Quick and Easy Fruit Salad Recipe This quick and easy fruit salad recipe is sure to be a hit in your home.  No summer is complete without a delicious fruit salad!  During our time at home, we have been cooking more and trying out new recipes.  One Sunday while I was preparing breakfast I decided to throw some ripen fruit into a bowl and serve it alongside our pancakes, eggs, and sausage.  The fruit is inherently sweet but I wanted to add a hint of tang to the fruit salad.  I decided to add a dash of lemon juice and the rest is history. Over the past few months, I have perfected this salad and I thought I would share it with you.  Please note that as a mom of three young children I understand the dilemma of a picky eater but the beauty of this fruit salad is that it appeals to even the pickiest of eaters.  I made sure to include kid-friendly, sweet fruit and for my son Ethan, he just picks out the blueberries. Three-step Fruit Salad Making a fruit salad should not be complicated!  For me, I have broken it down into three simple steps. Choose your fruit For this fruit salad, I chose strawberries, blueberries, and grapes.  Each fruit provides a different layer of texture and taste. Strawberries: When choosing strawberries you want to make sure that they are bright in color and this includes the hull and stem.  Avoid strawberries that have any dark, grey, or fuzzy white spots and they should be firm but give a little when squeezed. Blueberries: I’m a fan of smaller, plump blueberries because the taste of blueberry in this fruit salad is more complimentary.  The darker in color and plumper the blueberry the sweeter they will be. Grapes: the darker the berry the sweeter the juice!  Again make sure that your grapes are firm and not mushy. Prepare the fruit When preparing your fruit salad make sure to rinse off the fruit to rid it of any pesticides, dirt, or other environmental irritants.  The easiest way to do this is to place the fruit in a strainer, rinse with cool water and shake off any excess water.  It is ok to have some water remain on the fruit but it should not be drenched in water.  The small amount of water left on the fruit will help make your simple syrup.  We will talk about that shortly! Now that your fruit is clean, it can all be combined in your mixing bowl or if you’re like me it goes straight into the serving bowl.  The only fruit that will need to be cut is the strawberries.  You will remove the stem and hull (the top green part) and then cut it into fourths.  Once you have all the fruit in the bowl give it a quick stir to combine.  Once that is done you are now ready for the final step. Make “salad” dressing The last step in preparing this easy fruit salad is the “salad dressing”.  This simple dressing is a combination of your simple sugar and lemon juice.  The simple sugar is made from the small amount of water left on the fruit and added white sugar.  The last ingredient is lemon juice.  You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice.  The lemon juice adds a tartness that is both refreshing and unexpected.  I promise you will love it! Once you have dressed your salad cover with aluminum foil and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.  The cooling will allow the flavors to blend, the simple sugar will thicken and the cooled fruit will be a delicious treat perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Additional tips The beauty of a fruit salad is that you can add whatever fruit best suits your tastes.  Always purchase fruit that is in season because it will help minimize the cost and the fruit will be sweeter and juicer. Should you have any leftovers,  cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  My husband loves to take the fruit salad and add it to his yogurt with a handful of granola for breakfast. This fruit salad is made with fresh fruit.  I would avoid frozen fruit because once the fruit is thawed it will be very mushy and watery.  This will take away from the flavor and texture of the fruit salad. Enjoy! This recipe combines fresh strawberries, blueberries and grapes for a delicious addition to any meal.

July is Fibroid Awareness Month which I didn’t know until recently. As a women who live with the life altering effects of fibroid tumors, I greatly appreciate the public efforts being made by experts in the field and organizations such as The White Dress Project  to bring awareness to this  issue that many women face. Suffering in silence is no longer an option so I decided to share my Fibroid story so that it will help other women find hope for what may seem like a hopeless situation. This is How Fibroids Changed My Life.   2011 May– I went in for a routine physical and found out that there was concern about the shape and size of my uterus. My uterus was also “slightly stiff” according to my doctor so she referred me to a gynecologist for an ultrasound. I was one month away from my wedding so I decided to schedule the ultrasound after my honeymoon. July-I went in for the ultrasound and was informed that I had three fibroids, one the size of a golf ball, with steady growth. I was also informed by the gynecologist that I was referred to who happened to be a Black male, that I needed to consider other options for becoming a mom because the likelihood of me getting pregnant and/or carrying a pregnancy to term would be slim. The treatment options prescribed were long term progesterone usage and/or hysterectomy. August -I settled in with a Black Female Gynecologists based on a recommendation from a friend at the same practice. She suggested a “watch and see” approach because at that time I wasn’t experiencing any of the extreme symptoms aside from irregular cycles here and there. She also took the time to review other options without making me feel pressured into choosing one approach over another. I definitely felt more comfortable with her because she would take the time to listen before diagnosing or prescribing a course of action. October -The Gynecologist that I was seeing went out on indefinite medical leave. My file was transferred to another doctor who was a God-send that I still see to-date. She introduced me to alternative methods for treatment which primarily center around diet, physical activity, and supplements to discourage fibroid growth.   2012 February– I began having heavy bleeding so my Doctor ordered another ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed growth in the largest fibroid but it also showed that one of the smaller fibroids had grown into the lining of my uterus. This, according to my doctor, was the cause of the heavy bleeding. I continued the recommended lifestyle changes but I was also given the option to begin a medication to help alleviate some of the bleeding. By the end of this year I had experienced time out of work, I increased my inventory of dark clothing specifically undergarments and pants, I destroyed furniture, mattresses, you name it, and literally carried a care bag with me wherever I went during “that time of the month.” I would avoid going places and isolate myself during that time because of my fear of having an “accident.” And remember, I was still a newlywed so physical intimacy was nonexistent at times. I decided to start the medication to decrease the bleeding.   2013 February– The largest fibroid continued to grow. My doctor referred me to a Minimally Invasive Gynecology surgeon in the area. As with most referrals, I had about a month’s wait but fortunately the medication helped to increase my quality of life. I was informed that the medication was a temporary solution so I knew that I needed to explore other options including surgery to bring relief. April– My appointment with the surgeon ended with me scheduling a Laproscopic Myomectomy at the end of that year. It was determined that I was a candidate for this outpatient procedure. This procedure was ideal for me because I wanted minimal scarring, a quicker recovery period, and I wanted to protect my uterus and other reproductive organs as much as possible. August -I had my first hemorrhaging episode due to the presence of fibroids that landed me in the ER. I will spare you the details but I knew in that moment that surgery was my only option. December– I went in for the laproscopic myomectomy and it went well but it took a major turn. The surgeon was unable to proceed as planned because we all went in with the understanding that there were four fibroid tumors to remove. There were 14 fibroids! The largest tumor which had grown to the size of a grapefruit obstructed the view of every ultrasound that I had leading up to surgery. Per the surgeon, they were forced to do a bikini incision and fish out each fibroid one at a time. What should have taken three hours took close to 8 to complete. I was admitted to the hospital in preparation for a challenging recovery. The angels of the Lord were definitely encamped around me!   Fast forward to 2015 January– I found out that I was 7 weeks pregnant at a routine visit. This visit was a prerequisite per my Gynecologist to determine if I should start trying to conceive. We weren’t trying but look at God!   2020 Like many women with fibroids, I have experienced reoccurrence. I have been given the option to undergo a second minor procedure but due to the pandemic, I haven’t had the opportunity to continue conversations around this option. The impact this time around is not comparable to my pre-surgery experience which I attribute to God’s grace and competent health care professionals. As I mentioned, I hope that me sharing my experience will help someone else to know that they are not alone and that there is hope. I would also like to offer the following personal advice which should not be used as a replacement for medical advice from my experience:    Get an annual physical and establish a

Dismantling systemic racism in America is ongoing work.  There are many systems in place that work together to perpetuate the overt and sometimes covert acts of racism that Black people face on a daily basis. Having an awareness of these structures and the role that they continually play is important. We want to share a few resources with you that have left on mark on us individually. Each resource helps to shed additional light on systemic racism in America, it’s impact on the Black community, and the direct linkage to social injustice. Click on each title for additional information.   Felicia The Intersection of Race, Student Athletes, and College Athletics In America “ Our Black and African-African American student-athletes and staff have now been thrust into conversations about diversity and inclusion. I find this quite interesting because these are ongoing conversations within our communities.  In response to everything going on, we are now the experts and people are listening. This conversation is real! The conversation among these industry leaders in sports was thought-provoking and filled with solutions for real change in the world of college athletics.   Danielle The Kalief Browder Story “This documentary caused me to shutter as I thought about the countless young Black and Brown young men that I’ve worked with as an Educator in the public school system. This documentary sheds lights on the criminal justice system, the Black family, underserved Black communities, policing, corruption within Correctional Facilities, mass incarceration, mental health in the Black community, healthcare disparities, implicit bias, poverty, employment, and I could add to this list. The theme that resonated with me the most was that of Black Motherhood. Venida Browder literally fought to her death for her son. As a mother, this hit at my very core. This documentary is not easy to watch but it is highly recommended.   Chloe The Color of Compromise “ I highly recommend this books as it notes the complicity of the church in regards to race. Not only is the book strikingly honest with the historical context of race in America as its foundation, but poignant in how the American church has played a role in staying complicit on the injustices of its Black and Brown brothers and sisters in Christ. Jemar Tisby does a great job of highlighting the moments of clear failure while equally sharing the many ways in which the church can rectify its past shortcomings in present and future.”   Racial Unity Dismantling Systemic Racism is not only hard work, its HEART work. Racial reconciliation is not easy to talk about or frankly to swallow during times of social unrest but the Word of God commands us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39). As Christians, we have to examine ourselves and fully come to grips with what this scripture means. Let’s be clear that this does not diminish the work that must be done but it helps us to position ourselves and our hearts to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Please see the Resources on Racial Unity from Dr. Tony Evans for additional study.   Additional Resource Recommendations: What is Systemic Racism?  –Dr. Tony Evans Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria –Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum 13th  –Ava DuVernay Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man –Emmanuel Acho Examining Sense of Belonging Among First-Year Undergraduates From Different Racial/Ethnic Groups  -Dr. Dawn Johnson   Interested in related blog post? See below Four Ways To Successfully Navigate The Workplace As A Black Woman