#NoBlackFriday

My bestie and I have plans to meet my cousins for lunch on Friday near Saks.  Near Saks was purely strategic because we planned on moseying over there and maybe pick up a thing or 6.  After being so angry last night and so filled with, once again, helplessness...we decided that we aren't going to follow through with those plans.  We're not going to spend a dime.  We are going to participate in the #NoBlackFriday protest.

I mean...even though I knew what the verdict was going to be...I'm still angry.  

I had a whole list of shopping that I needed to do this weekend but I think I'm just going to enjoy family at home.  Catch some museum exhibits.  Take some pictures.  Game night.  You know...stuff like that.  We might not have paper towels but we have regular towels so we should be okay.  Just sit around and spend time with family without spending money.  This weekend is the weekend they track spending so yeah...I think it would be a good message to send.

I made that banner for Facebook.  If you'd like to use it as your cover picture you can click on it and download it.  If you want to.

I don't know what else to do other than what I already do but I feel like I want to do something to show my pain.

It can't hurt to make Wall Street take notice right?

Scenario from Television

Your friend is single and dating.

Dating is tough these days.

But she goes out with a lot of guys.

You're having a dinner party and inviting a lot of couples.  

You don't invite her.

She finds out and is hurt.

You tell her it's because she always brings one of the guys she's dating and that they are all, well, losers.

Yall fight but it ends up that you invite her to the party.

She brings a date.

Dude is handsome, charming, funny and plays the piano well.

Later you find out that the dude is a paid escort she hired to come with her and be charming and awesome.

You good?

Creamy Creole Red Beans

It's no secret that I LURVE red beans and rice.  But only mine.  LOL!  I'm far too critical of other people's red beans and rice so I don't even try them.  I know...bad Mingo...BAD!

But my beans are pretty dang delish.  If you've ever had them...you know this for sure. 

Here is my recipe for each pound of beans you're cooking:

1 lb red beans (Rinse and sort beans and then START SOAKING IN WATER THE MORNING BEFORE THE DAY YOU COOK THEM!  The gas needs to expel.  Look for white fluffy stuff on top of the water.)

1 ham bone or 1 lb ham hocks (This is why you save the bone with the difficult to cut meat on it from the Christmas ham...just wrap it good in foil and put in a ziploc freezer bag!  When I don't have one I use ham hocks.)

1 - 2 lbs sausage (sliced and browned)

1 yellow onion

1 bell pepper

5 stalks of celery

3 cloves of garlic minced

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of thyme

9 cups of chicken broth (I use Herbox chicken granules http://www.hormelfoods.com/Brands/BrandWall/Herb-Ox-bouillon)

I season the beans while they are soaking in the water.

Salt and pepper (black and cayenne) to taste  *NOTE!  I DON'T PUT IN SALT UNTIL THE VERY END AS YOU NEVER KNOW HOW SALTY THE HAM HOCK WILL BE!  WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR LAST "TASTE" ADJUST SALT THEN...YOU PROBABLY WON'T NEED ANY!

In olive oil, saute diced onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper for about 10 minutes.  Add thyme, bay leaves,  black and cayenne pepper.  Add beans, broth, and ham hocks/bone.

Bring to boil uncovered. Add sausage.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.  YES...I SAID TWO HOURS!  The best cooking is done slooooooooooooooow!

After two hours, remove ham bone and put on plate.  Then, scoop out about 1/2 cup of beansand mash them up.  Carve meat off bone into bite sized pieces.  Put meat ONLY back in pot.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Bring to another low boil and stir mashed beans in well making sure they don't stick to bottom of pot.  Lower temperature and simmer on low, covered, for 20 minutes.  This makes the beans creamy.

Serve over brown rice.  Oh yeah...they will be muuuuuuuuuuch better tomorrow!  LOL!

SMOOCHES!

P.S.  For non-pork eaters...I guess you can use smoked turkey...but I wouldn't know cuz I use pork...the pig ain't never done nuttin to me!  I eat it "from the rooter to the tooter!"

Dating Scenario

You're dating a struggling artist.

He's a painter.

Yall live together.

You come home early one day and he's there cheating on you.

You flip the hell out and destroy one of his paintings.

In the aftermath of the breakup / fall out...he tells you that you owe him $12,000 for the destroyed painting.

How do you handle?

Question From My Inbox:

“Hi Monnie! I have a quick question. Is there a reason why you pincurled your hair after flat ironing it? ”

Answer:  Yes ma'am!  When I wear my hair straight I have to wrap it in order to keep it straight or it looks a mess and I hate wrapping my hair because, at age 45, my edges are covered in gray hair that is dry and naturally brittle.  Wrapping my hair puts stress on those hairs.  When I wear it curly, at night I simply pull it up in a loose high ponytail and roll the ends around a single green roller pinning it in place with a large bobby pin.  I don't have to use a comb or brush to gather it.  Just hang my head upside down and use my hands to smooth it.  When I remove the roller the next morning, my hair falls  in curls since it's cut in layers.  No combing out needed.  Just hands.  I find it works better for me.   Once the curls stop because of day-to-day oil and dirt buildup I'm back to my ponytail or bun.  LOL!  I try my damnedest to only actually use a comb on my hair a minimum of once a week.  :)