
So you’ve got your glittery garb and your re-purposed ornament crown, but what are you going to do to make sure luck’s on your side on January 1st? Eat some delicious black eyed peas, that’s what! We’ll start off with a super simple Greek Black Eyed Pea Salad, then a creamy delicious Basil Black Eyed Pea Hummus, and finally a batch of perfectly savory gluten-free Black Eyed Pea Corn Muffins. Yum!
1. Simple Greek Black Eyed Pea Salad
Ingredients:
– 2 cans of black eyes peas
– 2 tomatoes
– 1/2 cup of black olives
– fresh cilantro
– feta
Wash peas thoroughly. Dice tomatoes and add. For the olives, I find that pitted olives chopped taste better than the pre-diced ones, so take the extra time and chop. Add as much cilantro and feta as you like, and you’ve got a fresh, healthy, Greek Black Eyed Pea Salad!
2. Basil Black Eyed Pea Hummus
Ingredients:
– 2 cans of black eyed peas
– 1/4 cup of fresh basil
– 2 cloves of fresh garlic
– 3 tbsp and 1 tbsp olive oil
– 1 tbsp water
– 1 lemon wedge
Puree washed black eyed peas in a food processor until they are pretty smooth. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and minced garlic, and process again. Next, add a quarter cup of packed fresh basil and 1 tbsp of water. Puree. Your hummus should be a good consistency, but if you’d like an even smoother texture, alternate adding teaspoons of water and olive oil. Before serving, pour 1 tbsp olive oil and squeeze 1 lemon wedge over the hummus. Serve with toasted pita and fresh veggies.
3. Black Eyed Pea Corn Muffins (yields 24+ muffins)
Ingredients:
– 1 can black eyed peas
– 2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
– 1 cup quinoa flour
– 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
– 2 tbsp sugar
– 2 tbsp baking powder
– 2 eggs
– 1 3/4 cup whole milk
– 1 1/2 sticks melted butter
– 1/2 tbsp red chili peppers flakes
– 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly oil muffin pan or use cupcake liners. Mix together quinoa flour, cornmeal and cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whip together eggs, butter and milk. Add chili pepper flakes to egg mix. Add washed black eyed peas and egg mix to the quinoa mix and mix together. Spoon into muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden. Serve with butter, and revel in the sweet savoriness.
Got any delicious black eyed pea recipes up your sleeve? We’d love to try them out. Send a note to hello@brit.co and we’ll get cookin’!
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.