb the hair throughly from roots to end.
Step Ten:
     Begin applying the dye to the rest of the hair, starting at the bottom layer and covering each layer in dye.
When you're done, it should look something like this.
Step Eleven:
     Again, comb your hair with a wide-tooth comb.

Step Twelve:
     Leave the hair dye on as long as the instructions say. Do not leave the dye on longer than instructed. Also, keep an eye on the color. You may not have to leave it on for the full time, if your hair is taking the color easily.

Step Thirteen:
     Rinse your hair with water. Make sure that absolutely no hair dye is left in your hair.

Step Thirteen B:
     Almost always, conditioner comes with the hair dye. Leave the conditioner on as instructed, before rinsing that off as well.

Step Fourteen:
     Wrap your hair in a towel and wait for it to dry naturally. Don't use any heat to style your hair, unless you absolutely have to.

Things to Remember:
-Don't put your hair up or style it with heat unless you absolutely have to, for the next forty-eight hours. From personal experience, that will fuck up the way the dye sits in your hair.
-It also helps to not wash it for twenty-four hours.
-No swimming for at least a week.
-Be generous with conditioner, to keep your hair in good condition.
-Follow the instructions on the package, for the sake of your hair and my sanity.
-Everyone is different, so it may actually take more than one bottle of hair dye. It takes one for me and two for Mom. Make sure you have enough.

     Now, I bet you guys want to see the finished product?


     How's it look?

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Yummy Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

Alright, so here is the first of many recipe posts that I plan to add to this blog. Now what I'm doing is taking dishes that I find online and make them my own. Sadly, one of my down falls is that I am not good at measurements when it comes to some things. Like if there's something in the recipe that I really love, I will add extra and I like to take shortcuts as well, because coming from a low income family, I can't always afford all the good stuff but hell, the cheap stuff is just as good. Alright, on to the good stuff. 


I have made this meal a few times and after this last time, I have figured out some things that will make it better. Below is the basic recipe. I will explain how to make it as well as list the tweaks I made. 


This recipe serves 6 and can be altered for more or less. 


  • 6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded 
  • 1 pound chorizo sausage (You can add more is you like the taste. You can also add in some ground beef to bulk up the meat content)
  • 1 stalk celery, minced
  • 1 carrot, minced (I added more because I love the sweetness it brings. You can also use the shreaded carrot you can buy at the store. Mincing a carrot is kind of hard. I learned this the first time I made this.)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion (Or more. Mmmmmm I loves onions.)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (Just like with the onions, I LOVE garlic)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Can add more to taste. My husband loves this stuff.)
  • chopped fresh parsley
  • chopped fresh basil (I could not find this when I made this so i left it out and it did not make a big difference.)
  • 1/2 cup instant rice, uncooked (If you use regular rice, it takes forever for the rice to get cooked.)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup of a Mexi cheese blend (You can use more if you want.)
  • 1 cup (or more) Mexi cheese blend for top of peppers
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato soup

Now the first thing you do is cut off the tops of your peppers and take out the seeds and as much of the ribs as you can. Then put them in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes so they are softened a bit. This helps them cook faster once it comes time to put them in the oven. 
The peppers after I boiled them
Next take your meat and cook it until almost done. Drain out the fat and then add your Garlic, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Parsley, Basil and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about another 5-10 minutes until the veggies have gotten soft to your liking. I know some people like a bite to them and others like them almost mushy. 

Adding all the yummy veggies
Next add your rice and tomatoes along with the water. Stir it up good and cover so that everything can simmer and the rice can cook. Now just like all the other ingredients you can add more rice if you feel there is not enough. 

After everything is all cooked and smelling good add the cheese and let it melt in. Then you take your peppers and put them in a pan or whatever oven safe dish you would like to use. Fill the peppers with the mixture and then top with cheese. 

Adding lots of cheese
Next you take the tomato soup and water it down a little. Pour it over the top of the peppers and in the bottom of the pan. You can leave this out if you like but it helps keep everything moist. 

Then place foil over your peppers though be careful the foil dose not touch them because then your cheese sticks to the foil. Place the pan in the oven for about 30 minutes and enjoy! 

Oh the gooey goodness
Let me know if you try this out and anything you did different. I have been cooking for years but this is the first time I have posts about something I have cooked and how I did it. I hope this comes out all nice and yummy for you!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Good Morning Starshine, The Earth Says Hello!

     Actually, it's just me saying hello right now. And who am I, you ask? I'm Rachel, your friendly neighborhood bitch who loves photography and helping people. Yes, I'm aware of how contradictory that is, but that's just how I am. You'll learn to love me. haha

     Well, first off, let me welcome you to Two Rad Girls. This blog is shared between myself, and my lovely friend Mercedes. We're going to be taking turns posting about all sorts of different things, but mainly centering on how-to's, advice, and photography. I'm sure a bunch of other shit will be thrown in there, but we're still working out the kinks.

     Since I have another blog (When A Lion Sleeps, Let It Sleep), that I post on Mondays and Thursdays (along with guest posts on Saturdays, which you're all invited to join in), you'll probably be hearing from me on Wednesdays-ish. You'll really have to take any late posting up with my camera and phone, since neither one of them like to cooperate when I want to put pictures up on the laptop.

     You'll probably notice random changes for a while that concern this blog, but that's because Mercedes and I are very indecisive and are trying to let the other one decide things so neither one of us take over. Also, she's really computer-smart and has less time on her hands while I'm computer-stupid and have nothing to do at the moment.

     Hmmm... What should you know about me? If you don't like cursing, you won't want to talk to me. Because I curse. A lot. (Everything written in the description of us and this blog was done by your's truly. It involves cursing.)

     I am the first person to drop whatever I'm doing and listen to whoever needs to talk. (Well, it's probably a tie with Mercedes, except I'm certain she doesn't actually drop whatever is in her hands. I usually don't either because then my phone would break and that would fucking suck.) That is why we're offering advice (like a Dear Abby sort of thing) at our joint email tworadgirls@gmail.com.

     [Disclaimer: Neither of us are trained or professionals in any way. Most of our advice is meant to be fun and playful, not taken seriously. There are some things, that we will try to help with by offering up our own experiences, but again, we are not professionals. If we are faced with something we do not have the ability to handle, we will redirect you to a hotline that has people more equipped to offer help that we are unable to.]

     If you want to contact me personally (I'm really not sure why, unless you want to do a guest post on my main blog?), you can do so at pertinax_puella@hotmail.com or at whenalionsleeps on Twitter (which I'm terrible about using- you'll have better luck with email). Also, if you comment on anything I post, I'll reply to it.

     Pretty rad, huh?

     I'm not really sure where this post is going and I feel like I'm rambling now, so I think it's time to rap it up. Welcome to Two Rad Girls and I hope you enjoy your stay!


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Welcome to my lair. Please don't step on the rug, it bites!

As I've already said the rug bites so please be careful.


Hi! I'm Mercedes and I am one part of Two Rad Girls. This blog was created because me and my best friend Rachel were bored. It's also in hopes of me being able to post regularly on a blog. Feel free to tell me rug to bite me if I forget to post. haha


So what exactly is this blog about? Well it's all about fun, How-To's, Q&A, Advice, fun photos and whatever we feel like. This is the product of being bored and living way to far away from your bestie to be able to do anything fun together.

Now I'm sure you want to know a little something about me. Well I'm 22 years old and the mother of two beautiful girls and the lucky wife of an amazing man. I am addicted to coloring my hair and currently it is a slightly faded out pink. I need to color it again but just can't seem to find the time.


I love to read, and when inspiration strikes, I love to write. I love photography and hope to be able to take some classes in it one day. For now I just have to go with the flow and enjoy the excitement I feel when I manage to take a really amazing photo.


I am a stay at home mom and I have to say my biggest fear is becoming so bored with my life that I become one of those stepford wives, EEK! The movie was great but there is no way in hell I want to be some loony robot.


Anywho I really hope those of you that choose to read and follow this blog come to enjoy it. We aim to please here. If you have any suggestions, questions or are seeing advice feel free to email Two Rad Girls at tworadgirls@gmail.com


It is an email shared between us but should you want a question answered or advice from one of us more than the other than simple be sure to put our name in the title of your email. 


Also be sure to read the disclaimer below. It will be placed at the bottom of all posts where we offer advice. Also note that if you wish to remain anonymous we will be sure not to name names when posting your questions. Then again if you want to become famous or have a blog of your own you want to direct attention to we can post your info for the world to see!


Until next time!





[Disclaimer: Neither of us are trained or professionals in any way. Most of our advice is meant to be fun and playful, not taken seriously. There are some things, that we will try to help with by offering up our own experiences, but again, we are not professionals. If we are faced with something we do not have the ability to handle, we will redirect you to a hotline that has people more equipped to offer help that we are unable to.]