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In this  episode we continue our conversation with Dontae Payne who is running for the City of Olympia, Washington State Position #6.  This conversation dives deep into the topics of  defund, equity, and public safety.  Dontae talks about his approaches to public safety, what it  should look like and especially for the black people. He looks back at the BLM movement and how his own childhood and the environment he grew up shaped his views on how to address public safety and equity.  You can learn more about Dontae at Donte4OlympiaDon't miss to listen to Part I of our conversation to learn what other things are in Dontae's mind as he continues to  find ways to give back to the community. Thank You  (Asante) for Listening.Shirro's Plate

In this  episode we sit down with Dontae Payne who is running for the City of Olympia, Washington State Position #6.  This conversation dives deep into the topics of  equity, public safety, houselessness and climate change.  We also get up close to his personal journey and to what inspired him to run.  You learn more about Dontae at Donte4Olympia Don't miss to listen to Part II of this episode.  Thank You  (Asante) for Listening.Shirro's Plate

Linda  Blackmon Lowery, is an award winning author - Turning 15 On The Road to Freedom, a children's book.   Linda  still lives in Selma and tells us her powerful and moving story of her teenage life in segregated Alabama.  Linda was among the 300 who marched in 1965.  She  recalls the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and she tells us about  her experiences with racism and the struggle for civil rights.  Linda is joined by Lonnie Locke, a native of Alabama and a local activist, a founder of  Looking Back, Moving Forward, an organization that  focuses on creating spaces and providing resources for community to engage in conversations about race, root causes and collective impact.

In this special  Episode of VOTE2020, we sit down with Rep. Beth Doglio of Olympia Washington who is running for Congressional Seat for District 10.  Beth has been in the forefront of many bills in her position as a House Representative for Legislative District 22.  In this episode we wanted to hear how she plans to tackle the issue of race in America and how her work on climate change, health issues and increase of minimum wage has prepared her to tackle the issue of systematic racism.  

Recorded July 26, 2020Welcome to The Amped Voices a series of podcasts we will be hosting to hear the point of view of people involved with Black Live Matter's Movement.Since May 2020, after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police, Portland, Oregon protests continue to grow.  Shar Byrne has been on the scene documenting both the creative demonstrations and growing tensions. In this episode she gives us the account of the protests. 

At Shirro's Plate, we are stand with Black Live Matters and we are committed to dismantling systematic racism in our society.It's summer and we have been way behind in posting our summer favorite recipes from our garden.  Our summer garden is giving us back and we got some really great tasting and quite big Zucchuni growing.  If you have grown Zucchuni, you know from flowering to harvest is quick turn around. Nothing goes to waste in our home so, we are bringing you our very fast backyard garden delight.  Check it and enjoy it!

In this episode we talk with families members living in Kenya about their everyday life in the pandemic.It is surely a very unusual times we are in.  The COVD19 virus outbreak has impacted us all in many different ways and has put the world on pause, as we like put thing in our on own perspective.  The world has been faced with a big monster that needed putting expertise, skills, and science together in order to understand the virus, treatments, and the impacts. COVID19 brought us from our own comfort zone and we have had to adapt rapidly in our own special ways.  Mandatory quarantines and lockdowns around the globe were initiated by many governments to stop the global spread of the virus.  Survival skills were activated. The pandemic stress isn't easy for anyone, and we wanted to understand how other's are dealing with it.  We were very honored to have my family volunteer to be on our podcast to give us a glimpse of how Kenyan families are dealing with it.  In African countries like Kenya, people hustle everyday to put food on the table.  The lockdown was quite a setback to most people who have to rely on everyday hustle to sustain their families.  And getting education ongoing was tricky and probably very challenging for governments.  How do you provide education to a population where most children live in rural areas or simply can't afford modern technology.  We still don't know everything, but for now here is what my family was able to tell us in the short time we chatted.Enjoy Part 1 of our pandemic conversation.  Don't forget to follow us in our social media platforms.  Asante Sana!!

One thing about Kenyans is that they love chai (tea).  Any family you visit will offer you a cup of tea and in restaurants too. But we also make this wonderful chai masala. Masala is a mixer of spices that are really good for your overall health. Chai Masala invigorates your body, mind and soul.  It's simple and healthy.  In this recipe we use plant-based milk, and spices include ginger, cloves, cardamom and sugar if needed. You can find all these in your local grocery store or market. Check it out.

We hope everyone is staying save and practicing social-distancing as much as possible.  It has been over two weeks since we went on quarantine/isolation.  We finally have this episode up for you to enjoy.  Our Super Healthy Bread is simple and easy to make.  We have combined some of the best ingredients in our recipe - wheat floor and flax meal/chia gives it great consistent and adding garlic and rosemary enriches the flavor of the bread while adding much needed nutrients.Our bread turned out great, it wasn't stodgy or claggy.  Had the right feel as you cut it through. This has come after many fails and we feel we have really perfected our skills overtime.  Bread making is a good challenge when you have a lot of time in your hands or a great passion to pick up.  It requires good attention, a specific style of kneading and proofing in order to get a perfect loaf.  Don't give up if your first bake fails, we have been there, just keep trying and eventually it comes naturally.  We hope you will try the recipe and will share your bread baking experience with us.  Let us know by following our social medial handle @shirrosplate.  We want to take a moment to thank all the heroes out there doing the best they can possibly do to keep us and our community safe.  And our thoughts to those who have experienced COVID19 first hand. To those helping keep our plates full and risking their own lives while doing so. Stay safe and if you are able to, donate monetary funds or food donations to those who are affected by COVID19. Find your community resource organization in your area.From Shirro's Plate we say a BIG THANK YOU!ASANTE!Shopping list (we used organics):  Whole Wheat Flour, Flax Meal or Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds ( will need to crush later), Canola Oil, Sugar, Dry Yeast, and some salt.

Sukuma Wiki is a popular dish in my home country, which literally means push the week.  It's eaten almost daily with Ugali (grits), rice or chapatis. The dish is mostly cooked with collard greens and sometimes spinach is added.  Onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro  and a mixer of some of the best spices in our kitchen (paprika, turmeric, coriander, black pepper) and wine gives this dish a very distinct flavor that keeps you wanting more.  If you love greens this is one you want to add to your favorite recipes. Kale is one of the super foods and is loaded with a lot of nutrients that  are beneficial.  Check out the top ten reasons you should eat kale kale here.  

(Previously Recorded 11/23/2019) A Non-Thanksgiving CookingWe decided to skip thanksgiving and instead we took the time to prepare another wonderful Matoke (Plantain) dish. This time, Matt gets in the kitchen to give us his fusion of Matoke. Plantains are versatile and are easy to add on to other dishes or combine with other favorite foods. This is a good example of how easy it is to turn any dish to wonderful healthy meal.  Enjoy!

In this episode we look at Shirro’s journey with food growing up. We hop in the kitchen and prepare some yummy breakfast matoke (plantain).  Matoke is a stable food throughout Africa and it’s known by different names depending on where you visit. They can also be cooked in many different ways. The nutritional benefits of plantain will keep you coming back for more.  Go ahead, try it out.