Cookin' n Heels

In the name of our Elder, Mother Toni Morrison.

Do you look at yourself in the mirror and exclaim, “Girl, you are a boss ass bitch!!”? Do you ever find yourself attempting to use your knees like they are still under factory warranty? Maybe you enjoy doing hood rat things with your friends, or by yourself.

While these things may seem simple, the reality is that they are in effect expressions of self love-they evoke joy. For many Black women, these simple yet powerful things can prove to be monumental tasks. Joy is so important; we must be diligent in our cultivation of it and do whatever is within our power to preserve and protect it. Despite this, many of us fall short. We have dealt (or are still dealing with) low self esteem and low self confidence; both of which are rooted in a lack of self love. This comes at no surprise considering all of the ‘-isms’ and messaging that we receive on a daily that our true selves are either not enough or way too much.

This quote from Toni Morrison is a gift unto us all, “You are your best thing.” She not only walked the walk, but she talked the talk. Her work centered Black women in an unapologetic and meaningful way. She understood the assignment and executed it with such elegance and grace that she continues to be undeniable. See, Mother Morrison understood the importance of reclaiming ourselves and telling our stories; this in itself is an act of self love; it is healing.

In the name of Mother Morrison, it’s time for us to reclaim who we are, show up, and show out! We do this by reclaiming the narrative surrounding our lives. No longer do we have to bear the brunt of the labels that society imposes on us (angry black woman, difficult to work with, etc.). In reclaiming ourselves and our stories, we are in effect practicing radical acts of self love.

Now, mind you, the process of cultivating this type of self love may not be quite as singing ‘I’m Every Woman’ at the top of your lungs. It requires work, diligence, and above all a commitment to yourself that you sometimes have to make on a daily basis. It ain’t always pretty. But you are worth it. We are all worth it.

When I decided to stop taking anymore sh!t, stop code switching to hide my deep Southern accent, and most importantly, when I decided to stop shrinking myself to stroke assuage someone else’s ego at my own expense I felt rejuvenated. I felt like I had just bit into a York Peppermint patty and felt the sensation like I was skiing down the Swiss Alps. I love me some me, and I encourage you to decide to love yourself, in whatever way you deem most helpful. And honey, never forget: we are are radiant; we are immaculate; we are dope af. Remember, in the words of Mother Morrison, “You are your best thing!”

Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits. That’s it. That’s the description.

Ingredients

• 2 c all purpose flour (White Lily!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 6 tbsp cold butter
• 1 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder) together. Make sure they are thoroughly incorporated.  Set this aside.

Using a box grater, grate the butter and add to the flour mixture and combine it until it’s somewhat coarse. I like to put my butter in the freezer for at least 5 mins before I do this. I like to do this with my hands, but you can probably use a pastry cutter. Move fast! You don’t want the butter to melt.

Make a well in the center of the mixture to pour in the butter milk and combine this gently with a rubber spatula.  Once it’s combined then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a disk.  DO NOT USE A ROLLING PIN!  You don’t wanna over-work the dough if you want fluffy biscuits.  Instead, do 2 envelope folds and re-form the dough into an even layer. Cut out circles and place them in a biscuit pan lined with parchment paper. I like to place them fairly close together so they’ll rise higher.

Bake for about 10-15 mins then butter them and enjoy!