Monthly Archives: July 2016

Its Time for A Start

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people protesting with "BLACK LIVES MATTER" signs

In the midst of all the police brutality, alleged police assassinations, Black Lives Matter protests, companies trying to capitalize over Black organizations, people and their protest, and the PokemonGo craze that seems to just be tracking your location and predators, there is a silver lining. We are learning to come together as a people again. We are learning to go back to forums of discussion over social media. We are learning that everything isn’t meant to be poured into the digital database, which may be used against us. Thankfully we are learning. However, there are somethings that we should learn to do and that is to take back our neighborhoods.

As I suggested in previously blogs, YOUR COMMUNITY IS YOUT BUSINESS. And, therefore, you have to maintain and stabilize it. Can you look at your past and present contributions and be proud of your service to your neighborhood or the world?

I teach, mentor, volunteer, and I have founded two non-profit organizations, ‘Vive Entertainment Enterprises Corporation’ & ‘Brooklyn Multi-Service Community Center, Corp.,’ and a company called Brown-Pugh Daughters and Sons LLC. I’ve organized, walked, fundraised, and donated to various groups and causes, including traveling and marching in Washington DC for equality rights and Prop 8. The list will be several pages long. ALL in efforts to make my community (East New York and surrounding areas) and the world (I know you may think it sounds cheesy) a better place.

two women and a man at a tent

I am usually modest and rather not go into details. I never look for praise or profits, I just seek RESULTS. I need everyone reading this post to work towards results as well. No matter which part you play in your community, make POSITIVE efforts and try your best for progressive results. Here is 5 things you can do to improve your neighborhood:

1. Look at the statistics of crime, poverty, etc. in your area.

2. Come up with positive ideas to illuminate or reduce those statistics.

3. Develop a plan to implement at least one of those ideas.

4. Get help and/or advice if needed.

5. Start your plan.

For free assistance with business mentorship contact me via BkMSCC or via my NY Mentor site.

For Start-Up services visit my Fivrr, I also personalize orders not included on the site.

QUESTION TO THE AUDIENCE: How have you impacted change in your neighborhood?

 

I am no longer posting Mondays, Next Week Wednesday fund out The Pros and Cons of Blogging

Rice Pudding For All

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caramelized rice pudding

Image by: Kristin Rosenau

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

She’s crying with all her might and main,

And she won’t eat her dinner – rice pudding again –

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

I’ve promised her dolls and a daisy-chain,

And a book about animals – all in vain –

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

She’s perfectly well, and she hasn’t a pain;

But, look at her, now she’s beginning again! –

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

I’ve promised her sweets and a ride in the train,

And I’ve begged her to stop for a bit and explain –

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

She’s perfectly well and she hasn’t a pain,

And it’s lovely rice pudding for dinner again!

What is the matter with Mary Jane?

A.A. Milne

Food has always been a centrical part of my life, my mother was a single parent and I have only seen my father a few times over the years, most of which were negative experiences. But there were a couple of good times in which he shared his recipe of Puerto-Rican styled rice pudding for me and my sisters to devour. It is the only good memory that I have of my relationship with my father. Anyway, I lost track of this as time passed and the hurt that I endured in the small extent of my life with him. I began to hate the simple idea of any food that reminded me of him. It would simply reignite the flames of pain that he caused; the lies, the broken promises, and the absence. But I realized that all the hurt that I had dealt with had helped me to become stronger than I had ever been because I overcame the hurt. But by not enjoying the things that I had thoroughly enjoyed because of who it reminded me of only stopped me from living while he continued to enjoy his life.

I decided to challenge myself this summer in terms of making all different kinds of desserts and truly enjoying the sanctity of that. Whether named arroz con leche, kheer, and riz au lait; rice pudding can be prepared in so many different ways but all are delicious in their own way. I have decided to share this recipe below with all my readers so everyone can experience this beautifully delicious dish.

Rice Pudding

a cinnamon stick on top of rice pudding

Image by: Amelia PS

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Arborio rice, rinsed

6 cups whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, milk, vanilla bean and seeds, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until rice is tender and liquid has absorbed, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove vanilla bean; stir in heavy cream. Rice pudding may be served at room temperature or chilled.

Adapted by Martha Stewart

How do you explain hate to a child? – a poem

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This weeks blog was originally going to discuss readability and blogging but with the recent events in our nation I was inspired to write a poem. My condolences are extended to all who suffered a loss, who live in fear and most of all for the children who have to grow up in this scary and tragic world we as a society have created.

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN HATE TO A CHILD

By: Samantha Pezzolanti

How do you explain hate to a child? Is there really a way?

How do you find the words to explain the violence that takes place everyday?

How do you tell a child who’s innocent and unknowing,

That it’s reality that the TV is showing

Where do you find the words to rationalize the actions of a nation?

That is quick to hate and to judge but short on love and patience

How do you tell a child others can be judged by their race and gender?

Or by their religion, background or for being too chubby or slender

We raise our children to love, accept and share,

But the world around them spews hate, stereotypes and despair

We raise our children to not judge a book by its cover,

And to respect and walk in unity with one another

Yet the TV shows people who are at war with a label

Unfairly prosecuting people and leaving society unstable

So how do you explain hate to a child, how do you make them understand?

That it is not okay to take the life of another man

Or take the life of woman over the color of their skin, religion or ideas

How do you raise a child to not have fears?

Of society, of each other of the people who protect and serve,

No this is not the kind of world our children deserve

We have created a sad world indeed

One that’s chaotic, broken and in need

In need of love in need of community and in need of hope

Societies stability hangs by a rope

So how do you explain hate to a child in times like these?

If you have the answer, share it please.

Every Blogger Has That One Place

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This post is tying together two elements of what is important to me: blogging and food.

a black laptop, a black notebook, black sunglasses, and an iced coffee

I think all creatives/bloggers like me have this “place” where they feel the most comfortable in to do their blogging, writing, or etc. As a blogger, it’s important for me to be in a place I know I can concentrate. Unfortunately, sometimes making an effort to blog at home doesn’t seem to get me very far because of distractions.

Lately there’s a coffee house/franchise that I been feeling extremely motivated and inspired whenever I walk through their doors. If you’ve been around the city, you may have noticed a lot of Caffe Bene’s are popping up everywhere, but there are a lot in Queens, New Jersey, and Brooklyn too.

I’ve been coming to the Bensonhurst location on 18th Avenue a lot, at least once or sometimes twice a week. The atmosphere is cozy, comfortable, and has the local, neighborhood vibe to it. There’s always an abundance of seats and tables available and outlets available to charge your electronic devices. Most of the customers at this location are high school student – 50-60+ year old.

Besides enjoying the complimentary WiFi and air conditioning/heat (for the cold seasons), I typically like to come here to get my blogging and Yelp reviews done on the weekdays I don’t have plans. I feel extremely motivated to just write and blog here and the wonderful scent of coffee and tea keeps me up and going. Most of the customers here come with their laptops, iPads, tablets too or to get homework done. It’s also a nice place to do group studying as there are a lot of communal tables. I also like that they play cafe/coffee house music, but I always prefer my Spotify music instead.

a panini and a drink with mint

Caffe Bene has a lot of beverages to choose from, sandwiches, waffles, and sweets. I’ve recently been addicted to their Portabella Sandwich which is super crunchy, delicious and well I love mushrooms. The food and drinks here are a little pricey, but the quality is good.

All in all, I really like coming to Caffe Bene to blog and write my Yelp reviews. I feel I accomplish a lot when I am here because I can trap myself in my music and in front of my laptop. I don’t know anyone here so there’s minimal distraction and I feel my inner creative spirit really comes out on blogging and writing when I am here.

Do you have a “one place” where you feel you do your best blogging/work? If so, why is it your “place”?

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why-i-blog

Image Credit

This week I wanted to discuss why blogging can serve as an essential component of our professional development. I believe that professional development is worthwhile and necessary and that’s why I chose it as my topic. So the first thing to ask yourself is: what is the purpose of the blog? We need to have a clear idea of our destination. If you know what you want to blog about and what you want to achieve, you are more likely to get it. Of course, you can have more than one purpose and go in whatever direction you want to.

However, for me greatest benefit in blogging is that it allows me to motivate others with positive reinforcement as I share my stories, insights and give advice. As a motivational tool, I record my journey through the use of digital media, and reflect on my experiences. I have a constant way of processing information and a place to display that information. Even with a small audience, the act of sharing is driving me to continue the challenge of building a community of like-minded readers and expanding my interest to promote ideas and educational pedagogy.

For example, I am now looking at resumes and what style to use. Do I want bullet points or paragraph style? Should I lead with my experience or accomplishments? I will address these important questions in my next post with definitive choices. But that’s how blogging helps me to think and write more clearly. It helps me to organize my thoughts and explore them in a more thoughtful way. It gives me a better understanding of the way I think and can portray myself in a clearer manner. As a result, I am able to connect with others in a more comprehensive way.

Look at it as having a digital voice where the benefits occur not only when you write but when you read other people’s blogs.

Remember: Plan ahead to get ahead!

My Love For Baking

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purple fireworks

Image by: Jdmoar

Now that school’s out, I am able to offer myself to pursue the other events in my life that I was once too busy to enjoy. Yesterday was the fourth of July and it is usually celebrated with the union of family by way of food, barbecues, and fireworks to commemorate those who have served in the armed forces. As I watched the colorful fire burst into the air, I was amazed by the beauty of it, something as simple as a firework made me smile and I realized that the beginning of this week was the most I have smiled in a long time. My life has been an utter worldwind this year and I am just happy to know that things are finally looking better. With more time on my hands, I thought back on my blogging experience with “The Buzz” for the past two years. I have endured so much though I have chosen to only post about food themed topics because it is the only constant that has brought joy to my life. It is the only thing in my life that truly calms me and for anyone who is currently going through a rough time, I hope that you find the peace that you are seeking.

The truth is that life comes with obstacles and can be difficult to bear at times. But I have learned that in order to make it through the tough moments is to lean on other people that will be there to listen or offer any type of support. So many people have truly showed their support for me in ways I have never imagined and I cannot thoroughly express how much that truly means to me or how much it encouraged me to know that things will be better eventually. To those who are currently facing struggles in life, I can confidently say that the dust will settle and that life although it is a tumultuous rollercoaster will be fulfilling to an exponential amount. Yet, life has constantly proven to throw curveballs and surprise me in both respectively positive and negative ways. Many question why I blog specifically about food rather than the struggles that occur in my life on the daily basis. And the truth is that I do not wish to dwell on the things in my life that I unfortunately have no power to change, instead I share how I cope with my struggles.

three pie tins and whisk

Image by: Angela Bax

Baking is my therapy, it allows me to be able to escape to a world of paradise where the most stressful thing is to crack the eggs, measure the sugar correctly, or sift the flour. Nothing compares to my passion for baking because unlike anything else in life, the result of baked goods can be controlled by simply following the recipe. It brings me joy to make others happy by way of the desserts I have carefully taken time to create.

So I hope to encourage all my readers to enjoy life and when life gets tough, know that there will be better times. Someone very close to me shared this quote with me and now I will share it with all of you.

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne

Comment below on what you do as a hobby to calm yourself when life becomes difficult to handle.

Why I fell in love with blogging

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While I’ve only been blogging formally for about 7 months now it didn’t take me long to realize that blogging was something I was extremely passionate about. Before blogging with The Buzz, I had only mediocre experience blogging, only attempting (and failing) at running my own blog while I was pregnant with my daughter and shortly there after. So when I was asked by a professor if I’d be interested in blogging for the school I was skeptical that I had what it took to be a blogger but my friends encouraged me to give it a shot. I sent in my material and hoped for the best and after an interview I was ecstatic that I’d gotten the position.

I quickly found that blogging for an already established medium was a lot easier than setting up my own blog from scratch. The Buzz was already in motion and already had regular bloggers who I’d be joining and peer editing with. The existing foundation and peer support made jumping into blogging an easy transition and it was really helpful having another set of eyes to look over my work before it went live. Having that additional support gave me confidence in my work and I quickly started promoting what I was doing and the amazing atmosphere of The Buzz itself. I did some research on promoting your brand and building an audience and I was amazed at the response I got.

It didn’t take long to fall in love with and look forward to my weekly posts, I often plotted them out weeks in advance when ideas came to me. I loved blogging because I felt that I had a forum to share my story, my wins and losses and share with or support other young women who’d been in my shoes. I felt like my words would have been a comfort to me had I come across them when I was struggling and I hoped that my words offered comfort to a young mom who was struggling or at a low point in her life. I was surprised however when I realized my blogs were reaching more than just moms and young women but that guys and even fathers were reading too!

The single proudest and heartwarming moment for me though was when a classmate sent me an email that he’d read one of my posts and it gave him the clarity he needed to work on his relationship that he’d previously felt he lost. I was stunned and honored that my words were that powerful to help someone and give him or her insight into a personal situation. It was from that evening on that I was sure I would dedicate myself to blogging in some way shape or form; I wanted my words, my experiences and my success to help motivate and inspire people to chase their dreams. I’m so thrilled to be back for the summer and I hope you’ll join me as I sketch out the steps I took in becoming a successful blogger.

Why I Love Thai Food

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If you ask my friends or boyfriend, “what’s Jessica’s favorite cuisine/type of food?” 9 out of 10 them would say Ramen or Thai food. I’ve frequently visited Thai restaurant the last few years to the point some friends got a little sick of it because to them Thai food wasn’t too impressive to them ,but to me I absolutely love it.

I think I have been to fourteen Thai restaurants between Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. That’s quite a lot, but I am sure there are others that have been to more Thai restaurants. So here’s a few reasons why I love Thai food:

a dish of pad thai

I absolutely love Pad Thai! It’s definitely one of my favorite noodle dishes and I love that it has a slight tang-like flavor, but also with a little sweetness. There was a time in my life where I would try the different Pad Thai around different Thai restaurants and some were a hit or miss. I also like that you can have it with chicken, beef, seafood, vegetable, pork, and etc.

a glass of iced tea

I also love Thai Ice Tea as most people do when they have Thai food. It’s rich, not too sweet, and just really refreshing and delightful.

fried puffed pastry with dipping sauce

One of the appetizers I really enjoy at a Thai restaurant is the Chicken Curry Puff which is filled with chicken, carrot, potato, onion, and Massaman curry. It’s often served with a sweet cucumber vinegar. The appetizer is very moist with delicious curry flavors, but not at spicy at all.

bowl of ice cream

I also can’t forget Thai Ice Tea ice cream. Yep there is such a thing and in fact, I feel more and more places are carrying this flavor! The Thai Ice Tea ice cream I’ve had is very rich, creamy, and you can really taste the tea-ness in the ice cream.

Another reason I love Thai food/going to Thai restaurants is the decor and ambiance. Most Thai restaurants have a intimate, dim light setting and pretty calm and relaxing. There are some reasons why I love Thai food.

Is there a cuisine that you enjoy and why do you enjoy it?