What’s been going on with me? Well, quite a bit. Here are a few quick snippets. I have more good news to share in June. Stay tuned because it’s really gonna be awesome to share out!

My little sister Sade turned 16 years old last week. I sent her a serious care package with some Detroit love, Better Made potato chips along with some other stuff that I thought a 16 year old would find interesting, (not easy to do for an almost 40 year old guy) but she was quite happy.

She’s been so strong over the past year and has been working hard on making all things positive in her life. She recently became a member of the Alpha Kappa Omega Hearts sorority, A flag girl in her high school band, a member of the school gospel choir and all while maintaining good grades (not counting math but that’s another story).

She makes me happy and I admire her courage! And damn, I can’t believe she’s 16.

I recently started going back to the gym to work my husky body. My goal is to drop at least 20 pounds by my birthday in September. I’ve done it before and I’m about to do it again.  I have to look hot when I hit the beaches of Cancun.

I’ve been crazy busy with work, all kinds of work and I’m enjoying using my talents, skill and abilities to make others happy.

Now, keep in mind that I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit!

I’ll be in DC this weekend visiting and celebrating with friends and I cannot wait. I haven’t been on a trip since February and it’s time to get the hell out of dodge!

I could go on and on about myself but I’ll stop here.

My little sweet baby, Tongi laid an egg today. I noticed her building a nest over the last few days and then today I came home to her little white surprise.

This is her 4th egg in a year. The last time, she laid 3 eggs in the course of a few weeks. I wonder what will happen this time.

I view her egg laying and timing as a good omen because every time it’s happened, I received some great news. Today was no exception and I’m grateful for the Birmingham Family Court for honoring my family and doing the right thing!

————-

BTW, can you tell which image here was taken with an SLR or which with an iPhone????

Today was interesting. Made some moves. Made some decisions. At the end of the day, I was feeling some kind of way. Not bad. Not good. Just… Kinda like the weather lately.

Then I came home and chilled on my deck reflecting when I looked over and saw these bright blue robin eggs.  They totally made me smile while offering a moment of random clarity.

Pinto beans are my FAVORITE beans!!! Growing up beans were a constant in my diet and I grew to hate them. All beans. Pinto beans, lima beans, navy beans, baked beans, kidney beans, pork & beans…. YUCK….

A few years a go, I opened myself back up to beans and enjoy differently from how my momma prepared them, which usually involved a nasty looking ham hock bobbing up and down in a steaming pot. I think I just had a real bad flashback.

The other day, I made a pot of pinto beans and called my momma to brag. She was like, OK, baby.

Ingredients:

- 1lb Dried Pinto Beans
- 1lb Fresh Chorizo (Mexican sausage)
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion (diced)
- 1 Jalapeño (seeded and diced)
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- Sea Salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 6 Cups Chicken Stock (Homemade or store-bought (if you’re basic))
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

The Jump Off:

Soak your dried beans in water over night. Be sure to cover the beans fully. After soaking, drain and rinse your beans. You will notice they have softened a bit. Go through the beans and check for small rocks. Set beans aside to continue your prep.

In a large heated pot (medium heat), add your olive oil & toss in your chorizo. Stir and break up the chorizo as it browns for about 3-5 minutes. The toss your veggies in and cook until the onions become translucent.

Toss your beans into the browned chorizo and veggies and stir to coat the beans then add your chicken stock in. The six cups should cover all of the ingredients fully.

Add your cumin and bring the pot to a good boil, which should take about 5-8 minutes. Once you have a boil, bring the heat down a bit and cover the pot for an hour making sure to stir occasionally.

After an hour, uncover your pot and let the beans cook for another thirty minutes to thicken the beans a bit. Salt & pepper to taste.

I garnished my beans with fresh scallions and served them with yellow rice and an avocado salad…

Thought I’d make something for me to have a few days this week because I haven’t felt like cooking much theses days.

I got a few packs of pinto beans and a pack of red lentils. Needless to say, it will be a gassy week but it’s all good!

This recipe has a fair amount of prep work but it’s totally worth the time to prepare this earthy hearty meal. And the Mid Eastern flavor is soooooo very delicious!

Ingredients:

- 3 Cups of Red Lentils
- 8 Cups of Chicken Broth (homemade or store-bought (if you’re basic))
- 1 Cup of Celery (diced)
- 1 Cup of Carrots (diced)
- 1 Large Onion (diced)
- 1 Jalapeño (seeded and diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- Small Piece of Ginger (minced)
- 1/2 Lb Ham (diced & totally optional)
- 2 Tsp Turmeric
- 2 Tsp Paprika
- 2 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Za’atar
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil

The Jump off:

Soak your lentils in water for about an hour to soften then. After soaking, drain and rinse your lentils and set aside.

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a heated pot. Once the oil is hot, toss in your ham & vegetables. Watch and Stir the mixture until vegetables sweat or at least until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Once the mix is set, toss in your drained lentils and stir. This will coat the lentils with flavor. Once mixed well, pour in your chicken broth. The lentils should be covered totally by the broth.

Bring your lentils to a good boil then reduce your heat to about medium so that the lentils slow to a simmer for about 35 minutes. Leave your pot uncovered and stir the lentils occasionally.

Now…. In a separate saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and stir in your spices. Let them mix well. This should take no longer than 1-2 minutes at the most. Then thoroughly stir the seasoned oil into your lentils. This will no doubt add a little more color to your dish. Salt & pepper to taste.

I served my lentils over Basmati rice because I like rice with everything but these lentils can certainly stand by themselves!

And then there were three. Introducing Reginald Alexander Butler….

Photographing this precious baby boy was fairly easy and he cooperated without a fuss and for that, I was grateful… Babies seem to have their own agenda. At least when I encounter them.

Congrats again Adrienne and Reggie!

Found these carrots on Pinterest earlier this year & they are one of my favorite things to snack on. Very easy to make & super savory.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb Peeled baby carrots
• 1/2 cup Fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• Fresh pepper
• Crushed red pepper
• Coarse sea salt
• Scallions
• Cilantro

The Jump Off:

Preheat your oven to 350º.

Add all of your wet ingredients and cumin to a bowl and mix until fully combined.

Toss in the carrots and coat them. Season with a little fresh pepper and coarse sea salt to taste. Add crushed red pepper to taste. This bit of heat adds a nice counter punch to the sweetness from the carrots/honey & acidity of the lime.

Add the coated carrots to a baking dish or oven proof pan being sure to add all of the remaining juice.

Bake for 25 minutes or until tender.

Toss carrots, garnish with cilantro, and scallions.

Allow to cool and serve.

Side note: The 1st few times that I made this, I had a lot of juice left over, I drained it and reduced it in a saute pan then poured the reduction back over the carrots. This added a very nice concentrated flavor punch!

“It go Halle Berry or hallelujah

Pick your poison tell me what you do

Everybody gon’ respect the shooter

But the one in front of the gun lives forever

And I been hustlin’ all day, this a way, that a way

Through canals and alleyways, just to say

Money trees is the perfect place for shade and that’s just how I feel”

Money Trees ~ Kendrick Lamar

To say that I’m obsessed with bundt cakes wouldn’t be an understatement by any means! Lately, I have been low-key dreaming about them.

Totally random, I know but my momma kinda got me excited, then I stumbled upon a great recipe for a cream cheese pound cake and I freaked it out a little bit for my taste. Next thing you know, I’m making zebra bundts (example) and the experimentation into baked delights took off. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my friends and family were raving about mynew found skills/obsession.

Pictured above is one of my small cream cheese zebra bundts drizzled with a dark chocolate Kahlua ganache with a little powdered sugar.

Well, I gotta go, time for me to enjoy another slice!

It wasn’t all that long ago when I photographed my friends Reggie & Adrienne getting married.. Time is flying and babies are popping up.

So excited about their next phase of life! Like the rest of our friends, I’m dying to know the measurements of Baby Boy Butler. His dad is super tall!!! I need to start a betting pool.

See a few outtake photos here…

Who doesn’t love a good savory brunch dish??? Last week, I whipped this up and while it took several steps to prepare, it was worth EVERY moment & it was enjoyed by all.

Ingredients

- 2 Leek stalks thinly sliced
- 4 Yukon gold potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), unpeeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (using a mandolin will save you time and give you a uniform thickness)
- 6 Large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 Cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ Cup of kalamata olives coarsely chopped
- 1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
- 3/4 Cup or crumbled feta

The Jump Off

Heat 3 tbsps of olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12” nonstick skillet.

Add the potatoes and cook to until softened and slightly browned. Add onions to the potatoes until they become soft, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1/4 cup water and cover the skillet & reduce the heat to medium-low and cook about 5 minutes. Put the potato & leek mixture into a large bowl and cool (keep at room temperature).

Combine the eggs, garlic, olives, and parsley, in another large bowl. Fold in the cheese and the cooled potato mixture.

Preheat the broiler.

Add 2 tbsps of olive oil to the same skillet and apply medium-high heat. Pour in the egg/potato mixture, spreading evenly.

Cook, uncovered, until the sides are set and the top edge begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Run a flexible heatproof rubber spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen the frittata. Cover tightly; reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the center is almost set, about 5 minutes.

Broil the frittata until the top is fully cooked and begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Let the frittata rest for about 5 minutes. Loosen the frittata again around the sides and underneath as far as possible. Garnish your dish with a little parsley and serve from the pan or slide the frittata onto a platter.

Cut into wedges & serve with a great bottle of chilled Prosecco.

A little sour cream on the side sends this over the edge!

Dwight Eubanks of Real Housewives of Atlanta fame spotted near Bryant Park moments before Korto Momolu’s 2012 fall/winter collection at the Bryant Hotel…

I asked him for a few qucik flicks and he started working his angles in his mink….

Check here to view more of my NYC Analog Street Portrait series.

Vintage Barcelona Chair? Sure, why not, It’s still a Barcelona Chair and still sexy as hell!

—————————

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair and Stool (1929), originally created to furnish his German Pavilion at the International Exhibition in Barcelona, have come to epitomize modern design. Mies van der Rohe designed the chair to serve as seating for the king and queen of Spain, while the stool was intended to accommodate their attendants.