Cajun Shrimp & Grits!

Cajun Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients:

·2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

·2 cups 2% milk

·1/3 cup butter, cubed

·3/4 teaspoon salt

·1/2 teaspoon pepper

·3/4 cup uncooked old-fashioned grits

·1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

·SHRIMP:

·8 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped

·1-pound cleaned peeled shrimp

·3 garlic cloves, minced

·1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mamma Cajun seasoning (season to taste)

·*pinch of cayenne pepper to taste * optional

·4 green onions, chopped

·Make sure you clean shrimp before cooking or purchase already peeled shrimp at Wal-Mart Super Store approximately $10.00 per bag already cleaned & peeled large shrimp.

·1 to 2 strips of fried bacon for garnish optional

Directions:

·In a large saucepan, bring the broth, milk, butter, salt and pepper to a boil. Slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for 12-14 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally(make sure it doesn’t stick). Stir in cheese until melted. Set aside and keep warm.

·In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 4 teaspoons drippings. Sauté the shrimp, garlic and seasoning in drippings until shrimp turn pink. Serve with grits and sprinkle with onions.

Mother’s Advice for Staying Safe Online!

“Everybody ain’t your friend!” That was the best advice my mother ever gave me, and you know what? If you’re on the internet every day, like I am, it’s still sound advice.

The internet is a place to gain information, but you have to be careful and began making it a rule to be overly cautious about giving out information. The internet is like a real highway. Some folks, even refer to it as being like the Wild Wild West!” Remember how in the old Western movies, when the stagecoach left town, it always needed someone to ride shotgun? Will think of the internet like that. You need someone to ride shot gun. Now, riding shot gun, just means having someone looking out for your or supervision. Because the internet is filled with so much– even adults need supervisors or a strong common sense to guard your personal information. For example, some folks even consider hooking up with Norton to safeguard personal information and passwords. You can find more information about password protects at Norton.com.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, since 2015 consumers have lost more than $1 billion from scams initiated through the web.

Therefore, the first thing to do to guard yourself online is to remember, everybody ain’t your friend. Be wary of suspicious links and emails. Always check who the message came from and avoid clicking links from anyone you don’t know. And take extra precautions when you get emails that ask you to reset your passwords. Because normally if you get a reset your password request it is because you requested and when you do, those emails to reset will be Time-sensitive.

Things to lookout for:

Watch out for phishing scams… Here are a couple of phishing scams.
· The Apple Reset Your Password Request

For example, many phishing emails are designed to look like it’s from Apple, or other top brand names. The first thing you should ask yourself is, “Did I request my password change?” I you didn’t, you didn’t.

Next, check to see if it is Time-sensitive. If it is not? Well you guessed it. It’s a scam.

If you receive a phishing email that's designed to look like it's from Apple, send it to reportphishing@apple.com. ...

Forward phishing emails to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at spam@uce.gov – and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the email.

The Urgent Request

Next, if you receive an Urgent Request to reset you email. It maybe a Phishing email,

This kind of email urges you to take immediate action and this kind of phishing emails play to our innate psychology. By impersonating a person or organization with a high level of authority—and urging immediate action—these emails are dangerously persuasive.


Other things you should do:

§ Keep your computers and mobile devices up to date. Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Turn on automatic updates so you receive the newest fixes as they become available.

§ Set strong passwords. A strong password is at least eight characters in length, using more characters makes it stronger, if the mood hits you go up in characters and includes a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

§ Keep personal information personal. Hackers can use social media profiles to figure out your passwords and answer those security questions in the password reset tools. Lock down your privacy settings and avoid posting things like birthdays, addresses, mother’s maiden name, etc. Be wary of requests to connect from people you do not know. I have been personally stalked on social media by folks I would not “Friend” who would then contact me on my email. Guess what? I would not respond to their email. Why? Because I didn’t know them.

§ The internet is a way bad people will ask for personal information. NEVER give your address or phone number away to anyone. Never list your home address on social media. Get a P.O. BOX. Many P.O. Boxes have street addresses attached to them. Use the P.O. Box, street address.

§ The internet is not always full of truth. Don’t be deceived on what you are reading. Get your source from multiple reliable resources.

§ Secure your internet connection. Always protect your home wireless network with a password. When connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, be cautious about what information you are sending over it.

§ Shop safely. Before shopping online, make sure the website uses secure technology. When you are at the checkout screen, verify that the web address begins with https. Also, check to see if a tiny locked padlock symbol appears on the page.

§ Read the site’s privacy policies. Though long and complex, privacy policies tell you how the site protects the personal information it collects. If you don’t see or understand a site’s privacy policy, consider doing business elsewhere.

The internet can be a great place or a scary place if not handled properly. Remember Mother’s advice while you are on the internet… “Everybody ain’t your friend.” 

Delicious Shrimp Tacos!

·  1 pound large or jumbo shrimp — peeled, deveined, and tails removed (fresh or frozen and thawed) **Budget Friendly – Buy at Wal-Mart Super Market less than $10 a bag already devined**

·  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

·  1 teaspoon chili powder

· ½ teaspoon Slap Ya Momma Seasoning

·  1 teaspoon ground chili

·  1 teaspoon ground cumin

·   6 to 8 corn or flour tortillas

·  Garnishes: avocados — cilantro, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lime wedges

FOR THE Cabbage Slaw & Shrimp Taco Sauce:

·  1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

·  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·  1 clove garlic — peeled

·  1/2 small jalapeno — seeds and membranes removed

·  1/4 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

·  1/4 teaspoon Slap Ya Momma Seasoning

·  Zest and juice of 1 large or 2 very small limes — about 2 teaspoons zest and 3 tablespoons juice

·  2 cups shredded cabbage — or slaw mix

Instructions

· Rinse and pat the shrimp dry, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the chili powder, chipotle chili, cumin, and Slap Ya Momma Seasoning.

1.     Toss to coat evenly. Let rest while you prepare the shrimp taco sauce and slaw.

2.     Prepare the sauce and slaw: In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, Slap Ya Momma Seasoning lime, zest, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

3.      Place the cabbage in a mixing bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Add more sauce if you desire a creamier slaw, then reserve the rest of the sauce for serving.

4.     Cook the shrimp: In a large nonstick skillet over medium high, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add the shrimp and sauté just until the shrimp is cooked through and no longer translucent in the center, about 4 minutes. Do not overcook! Transfer the shrimp immediately to a plate.

5.     Warm the tortillas (optional) and assemble the tacos: If you like, warm the tortillas in the microwave (put them in a stack and cover them with a lightly damp towel) or a 250 degree F oven while the shrimp cook. To serve, fill the tortillas with your desired number of shrimps, then top generously with the slaw, extra sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, and any other desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.

 

One Tin Soldier, The Valley People, The Leader & The Best Man! Heaven knows!

If you read any headline you see “Mass Protest and Mayhem continuing”…But if you look at the cities across America, what you will really see is that the American people did awake. They woke up and said enough is enough.
Just like the message in the song “One Tin Soldier” human greed and violence is futile. The American people woke up and said we have stood by long enough and watch the results of the monstrosity 2016 election as it ushered into the USA, a reign of terror, by The White House and the Republican Party, wrecking mayhem and running sinisterly amok.
Where elected officials poured out the most dangerous and vilest attacks on the Black and Brown American people, women and children of immigrants. Since the election in 2016 Americans have stood by and watched White house and their leaders in power, dehumanize Black, Brown people, children of immigrants, women, Muslims to name a few. By using, law enforcement, discrimination, acts of violence and terror and even by using tweets that say “thugs” and “when the looting starts, the shooting start, by separating immigrant children from their parents, by systematically stroking the fires of hatred and racism and thinking their actions had no consequences.
This White House and its President saw political advantage in fostering division among the American People, fueling hatred and divide, thinking they were their best weapons to maintain power only to see what they really did was cause this country to tear itself into pieces.
For what?
Remember I told you about the message in the song “One Tin Soldier” that human greed and violence is futile? Why? Because when one person, with all the power, resorts to hurting the valley people(the people of America) he does not understand that on the blooded morning after his reign of power and mayhem, has caused bloodshed of innocent people, for no real reason, there will be no trumpets blowing his victory for the blood of the people is on his hands.
And when the innocent blood of the people is on your hands, how can you stand up straight and call yourself the “Best Leader, The Best Man?” For all know that the sinning man, always justifies himself in his own eyes. And we all know, and just as heaven knows, you are not, the “Best Leader, The Best Man!”

100,000 Lives Lost Today!

 

The people of the USA our hearts are broken today! For 100,000 Beautiful lives have come to an end. They were our Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and yes, our Friends, Neighbors and our coworkers too.  In our hearts and minds they will forever be a memory we keep; a love we never forget.  We know that God called you all home, he sent his Death Angel from upon his throne. You leave us with just our memories and your love to be our guide and though we cannot see you we know you are always by our side.

Goodbye to all our loved ones, the Coronavirus may have taken you from us, but we will forever keep your love at our side, to be our guide.

https://medium.com/@jerreecejackson/100-000-lives-lost-today-ef0f5b318073

The Deceiver Secret! Read For Free On Smashwords!

Mucus Buster!

Another Old Fashion Remedy called the Broncho-Buster!

Sure enough, Mother knew best! From her home remedy of taking echinacea to shorten your cold, to knowing about an old-time remedy for getting mucus flowing. Let the record show, yes, Mother knew a thing or two about getting over a cold and getting mucus flowing.  

For those who don’t know mucus is a slimy substance, typically not miscible with water, secreted by mucous membranes and glands for lubrication, protection, etc. 

One of my mother’s favorite old-time remedy for dealing with mucus, was called Broncho-buster by the man who created it. It was a known treatment that was created by James A. Duke, PhD., who was an American botanist. Who was an authority on healing plants? Dr Duke developed the Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases part of Duke’s Herbal Vineyard was located in Fulton Maryland.  His Broncho-Buster was a list of ingredients that were mix well together and then slowly eaten. Dr. Duke suggested you mix small amounts of garlic, ginger, mustard, turmeric, chopped chile peppers and horseradish into a paste. Then you were to spread this paste on a cracker and nibble gingerly one tiny bite at a time. The well mixed ingredients will then make everything run. Your eyes, your nose, and even thick mucus that was clogging your bronchial tubes. 

There you have it! Another Old-Time Remedy that works. 

Disclaimer: First up, please let me say. I am not a medical doctor. My listings are for pure entertainment. You as an individual must be the Captain of your own Medical Ship! This means consult with your doctor before trying anything you read online or in a book, not written by a medical doctor, and even if it is written by a medical doctor, please consult your own doctor.

https://medium.com/@jerreecejackson/mucus-buster-3ee74de737e

 

Another Old Fashioned Remedy – Using Beer, Cinnamon & Black Pepper!

Since I’ve been stuck in the home on my Coronavirus Blues vacation, I have a lot of time on my hands to rummage through things I have collected over the years.  Old tidbits of news, letters, notes, books and those oddities you just can’t let go of.

For example, I’ve found notes my mother have written to me on just about every subject under the sun even beer, cinnamon and black pepper. Yes, there are many uses for these three items. Let’s look at what you can do with beer first.

Did you know that beer us made up of ingredients that can enrich your garden soil? Yes, it is. Just mix a several tablespoons of beer into your garden soil, do this by mixing the beer into water that you pour onto your soil. This will give your plants a boost. Also adding beer to your compost starter has boosting benefits too, the yeast and sugar in beer adds beneficial bacteria to compose.

Do you have a problem with bees in your garden or yard?  You can create a bee trap by punching a series of small holes (big enough for a bee to get in about 3/8-inch-wide) in a lid of an old glass jar. The fill the glass jar with one half beer, screw on the top and place the jar in the yard where you’ve seen bees. The bees will be attracted to the beer, crawl into the hole and can’t get out.

Having a backyard party and want to eliminate bees? Just place a few open cans around the perimeter of your yard. And woola! Bees be gone!

Don’t you just love the smell of Cinnamon?  Bet you didn’t know your neighbors’ cat and dogs don’t. Yup!  Do you want to keep your neighbors’ cat or dog out of your yard?  Just sprinkle some cinnamon around the perimeter of your yard every week.

And if you love the great smell of Cinnamon, freshen up you home with Cinnamon, by putting Cinnamon sticks in your vacuum bag before vacuuming.

Black pepper also works to keep neighborhood dogs and cats out of your yard. And it works to keep away rabbits, squirrels and raccoons away.  So, if raccoons are bothering your garbage cans just sprinkle black pepper around your garbage cans to keep them out.

Black pepper also works to keep away ants.

There you have it. Old fashioned remedies for using beer, cinnamon, and black pepper.  I bet you’ll never look at these three items the same again.

 

 

Old Fashioned Remedies that still work today! Use Steam to Clear Sinus!

My mother used to have a ton of old-fashioned remedies. I remember many of them well to this day. She had remedies for acne, stomach cramps, even diarrhea.

One of her best ones was what to do, when you were suffering from seasonal hay fever, or a stuffy nose from a head cold.

My mother would boil a pot of water on the stove and then pour the hot water carefully into an extra-large bowl, placed safely on a table.  She would then drop in a few drops of eucalyptus oil, or pine oil or even tea tree oil into the bowl, placed on the table.  Next she would then use an extra-large dry towel, that she would then drape over the head of the congested person and have them lean their face over the bowl of water at least 12 inches away from it, being “very careful not to burn themselves on the hot bowl and have them breathe through their nose.

Not only was this technique great from relieving a stuffy nose or hay fever it was also a great way to get a facial. 

Yes, it would seem “Mother” was way ahead of her time and she did know a thing or two.  Whether you need to clear your sinuses or get a great facial this Mother knows best remedy is a must try.

 

 

Staying Fit/Exercising During Coronavirus Vacation!

vacation we’ve got time. So, let’s get started.

It has been proven that regular exercise can reduce health problems, even chronic pain, and stress.

First off, check with your doctor to make sure it is safe for you to start exercising. After that begin your exercise routine with clear, achievable goals. What are clear achievable goals?  Well if you have never exercise before, start with the basic.  Walking. Yes, walking is a exercise and it’s achievable.

Walking as exercise.

Start by walking around the block, down the street to a familiar place maybe your corner store, or some other safe place and back.

If you can’t walk outside or want to stay safe inside consider going to YouTube on your cell phone, table, or TV.  There are a number of 15-minute beginning walking videos out there on YouTube.

Here is a video on the benefits of walking that will explain to you what will happen once you start walking your body each day by five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes, and so on. You get my point. Check it out here.  https://youtu.be/A7vk13pOn4s

 

Now, a little about my personal walking experience. I started out over a year ago doing “Walk At Home by Leslie Sansone, on YouTube.” I started with her ten-minute walk. After three weeks I worked up to her twenty-minute walk and now I do her fast thirty-minute walk every other day and ride my stationary bike five miles the other days.

So, what am I saying? Walking is exercise and it’s doable. The benefits are worth trying it out. So, I’m saying if you have ten-minutes each day and you don’t want to leave the house, especially since Coronavirus, why not start with a Walk At Home by Leslie Sansone, on YouTube.  Here are a couple of her videos to try https://youtu.be/tVpUCkMLgms

https://youtu.be/TJLKgWsS7vw

Now, let’s get started getting healthy walking and getting us some Happy while we wait out our coronavirus vacation. 

Let’s “Self” Pamper Ourselves During Our Coronavirus Vacation!

Let’s “Self” Pamper Ourselves During Our Coronavirus Vacation!

Remember my earlier article about having a lot of time on our hands during our Coronavirus Blues vacation? Well, I had a thought… Wait for it!  Here it comes.

Why not do some self-pampering, since we cannot go to the nail salon, why not pamper our hands and nails at home?

Our hands are in and out of water constantly with our need to now wash our hands after just about everything we do. As we are all coming to learn hand sanitizers have a lot of alcohol and can make hands dry and chapped.   Even if you buy the hand sanitizer with moisturizer, your hands may still become dry and chapped.

Leading doctors say if you have really dry hands you should wear gloves when doing dishes or cleaning.

Let’s suppose we’ve done all of that what next?

Well, my grandmother and mother would say I should put Vaseline on my hands, and cover them with gloves, when I go to bed or have some free time in the day. And guess what their remedy works.

In her autobiography “Doris Day: Her Own Story,” Doris Day said that once a month she would cover her body with Vaseline before she went to bed to soften her skin. She would wear gloves, sock and pajamas that would make sure the Vaseline stayed on her skin and didn't get all over her bed.

So what’s my self-pampering tip for hands (and feet for those of us who need it.) is to put some Vaseline on your hands, giving extra care and attention to your cuticles and then cover your hands with gloves.  Before you know it

Your hands will be back to being soft.

https://medium.com/@jerreecejackson/lets-self-pamper-ourselves-during-our-coronavirus-vacation-cf5689df0ce3

How to Stay Optimistic During Coronavirus Blues!

Have you ever heard staying optimistic can improve your health? Well studies show that it can. Don’t believe me? Just “Google” it. With that said the good news is that studies have proven that when you stay optimistic you can make your immune system stronger, thus decreasing your chance at getting a disease and you can even improve your health and help yourself live longer.

So, how do you become optimistic? Well, just like most things, like learning to play a piano, or playing cards, or playing chess, just like you can learn anyone of those things to do, you can learn, to be optimistic.

How do you do this? Well, of course, you can take the self-help #Free approached and google technics on how to become optimistic, online, or you can read a book. One book that comes to mind is "Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life" by Dr. Martin Seligman, a renowned psychologist.

But if you are still straddling the fence with the self-help thing, just visit one of the many sites out there on the world wide web, with articles on the subject of how to become optimistic, one that I like can be found at this link. https://www.positivityblog.com/how-to-stay-positive/

And finally, most importantly always find the optimistic viewpoint in every negative situation., this will always be your first step on learning how to stay optimistic in any situation.

Now that you know, start today on staying optimistic during the Coronavirus Blues. We can and will make it through this.

Stress Management Tips For The Coronavirus Blues!

During our Coronavirus Vacation we must modify our behavior to make it easier to get through the Coronavirus Blues. Here are a few tips to help you do so.

1. When the Coronavirus Blues hit you, you need to do some positive talk, to yourself. What is positive talk? Well it’s when you say something “positive” to yourself to make yourself feel better.

Positive self-talk has been defined as when you make yourself feel good about yourself and the things that are going on in your life. It's like having an optimistic voice in your head that always looks on the bright side.

2. Visualize your positive results. When something happens that you don’t want to happen instead of holding on to it, stop and take 60 seconds to visualize what you do want and focus on that positive thought.

3. Take Time out. When bad thoughts appear take time out to make yourself feel important. Feel like you matter. This will aid in helping you change the outlook or outcome of something negative.

4. Exercise. Doing this takes your mind off the bad thought and it relieves tension. Exercising can also release endorphins that can help your well-being.

5. Don’t dwell in the past. Let go of past hurts that are holding you back from living in the moment and staying positive.

Some examples of positive self-talk: Saying things to yourself like “There’s nothing I can’t do, nothing I can have, nothing I can’t be! I am far more than I think I am. I am divinely connected with the infinite power of the universe. I can do it. I’m good enough just as I am. If I want to, I can, it’s okay if I make a mistake. It doesn’t matter if I make a mistake. Etc. Etc.

Benefits of positive self-talk one, is that it can give y ou a more optimistic outlook on life and two, it has other health benefits, including increased vitality. greater life satisfaction. improved immune function. Try some of these tips the next time the Coronavirus Blues slips up beside you and try and make your day. hour, or minute a bad one. Only you can banish the Coronavirus Blues and get happy!

Come on let’s all get happy!

Book III Lovers, Players & The Seducer ~ Nicholas Returns ~ The Prodigal...

Olive Oil

Olive Oil My mother knew the benefits of using natural products like Olive Oil, long before I did. So, when my rose bushes recently started showing signs of the pesky nasty scale insects. I decided to use a remedy my Mother had told me about. So, I grab a new .99 cent spray bottle from the Dollar store and filed it with about one third the way with good old fashion Olive Oil and the rest with distilled water. I than proceeded to spray my rose bushes and woola! The pesky bugs were gone. Did you know Olive Oil has many uses? Olive Oil can be used to protect the leaves of outside plants, as well as shining the leaves of inside plants. In the kitchen you can use Olive Oil to seasoning cast-iron cookware, wooden cutting boards, or bowls or wooden cooking spoons. Got a baseball player in your house? You can use Olive Oil to revitalize leather baseball gloves. Personal Care: Yes, Olive Oil is great for personal care. Use it to restore dry hands and feet. Aching back muscles. Soak a small towel in warm water and place in microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Rub Olive Oil on back ache and place warmed towel over the Olive Oil for a warm relief. So, the value of this story, of course it’s Olive Oil a product that been used in hundreds of recipes and been around for hundreds of years, is still a fantastic product you can use today.