By The Way…I Have A Kid…

Earlier this week I was casted as a “Special Audience Participant” on the Jeff Probst Show. Meaning that I ask a scripted question from the audience during the show.

(For those of you that think everything you see on “reality TV” is not scripted, get a clue already! It is! And if it’s not, it is still staged and there is a producer behind the scenes making “suggestions” on what to do in order to make it good TV.)

I had pretty good time on the show, it was very fun and interesting, but I was a little annoyed on the question the producer had me ask. I spoke to the producer prior to the show and she asked me a lot of questions about my dating life and what it’s like dating and being a single mother. She asked me “When do you tell a guy you’re dating that you have a kid.” I told it’s the very first thing that comes out of my mouth. 9 out of 10 times the guy knows before he even asks me out on a date. So I was a little confused to why she had me ask that exact question on the show.

There is a segment on the show called “Guys on the Couch” where two regular guys (actors, lol) come up from the audience and sit on the couch next to Jeff. Women from the audience (special audience participants) stand up and ask the guys a question about guys and their opinions and yadi-yadi-yada. One lady asked, “Why do guys have too much pride to ask for directions when they get lost.” Then there was my question that I was told to say as so, “I am a single mom and it makes it hard to date, when is the appropriate time to tell a guy I’m dating that I have a kid.” I felt like an idiot asking a question I already knew the answer to. For they all gave me advice saying things like, “Don’t be ashamed of having a kid.” “Tell them right away because they may not be ready to date someone with a kid.” and continued to say uplifting things as if I needed the advice and to feel better about myself. I did not like the way it portrayed me as a woman and a mother at all and, not to mention, on national television.

After the show was over, I had a few people approach me with the, “You know…some people just don’t understand what it’s like as a single parent” and blah blah. I was getting really annoyed but I know they were all saying it out of love and to help someone they thought needed it. As I was leaving the studios, I thought to myself, even though I knew the answer to that question, there are women out there that don’t. There are women out there that do keep their children a secret out of fear that a man may not be interested in them.

I felt that the experience was humbling, because their maybe someone out there that is too ashamed to ask such a question and they may stumble open The Jeff Probst show at that precise moment and receive great advice without feeling embarrassed for having to ask it. I proudly take the fall, nationally, for you ladies.

You may not be one of those parents that talks about your kid non-stop, and it’s true that people without kids get annoyed when parents only talk about their kids. But the truth is they don’t understand what it’s like to have something so precious be the center of their world. So screw them! Be open, very open when it comes to dating. You don’t want to be with someone who can’t accept a child in their life, because YOU ARE A PACKAGED DEAL. And yeah you maybe “just dating” or “just getting to know someone,” but what is your reason behind that? To find a man to be in your life and your child’s life. He has to have your best interest at heart, and your best interest is your child. Your child should be his HEART!

If you meet someone who doesn’t like kids or is not interested in dating someone who has a kid, then do them and yourself a favor and RUN in the other direction. I mean….unless your dating just to date, or get some free dinners, but that defeats the whole purpose of dating….doesn’t it? I would be lying tho, If I said I didn’t like free dinners.

Choose who you date wisely baby mommas and don’t settle for no sucka!

Stay sucka free,

Lexis Sharde

Eat Your Veggies, After You Wash Them!

We always wash our fruits and vegetables before we cook or serve them. But what are the main reasons we do this? The most common reasons are to wash off dirt and germs. But water may not take care of that. There are also other things like pesticides, waxes and chemicals that may be sprayed on the crops, especially if they aren’t organic, that water will also not take care of. So what’s the solution to make sure the yummy fruit your munchkin loves to eat is safe? Here’s one simple inexpensive solution.

I buy mine at Trader Joe’s for under $3.00 and one bottle goes a long way for my household of just me and my daughter. Another green solution that has been known to work better than water is a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar and water.

 

If you’re one of those people who believes washing your fruits and veggies doesn’t make a difference, or use that saying “God made dirt, dirt won’t hurt.” Let me show the difference of blueberries washed with water and blueberries washed with the fruit&veggie wash.

The picture on the left is blueberries washed with water. See that waxy look? Now look at the blueberries to the right. Those are the same blueberries after I used ONE DROP of the fruit&veggie wash. I massaged the wash thoroughly and rinsed. They are beautiful dark blueberries the same color as on the inside. So now tell me how you feel. Stop feeding your babies dirty fruits and veggies. You don’t know where they’ve been, who has touched them and what they’ve been exposed too. You wouldn’t let your child eat something off the floor right? And if you do…stop using the excuse that it will help build their immune system! You’re DEAD wrong for that!

I know sometimes buying organic may not be an option, and that it can be expensive in grocery stores. There are a couple of alternatives.

#1. Find a farmers market in your community! There are probably more than you think and they set up once a week. You could literally buy your fruits and veggies for the whole week for $20.00. When you cut the middle man out, you get discounts!

#2. Buy fruits and veggies that are less likely to be exposed to pesticides and chemicals. How can you tell the difference you ask? Well, by this awesomely illustrated chart I found on ecomom.com (This is a great website to buy all the green products a mom could need!)

 

So if that chart didn’t do it for you…may God bless you with great health! It’s very important to know where our food comes from, because we hardly know what we are putting in our mouths. I always tell my friends to watch documentaries like Food, Inc. and Fork Over Knives, and it’s so funny to see their reactions. They all say, “No I don’t want to watch it,” or “I don’t want to know, it will spoil all my favorite foods for me.” And the truth is it will! Ignorance is not bliss if you get sick from it or even die! if you enjoy living, your health is all you got! I was talking to my mom about this a little while back and she said,

“You know it’s crazy because it the bible Abraham was like hundreds of years old, and people lived so much longer in the bible days, I often wonder what is it that we are doing different that causes us to die so young.”

Obviously there are a lot of factors, technology, medicine, etc. But food is one thing that WE CAN control.

Choose to take control, it takes discipline! But it’s do able!

 

Stay healthy baby mommas!

 

F.D.A. Bans BPA

All I have to say is IT’S ABOUT TIME! But they are only not allowing it to be used for baby bottles and cups. That means your tupperware and other plastic ware may not be safe.

Read full N.Y. Times article here.

Mommas always question what the F.D.A. considers “safe” for your child. Have you ever notice they approve one thing, well, really the lie and say it’s safe when it’s not, then years later the people discover the truth and stop buying the product, so they ban it cause it’s not making money anymore. Never trust the F.D.A. they are crooks and everything is about creating revenue. If you think I’m crazy for saying that, do your own research and keep an open mind.

It’s one thing if you decide to put poison in your body, but at least keep your child’s body pure and let allow them to decide when their grown up if they want to put poison in their own bodies.

Educate yourself and stay healthy baby momma’s!

I love y’all.

You Tired Baby Momma?

“Of course you’re tired Lexi! You’re a single mom and you’re working like a Jamaican with all those jobs! Get some sleep!”

Sometimes sleep is not an option. Think about all those times your kid falls asleep in the car, before you get a chance to go home and take a nap with them. Sometimes we miss our chance on extra sleep. We already workout in the mornings to gain that extra boost of energy and try to eat foods that are nutritious to keep us going. But then 2:30 rolls around and you can barely keep your eyes open…or just fall asleep with your eyes open. I know this is starting to sound like a 5-hour energy commercial, but I swear it’s not. And STOP TAKING THAT CRAP! Stop drinking red bull, monsters and popping energy pills. Pretty much anything that makes your piss look like anti-freeze after you consume it, is probably not good for you. There is something better!

 

This vitamin is for sissies! I am what you call a S.I.S.S.Y. (Severe Itis Sufferer Sucka Yep)

I suffer from “The Itis” everyday. (And if you don’t know what “The Itis” is click here now.) As soon as I eat lunch, barbecued ribs or not, I get extremely tired. And because I always eat before I go into work, it’s hard for me to get in the groove of things. I started taking one of these with my lunch everyday and it has CHANGED MY LIFE! I carry a bottle in my work bag and when I notice one of my co-workers has a case of the yawns and/or itis as well, I tell them to pop one. They all rave about how it works almost instantly!

This is all natural with no caffeine, guarana or any other shady controversal uncle sam the the legal drug dealer stuff.

Take one with your meal and make sure to drink plenty of water when taking vitamins. And if you want an extra boost. Drink some Emergen-C with your meal as well. It is also packed with B vitamins.

Boost up with Vitamin B Baby Mommas! It’s super mom fuel!

 

Seriously, Who Reads Books For Relationship Advice?

Well, let’s be honest! A lot of us do.

But a lot of them are some bullsh*t…all revolving around this “dating game” that we all think we have to play. But the truth is we don’t!  So throw, “Why Men Love B*tches” out the window……well you should still read it, it’s pretty funny with valuable information, but not every man wants to be with a B*TCH forever. And forget about Steve Harvey’s Think Like A Man, Act Like A Lady. Stop following rules, just learn to understand yourself as a women and how to recognize a superior man when he steps in front of you. (I mean, unless you wish to settle for mediocracy!)

Now I love to read books, but I stopped reading relationship advice books after I picked up this one.

I pretty much have made this book a pre-requisite for any man who wants to date me. haha. Just kidding. But I have given this book to men who are special to me because I want them all to be superior.

Now, this may seem like a book written for a man, which it is, but the information in this book is very valuable for a woman, for Deida explains why us woman are the way we are, emotional creatures, and how a superior man should deal with our emotions and reactions.

Stop letting men tell you “You’re too emotional!” “Stop making decisions based off your feelings!” GOD made man, MAN and woman, WOMAN. We don’t have to think like men to get the relationship we want, but it is important to understand how they think. I believe that is one of the greatest missions we have on earth, learning to understand each other.

“This is an EXTRAORDINARY read!”

There is another amazing book to read by David Deida that was written specifically for women.

A few friends of mine said you should read Dear Lover first then Superior Man. I actually read Superior Man first. But Dear Lover is a very good book to read if you are a woman with a hardened heart and are in need of some softening. Deida starts each chapter with a love letter, speaking to you as his own lover and apologizes for taking you for granted. This book is a wonderful massage!

Learn to be who you are single mommas! Don’t let anyone try to change you, and never try to change a man. Look at each person that comes in your life, men, friends, girlfriends and ask yourself, “Can I accept this person into my life just as they are today?” Don’t look for ‘potential’! “Well he could potentially be a good candidate.” For the sole reason, that some people never change and you can never expect them too.

Read! Improve your knowledge!

xoxo

You A Bad Motha…Shut Yo’ Mouf

From grandmothers to mothers, to daughters and sons, We are truly blessed.

Wisdom has been passed down on to us.

Mamas have said a lot of things, some said they would beat us if we dared to repeat.

But others have been burned in our memory, in our heads, for we know better, and will continue to do what mama said.

Mama always said don’t you talk back! You trying to break my back? And out of fear we learned respect, No mama no, I don’t wanna hurt your back!

Mama always said “if you would have done it right the first time, you wouldn’t have to do it Twice.” As much as we hated it when mama said that, she taught responsibility. We learned to double-check everything, dot our i’s and cross our t’s.

Mama always said you lay with dogs and you will get fleas! We learned to share values and morals with the people in our lives, by all means!

Mama always said you never really know a person until you’ve brushed your teeth with their toothbrush. What? I always thought that saying was weird. But I knew what she meant. She taught us to guard our hearts and take it slow. Learn everything about that person that you oughta know.

Mama always said if you can dream you can do it! And with that phrase she gave us two things, one is roots and the other is wings. Mothers have shown us God’s Love, even if they never believed. One love, unconditional, undying and now deeply rooted within you and me.

Keep The Wardrobe Fly On A Dime

I would be lying if I said I’ve never gotten carried away while shopping, especially for clothes. You know those times when you plan to go shopping with a budget in mind and you over spend.

“I’m not going to spend more than $75!” Then you find some to die for pieces and end up spending $125.

Being a single mother that works hard for that cheddah, I can’t really afford to go on a shopping binge, every time I step out to buy a new outfit. So, I came up with a strategy that I like to call Style Prioritizing. This strategy consists of choosing to spend more on the “center piece” (the article of clothing that really makes the outfit) and less or nothing at all on simple pieces.

For example: Shoes are always, always important. But depending on what you find while shopping, your center piece will either be denim, a blouse or a jacket. If you feel like denim, then spend the money on the jeans, and hit the clearance rack for a simple top. As long as you got a good pair of shoes and good taste in accessories, there is no need in buying some fancy top, you could wear a basic black or colored tank top and still be killing ‘em.

If your center piece happens to be a blouse or a jacket, spend the money on that and find some leggings or a simple skirt to complete the outfit.

I typically spend good money on jeans and shoes, but I always hit up Nordstrom Rack or Loehman’s, that way I am still getting designer pieces but at a great price. You can always find great shoes at DSW and Marshall’s and sometimes you can get really good deals every blue moon at Ross or T.J. Maxx. Although, I feel like your shoe size determines what you will be able to find. I have huge feet, size 10, but what you  may not know is size 9 is average for women. That’s why I always see all the cute shoes in size 6, 7, and 8, but can never find those same shoes in my size. So, buying shoes can be a challenge for me. Buying shoes online is a little easier, but I will only buy brands that I am familiar with and how they fit my feet, cause you can’t try on on-line shoes.

I tried out the Kardashian’s online shoe company, where you pay $40 a month and get to pick out a pair of shoes. They have some very cute and stylish shoes, but they were to narrow for my feet. Disappointing.

When it comes to buying the basics (shirts, tank tops, leggings, skirts) I like to go to the super cheap stores. In L.A. there is a chain of stores called Hi-Fashion $5.99 and up! LOL great name right? But this store is the shizz. You wouldn’t really think so with all of the outfits they have displayed in the window, looks like an extension of the Slauson Swap Meet. But when it comes to basics, they got it all! Mini-skirts, tanks, leggings or all colors, hats, scarfs, and cheap sunglasses.

But please, please, don’t buy cheap, tacky jewelry, or anything plastic.

A few other things to note:

Sometimes you’ll find a great dress or jacket at a smashing price, but it may not fit exactly the way you’d like it to so you put it back on the rack. No-No! Buy it and take that baby to the tailors. It’s amazing how tailoring a cheap dress can make you look like a million bucks. And tailoring is very inexpensive, but it can take up to a week to get back depending on how busy the tailor is.

When jeans begin to rip take them to a jean repair shop, also pretty inexpensive. Or add some extra rips and let that be the style.

When jeans begin to fade and are looking a little too casual to wear out, dye them. Especially the black jeans. You can buy a box of “Rit” dye at the grocery store. I think it’s like $5 and you can dye your jeans back to life. Resurrect your denim! You can do the same with your leggings.

Buy a handheld steamer. Steaming your clothes, especially your tops, skirts and dresses, will help you keep them clean and fresh, rather than washing them too much and end up damaging them.

Buy smart baby mama’s and take good care of your threads, it’ll save you $ and you’ll still look good.

 

 

Achieving Forgiveness

The relationship between my daughter’s dad and I is not the best. Well, in reality, we have no relationship at all. He’s never met her and he’s well aware of her existence. But let’s save all of the “what an a**hole” and “how could someone not want to be in their child’s life” comments, because honestly, I’m over it. I’ve accepted the situation and made the best of it, and today I can honestly say that I have forgiven him for the pain he has caused me and the pain he will cause my daughter if he chooses to never be in her life. I didn’t forgive him because he asked me to, I forgave him because I needed to in order to live my life.

Forgiving someone is not easy, hence the title, “Achieving.” For God has made forgiveness a heroic deed. But forgiveness is also something you can not force, for only time and love can heal you and you need to be healed in order to forgive.

My healing process has taken over 2 years.

About a year ago, I saw my daughter’s father in court and it was the first time I had seen him since my 2 month pregnancy check up, a year and a half since I last saw him. I was aware of the court date a couple of weeks prior. I was fasting and praying that he would show up, not be difficult and that I would have the opportunity to tell him that I had forgiven him, believing at the time that I finally had.

As I sat with the state attorney after waiting for two hours for him to show up, I felt I had prayed for a lost cause. The attorney told me that since he failed to appear the case would move in default in my favor. As he was escorting me out into the hallway, my daughter’s father was walking in. I can’t describe the feeling that came over me. My heart dropped like I was at the peak of a roller coaster ride. I swear it stopped beating for 30 seconds and then began racing 100 miles per minute.

He pretended to be preoccupied on his blackberry, and there we sat next to each other in front of the case worker. He didn’t even look at me. Had nothing to say. Still on his blackberry, I looked over to see what he was doing. He was literally just scrolling back and forth through the menu icons on his phone. Avoiding confrontation.

The case workers asked us our full names to verify our identities. She then asked him if he was confirming paternity over the child. He hesitated, stuttered, and then preceded by saying no. I wasn’t shocked that he said no, but I still wonder to this day why he hesitated. He knew he was the father, but I knew he would say no to be difficult. The case worker left to get forms to schedule a genetic testing. I took that as an opportunity to break the ice.

“So, how are you? Are you doing okay?”

He looked to me with a blank stare.

“Really? How am I? Am I okay? This is some bullshit!”

He rubbed his hands over his face, breathed deeply and started playing with is phone again.

Anger, filled me up inside and then I became very anxious. I couldn’t sit still without shaking my foot. The case worker came back with a form for me to fill out. I filled it out and she said I was free to leave. He was still filling out his form. I got up and left without saying a word. I walked out into the hallway and waiting patiently for the elevator. I got on the elevator, it was empty. As soon as the doors closed, tears came streaming down my face. I wasn’t crying, I wasn’t sobbing, but my soul was.

It was then that I realized a few things.

1. I hadn’t forgiven him.

2. He didn’t want or need my forgiveness.

3. My forgiveness for him is really for myself.

I also began to understand that all the lashing out he had done towards me was from pain that someone else had cause him. And it was pain he has yet to be healed from. It doesn’t make his actions right, but out of love I chose to understand and let it be what it is.

11 months later…

At court again. After two strikes of not showing up, this time, he was there waiting by the time I go to court. He had requested that we meet with the case worker separately. So we didn’t speak at all. We negotiated through the case worker and she expressed to me that he was open to paying more than he was ordered to pay. The case worker and I came up with a number based on the amount of income he was claiming and he actually agreed. There was no drama, it was resolved, it was quick and we departed. And as I walked to my car I felt a sense of pride for him. I was happy that he was finally taking responsibility. Not because we need his money, because we don’t. We have been doing just fine without any support from him. But because I know he was at a very low point in his life and it seemed as if he was finally getting himself together and doing better.

That small feeling I had was confirmation that I had been healed.

And today, about a month later, I heard through mutual friends that he is in love with a young woman and they just got engaged. I was kind of shocked that he could actually feel that way about someone, but honestly, I am so happy for him. I think regardless of what horrible evil things someone has done, that everyone deserves to be in love, no matter how undeserving we are. He doesn’t need my happiness or forgiveness to move on with his life. He probably doesn’t even care. But I can’t tell you how free and full of love of feel now that I have achieved forgiveness.

Love heals everything. God is Love.

Be forgiving baby mommas! I love y’all.

 

 

Diet Soda? More like Deadly Soda!

Because I value my job, I didn’t slap the bejesus out of this woman at my job the other day. Why didn’t I want to punch her in the throat? Because when her child ordered a cola she corrected him and said “Diet Cola.”

Ummm Hello!?

How do people still not know that Diet Soda is way worse for you then regular soda? Well, there’s a little ingredient called aspartame found in all “diet” beverages and even some sports drinks.

Please read this excerpt from a book called “Skinny Bitch” By Roy Freedman.

When aspartame was put before the FDA for approval, it was denied eight times. g.d. Searle, founder of aspartame, tried to get FDA approval in 1973. clearly, he wasn’t bothered by reports from neuroscientist Dr. John Olney and researcher Ann reynolds (hired by Searle himself) that aspartame was dangerous. Dr. Martha Freeman, a scientist from the FDA division of Metabolic and endocrine drug Products, declared, “The information submitted for review is inadequate to permit a scientific evaluation of clinical safety.” Freeman recommended that until the safety of aspartame was proven, marketing the product should not be permitted. Alas, her recommendations were ignored. Somehow, in 1974, Searle got approval to use aspartame in dry foods. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing from there. In 1975, the FDA put together a task force to review Searle’s testing methods. Task force team leader Phillip Brodsky said he “had never seen anything as bas as Searle’s testing” and called the tests results “manipulated.” Before aspartame actually made it into dry foods, Olney and attorney and consumer advocate Jim Turner filed objections against the approval.

In 1977, the FDA asked the U.S. attorney’s office to start grand jury proceedings against Searle for “knowingly misrepresenting findings and concealing material facts and making false statements in aspartame safety tests.” shortly after, the U.S. attorney leading the investigation against Searle was offered a job by the law firm that was representing Searle. Later that same year, he resigned as U.S. attorney and withdrew from the case, delaying the grand jury’s investigation. This caused the statute of limitations on the charges to run out, and the investigation was dropped. And he accepted the job with Searle’s law firm. Stunning.

In 1980, a review by the Public Board of Inquiry set up by the FDA determined that aspartame should not be approved. The board said it had not been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive.” In 1981, new FDA Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed. Despite the fact that three out of six scientists advised against approval, Hayes decided to overrule the scientific review panel and allow aspartame into limited dry goods. In 1983, he got it approved for beverages, even though the National Soft Drink Association urged the FDA to delay approval until further testing could be done. That same year, Hayes left the FDA amid charges of impropriety. The Internal Department of Health and Human services was investigating Hayes for accepting gratuities from FDA-regulated companies. He went to work as a consultant for Searle’s public relations firm. Interesting. The FDA finally urged Congress to prosecute Searle for giving the government false or incomplete test results on aspartame. However, the two government attorneys assigned to the case decided not to prosecute. Later, they went to work for the law firm that represented Searle. Fascinating. Despite recognizing ninety-two different symptoms that result from ingesting aspartame, the FDA approved it for use, without restriction in 1996. Brilliant.

So many people have been sickened from this shit that there are aspartame victim support groups. Some of the ninety-two aspartame side effects listed by the FDA include memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain lesions, blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer’s, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings, and weight gain.

Aspartame is a $1 billion industry. The National Justice League has filed a series of lawsuits against food companies using aspartame, claiming they are poisoning the public. In September 2004, a class action lawsuit was filed for $350 million against NutraSweet and the American Diabetics Association. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is named in the suit for using political muscle to get aspartame approved by the FDA.

Nutrasweet and Equil contain aspartame. When ingested, one of aspartames ingredients, methyl alcohol, converts into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin. In addition to aspartame, Equal contains the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine occurs naturally in the brain. But high levels can increase the chance of seizures and lead to depression and schizophrenia. There is no lesser of the two evils. NutraSweet and Equal are both evil. Sweet and Low is no saint, either. It is an artificial sweetener that contains saccharin, a coal-tar compound. Stay away.

Because we’re having so much fun, lets bash the shit out of Splenda, one of the newer sweeteners. Splenda is made by chlorinated sugar, changing its molecular structure. The finished product is called sucralose. The makers of this poison tout its lack of calories and claim it’s safe for diabetics. The FDA calls sucralose 98 percent pure. The other 2 percent contains small amounts of heavy metals, methanol, and arsenic. Well gee, at least it doesn’t have any calories. So what if it has a little arsenic? Sucralose has been found to cause diarrhea; organ, genetic, immune system, and reproductive damage; swelling of the liver and kidneys: and a decrease in fetal body weight. What a splendid product!

If this information is not enough for you to eliminate all artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened products out of your diet, may God so help you.

I personally never drink diet beverages, I always hated the taste. But the reason why it bothers me so much when I see other people choosing to drink it, is because it’s a close to home issue for me.

My very sweet grandmother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease last winter. She has been drink diet cola almost everyday ever since it came out in the 70′s. I’m talking big gulps, everyday. She wouldn’t drink water, just diet cola. Sadly, the aspartame has caught up to her. She is still addicted to it, just as Michael J. Fox was addicted to Diet Pepsi.

After doing a little research about Parkinson’s Disease and seeing the link to is from aspartame, I called my sweet grandmother up recently and asked her if she knew what aspartame was. She said, “Oh, it’s in my soda. Isn’t it?” I begged her to talk to her doctor or a nutritionist about changing the way she eats and eliminating diet sodas completely. She said she would look into it. I have yet to check back on her about it.

Protect yourself and most importantly your kids from this product. A little sugar is NOT going to hurt you or your kids. You might as well just enjoy regular soda if your going to drink soda anyway. It taste better! And it’s a lot easier to work off the sugar than it is to work off the aspartame!

Be healthy baby mommas!

I love y’all.

 

Salmon Dinner For 2, Only $4.50!

 

I’ve been working like a slave, and when I be working like a slave, I can’t find hardly anytime to work out and tend to eat really crappy cause I’m always in a rush. So, when I find that I have no time to exercise, I try my best to eat as healthy as I can. Sometimes eating healthy can be expensive, especially when eating out. I spend so much money on food! It ridiculous! But tonight, I’m rather proud of myself because I made smart and healthy choices as I was at the store shopping for dinner.

If you’re a meat eater, usually meat is what costs the most when adding up your grocery tab. Second is processed and packaged food and drinks. Third would be pre-cut and packaged vegetables and fruits. Yes I know the pre-cut and packaged produce makes life a whole lot easier, but don’t buy it. You will save your self $1-$3 per item.

Buying fresh meat is always the healthiest option, but when money is tight, go for frozen. You can still find healthy options and will get more for your money. As opposed to 2 chicken breast for $8 you’ll get 8-10 frozen chicken breasts for the same price.

Okay so back to the cooking, right!

I call this the Brazilian Bun-less Burger

Very simple and takes about 10 mins to make.

1. Put black beans in a small pot and heat on low. Add some crushed garlic and seasonings of your choice.

2. Heat skillet with olive oil. Sear salmon patty over medium heat, 3-4 mins on each side.

3. Chop fresh cabbage and red onion and add to skillet once you flip the salmon patty.

4. Add your seasonings. I suggest chili powder, pink salt, ginger, paprika, pepper. Put lid over skillet for a couple of minutes or until salmon patty is cooked through.

5. Lay your veggies on a plate, salmon patty on top and throw on some beans.

Of course you can add other veggies in there if you want!

Now that was easy! Call me the Staples of the kitchen! And it was cheap!

Quick economics lesson: when you buy fresh salmon filets  what is your opportunity cost? (when shopping at Trader Joe’s of course)

4 Salmon burger patties for $5.99! What?! That’s $1.50 a patty! Which is the perfect portion size by the way and will help keep you from over eating.

A head of cabbage is $0.99 and I only used about 1/8 of the cabbage, so that’s like $0.10

A red onion is about $0.89 and I only used 1/4 of that, so that’s about $0.20

And a can of black beans is $0.89 and I only used half the can. That’s about $0.45

Shoot! Double up those serving and have dinner for 2 for $4.50!!! Yo! That gives you a few extra bucks to get a decent bottle of chardonnay to go with it!

You can’t beat that fly mammas! Eat good and save!

(If you have recipes you want to share or tips on simple ways to save cash, leave your comments below!)