Latest news with #BigMama
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Is it okay to hide money from my spouse? Readers ask Michelle Singletary.
I frequently talk about my grandmother, Big Mama. She was my go-to for financial wisdom. When I'm faced with a money issue, I think about what she might say. Over the years, I've tried to be like my grandmother and become the person with the answers for a lot of readers.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Latto Says She's ‘Big Daddy' While Rocking Carmelo Anthony's Syracuse Jersey
Latto headlined Syracuse University's Block Party 2025 over the weekend, and she got around to posting some pictures from her time on the central New York campus on Tuesday (April 29). While she'll always be Big Mama, Latto went by Big Daddy in Syracuse as she rocked a throwback 'fit that went diamond in the streets of New York in the early 2000s. Latto donned a Syracuse Carmelo Anthony jersey with baggy True Religion jean shorts and a pair of Timberland boots. Anthony led Syracuse's basketball team to a national championship in 2003. More from Billboard The 25 Best Female Rappers of All Time (Staff Picks) Los Ángeles Azules & Thalia's 'Yo Me Lo Busqué' Soars to No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay Chart Lucy Dacus Explains Why Going Public With Julien Baker Romance Makes Her a Little 'Uncomfortable' One photo appeared to show Latto in the men's bathroom posing in front of the urinal as if she were using it, which fans had plenty to say about on social media. 'Why you in the men's washroom witcho John cena shorts babygirl,' one person wrote on X. Per The Daily Orange, Latto delivered an energetic set that included over 15 songs, ranging from 'Georgia Peach' to 'Blick Sum' and 'Sunday Service.' She reportedly even changed the lyrics for 'Brokey' to fit 'when I leave Syracuse.' Latto came bearing gifts as she blessed one lucky student with $1,000, and a Cornell University freshman named Kumba Cavazzini Diop got their hands on a pair of new Givenchy boots. 'One day, I was just a little girl screaming Latto songs in my living room every day,' Cavazzini Diop said. 'She noticed me today.' On the music side, Latto has laid low for much of 2025 outside of recruiting Playboi Carti to hop on an official remix of 'Blick Sum' in January. Find Latto's photos below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Kuwait Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Baking Bread
How three self-taught bakers turned passion and persistence into purpose By Dena Al-Fadhli When Ahmed AlRefai sold his first cake — a babka, popular in Eastern Europe — to a stranger on Instagram, he had no idea it would propel him into a life devoted to baking. But something clicked that day in the kitchen. 'I felt something different. It was like everything around me became blocked,' he recalled. That first transaction — for KD 5 — became what he now calls his 'first investment'. Working from the small apartment kitchen he shared with a roommate, AlRefai began baking regularly through the night. His roommate wasn't always thrilled by the chaos that ensued well into the early hours, but AlRefai made peace offerings in the form of a scone or two. 'I didn't really know where I was going with it,' he admitted, 'but I knew it felt good.' As his passion deepened, so did his ambition. Determined to specialize, he set his sights on one of baking's most notoriously difficult challenges: the bagel. 'I chose bagels because they're one of the most difficult to master due to their low hydration,' he explained. What followed was a year and a half of self-guided trial and error — countless hours in the kitchen and endless experimentation with dough. Today, AlRefai runs his own bagel shop, welcoming customers from across Kuwait and beyond. Some come in for their very first bagel; others, for their seventieth. But for AlRefai, it's never just been about the bagel. 'It's about the interaction,' he said. 'What's your dream? Where do you work? What do you want to do — and how can I help you do it? You want to resign? Let's talk about how to make that happen.' For him, food is simply the medium through which a deeper human connection is made. That sentiment resonates with Aya Ghader, another self-taught baker in Kuwait whose perfect recipe isn't defined by the precise balance of ingredients but by her ability to connect with people. 'I always like to put myself in the customer's shoes,' she said. 'If they're celebrating their child's first birthday or marking a big milestone, I try to imagine I'm that person — the mom of the kid, the bride getting married. I try to feel the joy of the occasion to get the best result.' Like AlRefai, Ghader's journey also began with a single Instagram order. And like him, she chose a challenge right from the start: Macarons. Known for their delicate structure and unforgiving nature, macarons became her obsession. 'I'm competitive,' she told Kuwait Times. 'When something doesn't work, I just push myself harder until it does.' Ghader's customers are not the only connections she's formed through baking. As she spent countless nights in the kitchen well past midnight experimenting with flavors and textures, the kitchen became her refuge — a space of calm during stressful or anxious moments. Over time, she even developed personal relationships with her baking equipment. 'I name every piece,' she said. 'The biggest mixer is called Big Mama, the smaller one is Silvie, and my first coffee machine is called Marzo.' Twelve months and more than a hundred failed attempts later, she landed on the perfect macaron recipe — one that is now sold in her very own bakery. Running a business and baking full-time can be overwhelming, but what keeps Ghader going is the legacy she's building: 'I want my nieces, nephews, and the next generation to see that anything is possible — that you can leave behind more good than you came in with.' Lolwah, a Kuwaiti-Moroccan baker, has shown that same unyielding passion and perseverance since childhood. Her journey began in Salmiya at just five years old, standing on the sidewalk with a tray of homemade cupcakes. She recalls a vivid memory from that time — one sweltering afternoon with only one cupcake left to sell. She remembers catching sight of a man running past, clearly in a rush. 'He said he didn't have time to stop,' she recalled, 'but I yelled and yelled after him to buy it off of me — and eventually he agreed.' She returned home that day having sold out. That same spirit of determination continued to grow as she decided to take her baking to the next level. Years later, when a friend invited her to help at a fundraiser for Palestine, Lolwah committed to baking 150 cookies from scratch. She wasn't fully aware of how exhausting the process would be, but she followed through nonetheless. Baking isn't Lolwah's only strength; she also has a gift for persuasion and a deep commitment to her craft. With the launch of her Instagram-based cookie business, she constantly experiments with recipes and flavors, often coaxing her friends into taste-testing — even when they're overwhelmed by sugar. As a one-woman operation, she balances every aspect of the business: baking, delivery and marketing. 'The pressure is real,' she admitted. 'But knowing I can make someone's day makes it all worth it.' For these three bakers, the daily challenges of running a business don't discourage them. If anything, they fuel the drive to keep going — one baked good at a time.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
First baby humpback whale of season seen swimming with mom off Washington. See it
The first baby humpback whale of the season has been spotted swimming in the Salish Sea off Washington, photos show. Big Mama was seen with her baby Wednesday, May 21, in the Haro Strait, northwest of San Juan Island, the Pacific Whale Watch Association said in a news release. Also known as BCY0324, the mom whale has had at least eight calves in the past 30 years, the conservation group said. The group estimates the newest calf is about 4 to 5 months old. It was seen in photos breaching from the sea. The two were seen again Thursday, May 22, with the baby staying close to its mom. Every year, humpback whales travel long distances to find warmer waters near Hawaii, Mexico and Central America to mate and give birth to calves, according to the association. The marine mammals then travel thousands of miles to cooler waters in the summer to feed, though the journey isn't easy, the association said. They have to make it past fishing gear, ship traffic and their predators, killer whales. 'It's a perilous journey, but one Big Mama has made many times before,' the group said in the release. Big Mama was discovered in the Salish Sea in 1997, decades after commercial whaling ended in 1966, the nonprofit said. Not only does she have eight calves, but she has seven 'grandcalves' and four 'great grandcalves.' 'We're always eager to see who the first calf of the season will be,' the association's executive director Erin Gless said in the release. 'And we're always anxious waiting for Big Mama's return. This year we got to celebrate both happy occasions at once!' Last year, Black Pearl was the first humpback whale to be seen in the Salish Sea with her calf, McClatchy News reported. Massive sea creature has 'friendly encounter' with boaters. See the 'rare' sight Elusive sea creature seen on Canada coast. See why officials are 'deeply concerned' Boaters follow 'spouts' in distance to find huge sea creatures feeding near CA
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Famous humpback returns to B.C. waters alongside new calf
Local legend 'Big Mama' has returned to B.C. waters with a new calf in tow. (Courtesy: Andrew Lees, Five Star Whale Watching)
