I WON!

Aww mann....missed u guys.

recently I entered NIFCA and I did not make it to the finals, that is the only way for a poet in Barbados to really get any recognition and though they had little criticism for my piece I still found I was not called to do the finals so I was upset, then I got over it.

I did however win something way more important to me than a medal from those NIFCA judges who don't really have much experience with spoken word, I won the IRON MIC SLAM COMPETITION! Now in order to even attend that slam something terrible had to happen to me, I was to plan a catering job for 5 months only for an idiot to fire me at the last minute after falsely accusing me of being unprofessional but that is a long story and I don't waste time on fools...but I am glad I didn't do that job, gave my husband a rain check for love and left and went to the Iron Mic slam. I had a headache the whole night but was able to wow the crowd with my spontaneous topic: Ban Peter Ram. lol. I think there is a video somewhere so as soon as it is on youtube I will upload it. Anyways, my point is, don't wait for someone to tell you that you are beautiful, know it!!!

If I waited

If I waited for them to tell me I was beautiful

Then I would be cold and dead as winter’s dust.

I had to see myself, my beauty’s potential

I had to celebrate my relevance

I thank God for my common sense

They ignored all the evidence

But I am still

Stunningly me.

And though this fact may annoy the judges

I know that I am beautiful.

Never perfect,

Often corrected

Please - when I apologize

Accept it…

But despite my normality

I am exquisitely

Beautiful.

If I waited to match their definition of talent

Then my poetry would be words lost in time

Never documented

And my stories would have died

Characters formed but breathless

And all of the colours would be humanity without the breath of life

Like Adam in the soil who never opened up his eyes

I pardon this world for creating the demise

Of so many women who failed to realize

But I survive

Vibrantly alive

Talented and gifted

With or without permission.

So forgive me for failing miserably at your definition of humility

I will not berate myself or make another feel that they are better than me

I have come from far away

The waves the wind creates travel the seas

And they are what they are ever more

Even without your small shore

For sure.

If I waited to be appreciated

My cold hands would not feel the tears

And my eulogy would not bring back the years

Or highlight the could be’s  that I currently am

And if I waited to be loved

Lived for glory and recognition

Then I probably would cry at night wishing that I was at least born a man

I value some true opinions

Others are the writing in the sand

Maybe knowing the right people helped some

But I am one who understands

That greatness is possible even in unbelieving lands

If I waited for their acknowledgement

I would live a can’t life

I am can.

So even if they tell me I have failed miserably

I am not bound to their energy

I will rise continuously

For dust and stagnancy are all that are promised to me

If I waited.

See my video for this piece here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_TNs7KtJY&feature=related

Now I know this blog is supposed to talk about food too, I just haven't taken much pics of the food I've been making other than my cupcake bouquets but I did make some gorgeous conkies today, ALMOST vegan, just a splash of milk but will leave out the milk next time!  They are lighter than the traditional Barbadian treat but quite lovely.

Artistically speaking I am doing an album and it is going well. Big shout outs to TRIPLE E STUDIOS &FANTOM DUNDEAL for the talent and support that have recently been added to my album. Fantom and I just finished a track and it is for a fact, fire.

What I would like to say finally is this: KNOW THAT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE SOMEBODY DO NOT WAIT, START OUT IMPORTANT! That way nothing hurts too much because you are not waiting for validation from others. TALENTED AND GIFTED WITH OR WITHOUT PERMISSION! LOVE WUNNA!(WUNNA IS BAJAN FOR 'YOU GUYS')

BLACK IDENTITY, BLEACHING ETC.

www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dp4QvsTmt1oM&h=ZAQCc-z5P

FOOD - FOR THOUGHT!

Know yourself. Develop yourself into someone you can truly love.

Nowadays false validation is in style. Persons will big up something truly horrid and laugh at you behind your back. This is why confidence is essential. Whatever you know yourself to be, whoever you are and however you are, is something that should never be swayed by the public. Love yourself from within.

Pepper

(*scotch bonnet is also known as habanero chili)

PEPPER
everyone has a little spice inside
and surely cayenne kicks though her red is mellow
she has a way of making paprika jealous
but a scotch bonnet slut will only attract certain fellows
Still
everyone needs a little spice inside.

i admit it and some wish to hang me from the moon
make a spectacle of me with a silken noose
sex is everywhere, practiced, recorded, rehearsed
so why do you cringe as though i just cursed?
chilies and scotch bonnet seeds
ever rampant in the streets
people judge them but they always have enough to eat
And multitudes called vegetarians secretly miss meat
and crowds of christians play the same charades
but on quiet days
when it rains
they wish they had that pepper whole
floating around their yellow bowl...
Everyone needs a little spice inside.

Selena Dodson, June 16th 2011

PROTEIN POWER

HI FOLKS!

Just thought I would share this with you though I DID NOT make it. Actually it was made by my husband's partner in fitness crimes - Corey Springer.

High protein and low carb is definitely the way to go if muscle is what you are looking to develop and fat is what you are looking to obliterate. Healthy carbs are essential in the daily diet but we really do overdo it on the sugar and most of us look like we do! Just wanted to showcase these Tuna Burgers Corey made and topped with Turkey Bacon. They are packing a hard protein punch and I bet they tasted great. For the full recipe you can contact Apollo Fitness Barbados - http://apollofitnessbarbados.blogspot.com/

If you are or will be in Barbados you can message me and I will tell you how to come to Barefoot Boot camp and get a Sunday burn that will change you for the better! They are very affordable and definitely give you a good, fun workout that you can be proud to conquer.

CUPCAKES and friendship

Hi Folks,

Hope you are well! Well my favorite sweet thing to bake is cupcakes and I am running a special this month with some of the ones from my signature collection. I'm planning to open a store but I can't give anything away. Anyways this is not about shoes or purses or any sort of incredible sugar work that is more fun to see than eat. This is about a happy tongue and a smiling tummy.  I've got all sorts of greatness, from Rum n Raisin to blueberry cheesecake. Here's a pic:

FRIENDSHIP:

The thought I'd like to leave with you for today is this: Beware of so called friends who never can do anything to help you but are always hanging around. They may actually hate you and be glad when life doesn't go as planned! A true friend may not always be around but will always have your best interests at heart whether you like it or not!

No matter about what the future may bring, live your best life now, do not harbor people that you do not truly need and who may cause stress and heartache that will speed up your death! Forget instant gratification and go for the long term and more meaningful option... except when it comes to cupcakes, ya gotta make the exception there :)

Self Esteem and Hard Times

Self Esteem: LOVE YASELF!!!

C'mon it is time for the blame game to cease.

Daddy issues. Mommy issues. Magazine ideals. Past broken hearts... PLEASE SPARE ME.

Don't most murderers have issues? Doesn't mean they didn't do the crime and don't deserve the time - they do, because they made an adult decision and they have to be punished and also hopefully learn from their mistakes.

In the same fashion your issue is not unique and you should not use it as a crutch to help you walk when you could have been running a long time ago. That is a waste of your life. Yes it is difficult, but pursue what you want unrelentingly and with passion. See it in your mind. You will catch it.

(Now I am not talking about material things which could lead to lady Gaga's figurative "fame monster", I am talking about intangible things with endless worth, like love, good health... the money you may believe in could carry you very far away from goodness. Sometimes you do not get what you think you want but you get what you don't know you need. All I am saying is many people go on and on about the "Universe" and wealth, but money still can't buy life or stop the pain of others and therefore a caring person will need much more than money to feel fulfilled. We often see what we don't have as the main milestone but upon conquering it we realize we are still in want spiritually. Of course money is a great help, but it should not be your main or only goal.

Please read the bible story about Jesus and the rich man that allowed his material things to come between him becoming his follower which would have meant priceless intangible wealth and use this story as a parable to get my point.)

Any goal that you have can be reached. Trust that persons in harder situations than you are in have seen miracles. You can lose the weight. You can own the business. You can raise the child. You can find the love and keep it. But you must believe that you can and act like it and stop casting negativity on your dreams and blaming the past. Just because your father wasn't there for you doesn't mean that you have an excuse to be a slut. No, it means it will be more remarkable to see just how beautifully you have grown despite having only one parent to support you.

Nowadays I am hearing everyone debating right and wrong for the slightest little things. Anything that makes you self sufficient and allows you to feel good about YOU without needing the ego to be boosted by others is GOOD. Because our emotions are attached to our well being things that give lasting good feelings are good. Things that give an immediate high but have many negative effects are usually very BAD. Some bad things have no high at all but those are usually not debated.


 A person can develop and need no one but themselves and God. After that all other forms of goodness are easy to find and all forms of badness are easy to sort out and throw away. If you try to build a relationship with yourself as the foundation and you are full of cracks it is very very hard. Also you may feel like accepting someone full of cracks because you may think you guys can work it out, but the relationship you build will not withstand the emotional hurricanes that will surely come.

Many women make themselves almost impossible to love. Many men act as though they are so great just to hide inner emptiness and longing to fit into circles that they need not be in.

Be honest with yourself about the good and the bad in you and be honest about where you are confidence-wise. Then make a pact with yourself to improve as much as you can day by day. Live clean and keep positive and send out that goodness. Do not let an ignorant person with a stinking attitude ruin your day. Do not blame others for everything that goes wrong in YOUR life. Take responsibility and know that you will be beautiful to someone. That you are lovable by anyone. That you have human rights and deserve every good man, dog, child, experience that may come your way. Do not see what other people have and covet it, take steps to get your own and work at it with a pure heart. You will win and everything that you wish for is at the finish line waiting for you so hurry up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt4eCjRU-WI - The Blame Game - Kanye and John Legend. Real feelings. (edited version)

ROUGH HARD TOUGH TIMES

Count your blessings during tough times, that is the only way not to become completely self absorbed and start to feel as though the world is on your shoulders. No honey, if the world was on your shoulders you'd be dead, you will never know how it feels to shoulder the world, don't even go there. Sometimes things seem unbearable. What sort of life were you living before your ordeal? What are you learning? What sort of life will you be living AFTER your ordeal??? Will it change you for the better if you should get through it?

Say a prayer but do not lie to yourself or to God because lies don't reach him anyway, use your ordeal to help you become a better individual, after all no matter what we are going through our time on this earth is short and we must use it to gain depth and clarity. To become as close to goodness as is possible. It seems to me most people expect goodness though if you analyze many of them they do not project it. Do what you can to be a good person every day and you will see it manifest itself in ways you never expected! Often times we may be disappointed by those we expected to elevate us, but we receive the same elevation from complete strangers because He is not sleeping, but self importance and negativity will surely make it seem like He is!

Have a wonderful day. Good food to come!

I Know That I am Beautiful

I know that I am beautiful

I know

That I am

Beautiful.

I don’t have to do a photo shoot

Hair hat

Maximum makeup

And minimum truth

Post pictures on the net so the men can drool

My private parts on show, public as a mall’s bathroom

No.

Know.

I know that I am

Timeless. A timeless beauty even when I lose my youth

Even when my heart is bruised

Through pains of childbirth or when lighthearted and amused

My beauty shows growth

And you should photo shop your ugly approach

And not assume or presume that you know

Anything about me

Or my moment of life

It would be my onus to give of my time

My energy now a cool, quenching blessing to your life

My entity like wine, gives warm feelings and a slight high inside

Inside – my strength is a locked treasure chest

I cultivate my virtues and resist mental weakness

So should there ever come a time that I am not told

I can check inside myself for my beauty and know

And therefore if a man says so to me, all he will get is thanks

There are no words to spark my vanity and magically unzip my pants

I choose my companions carefully I consider myself

I do not try to change or trap men – I consider my health

I take the necessary steps to inward bliss

My glow will never be dull

My mind believes this

I have achieved it

I know.

I am.

Beautiful.

Selena Dodson 2010

Baked Flying Fish with Lime Coleslaw, Macaroni Pie, Tossed Salad

Allot of my cooking is based on my roots as is with most chefs. Our National Dish is Cou Cou and Flying Fish but that is for the older folks, to me the young people's national dish could as well be Macaroni Pie and Baked Chicken.

Here is a picture of some food I made the other day. Rather than fry or steam the flying fish, which are the most common methods, I baked it. This was a simple, great meal and it is easy to re-create even if a person does not have flying fish because any fish can be used and sliced thinly and baked. People like to eat fish with a tartar sauce or some form of remoulade so this is why I added the coleslaw recipe, you get a creamy sauce and a salad altogether.

For all the recipes you can write me at intimate.catering.barbados@gmail.com.

BAKED FLYING FISH AND LIME COLESLAW

Ingredients:
1. FISH
10 flying fish washed off in some watered down lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
home made seasoning of onion, garlic and basil (blend 2 parts onion with one part each of garlic and basil)
Olive oil

2. COLESLAW

10 oz shredded cabbage
5 oz grated carrots
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 to 3 tbsp mayonnaise (a quality brand like Hellman's)
salt to taste
pepper to taste


Method 1:

Put the fish in a bowl and rub on salt and pepper and about 4 tbsp of the seasoning.

Coat a large sheet pan with olive oil and then spread each fish onto the pan flat. Bake at 400 degrees C for about 15 minutes.


Method 2:

Mix the sugar and lime juice together then add the mayo. Try to stir until the sugar is almost dissolved and then toss in the other ingredients and give it a good stir. Taste for salt. Garnish with a little grated lime rind which will also give the dish a fresh smell.


If you want to fry the fish, shallow fry them in oil after dipping them in egg and then coating with a seasoned breadcrumb and flour mixture.

Yummy!

About me and this blog

My name is Selena Dodson and I am a wife and mother of 2, chef and writer. Though Brooklyn born I currently live in Barbados W.I. and I have Barbadian and Jamaican roots.I have been writing poetry for 16 years and cooking for just as long. I also write songs and am currently working on an album, which is more of a portfolio for my musical side. I paint as well, though I haven't been doing it much recently. Lol yes, I am left handed - an artist.

I will be sharing some of my favorite things with you - FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD, (mostly Caribbean fusion) and WORDS THAT UPLIFT and encourage LOVE of all sorts. I praise God for my talent and I know that he will help me to reach more persons who can use it to enrich their every day experiences with life, which is really what it's all about. I like to keep it real and have a non pretentious approach to everything that I do, a bit of a REBEL, but GLAMOROUS all the same!

So here we go -  From Bakes to Wedding Cakes!