Blog Feed

Recipe & Analysis 
Healthy Rasta Pasta Meal

1. (1 serving)

- Steamed broccoli (1/4 cup)

- Rotini noodles (bowl)

- Small-diced carrots (1/5 cup)

- Loose corn (1/7 cup)

- Black pepper (3 pinches)

- Parmesan cheese (5 pinches)

- Garlic butter sauce (3 spoons)

Steps....

• Boil noodles at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until they are soft

• Steam broccoli with black pepper, small diced carrots and corn in a pot for about 10 minutes

•  Drain noodles after soft, and mix noodles with the broccoli, carrots and corn

• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the meal

a.             I'd say that the majority of the food is processed, because I had to chop and remove the outside layer of the carrots, and cut the broccoli. I bought the corn loose as it was, but I assume it was processed because corn comes from cob, they are attached, and so the company shaved the corn off of the cob. I am not sure about the noodles, but more than likely it is processed. 

b.             The Caloric count is 140, 5 grams of sugar (a lot, did not realize that), 8 grams of fat (I think its a lot with 4.5 of that being saturated fat.  That is mostly likely from animals. Saturated fat is greasy, or oily and that’s understandable because this meal was pasta that had garlic BUTTER sauce. My body will store some of the sugar that it got from the meal, and eject what it does not need into the liver.  3,500 calories is stored in your body for when you are not active. This is the body's way of saving energy that is mean o be burned off, it not, then it stays stored can most likely will be hard to "unstore".

c.            If I were to eat nothing but this meal everyday, then I would not be getting the OTHER essentials that my body needs, and my body would get tired of the same fats, oils, sugars, etc. 

d.            I think that my ingredients didn’t come from that far because I only have farming veggies and noodles. The veggies can get old fast, and if traveling from a far, that more dangerous or more aware you want to be about your food. So I think mine came from the far east coast of the U.S. My corn/broccoli/carrots came from a farm in Minneapolis, from a company called Green Giant. I was close. They came more so from the Middle Western part of the U.S. where they have that more of a hot weather and requirements to actually farm.

e.             This meal costs, $4.79. Compared to other junk and fatty foods, this meal costs less than a meal from McDonalds where those meals there can be $ 5.00 and unsurprisingly higher. However, a person can benefit more from just my meal. It is owned by General Mills.

f.              From a company, they add a lot of preservatives, and fertilizer rather than just you growing your own food. Companies advertise differently in order to attract hungry consumers. They say things to make a consumer want to buy from them. They have commercial ads that supposedly show where they are producing the broccoli, how, where it’s being packaged to etc, just to make the consumer feel comfortable. 

My role in the larger food system consists of different views. For me, the way that the food system is treating what and me I am receiving is OK. Mainly because the side effects of fracking aren’t affecting me directly, is why I am ok with it.  Also, the way that our food is preserved, companies use too much of this, and too less of that.  Too may cloned, plants that isn’t what the mother of nature provided freshly from nothing. My food has to be cloned. The sound is very uncomfortable. However, if I were the resident of a house who lived in an area that was being bombarded by frackers, and that effected my physically, and the food, there would not be one pinch of happiness within me. I would not even want to stay at my house to fight the system because I would already be disgusted that it has already begun.  Then again, if I was the system, I would do what   I have to do in order to better the country. As for the whole western diet. SMH. It is a matter of a person. The person who has that overweight problem has to be motivated in order to take action to change their weight.  Is the problem that they are not being motivated enough? They take death lightly? Why is that?  

My Food Rule Graphic

4.      Q:Where have you encountered the highest amount of ad campaigning?

My Food Slide

A Play On Saladworks Sophie’s Salad.

Makes: 4 Servings

Time: About 20 Minutes

Ingredients

-       1 bag or head of Organic lettuce (Any brand)

-       ½ Apple

-       2 handfuls of lo Mein noodles

-       2 handfuls of croutons (If preferred)

-       1 chicken

-       ½ Cup of shredded cheddar cheese

-       ½ cup of walnuts (Or any nut you’d like)

-        Raspberry Vinaigrette  Salad Dressing or Oriental Sesame Salad Dressing (Desired Amount)

Directions

- Grill Chicken Breast and cut into long stripes and then dice chicken up

-  Cut up head of organic lettuce and put into a large serving bowl or pour bag of lettuce into serving bowl

- Cut apple half into bite size cubes and put into a separate bowl with your ½ cup of walnuts and shredded cheese (All of these ingredients will be kept together to prevent wilting and sogginess of other ingredients)

-  Hand mix apples, cheese and walnuts together to even out the portions

- Pour apple, walnut, and cheese mix into the serving bowl with lettuce

- Lastly, Sprinkle Lo Mein noodles and croutons onto the salad mix and pour on desired amount of salad dressing

-- Grab a bowl and Enjoy!

     I believe that depending on the type of each ingredient you purchase that determines how much of this meal is processed and how much is whole food. For example, if you were to purchase organic chicken breast as oppose to the processed chicken breast that would drastically change the percentage of processed food in the meal.

      Since I usually change the original recipe to my liking and what I’m in the mood for the calories are very different each time I make this dish so below is the nutritional information for the original Sophie’s Salad.

    I’m positive that each ingredient in my salad came from the U.S.  I don’t believe any of these ingredients would have to travel any extreme distance. Again, I would say that depending on the type of ingredient you were to purchase that would determine how organic the meal was

      I believe that all together this meal cost around $25.00 and serves 4 people and sometimes more if you were to use bigger portions of the ingredients. I believe that a huge corporation would be Perdue  because they are well known chicken producers and the chances of people paying the extra amount of money to get organic chicken breast and this salad can’t be made without chicken so usually people settle for companies such as Perdue.

 My Source: 

- http://nutrition.saladworks.com/nutrition/salads

 I really enjoyed this unit because I learned a lot about some things I had never even heard of especially while watching the Food, Inc. Movie. There were some things in this unit I already knew and my knowledge was just increased and then there were things such as the “Pig Scolder” that I knew nothing about.

     My role in the larger food system would definitely be a consumer because most if not all of my money is spent on fast food.  I can honestly say I order or pick up an order of French fries once a week.

     The biggest problem with our food system is that nothing is real anymore. Everything that we are served as a society is processed or shot up with hormones in some sort of way and the foods that are real and organic are way out the average price range of families so they can never afford to eat the way they should.

     Some changes that I could make to my food choices are that I could spend less money on take out and fast foods by making more meals at home that are more healthy for me such as organic. Instead of trying to order out everyday I could make my lunch at home which would be healthier and cheaper.

     Once I made these changes not only would I actually have money during the week but I’d be way healthier and it would probably help me do things with less of struggles such as walking to the 5^th floor of the building everyday.

     Honestly, I’m not willing to give up fast food because I enjoy eating French fries too much. If there was a way to get healthier fries for the same price as fast food and they tasted just as good as the unhealthy fries I would be more incline to stop eating fast food.

My food rule has to deal with eating ingredients unknown to us. To represent this visually,  I found a wordle of all the ingredients included in a hot pocket. The amount of ingredients is disgusting. This reenforces the importance of my rule.

Recipe, Analysis, and Pictures!

All of these are on my drop box because they are large documents. Click HERE to view

            Recently, I have been working hard at erasing my impact to our world through energy and food consumption. This first quarter unit on food has helped educate me on the choices I am making and develop new choices. A year ago I became vegetarian. The choice to do this came from many sources but mostly because it was something I wanted to try. Lucky for me, the people around me mostly already were. This made being vegetarian easy. I never thought it would be something to keep but I am very proud to say I remain vegetarian. This had been a big change I wanted to make after seeing “Food Inc.” the first time. Now, after our study of food, I could not be more pleased with that decision. I would like to think that the impact of me eating vegetarian would be large but it isn’t. Although, I have influenced others into the lifestyle and as a chain we have grown as a larger group of vegetarians. This can make a small change if it were to grow continuously. Additionally, I want to start eating more locally and not buying over-processed food. This will help eliminate gas and energy used to transport food as well as improve my overall health.

            The chapter of “Food Inc.” that stuck out to me the most was the ‘1 dollar menu’ chapter where health implications were discussed. Then later, when researching and discovering information about diabetes, I saw what the biggest problem in our food system and society truly is. Our solutions to poverty is to make cheaper and less healthy food, which in return gives health implications, which then cost you more. We initially pay less for cheaper food, but in the long run end up paying much more for health care than you would for healthier food. Flawed system? I think so. As people who care for their health and the health of the people around them, we need to be more aware of everything we put in our mouth.

Eastern European food(Jewish)-Kasha Recipe 

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1:  Get a large pot, pour in broth, mix in a tbsp. of butter and bring to a boil, .

 Step 2: Meanwhile, mix Kasha and egg together.

 Step 3: Put Kasha and egg mixture into a wok/ frying pan on medium heat.

 Step 4: Stir continuously (so that the kasha mixture will not stick to the pan or together), let the grains separate. Should look dry but not brown.

 Step 5: When broth comes to a boil, pour into wok/frying pan.

 Step 6: Stir and cover on medium heat for 30 minutes (check every 5-10 minutes to stir), let the Kasha absorb the broth.

 Step 7: When the Kasha has absorbed all of the broth, season to taste with mixed seasoning salt and cumin.

Analysis:

 This meal is an easy and healthy option for any family. It consists of two whole ingredients and two processed ingredients. As a staple food in Eastern Europe, kasha is filling and nutritious. It is 82% carbohydrates, 12% protein and 6% fats. Kasha is also a good source of dietary fiber and magnesium with 155 calories for 168 grams. The dietary fiber is the part of food that your body cannot process; therefore it acts as a regulator for your digestive system. Magnesium is important for numerous functions in your body: nerve impulse transmissions and formation of healthy bones. It’s safe to say that this food is nutritious. It is also an environmentally friendly dish.

             The buckwheat used was organic and the eggs were from free-range chickens. The store we purchased these items from look for local farms to buy from so the buckwheat groats and eggs didn’t travel far. The item that traveled the farthest was the vegetable broth that we used to be vegetarian. It was imported from Canada and creates a large carbon footprint, which is ironic and an example of the choices and priorities consumers have.

            The cost of a meal is a big deciding factor for consumers. This meal is fairly feasible. The entire bag of buckwheat costs only 3 dollars and this recipe calls for half of the bag. One organic egg costs 32 cents and the broth costs around 3 dollars. While the total is much more than a fast food meal, this is a pretty cheap meal considering that two of the items, if not more are organic.

            An important aspect of kasha is that most of these products can be produced through a self-sufficient process. Chickens can make the eggs and are easy to contain as livestock in backyards. Buckwheat is apparently easy to grow and can be used in numerous types of food. The only issue with the self-sufficient food process is the limited resources in certain urban areas. Ashley and I are fortunate to own houses with backyards, but many people live in apartments or row homes and cannot grow their own food. However, many of these items were purchased in Acme and were still labeled “organic” so this meal could still be accessible.

            Therefore, Kasha is a good food to know how to cook. It is nutritious, environmentally friendly and affordable. All of the items needed for kasha can be bought at grocery markets such as Acme or local stores or even grown at home. As a dish, kasha follows a lot of the food rules. It is less than 5 ingredients, it is something my grandmother would recognize as food, and it’s vegetarian and organic. All in all, it’s a great dish.

 Personal Reflection: 

When Science in Society first started talking about food, I was ignorant to my role as a consumer. It was only after watching Food Inc. and reading the informative articles that I began to see the error of my ways. I felt extremely guilty. Obesity rates are through the roof, people are buying the cheap and easy choices, and farmers are being exploited daily because of my choices in the grocery store. The entire empire of food seemed messed up.

However, as the class progressed, options began to appear on the horizon. I began to understand how buying food means a vote for that product. Also, I understand now that eating is a responsibility and consumers need to do research before they mindlessly buy everything. However, my work as an eater is unfinished. 

 Some changes I plan to make are to research the products I consume daily such as milk, yogurt, and cereals. I, also, plan to buy only local vegetables and fruits that are in season. Fortunately, the Weaver's Way co-op will make these goals easier to achieve. This store usually buys locally and even plants it's own food. I'm lucky that it's in my neighborhood. Lastly, I need to teach other people about the food industry. Even if nothing comes from it, they at least will be more aware than before.

Food Rule: 

Recipe

Ginger roots
sugar
liquid lime
Water

need

need a clean filter cloth
1 bowl

Directions

1. Wash off the ginger roots and cut them up into slices.

(Make sure the ginger is small enough to chop smoothly in a blender).

2. Blend the ginger roots in a blender.

3. Take the blended ginger roots and pours it through the filter into the bowl.

4. Add any amount of water on the ginger while it’s in the filter.

 (Make sure you squeeze the filter so the ginger juice can pour through the filter)

5. Repeat #4 until the ginger has no more juice comes out the filter.

6. Add a half a bottle of limejuice and mix.

7. Add the amount of sugar you want and mix until it’s at the taste you want.

(Lime and sugar depends on the amount of juice you have.)

 GINGER ROOTS

Ginger is well known as a remedy for travel sickness, nausea and indigestion and is used for wind, colic, irritable bowel, loss of appetite, chills, cold, flu, poor circulation, menstrual cramps, dyspepsia (bloating, heartburn, flatulence), indigestion and gastrointestinal problems such as gas and stomach cramps. Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb and there has been much recent interest in its use for joint problems. It has also been indicated for arthritis, fevers, headaches, toothaches, coughs, bronchitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, to ease tendonitis, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and aid in preventing internal blood clots.

SELF REFLECTION

In this unit, I have learned a lot of information about what we consume and it’s origin. What I mean by its origin is where everything is processed through the food industry. I like to add that the food industries have many secrets that have been exposed that left me questioning the food system and what we consume on a daily basis.  The Food Inc. documentary was a factual and evidential piece that encouraged me to be more aware of what I choose to eat. 

One of the biggest problems that I came across with our food system is the ignorance and the “I don’t care” attitude that majority of the public has towards the food they eat and the process of it or what it contains in these products. Another problem that I feel as though is an issue is the fact that many companies keep the process of how they make the food a secret and they are so reluctant of letting people see how the food is made. Lastly, what I found to be a problem is how livestock are being treated before they are slaughtered and how they are being slaughtered in the house.

Many people can change or edit what they eat; it’s hard to change diet but it can be done slowly and step by step. Some changes I can make is that I can be more careful of what I eat and ever since the class; I have started eating more fruit and drinking more water. Honestly I still eat Chinese food on a regular basis and I also mainly eat home cooked meals. One thing that works for me is that, I exercise a lot and work out a lot to keep my body in shape and healthy. I sense a change in my healthy, I have more energy and generally I feel more and more better. 

SOURCES

"Ginger Root Benefits & Information." Herb Information, Benefits, Discussion and News. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-ginger-root.html>.

"Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Ginger Root, Raw." Nutrition Facts, Calories in Food, Labels, Nutritional Information and Analysis – NutritionData.com. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2447/2>.

Ingredients and Recipe for Corn Chicken Stuffing (With Optional Stir Fry)

Ingredients:

2 cups of water

1 package of STOVE TOP cornbread stuffing mix

8 pieces of boneless skinless chicken breast

1 can of condensed soup

1 package of microwavable streamed corn

2 green bell peppers (Optional)

1 raw white onion (Optional)

1 cup of vegetable oil (Optional)

Other things you will need:

Measuring cup

Stove

Microwave

Metal Spoons

13x9-inch baking pan

Saucepan

Butter

Recipe:

PREHEAT oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. 

Mix water and the stuffing mix in a bowl. 

Spread butter over the top of the mix

Place the stuffing mix in the microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes.

Cop the pepper and onion to any size you choose (Optional)

Place the copped vegetables in a sauce pan. (Optional)

Add one cup of vegetable oil, fry then set aside. (Optional)

Place bag of corn in the microwave for 4 minutes or until unfrozen.

Open the can of soup.

Place the chicken in the 13x9 inch pan. 

Pour the soup over the chicken and bake 30-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Take the chicken out of the oven.

Mix the corn, stuffing, and (optional) peppers and onions.

Spread/mix wit the chicken.

Analysis:

The food in this dish was processed for the most part. If I ate nothing but this meal everyday, I'm pretty sure I would have very high blood pressure since the stuffing mix has 500mg of sodium per serving and there is 6 servings per box. That makes 3000mg of salt per box.  In contrast, I would not have to worry about diabetes because there is only 12g of sugar in each box. There are some foods/drinks that have 3 times as much sugar as this box of stuffing. This meal was both organic and commercial. My mom bought the peppers and onions from SHARE foods. They grow their own vegetables and they don't use harsh chemicals to protect their foods (I know because I volunteered here during the summer). The rest of the food was commercial and bought from the supermarket. The peppers and onions were about 2 or 3 dollars. The only other food that could have been grown would have been the corn. Corn is really cheap too. The steamed corn was about 2 dollars a bag. This corn is much better than using corn from out of a can. Corn out of the can is very high in sodium. I’m pretty sure the chicken that I used was once mistreated because there was no label on the packaging saying it wasn’t! This isn’t the healthiest meal and if this were to be eaten everyday by someone, they would get sick and feel sluggish after a while. This is a meal that you would only have one like special occasions. But I think that it may be just as worst as eating a McDonalds cheeseburger everyday!

Unit Reflection:

This unit as taught me many things I didn't know or ignored about food. The movie "Food Inc" had somewhat of a big impact on the way I feel about how food is processed. Thinking about how they use ammonia to clean beef makes me sick to my stomach. A part of me wants to change the way I eat for health reasons but the other half of me isn't ready to make a total change. I think about how much I didn't know about diabetes and it scared me. I know so many people with diabetes that it's a shame that I didn't know more. I've realized how my eating habits effect my body and is my motivation for wanting to change. This unit has been one of the main topics that I've talked about during dinner time with my family. My mom helped me with the supermarket worksheet while we were at the market and we were both surprised by how many products weren't organic. Since diabetes runs in my family, my mom and I agreed to start making changes with the amount of sugar that is in food that we eat. This will be a much easier change for me because I have a red dye allergy and I have to check food labels anyway. My grandma has diabetes and my mom decided to take trips to the market with her to see the types of foods she buys compared to the foods we usually buy. My grandma says "eat like you have diabetes and you won't get it." This is going to be another one of my new food rules.

*You use ud when talking formerly like as if you were talking to senorita Manuel. You us tú when talking to friends. 

Example:
Hola fred que tal (tu)
Hola president Obama que tal (ud)

Own Reflection

Coming into the food unit I knew nothing about food.  I learned a lot of fascinating facts about food. For example 90% of our food is made from corn.  As I was watching the Food, Inc documentary I felt very bad for the ways that animals had to be brought in to be slaughtered.  As I was riding home on septa I was having a conversation with my dad and stated to him that I watched Food, Inc documentary and said,  “I feel bad about what happens to the animals as they get brought in to get slaughtered,” so his response to me was are you going to stop eating meat and become vegetarian?

As a response to this comment I stated, “I can never become vegetarian and that I will always be a meat eater and that it would be very difficult for me to cut this out, even though it is killing animals.” According to the 10 Biggest Issues with the Global Food System, most of the problems in the food system stem from one gigantic problem concentration of power, land, wealth, and political influence in the hand of a few large players who have gamed the system for their benefit.  Some changes I could make to my food choices are to eat healthier.  The impact of these could help me lose weight and not have the health problems I currently have now such as being over weight, and having high blood pressure.  Yes I would be willing to make these changes because I want to have a healthy life and not to have continuous health problems in life.

Food Recipe Analysis:

The recipe of Fudge Brownie contains at least 75% of processed foods and approximately 25% of whole foods. A pinch of salt is 1/16 of tsp and 147 mg of sodium. I cup of flour contains 440 calories.  Four eggs contain 280 calories. One teaspoon of baking powder has 440 mg of sodium. Two teaspoons of vanilla contain 0.8 mg sodium, 24 calories, and 1 g of sugar. One cup of butter is 112 calories, 880 mg sodium, and 112 g fat.  One 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips has 1,680 calories and 96 g of fat. 

With a “sugar high” you are going to have one of two reactions. You are going to feel either happy and energetic or nauseous and drowsy.  This is because the amount of sugar intake is increasing the amount of insulin in a person’s body. The insulin is trying to dominate the sugar in your blood. Salt is somewhat healthy for the body; however, the problem with salt is not the salt itself but the condition of the salt that influences the quality of the product. Salt is considered a healing process to the human body.  Flour can cause glucose levels to rise that can lead to obesity.  Eggs are very healthy, full of lots of vitamins, proteins, and fats, which is able to help a person lose weight by controlling your hunger for the rest of the day. Semisweet chocolate is healthier than dark chocolate because it contains less sugar, lowers blood pressure, decreases cholesterol levels and lowers the chance of heart disease.

Food Directions:

1 package semisweet chocolate chips

Cup of butter

Salt

Sugar

Eggs

Baking powered

Vanilla

Nuts

1.     Grease 9x13 inch baking pan: preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.      Combine chocolate chips and butter in a large saucepan.

3.     Melt over low heat stirring, constantly, remove from heat. In a small bowl combine eggs, salt, sugar: blend well.  Add chocolate mixture blend well. Stir in flour, baking powder, and vanilla until well blended.

4.     Stir in nuts if desired.

5.     Pour into prepare pan bake 25 minutes  or until brownie begins to pull away from edge of pan.

6.     Let stand until cool. Cut into bars.

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-semisweet-chocolate.html 

http://www.puristat.com/standardamericandiet/processedfoods.aspx 

http://www.puristat.com/standardamericandiet/processedfoods.aspx 

http://altmedangel.com/salt.htm

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/eggs_protein.htm

A poetry book by Eryn James

My Honest Poem

How many of you have kept secrets from yourself?

Those "I shouldn't have eaten that last piece of chocolate cake" or that "I'm in love with my best friend" secrets

Well I feel like its time for me to be honest with myself,

Boys tell me I’m beautiful and I say thank you to be polite but I have no idea what it really means,

They say, "The sun is a reflection of your smile and the sky is envious of your demeanor."

Through the compliment I hear "Shawty you bad. Can I hit?" sometimes "Girl you are gorgeous and that alone should put a smile on gods face".

But I can never decipher between being a bad jaw and a queen so I just say thank you,

I sometimes forget that I’m a person and wonder who my classmates are talking to when they call out my name in the hallways,

I get nervous when people get close enough to hear my breaths because then I have to actually be in the room,

Rambling is one of my many talents because I tend not to make sense,

See I never know exactly what to say and sometimes I accidentally say what I’m thinking.

Sometimes I forget that divinity lives in my habits and that I was born from naturalist,

Truth be told I still hold my ex's name bottled into my bones because I don't know how to let go,

I seem to hold onto anything that feels good for that moment in hopes that the moment will last forever,

Or at least return just one more time so I can properly inhale perfection,

I have to admit I’m a hypocritical perfectionist,

I tend to try to fix everything around me but myself,

I figured since my innocence is well past tampered with I might as well leave it that way,

I see pain in paradise so I try to avoid changing the world,

I was brought up being taught that change is a mistake and beauty doesn't exist in these streets.

I don't have too many secrets but the ones I do have live at 30th street station where I go to talk to the ceilings,

Breathing my stories onto lunch time table tops,

I confide in the walls because I know bricks can keep secrets,

I often see my thoughts ricocheting off septa bus windows because they just won’t shut up,

6 am bus rides to basketball practice on top of homework and projects cant really keep you sane.

I think Facebook is a better therapist than the resource specialist at my school because it knows when to shut up and let me make a comment,

I'm sick of people telling me to write a poem,

My friends think because I’m a poet that’s the easiest way to get free,

I've discovered that writing cannot be the key to every shackle that holds you down,

My problems can’t be solved with a note pad and pen,

I turn to poetry only when I can handle recapping the worst of me,

But honestly when the my pen hits my life,

My world shakes like Hurricane Katrina is about to blow through my brain.

Sometimes I just want to say to hell with my writing,

I just want to scream even thought I know it wont solve anything but it takes way less time and effort than caring if someone with like my metaphors and similes.

Sometimes and only sometimes I wish I were more honest with myself.

Confession to A.J

I would've never thought that I'd found the perfect me in a person so opposite myself,

You’re the me that I could never be,

 I've always wanted to make the world a better place and by the world I mean the little part of it that belongs to me,

But I’ve come to the realization that without you my life wouldn't be as complete so I’ll go out on a limb and say that I can only make my world a better place if and only if I do everything within my power to make sure that the world you live in is precisely to your liking,

I'd never think that I’d find my soul mate,

A person ideally suited to me as a close friend but NOT a romantic partner,

In a being such as yourself,

I'd never make your world cry,

Or attempt to be yet another burden placed upon your back, 

Just as you'd never attempt damage my already broken soul,

You couldn't fathom what you do for me as a person so just try to concoct a remote idea of what you do for me on a more spiritual level,

On days where you feel like your falling apart like weathered stone I will graciously gather you like gold dust between my fingers and help re-construct you just as you were,

I love just as you were,

Just as you are, just as you will be

And I’ll stand beside you at times when you feel like you have to go to war with the world, just like you told me,

There’s never a day that goes by that you should feel any form of loneliness,

As long as I have a breath in my body the feeling of lonesome will not exist to you, I will always be here until my body is laid to rest,

I'll know that I've had my peace,

And it doesn't matter to me if you feelings are remotely connected to mine because what you can do for me in just one glance, one day spent together in silence,

In one passionate conversation,

In one innocent forehead kiss, in one reassuring hug,

Another can't do for me in 10 lifetimes and my gratitude is infinite.

Girls 

This is for the girls who aren’t content with their bodies,

Girls who don’t understand the power they hold by just being women alone,

Girls who try to compromise who they are to be something they’re not for people, who don’t even matter,

Didn’t you know that sizes 8 -18 are just as beautiful as a size 2,

You are a queen no matter how large,

They always say the bigger the better,

So how much satisfaction can you get out of a dainty little doll baby?

Even if you wear a size 11 shoe,

You can still have your Cinderella story,

Glass slippers don’t just come in size 4’s,

You are still divine, 

I know some days you just want to let everything go and say I don’t care,

I know there are days when you want to dispose of your halo,

And on those days I will hold it above your head,

You’re still an angel on days when other peoples standards make you feel like a monster,

 You have a smile that could put the sun to shame,

And eyes that could strike Aphrodite with envy, 

Skin like softest clouds in heaven,

I want you to understand,

That the looks of a air brushed King Magazine Model can never amount to the natural beauty you posses,

A man will only love you correctly if you love yourself that way first,

So don’t rush the process,

Learn to love yourself slowly so you wont miss a spot,

And don’t pretend to be someone your not,

And don’t waist gods time praying you were somebody else,

You’re a commodity to this planet as the person that you are,

So don’t regret turning out the way you did,

Because every women has a day where she hates something about herself,

When she wishes she were never born because nobody told her what she had the potential to amount to,

And grated,

I am no Opra or doctor Phil,

I cannot pay to fix your faults or feed you some psychology mumbo jumbo to make you feel better,

But I can let you cry on my shoulder,

Let you create oceans of your tears in my lap,

Help you reflect on the person that you are,

And the women you aspire to be,

Help you recognize your elegance,

I can do that much for you,

Because that is just how much I care.  

Expectations

Yesterday I wanted you be every reason I stood up straight,

I wanted you to become everything I breathed for,

I wanted you to be that reassuring feeling in the pit of my stomach that everything was going to be okay,

I wanted you to be my adrenaline rush,

Fun,

Wanted you to be my pulse,

Dependence,

A love,

That ooo I cant stop this feeling and I don't want to kind of love,

I wanted you be everything I needed for tomorrow,

A reassuring hug,           

A rainbow after this thunderstorm,

Something beautiful to look forward to,

My piece of mind,

My sanity,

My will to stay just a little while longer,

Baby, help me hold on for a few moments more,

Help me remember yesterday and the images it captured of our happiness,

Help me find my grasp of reality because with you everyday will be easy like Sunday morning,

I wanted you be the love song that I never wanted to forget the words to,

But today I realize that no love is perfect and sometimes there’s no love at all,

Just lust in disguise,

And to embrace that is to embrace reality in its purest form,

With that being said,

Tomorrow I want you to be yourself whichever way you want,

I'm not expecting anything of you anymore just be you,

Be exactly the person god intended you to be at your worst so I can accept you that way first,

So when you reveal to me you at your best I'll know that I deserved it.

Confident Women Piece

I won't concern myself with degrading catcalls,

I'm a goddess and will never reduce myself to a "jawn",

A "bitch",

A "hoe",

Or a "shawty" for any boy who thinks he got enough mugga in his pocket to own me,

Priceless is what you should call a person of my stature, And no,

I'm not the most confident girl on earth let alone in this room but on days when my confidence is only knee high I still stride smoothly in my heels,

I’m gorgeous and I love almost everything about me,

My laugh,

My big feet,

(more stuff I love about me)

And it didn’t take validation from anyone for me to see,

I don't need a man to make me whole,

He is merely an extra attachment sold separately from my main masterpiece,

I won't label myself as a damsel in distress because I'm strong enough to break down any barrier between my happiness and me,

I’m the type of women who will grow old build a home standing on her own two feet,

I’m every mans fantasy,

I’m not conceited so there’s no reason to argue it but my advice to you is stop worrying about me and concern yourself more with becoming a queen.

Dear Love,

I’m not a love poet,

The idea of writing about a person that I have passionate feelings for scares me,

That makes the concept of rejection and heartbreak too vivid for me to handle,

But if tomorrow I decided that I wanted to write the perfect love story,

My first poem would be about you,

Not about how I love you but about how somehow you make the idea of love a lot less scary for me,

Every time I see you I smile like an absent minded child,

I'm not usually a love poet but if I were I’d write about how I see centuries of happiness in your eyes and how lost I get in them every time our pupils connect even if its just for a second,

I'd write about how your demeanor is that of a sunset,

Hurting and beautiful all at once,

Some nights I find myself waiting for the sky to turn purple and blue like a bruise so I can blow kisses at it at the in hopes that I can make it feel better,

If I were the type of poet who liked to look on the bright side of things,

I'd explain pain like art,

I’d write about how I like watching you,

Admiration without commentary,

I like to call you silent poetry,

You’re a perfectly imperfect masterpiece,

That fits right into the chaotic puzzle of my life,

I’ve never really thought about love,

But if we just pretended that I had I’d write about how I love hugging you,

I enjoy the sound of our hearts beating in unison against each other,

Its like your heartbeat is the bass-line to my rib cage playing symphonies on my insides,

There’s always music in me when you’re around,

It’s like you Boq (that music guy) and Beethoven sat in the chambers of my heart and had the most beautiful of conversations,

I know how you how you feel about the L word so I don't want to make love to you,

I want to make heavens with you,

Use a few hours to turn a bedroom into galaxies with you,

Scratch my future on you sides so there’s reason to be anywhere but beside you tomorrow.

I want to tickle you in places no other girl has,

I want to hold you so tight that my right hand is imprinted over your heart,

So you understand that I promise to love you on days when your heart feels like an avalanche,

And I know it’s hard to trust girls these days,

So think of it like this,

I want to be everything that no girl ever had the audacity to be for you,

A person who isn’t afraid to be trustworthy and honest with you, 

Sometimes when I call you with absolutely nothing to say it's not just to get on your nerves,

I just want to hear your voice and I was too scared to admit that,

See I have this crazy fear of forgetting what you sound like,

I don't want to lose you,

So when I get the chance,

I'm going to hold you like my last breath,

Cherish you like my heartbeat,

I’ll be good to you,

Sometimes when I'm next to you I get this fuzzy feeling all over me,

I think its God's way of saying, "this is the way it was meant to be",

I’ve finally found someone who makes me just as happy as I make myself and alls I want to do is give that back. 

Qyidir White

Election Day 2011

Donald Romaro

Me- So ser what motivates you to come out and vote today?

Donald- It’s just something I like to do. So that I know that I took part in something so important.

Me- Okay, What do you hope to see change in your neighborhood?

Donald- I just hope to see older people getting more involved, so that the crime rate goes down.

Me- But don’t you think that has a lot to with the cops and the way they play  their part in keeping the community safe?

Donald- Yes but its not their fault that these kids are running around getting into all types of trouble. Their parents should have raised them better.

Me- Thank ser hope you see the change around her.