Black Infant Health – what an excellent program which has helped to empower me during my pregnancy. I gave birth on 9/20/21 to a beautiful baby girl – Zaria Monique Douglas. She was a whooping 9lbs 15.8oz. She makes girl #3 in the Douglas family and I’m so grateful we’ve been blessed with little girls. I have the privilege of teaching them how significant they are in this world, even if they vicariously receive messages to the contrary. It’s important for me to show them images of themselves so they can believe they can achieve. We watch shows on YouTube like “Akili and Me” and “Bino and Fino” (Episode: Girl Beats Boys At Football!) on Youtube, so they can see a reflection of themselves in cartoons.
I want my children to grow up with a healthy self image, that their skin is beautiful and they are intelligent beings. As I grow in my own appreciation for myself (self-compassion and giving myself permission to shine), I’d want my girls to already possess these qualities for themselves. They will model me, so this gives me all the motivation to be the best version of me. Baby Zaria will have 2 other amazing siblings to look up to. I’m looking forward to every lesson these girls will teach me.
#PapaThoughts: I think that it’s more than wonderful that I have a beautiful wife and three beautiful daughters. Having this household allows me to keep in step with my greatest strength- Gentleness!
Shaye’s Slammin’ Sweet Potato Recipe
** Preheat oven to 375 degrees
** Serving Size: 6
Directions:
- Peel 3-4 large sweet potatoes
- Cut in big chunks
- Place in pot of water
- Add salt
- Boil until soft
- Drain potatoes
- Mash potatoes in pot or bowl
- Add 2-3 tbsp of cinnamon
- Add 2 tbsp of vanilla extract
- Add 3 tbsp butter
- Add 1 cup of brown sugar
- Mix all ingredients
- Pour into oven pan
- Place marshmallows on top
- Bake for 10-20 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly brown
A Little History – How Well Do You Know Yams?
Sweet Potatoes versus Yams
Did you know that in the United States, what we refer to as sweet potatoes and yams are really both different varieties of “sweet potatoes” and are different from the “nyami” (an African word meaning “to eat”) or yams of Africa? Yams, which are a staple of West African diets, are starchy and have a rough brown exterior, compared to the smoother skin of the sweet potato, with its softer flesh and sweet flavor. When enslaved African people were unable to find nyami in America, they began to substitute the more readily available New World sweet potato into their diets and traditions, and as a result, this vegetable has become a staple in African-American cuisine. So, as you enjoy your candied yams, sweet potato pies, baked sweet potatoes, and sweet potato casseroles this holiday season, take a moment to reflect on the creativity, resilience and innovation of our ancestors and give thanks for their enduring spirits and culinary skills that we love and that continue to sustain us today!