What's Wrong With Being Basic? (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA'S Favorite Recipes)

My grandmother's birthday was the other day. She's now blessed to be in her early-mid 90s. Her physical movements are limited, but mentally she's pretty spry. I planned to make baked chicken and dressing for her, but she requested gumbo. So, we had gumbo.

Growing up my grandmother did 70% of the cooking growing up. We ate a lot of Baked Chicken.

If you know my cooking origin story, my first dish I made was Baked Chicken. My grandmother taught me how to make it. And I have to say that lesson is one that has saved me time after time. It's lower in fat & calories than fried chicken. And there is nothing like puting it in the oven and getting other things done.

Basic Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1/8 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, (I use a salt free version, but most use salted)
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 - 3 pounds bone-in chicken parts, washed & trimmed of fat excess

With a Wax Bean & Carrots Medley

Directions:

1. Pour water into a shallow baking dish
2. Season water with 1/4 of each season
3. In a small bowl combine oil & remaining seasonings
4. In a bowl drizzle & rub the oil mixture onto the chicken parts, until fully covered
5. Arrange chicken parts, skin side up in the baking dish.
6. Cover baking dish with foil.
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to an hour, 
8. Remove foil and let chicken cook for 20 - 30 more minutes or until the skin is crisp and brown and the meat is ready to fall off the bones.

Sometimes life doesn't allow for or need elaborate dishes. Sometimes we need to rely on a good ol' basic. Pop Culture says "Basic is Boring", these days. I say, I'll rather be basic sometimes, than trying figure out what I am eating all the time. Chicken is Chicken!!! And what do you think gravy or condiments are for?

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Reading Challenge 2017 Revamped

I do too much sometimes. That's not a mysterious fact about me. Many of you have thought something to that effect about me anyway. I just hate when I do too much and I get harmed. This time my psyche has taken a hit, but these particular blows stop here.

Nothing about the social climate of the US these days is shocking. The timeline maybe off. I was expecting the new KKK and Neo Nazis to really act a fool since President Bill Clinton was in office. That's when I took notice to skin heads use hate speech in public. And everyday 45 is in office, nothing seems to be weird anymore. People watched a giraffe give birth as oppose to watch him literally try to run this country like one of his businesses.

What is shocking is that I thought I was going to read Huckleberry Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird and stay emotionally healthy. I can't watch slavery or civil right "entertainment" unless I know I won't be leaving the house for a few days. Let's just say, I become very enraged & take my attitude out on those that look like whoever the oppressor was in the show or movie. But I tried to read To Kill a Mockingbird, anyway, My mind was saying stop. I could feel me get emotional. So, I stopped & decided to revamp my Reading Challenge for 2017.

Reading Challenge 2017 was Banned Books in Dallas ISD When I Was In School. Now, it's Classics I Haven't Read I've read Dear God, It Me Margreat & Chocolate Wars. You can read my reviews HERE & HERE. I am still going to read Tom Sawyer, but I am adding

• The Great Gatsby 
• The Grapes of Wrath. 

I think those works are read in the 9th grade of high school. Well, like I said in a previous post, my English/History teacher only taught class for 15 minutes. If wasn't short stories, poetry, and grammary lessons, I didn't learn about it then.

I can wave the white flag at two novels. I couldn't do it to my whole challenge. I finally completed one last year. I must complete one again the next year. I can & I will do it.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Miss Me Talking About Web Series? (Answering Questions)

Time to answer a question or two.

Q: Have you stop talking about Web Series? Are you still watching them? Are you watching anything new?

A: I'm still live tweeting on Black & Sexy Saturdays. I am still commenting on those show shown on You Tube.  And yes, there are some new titles for you guys to watch. I look at this list and I realize I have been holding out on you guys. Some of these shows have 2nd seasons. I'M SORRY!!! Maybe I was enjoying these shows so much. Charge It To My Head And Not My Heart!!! SMH

The Process
Married couple, a promising actor & a caring social worker manage life.

Tough Love
Six Millennial friends secretly participating in threapy sessions about the dating world.

Giants

Life kicks three friends down in different ways, watch how they enotinally get up.

Makeup and Breakup

A romantic schemer & a relationship dreamer break up. The world becomes their oyster. Do they get pearls or sand.

Black Panties

Four friends experience the vulnerable sides of womanhood.

All of these links are to the trailers of these dramas. All can be found on You Tube. So Enjoy! And thanks for the web series talk reminder. *muah*

Oh Send OutSpoken_Diva Any Questions at C.OUT.SPOKEN.DIVA@GMAIL.COM.
As best I can, I Answer!!!

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Love Provides Air Conditioning

These questions are for my fellow BBWs & BMHs. Do you see a decline in date offers in the Spring & Summer? Have you gotten more "Hey Big Head" texts once the temperature drops?

This post has been a long time coming. The subject matter has baffled me for years. But recently during a work commute on the DART light rail, I overheard two younger-than-me ladies talking & this post had been birthed.
Right: Girl, F--- him. Bet he'll be in your face when it gets cold.
Left: By Big Girl season, I'll be busy. I ain't gon' want his a--.

All I could do was shake my heard & think, Is Big Girl/Boy Boy Season Real? I hope not. Please be a bad generalization based on their lives. But I see the memes & the tweets. Somebody believes in this.

I've known I live parts of life blessed, for a while. I've never been told, "You're Pretty For a Fat Girl". But I can not negate that many others in the community have been told that. Also, I've never dated a guy who verbally claims to have never dated a big girl before me. Either the dates plus size women exclusively or didn't have a type & dated across the weight board. So, I've never dealt with those backhanded compliments & situations. So, Big Girl & Big Boy season could exist and I legitly could never experience it. God, Life, Fate or whatever you believe in knows I won't handle that mess well.

If it does, Make It Stop!!! Fat Folks aren't the dating world's bed warmers. Get yourself another blanket, if that's the case. If one's attraction is not 365 days of a year, one is not attracted. And don't use sweat as an excuse. Love Provides Air Conditioning. Like has an oscillation fan. Lust at least a ceiling fan. And decency offers people a glass of ice water.

Big Girl & Big Boy season is backhanded. Fat folks don't have to get what they get when they get it. Eff That!!! Every Season is The Season to date a BBW or a BHM. Now run fetch me that glass of ice water, while I chill with the air conditioner, oscillation & ceiling fans running. I'm That Kind of Pretty Hawt And Tempting Lady.

*wink*

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

My Funniest Date Fear

Saw this meme in a Facebook group. I'm a Christian & not keen on a first date being at church. First dates are already awkward & unknown. Imagine some church missionary coming to meet you like this guy's date. Heck, I just got nervous typing that. Going to each other's churches is important. I just think that might be the step after introducing him to my friends, but before introducing him to my family. I definitely don't want to do it for the first date.

I once read a story about a lady meeting a blind date at the church on a Friday night. She thought maybe the guy worked there and they would leave once he got off work. That was not the case. The date was a Church Shut In service. A Shut-In is an all-night worship service in which participants engage in a variety of spiritual educational activities like prayer, testimonies, singing & listening to music to usher in the Holy Spirit into the participants' lives. 

The crazy part is that I have a fear I will end up having a church date like that, someway, somehow. It is probably one of the main reasons why I question people when they want to play matchmaker.
Wanna Be Matchmaker: They have to have a job. Love their mom.
Me: Ok Yeah
Wanna Be Matchmaker: And they have to be into the church
Me: Oh No! Oh No! You are Not qualified to set me up on a date. No! No!! No!!!
That scene is a true story.

So yeah, Let's hold off on the church visits for 4-6 months of exclusivity. Gives us a chance to observe each other outside of the church. Allows me to prepare for the church mother & the pastor. And if a church shut-in is what "spend the night together" means, I'm not your girl.

Love that the guy wants to fully share God with me, but that is very intimate. I think that will go on the engagement or married activity list. While dating, we'll find other ways to show one another our God in other creative ways.

Don't show too much, too soon.

In the comments, let me know if you would go to church as a 1st Date.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms