The big day of Love is right around the corner and although most of us will probably be hibernating on the couch, I’ve put together a few curvy looks just in case you decided to venture out.
And for all those homebodies who plan to join me and Michelle Obama on the couch, we can meet in our pj’s.
Until next time,
-K
When I’m not in a rush I really really enjoy cooking. I mean, I’m the person that makes it a whole event. I pour a glass of wine, pick out a sultry playlist and really romance the pots you know. Yes, I’m a tad bit extra but I’m sure there are others like me out there. I didn’t realize how extra I was until I overheard my Mother-in-love explain my process to someone else. It made me smile.
Now just as cooking to me is therapeutic, in my opinion, there is nothing more comforting than “bowl food” as I call it. So today’s spotlight is one of me and my sister’s favorite soup recipes - Black-eyed Pea Soup.
Way back when I had the biggest crush on G. Garvin, I bought his cookbook and stumbled upon this gem of a recipe. Naturally, some of his ingredients were a bit out of my league so I’ve made modifications to suit my palette but he is still at the heart of the recipe. It’s so incredibly easy to make and once you try it, I’m sure it will become a favorite for you too. Here are the steps!
Step 1: Gather up all your ingredients
Dutch Oven or Large Pot
Sausage - I use about 4 links of Roger Wood
Onion - 1/2 - 1 whole depending on your preference
Celery - 4-5 stalks depending on your preference
Minced garlic - 1 tbsp
1 Cup of Heavy Cream
4 Cups of Chicken Stock
2 Cans of Black-eyed Peas
Seasonings - Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Creole Seasoning, Paprika
2 tbsp. of oil - Your choice- I used canola here
You’re right! I believe the store brand works just fine. Let’s begin!
Step 2: Add the oil, onions, celery, garlic and sausage to the pot and saute’ until the onions are translucent. Season to taste here as well.
Step 3: Add the two cans of black-eyed peas. I used a seasoned version. Let cook for a few minutes.
Step 4: Add 4 cups of Chicken Stock . Here you will want to check for seasoning again and if necessary add more to taste. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Slowly add the cup of heavy cream and let simmer.
That’s it yall! How easy was that??! Now I usually add some shredded mozzarella and crusty bread to mine but you can add what you like! I hope you try it out so you can see how great this hug in a bowl truly is.
Until next time,
-K
I know you’ve seen them! They’re gorgeous and they look sooooo luxurious! Gift Boxes! I’ve come across several websites that curate such fabulous boxes at those Not so Fabulous prices. The cheapest I've seen so far has been about $50. Well get ready to create your own at half the cost!
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and what better reason than this to introduce the concept of Gifting. Way back in the day I can remember saying to people, “Just give me cash” or “Don’t buy me flowers, they’re expensive and they die!” Well let me tell you, the older I get the more I long for and appreciate the kind gesture of flowers or a simple gift wrapped in the sweetest presentation. Maybe it’s because I’m more mature now but I crave the gifts that scream you thought of me specifically. The gifts of time, flowers and the little things here and there on an unexpected occasion. I LOVE the PRESENCE in a present.
Listen, I understand that life gets hectic and it’s so much easier to grab a gift card when you just don’t know what to get, but for those people you know well, I challenge you to really try to give thoughtful, from the heart gifts.
If you notice, I did not say expensive but THOUGHTFUL gifts. Trust me, you will be overwhelmed at the reaction you get when you show a person that you thought specifically of them and to top it off, on a random Tuesday! Not a birthday or Valentine’s Day or Christmas! A random day.
So, with that I challenge you to try giving a thoughtful gift this Valentine’s Day or any day in between. Try to keep it under $20 but make the presentation worth a million bucks!
Here I’ve provided a few examples to get you started.
See! It’s as simple as that. All it takes is a few items and your purest intentions. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day and remember any day is special enough to show someone you care.
Until next time,
-K
Happy New Year! I can’t believe its already 2019! The Holidays were lovely, I made gifts, meals, and had a few family activities to celebrate with cheer! My 10 days off to welcome the new year were wonderful!
All of a sudden I realize its January 1st. What are your goals for this year? Where do you think you can use the most work? How can you make your home a sanctuary for your family? How can you make them happy? How do you plan to make your children better people? What do you plan to do to save money? What’s your New Year’s Resolution??? Ughhhh! And just like that, on January 1st, I already felt like a failure for 2019.
This overwhelming feeling of inadequacy and the sneaky feeling of unhappiness flooded my brain. What’s really sad? All those questions came from my own head! I will be the first to admit, I’m really tough on me. Nothing is without criticism or question. I’m such an all or nothing person that my good is often great and my bad is usually a hell of a royal screw up. So today I dedicate this post to the four ways I plan to dig myself out of this dreadful hole.
Stop setting yourself up for failure by sharing every single thing! Once you share a plan, idea, goal you immediately feel some form of accountability if your plans don’t go as planned. The moment someone checks in on those Big Plans you had, you have to give the speech of shame on how you didn’t accomplish what you set out to do. Of course, in our head this is awful, you feel judged, ashamed. To others, they couldn't care less. It’s all in our own head. My husband always says “You know how the fish end up in the fish market? They couldn’t keep their mouth shut!” Who needs that PRESSURE! Quietly take over the world and once you succeed you have a killer “How I did It” story to tell!
For an over sharer like me, this is golden advice. This is where I get to dream! As wild as they may be, I write them down with as much detail as possible then I revisit them often to begin making a step by step action plan, again, using as much detail as possible. This is where I begin to weed out the ridiculously lofty ideas and get back to what is realistically achievable given my timeline, personality, discipline, and effort.
Now that you’ve began your action plans, its perfectly ok to edit as often as necessary. Remember you set the goals so you have the power to change them. Life ebbs and flows so you have got to be flexible with yourself. If something no longer works for you, remove it. If you realized it may take longer to achieve, adjust your timeline! Not willing to sacrifice to the necessary extent? Modify your goal! Its all up to you. If you listened to Step 1, the only person you will have to consult with is you.
Regardless of how long a pause you take, pick back up and keep going. Dust off your dreams and get back to work. I have definitely learned that as long as you live, you will NEVER BE Completely SATISFIED! There will always be something you want to fix, do, change, accomplish. I ask that you remember to enjoy the journey and all those wonderful people standing on the sidelines waving as you continue your travels on the road to greatness!
Until Next Time,
-K
