Good Read Of The Month

Phillips's searing debut reveals the poverty, injustices and cruelties that one black family suffers—some of this at the hands of its matriarch—in a 1958 backwater Georgia town. Thirteen-year-old Tangy Mae Quinn loves her mother, Rozelle, but knows there's "something wrong" with her—which, as it soon becomes clear, is an extreme understatement. As the novel opens, Rozelle is getting ready to give birth to her 10th child (by a 10th father) and thinking about forcing the obedient Tangy Mae, who longs to stay in school, to take over her housecleaning job. Using a large cast of powerfully drawn characters, Phillips captures life in a town that serves as a microcosm of a world on the brink of change. There's Junior, the perpetual optimist, who wants to teach people to read and write so they can understand the injustices of Jim Crow laws and the Ku Klux Klan; Hambone, a here today/gone tomorrow rabble-rouser whose anger against white men and their laws inflames those around him; and Miss Pearl, the only true friend to the Quinn family. At the dark heart of the story is Rozelle, the beautiful mixed-race head of the Quinn family whose erratic mood swings, heart-wrenching cruelty and deep emotional distress leave an indelible mark on all her children. Through all the violence and hardship breathes the remarkable spirit of Tangy Mae, who is wise beyond her years; forced to do unspeakable things by her mother and discriminated against by the town's whites, she manages to survive and to rescue a younger sister from the same fate.

Tuesday Tidbits

God Made Moms To Teach Their Children...Tell Others You Love And Appreciate Them

As we all mourn Michael Jackson's death and listen to all the tributes made to him, I can't help but wonder did he know he was loved or that his talent was appreciated. Michael Jackson was phenomena. As I listen to some of his music, I hear a message I didn't hear before. A message of change that started within. Michael Jackson is gone but his music lives on.

Be blessed and encouraged today, it's your choice. ~ Delphine

One Brown Momma's Recipe (Courtesy of My Mom)

Broccoli and Crab Casserole

Ingredients:

16 oz Chopped Broccoli
2 Eggs
1 Can Cream of Celery Soup
1 Cup of Mayo
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 stick of melted butter
12 Ritz Crackers
1 lb of Crab meat (if using imitation crab meat, dice the meat)

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with Pam Cooking spray. Beat the two eggs and set aside. In bowl add the broccoli, eggs, cream of celery soup, mayo and the crab meat, mix all these ingredients together with a spoon.
Spread the mixture in the casserole dish, sprinkle the top with the melted butter and crushed Ritz Crackers. Cook at 350 degrees for an hour.

You may add salt/pepper/old bay seasoning for addition taste.

This is great as a main course or as a side. If serving as a main course, a fresh green salad goes well with it. Enjoy!!

R.I.P Michael Jackson

Tuesday Tidbits

God Made Moms To Teach Their Children...The Meanings of Prejudice and Racism

Since the election of our President it appears there has been an increase in the media's reporting of comments/actions that are prejudice or racist. People there is nothing new about being prejudice or racism. My post today is not to glorify being prejudice or racism, my post is about us recognizing that overall nothing has changed when it comes to people being prejudice or racism. They both have always existed. We all experience it. Our children experience it at school, in the community, and in sports. We experience it on our jobs, in restaurants and shops, in churches, and sadly in our own families. We as a people have a lengthy history of having been victims of prejudice acts or racism but we also have a lengthy history of being and committing acts that are prejudice or racist ourselves. We are just as guilty as anyone else. So let's not point fingers at others when we need to search our hearts and minds as well. Look up the definitions of prejudice and racism and decide if you fit the label of being prejudice or a racist. Like the ole saying goes, "divided we fall, united we stand". Let's get rid of the foolery among ourselves first.

Be blessed and encouraged today, it's your choice. ~ Delphine

prej⋅u⋅dice 
1.an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
2.any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
3.unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, esp. of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.

rac⋅ism
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.


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Tuesday Tidbits

God Made Moms To Teach Their Children...They Are Beautiful And Smart

A few weeks ago I wrote on the importance of nurturing and building up our children through our words, I have also written about beauty being in the eye of the beholder. Well while reading the book selection of the month these words came across a page, questions we should consider asking ourselves on a regular basis. Questions that may help us in our roles as mothers.

Why do we remember the words of our mother more than any other? Why does a mother's assessment of her daughter resonate in the chambers of that daughters heart like the Ten Commandments? Like the laws of gravity? Like a destiny that
you simply cannot escape?

So tell me why do mothers have so much influence, so much power over their daughters and over their children? Is it just because they carried them for nine months? Or is it because they are just pieces of their mothers? Something to ponder on, uh? Mothers are and always have been very influential in their children's lives. So that's why it's important for us to tell our children that they are beautiful, that they are smart, that they can achieve and be anything or anyone they want to be. We are the ones to encourage them to reach for the stars, to see beyond what their eyes can see. We are the ones whose words they remember. So with this much influence over another being, why wouldn't we choose our words wisely? We are planting seeds that will dwell with our children for life. Show them and tell them they are beautiful to you because every child should be beautiful in a mother's eye.

Be blessed and encouraged today, it's your choice.~Delphine

One Brown Momma's Recipe (Courtesy of Latisha)

Our family favorite is...TACO SALAD

Ingredients:
2lbs ground turkey/beef
2 packages of taco seasoning mix
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 red onion
1 yellow onion
2 heads lettuce (chopped)
4 tomatoes (diced)
2 avocado’s (peeled and chopped)
1 ½ cups block olives (sliced)
1 bag nacho chips
1 bottle Ranch/Catalina salad dressing (Whatever you like)

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a pan brown ground turkey/beef along with yellow onions. Add in one package of taco seasoning mix and water as directed on the seasoning package. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl mix together tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, cheddar cheese, red onion, olives, and the other package of taco seasoning mix. Add beef mixture and toss until well combined.
Step 3: Right before serving – Toss with Catalina or Ranch salad dressing and add chips. (Whatever you like)

Tuesday Tidbit

God Made Moms To Teach Children...To Be Respectful

Respect should always be given to elders but it's much easier to respect those elders who don't push your buttons. My tidbit on respect is that we should respect ourselves as well as others. When we allow ourselves to accept the difference in our co-workers, our spouses, our supervisors, our employees, our children, our parents, our teachers, our childcare givers, our beauticians, our neighbors, our friends, and others we come in contact with, we open up the pathway to be treated RESPECTFUL or RESPECTFULLY.

Be blessed and encouraged today, it's your choice.~Delphine

Definition of Respectful
re⋅spect⋅ful  full of, characterized by, or showing politeness or deference: a respectful reply.

—Synonyms
courteous, polite, decorous, civil, deferential.

—Antonyms
discourteous, disrespectful.

1 Peter 2:16-18 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Brown Business In the Spotlight

Ladies, this is our "Brown Business in the Spotlight" for the month. So if you need help or know someone who is in need of help with their computer's repair, give Preston a call. Allow ZOE PC Repair to "Breath LIFE into your PC". Below is the contact information and the web address for your PC repair needs.

ZOE PC Repair, LLC
Managed by Preston Lucas
(305) 905-7842
plucas@zoepc.net

http://www.zoepc.net/

Tuesday Tidbit

God Made Moms To Teach Children...Parents Build You Up

Most of us have seen or heard some famous person pay accolades or express their appreciation to their parents for always being in their corner, for always being supportive, for always being firm when they needed to be, for speaking life, for making sacrifices, for all the wisdom they have passed on, for correcting them when they were wrong, and for just loving them. Seldom do we hear persons express appreciation to their parents for tearing them down, for speaking negative, for trying to manipulate, for being jealous, or for them trying to relive their lives through their children. Parents are to build up their children not tear them down. Mothers are to nurture the children and their home by loving them and showing them love. Fathers nurture their children by showing them and their mothers love and patience, by providing and protecting, by disciplining when discipline or correction is needed. Parents build children up, parents do not tear children down. Many parents today are reflections of their parents but as parents ourselves we choose what parents our children see. So decide what type of parent you want your child to say you are or were. There is more to parenting then providing food, clothes, and shelter.

Be blessed and encouraged today, it's your choice. ~ Delphine

Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

John 9:23 That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

2 Corinthians 12:14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

What Is Good Hair? Video from the Tyra Banks Show

The mothers and the daughters in this video represents the mindset of many of us when it comes to our hair. I too permed my hair at age eighteen, I started wearing weave braids at age twenty-two, and later on moved on to half wigs. At thirty-seven, I decided I liked more natural looking hairstyles and decided to transition back to my natural hair. I've had thick and lengthy hair most of my life so having thick hair with length was never a issue for me. But it happens to be one of the biggest reasons why most women decide on weave, aside from the convenience that some weaves offer. The majority of today's glued-in/sewed-in weaves are for the length and fullness we carve for our hair, without realizing that the over perming and the heating and weaving methods are thinning out our natural hair. Ladies, I do not miss perming my hair nor the cost that comes with maintaining permed hair. And since I've been wearing my natural hair, I've embraced new freedoms. I enjoy living "hair stress" free. I even get tickled when my friends say without thinking that "your hair WAS so pretty", I'm tickled for reasons only natural hair wearers would understand but I politely tell them that I think it's still pretty. Don't get me wrong, I'm not pressing or saying everyone should go natural because you can make that decision on your own. I'm only expressing my happiness with my decision on wearing my natural hair and I want us as women to be more conscious of what we are passing on to our children. The video highlights the dislike we are passing on and it makes me sad. It's so sad that we are willing to do so much to our hair or our daughters hair to supposedly be accepted in mainstream but we are not as eager to do things that elevate us as individuals so that we become individuals that mainstream needs. We should be free thinking enough to enjoy who God create us to be. I hope this gives you something to think on.

Black Economic Solutions from Blaqueindigo

Blaqueindigo has given me an idea. I plan on posting a black owned business each month that we should try and patronize. And if we can't patronize them, maybe we will be encouraged to seek out black owned business in our towns and communities. I have several friends who are black business owners and I can use this venue to generate more business for them.

Need a car wash, need your clothes dry cleaned, need your taxes done, need a new place to stay, need a hair do, or do you need helping planning a trip. I have people, if you need the service.