Stories from the Community

The Kinspire Blog

Where home meets heritage. Stories, traditions, and inspiration celebrating Black home culture.

Braised oxtails glazed in a glossy brown gravy over golden cubes of potato on a blue-rimmed white plate, set on a red tablecloth

Cooking

The Tasty Colors of Comfort Food

Have you ever noticed that the comfort foods of fall resemble the general colors of fall? Anyone hungry yet?

3 min readRead More

A pumpkin spice latte topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon in a glass, beside cinnamon sticks and coffee beans, with a glowing carved jack-o’-lantern in the dark background

Color at Home

It’s the Not-So-Great Pumpkin

Sweet potatoes? Yes. Pumpkins? Nah. That includes the pervasive pumpkin spice everything.

2 min readRead More

A clear glass bottle of white vinegar on a sunlit wooden kitchen counter beside a folded newspaper and a cotton cloth

Home Life

Vinegar – The Little Bottle That Could

Bleach, ammonia, baking soda, Comet, vinegar — the five things my mother refused to run out of. Turns out that little bottle could do just about everything.

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A cozy, dimly lit living room in the evening with a lit candle, warm lamplight and a plush throw folded over a clean sofa

Home Life

After the Clean

The kitchen is closed, the counters are wiped and the clutter is put away. Now what? Now you sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

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Vintage blue porch furniture with potted plants

Home & Memory

The Power of Porches

The relaxing lull of a porch takes the phrase “we outside” to a whole 'nother level.

4 min readRead More

Home Life

What's Your Cleaning Playlist?

That conversation got me thinking about the power of music and how Black folks from my generation (Gen X) spent Saturday mornings doing the same thing: Cleaning.

4 min readRead More

A glass of ice water with lime slices on a rustic wood table, surrounded by whole and halved limes and fresh mint

Home & Memory

Well? Water!

“Where is the regular water?” For me, there is nothing “regular” about water — not with so many crystal-clear brands and so many fruits and vegetables available to add flavor.

3 min readRead More

Slices of fresh watermelon on a porch table in golden sunlight

Home & Memory

My father used to call watermelon “a letter from home.” Whether it's the sweet taste of a favorite fruit, the fresh smell of laundry from the clothesline or a particular summertime song, our senses are always calling us home.

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Home Life

Friday Night Dinners

I saw a Thread recently asking folks if Friday nights were always the nights when Mama refused to cook. The kitchen was closed. Every Friday night.

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