Simply Yaya

Simply Yaya

Wednesday, 25 January 2023 09:56

Because if you look around, life is really beautiful…
Did you know that we eat with our eyes? It’s true. I have started a new job where I am preparing lunch plates for some folks. Whether its soup or a meal, I take great pains to make the plate visually appealing. I fan the crackers out around the soup bowl, sit the cornbread at just the right angle on the plate. They laugh at me, y’all, but I don’t care.
“I’m going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life.” – Elsie De Wolfe

That’s my new motto. There is enough ugly out there in the world without me adding to it. A dear friend of mine once got me a shirt that said “Stop the Ugly” on it. All this fussing, and disagreeing and being contrary. I’m too old for it these days. Politics. Grocery Prices. Gas prices. Everyone is just fussing and blowing and going and what good is it doing? None.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “Throw them paper plates away.” Get the good dishes out for your family and your husband (or wife), and make it pretty. Use real forks and real glasses and if you’re feeling extra fancy, freeze some lemon wedges in ice cube trays and make the sweet tea and water something special. I’m not saying every day – but at least once a week. Guarantee your kids will notice and remember and hopefully, do it with their own kids someday. If only…

Yes, it’s a modern, fast-paced, busy world we live in, and time is the one thing we can’t get back. Let’s make the most of it.

Here are a few of my best tips to be “extra” in your meals and in your life:

Take some Golden Eagle syrup and mix it with melted butter. Serve on hot biscuits. I’ve been known to go into the kitchen at 10 p.m. just to make biscuits so I can have this favorite treat of mine.
When planning meals, think about the colors that will be on your plate. Not only are greens good for you, they add a pop of color to your meal. Broccoli, peas, green beans. Bell peppers come in orange, green, yellow and red and are one of my favorite things to add to dishes for color.

My momma made the best lemonade. It was no special recipe. It was Koolaid lemonade mix that she took the time to add fresh squeezed lemons into, for flavor and for that “homemade” look. Folks loved it.

Speak life into someone. I saw a lady in Walmart yesterday who had on a shirt with dogs all over it. I passed her by three times before I finally said, “I love that shirt.” You should have seen the smile on her face. If you see something beautiful in someone else, SPEAK IT. Promise if you do this at least once a day you’ll feel better. Might even sleep better, too. And who doesn’t need that? I know I do.

Keep on keeping on being beautiful, y’all.

Blonde Butter Syrup

(serve on top of waffles, pancakes, French toast, bagels or biscuits/toast.)

Ingredients:
• 1 stick butter melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
Instructions:
1. Melt butter in small saucepan on stove. Place evaporated milk in glass or microwave safe container and microwave for 60 seconds or until its boiling. Add sugar as soon as you remove from microwave (it will puff up some). Whisk sugar and milk until it is nearly dissolved then add to melted butter on the stove top. Continue whisking over medium high heat until it thickens. Enjoy.

-Kim Rice-Holman