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In Destinations, Uncategorized on
March 4, 2024

Chacahua, Mexico A Slice of Paradise

Globelle Affairs Chacahua Charneice McKenzie

Not a single blog post or traveler who recommended this remote, rustic beach town mentioned Afro-Mexicanos when describing the Chacahua — and they were the highlight for me! Had someone mentioned this detail back in January when I arrived in Puerto Escondido, I wouldn’t have waited so long to visit.

Chacahua gives me Livingston, Guatemala (aka La Buga) vibes. Both towns are so remote they’re only accessible only by boat. The two locations have a notable population of African descendants. Livingston and Chacahua both heavily utilize palapas. However, the African descendants of Guatemala are the attraction in La Buga. You visit La Buga to experience the Afro-Guatemalans (Garifunas) and their culture. In Chacahua, it’s about the surf.

There’s nothing to do in Chacahua but surf and chill. And for some, learning how to relax is the biggest challenge. Having interesting people to chill with is what makes the chill spectacular. That’s where the locals come in.

You’re going to need to bring enough cash with you. There are no ATMs on the island, and the tiendas and super marcados charge a hefty service fee on credit cards. So how much should you bring?

Getting there (costs $500 Mexican Pesos or $30USD)

My group of four took the most luxurious route from LA Punta in Puerto Escondido— a 1-hour taxi to Zapotalito. A 45-minute boat ride directly to Chacahua.

The taxi gave us a quote for AC and a cheaper quote for without. He also mentioned that he didn’t realize four of us were going and would have charged more. There are so many variables in the cost of the ride. We also had Alejandro, a Mexican, who could negotiate the price in a familiar accent to avoid getting the tourist price. With the windows down, the four of us packed into the car. It felt like a breezy convertible.

Taxi: $1,100 (split between four people)

Direct Water Taxi Boat $200 MXP per person (we got a $100 peso discount because the boat captain was in a hurry to fill the boat and go)

Other methods include taking a collectivo 37 miles to the lagoon in Zapotalito ($50 pesos), then walking a little way to a second collectivo. Then, catch a 10-minute boat ride ($50 pesos).

Coming back, Meggie, a Mexican girl in our new group of friends, negotiated at Hotel & Restaurant Isahmar for our group, which expanded to 11. It was the same price but private. Then Meggie had an SUV and took the original 4 of us all back. We chipped in $100 pesos a piece. It pays to be social and expand your friend group.

Belle Notes:

The mangroves on the lagoon have gorgeous aquatic birds that create a magical atmosphere, like the “Kiss the girl” lagoon scene in The Little Mermaid. You’re going to want to keep your camera ready!

You’re going to want to reserve $500 MX pesos ($30) to make sure you have enough money to get off the island.

 

Staying ($2,600 Mexican Pesos for 2 nights)

We chose the bougiest option on the island. For $1300 MX pesos a night, we got an airconditioned room with two full beds, a private bathroom, a mini fridge, a hammock, decent wifi, and a private covered porch. For those living in Puerto Escondido, you know how luxurious this setup is. The total was $866 MXP ($51USD) split between three girls in our group (Alejandro had friends on the island to stay with. We just happened to walk upon the cabana.

Other options –

Hammock stays under a palapa for $60MPS ($3.50 USD) per night. My American friend from Virginia chose this option and loved it. There was a strong sense of community with those with hammocks near him. Everyone left their tablets and phones there to charge without fear of theft. Additionally, the hammocks offered kitchen and shower accommodations.

Another friend had stayed in a three-walled hut called dharma about a half a mile on the beach. He paid $500 pesos a night for rustic, camping-like accommodations. There’s also actual camping in tents as well.

Belle Tip: You won’t find most lodging options online to book ahead of time. You’ll want to get there early to snag your best options. You’ll find many hosts standing outside their cabanas, calling out to you their price.

Eating in Chacahua

On the comfortable end, I’d reserve $500 MX pesos daily for meals. Breakfast plates plus coffee and tip ran right around $100 pesos. You have a lot of lunch options for $100 MXP.  Fish platters (or shrimp or octopus), the most exquisite meal option, will run you about $220-$250.  Otherwise, dinners (like tacos and burritos) are also $100. Be sure to budget an extra $60 MXP for smoothies and frozen coffee. $30 MXP Coca-Cola. $80-$100 for cocktails, $30-50 for beers. $30 for post-surf cocos frios.

Sunset dinner at Hotel & Restaurant Isahmar: Fish Platter with rice, salad, and fried for $220 pesos plus $30 coke.

Breakfast: Coffee ($25) and a smoothie ($60)

Lunch: Four mini burritos and fries ($100), a tropical smoothie ($70), plus a burrito to save for later.

Snacks at the tiendas (drinks, cookies, chips, yogurt): $150 pesos

snack from the beach vendors ($35MXP choco flan, fried plantain, empanadas)

Alcoholic Cocktails ($80)

To Do in Chacahua

With gentle rolling waves and no phone service, Chacahua is known as a place to chill and surf. But if you need to break up your chill with activity, here are a few ideas.

Surf – Of course, there’s surf. Board Rental for 1 hour – $100-$150. Surfboard rental all day $300

Bioluminescence Tour – For about S100-200 pesos, which is cheaper than if you take the tour from Puerto Escondido ($500-$800), you can see the bioluminescent plankton in the lagoon at night. Your best bet is to go during a new moon on the darkest nights. The plankton also washes up on the sand. Kick the sand at night; it’ll light up with blue neon. 

Weed – $100 MXP ($6USD) I must put a disclaimer here. I don’t smoke. Anything. At all. However, it is a popular recreation on the island (and in Oaxaca. And in Mexico in general). A comrade of mine pulled out an enormous bag of marijuana on the breakfast table. He said a bag of that quantity would run $80USD in the US. And he could get 15-20 joints out of it. These are things people want to know..

Boat Activities– For approx $1600 pesos, you can negotiate for a boat captain to take you fishing, Whale watching, or on a lagoon photo tour.  

Sunsets- the sunsets on the Pacific Ocean are majestic, regardless of which country you’re in. However, in Chacahua, the sun sets on the lagoon rather than the ocean. You’ll have several restaurant options to grab dinner and watch the sunset simultaneously. 

Sunrise- Accordingly, in Chacauhua, the sunrises over the ocean are equally as sacred as sunsets. You’ll just have to get up earlier.  

Volleyball– On the lagoon side, outside of Cafe 420, you can watch or participate in Beach volleyball. Fair warning: the guys can get really competitive and aggressive.  

Lighthouse Hike– for $15 MXP, you can take a boat across the river to the lighthouse. It’s a quick walk. Do not be fooled — the lagoon is wider than it appears and, although a strong swimmer can make it across — just pay the $15 pesos! Although the hike looks monumental, it’s an easy 15 minutes.

Chill – There’s not much to do, but plenty of people to do nothing with. Chilling is the most popular pastime. This is often the most challenging part for people. This quiet, remote region is the best place for alone time in your hammock, journaling, practicing an instrument, and catching up on your latest novel. We spent a lot of time getting to know people

Party – a party is rare. There might be a lively gathering on a Saturday. Last Saturday, I spent my time hanging out at a late-night chill spot for the 30+ crowd. It was mostly talking, singing with a guy with a guitar, and card-playing. As I headed home at midnight, I did a lap around a spot playing reggaeton with chants of “ay ay ay.” There was a lot of young, local energy there. 

While I hesitate to write about it for fear that it will attract too many visitors, Chacahua really is a special spot to just be. It does take planning to get there. But once you’re there, the people you meet are the main attraction.

Check Out These Other Posts on Surfing and Latin America:

10 Best Surf Towns in Latin America

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In Uncategorized on
February 28, 2024

African-American Musical Canon Part I

Collection of early 20th Century Jazz artist including Fats Waller, Fats domino, Louis Armstrong, ella Fitzgerld, Billie Holiday,and Bessie Smith

From the soul-lifting messages of 19th-century spirituals to the lyrical revolution of 21st-century hip-hop, the African-American musical canon has always served as a powerful force capable of inspiring minds, lifting spirits, uniting communities, and fortifying the resolve of communities facing challenges. This exploration of African-American musical heritage provides a gateway to appreciate the diverse artistic achievements that have shaped American society and resonated globally.

Ways to Study & Appreciate the African-American Musical Canon

The best way to appreciate the African-American musical canon, of course, is to listen. Buy the whole album, stream, or download (I provide some links). Next, incorporate the music while you clean your home, prepare for the day, and during car rides. Watch performances on YouTube. Dance. Move your hands as if you are conducting the band. Imagine the visuals. Learn about the performers’ backgrounds and accomplishments. Understand the conditions and historical events in which the composers created the music. Consider the purpose — uplift, mobilize, tell a story, unite, educate, entertain, bear witness, and send a message. Consider the audience. 

Additionally, to enhance your appreciation of the music, see if there are movies about the artists to watch and learn more about their lives. Here are a few examples: United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) is an American biographical drama film about singer Billie Holiday, available to stream on Hulu. Clint Eastwood directed and produced the movie “Bird (1988) on the life of Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.  The award-winning film Ray (2004) followed the life and times of musician Ray Charles. Without further ado, the African-American musical cannon:

Negro Spirituals (Antebellum-Civil War)

In his first autobiography, Fredrick Douglas described Negro Spirituals like this:

 “Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains…”

Enslaved Africans in the United States drew upon the oral traditions of West Africans, singing to survive the trauma of slavery. After emancipation, recognizing the significant heritage of the songs, individuals worked to document the lyrics. Different groups, like opera singer Marian Anderson and The Fisk University Jubilee Singers, provided some of the first recordings. These songs became the foundation of the African-American musical canon.

The spirituals, disguised as church songs, often had hidden messages. For example, if the enslaved heard someone singing, “Steal Away, steal away, steal away home, I ain’t got long to stay,” they understood it was an alert that this may be the last time around loved ones because an escape was imminent. “Follow The Drinking Gourd” was a message telling those planning an escape to follow the North Star to freedom. “Wade In The Water” gave instructions to travel through water to avoid being tracked by hound dogs. The song “Go Down Moses” alerted everyone that Moses (as Harriet Tubman was called) was on the way.

Negro Spirituals in the African-American Musical Cannon 

  1. Go Down, Moses   
  2. Steal Away
  3. Swing Low Sweet Chariot 
  4. Follow the Drinking Gourd
  5. Wade in the Water 
  6. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
  7. I Got My Ticket
  8. Jesus Leads Me All the Way
  9. All God’s Children Got Shoes
  10. Balm in Gilead
  11. He’s Got the Whole World in his hands
  12. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child 
  13. Trampin’ Trampin’

The Harlem Renaissance 1918–1937

By the late 1910s, African-Americans from the Deep South, Afro-Caribbean expatriates, and Puerto Ricans found their home in the former Jewish neighborhood of Harlem. Harlem flourished as the epicenter of a new cultural movement. The Harlem Renaissance was an African-American intellectual, artistic, and cultural renaissance during the build-up and aftermath of WWI; due to the beginnings of The Great Migration, African Americans from the South and Caribbean immigrants settled in Harlem. Musicians born during the Reconstruction Era had grown up, matured, and experienced their musical heyday. 

Song List of the Harlem Renaissance Cannon

  1. James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) & his brother, John Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954) – Lift Every Voice And Sing. 
  2. WC Handy (1873- 1958)- (1)Memphis Blues, (2)St. Louis Blues, (3)Muscle Shoals Blues, and (4) Beale Street Blues.
  3. Ma Rainy (1886-1939)- (1)Prove It On Me Blues, (2)C.C. Rider, (3)Black Bottom, and (4)Moonshine Blues.
  4. Jelly Roll Morton (1890- 1941) – King Porter Stomp and Black Bottom Stomp. 
  5. Bessie Smith (1894 -1937) – “Backwater Blues” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” “Empty Bed Blues” and “St. Louis Blues” were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. “Down Hearted Blues” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame.
  6. Ethel Waters (1894-1977)- Her impact expanded through much of the 20th century, from segregated vaudeville to Broadway, television, and movies. She integrated Broadway when Irving Berlin cast her in the starring role of ‘As Thousands Cheer.’ She was the first African-American nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She was the first woman to sing “St. Louis Blues,” making her a national icon. She had a role in Cabin in the Sky with Lena Horne. Some of her most known songs are “Stormy Weather,” “Miss Otis Regrets,” and “Cabin in the Sky.”  
  7. Duke Ellington (1899-1974) – It Don’t Mean Thing if It Aint Got That Swing,” “East St. Louis Toodle,” “Black Brown and Beige,” and “In a Sentimental Mood.”
  8. Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong (1901- 1971)- “What a Wonderful World,” “La vie en Rose,” Hello, Dolly! Dream a Little Dream of Me,” “Mack The Knife,” “A Kiss To Build A Dream On,” “Blueberry Hill.” ‘When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Summertime,” “Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Aint Misbevain.’
  9. Cab Calloway (1907-1994) Band leader best remembered for his “Hidy Hidy Hidy Ho.” 

Additional Listening

  1. Noble Sissle (1889- 1975) – composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright famous for the song “I’m just wild about Harry” used in the 1921 Broadway Musical, Shuffle Along.
  2. Lester Young (1909-1959) tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist
  3. Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) Clarinetist, saxophonist, and composer.
  4. John “King” Oliver (1881- ) Cornetist
  5. Count Basie (1904-1984) led his orchestra for 50 years. He popularized the lindy hop.
  6. Fats Waller ( )
  7. Johnny Dodd (1892- 1940) Clarinet
  8. Fletcher “Smack” Henderson (1897- 1952) was a Prolific Composer. Most compositions were performed by others.  Shanghai Shuffle is one of his most famous compositions.

Depression Era & Jazz Age of African-American Musical Canon 

  1. Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) debuted during the early days of the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Nights in 1934. After singing “A Tisket-A-Tasket” in 1938, composers and bandleaders like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, and Benny Goodman couldn’t resist collaborating with her. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. She popularized the musical style “Skat.”  Her best-known songs are from Gershwin’s songbook and duets with Louis Armstrong, like “Puttin’ On the Ritz.” 
  2. Billie Holiday (1915-1949) is a songstress best remembered for her performance of “Strange Fruit” — a song so controversial it made her a target of the CIA. She also sang the Gershwin songbook.
  3. Charlie “Yardbird” Parker (1920-1955) helped develop bebop. His best-received albums include Savoy (1944), Bird At Roost (1949), An Evening at Home with Charlie Parker Sextet (1950), and Jam Session (1952)
  4. Miles Davis (1926 -1991) is one of the most (if not THE MOST) prolific jazz composers of the 20th century, playing the trumpet on over 60 albums from 1951 to 1985. He’s known for his long jam sessions (we’re talking 13-minute songs). His best-received albums are Kind of Blue (1959), Porgy and Bess (1959), Birth of Cool (1957), and Sketches of Spain (1959).
  5. John Coltrane (1926-1967) –played tenor and soprano sax in big bands with Dizzy Gillespie. His most notable album is Blue Train. Naima, a ballad written for his wife, is one of his most loved songs. His song, “Giant Steps,” is still studied by jazz musicians. The song “Alabama” from his Live At Birdland album was written in response to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. His rendition of Favorite Things from the Sound of Music…is just…wow!
  6. Ray Charles (1930–2004) – Most famous songs: I Got A Woman & Georgia On My Mind.

Additional Listening

  1. Dizzy Gillespie (1917- ) trumpet player. Best known song -Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac,
  2. Herbie Handcock (1940- 
  3. Fats Waller
  4. Fats Domino – The Fat Man
  5. Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (1926 –1984)- Hound dog 

Civil Rights Music in the African-American Musical Canon

The Civil Rights Era ushered in a new genre of freedom music. In the soul-crushing times of Jim Crow, African-Americans used music to strengthen, resolve, uplift, empower, unite, and inspire. These are the songs that Freedom Fighters sang during freedom rides, during sit-ins, while unjustly jailed, and in churches. Fannie Lou Hamer and Mahalia Jackson are just among the voices that characterized the movement.   Freedom fighters adapted some of these songs from classic church hymns; others were originals. Written Lyrics can be found on the PBS site. Additonally, you can purchase the soundtrack to the movement here (I own this album). Another good option is this collection.

 “The freedom songs are playing a strong and vital role in our struggle..They give the people new courage and a sense of unity.”  – – Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil Rights Song List

  1. Lift Every Voice and Sing
  2. Woke Up This Morning. Additionally, John Legend also does a modern edition of this classic.
  3. We Shall Overcome  
  4. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize 
  5. We Shall Not Be Moved (March on Washington) 
  6. Ninety-Nine and a Half Won’t Do
  7. Go Tell It on the Mountain (Fannie Lou Hamer, 1963) 
  8. This Little Light of Mine (Sam Cooke 1964) 
  9. Strange Fruit – (1939)
  10. Take My Hand, Precious Lord (Mahalia Jackson, 1956) At his request, Mahalia sang this song at MLK’s funeral in 1969.
  11. We Are Soldiers in the Army
  12. I’m Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table
  13. Mississippi Goddam (Nina Simone, 1964)
  14. Long Walk To D.C. (The Staple Singers 1968) 
  15. Change Gone Come – Same Cooke
  16. People Get Ready – Curtis Mayfield
  17. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Black Power/Black is Beautiful Movement (late 60s-1990s)

In the late 1960s through 1970s, the Black Power/Black is Beautiful Movement was a cultural revolution that encouraged African-Americans to regain connections to the African continent. After centuries of struggle, this was the period in which African-Americans started forming and celebrating a national, ethnic, and cultural identity. From Afro-centric names, African-centric aesthetics (afros & dashikis), art, literature, scholarship, and music, Black people in America unapologetically embraced all aspects of Blackness. For example, Maulana Karenga developed Kwanza during this Black empowerment period. Muhammad Ali made sure everyone knew how pretty he was. “Five on the Black Hand Side” became a popular phrase of endearment.  Additionally, the Black people of Brazil and Jamacia also had parallel movements.

  1. James Brown, ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud’ (1968) 
  2. The Staple Singers, ‘I’ll Take You There’ (1972)
  3. Nina Simone, ‘To Be Young, Gifted and Black’ (1970)
  4. Stevie Wonder, ‘Living For the City’ (1973)
  5. Gil Scott-Heron, ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ (1971)
  6. Bob Marley, ‘Redemption Song’ (1981)
  7. James Brown – I Feel Good 
  8. Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going on?”  
  9. Jimi Hendrix- Star Spangled Banner
  10. B.B. King – How Blue Can You Get?  

In summation, familiarity of these songs is so essential to knowing the culture. These are critical songs that each generation should know. This is just the foundation of the African-American musical canon. Continue to Part II to learn the modern classics. Don’t forget to follow up for part II.

Also, while you’re in African-American heritage mode, check out these 28 books I compiled for a Black History Month reading list and this Black History Month Reading List for Young Readers.

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In GloBelle Kitchen, Uncategorized on
February 14, 2024

Après Ski Fondue: The Perfect Treat

“Après Ski, French for “after ski” describes the nightlife, culture, and festivities after the slopes. Skiing is a social winter activity in itself. However, the socializing that goes on after the slopes is just as important as your downhill adventures. Après Ski includes the drinks, the hot tubs, the fashion, the partying, the music, and, of course, the food. Fondue is the perfect après ski treat!

A post-ski fondue party continues the social atmosphere because the cheese and fixings are communal, not individual. A few years ago, while stationed in Germany, I went on a ski trip to Chamonix, France. It’s a great ski town, where you can take a lift up and then decide if you want to ski down the mountain into France, Germany or Switzerland. After skiing, our group gathered together in the chalet’s common area for an interactive dinner featuring fondue. The staff served us trays and trays of food (and bottles and bottles of wine) as we gathered around communal, heated cheese pots.

Here are some après ski fondue ideas to set up your own fondue party and have you feeling like you’re sharing a chalet in Chamonix or Zermatt even if you’re miles from the slopes.

The Cheese

First, there’s no such thing as Swiss Cheese in Switzerland. If you ask for it anywhere in Europe, no one will know what you’re talking about. Switzerland is home to many kinds of cheese (Fuurtfel, Alter Schweizer, and Appenzeller, to name a few). In America, Swiss cheese is a generic term for an American imitation of Emmentaler cheese.

Remember, there’s no right way to make fondue.  Since it’s a recipe derived from the Alps, Swiss Cheese/Emmentaler cheese is the traditional main ingredient.  But you can do whatever you want to do. I encourage getting creative with your cheese blends — the Bougier the cheese, the better. Consider Jarlsberg,  Havarti, Comte, Raclette, Brie, Parmesan, and Asiago…anything from the fancy cheese bar in the produce section will make a nice blend. Cream cheese is a great blend too. I stick with light-colored cheese just for the optics.

Here’s the recipe I used for two people:

Après Ski Fondue

Après Ski Fondue dippers with chocolate

Ingredients

8 oz (half a pound) block of Swiss Cheese (aka Emmentaler in Europe), shredded

Leftover shredded Gruyere (about a half cup)

Asiago, parmesan, and  cream cheese (I actually omitted it)

Minced garlic (how much? As garlicky as you want it…start with a tablespoon)

½ quart half & half (I actually just used milk)

Sprinkles of nutmeg (realized I didn’t have any and used paprika and cinnamon instead)

Olive oil

Dry white wine (or try dry sherry, brandy, bourbon, or beer…it doesn’t matter!)

Cup of flour

Instructions

  1. Using a bowl or zip bag, toss/mix shredded cheese with flour. Tossing the shredded cheese with flour helps keep the melting cheese smooth and dippable.
  2. In a saucepan, drizzle a little olive oil and sauté the garlic, add a little white wine
  3. Once the garlic browns, add the cheese.
  4. Stir until melted
  5. Use a little half-and-half to help the creaming process
  6. Drizzle with olive oil and mix in the nutmeg

**The flavor combinations are endless. Some folks like adding stone ground mustard, horse radish, sautéed, minced onions, or a hint of cayenne. I like mine savory with a hint of sweetness, just like me! J/k.**

Fondue Equipment

Williams Sonoma (https://www.williams-sonoma.com/search/results.html?words=fondue) has a few fondue sets at various price points.  But if you don’t foresee fondue parties happening regularly, skip the costs, effort, and space allotment of buying a dedicated set.  Instead, try these options:

  1. I used the base for a teapot warmer, a large tea candle, and a cute ceramic dish in the Anthropologie sale rack.
  2. You can also use a heavy-bottomed saucepan or double boiler and an electric burner or hot plate for the table. I scoped out a $10 hotplate at the Dollar General Store. Lowes, Home Depot, and of course Amazon have affordable electric options.
  3. To dip, use metal BBQ skewers, wooden kabab skewers, chopsticks, or just the smallest forks you own.

Après Ski Fondue Dippers

The cheese is the main course at this party; everything else is just a condiment. Get something to dip from every food group.  Everything goes with Cheese so don’t hold back. 

Fondue Après Ski Ideas

A list of dippers for fondou
Use this list as a starter of all the possibilities to dip into the cheese.

For Chocolate

After the cheesy main course, go for a sweet after-dinner chocolate fondue. Just whisk a bit of heavy cream, whole milk (or half and half, or flavored coffee creamer) with high-quality melting chocolate or chocolate chips. I actually used leftover hot chocolate from Williams Sonoma’s Christmas collection. It’s just pure, high-end chocolate flakes. Melt until fondue-y.

Consider topping it with flaky sea salt, adding mint to the mix, etc. It’s your call. You can even melt marshmallows or white candy pieces.

Dip it in chocolate, melted cream cheese frosting, or royal frosting.

Fondue isn’t just limited to ski getaways. It works well for date nights, easy dinner nights, and “let’s clean the leftovers out of the refrigerator” nights.

Drop some feedback on this list of Après Ski Fondue ideas in the comments. Let me know what you like to dip in your cheese.

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August 13, 2023

The Poet X

Side by side images of the author and her book. First the Poet X pays on a furry white rug with a house plant next to it. the second is a waist-up portrait of Elizabeth Acevedo outside in a button up denim shirt over top a white tee-shirt, curls popping in all their glory.

As an Elizabeth Acevedo stan, if she writes it, I read it. After reading Elizabeth Acevedo’s Clap When You Land, I became obsessed and had to read everything I could by the author. That led me to this book. This book, The Poet X, comes off as autobiographical and coming of age. It dealt with some heavy topics that teens have to navigate. It was relatable. I loved it!

Summary

The Poet X is the coming-of-age story of Xiomara (pronounced zee-o-mara) Batista, an Afro-Latina, spoken-word poet from Harlem, and her shy, sensitive twin brother. 

Xiomara finds herself at the center of nasty rumors that she has done nothing to deserve but develop into womanhood on God’s timing. Her development is the source of her teenage angst.

And so she fights.

She fights for her sensitive twin brother. 

She fights for herself.

The Batista twins both hold secrets and look forward to the day they can break free of them. It’s about the complex worlds of teenagers and the adults in their lives (parents and teachers) who just don’t understand.

Xiomara’s devout, conservative Catholic mother’s primary goal is to preserve her daughter’s virtue — even to the detriment of her daughter’s mental health and self-image. Some themes — sexuality, religion, and adjusting to developing bodies are relatable to most girls who grew up in Purity Culture. 

The poetry in prose discusses the challenges little girls transforming into womanhood have while navigating this gross society we’ve built for them and the well-intended, poorly executed ways parents call themselves protecting these children. Note: You don’t notice the story is written in poetry.

About the Author

Elizabeth is a New York City first gen, Dominican American Spoken Word Poet. Check Elizabeth’s phenomenal spoken word poem, “Rat Ode,” that she dedicated to a professor who told her rats were not noble enough for a poem. This is the first of Elizabeth Acevedo’s books and is highly lauded as a NYT Best Seller and  2019 Printz Award Winner.

Why I Loved It

I found myself pissed off at the side characters. Like, where did they get off talking to Xiomora like that? The hero me would be telling off everyone — her mama getting the largest piece of my mind. Her daddy needs to deal with too. And the boys in her neighborhood and school need their heads knocked off.

Where are her people? Who is protecting her?

It breaks my heart to hear of parents who call their daughters names. She’s a little girl — Same age as my niece. But this Dominican girl in Harlem is in a big, voluptuous body. And she can’t catch a break. 

My heart goes out to the girls whose bodies get attention from men at a young age—especially those with parents who don’t help them navigate the challenges in a healthy, helpful way. 

The almost abusive religiosity of well-meaning mothers reminded me that I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Xiomora is not your perfect Dominican daughter. 

Both mothers destroy a notebook symbolic of their daughter’s spirits. Do these mothers not understand a notebook and understanding parents is the strongest arsenal a girl can have while navigating this challenging transition from childhood to womanhood? 

Key Quotes:

 “I am the baby fat that settled into D-cups and swinging hips so that the boys who called me a whale in middle school now ask me to send them pictures of myself in a thong.”

“Just because your father’s present, doesn’t mean he isn’t absent.”

“When your body takes up more room than your voice, you are always the target of well-aimed rumors.”

“And I knew then what I’d known since my period came: my body was trouble. I had to pray the trouble out of the body God gave me. My body was a problem. And I didn’t want any of these boys to be the ones to solve it.”

“So many of the poems tonight felt a little like our own stories. Like we saw and were seen. And How crazy would it be if I did that for someone else.”

“Hope is a thing with wings.”

Other Books to enhance your comprehension of this book:

Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality by Rachel Roy Welcher

Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free

I hope you dive into The Poet X like I did and read other books by this author. 

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In Guatemala, North America, Uncategorized on
July 10, 2022

Three Days in Antigua, Guatemala for First-timers

a Global Belle admires the beautiful Santa Catalina Arc in Antigua Guatemala. there's two pictures side by side. in the first she's wearing a yellow crop top and hi-lo skirt holding a hat that ha s"summer vibes embroidered. In the second picture, she has on a peach, mustard, and orange color block, long sundress and wearing the straw hat. In both pics, Volcano Fuego peaks out behind the arch.

There’s plenty to keep a tourist busy for three days in this UNESCO World Heritage site. This charming colonial town, surrounded by three volcanos, is full of quaint shops, restaurants, museums, and colonial ruins (although, you’ll have to take a long bus ride or short plane ride for older, Mayan ruins).  Three days in Antigua, Guatemala is enough time to pack a lot of activities in this lively yet understated city that has maintained its colonial heritage. For those short on time, here are my high-priority must-do items when visiting Antigua in three days for first-timers. 

DAY 1 in Antigua Guatemala

Charneice poses in front of Santa Catalina Arch in Antigua, Guatemala. this is Antigua's most photographed tourist site.
Santa Catalina Arch is Antigua, Guatemala’s most photographed tourist site.

Get your picture at Santa Catalina Arch with Volcano Fuego in the background before the crowds. The days in Antigua get started a little later (and end later) than what most Americans are accustomed to. Early morning, that is before 8 am, is the perfect time to take pictures in Central Park before the crowds. If you want a small bite or drink, stop at one of my favorite coffee shops (El Portal Café II… don’t forget the 2) and the Starbucks on the same street. While Starbucks opens at 6am. Most other coffee shops do not. Trust me, you do not want to leave Antigua without stopping at the Starbucks. 

Then head up to Cerro de la Cruz. You’ll have the best views with the lowest chance of clouds first thing in the morning during the rainy season (June-Oct). But dry season sunsets are also magical here. 

By the time you climb down from the hill, more cafes and shops will be open. Take some time just to poke around and appreciate the city’s architecture. 

Head over to Caoba Farms for a farm-to-table brunch. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the heart of town. This vibe is especially great on Sundays with a live band. Even during the week, it’s great. Don’t forget to coat yourself with bug repellant. Be forewarned that bottled water here is $5 Norweigen Voss water. 

Back in the town, visit The Chocolate Museum in the square with Central Park. Stroll the Mercado and Nim Pot Handicraft Market, with less chaos than the Mercado. Don’t leave without checking out the Starbucks (on the same street as Catalina Arch), McDonald’s, and Taco Bell. 

Then have your siesta and relax, get washed up, and gussied up for the evening. 

For dinner, head back toward Central Park. Eat traditional French cuisine overlooking ruins at sunset at Tartines. DO NOT MISS THE SUNSET here! This French Bistro claims to have the best terrace views in Antigua and that’s no cap. The golden hour glow over the ruins of the Cathedral de Santiago ruins with volcanos in the background is breathtaking.

Let your evening adventures lead you to drinks at Antigua Brewing Company (ABC). During the day, this place has terrific rooftop views perfect for burgers and beers. When night falls, a live band alters the chill vibe to a party place. There’s a random London telephone booth in the corner. For a memorable experience that you’ll speakeasy about to other travelers, you’ll want to check it out (wink, wink).  

Dance the night away with salsa at Las Palmas. On Sunday nights, La Sala offers FREE Salsa lessons. New Sensation on 7 Avenida Norte #78 also offers free salsa classes on Monday and Thursday at 5 pm. Don’t let not having all the latest moves stop you from jumping on the dance floor.

DAY 2 in Antigua Guatemala

Hobbitenago 20 minutes outside of antigua, Guatemala was built with tourist photography in mind. It's also a wonderful place for lunch.
Hobbitenago was built with tourist photography in mind. It’s also a wonderful place for lunch.

The first stop of the morning is Hobbitenago & Altamira. You’ll want to be Instagram-ready for the picturesque views here. Be sure to linger at Hobbitenango for lunch.

You’ll need an Uber for this 20-minute drive. Every Uber will copy and paste the same message in Spanish about how gas is so expensive; instead of the rate Uber charges, they need 100Q instead. If you do not agree to this, they will cancel the request. This will happen over and over. You can try your luck in getting a driver from out of town who doesn’t know the conspiracy, but just accept that you’ll pay 100Q ($12) in cash for the ride.

Both photographable sites are located beside each other. You’ll take another little truck, and need to hike a bit to get to the location. Once on the hill linger for lunch. Try the swing. Make half a day of it. 

Back in town consider strolling the cathedrals and ruins. Do not pass over: 

San Francisco Church

The Remains Of Cathedral De Santiago

Centro de Formacion de la Cooperacian Espanol (free)

Biblioteka (free)

DAY 3 in Antigua Guatemala

Fuego from Cerro de la Cruz

Roast Marshemelos on Pacaya Volcano.  You must hike with a guide and they’re all going to run you about $60 but feel free to shop around. Two sessions leave at 6:00 AM or 2:00 PM. The morning is the better option for visibility.  You’ll take a 1-hour drive to the base of the volcano, then hike an easy 1.5 hours. The tour provides marshmallows. it does not provide graham crackers or chocolate. If you’d rather ride than hike, you have the option of doing Volcan Pacaya on horseback. This costs around Q100 ($ 12 USD) and is paid directly to the riding guide.

Other Options

Back in town, you may want to just relax or aimlessly wander the cobblestoned calles of the colonial village. Or perhaps, if you have time take an uber to Santo Domingo del Cerro.

Take A Coffee Tour at De La Gente Coffee Farm in La Azotea. The most economical way is to take a chicken bus for $1USD (the terminal is behind the mercado) and then pay $7 for the tour. If you go with a private tour company, you’ll pay $25.   Another coffee tour option is Tour Rural de Café/ Coffee Tour or Take a uber to Finca Filadelfia for bird-watching and coffee tour and lunch at a restaurant in gorgeous surroundings. You have options here.

Try a cooking class with La Tortilla Cooking School   Learn how to make tortillas from scratch along with Guatemalan traditional foods like Pepian, Jocon, Kak’ik, and Rellenitos de Platano.

If textiles are your thing, consider the Cultural and Textile Half-Day Tour. 

Cruise around town on a Antigua ATV Sunset Tour.

You have so many options to spend three days in Antigua, Guatemala. For some activities, I’d just leave the day open and consider going with the flow and filling the day as you see fit. You can schedule tours with the countless tour agencies once you get to Antigua or have your hotel help with the arrangements. If you’re planning a Baecation, be sure to check out this post for hotel recommendations.

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In GloBelle Kitchen, Uncategorized on
November 9, 2021

TRADITIONAL BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

A delectable baking dish of traditional southern baked macaroni and cheese has already been tasted. A plate with the missing section awaits in the corner

(aka AFRICAN-AMERICAN/SOUTHERN STYLE)

On the African-American Thanksgiving table, Traditional Baked Macaroni & Cheese takes center stage. It’s more important than the turkey. Messing up the Traditional Baked Macaroni and Cheese, at the least, will earn you the ire of the whole family and banned from ever being trusted with it again. At the other end of the spectrum, getting cursed out over some trending, viral tik toc recipe is not outside the realm of possibilities. 

So, to make sure you do it right, I present my sister’s traditional macaroni and cheese recipe made in the African-American tradition. Her recipe comes certified, and pre-approved having fed our 40+ person, big southern family several Thanksgivings in a row. Each year she’s received raving mac and cheese reviews. The only tweak I made was the addition of the chive cream cheese which you are free to omit. My recipe also got phenomenal reviews. It’s so decadent & like a flavor party for your tongue!

HISTORY of BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

James Hemmings, the classically trained head chef of Monticello and the US Minister Palace in Paris whom Thomas Jefferson enslaved, introduced the cheesy dish to America. He was only 19 when he traveled to Paris and spent his 20s leading French-speaking cook staff before negotiating his freedom at age 30. The dish that was first enjoyed by the aristocracy of colonial America was first prepared by elite enslaved cooks, then down through the generations. It became a meal stretcher for impoverished families and a celebration dish for every holiday. 

Since the original macaroni and cheese was developed by African* in America, traditional mac and cheese is African-American style mac and cheese. Calling the dish “Southern Mac & Cheese” is accurate too since James was from Virginia. However, the label brings a sense of erasure. Check out Tara Okwemba’s expertly presented, detailed history of the origins of Macaroni and cheese. 

Based on historical records, we know that Chef Hemmings made his mac & cheese like a “pie” or what we’d classify as a casserole today. He used eggs ad a layering methodology. Those are key characteristics of the classic.  

*James was viewed as 3/5th human and not privy to citizenship thus, he was not an African-American 

BELLE’s TIPS for TRADITIONAL BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

First, when you boil the macaroni, be sure not to overdo it. You want the pasta a little under al dente. Check the instructions on the box to see how long to cook the pasta for it to reach al dente. Be careful not to overcook your pasta at this point or else it will get mushy while baking in the last step.

Next, you’ll want to season the water you boil your pasta in. At the very least, all pasta should be cooked in heavily salted water. Jazz it up a notch by using veggie broth, Maggie, bullion cubes, or bay leaves.

Grate your own cheese! Although it still works and saves time, pre-shredded cheese contains potato starch to prevent it from melting/clumping together in the bag. Shredding it off the block on your own gives it the pull-apart factor. A food processor will save you time (and your knuckles). 

These measurements are approximate. I just used the whole block of cheese as it was packaged, each package came in slightly different amounts. Just eyeball it and taste your way through it, as is the traditional methodology. Measurements will vary based on dish size and cheese packaging. This is the way of soul food.

The cheese is variable. But cheddar is tradition. For the strongest flavor use extra sharp cheddar. If you can get smoked cheeses, try that for intense flavor. 

Be sure not to add egg to a considerably hot roux or else the egg will scrabble! We don’t want that! 

One cup of dry macaroni expanded to two cups wet. Consider that when tailoring the amount of your recipe.

This recipe can be prepared the night before. Just cover while in the baking dish and pop it in the oven about an hour before serving.

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram @GlobelleKitchen

Traditional Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Servings: 6

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients 

48 ounces reduced-sodium Chicken or vegetable broth (optional. Substitute with Maggie, bullion, bay leaf)
16 ounces large elbow macaroni
1/2 cup Gruyere
1/2 cup Sharp cheddar
1/2 cup cheese of Colby Jack
2 ½ tsp salt
2 eggs

Cheesy Roux

3.75 oz Onion and chives cream cheese (1/2 7.5oz container)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups Half-and-half

1 1/2 cups Gruyere Cheese

1 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 1/2 cups Colby Jack Cheese

1 stick of butter + about 2 Tbls more to grease the pan

1 tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon Onion Powder

1 tablespoon Paprika + more to garnish

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

5 sprigs Thyme, de-stemmed

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

Optional Garnishes: Paprika, chives, and/or thyme

Instructions

1. First, Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Then bring one pot of heavily salted Broth to a boil.

3. Butter a 9×13 porcelain baking dish and set aside.

4. Once the broth is boiling, add pasta. Boil until not quite al dente (approx 8-10 min, check the package directions and reduce 2 minutes from the suggested time for al dente). 

5. Remove the noodles from the water and into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside. Maintain starchy pasta water.   

6. In a medium saucepan make a cheesy roux: whisk all the roux ingredients together. Remove from heat.   

7. In the prepared baking dish, transfer the noodles. Mix in eggs and approx 1/4 cup of the starchy water. 

8. Pour cheesy roux and mix to coat. 

9. Add pats of butter sporadically on top of the pasta mixture.  7. Once pasta and cheesy roux have cooled a bit, add egg and mix. 

10. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the noodle mixture.   

11. Bake until the cheese melts and bubbles(12-15 min). Let sit before serving. Garnish with paprika. Then devour!

Enjoy!

Be sure to let me know if you used this recipe in the comments section below. I know you’re going to love it! Tag me on insta @GlobelleKitchen if you use my recipe!

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In Uncategorized on
June 22, 2020

Classic Pancake Recipe

First of all, pancakes are seriously the easiest pastry in the world to make from scratch. You don’t even need to buy a controversial box of pancake mix. You probably have all the dry ingredients already in your house. Besides, you can double or triple the dry mix ahead of time and keep it in a mason jar until you’re ready to use it.

Secondly, I live wayyyy to close to Vermont to ever pay for maple-flavored high fructose corn syrup. Real, maple syrup is a classic. But even if you don’t have access to the good stuff, I’ve also compiled a list of my favorite, non-basic pancake toppings. 

Classic pancake recipe by Globelle Kitchen
Such a basic recipe with items you already have in your pantry.

Classic Pancake Recipe

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 20 mins

Servings: 8 -10 pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 cups of milk

3 Tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. 
  2. In another bowl, using a whisk, combine in the wet ingredients.
  3. Combine the two bowls and mix until smooth. But don’t overdo it. 
  4. Heat a generously oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Be sure the griddle is hot before adding the batter. 
  5. Pour the batter onto the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. 
  6. The edges should start to bubble when it’s time to flip.
  7. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Don’t forget to try a creative toping.

List of top 10 favorite pancake toppers
You can do so much more than just maple syrup on your pancakes.

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In GloBelle Kitchen, Uncategorized on
April 21, 2020

20 Easy Global Recipes You Can Make Yourself

Maultaschen, a delish, traditional german swabbian dish

With travel off-limits for now, global nomads might be feeling the walls close in on them. Even if you can’t jet set to a far away café at the moment, you can still add a little global fare to your meals. I’ve curated my top 20 easy, travel-inspired recipes travelers like you can make yourself. With a little creativity & imagination, you can bump your dining experience up a notch by transforming your living room into a chic window-side Parisian café or an Arabian souq.

Even if you’re not hopping on a plane anytime soon, you can still let your taste buds jet set around the world without leaving the house (or at least not further than the grocery store).

1. Putin Schnitzel mit pommes or better yet, rahmschnitzel. 

When I live in a new country, I always live in the south. From my experience, the south always has tastiest recipes. The Schwabish region of Germany is no different. Schnitzel is standard fare from the region I consider my German home. Wiener Schnitzel is traditional but Putin Schnitzel uses turkey rather than pork. Rahmschnitzel uses a mushroom cream sauce. However you like to eat your schnitzel, pair it with fries. When I eat Schnitzel, I feel like I’m back home in Baden-Württemberg. 

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes German schnitzel with french fries
recipe by The Spruce
photo source: weight watchers Deutschland

2. Maultaschen

I love the history of this Germany-style ravioli. Maultaschen was created during lent when Catholics traditionally fast from eating meat. But those crafty Schwabians hid their meat in the pasta. If God can’t see the meat, no harm, no foul, right? Plus this little secret tastes so good!

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes Swabian recipes maultashen
Cooking The Globe
Try this one too

3. Apfelstrudel

See just what Julie Andrews was singing about with these Austrian-style Apple Strudels (Apfelstrudelen). In a cafe down a cobblestone street from the bright yellow Basilika St. Michael where the movie Fraulein Maria and Captain von Trapp got married, I first sampled this strudel for the first time. I tried it later in Vienna and it did not disappoint. It’s very different from the American version of apple strudels. Until you can get to Austria yourself, makes these decadent treats while watching The Sound of Music. This easy travel-inspired recipe became a repeat favorite for me, and is sure to become one of your favorite things.

4. Paella

While serving in Germany, members of the Spanish Army kicked all of the women out of the kitchen. You don’t have to tell me twice not to slave over a stove. The Spanish army cooked paella for me. This is my claim to royal treatment in Europe. Valencianos are very particular about making sure you know paella isn’t Spanish food, it’s very specifically from Valencian food. From Valencia, Spain. Serve this dish family style from the pan in the middle of the table, and eat it alfresco. 

Travel Recipe: seafood Paella in cast iron skillet. photographed by charneice mckenzie.
Check out this recipe while I work on editing my recipe for this picture.

5. Aoli

Aoli is a dip common around the Mediterranean coasts of Spain. I was chowing down on it in Mallorca when the British group I linked up with informed me that it’s basically just jazzed up mayonnaise.   Dip your French fries in it. Eat with French bread & olives before your meal. Dine alfresco and imagine you’re overlooking the Med. Make sure you have a carafe of sangria.

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes spanish aoli
Photo Credit: Taste.com
Tried and True Recipe: Epicurious
Seven recommended variations: Betty Crocker

6. Ramen

Ramen is a Japanese soup made from Chinese noodles, that has sustained a generation of latch-key kids and college students. Now it’s a chic trend that allows foodies to be snobs about the most unpretentious food.

Easy Travel-Inspired recipes two bowls of ramen photographed and styled by Charneice McKenzie.
Ramen is so versatile. Get some ideas on how to spruce up your basic pack of noodles.

7. Spanish Tortilla (Spanish Omelet)

A French traveler in my hostel in Quito introduced me to this filling Spanish dish. With Eggs and Potatoes as its main ingredients, it’s cheap, tasty, and keeps your belly full all day. It makes a great breakfast or lunch. Plus, I think thises are easier to make than American omelets.

Breakfast Recipes: wedge slices of spanish omelet spanish tortilla
Photo credit & recipe by: Give me some oven

8. Pasteis De Nata

I visited Portugal when I was three weeks out from my first bikini fitness competition. Needless to say, there were several cheat moments with these pastries.  Did you know Massachusettes is the closest state to Portugal? Every year Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod, hosts a Portuguese Festival and a Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. All the ships, many from Portugal, line up in a parade fashion to get blessed for a prosperous fishing season. It’s a huge celebration of the town’s Portuguese heritage and these little lovelies are right in the center of them all.

Portugese pastries on a platter
Get the Recipe Here

9. Crêpes 

Voulez-vous get on my plate sil–vous-plait? Savory or sweet, I love them both for a meal or treat! Lol, I amuse myself. I like my crepes savory with chicken and basil pesto. They also remind me of that funny scene in Talladega Nights. That would be a good movie to watch while eating these.

Oui love crepes
Oui love crepes!

10. Quiche Lorraine

I spent a glorious spring weekend staying in a renovated, gorgeous World War I hospital turned into a refined hotel in Vittel, France. The breakfast spread there every day was everything you’d expect of this region of France. 

The Lorraine region of France has changed its name and borders more than once since I visited Vital a few years ago. Alsace, Lorraine, and now “Grand Est” is a strategically valuable defense region to both Germany and France and culturally rich. It is the birthplace to not only the quiche, but also macarons, Mirabelle plums, and madeleines. 

A very french Inspired travel Recipe. French quiche in a pan with a kitchen towl and spatula.
Delish

11. Coq Au Vin 

Quarantined or not, this French classic is my favorite French country recipe (super hint, save time and order the jar from Williams Sonoma’s website ). Just south of Grand Est (the Former Champagne Ardenne, Lorraine, and Alsace) is Bourgogne (or Burgundy in English). The Kingdom of Burgundy was settled by Germanic people. The architecture is very apparently German. It’s the deep red wine from the region that makes this chicken dish memorable. 

Travel-Inspired French Recipes coq au vin in a williams sonoma cast iron pot by Staub.
grab the recipe here

12. Ballymaloe Irish Stew

This authentic Irish comfort food is worth the wait while cooking for hours. I can’t really tell the parsnips from the potatoes but they’re both there. 

Travel-Inspired Recipes a pot of ballymaloe irish beef stew with parsnips, carrots, and potatoes photographed by charneice mckenzie
Ballymlaloe

13. Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) 

This is street food found at stands all over Europe. It’s perfect for lunch or a snack on the go. In the U.S., I love it for brunch! Belle tip: I love using puff pastry over phyllo dough.

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes spanakopita, greek spinich pie
SPANAKOPITA RECIPE & HISTORY – Traditional Greek spinach pie

14. Jollof

Every West African country has its own variation on this classic. Since all the Jollof festivals from DC to Oakland are likely going to be canceled this year, you’ll have to make your own.

a hearty bowls of Jollof photographed by sweet babycakes
Jollof Rice Recipe (Authentic and Delicious)

15. Carpaccio

I am a carpaccio coinsurer. If it is on the menu, I’m ordering it. Unfortunately, the only way I can get it in America is usually to prepare it myself. Carpaccio is an Italian hors d’oeuvre consisting of thin slices of raw beef.

In 1950, Giuseppe Cipriani from Harry’s Bar in Venice created the dish inspired by the Contessa Amalia Nani Mocenigo, a steady customer whose doctor had forbidden her to eat cooked meat. It was named after the renowned Venetian painter Vittorio Carpaccio, known for his reds and white art. 

You can’t get an easier travel-inspired recipe than this. It requires no cooking! Thinly shaved beef is easy to find in the meat section of the grocery or have your butcher slice it for you. I like drizzling mine with balsamic glaze.

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes shaved beef carpaccio
Learn more about carpaccio here.

16. Jerk Chicken

This recipe is on repeat year-round, but summertime is my favorite time to grilled jerk chicken. This recipe is a fusion of native Arawak meat preservation techniques using local spices (pimento, that the Brits later renamed “allspice”) and native West African meat curing techniques utilizing roasting. IT tastes like the warm sun kissing your bare shoulders and a beachy breeze.

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes Jamacian jerk chicken
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

17. Middle Eastern Dips

I’m floored by the way this region makes veggies taste! From Jerusalem to Kurdistan, these dips have a strong presence across most ethnic groups in Southwest Asia. Without a stove involved, these dips are definitely easy travel-inspired recipes. Make a meal out of them all by serving with yeast-free breads and vegetables.

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes Middle eatsern beat dip, carrot humus, labneh on a platter with different breads photographed by charneice mckenzie
Labneh: Middle Eastern Yogurt Spread
Beat dip
Carrot humus
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

18. Plantains

From Africa to the Caribbean, there’s a lot you can do with plantains. The link provides 10 easy travel-inspired recipes featuring plantains!

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes carribean plantains. 10 plantain recipes.
TEN PLANTAIN RECIPES YOU SHOULD TRY THIS YEAR

19. Dumplings

Crispy fried pork dumplings are the hero of the Lunar New Year. Although I lived in and am more familiar with the spicy cuisine of southern China, these little purses of meat originate from northern China. They symbolize prosperity for the new year but great to eat all year round. They’re easy & fun to make, especially in a group setting.

Easy Travel-Inspired Recipes Chinese new year dumplings. Pork dumplings. Lunar new year celebration photographed by charneice mckenzie
check this out.

20. Crème Brûlée

This is my absolute favorite dessert in the world. If it’s on the menu, it’s on my plate then in my belly! When I eat crème brûlée, I’m instantly on a Parisian sidewalk café with my cappuccino & sunglasses, half people watching, half engaged in my reading material.

two ramikin bowls of tastey crème brûlée with rapsberries photographed by the brown eyed baker.
brown eyed baker

I hope you’re able to enjoy these easy travel-inspired recipes as much as I’m going to during this momentary travel pause! Which ones pique your interests most? Which travel-inspired recipes will be on your menu for the next couple of weeks? Lemme know in the comments!

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In Uncategorized on
March 31, 2020

Introduction to Bikini Fitness

Two fit friends shown in athletic gear from the back

My main motivation for documenting these workout examples are self-serving. It’s to save myself time. Ever so often I’ll have a buddy or family member ask my fitness & nutrition advice. I’ll end up taking the time to write out a plan and then, they end up not doing a thing I recommend. It’s a bit time exhausting to keep down this cycle. So, I figure, why not write it once, direct folx to the link, then see where their commitment, consistency and motivation take them.

I’ve totally been on the other end of this scenario. While preparing for my first bodybuilding competition back in 2013, I reached out to a fellow Air Force officer who had won multiple international titles in bikini bodybuilding championships. I requested her direction and then essentially wasted her time through my lack of commitment to my own goal.

During a daily check-in, I remember her saying, “That wasn’t on the list I gave you so why are you eating it? You know what, you’re just not doing what I’m told you so I can’t help you.”

At the time, my feelings were hurt that she would give up on me. Now, I understand her need to protect her time. She likely went through this all the time. I can imagine that once people recognized her expertise, she’d have a lot of people asking for her time then letting her down. With her experience and credentials, she would have been justified in charging a hefty fee. But she gave me the details for free.

I completely understand and appreciate both perspectives. I get the need for trainers and coaches to protect their time and focus on those who are serious and committed to reaching their goals.  And I know that commitment and consistency are habits that take time and experience to build and develop.

So this post kind of meets in the middle. I can share my experience without it being taxing and beginners can take and utilize the information as they wish until they’re ready to dig deep and make a commitment. The links below serve as a sort of curriculum to guide your way. I believe it can guide you in reaching your goals, regardless if you end up on a stage or not. Happy lifting!

Fitness Self-Assessment

Targeted Muscle Group Training Workout

Bikini fitness Full Body Circuit Training Workout

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In Kentucky, Uncategorized on
March 30, 2019

Kentucky is Southern, Through and Through

One surefire way to pick a fight with a Kentuckian is to try to explain that she is somehow less southern than the rest of The South. Kentuckians are some of the most conscientiously southern folks you’ll ever meet. We are passionately southern. Anyone trying to classify a Kentuckian as anything other than southern is simply lacking good judgment. So, I’m going to speak my piece and be done with the topic.

A wall of bourbon barrels lids on display on a grey brick wall at a shop in the Louisville, Kentucky Airport.
Kentucky supplies 95% of the world’s bourbon supply. If it’s not Kentucky, it’s not bourbon.

A Matter Of Geography

The first argument folks will try to use against Kentucky is geography. One’s location relative to the Mason-Dixon is the single qualification required for the geography of The South. The entire commonwealth of Kentucky falls south of the Mason-Dixon Line. But just in case that wasn’t evidence enough, geographically, Kentucky extends further south than some towns in Tennessee (i.e., Fulton, Kentucky is more geographically southern than Clarksville, Tennessee). Kentucky extends further south than Virginia.

In all the time I’ve spent as a southerner in New England, I have yet to see any streets named Dixie north of the Mason-Dixon. Dixie derives from the French word for ten as French Franks were being used as currency in the south. This photo was taken in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

If Kentucky isn’t southern what else could it be? It sure isn’t geographically north. Some may offer the Midwest as an acceptable region but what is Kentucky west of other than Virginia and the Atlantic Ocean? Kentucky is one state removed from the nation’s Eastern border. You can’t get more east than Kentucky unless you’re Virginia…or West Virginia. You’d be hard-pressed convincing anyone that Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana aren’t southern states yet they’re all more west of the Bluegrass. Kentucky clearly isn’t West enough to be considered West in any form.
Florida is geographically southern, but we all know, the further south you travel in Florida, the less Southern you get. The majority of Floridians do not consider themselves southern and southern folks don’t accept most of them as southern. Southerners will ask from what part of Florida a person is from to really get a feel of how southern they are.

One of my favorite Kentucky signs of welcome. Courtesy of the happy people of Ohio County.

Kentucky is Southern In Culture

At any rate, any southerner worth the butter in their grits will tell you that Southern-ness encompasses more than residing in a particular geographic region. Southern is culture. Southern is a state of mind.

Culture includes all the features of everyday existence; culture consists of beliefs, rituals, behavior, religion, food, arts, attitudes, language, and customs. When it comes to Southern Culture, Kentucky values remain consistent with the south’s.

Photo from the KFC in the Louisville Airport.

Kentucky food, with our preference toward all things fried or barbecued, is super southern. Our tea, sweeter than the belles who make it, is undeniably southern. The way we talk, with both a slow drawl and an Appalachian twang and the euphemisms we use, can be found only south of the Mason Dixon. Our rituals and customs can be observed every Saturday in the fall. You’ll find Kentucky belles in sundresses at tailgates, and we tailgate for everything from football to horse races. Debutant balls and cotillions are not foreign to Kentuckians in this day in age. Dang near all of us Kentucky belles have a tiara, sash, and some type of title stashed away from our youth. All of this pomp and circumstance is predicated on the value of marrying well and starting a southern family. The way Kentucky approaches every phase of life, from birth to death is quintessentially southern in practice. I’ve traveled to every state in the union. Therefore, I’m well aware that the South, including Kentucky, seems to be the only region where strangers pay their respects to the bereaved by pulling over on the side of the road. Kentucky is a red state like the rest of the south showing exactly where its political values stand.

A Common History

A center point of southern culture is its adherence to tradition and history. Regardless if it makes you proud or ashamed, history is the immutable tie that binds Kentucky to the rest of the south.

Old fashioned row of shop and restauraunts in a small town Kentucky downtown
The charming downtown of my hometown.

Kentucky has been southern since 1792. As the first southern state admitted after the independence of America, Kentucky has been southern long before the Louisiana Purchase welcomed eight out of 13 southern states.

In addition to its longevity, both the president of the Confederate States and the United States during the civil war came from Kentucky…born 100 miles or so apart. A state’s relationship with the south during the time of the Civil War is really the determining factor of its legitimacy within the region. Kentucky straddled the fence during the War Between The States— wanting to remain one nation but maintain the institution of slavery too. After emancipation, Kentucky took on a more fervently southern identity. It clings to the “Just Cause” propaganda that is still taught in Kentucky Schools. Kentucky erected so many confederate statues it would be a wonder if any Kentuckian has ever seen a Union monument. It’s not uncommon for Kentucky folks to be able to look in their backyards and around their neighborhoods and be in a Civil War battleground or confederate grave yard. Now, what Northerner or Midwesterner can say the same?

My Old Kentucky Home: The Musical performed every summer in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Reenacting the antebellum period is a Southern Pastime.

Kentucky has Southern Street Cred (We’re Backwoods Legit)

Besides, the SEC college sports conference and Southern Living Magazine recognizes Kentucky as southern. I’d say that’s confirmation enough. So with geography, history, and culture firmly planted in the south, there’s just no use in trying to dissociate Kentucky from its Southernness.

Every southern state boasts its own unique personality. Louisiana showcases its French and Creole heritage. The low country of South Carolina intertwines hospitality into its fabric. Cattle ranching culture plays a significant role in Texas’ notable style. We’ve got mountain states, cotton states, and sugar cane state(s) all of which provide a distinction from rest of the southern states. Like members of a family, each individual has a unique identity, but their kinship binds them all together. Kentuckians hold a kinship to other southerners that they don’t have with any other region of the US. Maybe it’s the accent. Perhaps it’s the menus we are nourished by or the behaviors we instill in our offspring regardless of where we raise them. I believe our way of living, colloquialisms, and fundamental reputation make Kentucky, without a doubt, southern through and through. Upper south or mid-south, yes, but entirely south nevertheless. And if you refuse to believe that well, bless your sweet little heart, you can just kiss my Kentucky bluegrass!

The farm of my childhood friend’s parents in Yellow Creek, Kentucky.
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