by Torrie Oglesby | Feb 16, 2016 | Lifestyle+Culture
I’m currently pregnant with my third child and with this pregnancy came an extreme distaste for meat. I went to eating meat with almost every meal to not even being able to smell it or look at it. I thought this aversion would for sure leave once my second trimester came along, but to my surprise the distaste for meat only grew. I’ve been going crazy trying to take my ordinary meals and replacing the meat with other foods high in protein, because of this, black beans have become my favorite meat substitute. Beans in general pack a punch when it comes to protein and fiber. With this obsession, came my black bean tacos! We eat them every Monday in our household and they are a win every time! I hope you enjoy and you incorporate them into your diet! They are so simple, extremely quick to prepare, and delicious!
Ingredients:
2 cans of black beans
Taco meat seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes
Cilantro (optional)
Onions (optional)
Lettuce
Avocado (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Cheese (optional)
Tacos
Directions:
- Pour the black beans, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and taco meat seasoning into a skillet. Let them sizzle and season on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, cut up the lettuce, avocado, and onions for people to add on if they choose to.
- After about 20 minutes of the beans getting seasoned, take them off the skillet and enjoy!
SIDENOTE: My husband chooses to make lettuce wraps instead of tacos. Just place the bean mixture on first and then happily add your taco/lettuce wrap toppings on!
by Torrie Oglesby | Feb 16, 2016 | Learn + Grow
As you recall, I urged us all to focus on African-American literature for the month of February in my latest article. I wanted to share a review on a book I’ve recently finished written by the legendary Toni Morrison. God Help the Child is a historical literary fiction novel, centered on a dark skinned girl who calls herself Bride. Throughout the novel you see her life unfold and you get multiple perspectives from different characters. This novel is a heavy read that focuses on social issues, identity issues, relationships with ourselves and how that ultimately shapes the relationships in which we have with others. Toni Morrison does a remarkable job in pushing the plot forward and developing the characters swiftly while not rushing any aspect of the story, in a short 178 page novel.
Not every novel you read affects you, however, this was the second fictional book that I’ve read this year that I was annotating, highlighting, and was forced to stop and think about the simplest sentences that Toni arranged. As an author, Toni has a way of pulling the reader in and making the reader question social issues, personal issues, and issues within races and sexual classes. This novel made me cry, made me raise my eyebrows and even gave me the chills at certain parts.
I’m going to tell you guys what I told my two best friends, if you only read one book this year, have it be Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child. I will warn you again, it is heavy and deals with a lot of trigger issues, but they are issues that need to be brought to the light and discussed. If you are willing to dive into the conversation that Toni Morrison is stirring up with this book, please pick up your copy! And if you have already read this book, tell me your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
torrie o.
by Torrie Oglesby | Feb 2, 2016 | Learn + Grow
February is Black History Month! While this month is controversial, I prefer finding the good and celebrating African-American history regardless of others opinions on the month! One way, that I’m incorporating African-American history in my month of February is taking a look at African-American literature! I’m an avid reader, however last year I realized that I tend to stay within certain genre’s and never explore other genres. Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been intentionally buying books that are outside of my ordinary book buys, a lot being African-American literature based and I’ve been so blessed by reading outside of my norm that I wanted to encourage you guys to read outside of the lines that you have created for yourself as well.
This month, let’s try to focus on African-American literature. From classic like The Color Purple by Alice Walker to newbies like our latest feature in You Should Know Her, Author CP Patrick’s Awiti. If you pick up a book this month, at least have one that is based on African-American history to educate and empower yourself. Below I have created a list of 10 books, some fiction, some autobiographical, that you can start with if you happen to be at a complete lost! If you read or have read any of these, let us know in the comments your thoughts and opinions on the books! Happy reading!
- One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelo
- The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gains
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coats
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- God Help The Child by Toni Morrison
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
by Torrie Oglesby | Feb 2, 2016 | Lifestyle+Culture
We all could add a dose of more healthy foods to our diets! One versatile fruit that is beneficial and filled with healthy fats is the Avocado! They are packed with abundant nutrients such as Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5 and B6! They are also extremely healthy and beneficial for your skin and eyes! You ought to be eating avocado and if you aren’t here are 3 ways to incorporate it into your diet!
- Breakfast Option: Avocado Toast: Simple and easy! The way I like my avocado toast is to spread it across my toast and add the following ingredients on top of it:
-red pepper flakes
-shredded parmesan
-a dash of blue cheese
-pepper and salt to taste
-sriracha sauce (OPTIONAL) or hot sauce (OPTIONAL)
- Lunch Option: Bacon Avocado Salad
-Lettuce (Iceberg or Romaine)
-Bacon
-Blue Cheese dressing (Or whatever you prefer)
-Bell peppers! (Because they make everything BETTER.
- On the Go Option: Protein Packed Avocado. In a bowl combine all the ingredients below and season with salt and pepper!
– 1 hard boil egg
– 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
-Celery (minced)
-Parsley
xoxo,
torrie
by Torrie Oglesby | Jan 26, 2016 | Family + Relationships
I’m going to go ahead and assume that if you’re a woman you are a giver. The days and weeks of your life consists of serving others. You freely give your time, your energy and the best of yourself to your loved ones. This is such a good quality and the true mark of a servers’ heart. However we often get lost in making sure everyone else is taken care of that we forget to take care of ourselves. I can always tell when I haven’t taken care of myself by my attitude. The minute serving becomes burdensome instead of enjoyable or when I start going through the motions and not be intentional with every action and move is when I know it’s time to stop and treat myself.
I recently fell into a huge writing slump. If you’re a writer you know how scary these slumps can be. It feels as if you’re stuck on sticky tap and can’t find a way to get unstuck. For a whole week, I couldn’t jot down one sentence let alone a word for my novel. I was paralyzed at this certain part of my story and it was looking like it was going to be a long road back to the light. Luckily, I have a husband who knows me inside and out and he came home from work one day and simply said, “On Saturday, you’re going to go take some time to be alone.” It’s amazing how our loved ones know truths about us before we can see them. I agreed and all of a sudden I was looking forward to Saturday morning, a date with myself, and a chance to gain a new perspective.
Saturday morning came, I got up early, before the babies, got dressed and headed out! With my laptop, charger, phone, and headphones in a tote I was ready to write and be renewed by time well spent with myself. As I sat down and was prepared to write I was still in a major slump. So I read a little, listened to music and even called an old friend of mine to catch up and laugh. By feeding myself, I got inspired and just like that the floodgates of my creativity burst open and I was able to jot down 4,000 words!!! The light was nearer than I thought, it just required me to put myself first and allow my creativity to be feed. If you starve yourself, you’ll end up being unhealthy. Same with your spiritual/mental body. If you starve your spirit and mind of love and nurture for ITSELF, then you’re going to be unhealthy and insufficient. Ladies, while I love that we are servers and that that’s a true reflection of our creator, I also want you guys to remember to TREAT YO SELF in order to give to yourself and others in a healthier and happier way.
What will you do this week to treat yo self? Let us know in the comments below!
With love and big smiles,
Torrie.
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