Sweet Potato, Squash and Kidney Bean Salad...?

As a lover of sweet potatoes and squash, and a lover of trying new things, I made this dish the other night from pure inspiration.  I'm sure it has a proper name, but I'm calling it "Sweet Potato, Squash and Kidney Bean…Salad ?"

It is great the next day and possibly a little chilled, if that is your preference.

You will need…
One Sweet Potato
Half of an Acorn Squash
1/4 to 1/2 a can of Red Kidney Beans
A drizzle of Olive Oil

1) Preheat oven to 350F

2) Peel your sweet potato and acorn squash.

3) Cube the sweet potato, squash  and mix in the Red Kidney Beans.

4) Drizzle Olive Oil and stir lightly

5) Cover with Foil and Bake for at least 1hour.

I left mine in the oven for over in hour, but they were very soft, which was great to mash a bit for the baby. 

ENJOY!

My Battery Exploded

Have you ever seen an exploded battery?

Well neither had I until a few weeks ago...

Just when life is going haywire 

To give you some context, my computer troubles began long before this.  Back track to November 2013.  My then almost 2 year old (21 month) daughter and I were watching a movie on my MacBook Pro in bed.  I then allowed her to have a yogurt…  MOM FAIL (don't worry about judging me, I'm very good at doing that myself)

…then it spilled… it only took a split second and yogurt everywhere!  

I flipped the computer over and cleaned it out as best I could. 

The next day, after a visit to the Genius Bar with my daughter, I was given the verdict… $1200 to be sent out and cleaned.  There was also likely a problem with the power button.  

I sobbed at the Genius Bar, hoping for some sort of miracle.  Hoping the bad dream would be over.  At the time, I was jobless, having just finished interning (yes...at 30) for this great organization, but they couldn't afford to hire me, so after finding out I was pregnant, it was time to part ways.  Fortunately, my old job re-hired me in December of that year, however a new computer or repairs was still not in the future. The screen was black and didn't turn on until a little over a year later.

Since then, as I awaited a financial miracle, I have been fortunate enough to have two older generations of Mac laptops passed on to me.  One of them, due to the type of design work I was doing, became the more prevalent of the two, but they both came in handy.

In December 2014, the older MacBook Pro, a first generation of the model I had that still sat yogurt filled a year later, which had been in excellent shape and very well taken care of began to act-up.  The trackpad was not working.  It was on and off for a few minutes and then nothing.

For weeks I was once again, computer-less, stressed about Real Estate Licensing and our pending move... doing everything on my iPhone6.

It was fitting that everything in my life and most of my technology decided to implode at the same time.  My iPad Mini decided to join the club, but I suspected what the problem was with it, so I visited the Genius Bar for my iPad that was so overloaded (much like my life) that it had to be re-booted...

I was accompanied by my just-turned-3-year-old, who understood what was going on enough and clung to Mama during the entire visit.  This time, I left smiling with a successful (and free) repair, yet I did not bring my computer.  The thought of $1000 or more that I knew I could not conjure up was enough to make me panic.  I needed to get things done on a laptop especially now that I finally had a working space after years of trying to carve out a space I shared with a toddler in the end.

Even the external mice (a Mac and non-Mac version) were not working after a few minutes of being connected.

I fiddled and fiddled until one morning I walked into the office and found the computer elevated.  I slid my hand underneath to find the expanded battery pictured above.

It was grotesque, yet intriguing and after a quick google search, I found the answer I had been looking for...the trackpad had been malfunctioning due to the swollen battery (http://www.tekrevue.com/swollen-battery/)

The battery had long needed consistent charging.  A loss of power meant an instantaneous re-boot.

Thanks to Amazon Prime, I found an inexpensive ($20) plastic replacement and was all set to go in two days time!

The new battery, while not perfect, runs for at least an hour, before needing a charge, but most importantly I have a computer again, at least until the next implosion.

Needless to say, when I can, a new computer is in my future :)

What is your relationship with technology?  Any major faux pas...?

 

Egg muffins (with leftovers)

The weekend is upon us, so I'm sharing something a little lighter today (well in this post)... EGG BITES or EGG MUFFINS!

I figured it out one morning when I had leftover dinner sauce and veggies but didn't want to throw it away (because if you haven't figured it out yet, I have a hard time letting go of anything... Food included ...does that make me a Food Hoarder?!?!?)

Anyway...

I have a mini cupcake pan that I am obsessed with.  It makes everything bite size, so it's fun to experiment with what to make in them.

I found a couple recipes on one of my go-to recipe sites allrecipes.com and I just went with it.  I mainly needed it for oven temp and how long to bake.

Gather your …
Leftovers
3-4 eggs (usually fills a 24 mini cupcake pan)
Seasonings (optional)
Low-sodium Soy Sauce (optional)

1) Spray / Grease your mini muffin tin and set your oven to 350˚F

2) Take your left-over veggies and sauce, say from a stir-fry and wisk together with 3-4 eggs. I have also used kofta meatballs and cut them into tiny bits along with the onion...

3) Add your seasonings (if any) into the bowl and whisk some more. I never use salt in my baking/cooking, but I do add a dash of low-sodium soy sauce.  A little thing I learned from my husband.

4) When transferring the egg batter to the muffin tins, the best way for me to make it as neat as possible is to us a pitcher...something with a spout.  Spoons work as well, but again, this method creates less mess. 

4) After poured into your oiled or buttered pan, Bake for 20-23 minutes.

Happy Brunching!

Bon Week-end!

What are your favorite brunch dishes?

Bye Bye ZipCar

In July, after a couple months of struggling with two kids in the city we finally got a car.

It had been a long time comin'...

I definitely did my fair share of trains and cabs with carriers and strollers and all the rest of it. 

But I never canceled my ZipCar.

Since the last thing I need is another extraneous expense, I cancelled ZipCar last weekend.

It was bittersweet, but it felt good to finally make a decision around something.  I am usually indecisive, and when I found myself going into the "Well maybe I'll need it… if I…"  I stopped myself and said "You have a car.  It's a waste".

Sure, these may seem like silly discussions for people who don't keep everything in site or hold onto all parts of their past, but as I try to get out of these habits, I have to be very conscious of them.

Hoarding sounds like a dirty word… it sort of is, but what is behind it is often dirtier.

So canceling ZipCar is more than what it seems.

It is my letting go of something I do not need.

Our move brought that up for me, time and time again  Why was I holding onto this… I'll never use this broken […] or this old […] so why keep it..?

It is a process, but the new home has been the key to unlocking these bad habits and letting them go.

I am ready to let go. 

What do you hold on to?  
How did you let it go?

Sunday Self Care

The thing about being depressed is that your self-care goes to hell in a handbasket.  So for the past few years I have looked a hot mess.

A mess enough that close friends / some family might comment or make judgements (you know who you are), but not enough that outside people might make too much of a fuss (at least to my face).

Since the move last month, things have really been going well for me mentally and spiritually. I am much more at peace and even the "bad days" are nothing compared to what they were in the old apartment.

The one thing I hadn't yet tackled was my hair... I hid it well (or not so well), under an array of scarves or pulled back styles, but it needed some TLC and I hadn't built up the courage to face it yet.

When I first went natural in 2004, the natural community seemed a minuscule portion of what it is now, so searching for what to do had a very underground feel.  Now that natural is in, tutorials are everywhere and my friends have been my window to the world on this one as I have felt trapped in a time capsule or a closet with the kids since 2012.

My search for what to do with my locs led me to YouTube and with the help of a friend, I was turned on to Chescaleigh!

She was the breath of fresh air my hair needed to make a come back!

So last week was the first of many "Chesca-inspired" posts on instagram.  

The first thing I needed to work on was my build-up issue.  When I began my locs from two-strand twists during the Fall / Winter of 2007, I used Carol's Daughter Hair Milk… 

… I'll say it for you, WHAT WAS I THINKING.

Nothing against Carol's Daughter, but Hair Milk is not designed to leave in your hair for say... Years...like most products it should be washed out.

So the biggest issue my locs had was…is… buildup at the bottom.  A loctician who used to come to my home and do my hair after I had my daughter was the first person who pointed it out to me.  She began using her homemade products which did not leave a residue and smelled great.  But, when things began to get tighter, my hair / self-care was the first thing to be sacrificed and I went back to a loc creme that I liked, but that my former loctician was convinced was the cause of my buildup.

The more financial stress and overall strain I felt being home with my daughter and then with another baby on the way, which was certainly a surprise as well, the less I bothered with my hair.  It felt long and heavy, literally weighing me down…

But moving has been my saving grace.  After a month in a better physical space, my mental space was definitely heading in the right direction.

Before diving into the cute styles Chescaleigh has on her channel, I needed a cleanse (which I also saw on Chescaleigh's channel). 

My new hair transformation took a few weeks…

I washed it the Sunday before the deep cleanse and spent most of that week un marrying sections of my hair!!!  I could not believe (or could I), how much they were all loc-ing…in large families.

I carefully thought about what I needed next and watched the cleanse video in utter horror and delight, imagining all that awful build-up leaving my locs.

Post-cleanse, I decided that I was going to do a hot oil treatment and pipe cleaner curls!  I had never heard of such a thing, but my new hair guru, Chescaleigh had a tutorial and the one time I had my locs curled at a professional salon (RIP: Turning Heads in Harlem), I LOVED THEM.

After my Amazon order of 350 pipe-cleaners arrived the next day (Thank You Amazon, Prime), I was ready for a new look and a new lease on life!

SO…

The cleanse was amazing and check-out my "murky water".

After my hot oil treatment it was time for the curls.  I followed most of Chescaleigh's advice, but sitting down and pre-twisting the pipe-cleaners was not realistic on a Saturday night with my two little ones.  I usually crash at the end of the night, so I twisted the pipe cleaners as I went along AND I used the loop made when twisting the pipe cleaners in half to hook the other end of the pipe cleaner because my locs are SOOOOO long and SOOOOO thick (not necessarily the girth of each loc, but I have A LOT of hair).  

My curls looked more like balls than the thin rod-type set I have seen on most tutorials.

Also as I went along, my daughter had some fun with the pipe cleaners! I definitely did not use all 350, so I anticipate some crafts later!

I will also note that I twisted my hair WITHOUT PRODUCT and I couldn't be happier!  I used oil, but no loc creme.  I will continue on this path as much as possible so that my future locs will be build-up free or at least have less build-up.

For now, I am not going to cut it, my hair feels lighter and I can't wait to try more styles from Chescaleigh's channel.

What are your favorite loc styles?

Why you need IDNYC before the Summer begins!

Living in New York when finances are tight is no fun.  Living anywhere when finances are tight is no fun, but since this is New York, the cultural opportunities are world-renowned and as a parent, one of the best things for me to do is expose my children to museums and anything else I can get their hands on!

So with activities adding up for my 1 and 3 year old for example, I was looking forward to something like IDNYC to come along!  

IDNYC is an exciting new ID card for NYC Residents that boasts discounted memberships across many (seems like most) cultural institutions in the city! 

There are FREE things to do around the city, but the thing about IDNYC is that the non-free things will now be accessible to me without my having to make an excuse as to why I cannot go.

A list of the benefits are available here!

If you are a New Yorker and you do not have the ID yet, then book your appointment today!  Seriously... They are filling up fast!

I made a trip out it, going with one of my "Sister-Friends", Ayo.  We made our appointments online and chose the earliest appointment we could find (which was about 10 days out... In Brooklyn (we both live in Manhattan).

The wait seemed non-existent and the staff was amazing! We were in and out in one hour (with a toddler and a baby).

The KEY is having the appointment!  All appointments are honored before non-appointments!  I came from work and by the time the car was loaded with everyone and we made it through a drive to Brooklyn, we were a little late, but because we had appointments, we were mixed in with the other appointments.  

I should also note that Sunset Park is a new location.

Another friend I encouraged to apply went to the Mid-Manhattan Library with a wait under an hour as well.

You better believe I will be sharing the adventures we have as soon as my card arrives!  

Not to mention, if you ever wanted to join a credit union, that is now a possibility with IDNYC!

Stay Tuned...

Moving through "The Sadness"

So far, the time in the new apartment has been good for me.  My spirit has been renewed and I have, for the most part, gotten out of my rut.

But today is different.

I feel the sadness knocking at the door. 

As sun-drenched as my apartment is, today feels like a more internal day.  It is on a day like this that I am grateful for the playroom and the non-tiny apartment.

I am grateful not to be living in a cave anymore, so it doesn't seem as bad.

It might be exhaustion - literally... I have been working so hard on the new apartment that there are days I barely sit down (not to mention our last chair is on the verge of breaking).  

I actually have a good time just moving about the house, baking, cooking,  cleaning, playing with the kids and doing a decent amount of daydreaming.

The sadness creeps in when I feel as if I need to be doing it all, and let's face it - I live in New York and the moms who look like they do it all are everywhere, so it is nice to remember that you don't.

This article made a coincidental appearance on my Twitter feed as I was writing this, so it felt right to share.

5 Things Women With Perfectionistic Guilt Need To Hear

So I'm going to take a little break today... less obligatory housewife and more meditator, more relaxed ... me.

Hump Day Inspiration: Do You Believe in Angels?

Do you believe in Angels?

If you don't believe in non-mortal beings who earn their wings everytime a bell rings, then maybe you believe in people put here to give us messages exactly when we need them...

Monday afternoon, following regular labs for my son's rare and genetic, yet completely managed blood disorder, I was crossing the street to Mount Sinai's parking structure when an older white gentleman walking with a cane spoke to me.

"I was watching you in there", he said as we crossed the street together.  

"Oh", I remarked, pleasantly surprised and pleased to be having a conversation with a stranger once again in the city.    

There was a time I craved these interactions...looking for the amazing people of the world on the streets, in the cafés and on the subways of this city.

Having traded that in for "mommy-hood", I am eager to interact with others once again and rekindle friendships possibly staled by my temporary yet necessary absence.

"You are very good with him", the gentleman said glancing at my son, nestled in my carrier.

I smiled, thanked him and bid him to have a great day!

"You are great", he said.  Not a response to my telling him to have a great day, but a statement.  An affirmation of my abilities should anyone ever make me feel inadequate or sub-par.

I didn't turn around to see where the man went after we crossed the street.  I did, however, notice that he was wearing only a sweater.  Not even a hat... And it wasn't that warm.  His presence warmed my heart and gave me a little boost that day.  What exactly he had seen, I do not know, but I am sure he is always watching.

First Day at a Fresh Start

Tuesday was my first day alone with the kids in the new apartment.

My mom was here from Detroit for what was supposed to be a week and what turned into a month and now we are basically settled.

[So many more blanks to fill here...to be covered later...]

I have been dreaming of this apartment for a few years and being here is one of those feelings where one wants to make the best of it.  

I don't want to spoil this situation.

I finally have the office I have been striving for and my children have a real playroom which doubles as my daughter's room or vice versa.

The more I am here, the more I realize the physical depression we were living in.

The first major change is light.  The new apartment is sun-drenched, and with this light I find myself physically renewed to start each day with nothing but productivity.  

So far that has meant keeping up with cleaning, but it is something that I enjoy here! 

I am also finally committed to dealing with my life as a pack-rat...hoarder...or whatever term you might use for someone with a lot of stuff.  To date, in our new home, I have donated bags and bags of goods, clothing, etc... and all I can say is how good it feels to be rid of things I have been carrying around since high school at least. 

I hope to encourage others to let go as well or to explore why they might be holding on to un-needed things through my own examination.

This will likely reveal many layers that I have been covering over the past decade at least.

As always, Thank You for reading and following along, no matter how much time has elapsed.

Our Newest Addition... On a Sidewalk in Harlem: A Birth Story

It has been quite a month!  I am very happy to share the birth story of my son, Malachi.

Check the link out below!

NYTimes 

On a Sidewalk in Harlem: A Birth Story

http://nyti.ms/TApnZW 

The Substance of Strangers

Another City Room reject for your enjoyment...  I'll keep trying.  They'll bite one day (I hope).

-----

Dear Diary: 

I moved to New York to sit next to strangers in theatres and cafés—

To mingle with the many dreamers and doers lured onto this island.

My Passover Taxi Eclipse

I submitted this to NY Times Metro Desk / City Room Blog, but never heard back... So before it's outdated, I'd like to share the following experience with you...

_____

Dear Diary:

Monday night was a night like no other night(s).  I was working late, and therefore out later than usual for my seven and a half month pregnant self.  I grappled with taking the subway and then waddling up St. Nicholas to our apartment.  So, while it was a stretch, I decided to spend the money on a cab home to Harlem around 10 o'clock.

Ever since reading Matt Flegenheimer's piece on the changing culture of Taxi Drivers in the city, I had taken to asking any driver I encountered what their personal experiences were.  The majority American-born drivers of "TAXI" no longer existed.  Most of today's drivers were immigrants.  The driver-passenger relationship of old had faded away.

I was immediately thrust into the most pleasant and fluid conversation with a rare breed of taxi driver: A non-accented white guy.

I recalled the American born taxi-driver interviewed and photographed for Flegenheimer's article, whose name I had not imprinted (John Abrahams).  

Maybe it was the impending lunar eclipse, but this trip, I never mentioned it.  

After a collision with a young man as I made my way to the yellow taxi van my "minority" driver drove, we kibitzed like old friends even before I told him where I was going. 

"So other than getting trampled, how was your day?", he said in his soft spoken professorial tone.

Topics ranged from my friend's poetry, staying out as one gets older (and while pregnant), and even my hometown of Detroit, where his wife was from.  He was a native New Yorker.  

There were so many questions I wanted to ask him.  I didn't want the ride home to end.  

I paid, we chatted some more, laughed and I checked his name plate before sliding out the non-traffic side to my doorway:

John Abrahams

Whatever happened to… Figure Skating...

Ok.  I love figure skating.

A lot.

Or used to love it at least.

I have been watching the Winter Olympics in Sochi and it's just not the same for me.  I don't know any of these people.  I've been out of the game so long.

Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan, Kristy Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, Oksana Baiul, Scott Hamilton, Victor Petrenko, Surya Bonaley, Tara Lipinski…. Sure, throw Tonya Harding in there…

I would say that Michelle Kwan was my all time favorite.  I watched pretty much everything that she did.  Maybe it was an age thing, we were around the same age and she was just so spectacular.  Nancy Kerrigan and Kristy Yamaguchi were women I could look up to as a little girl, Oksana Baiul was so delicate looking, yet so strong.  I loved watching her perform "The Swan".  By the time Michelle came along, I cheered her on like a would a best friend that I would see the next day at school!

Tara Lipinski seemed to be in and out so quickly, we are the same age, AND she trained in Detroit, so I should have seen her as a hometown hero, but it was all about Michelle Kwan and for me at the time, Ms. Lipinkski seemed to rain on her parade.

The Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding incident happened in my hometown, Detroit, so needless to say, it was even more scandalous and awful.  Bad enough that Tonya did what she did, but Detroit… really.  The city didn't need anymore negativity, Ms. Harding… Thanks.

I had pretty much stopped watching by the time Johnny Weir came on the scene, but I did see his documentary and would definitely add him to my list.  He's a pretty funky guy and a phenomenal athlete for his generation as well.

My daughter seemed to enjoy it when I turned it out and started spinning around the room.  Since she loves dancing, Figure Skating and Ice Dancing was definitely fun for her to watch!

So while it's time to cheer on another generation, nothing beats the forever stars in my heart like my Figure Skating Olympic Champions.


What are your favorite Olympic memories?

Mourning Motherhood : Sex and the City Style

Dressed in Black, they headed to a baby shower, to mourn the loss of Laney, a friend who had left the single NYC life behind, married a Wall Street banker and moved to Connecticut.  Charlotte was of course excited and respectful of all the baby shower duties, so it only made sense that she felt the sting of her baby name being stolen. Which is exactly why you don't tell your baby names to other people…

Join me on Thursday! February 13, 2014

Thursday, Feb 13, 2014, I will be co-moderating with Howlround (Howlround.com) a weekly howl about Raising a Family while in the Arts at 2pm ET

I am hoping the discussion will be a success, so please join-in or tell your friends.

I feel as if parenting in the arts is not talked-about.  Parenting in General is a juggle for the average person, but when you have few resources and have writing deadlines or you have to give-up a child's event or event of your own etc... What is that like with Tech rehearsal and rehearsals etc...

So join-in the conversation with the hash-tag #newplay

I can't wait!

Regardless of your location, I really hope you can join!

COMPLETE DETAILS

The Weekly Howl is a peer produced, open access discussion about theater culture and contemporary performance that happens in real-time on Twitter using the hashtag #newplay.*

This week's conversation topic is "Raising a Family While in the Arts" and will be moderated and peer-produced by Garlia Cornelia @garliacornelia.

This Howl will take place on Thursday, February 13 on hashtag #newplay at 11am PST – 12pm PST (Vancouver) / 1pm CST – 2pm CST (Austin) / 2pm EST – 3pm EST (New York) / 19:00 GMT – 20:00 GMT (London) / 8pm CET - 9pm CET (Berlin).

On Thursday, get heard in the conversation by searching for #newplay in Twitter (sort by “all”) and by putting “#newplay” somewhere in your messages. Spread the word!

*The hashtag #newplay in Twitter is a commons tag (i.e. non-proprietary, community-invested tag) for aggregating global knowledge, information, and conversation related to new works, new performance, and new strategies in the theater.

Learn more about Howlround!  Visit Howlround.com

How much is too much: Facebook at 10...

With Facebook turning 10, we have a unique opportunity to examine what has happened to our lives over the last decade whether we use the social media site or not.

The NYTimes is even collecting 150 words or less about your experience for a future post.

It is without question that Facebook has changed our daily lives.  From the way we make announcements to the way we get our news.  I will admit, that since the dawn of Twitter, I find Facebook's newsfeed too cluttered.  I would rather not see long dissertation status updates on a daily basis, and prefer the quick status updates and real important news that is much more accessible to me on Twitter.   Twitter's 140 character limit is ALWAYS such a relief. 

This begs the question, How much is too much? 

After 10 years, Facebook has made me a much more private person.  Which begs the questions, Why private?  Wouldn't you want to share every waking moment of your life for everyone to see???

Well... No.  

But I wasn't always this way.

I began Facebook like many in the beginning, it was about college, friends and events on campus.  It was all very private as shown in the image below.  We owned our information.  PERIOD.  Then we graduated from college, so grad school or jobs and travel adventures were being posted, and then the weddings..... At one point, the babies started, but it wasn't like now... Now it's babies and bellies.

Don't get me wrong.  I love seeing the baby photos and the belly photos of my friends and people I went to high school and college with.  It keeps me connected and maybe gives me a false sense of friendship, which is pretty much what Facebook is about... A False sense of Friendship and intimacy with a great deal of acquaintances.  

The repercussions of all of this sharing is a feeling of comparison that many might have.  It may be no different than fitting in or attempting to fit-in as we might have done in high school.

If Jane is getting married, why haven't I?  Or Have you seen Shauna's new house!?

Need I go on... It's contagious.  Facebook stalking is a part of our everyday lives, whether we do it consciously or not.

For the longest time, my husband refused to go on Facebook and is now on with no image or personal information.  We are not listed as married and I respect his wishes not to blast our private life all over the web.  My eldest brother is actually the same - no personal photos or information.  They are both in IT and so from both of their points of view, something like Facebook is pretty dangerous.  

Over the course of 10 years, a lot has changed, and thanks to Facebook, your decade or less is summed up in a lovely video tribute.  I love the idea, but for someone who loves details as much as I do.  So much is left out.  

No one wants to re-live photos of exes, so it seems common place to complete obliterate that relationship from your pages if it finished before a marriage or civil union.  So while the videos are a lovely tribute for Facebook they are not necessarily the best representation of everyone's 10 years or less.

But it's the thought that counts.

What do you remember about  "the facebook" when it first began?

Photo and article credit: New York Magazine 

Dinner with Baraka

Before I was a mother, I was a mini-revolutionary. I say was, because I currently feel as if my politics are lost in a world of Elmo and potty-training...  That is another story for another post, but after the loss of such a great writer in early January, I have been trying to form the most appropriate words to honor a man who's work encouraged my own in the theatre and a man who later encouraged me personally, Amiri Baraka.

April 21, 2008 - Amiri Baraka - Cherry Lane Theatre

I feel fortunate to have had a few meetings with Amiri Baraka over the last few years in the city.  They were not at necessarily political events, nor did I experience a "militant" disposition.  I found Mr. Baraka a very kind and gentle soul. He was encouraging and funny.

The first time we met was April 21, 2008 following a Master Class he gave at Cherry Lane Theatre, where his Obie-Award winning Dutchman premiered in 1964.

There was so much he said that evening about theatre and working at the time that he had experienced.  I wrote down so much of what he said that night.  I guess his comment about Broadway Theatre being mundane was from a revolutionary mindset, but Broadway isn't for everyone…

I learned a lot from him that evening, many things I had read in books, but hearing these words from the man himself was a completely different experience.  He spoke about being able to grade your own work, and having to be a little arrogant to be an artist.  The theatre is an exciting place and he knew that one could not write about boring topics and use boring language.

He spoke about working with music in one's work, and being intrigued by words coming out of people's mouths as a playwright, which is different than what happens with his poetry.  He also spoke of leaving the village [downtown, NYC] after Malcolm X died.

He referred to the race issue in Dutchman as more of a class conflict

I sat next to an older woman and we chatted a bit before he began.  I mentioned to her that I began writing because of Mr. Baraka.  She knew Mr. Baraka and when he finished and there was the opportunity to shake his hand and say hello, I went up.

I had no idea what I was going to say.  Plus, I stutter, so who knew what was going to come out!  Luckily, my new friend that evening, Vinie Burrows, made the introduction.

April 21, 2008 - Amiri Baraka -  Playwrights Master Class at Cherry Lane Theatre 

The next thing I knew, the 3 of us are at dinner in the area.  I don't even remember if I ate.  How could I have ?!  Dinner with people that literally paved the way for what I was doing in the city.  Hard for some to believe, I know: but I did a lot of listening and not much talking that evening.

Mr. Baraka had given me his card that evening and I promptly emailed a Thank You.

I was more serious about my daily journal in those days.  Some of my notes from that evening were:
[…] I am on the train [home], it is 10:55pm - Amiri Baraka took me to dinner.  There are few people I'd be geeked to meet or who would turn me to tears… there was a moment when I almost started crying…it is so true about the serenity in my life.

"Advertisements" - he called my small plays. […]

Over the months and years that followed, I felt fortunate to be on his email list and receive a few encouraging exchanges about getting my work out there.  I was even told that he commented about me and my reading series once, which to a young playwright in this city, where many can feel swallowed whole, means a lot.

I was lucky enough to meet his wife, Amina at a production of The Toilet that I wrote a review for during the summer of 2008.  We had another interaction follow the grand funeral of Dr. Barbara Ann Teer of the National Black Theatre.

The news of his death was sudden to me as it may have been to others having not known he was in the hospital.  Some might say that we are to accept death as natural once a certain age is reached, but that doesn't change how one feels when it happens.  No one is prepared for death and I feel we have lost a great writer and thinker who was still very active in his own Newark, NJ community.  

Mr. Baraka and I were a bit out of touch after I married and began a new life as a wife and mother, but I was thrilled when he met my husband at his Jazz Series this past fall.  He was there to support his friend, Charles Tolliver.  I emailed Mr. Baraka in October and received his usual thoughtful yet short reply, congratulating me on our daughter, and that was it… our last correspondence. 

I am not blind to the controversy caused by much of Mr. Baraka's work, but that is not necessarily the man I met.  I had directed his work, both staging poems and a production of Dutchman with the Black Theatre Group I founded at Indiana University, Black Curtain, (on a predominantly white campus, no less).

The Black Theatre movement was because of this man and as a Black Playwright, it is important to know his work and to know the work that spans beyond theatre, as he was a Beat Poet prior to his work as a playwright.  A favorite college English Professor of mine, Dr. Margo Crawford,  really turned me on to the Black Arts Movement and I will be forever grateful.  Dutchman was one of my first introductions to LeRoi Jones as a playwright while an undergraduate theatre student at Indiana University.  

I was able to meet and spend time with one of the people that gave me the inspiration to continue in the theatre as a playwright.

Death does not change one's past.  It further solidifies one's legacy, and Baraka's past is a colorful one to say the least.  I was under the weather the weekend, of his wake and Funeral.  I was very disappointed I could not attend, but I honor him here and will never forget how he touched my life.

No matter what anyone has to say, Amiri Baraka was a brilliant writer and a unique voice for his generation and the ones that followed.  He will truly be missed.

Happy Black History Month 2014

4th Trimester Bodies

Pregnancy is without a doubt life-changing and body-changing…  No pregnancy is the same (learning this time around for sure!).

Women constantly have this pressure to be super skinny and "perfect".  The media obsesses over people like the Kardashians and Beyonce, their waists, their behinds... their everything!  Not to mention Beyonce's latest Grammy performance was a little too....   (You'll see if you google it).  One article I read said she was so proud of her post-baby body and her sensuality… she wanted to...

Anyway...

My friend Hillary and I went to college together.   We were in the African American Chorale Ensemble together under the direction of Dr. James E. Mumford and we were just good friends.  She helped me organize my big HIV/AIDS Benefit Concert I had in 2006, and she is an amazing woman , which is something I'll say about the women in my life (why else would they be there…)  Hillary recently became a doula!  Not to mention she has an amazing singing voice!

Plus! She had a baby over the summer!

I could go on… but I think you get the picture!

Hillary recently participated in the 4th Trimester Bodies Project.   That's her with son Holden above!

The project is about embracing your post-baby body.  The good news is that they are going to be setting up shop in New York between March 27-30th.

Read about Hillary here!

What are your post-baby body stories? Are you happy?  Wanting a change?  Breastfeeding?  Not Breastfeeding?  How do you let your body define or not define who you are?

Super Bowl Sunday - Corned Beef and Cabbage

Growing up, a tradition in our family on Super Bowl Sunday was to have Corned Beef and Cabbage from Mr. Fofo's in Detroit.  

To clarify, the Corned Beef was from Mr. Fofo's (which is sadly closed), and my mom prepared the entire dish in a crock pot.

We weren't necessarily a sports family, we watched the game, attempting to follow along and enjoying the half-time show.

I've never attempted to make it, but just the thought of it with yellow mustard makes my mouth water!  I think a trip to Katz's Deli is in my future!

I found his recipe in my search for a photo... This is the most beautiful presentation of Corned Beef and Cabbage I have ever seen (no offense, Mom!)

This Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe is from Elise Bauer

What are your family traditions?

Impromptu Dinner... and Dessert!

Thursday was crazy and I didn't post a thing (but I have a good excuse), - so you got 2 yesterday and 2 today... (maybe 2 a day now always... We'll see)! 

Lucky you!  Lol

Thursday, upon the request of a dear friend to cook a surprise birthday dinner and dessert for her neighbor and close friend, (a woman I also know and love), my daughter and I quickly got ready and met her at Whole Foods! (I told you I had a good excuse).

It was so fun!

We bought what she didn't have, and I commenced cooking almost immediately upon entering her apartment.  It turned out that the neighbor and her family were going to dinner, so we just did dessert as her surprise, instructing her husband not to order dessert at the restaurant.

The kids still needed to eat (3 under 4), so I made dinner for everyone and dessert.  My husband joined after work with the wine… French… (he's French).

I'd never tried a chocolate cobbler, but boy oh boy, was I happy I did!  

It was quick and easy!  Prepped in about 15 minutes and in the oven for only 30 minutes.

It was so hot that the candles were melting when we put them in!  We served it warm with multiple ice cream choices!  DELICIOUS!!!

My go-to recipe site is allrecipes.com… but I always love others… What are yours?

I've pasted the recipe below!

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter 
• 
  1 cup self-rising flour 
• 
  3/4 cup white sugar 
• 
  1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 
  1/2 cup milk 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used almond extract)
• 
  1 cup white sugar 
• 
  1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 
  1 1/2 cups boiling water 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in an 8x8 inch baking dish while the oven preheats.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Spoon this batter over the melted butter in the baking dish.
3. Stir together the remaining cup of sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the batter. Slowly pour boiling water over the top of the mixture.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until set. Serve slightly warm with ice cream.

Have you every cooked an impromptu meal for more than just your family?  What did you make?  Share the recipes!

Do you have any quick desserts?

Happy Weekend baking... And for those of you us in the U.S.  Happy Super Bowl weekend!  This Ooey gooey chocolatey goodness will be a hit at any party!