Mama Land Zig

  Nothing like a nice pot bubbling with black-eye peas. The smart looking bean (though called a pea) is jam packed with protein- they have high amino-acid content and are gluten-free.This little legume is also a great source of fibre, folate, iron and calcium.

Read more at Ital Mama

I like to cook them down in a simple ital stew. Lots of garlic, pepper and onion, pumpkin, potato and carrot. Then my favourite part- a tuuups of the all-perfect coconut milk a few minutes before removing from heat.

In a quick search online I found that people in the US south make black-eye peas with okra and all across the world they are used in salads.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

One day the river will over flow And there’ll be nowhere for us to go And we will run, run Wishing we had put out the fire -Asa

“The only place to start is a self evaluation… you reap what you sow and what you are is what you’re meant to be.” – Faya Uman

**Song name “Liberation”, jus label wrong i think

This song is firming up some important lessons I know I must manifest. So many things happen as the days come around to close another year.  Everyone has their own fight to break out of to hopefully end up in a peaceful and comfortable state. I am happy to make it another year and give thanks for what we have achieved. I haven’t forgotten though, I haven’t forgotten how life changes one moment to the next. Nowadays i spend a lot of time thinking about my coworker’s family. She passed on in a terrible taxi crash a bit before Madiba crossed over too. In the blink of an eye they must live without their mother. It’s hard, but yuh haffi have someting in yuh fi keep yuh goin to di best.. towards perfection… with the positives of positive vibes.

“And Jah Jah give me strength so I can learn to change all the things that I can change so I can be a better person”

I figure that I need to live as simply as possible because life will throw some STRONG shit at you anyways so might as well leave the complications for what I can’t control. Keep it on the positive

Song on repeat.

I’ve been living among loads of chives and didn’t even know it!

Many times we’ve mistaken the chive plants for Scallion but we always end up saying “naah” because a chive leaf is flat and almost looks like a grass.

But one morning when I was digging out weeds from the other things we have planted that smell was too pungent to disobey. I tasted it and sure enough, the taste was something related to the onion/escallion family. A quick google search turned up chives and we’ve been cooking with them ever since. There a whole bunch of them planted  all over our yardspace.

We pick, wash and cut them up small as a seasoning for flavouring our pots, and flavour it does. You dont have to use much to get a whole bang of taste.

You know how much time wi nuh have nuh onion or garlic and dont know that its as simple as a walk out back? Now i see chives everywhere. They are a popular decorative plant in northern Joburg and their pretty purple flowers shoot up in all their glory.

I suppose it differs for everyone but for me I was fine after the first two weeks.