Chef Brave Heart

17/03/2025

13/03/2025

Incredibly important information to know and remember.

12/03/2025

First They Came (A Modern Adaptation because of the times we find ourselves in. )

First they came for the immigrants,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not an immigrant.

Then they came for the journalists,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a journalist.

Then they came for the teachers,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a teacher.

Then they came for the scientists,
Silencing truth, burying facts,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a scientist.

Then they came for the farmers,
Stripping the land, poisoning the soil,
Forcing them to sell, forcing them to starve,
And I did not speak out
Because I did not work the fields.

Then they came for the protesters,
Beating them down, locking them up,
Calling them traitors for demanding justice,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a protester.

Then they came for the trans and q***r people,
Erasing their rights, erasing their names,
Leaving them nowhere safe to stand,
And I did not speak out
Because I did not fear for my identity.

Then they came for the voters,
Gerrymandering, suppressing, stealing,
Twisting democracy into their own hands,
And I did not speak out
Because I thought my rights were safe.

Then they came for me…
A woman, my body no longer my own,
My choices denied, my future decided for me,
And there was no one left
To fight for me.

10/03/2025

I don’t know about you, but daylight savings time really messes with me! So, I flipped the script and had breakfast for dinner—because why not?!

✨ Chef Tip: You actually shouldn’t start your day with heavy carbs or fruit. Instead, focus on protein first thing to keep your energy steady and cravings in check! But since this was dinner, I balanced it all out.

Here’s my High-Protein Dream Bowl if you wanna try it:

🥣 Chef Braveheart’s Power Bowl 🥣 59.9g of protein
• 6 oz plain yogurt (Nancy’s is my go-to!)
• 1 bottle of Koia Coconut Almond Protein Drink
• 2 scoops Kachava Vanilla (super creamy & loaded with fiber!)
• 15g natural peanut butter (for that nutty goodness with no added sugar)
• ¼ cup Purely Elizabeth Granola (because crunch is a vibe)
• 1 Costco Açai Bowl (because I deserve a little fruity treat)

Blend with half cup of ice. I use the granola for a topping with chia seeds and some fresh berries

💬 What’s your favorite “breakfast for dinner” meal? Drop it in the comments! ⬇️

08/03/2025

✨ International Women’s Day ✨

We as women are the life-givers. Whether or not we ever give birth, we nurture, we love, we cook, we heal. We pour our hearts into our families, our communities, our cultures—feeding not just bodies, but spirits.

In every kitchen, in every home, in every space where love and resilience meet, you’ll find a woman holding it together.

So today, and every day, honor the women who nourish you. Stand beside us as we stand for you. Fight for us, as we fight for you.

07/03/2025

I love seeing this. My brother Casey J. Means is an incredible coach dedicated to our Native youth. What I’ve learned from all my brothers when you challenge the status quo you may not always be liked but that’s where the real change is made. Proud of you brother. Love you ♥️✨🙌🏾🔥

06/03/2025

Why It Just Clicked: A Native Woman’s Journey to Health

In January, while on vacation, I had a moment that changed everything. I wanted to run and play in the sand with my kids, to be fully present in their joy—but my body hurt. It hurt from the weight. And in that moment, an overwhelming truth washed over me: I am building a beautiful life for my children, but what happens to them if something happens to me? My baby is only seven. It’s us. There is no safety net, no one swooping in to save us.

Native women are the backbone of our families and communities, yet we are facing a silent crisis. We have the highest mortality rate and the lowest life expectancy of any segment of women in the Western Hemisphere. Thirty percent of women die within a year of breaking a hip, and that statistic rises even higher for Native women. We are 2–3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. We have the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease among women in the U.S. These are not just numbers; they are warnings. Warnings that if we don’t prioritize our health, our families will bear the weight of our absence.

So I chose me. As soon as we got home, I made changes. I quit soda. I quit caffeine. I committed to taking my medication and vitamins consistently. I joined a gym and hired a trainer—not as a luxury, but as an investment in my future. I was terrified, but I showed up anyway. We set goals. I pre-planned my meals, focusing on healthy proteins and fiber.

This isn’t just about weight loss. It’s about breaking cycles of preventable disease. It’s about showing my children what strength looks like—not just in resilience, but in self-care. It’s about ensuring that Native women don’t just survive, but thrive.

Because sometimes, the most revolutionary act you can do is choose you.

26/02/2025

✨ Resilience in Every Bite ✨

Today, I woke up missing home. Missing my mom. Missing my community. The Black Hills, the land I come from. The sunsets hit different there, and the sky stretches endlessly.

For a long time, I stopped making fry bread as an act of defiance. But today, I made it as an act of resistance and resiliency.

Our ancestors were forced onto reservations, stripped of our nomadic way of life, hunting, and foraging. Instead, they were given rations—rancid flour, sugar, oil, and alcohol—the perfect storm for diabetes, alcoholism, and dependency. And yet, through survival, innovation, and creativity, fry bread was born.

I call it colonizer bread, and my relationship with it is complex. But it’s also tied to memories of sitting at the dinner table, kneading dough in a silver bowl for my mother, her beautiful arthritic hands guiding me. Or the stories of my cousin Ruthie, whose fry bread could heal a broken heart.

Today, I passed this tradition to my little girl, just as my mother passed it to me. Because even when the world is upside down, we are the resistance. With what little we have, we still have our resilience, our creativity, our intuition, our people, and our culture.

And so, we rise in resiliency. ✊🏾❤️

18/02/2025

Leksi Leonard is free. ✊🏾♥️🙏🏽
I didn’t grow up aspiring to be Michael Jordan. I grew up aspiring to be activists like my parents and grandparents.

My grandfather, Kenneth Tilsen, was a respected civil rights attorney who defended countless activists, including leaders of the American Indian Movement. Dennis Banks, Russell Means, and Clyde Bellecourt weren’t just historical figures to me—they were regulars in my grandfather’s den. I knew them as my uncles.

My brothers and I didn’t play “Cowboys and Indians.” We played the American Indian Movement. Weekly, we’d get a phone call from Uncle Leonard Peltier. I’d tell him about school, what I was into, and then my dad would take the phone.

At 11 years old, I wrote my first book—The Run for Freedom—dedicated to Leonard Peltier and all political prisoners around the world.

Now, my brother Nick Tilsen has helped free him. He committed to ensuring Leonard has the dignity to return to his homelands and live out his days in peace.

I couldn’t be more proud. I know my grandfather is smiling ear to ear, knowing that his grandchildren continue to uphold his legacy.

Today is a good day. photo courtesy of

17/02/2025

Ok Kendrick Lamar we’re coming for you. ♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️ this is so fire ladies.

17/02/2025

Your heavenly birthday is approaching . It’s been seven months since you left this earthly place. I wish I could say losing you was easy, that healing from your loss was a breeze, but honestly, it’s incredibly painful. You’d probably be disappointed that I still shed tears for you.

We used to sit and talk for hours about our favorite plates; the details, the flavors, the memories attached to them. I loved hopping into your Jeep and finding rocks at my feet, the ones you’d collected and cherished. I miss our drives through Spearfish Canyon, listening to you talk about the places you’d traveled and the places we’d go just for a meal.

Life is strange. One moment, you’re just living your life, and then a stranger walks in, and suddenly, over a smile and a cut of fish, a connection is made. We became fast friends; first a helping hand, then my sous.

Remember the time you made 625 bison meatballs? Or the time I collapsed on the kitchen floor, and instead of picking me up, you just laid down next to me and let me cry? I asked you, How do I cook with a broken heart? You put your hand on my back and said, We all have at least a piece of our heart that’s broken. Then, after a pause, you added, Also, you really need to clean under the prep tables. We both started laughing, moved everything, and scrubbed the kitchen. That was one of the hardest days in the kitchen, but you made it lighter.

You never made me feel silly for being sensitive; I think you found it endearing. You always made me feel safe and protected. We couldn’t have been more different, couldn’t have come from more different worlds, but somehow, in that tiny kitchen, we created a sanctuary for our friendship.When you were dying, I held your hand. You asked me to run my nails up your arm, and I did, tears rolling down my face. And in true you fashion, you looked at me and said, Chef? I’m suing for harassment.

You always knew how to make me laugh; even in the worst moments. I still get mad at you. I wish you had made better choices for yourself. I wish you had asked me for help sooner. But more than anything, I just wish you were still here. Toksa Ake until I see you in the next life.

16/02/2025

Hey Rapid City! Chrissy is bringing out her food truck! Go support our friends at Chrissy’s Island Grill, LLC!! Order some ribs and chicken for me.

Hi everyone!

This month we will be open for the following dates/events:
- Saturday, February 22nd: Black Hills Home Builders Association 2025 Annual Pub Crawl
- Sunday, February 23rd: 2025 Rapid City Polar Plunge

We will post more details regarding our hours the week of. We can’t wait to see you all!☺️🌺

16/02/2025

We need to utilize our collective power. We are the resistance. ✊🏾♥️🙏🏽

14/02/2025

Happy Valentine’s Day.

A day we’re supposed to gush over and love on the romantic partner in our lives. As a Cancer, I used to revel in the over-the-top nature of the day—the grand gestures, the romantic dates, the gorgeous flowers. But someone once took that from me, intentionally, to be hurtful and cruel.

Every year, when this day rolls around, I think about how much pain he must’ve been in to want to do that to someone he supposedly loved. And I think about how, for many of us, it’s hard to find the energy to celebrate anything in this dystopian era of chaos and greed—let alone a commercialized holiday designed to make us spend money.

So instead of the usual Valentine’s Day sentiments, I offer you this:

From a young age, we are taught that we are not whole without a lover or a partner. But what if I told you that you are already whole? Right now, as you are—with your trauma, your mess, your unhealed parts, your quirks, your fire—you are already enough.

And in this chapter of your life, the most revolutionary thing you can do is love yourself. Pour so much into yourself that you no longer need another person to fill you—but instead, you simply allow the universe to bring someone of equal strength into your life.

So, however you choose (or don’t choose) to celebrate today, I hope you remember this: One of the most romantic things someone can do is put their heart on a plate and cook for you.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

10/02/2025

Literally what I thought 🤣🤣🤣🔥🔥🔥🔥