Mimosas are Cute But... (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

...we only consume them in abundance because they are simple and cheaper than other brunch beverages. Yeah, I said it. Champagne & Citrus juice, more than likely orange is not that complex. I was on a dating meet up last year, and the guy asked what was my favorite meal. Of course, it is Brunch (despite its trendiness). And he said something about me just possibly really liking mimosas. I knew he probably didn't mean any harm. But my soul sighed. There are other drinks on a brunch menu. Heck, there are other drinks made with that really salty bubbly wine called Champagne. I know I told you guys about Poinsettia Punch. Have you ever had a Bellini? Ooh, what about St Germain Punch?

I fell in love with this drink at a place(now closed) called So & So. It's tasty. And it uses elderflower liqueur. Doesn't that sound ritzy?

St Germain Punch

Ingredients 

• 1 Tbsp cranberry juice (chilled)
• 1 Tbsp pomegranate juice (chilled)
• 3 Tbsp St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1 cup champagne or sparkling white wine (chilled)
• 1/4 cup club soda (chilled)
• 1 tsp dried cranberries

Directions 

1. To one serving glass, add juices, St. Germain, champagne or wine, and top with club soda and a few cranberries.
2. Taste and adjust ingredients as desired. Repeat for more servings

So the next at brunch, look away from that "bottom-less" pitcher and pick another drink. Your taste buds need a variety.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

Yeah, Thanks For Asking! (Answering Questions)

Yeah, I'm sitting on questions. And yeah, I got some answers.

Q: How are you doing while in Quarantine?

A: I'm Doing Good! (This question calls for a shoutout. Thank You, Treva Shay, & CoryBaker for asking.)

I have my down/quiet days. But those have been few and far between. I only leave home once a week to do the weekly errands. Been keeping to a new schedule. My mother & grandmother are fine. Easter visiting was done via a group video call. For Mother Day's, we arranged the furniture so the family could visit 6 at a time over the weekend. My grandmother's (Who is not a phone person) was happy to see them.

Church is interesting. I attended online with TPH often before the quarantine. So, I was prepared. Boy, these hour to hour & a half services are spoiling me. I'm going to need you guys to bring your at-home praise breaks to church after all this. It can shorten service by half. My family's church aka "Foundation" church decided to have services via Facebook Live. So...I shared my account with my Momma & Granny in order for them to enjoy. In the first week, I had to decline quite a few friend requests from some members. 

I'm blessed to have not lost any income and not one client. Yes, I have been meeting with them virtually. Oh, I put forth an effort to look decent some days. It kinda scared me how ugly I was willing to look. I have the selfies to prove it. LoL

I had leisure travel plans for June aka Birthday Month. I postponed them for next year and made a contingency plan that includes buying some wanted needs & getting a Disney+ subscription, a month & a half earlier for this year.

And still yet very prayerful for everyone!!!

Q: Friends or Family...

Who should the person, someone is dating meet first?

A: Whichever group will help prepare the girl/boyfriend for the other group. I have never brought a boyfriend to Thanksgiving(If he sees 25 of my family members destroy one green bean casserole and don't run...). Some of my friends have met a date or two while we were bowling(Need to know how he handles trash talk) And if you don't know which group is the preparation group, introduce the boy/girlfriend to one from each group before determining which group meets them first.

Q: Do You Think Lil' Boosie is Gay?

A: One of my rules in life is "Whatever Story They are Saying, I am Saying" when it comes to a person's sexual preference and sexuality.

It makes people think I am dumb, while I get to keep my thoughts to myself. In Boosie's case, I can honestly say I never thought about who he truly chooses to be sexually attracted to. I just know he is ignorant about sex, sexuality, and sexual trauma. And he wants to be obtuse about it. He is proud to be recklessly & dangerously stupid.

This Post's Video Q & A

Wardrobe malfunctions are Real. LoL shirt kept crawling up to choke me.

Don't forget, if you have any questions, email them to C.OUT.SPOKEN.DIVA@gmail.com or leave them the comment section below or on the social media site where you see this post. I will answer them

.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

Annalise Keating Should've Flunked Those Students

Warning: If you haven't seen the Series Finale of How to Get Away With Murder...LEAVE!

We bid a farewell to our beloved sister Annalise Keating. She figuratively killed herself so that her true self, Anna Mae Harkness could live. That was the answer to the looming long question, Who Killed Annalise?

How to Get Away With Murder was a good show. Had some winding roads in it that either you held onto or you let go. I almost let go twice. Season 2 finale with the murderous adoptive brother & sister & the penultimate episode of Season 6. I'm still confused about which sibling killed the parents & why Frank had to be Sam & his sister, Hannah child in the end. But I held on, anyway and the Series Finale made me glad I did.

A question many might think of is, "Did anyone learn How to Get Away With Murder"? One person did! No, it wasn't one of those stupid & ungrateful students of hers. It wasn't her riddled with life issue employees.

It was her off & on lover, Nate Lahey(Yes, I am refraining from outwardly lusting over him. You guys know how I feel). He got away with the murder of an A.D.A. When the FBI keeps their focus on another person and you tell that person's truth, you still don't squeal on yourself. I was so proud of him in the end. Nate scared & ticked me off. And when he kissed Annalise on the cheek one final time, I hummed, "Let's Just Kiss & Say Goodbye" by The Manhattans.

Well, in the end, Annalise is in TV New Life probably loving on her beloved Baby Sam as her mother, Ophelia(who passed after the last trial) looks on proudly. We saw she got to go on live life & leave TV Earth via natural causes. And looks like she still got to help Christopher after all.

What Feels Like Hell is a Gift Later ~Annalise Keating

To those who watched the show, What did you think of How to Get Away With Murder? Let me know in the comments below or on the social media site you see this post on.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

Act Accordingly?

*relaxing sigh* I get to go back to why I started this blog. Seeing random outrageous items on the internet that cause my opinion meter to speak out. I get on the internet, today and my opinion meter started shouting. It may have screamed for cool 2 minutes straight.

I was scrolling on social media(I need to keep on my mind to tell my homeboy, Happy Birthday.) and saw these screenshots on the author, Demetria L. Lucas' page from a lady named Mika Chu. A man sent her some of his bank information and their message exchange ended with him saying, "so u can act accordingly".

I did my research and found the original post. I don't want to believe anyone was this daft & arrogant to send anyone a message like that. I want his message to be a joke, though I know the punchline is on him. Even if the man actually had riches in the bank, his boldness was wildly foul. (The quote, "People who do, Don't" is running around in my brain) People like to complain about gold diggers. But that same energy needs to be spread to those that show off their money.

This guy has rent money in his savings and maybe a month's grocery bill in his checking and thought that was an appropriate way to approach women. I almost asked, "What is wrong with a regular, "Hello, How are you"? But I know that answer. The answer is as old as time, apparently. Lack of Common Sense!!!

Well, at least Mika Chu was adult enough to blackout his name.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!!!

Well, Veggie Tales Was Taken (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

Y'all do know I'm an omnivore. Most of us are. Meat tastes great. But so does vegetables. I don't understand how can you not like vegetables. And there are very good vegetable-based meals out there. What? Don't believe me? Ok, Just you wait & see.

The Salad Option: I always say, "When in doubt, Make a Salad". It's a simple thing that can be a meal or a side dish. Here is one that my mother loved to teach us to make.

Cranberry Pecan Spinach Salad

• Ingredients
• 4 cups packed torn fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dash Original

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cranberries, onion, and pecans.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, Dash until blended.
3. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

The Trendy: There are times I see a food trend and like it. I don't know when broccoli slaw became a thing but I'm glad it. Cabbage needed a little help.

Easy Fried Rice with Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients

• 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 package broccoli slaw (or similar Broccoli Crunch Chopped Kit, dressing kit removed)
• 4 cups cooked and chilled rice
• 3–4 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Heat wok or large sauté pan over medium-high with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the eggs, and fry to your desired doneness. Then remove the egg, cut in pieces, and reserved for later.
2. To the pan, add an additional 1/2 tablespoon oil and heat; add the broccoli slaw from the bag and stir fry for a minute or two until softened.
3. Remove the cooked veggies to a separate dish and set aside.
4. To the same pan add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat. Then add the cooked, cold rice, soy sauce, and stir until combined. Continue stirring for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to fry the rice.
5. Then add the cooked veggies and the eggs; stir to combine.
6. Remove from heat, and stir in the sesame oil until combined.
7. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for a couple of days.

Classic with a Twist: If there is something I know preach on this blog it is "Vegetable should taste like vegetables". I cringe a little at veggie swimming in meat & fat. Especially cabbage & leafy greens.

Cabbage in a Purple Onion Stock

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons Dash Onion and Herb
• 1 cup purple onion, chopped
• 6 cups Water
• 1 small to medium head cabbage
• 2 cups shredded carrots

Directions

1. Boil seasoning, onion in water for 1 hour in a large pot
2. Rinsed and cut cabbage into 6 wedges
3. Add wedges & carrots to pot Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender. Do not overcook

The Meal: Before I had zoodles, I made lasagna noodles with zucchini and squash. I love this dish, but its deliciousness requires work. Maybe its name should be Tasty & Earned Casserole. LoL

Vegetable Lasagna With No Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 jar of strained tomatoes (24 ounces)
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 container of ricotta cheese (15 ounces)
• 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs or ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
• ½ cup shredded raw parmesan
• ½ cup goat mozzarella or other raw cheese
• 1 large zucchini sliced long into ½ pieces
• 1 large yellow squash sliced long into ½ pieces
• 4 cups of baby kale, spinach or other dark leafy greens

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. For the tomato sauce, start by sauteing onions in olive oil for 5 mins on low/medium heat in a pan on the stove
3. Once onions are cooked tender, add garlic and saute 2 more minutes
4. Add tomatoes, red pepper, and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer
5. Allow tomatoes to cook for at least 10 mins (Alternatively, you can use your favorite jarred tomato sauce)
6. In a bowl combine egg, ricotta cheese, and herbs and stir well
7. Place about ⅓ of the cooked tomato sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish
8. Layer zucchini on top of tomato sauce
9. Spread ½ ricotta mixture on top of zucchini
10. Layer with ⅓ more tomato sauce
11. Layer squash to top of tomato sauce
12. Spread ½ ricotta mixture on top of the squash
13. Layer greens on top of the squash
14. Top with remaining sauce, shredded cheese and bake covered for 30-40 mins until bubbly and cheese is slightly browned
15. Allow lasagne to rest for 10 mins before serving - it's HOT!

Referred to as edible plant matter. And they do matter in our diets. Even picky eaters will be encouraged to eat their vegetables with creative recipes. So, sometimes let them steal the show.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

No, That's My Pen (Poetry Corner)

People love to leave their notes in your life story. Like we need the added words. My mind went pouring out, recently. 

No, That's My Pen

Put Your Pencil in Your Pocket

Let Me Erase Your Sentences

For You've Unnecessarily Marked On My Paper

Take Your Colored Markers and Put Them in Their Box

And Your Untrue Spiral Notebook Has Bent Up the Dividers in My Binder

Get Up & Move From My Workspace.

I Have a Story to Finish

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!