Work in Progress

  My family loves a good shrimp boil at the beach, where you season and throw everything in together to cook in a huge pot outside. We weren't able to do that this year but, thanks to my mom, we did have a pretty delicious alternative over Labor Day. If you didn't have a shrimp boil this summer, it's not too late with this alternative. No large pot required. Make this simple combination using your oven, microwave and grill. Guaranteed to still be delicious and have great leftovers to mix and match for other meals.  What You'll Need: 1-2 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on) 2 Kielbasa Sausages (if you buy long ones or use whole pack if grab another kind) Corn on the Cob, husked, 2 per person 2 lbs Red Skin Potatoes Ready to Bake Biscuits, optional Olive Oil Bayou Seasoning*If you don't have or want, use combination of Paprika, Garlic Salt, Minced Garlic and Onion Powder to flavor to liking.* Paprika Minced Garlic Onion Powder Garlic Salt B

Love letter to all you parents out there, with a special shout out to the parents who are also teachers!!  By now most schools are back in session in some way, shape or form and we're all feeling all the feelings. Or maybe you're too busy to (let yourself) feel anything right now and it's going to catch up with you later. Or you're a big fake it til you make it person. Or you're a robot. Those are your options. The word "unprecedented" has been used an unprecedented number of times. So much so that there's a meme wishing for 'precedented' times.  No matter what your school year is starting like, there's some element of change: new protocol, procedures, schedule, physical location, teaching style, requirements, and resources, oh my! So much research, analysis, planning and  work  has been done in order to get this school year under way. Whether your kids are distance learning online at home, going to the actual building,

This past week there have been countless articles about the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. I was so excited I bought a shirt off Etsy.   August 26 th  is recognized as Women’s Equality Day, commemorating the 1920 adoption of the 19 th Amendment to  the U.S. Constitution . As with most of our country's history, the suffrage movement was not without its own issues of racism and discrimination. Black women were not widely included in conventions nor always recognized for their work in the movement. While we celebrate 100 years of the female vote, it's important to remember that women in many states still faced years of unfair obstacles and discrimination in trying to vote. Black women (and men) continued the fight for true voting rights and in 1965 the  Voting Rights Act  was signed into law. This significant legislation provided clear legal support to ensure equal voting rights for all, without l

We weren't the first to get in on the healthy cauliflower trend but once we tried it we were hooked!  Cauliflower Rice is a staple in our house. When we first tried it we bought heads of cauliflower and made it ourselves. Then I discovered riced cauliflower in the frozen foods sections of our grocery stores. Game changer. I'm never going back. Not that making it yourself is hard but I love me some frozen steam fresh veggie bags! I love the cauliflower rice and have used it in so many ways. We didn't have rice that much before, intentionally, but now we sub the cauliflower rice and include with many more meals. Our family's favorites are... Taco (Tuesday) Bowls What you need: 2.25 lbs Ground Beef (for 5+ servings) Taco Seasoning   1 bag frozen steam fresh Cauliflower Rice Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese (lots) 4 Ripe Avocados  1 Chopped Onion or Onion Seasoning Garlic Salt/Powder Hot Sauce Lite Sour Cream (lots) Tortilla Chips 1 Diced Tomato and/or Salsa First we usually m

From our couch to yours...some of our favorite books!  (which grew as the kids saw what I was doing) We recently had some new books delivered and my kids were so excited. It warmed my heart so much to see and share in their excitement for the new books as I love, and get excited about, new books myself. As hard as it is to pick favorites, of anything, I want to share some that we've loved as not all books elicit the same excitement.  INFANT (0-1) There are lots of good night books and sentimental picks for parents and baby; you're going to read it to them so pick something you like. Small soft books are great to throw in the diaper bag or give in the car. A+ if it's easily washed. Flap books are good in theory but they will rip them unless you're able to find felt ones to really challenge your baby's strength. Some Favorites:  Good Night Moon  by Margaret Wise Brown On the Night You Were Born  by Nancy Tillman The Big Night-Night Book   by Georgie Birkett Good Night

I am both speechless and invigorated by an unexpected and incredibly touching message of friendship and encouragement from an old friend.  💜 I'm not sure what motivated me to share this revived blog but you can thank that friend for me sharing more. Those close to me know how much I have always loved to write and that it has always been a dream of mine not just to write but to write a book. I have written many things over the years,  brainstormed, started and stopped writing multiple 'books', unable to commit to what I felt may be the great idea worthy of my time, sacrifice and vulnerability to pursue my dream. (Bear with me, I know all the talk of dreams may sound cheesy.) But here we are. There is a lot of power in saying things out loud (or writing them on the Internet) and sharing with others, not just for encouragement and connection, but for accountability in working towards something you want. By putting something out in the universe you no longer allow