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2Night Nail n Tire, is The Day Flat?

Ego! guest Blogger Toni Elle

Ego is a rather complex three letter word. It has a way of making one seem together externally, while internally, a personal, possibly debilitating war is ensuing. Ego comes into play in many aspects of our lives. It can make us insist on certain brands of clothing, models of cars, and specially prepared coffee made to our liking. It infiltrates deeper parts of our lives as well, like our perception of ourselves and how we manage our relationships, or lack thereof. It can be especially debilitating in relationships when coping with the aftermath of a divorce. I am a divorce “survivor”. I use that term because I feel that I was successful in beating (and continuing to beat) a huge factor that makes the difference in overcoming the circumstances: ego. This feat proves to be even more difficult when children are involved because that person has to remain in your Read More…

Last Night, Curtis

Last night I got home late, after having had dinner with the former head coach of the Dominican Women Basketball program, whom I coach under Brianna Chambers. She is now Coach in charge of recruiting for Niagara University. We Dined at Paschal’s 180 Northside Dr. SW Atlanta. I’ll share the and the great time Coach and I had some other blog! Lol  So, last night I forgot to press the publish button for the blog post. There is an saying there’s a reason for everything and the reason here is that I need Introduce  you to my second guest blogger. Toni Elle, I’ve known Toni over 15 years and in that time we’ve seen each other less than five times in person however the friendship,  relationship this kinship is very close ! I may not speak to her for years or she may not speak to me for years and Read More…

Bad Guy

Bad Guy   Many, I poems others are works in progress like the following. Bad Guy The Bad Ex-Husband The Bad Dad The Bad Son The bad Brother The Bad Uncle, Cousin, The bad Friend! He is the BAD-GUY! Feel me? Don’t ask me why I’m the bad guy, Pleaseee,,, Don’t ask, don’t ask I cannot be this Bad guy ! Curtis G. Aikens I have been working with poetry, since taking the Courage course at Dominican University of California, Thank You Margaret Golden (my Margaret), for all you did for me while at DU, and what you do for me now! Thank you Dr. Madalienne Peters, you encouraged me to take Courage also for being my Courage those times when I had NONE! Poetry helps me deal with stress, and the emotion of the wonder-filled, ups and downs of life. Poetry I love expressing myself late night or early Read More…

Potato Salad &?

There are so many Potato Salad recipes out there try this one and let me know what you think! A Southern Potato Salad Ingredients 4 potatoes peeled and diced large 1 sweet onion peeled and chopped 4 tablespoons sweet relish 2 hard cooked (boiled) eggs 1 / 3 cup mayonnaise 1 / 3 cup sour cream 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 / 2 teaspoon sugar Salt and pepper to taste. Method Place diced potatoes in pot cover with cold water bring to boil, let cook 5 to 7 minutes remove from heat. In large mixing bowl add onions relish, chop eggs and add to bowl mix well. Next add mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar along with sugar mix. Drain the potatoes, then add to mixing bowl, it is ok it they are still warm, turn potatoes over and over to coat but not break potatoes. Can be served Read More…

Grapes, SummerTime

  Grapes The grape was introduced to California by Spanish padres as they opened missions throughout the west. However, by no means was this the first introduction of the fruit to America. In fact, hundreds of years before Columbus found America, the Viking sailors crossed the Great North Sea and visited what is now the New England coastline. They were amazed to see the abundance of native grape vines, so they called the area “Vinland.” – The grape is believed to be the first fruit cultivated by human beings, an association that is well docume-nted throughout the Bible. According to the book of Genesis, one of the first things that Noah did after  the Flood was to plant a vineyard.  The grape has been around so long and seems to be native to so many lands that its exact origin remains unknown.   There are literally hundreds of varieties of this        ancient fruit: two native American grapes are the ​ Northern Fox ​ and the ​ Muscadine ​ (this one is still enjoyed in the southern United States). These are considered the parents of today’s commercially grown native grapes: the ​ Niagara, ​ the ​ Delaware, and the most popular of the domestic grapes, the ​ Concord. ​ These varieties, for the most part, are used for eating out of hand. They have thick skins and seeds.   The vineyards planted by the padres are direct descendants of the Old-World grapes described in the Bible. They have thinner skins and an overall sweeter flavor.  Some of today’s table grapes include the ​ Perlite, a small green seedless grape with a somewhat thick skin. It grows in a tight cluster and has a nice sweet flavor. Today’s most popular grape is the ​ Thompson Seedless. ​ This large, green grape is sometimes as long as one inch. When you see this seedless grape with a rich yellow color, that indicates the sugar levels are their highest.   Another grape is the ​ Flame Seedless. ​ Many think this red seedless will surpass the Thompson in popularity, but I don’t think so. It has beautiful color and a wonderful sweet flavor, but it’s just not as juicy as the Thompson. If any grape can become more popular than the Thompson, I think it will be the ​ Exotic. ​ The Exotic is a black seedless grape that is a little smaller than the Thompson, but it is just as sweet and juicy. As soon as farmers catch on, watch out, Thompson! This grape adds beauty to any fruit arrangement.   The forerunner to the Exotic is the Ribier . This black grape is surpassed by none as far as flavor is concerned, but most consumers want seedless grapes, and the Ribier has three large pits.   There are many other grapes you should also try. For instance, the ​ Queen​ is a red grape that is sweet, firm, and crisp to bite. The ​ Tokay ​ is sure to be a hit in the nineties­­ it’s red counterpart to the Perlette. The ​ Italia ​ is large, sweet, and juicy, with a muscat flavor. Another grape that should become quite popular in the next few years is  the ​ Black Corinth, ​ more commonly known as the “Champagne Grape” because of its  tiny size, like the bubbles of its namesake. The flavor is outstanding.   Grapes are available year­round. Domestic crops start in late May and wind down in January. During the off months, the bulk of the imports comes in from Chile, with a smaller amount arriving from Mexico. When shopping for grapes, remember that freshness is key: the fruit should cling firmly to the stem; it should not shake loose easily. The stem should be green with no indication of drying, which is a sign of age.  The fruit will keep up to a week in your refrigerator but should be consumed within three days if possible.   Grapes aren’t known for their nutritional value, but they do contain some of vitamins A and C.

Mama’s Corn Bread

From Curtis Cooks With Heart & Soul if you like This Buy the Book I love bread, from the fancy focaccias I’ve found in Italian Bistros, to the wonderful baguettes I’ve enjoyed on visits to Paris, to the hot bagels I’ve eaten in so many shops in NewYork City. I even love plain old store ­bought loaf bread. As much as I enjoy these breads, though, none can compare to the breads from Mama’s kitchen…the breads of my soul the breads of my childhood in Mama’s house in Conyers, Georgia. I hope the love I feel for the following recipes, as well as for the preparer, will come out at your table when you prepare them at home. Mama’s CornBread Now, I can’t tell you which of Mama’s breads is my favorite, but suffice it to say, I love whatever I happen to be eating at the time. I’m starting this chapter with corn bread because it’s the first bread I learned to make, and now that I do it well, I’ve created several recipes of my own from Mama’s original. You are going to love this bread, particularly if you bake it like Mama and I do… in a large cast ­iron skillet. 2 cups cornmeal 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup water 1 large egg 6 table spoons vegetable oil Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. On the stove top, heat the oil in a large skillet until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot oil into the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for 35­50 minutes. Start checking for doneness after 35 minutes; it should be golden brown when done. Serves 4 to 6

Onion Rings!

Lately I have been going back to some down-home cooking, Frying. In the South if you are not sure how to cook something, well just batter it, then Fry! Hey don’t knock it until you try it! Frying food is fun and simple, not easy, easy methods of cooking I feel are baking and boiling set or reach temperature set the timer come back when the alarm goes off! Now that is easy! Frying can be great to share with you kids, yes your kids! With your little one during prep, the older kids can work with you at stove top! When you say fried some think or say O-No to much Fat! That is a yes and not statement, yes one use fat to cook, no if done properly the fired items wont absorb much oil (fat)! Here are three tips to help you keep the oil level in Read More…

Construction Zone, My life!!

Tonight my 1st night video blog in many Moons! This life has been is forever will be a construction zone. Until is it Done! Check out the video let me know what you think Curtis G Aikens Sr. Chef, Www.curtisaikens.net

Mushroom Soup, Peachey Pie?

Long Day I correct tomorrow! Peace enjoy Soups When I think of soup, I think of my parents…my mama, because of the great ritual involved in the preparation of her soups, and my dad, because soup was absolutely the only food he would accept as a one­dish meal. Mind you, he did have to have cornbread or crackers, but he didn’t require a salad or side dish or even a dessert, for that matter. That’s because Mama’s soup and stews were, and still are, several courses in a single pot. From start to finish, Mama’s soups could contain as many as twenty different ingredients. Mama would be the first to tell you that the secret to good soup is the foundation or base, stock. She would start with the meat or bones, brown them a bit with some seasoning and maybe some herbs and onions. She’d then add water and let the base simmer an hour or so before adding the root vegetables. All of that cooked together for another hour or more, then she would add the next batch of vegetables. When we kids got home from school, the house was full of the most wonderful, warm smell, and by the time Dad came in from work, the house smelled great! She’d make up a big skillet of cornbread, and what a  meal it would be! Dad’s right. You don’t need to serve anything more when you have a pot of homemade soup on the table.That’s how I rememer soup as a kid. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve discovered  something else about soup. Picture this: It’s cold, last night. You’re in the Village in New York,  or North Beach in San Francisco, or a favorite spot with you share with a special someone.  The two of you step into a quaint cafe, sit by the window, and, shivering from the chill of the  night, order a big bowl of steaming, hot soup. One bowl, two spoons. Each time the soons  go into the bowl, your heads lower and your eyes meet. Who would have thought soup could  be romantic. Wonder if Dad knew? Let’s make some soup!   3 Mushroom Soup This soup is excellent, but to make it really special, puree the sauteed mushrooms and onion with a handheld mixer or in a food processor or blender before adding them to the stock. 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 10 medium white or brown mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced 2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced 1 medium onion, diced 2 cups vegetable stock (page 20) 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste In a large stockpot, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms and onion, cover and saute over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and add the worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes. Before serving, adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serves 2 to 4 Beggar’s purses 1 sheet puff pastry (cut into 4 pieces) 3 to 4 ripe peaches (or fruit of your choice) 1-tablespoon vanilla flavor 1-teaspoon cinnamon 1-cup sugar 4 pads butter Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, then slice fruit in small pieces. Place in a mixing bowl. Add vanilla, cinnamon and sugar; mix well. Let it sit for a few minutes allowing juices to come out of fruit. Take the puff pastry and roll it out to make a bit larger not too much,