Cheris Hodges's Blog, page 33
January 10, 2013
January 9, 2013
Comfort for a cool winter's night or weekend
While I was researching my new project, I landed on this recipe: African Chicken Peanut Stew.
What's crazy about me finding the recipe is the fact that I was researching Chicago and Garrett's Popcorn. But this recipe looks good and I hope it's good. Devon, you know the chef from Recipe For Desire , will be so proud of me if I pull this off.
African Chicken Peanut Stew Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Use chicken legs, thighs or wings for this recipe. They
have more flavor and will hold up better with the flavors of the stew
than breast meat.
Add to shopping list
Ingredients
2-3 pounds chicken legs, thighs and/or wings
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large yellow or white onion, sliced
A 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
6-8 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
2-3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
Salt and black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
Method
1 Heat the
vegetable oil in a large soup pot set over medium-high heat. Salt the
chicken pieces well, pat them dry and brown them in the oil. Don't crowd
the pot, so do this in batches. Set the chicken pieces aside as they
brown.
2 Sauté the onions in the oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring often
and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the ginger
and garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes
and stir well to combine.
3 Add the chicken, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, peanut
butter, peanuts, coriander and cayenne and stir well to combine. Bring
to a simmer and taste for salt, adding more if needed. Cover the pot and
simmer gently for 90 minutes (check after an hour), or until the
chicken meat easily falls off the bone and the sweet potatoes are
tender.
4 Remove the chicken pieces and set them in a bowl to cool,
until cool enough to touch. Remove and discard the skin if you want, or
chop it and put it back into the pot. Shred the meat off the bones and
put the meat back in the pot.
5 Adjust the seasonings for salt and cayenne, then add as much
black pepper as you think you can stand—the stew should be peppery.
Stir in the cilantro and serve by itself, or with simple steamed rice.
Yield: Serves 6-8
What's crazy about me finding the recipe is the fact that I was researching Chicago and Garrett's Popcorn. But this recipe looks good and I hope it's good. Devon, you know the chef from Recipe For Desire , will be so proud of me if I pull this off.
January 5, 2013
January 3, 2013
Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop: Part 12
When I
arrived home, I decided to forget about work and Perry. I started looking for a
new job. With my laptop on my knees, I searched CareerBuilder.com and all of
the other job finder websites I had stored on my browser. I knew my days were
numbered at the plantation. Hell, I was tired of the Triangle to be perfectly
honest. It wasn’t a secret that I didn’t fit in here. I wasn’t that much of an intellectual
to hang out with the University crowd. And I wasn’t
bougie enough for proper black society in the area.
Maybe I needed another
change. Not just a new job but a new city as well. Charlotte was looking good
to me. But what about Rich? What if there was something real there?
I'm just being silly, I told myself
as I closed the top on my laptop. Had I been in a better mindset, I would've
recognized my attraction to Rich had been about his similarities to Shun. He
had the same touch of asshole that I'd ignored for too long. I would've been
honest about the bad choices I've always made when it came to love.
Take the
reason why I lost my virginity in the first place. I had been an 18-year-old
virgin. Most of my high school romances ended because I wouldn't give up the
booty. As graduation grew near, I decided that I hadn't wanted to be one of
those college freshmen horror stories. I wasn't going to be the girl, who'd get
fooled by an upperclassman during orientation, give him some ass only to be
dropped when his real girlfriend returned to campus. I hated football players
and frat boys because of the stories I'd heard.
So, what did I do?
I had sex with the boy who'd dumped
me three weeks earlier because I wouldn't have sex with him. My parents had
been out of town and I had the house to myself. Initially, I thought about
trying to do something like light candles and spray perfume on a couple of
scarves then drape them on the lamps like I'd seen in some romantic comedy.
Then I realized something, this wasn't a romantic movie. I thought, if I had
sex then, I'd get the curiosity out of my system and then I'd be able to wait
for marriage like my mother had always told me to do. I had to be the most
naive virgin in America. But when we got down to the act, the naivety went out
the door.
Worst.
Three. Minutes. Ever! All I could think at the time had been, is this it? This
is what causes fights, tears and stalker behavior? Looking at my mate, I
thought I’d been robbed, cheated and
when Nate –which was his name—asked me to fix him some chicken; I wanted to choke the
hell out of him.
“What?” I’d asked. He slapped my behind
and repeated his ridiculous request.
“Get out,” I snapped.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked as he locked his
hands behind his head. “This is what a woman is
supposed to do for her man.”
“You’re not my man and was that supposed to be something
special? By the time I took my tee shirt off it was over.”
“I thought you said this was
your first time? There is no way this was your first time. You were too wet.”
“Are you serious? Why would I
lie about my virginity? Get out.” I punched him as hard as I
could in his chest, leapt out of the bed and tossed his clothes at him.
Who knew
this would be a scene that would play out in my life over and over again. Now,
I was tired of that shit. So, in the back of my mind, I said I was going to
make things work with Richard, until I found a job in Charlotte.
Congratulations!! Winner of autographed copy of Cautious Heart is . . .
Debra
Harris!! Congratulations, Debra.
Thank you all for entering, following my blog and liking my Facebook page. As you know, 2013 is my anniversary! June, 2013 is the tenth year anniversary of my first romance novel Revelations.
And May marks the release of Forces of Nature. So, stay tuned and keep following this blog!
Ready for the next contest? If you read Recipe For Desire, tell me the cost and kind of champagne that Marie Charles sipped on at the Bobcats playoff party before she got the shock of her life?
Email your answer to me by Jan. 22 and I will provide the bubbly for your Valentine's Day celebration. You must be 21 and up to play. So, include your birthdate and address with you entry. Send all entries to cheris87@bellsouth.net.
Another rule, answering this question on the blog or Facebook voids the contest.
Winners will be announced on Feb. 4th!
Thanks and good luck.
January 2, 2013
The Battle of the Supermen: Cam and RGIII
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton celebrates touchdowns by peeling back an imaginary shirt and revealing a "S" on his chest. This move cause fans to cheer --when the Cats are winning--and it makes Newton a target. Remember the Hello Kitty cartoon from the Charlotte Observer?
As the season came to an end for the Panthers, Newton was rather Super.
He made history. He's the first player in NFL history to throw for over
250 yards, rush for 100, toss a touchdown pass and rush for one. EVER. And, Newton beat the Washington Redskins in week nine.
That was the same week that Robert Griffin III was interviewed by the NFL Network and said, he didn't want to be compared to Newton -- although at the time, the two had a lot in common.RGII was breaking records, ironically set by Newton in his rookie season. But in the head to head match up, Newton was the only one to toss for a touchdown.
But RGIII, as a rookie, did what Cam couldn't do. He led his team to the playoffs. That's pretty super for a rookie -- especially one playing for the Washington Redskins who haven't been to the playoffs since 2007. They lost to the same team they face this week, The Seattle Seahawks.
After the loss to the Panthers, Washington went on a tear --beating the Super Bowl champs, New York Giants, The Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens --winning seven games in a row. RGIII was named a team captain and showed leadership that many say Newton, who is often criticized for sitting on the bench with a towel over his head or sulking in post game press conferences, doesn't have. That's pretty super, right?
Here's the issue with RGIII's pose, if you want to be compared to Rogers, do the discount double check motion. This picture of RGIII being "Superman" is setting up a rivalry. At this point, RGIII is winning; but if Newton starts next season the way he ended this one, this will be a fight for the ages.
Someone is going to end up being Bizzaro, though.
January 1, 2013
History or entertainment. . .It can't be both
I love Kerry Washington's portrayal of Olivia Pope on ABC's Scandal.
I loved the way she delivered the line, "I love pussy" in Spike Lee's She Hate Me.
I even like the lost girl looking for her mother's love in Lift.
But trying to give more credence to her role as Broomhilda von Shaft in Django Unchained has me scratching my head.
She said this to the Los Angeles Times:
Washington, though, describes herself not just as a feminist but also
a womanist — a term coined by Alice Walker to define black feminism.
And the actress sees the role of Broomhilda, written by Quentin Tarantino
but derived from a German fairy tale, as a womanist role in that it
allows the black woman to embrace a fantasy that historically wasn't
available to her.
"I know it's not the most feminist idea to be a woman in a tower
wanting to be rescued, but for a woman of color in this country, we've
never been afforded that fairy tale because of how the black family was
ripped apart [during slavery]," Washington said. "I really saw the value
of having a story that empowers the African American man to do
something chivalrous for the African American woman, because that hasn't
been an idea that has held women back in the culture — it's something
we've never been allowed to dream about."
Pause.
Listen, people either love or hate Django Unchained. But everyone keeps saying -- this isn't a history lesson. That's one thing I can agree with everyone on. So, Washington's fairy tale comments bother the heck out of me.
Clearly, I'm not a huge fan of the movie. But people you can't have it both ways. It's either entertainment or a history lesson. You can't say it's entertainment when you're lashing out at Spike Lee and then talk about how it brought you closer to your ancestors in another breath.
As Washington does here:
Despite the long and arduous shoot, being a part of "Django" isn't
something Washington will let go of anytime soon. The actress says she's
particularly grateful for the connection the film gave her to her
ancestral past.
"One of our background actors was a pastor, and he was saying on set
that we are the answer to their prayers — to the very people who walked
on this land," she said. "Who we are today — because we can read, own
property, vote, marry, have our children and our freedom — that we are
the answer to their prayers, and that's why we are here to tell their
story."
Because I thought this was just a satirical flight of fancy from the mind of Tarantino?
With that being said, I still can't wait for Scandal to come back.
December 31, 2012
Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop: Part 11
“What was that display in the office?” Perry demanded.
“It was
a disagreement about the project.”
“I’ve
warned you about your behavior. I mean, what if we had clients in here?”
“But we
didn’t.” Boss or not, he was not going to handle me as if I was damned child. Warning
me about my behavior? What was this romper room?
“I’m
putting you on probation.”
“Are
you kidding me?” He folded his bony arms
across his chest, his beady eyes glaring at me.
“I
could fire you right now.”
“But
you won’t because you know I’m the best researcher in this outfit and over the
last three years I have gotten more projects through government and legal red
tape than anyone out there. Yet, you promoted Amie and relegated me to being a
do-girl. And now you’ve stuck me with a partner who I don’t need.”
He
pointed his finger at me for about five seconds then he said, “Why don’t you go
home for three days and think about why I haven’t given you a promotion and why
I think you need a baby sitter for one of the biggest projects this company has
ever been a part of. Your attitude, not
your ability, is holding you back. And that mouth of yours is why you’re on
probation.” He waved his hand, dismissing me, and if I didn’t have a mortgage,
I would’ve snapped it off at the wrist.
“Fine,”
I said then walked out of his office. When I returned to my desk, Rich and Amie
were there.
“This
isn’t the water cooler,” I snapped. They turned and glanced at me. Amie had this smug smirk on her ivory face.
Every time I looked at her, all I saw was The Joker from Batman. It was the red lipstick. The pointy nose and
the fact that I didn’t like her ass.
“I
thought you said we had a file to review?” Rich asked.
“Eh, I’m
going home. You two have it.”
I
packed my laptop, locked my desk and hoisted my purse up on my shoulder. “Why
are you so mean?” Amie asked.
“I’m
not mean, Amie,” I said. “I just don’t like you.”
Rich
struggled to fight his laughter as Amie huffed then stomped away. I turned to him and rolled my eyes. “Excuse
me.”
“Let me
walk you to your car.”
“Wait,
I was a bitch five minutes ago. Or was that fifteen?”
“Maybe
I shouldn’t have called you that, but you hit below the belt. I’m sorry.”
It was
on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I knew he was sorry, but I wanted an
apology. Instead, I shrugged and didn’t protest when he took my computer case
from my other shoulder. “Even though you
want to act like what happened last night didn’t mean anything to you,” he said
once we made it outside, “when I went to sleep, all I could think about was how
sweet you tasted.”
“Rich,
you threw up some red flags that reminded me of some bad mistakes I’ve made
with men. Maybe it was the story about your tattoo or the fact that you drank
my cola.”
“Are
you serious?”
I hit
the button on my keychain to unlock my doors. “I broke up with a guy once over
a glass of water, so yeah. I’m serious.”
“That’s
a lot of baggage you’re carrying around.”
“Says
the man with the dragon tattoo.”
“Touché.”
He opened the passenger side door and
placed my computer on the seat. “How
about we try dinner again? This time in a restaurant?”
“What’s
your game, Rich?”
“Some
men don’t have game and I’m one of them. I don’t have time to remember the lies I’d
have to tell to be an effective player.”
I didn’t
want to laugh or smile. But I did both. “Where and when?”
“I’ll
pick you up at seven?”
“Make
it seven-thirty. And just so we’re clear: if you ever call me a bitch again, I
will kick you in your balls.”
“And
underneath all of that prickly exterior, I know there’s a woman with a heart of
gold. I’m going to keep digging until I find her.” Rich leaned in and kissed me
on the cheek. It was so gentle that I thought a butterfly had landed there.
I was
in serious trouble and I should’ve known better.
November 23, 2012
Check me out in Hot M.A.M.A Land
You know what really makes a romance novelist mad?
Imagine spending months, even years, with the perfect man. He's a little
moody, but he has a big heart -- among other big things -- and when you
need him, he's right there. Then you have to say goodbye to him and
share him with the rest of the world. Yep, your hero is on the shelves
and you're left to deal with the men in the real world.
Yes, those men who don't hold doors and give you side eye when you -- in
your five inch heels with your hands full -- don't hold the door for
them.
Yeah, those men who holler, "Hey baby!" and get mad when you keep walking without looking back.
Umm, those quarterbacks and other "ballers" who think calling a female
sports reporter sweetheart or gorgeous in press conferences and on TV is
just fine.
Read the full entry here.
